Happy Halloween!

Found at: Way Cool Pictures

Superstitions About Dogs

We've all heard that a black cat crossing your path brings bad luck, but have you ever heard the following?

• A dog eating grass means rain is coming.
• Meeting a dog is good luck (especially if it's a Dalmatian).
• A greyhound with a white spot on its forehead brngs good fortune.
• Being followed by a strange dog is bad luck (especially if the dog is black).
• The spectral black dog (barguest) is a harbinger of death.
• A dog howling for no reason means unseen spirits are lurking about.
• A dog howling three times? A death has occurred.
• At one time a dog that had bitten someone was immediately destroyed to protect the person from rabies (even if the dog was healthy).

Photo by Jane W

Make Your Own Pet Costume

Here we have a video tutorial on how to make your own pet costume for Halloween:

Fetch ’Em Peanut Butter Balls

1 cup coarsely crushed rice cereal
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey or molasses
2 tablespoons wheat germ

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine cereal, peanut butter, and honey or molasses; stir until mixture forms a ball. Scoop out teaspoonfuls of mixture and roll into 1-inch balls. (Balls can be rolled smaller or larger to suit the size of your dog.) Roll balls in wheat germ to cover. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Yield: sixteen 1-inch balls
Found at: Free Pet Projects

If A Dog Was The Teacher

If a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
• Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy..
• Take naps.
• Stretch before rising.
• Run, romp, and play daily.
• Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
• When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
• Be loyal.
• Never pretend to be something you're not.
• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
• ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

We're A Green Business

Here at Heavenly Pets, we care about the environment. The products we use are biodegradable and safe both for your pet and for the environment. The cleaning products we use are also organic and non-toxic. We recycle as much as is possible, and use recycled products whenever we can.

"Going green is no longer optional but a way we should live to save the planet, ensuring it will be here for generations to come. Going green is the most important issue that will shape our future. It will enrich our lives, makes us healthier and at the same time help us save tons of money. Doing one green thing today will lead to more and transform our lives, kids, families, friends and make a great impact on the earth. Besides the common things like recycling, reusing and reducing we must educate ourselves to make a lasting difference. Be the change that is needed and cause a ripple effect."

Here are some easy ways to "go green" at home:

The first easy step to a green home is buying organic and locally. Support the local farmers by buying directly from them or at a farmer's market. Organic and/or fresh food from local growers is much better for you than prepackaged, pre-prepared foods bundled in plastic and filled with chemical additives and preservatives.

Another easy step is to recycle. It only takes an extra second to throw your plastics away in a separate container. So why not? You can help the planet reduce waste by reusing materials. Many things can be recycled in ways that help those in need, for a short list, see our post on 10 Recyclable Things You May Not Know About.

Freecycling is another great way to save money and be kind to the environment. Visit their website (freecycle.org) to find out more.

Conserve energy by turning off lights and appliances when not in use. Switch your old light bulbs to new energy saver bulbs. This will save you money! Conserve water by turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth. Also, buy energy saving appliances. All of these steps can help you live in a greener home.

Cooking requires heat, so conserve it to save money. Keep a lid on all the pans being used in cooking. Water will boil around 6% faster in pans with a lid on, thereby saving time, electricity and your money, as well as giving the environment a break.

Make your own cleaning products with inexpensive, environmentally friendly ingredients, and save money. (Read more here.)

Get off the junk mail lists. Register with Direct Market Associations Mail Preference Service (dmaconsumers.org) and you will see a significant reduction in your mail after three months.

Consider using a good old-fashioned scrubbing brush to get the baked on grime off your pots and pans. That hard plastic scrub pad lasts only last about a week, and then you have to throw it away and start using a new one. A scrub brush will last for months, if not years, and it can be recycled. You save money and the environment doesn't get clogged up with old plastic scrub pads. Isn't that a great idea?

Unplug things such as phone chargers or electric heaters when you’re not using them. Even when these things aren’t being used they still take in electricity when they are plugged in. Unplugging them will save you some green.

In the winter, keep the oven door open after you have used it. Make sure the oven is turned off before you do this. This is a great way to get some free heat.

A Non-Toxic All Purpose Cleanser

If you use commercial cleaning products in your kitchen, STOP! They are expensive to buy and expensive to produce. You can make your own cleaner from a mixture of vinegar, salt and baking soda. It will clean perfectly, and it will contain no toxic chemicals, thereby helping the environment. It will cost a great deal less too.

Not convinced? Think about this... We dump some 32 million pounds of damaging toxins down our drains every year, just from household and kitchen cleaning products alone. What kind of damage do you think that is doing to the environment? Well, you don't have to do it anymore.

Here's a simple recipe for an all-purpose cleaner, courtesy of Greenpeace:

• ½ cup pure liquid soap (You can make your own by saving the ends of bars of soap in jar full of water. These will dissolve into your liquid soap.)
• 1 gallon hot water
• ¼ cup lemon juice
  It's safe and effective, and costs very little.

You can find a wide variety of recipes for household cleaning products that are inexpensive, easy, and economical to make, and environmentally sound here at Googobits.com. Also, here's an article about the Amazing Power of Vinegar.

10 Recyclable Things You May Not Know About

We all know about recycling paper, plastic, and aluminum. Here is a list of 10 recyclable things you may not have known about.

1. Appliances: Many stores will recycle your old appliance when you purchase a new one. Goodwill accepts working appliances. Go to goodwill.org, or you can contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them.


