Pet Tips

Selecting A Beautiful Flower Horn Fish
Selecting A Beautiful Flower Horn FishThe Flower Horn fish is considered by the Chinese as the most auspicious fish that is developed by aquarists to date (much to the frowns of many Western purists). Its every characteristic is somehow related to prosperity, health and wealth, to the owners of the fish, of course! The nuchal hump, the colour, the aggression, the so-called “pearls”, etc is much sought after. For the bigger, the brighter or more active fish believes to tell directly on the owner’s level of abundance. So, how do you select the best fish?Forehead:The forehead or “Nuchal Hump” of the Flower Horn fish is the main focus of attraction of the Flower Horn fish and is much sought after. After all, the main reason (among others) that this fish is so popular is because of its unique feature: the head!A fully developed forehead, which is round and tender, is a symbol of luck, prosperity, longevity and happiness. It enhances the glory of its owner. A huge and beautiful forehead that harmonizes with its body qualifies it to be a fish of choice.Some even believe that as the head grows bigger and bigger, so does the level of prosperity to the owner! A fully developed forehead decorated with evenly spread red spots is more preferred. Such a forehead is called “li-zhi” forehead resembling the auspiscious Chinese fruit : Lychee! topColour:The colour on the fish should be naturally pleasing yet intense enough to generate excitement. The more varied and intense the colours, the more outstanding the fish will be. The base colour of the fish should not be pale and dull.Nowadays, the Flower Horn fish possess lots of shimmering/luminiscent scales or so-called “pearls”. There are generally 2 colours on the “pearls”: blue and green. Some “pearls” are by patches, like an armour and some are bright dots like stars in the sky. These “pearls” add more spectrum of colors and shine to the fish and is a considered a “must-have” on the latest Flower Horn fishes. The most auspiscious gem for generations of Chinese must be pearls, hence, the more “pearls” on the body of the fish, the better! topForm / Responsiveness or first Impression.Among the numerous strains of flower horn, those which are most active or responsive to people are most interesting.The Flower Horn fish is an aggressive and territorial type of fish and will chase away any intruder to its territory. Because of this nature, early owners of the fish started “playing” with their fishes by training their pet to follow their hands. This is done by gently swaying the hands OUTSIDE the tank and letting the fish follow the fingers. If this is done correctly, the fish can be trained to do “loop-the-loop” or “topsy-turvy”!A healthy fish will naturally chase away any intruders to its territory and the more active the fish is, the more interesting it is to “play with it”, thus the more form or responsiveness. topHorizontal Marking or “Flower”One of the many interesting aspects of the Flower Horn fish is the black horizontal markings on its body. Many early hobbyists have hit jackpots or strike lottos/lottery by buying the numbers supposedly seen on these black markings. What actually stemmed from a lucky play of imagination (just like imagining an animal-like figure from cloud formations) resulted in a belief system that the Flower Horn fish is auspiscous and brings luck to its owners.Some markings even resembles lucky Chinese characters and this fetch a very high price for its owner!This belief still prevails till today, so most hobbyists regards that the more the black marking on the fish, the better. A general idea is that if the marking extends from the base of the tail to the middle of the fish’s body, it is A grade. Anything lesser than that, is B grade or C. If the marking fully extends to its gill cover, the fish is of AA or double A quality. Sometimes there are verticle black markings that extends right up to the dorsal fins and that is called double-row marking. Some people do not like this because in their opinion, the fish is dark or “dirty” in colour.Anyway, it is almost near impossible to find the perfect fish which is double A grade and have beautiful colours and big head. These types are considered show quality or competition level fish and is very rarely found. Most of the times, if the colour and the head of the fish is good, a good marking is oftentimes not necessarily a must-have. topCopyright 2000-2007 Flowerfish.com. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way and give the author name credit. About The Author: FlowerFish.com is the complete Flower Horn Fish Resource center. We are also one of the world's biggest and most recognised Flower Horn breeder, exporter and wholesaler.Please visit us at http://www.FlowerFish.com for more articles and Flower Horn fish picture galleries.
