How to Raise Koi

Those colorful fish you frequently see in large ponds in Japanese restaurants or shopping areas are becoming increasingly popular as the centerpiece of a backyard garden. The brightly-colored fish are called Koi, and they are the result of selective breeding of German and Asian carp. If you are considering installing a Koi pond, you should first study how to raise Koi.

1 - Select a proper pond. You can purchase a Koi pond made of several different materials from pet stores or Koi specialty retailers. A good rule of thumb is that the Koi pond measurements should be at least 3 feet (0.914 m) deep and contain 300 gallons (1136 liters) per fish. You may want to get a larger pond than you need right away, so that you can add additional fish later.

To read more on this story, click here: How to Raise Koi

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Quentin, The Dog Who Survived The Gas Chamber At The St. Louis Dog Pound, Dies

Quentin, the dog who came out alive from the St. Louis gas chamber for dogs, has died, according to a tweet from his owner, Randy Grim.

Grim, founder of Stray Rescue, on Twitter said he was saying goodbye “to a legend, my best friend, my kid. Love you Quentin forever.”

Quentin was the only survivor among eight dogs that were being euthanized at the St. Louis city pound’s gas chamber one day in 2003.

An Aug. 10, 2003, story said the owners had dropped Quentin off at the city animal shelter, saying they were moving to an apartment that didn’t allow pets. Eight days later, “Workers tranquilized eight dogs, including Quentin, and placed them in an airtight box. They pumped in carbon monoxide. Fifteen minutes passed. Seven dogs succumbed. Quentin, for reasons that experts can only guess at, survived with no ill effects.”

To read more on this story, click here: Quentin, The Dog Who Survived The Gas Chamber At The St. Louis Dog Pound, Dies


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A Deep-Sea Swimming Creature Named ‘The Headless Chicken’ Filmed Swimming Off East Antarctica

A deep-sea swimming sea cucumber has been filmed in the Southern Ocean off East Antarctica for the first time.

Real name Enypniastes eximia, commonly known as the "headless chicken sea monster", the creature had previously only been filmed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Data from the underwater cameras will be fed back to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, the international body managing the Southern Ocean.



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Everything You Need to Know About Pekin Ducks

Pekin ducks are a large-breed, white dabbling duck that was domesticated over 2000 years ago. Although the location is often disputed, all agree it was probably somewhere in Southeast Asia. By using selective breeding habits, these birds were bred to produce bigger eggs, more meat, and to have a visual appearance that appeases the eye. Since then, Pekins have become one of the most common production ducks in the world today!

In general, a Pekin is a big, white duck with an orange beak that is a hearty, friendly bird. These ducks were bred specifically for meat and egg production but have become almost synonymous with the word duck today. These calm-natured ducks are a little bit skittish but make excellent pets due to their unique personalities and overall durability. Raising Pekins is easier than raising most any other breed of domestic duck because of their strong immune systems and ability to survive in extreme conditions.

What Does a Duck Eat?
Ducks are scavengers and they will eat just about anything that will fit into their mouths. To get the maximum lifespan from this feathered creature, help it eat healthily. Although ducks will not overeat, they will devour unhealthy junk food. So what do ducks eat?

In the wild, depending on the time of year and location, ducks eat a wide variety of things. These little guys can eat so many things the list is just too big to list, so here are a few random healthier items to help you get an idea of how broad a wild duck's typical diet is. Ducks eat aquatic things like fish, frogs, and algae. They also eat nuts, berries, seeds, and forage. Even worms, crickets flies, and mosquitos are on the menu.

To read more on this story, click here: Everything You Need to Know About Pekin Ducks

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Baboon In Zimbabwe Holds Infant Just Like Rafiki In ‘Lion King’ It’s The Circle of Life

It’s a case of life imitating art ― wildlife, that is.

Nature photographer Dafna Ben Nun was in Zimbabwe when she saw something straight out of a movie: “The Lion King,” to be exact.

 “I couldn’t believe it when I saw an adult baboon holding a baby, looking exactly like Simba in ‘The Lion King,’” she told Caters News Agency. “It was just a split second, but it was fascinating to watch.”