2. Athletic Shoes: One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti. Nike's Reuse-a-shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring.


3. Batteries: Contact batteryrecycling.com.


4. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or shelter. Donate wearable women's business clothing to the nonprofit Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs. You can also offer unwearable clothes, blankets, and sheets to local animal boarding and shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding.


5. Compact flourescent bulbs (CFL): Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling. You can also order a Sylvania RecyclePak.


6. Computers and Electronics: To find the most responsible recyclers go to ban.org.


7. Foam Packing Peanuts: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept these for reuse. Or call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council at 800-828-2214 to find a drop-off site. For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers at 410-451-8340.


8. Ink/Toner cartridges: Visit recycleplace.com.


9. Oil: Find used motor oil hotlines for each state at recycleoil.org.


10. Phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell it to someone in a developing country. Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims.

source: Green America Today

Biker Dogs

Aren't these fun?

Found at: Way Cool Pictures

It's Cute Puppy Day!

Ok... That was fun!
Weren't they cute?

Found at: Way Cool Pictures

What Is A "Hot Spot"?

Hot spots are a common skin problem, but that doesn't mean that they should be overlooked or ignored! What are they exactly? “Hot spots” are acutely inflamed areas of skin irritation. Ironically, something small like an allergic reaction to flea bites (flea allergy dermatitis) causes a dog to lick almost constantly in an attempt to “cool off” the area, which actually makes matters worse.

Hot spots can happen at any time of the year, with the warmer months being more common, since rising temperatures mean more time outside with more potential skin enemies for your pup. Causes vary, and it is best to visit with your veterinarian to determine the exact cause and get the appropriate treatment.

Hot spots, known medically as acute moist dermatitis, generally occur on long-haired dogs or short-haired ones with dense undercoats, like the Siberian Husky. Hot spots usually occur along the side of the chest, over the hip, or the paws, all areas easily reached by a canine tongue. Redness, oozing, pain, and itchiness are hallmark signs. Hair loss is commonly present. Sometimes hair can mat over the lesion, obscuring the size and degree of the problem. They usually appear as circular lesions that are moist, inflamed, and raw.

These lesions can appear suddenly, and grow rapidly in size. They can become quite painful and expanding rapidly with constant attention from the dog. One that originates as the size of a quarter can be eight inches in diameter within 6 hours. A secondary staphylococcus infection is likely, breaking down the top layer of skin, causing pus to enter surrounding hair, matting it.

While some animals have been known to "start" a hot spot out of boredom or stress-related psychological problems, there is usually an inciting factor. Look for fleas, mites, or other external parasites, an insect sting or bite, allergies (food, inhalant, contact), or injury (skin wound, scrape, etc.).

If you find one of these “hot spots,” you should trim hair around your dog’s lesion, or have it shaved. This allows air to get to the inflamed tissue. You should keep the area clean, using a water-based cleaner or Betadine, making sure you rinse away the cleaner after its application.

A “cousin” of the hot spots, acral lick granulomas occur similarly to hot spots, but they typically appear on the “wrist” or “ankle” solely due to the incessant licking by the afflicted dog. This occurs likely to a compulsive desire on the part of the dog to lick the area without any physical stimulus.

sources: Ask Spike Online and About.com

Quick Tips for Soothing a Hot Spot

These tips are NOT meant to replace the recommended trip to the vet, but rather, offer your pet some quick relief and to help quell the spread of the hot spot until your vet can see your pet.



The first thing to do is speak with your veterinarian. Due to the rapidity of spread and possibility of deeper skin infection, it is wise to start treatment with your vet. Also, these hot spots can be very painful to the animal -- caution is advised, use a muzzle if need be for your protection.

1. Shave the area. The first treatment for hot spots is to dry them out and get air to the area. Hair loss is a feature of hot spots, but hair can also mat over the inflamed area, covering up a potentially much more severe and large problem.
2. Cleanse the area with cool water and a gentle skin cleanser.
3. Cool compress the area 2-4 times a day with a cool wet washcloth.
4. Medications - Depending on the severity and size of the hot spot, your veterinarian may prescribe oral antibiotics, topical drying sprays or medications, and/or special shampoos.
5. Prevention of licking, biting, scratching -i.e. Elizabethan collar

Additional home remedies that can be used until you can see your vet:

• Tea bag compresses (black or green tea) to help dry the area out. Tea can be used as a wash or as a compress.
• Domeboro's (Burow's) solution (aluminum acetate) - available over-the-counter at pharmacies to help dry the skin out. Can be used as a compress or as a spray.
• Hydrocortisone creams - Some people advocate using a thin film of an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream.

I would recommend talking to your vet first -- in general, creams and ointments only serve to "gunk up" the area and prevent proper drying if used incorrectly. Also, if the pet licks it, you want to make sure that it isn't toxic.

source: About.com

Hot Spot Home Remedy

Here is a home remedy that may help if your dog has a hot spot. Apparently, black tea contains tannic acid, which helps to dry out the sores.

To use this remedy:

1. Soak a bag of Black Tea in hot water.
2. Remove the bag from the water, letting it cool to a temperature comfortable to the touch.
3. Place the tea bag directly on the hot spot for about 5 minutes.

You can repeat this application several times per day. If you do not have any black tea handy, you can also dry out the sores with Witch Hazel. Do not let your dog suffer with this. If you do not see any improvement within 2 days, take him or her to the vet, where they may prescribe some oral corticosteroids and a topical antibiotic.

source: Ask Spike Online