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Dog Dry Skin - Tips and Treatments
Shiny coat is a sign of healthy pet. Dogs can have all sorts of skin problems and they range in severity from benign to very serious. As Winter approaches and the temperature begins to drop, you notice a new behavior with your dog: he is constantly scratching, biting or licking his fur. As each day grows cooler, his behavior worsens. Winter is also a time when we experience dry hands and feet, and as such we require extra treatment during this time to keep our skin moist and healthy. Any dog can have dry skin; it is not an exclusively human condition. Just like us, dogs need good skin care to prevent itching and flaking. Is your home dry in the winter? If so, this could be causing dry skin itch. Use a room humidifier to moisten the air. Also, try a moisturizing shampoo from the pet store. Do not bathe your dog too often; keep his coat clean but that is all–this will help with the scratching and, also, keep them from being uncomfortable during winter months. Water and winter do not mix well with your pet. When you must bathe your dog, be sure to use a dog shampoo. A dog’s ph level is different from our own and human shampoos can be harsh on their skin. Instead, buy a dog shampoo that can offer moisturizing effects. Besides providing moisture, many shampoos can also offer flea and parasite protection, which can also help lessen scratching. Some of the more promising cures are herbal extracts such as horsetail, dandelion, spirulina, and fucus, which can help maintain skin and fur health, improve digestive health, and promote general well-being in dogs and cats. Brush your dog often to remove dead hair and dander; if possible, a quick brushing every day will help your pet immensely. Healthy skin, ultimately, reflects a dog’s lifestyle. By using quality foods and adding fatty supplements to their food (oil, etc), you can guarantee your dog to have a flake-free coat. But when your dog skin is flaky, red and irritated or some noticeable bumps, rashes or other unusual inflammations, this could be a sign of something serious. Others see some open sores in dog body or dog’s hair is falling out excessively, your dog needs to see his vet. He could just be allergic to his fleas or something in your home. It’s important to get some sort of flea control. Your vet can help you determine and eliminate any other allergens that are causing your dog trouble. Also dog hotspots are very common, they are typically a bacterial infection. They might have started out as just an allergy, but as the dog scratched, he broke open the skin and introduced bacteria into the sore with his dirty paws. The bacteria grows and causes further irritation to the skin. The vet will want to clear up the initial allergy as well as treat the new infection. He may also prescribe a pain reliever. Most of the time, your dog’s skin troubles can be solved using a variety of treatments. Some are topical like creams and shampoos. Others are pills or injections. Be patient though, not all dogs respond similarly to treatment. It may take a while to find what works. Common tips to prevent and treat dog skin allergies is to give the right and healthy food. Premium dog foods like Wellness, Royal Canin and Science Diet are balanced nutritionally, with less grain and more meat. One way to determine the quality of a dog food is to look at the first few ingredients, which should be a meat, rather than a grain. Fresh foods like meats and vegetables are high in nutrients and vitamins, which will help to improve a dog’s skin and coat by improving overall health. Consider adding fresh meats, and vegetables and fruits like carrots, celery, broccoli, apples (with no seeds), and greens like kale to each meal. Always introduce new foods gradually to avoid stomach upset. A dehydrated dog is going to be prone to dry skin, among other health problems, and some dogs simply don’t drink what they should. Provide extra fluids by serving wet food or by hydrating dry food. Add hot water to kibble, allow the kibble to sit for about ten minutes — this should cause the kibble to swell with water, providing extra fluid with each meal. Fresh vegetables also have high water content, aiding further in providing moisture to the dog’s body. Oils can greatly improve the condition of a dog’s itchy or dry skin. So once daily, soak one or two pieces of bread with olive oil and serve with each meal. Or add the oil directly to the dog’s meal by providing a teaspoon of olive oil for each 15 pounds of body weight.Hannah Serrano Learn more about <strong><a href="http://www.americaoutdoor.com/Categories.aspx?categoryid=5215">Pet Beds</a> | <a href="http://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/category/default.aspx?subcat=5&submenu=1&catid=52">Bird Cages</a></strong> that are reliable for your pets.
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Aquarium fish: -guide to buying new fish. Part 1
It s very important as part of your plan for having successful aquarium to take note of the type of inhabitants, which one of them is fish. Never buy fish before finding out about its requirement first. You really need to take your time to ask questions and be very observant when you are in aquarium store. There are lots of aquarium stores with unknowledgeable owners so you don’t base your decision on their advice alone make sure you take a look at the fish yourself. If the store has staffs you can make a friend with them they will possibly tell you more about the lifestyle of the fish you are intending to pick. Though, we will be giving you some basic guidelines to consider when buying new fish. The following points all need to be considered: Is your tank at the right temperature? Are your water conditions correct? How big does it get? - It may be small now, but will your other fish be at risk when it grows? Is it a territorial - or will it be happier in a group? Can you supply the right food for it? Remember that the key to successful fishkeeping is happy, stress-free fish, so don’t be tempted into buying an incompatible species jut because you think it’s attractive - you’ll regret it. Sometimes it can be difficult to be patient, particularly if the dealer has a species of fish that you really want. But it’s important not to rush things. Don’t try to add too many fish to your tank at once - and always check that the fish are healthy. If you would like more articles on Aquariums, and Aquarium fish…come visit my new blog: Fresh Water Aquarium For more Aquarium Info!: <a href="http://freshwater-aquarium-.blogspot.com/" title="Fresh Water Aquarium">Fresh Water Aquarium</a>
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