How To Feed and Care For Your Animals

Feed Your Horse Well by Stephanie Ward

Feeding your horse correctly is one of the most important components of responsible ownership yet even the experienced ranch hand can have the wrong impression about what is the best way to feed. Do your research, because it's not always the highest priced feed that is the best choice.

One of the most common mistakes made is overfeeding alfalfa hay. Alfalfa is simply too rich to be fed in large quantity. Some horses will become overly energetic, possibly delirious, when fed such high amounts of protein! Many times I've had horses to fall into my care that had to be basically "detoxed" because they were overly fed protein rich feed. What's more, alfalfa's prices have skyrocketed, making me wonder why people continue to use it incorrectly!

All our horses diets are customized according to their individual needs. Most are fed plenty of Bermuda hay everyday, along with a mixture of soaked beet pulp, a small amount of senior grain and rice bran, and about 1/4 cup of corn oil per horse. This combination keeps a horses bowels moving well, does not pump them up with unnecessary protein and still keeps weight on them. I feed very little alfalfa as this makes arabians too hot. I only feed alfalfa to horses doing heavy work. Anyone who tries this diet will be amazed at the results. Say good-bye to colic! (provided you keep up with their teeth). Say Hello to all the money you are going to save!

When You Take Your Puppy Home

Give your puppy as much attention as you can and the earlier you start its potty training, the better. I recommend you crate train your puppy until it starts using the outdoors as its bathroom. I do not encourage leaving a dog of any age in a crate for hours since this causes behavior problems, but crate training does have its place when potty training. Having the crate by your bed at night will help the puppy feel safer; putting it in another room will add to its stress. If your puppy howls non-stop, clearly you will have to put it somewhere so you can get some sleep, but try keeping him or her near you if you can. Most of my buyers report that their new family member is quiet and happy in a crate by the bed at night. Get a book from your pet store or look at the link on my site for an in-depth potty training guide.

It is very normal for your puppy to have diarrhea and/or vomit when you take it home. Due to the anxiety of separation from it's mother and siblings, obviously it will experience some stress. If your puppy has consistent, true diarrhea for more than three days, take it to the vet. True diarrhea is not slightly loose stools like creamy p-nut butter, it is loose and runny.

Be careful as to what your puppy can chew on. It will chew up expensive shoes, purses, electrical wires and anything else it feels like chewing. Puppies have very sharp teeth and claws that can be very painful to small children. Keep this in mind.