Outdoor Creatures

(Outdoor creatures) No Vacancy: Fleas Not Welcome Here

By Alfred Hernandez

 Our pets can bring many great things into our lives: fun, loyalty, affection, companionship and much more. Unfortunately, one other thing they can bring in with them is the less pleasant companion of fleas. No matter how well you care for your pet and how clean you keep it, a chance encounter with another infested animal can lead to your own animal becoming host to some very unwelcome visitors.

Once established on your pet, then the fleas will quickly begin the process of reproducing, and laying eggs that might not necessarily stay within the fur of your pet. In today’s warm houses, flea eggs can quite happily develop and hatch within the fibres of our carpets and upholstery, and so it’s easy to see how a simple infestation of your pet can lead to extremely undesirable consequences for the cleanliness of your home.

There’s no need to worry though about animal fleas jumping onto humans and infesting them, as the species involved are quite different. While, say, a cat flea may jump onto a human, attracted by the heat, it will soon leave when it realises that it hasn’t met with its favoured feline host.

So how can you tell if your pet has fleas? Signs of itching such as excessive scratching and nibbling are an obvious indicator, and if you encounter these then it’s probably time to investigate further. Special flea combs are available which you can use to check the fur of your pet for the fleas themselves, as well as the telltale waste deposits that they leave behind.

Any fleas that the comb uncover need to be dealt with decisively. Unfortunately for squeamish pet owners, fleas need to be dispatched quickly or they’ll jump to their escape, only to relocate themselves to your pet once again. Easy methods include squeezing in a tissue or throwing onto an open fire - fleas are hardy creatures, so don’t be tentative.

Once you’ve established that you have an infestation problem, you need to tackle the situation from all directions. Not only should you treat your pets with the sprays or powders available from your vetinery surgeon, you need to treat your carpets and upholstery to kill any eggs that have been deposited there. Sprays for this purpose are readily available, and safe to use, although it’s always wise to keep your pets and children out of rooms that are being treated in this way.

Even if you’ve never had cause to treat a flea infestation, prevention is better than cure. For cats, flea collars are widely available which will discourage flea infestation, although they won’t prevent it completely if your pet regularly comes into contact with a heavily infested neighbour or stray. Drops, sprays, and even pills are also readily obtained either from your vet or pet store, and most products are generally effective. Even so, some fleas can get past all preventative measures, so you still need to keep an eye open and take action if necessary.

Finally, if reading this article has left you scratching, then don’t worry. You probably haven’t got a flea problem - it’s usually just a natural reaction to reading about them!

To read about lizard repellent and lizard vivarium, visit the Types Of Pet Lizards site.

How to Find Just the Right Horse Fence and Layout for Your Needs

By Alfred Hernandez

 Owning horses is one of life’s greatest pleasures. These gorgeous creatures are powerful, elegant, and extremely intelligent. Of course, they also represent a substantial investment of time and money. However, with the right planning, the proper equipment, and a high quality horse fence, you can spend less time on maintenance and more time enjoying your animals.

Designing a Horse Farm

When it comes to owning or stabling horses, it’s best to start with a sound design. Engaging an expert to do horse farm consulting will go far to ensure that your experience will be rewarding and that your horses will have exactly what they need to live long and healthy lives.

A good horse farm consultant will come to your property and assess your needs as well as the lay of the land. He will talk to you about the horses you currently own and those you plan to buy, as well as how they will be trained and used. If you have a business, he will ask about your business goals, whether or not you will have boarders, and the ways in which your property can bring you the most enjoyment.

Once he has this information, he will design a plan for maximum functionality with minimum maintenance. The plan can include the positioning of the house, barn, paddocks, pastures, gates, training areas, and riding areas. Horse farm consulting may also include suggestions about manure management, pasture management, and barn equipment. An expert who has years of experience in horse farm management can literally save you thousands of dollars by avoiding wasted space and poorly planned designs.

Fencing for Horses

Next to the design process, the right horse fencing is key to keeping your property low on the maintenance scale and high on the enjoyment scale. Today, vinyl horse fencing is considered state-of-the-art. A vinyl horse fence has many advantages over other types of fencing, including value and durability. However, not all vinyl horse fencing is created equally. Some sellers, for example, sell shorter posts, have shoddy customer service, or mix other products with your order.

When selecting a horse fence, it’s important to find one that is made from 100 percent virgin vinyl and comes with a lifetime warranty. The best distributors will even offer a second warranty to replace rails or posts that your horses break. The best horse fence comes in two rail sizes: standard 1.5-inch by 5.5-inch that are .090 thickness, and oversized 2-inch by 6-inch that are .110 thickness. The rails should have locking tabs to keep them in place, thus eliminating the need for screws, bolts, and clips.

To determine how much vinyl horse fending you will need, you should be able to simply measure the perimeter of the area to be fenced. Then, for example, you can buy a three-rail system by the lineal foot, which will include all of the rails, posts, and caps you need for the fence.

The right design and the proper horse fence will save you money, make your life easier, and help to ensure that your horses are safe, healthy, and secure.

For tips on yellow spotted lizard and what do lizards eat, visit the Types Of Pet Lizards website.

Information On Outdoor Creatures And Pets

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Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at 10:15 am and is filed under pets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.