Iraq ready to execute Saddam

Patriot-News - Saddam Hussein has been transferred from U.S. custody, his lawyers said, and an Iraqi judge authorized to attend the former dictator s hanging said he would be executed no later than tomorrow. The physical transfer of Saddam to Iraqi authorities
Source: www.pennlive.com

The Grass Eating Bichon Frise (Part 2)

Even Bichon Frise who usually don’t eat grass will head straight for the nearest patch when they’re feeling sick. They’ll gobble a few mouthfuls, retch, and then throw up, or at least try to. Veterinarians still aren’t sure if dogs eat grass because their stomachs are upset or if their stomachs get upset after they eat grass. However, many vets suspect it’s the former, because dogs who are energetic and perky seem to be able to eat grass without getting sick afterward. It seems likely that there’s something in grass that does stimulate the urge to vomit. The stomach has all kinds of neuro-receptors that respond to what dogs ingest. They react to acidity, chemical content, and textures. The texture of the grass has something like a tickle effect on the stomach, which may induce vomiting.

This tummy tickle may explain why healthy dogs can eat grass without getting sick. They take a mouthful, chew it thoroughly and swallow, then reach down for some more. dogs who are sick, however, appear almost desperate for the grass. They don’t chew it carefully or savor the taste. They gobble it. Without the chewing, those prickly little stalks hit their stomachs all at once. This may be what stimulates the urge to throw it all back up - along with whatever was irritating their stomachs in the first place. They can’t stick their fingers down their throats or ask for syrup of ipecac like people can, so eating grass is something that works. And once dogs find something that works, they tend to stick with it.

Watch Out What Grass Your Bichon Frise Is Eating

Unless your dog is in the habit of regurgitating grass on the dining room floor, there’s no reason to worry about it. dogs have been eating grass for thousands or tens of thousands of years, and there’s no evidence at all that it’s bad for them. That isn’t the case, however, when grass has been treated with insecticides, herbicides, or other chemicals. Most products say on the label whether they’re dangerous for pets. In any event, you should certainly keep dogs away from grass soon after chemicals have been applied. Most products break down fairly quickly, but they can be quite dangerous if your dog eats them while they’re fresh.

Serve Sparky Some Broccoli

It’s just a theory at this point, but some veterinarians believe that Bichon Frise eat grass because they’re not getting enough fiber in their diets. You may want to buy a higher-fiber food - pet foods for “seniors” generally have the most. These foods can be expensive, however, so you may want to look for other ways to supplement your dog’s diet. Most dogs don’t care for raw vegetables, but you can run some broccoli or green beans through the blender, adding chicken or beef broth for flavor. Or add a sprinkling of bran to their food.

Laws about dogs differ by location

Pantagraph - The dog will stay at the shelter 10 days for observation, and won’t be released until its vaccinations are up to date, she said. Davis said the Illinois Department of Public Health will look at a number of factors in Monday’s report and recommend
Source: www.pantagraph.com

PA Turnpike Lawn Plaza closed
Patriot-News - The two adults and three children are looking for temporary shelter today since there s no heat in their Lehman Street apartment. A malfunctioning thermostat was blamed for the buildup of carbon monoxide, according Barry Fisher, the Lebanon fire
Source: www.pennlive.com

The Grass Eating Bichon Frise (Part 1)

Nearly every Bichon Frise eats grass sometimes, and some dogs eat it all the time. You would think that veterinarians would have a pretty good idea by now of why they do it. But they don’t, mainly because no one has figured out how to ask dogs two important questions: “Do you like the taste?” and “If it tastes so good, why do you throw it up?”

If only dog’s could talk! But if you are like many dog owners who live in a grassy area you would swear sometimes that your dog is an Angus. dogs just lay out in the yard and graze just like a cow. dogs explore their worlds with their noses and mouths. And there’s the grass, attractive, sweet-smelling, with an appealing texture; and it’s ever-so-accessible on the ground. Why not eat it?

