Summer pet care

If you and your dog are like me and my dog, Shelby, warm weather means you spend a lot of time together outside. The fresh air, spring flowers, and the need to get out and exercise make it a time we all can’t resist.

Outdoor exposure for dogs can also mean a time of risk for your pet. Being proactive and careful can prevent many problems that face your pet.

Here are some helpful tips to make your summer with your dog the best yet:

• Stay on top of monthly flea, tick, and heartworm protection
• Treat itchy spots
• Keep your dog’s fur combed and clean
• Bring fresh water for your dog on walks and runs
• Apply sunscreen (baby sunscreen is fine) to exposed areas like the nose and ears
• Check your dog’s paws often for injuries

Following these tips will help your dog get the most enjoyment out of the summer months. Have fun!

5 Ways to attract hummingbirds

I think we would all agree that watching hummingbirds in our gardens is one of the greatest rewards for a gardener. In order to keep these welcomed visitors returning, there are certain things that will please hummingbirds and keep them coming back for more. Here are 5 tips:

1. Get your feeders ready. Approximately 10 days before hummingbirds return to your area is when you want to have your feeders stocked with nectar and hanging in your garden.

2. Place more than one feeder in your garden so that a dominant male doesn’t prevent other hummingbirds from feeding in your yard.

3. Keep your feeders clean, fresh, and free of rancid or moldy nectar. Hummingbirds are known for their cleanliness and will find another place to feed if your feeders are dirty.

4. Hummingbirds love fresh water that is misting or moving. Keep a pump or mister in your garden and watch the hummingbirds play and bathe several times per day!

5. Tie a red ribbon around your feeder. Hummingbirds cannot resist bright colors!

Have fun and enjoy your faithful feathered visitors!

Urine burns on your lawn

Most of us who have dogs have experienced the frustration of finding an unsightly burn spot on our perfectly groomed and fertilized green lawn. We love our dogs, but can do without the urine burn spots on our lawns. There are many “theories” about what causes these spots such as urine that is too acidic. The cause of these burn spots that result from dog urine is not the acidic level of your dog’s urine, but rather, that the nitrogen level in your dog’s urine is high.

Dogs are carnivores and when the high level of protein that they consume is digested, they break down the protein and excrete it as nitrogen in their urine. The protein is broken down in your dog’s body, and nitrogen is a bi-product of this process. It is the same nitrogen that we place on our lawns as fertilizer, but at a higher concentration.

If you fertilize your lawn, the burns may be worse because your dog is depositing nitrogen on top of nitrogen that you have applied.

Burns are worse on lawns with large female dogs because female dogs deposit urine in one spot.

Burns are worse on lawns with large dogs because they deposit more urine than smaller dogs.

Here are some tips to combat these urine burns:

• Give your dog more water to dilute their urine
• Feed your dog a high grade dog food so that the protein is processed with less nitrogen as a bi-product
• Water your lawn regularly to dilute urine that has been deposited on your lawn
• Feed your dog a supplement that neutralizes the nitrogen in your dog’s urine

Attracting bluebirds to your yard

Attracting bluebirds to your yard can be quite a challenge if you do not know exactly what to do. Here are some tips: Bluebirds love fresh running water for drinking, so add a birdbath with a dripper to your garden so that they can bath, drink, and splash around. Some people add a waterfall rock to their birdbath for variety.

Be sure to plant the right plants that provide a natural source of food for bluebirds such as eastern red cedar, holly, pokeweed, flowering dogwood, and American elderberry.

You should also make sure that you have the correct housing for bluebirds so that they nest in your yard. Bluebirds compete with sparrows and starlings for housing, so the nestbox should be made to deter these competitors. The nestbox needs to be made of wood with a 1 1/2″ entrance hole. Do not add a perch. You also want to make the inner dimensions are exactly 4″ x 4″ . This is nice and cozy for Eastern bluebirds and not quite large enough for other birds. The height of the nestbox can be 8″ to 12″ high.
The nestbox needs holes on the bottom to let water drain properly. You should clean the box after the fledglings leave to encourage the female to have more broods in the same nestbox.

The nestbox should be about 5 1/2 feet off the ground in open land (not wooded areas) with a tree 50 feet away so that fledglings can land safely and closely to their nestbox while practicing.

Good luck! These birds are truly spectacular to watch!

Signs that your dog is happy

Happiness is a feeling of contentedness, pleasure, and well-being. How do you know if your dog is happy? Here is a general description of what a happy dog would do during the course of a day.

Your happy will dog sleep for about 8 to 10 hours total during the day and at night. He will wake up early ready to start his day with a good breakfast. He wants your attention right away and is excited to see you showing bright eyes with an alert and active demeanor. Your happy dog will also be excited to greet other pets first thing in the morning.

After breakfast, your happy dog is ready to play, socialize, and take a brisk walk. Little resting periods or short little naps are common.

In the early afternoon, your happy dog will chew on his favorite toy, investigate his surroundings, and seek out someone who will pet him. He gets very excited when family members begin to return home from school and work, and his activity seems to increase and peak at this time. Your happy dog looks and acts joyful with bright eyes, an engaging smile (the corners of his mouth turned upward), and alert ears.

In the evening, your happy dog will stay by your side, nuzzling your hand to get you to pet him. He just want to be close to you and keep you company. The best part of his day!