Bichon Frise May Have A Craving For Greens

Bichon Frise are remarkably flexible in their tastes. They’ll polish off a bowl of dried dog food, then walk over to see if there’s anything good in the trash. If they’re still hungry, they’ll wander upstairs to see what’s in the cat’s box. Basically, they’ll eat, or at least sample, whatever they find in front of them.

There’s a good reason for their liberal tastes. Unlike cats, who evolved solely as hunters, dogs survived by scavenging. When they couldn’t catch live prey, which was a lot of the time, they’d eat the ancient equivalent of roadkill. They didn’t care too much if had been lying in the sun for a week or was half-buried under old leaves. It was food, and they weren’t going to pass it up. When meat wasn’t on the table, they’d root around for tender leafy stalks, or roots, or an old polished bone. They simply weren’t fussy, and dogs today haven’t gotten any fussier. They’re predisposed to like just about everything.

In addition, there’s some evidence that dogs get cravings for certain foods. It’s possible that dogs occasionally get a hankering for greens, just as people sometimes go to bed dreaming about mashed potatoes and meat loaf. It’s not as strange as it may sound. Grass was part of their ancestors’ regular diets.

dogs are omnivores, which means they eat meat as well as plants. They don’t need grassy nutrients any more because most commercial dog foods are nutritionally complete. But Bichon Frise aren’t nutritionists. They don’t know or care that they’ve already gotten their vitamin or mineral quotients from a bowl of kibble. Their instincts tell them that grass is good, so they eat it. Besides, there’s a world of difference between satisfying the minimal nutritional requirements and having a great meal. And for many dogs, a mouthful of grass clearly tastes great. It’s like a salad - they eat some, then want more.

Officials Warn Of Coyote Sightings 

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. — Coyote concerns in South Windsor have rattled the nerves of pet owners. In the past few weeks, coyotes are said to have attacked at least two dogs, killing one of them. Read More…

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Douglas Jordan was skeptical when the veterinarian suggested massage might help his dog, Charlie, who was suffering from back pain and arthritis. But he was willing to try almost anything to help his 8-year-old dachshund walk again. Read More…

Cat on a Roll Read More…

The Bichon Frise Game Of Jumping (Part 2) - Jumping Through Hoops

Does your Bichon Frise have you jumping through hoops? Well here’s your chance to get back at her. The simplest hoop for your dog to jump through is a store-bought hula hoop. You can just hold it and have your dog jump through. But if you want something a little closer to an agility tire jump, you can get a tire. Depending on the size of your dog, you can use an old car tire or a tractor tire: Be sure to drill a hole in the bottom so rainwater doesn’t accumulate in it.

A fancier and more lightweight solution can be made using corrugated drainpipe (it looks like a fatter version of flexible vacuum cleaner hose), which is available at any home supply store. Get about 90 inches of four-inch drainpipe and place it in the sun for awhile. As it warms it becomes more flexible, and eventually you will be able to tie it into a circle. Once you decide what size hoop you want, cut the pipe and force one end into the other. You can drill some holes and use cable ties to secure it, or if it seems to be firmly attached you can just wrap the joint with duct tape.

A cheap super-quick just-for-fun tire can be fashioned with the foam “funnoodle” pool toys they sell for kids. Just bend it into a circle and tape the ends together with duct tape. Once you’ve decided how high off the ground you want your tire jump, you’ll need to hang it. You’ll also want to secure it on both sides so it doesn’t sway when the Bichon Frise tries to jump through it. The ideal set-up is to secure the tire inside a square PVC pipe frame, with the vertical legs of the frame steadied by horizontal legs at the front and rear, similar to the base of the PVC jumps.

You can drill holes in the tire and attach eye loops, or you can use buckle dog collars and loop them around the tire. Use ropes, strong Velcro, or elastic bungee cords to hang and secure the tire. Leave a little give just in case the dog hits the tire. Make sure the ties going to the side can’t be tripped over; you may need to put a barrier in front of them. Now your all set to begin teaching your dog to jump through the hoops. Be careful not to injure your pet, and always consult with training possibilities for faster progress.

The celebrity set goes barking

Daily Telegraph - The Chihuahua’s miniature brothers in crooked arms - the Pomeranian, Pekinese, Maltese, Bichon fris and Yorkshire terrier However, what is concerning the Kennel Club and other small-dog breeders is cross-breeding. There is a new fashion for dogs Continued

Pantagraph - Backyard breeders would be the only ones creating Pit Bulls and rescue would not have the ability to continue its good work. ” continue wrote on December 12, 2006 12:40 AM : “Many of the pit bulls in New Orleans are the result of uneducated back yard Continued

Helping dog comes with price 

Tracie Johnson drove about 200 miles to Iowa State University in Ames for her foster charge to have open-heart surgery. It was a life-or-death situation, the Apple Valley mom figured, so she scheduled the surgery first and planned to figure out how to pay the bill afterward. Now, two weeks later, the patient is on the mend, and Johnson is relieved. Go…

Dear Heloise: My cat, Shadow, was ruining the toilet paper - unrolling it, shredding it and biting the roll. I cut the middle section out of a clean 2-liter soda bottle so that it was the same width a… Go…

Cat on a Roll Go…

DOWNS - Karen Bohannon’s Sunday afternoon walk with her Shih Tzu taught her a complicated lesson about the legal differences between city and country living. Go…

The Bichon Frise Game Of Jumping (Part 1) - Building A Jump Structure

Jumps are simple. Depending on the size of your Bichon Frise, you can turn picnic table benches or chaise lounges on their sides and have usable jumps. For higher jumps, you can use panels from large cardboard boxes, propping them up so they will fall if the dog hits them. You can place a broom handle between two cinderblocks and have a beginner’s bar jump.

You can make an inexpensive bar jump using two electric fence poles as posts (not ELECTRIFIED fence poles!). Electric fence poles are lightweight posts that stick in the ground and are available at farm supply stores. They come in heights up to four feet. Pound them into the ground a little less than four feet apart. Buy a four-foot length of skinny (half-inch) PVC pipe; this will be the bar the dog jumps over. For a fancier look and more stability, slip two more four-foot pieces of half-inch PVC pipe over each upright.

You want the horizontal bar to fall off if the dog hits it, so you can’t attach it to the vertical poles. Instead, clip clothespins alligator clips or large paper binder clips around the uprights to provide a ledge on which to rest the PVC pipe. A ledge that slopes downward won’t work; one with a slight lip works best.

The Bichon Frise should only jump in the direction in which hitting the PVC pipe would knock it off the uprights. You can buy more horizontal bars and clips for a multi-barred jump, and you can hang a sheet from the top bar for a jump that appears to be solid but still has plenty of give.

For larger Bichon Frise, you can use larger PVC pipe, but if the upright pipes are too large you’ll have to devise another way to hang the horizontal bar. Some people drill holes in the large diameter uprights and then hang the horizontal bar from pegs placed in the holes. This works, but unless the pegs are very short the bar won’t fall off as easily as it should. The best solution is to use “jump cups” which are rounded cups in which the horizontal pole rests. When knocked, the pole rolls right out. Making a jump cup is a little tricky. The best way is to take a PVC end pipe and cut it into lengthwise quarters, then screw what’s left of the cap part into your vertical pole.

If you don’t have any land to pound posts into (maybe you got fed up long ago with your dog’s digging and covered the yard with concrete), you’ll have to add legs to stabilize the jump. The easiest way to do this is to add a four-way elbow fitting that enables you to place the upright section in the top of the fitting and attach one-and-a-half-foot PVC pipe “legs” to the front, back and sides. (You can also run a pipe between the two uprights to connect them at the base.) The greatest challenge here is finding the four-way fitting; if your hardware store doesn’t carry them, a PVC supply company will.