Nun said the baboons were all in the same group, so no harm was done to any of them.

She posted the photo Wednesday on Facebook.

To read more on this story, and see the video, click here: Baboon In Zimbabwe Holds Infant Just Like Rafiki In ‘Lion King’ It’s The Circle of Life

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Man Stumbles Upon Gigantic Muscular Kangaroo Bathing in Australian Creek

You're walking in your grandmother's backyard, approaching a creek you played in during your childhood. You're with your dog, and nostalgia hits you sweet and salty like an ocean breeze. Then, suddenly, you notice something is off. In fact, you notice the head of some animal rearing out of the water, an animal taller than you are. Your pupils dilate. You want to screech in fear.

It's a 200+ pound six-foot-five kangaroo, just taking a bath in your grandma's creek.

Jackson from Perth sighted the animal at 11:30 am:

"I have been going to that creek since I was a little boy and there have always been kangaroos on the property. I was walking my dog and we saw this huge roo standing in the water. I have never seen a kangaroo standing in the water like that, we could just see his head at first, and he was one of the biggest I have ever seen.

"As I ran around him to take a picture he came closer and that was when I realised he was coming right at me and he was really big. I am pretty confident around animals but the moment when he started to come out of the water my heart definitely jumped and I decided to take a few steps back. He looked to be at least two metres (6ft 5in) tall, or taller, and must have weighed at least 100 kg (16st)."

U wot, m8?

"He had a really big body and was taller than me. There are a lot of roos at my grandma's place but I have never seen one that muscular before - he was a big macho male. I decided to get Dharma out of there as we thought the kangaroo was going to lure him into the water to drown him.

To read more on this story, click here: Man Stumbles Upon Gigantic Muscular Kangaroo Bathing in Australian Creek 


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Cardiac Arrest in Dogs

Cardiac arrest (also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest) occurs when normal blood circulation ceases due to the heart's inability to contract (heart failure). Like many other body systems, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems work in a coordinated fashion. Therefore, if a dog fails to breathe for more than six minutes, it can lead to heart failure and cardiac arrest -- both of which can be fatal. Cardiac arrest can occur in dogs of any age, sex, or breed.

Symptoms and Types

Blood circulation may remain intact if the animal resumes breathing within four minutes of the initial problem. However, if it lasts longer than six minutes it can lead to cardiac arrest. Common symptoms associated with this emergency include:

To read more on this story, click here: Cardiac Arrest in Dogs

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Cardiopulmonary Arrest in Cats

Also known as circulatory arrest or cardiopulmonary arrest, cardiac arrest is the cessation of normal blood circulation ceases due to the heart's inability to contract (heart failure). Like many other body systems, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems work in a coordinated fashion. Therefore, if a cat fails to breathe for more than six minutes, it can lead to heart failure and cardiac arrest -- both of which can be fatal. Cardiac arrest can occur in cats of any age, sex, or breed.

Symptoms and Types

Blood circulation may remain intact if the animal resumes breathing within four minutes of the initial problem. However, if it lasts longer than six minutes it can lead to cardiac arrest. Common symptoms associated with this emergency include:

To read more on this story, click here: Cardiopulmonary Arrest in Cats

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Canary Bird Information

The Canary bird is set aside from other pet birds because of their beautiful singing ability.

Canaries are known for their beauty and their song and have been kept as pets since the 1400s. They are not companion birds and are better admired from afar, but this doesn’t make them any less of a great pet. They do spend a lot of time in their cages, so you need an adaquately sized cage with perches on either end to provide them with maximum flying space.

If you want a Canary that sings, you will need to find a male. If this is very important to you, you should arrange ahead of time with the breeder to be able to return the bird if it proves to not be a singer. Keep in mind that males sing to attract females, so they should not be kept in pairs. They also don’t sing in the summer because it is molting season. We have also heard to not put mirrors in their cages because Canaries are very territorial and they may see this “second bird” as a threat.

The most commonly kept Canary birds are the American Singer, the Border Fancy, and the Red Factor. The American Singer is a song Canary (well known for singing), the Border Fancy is a type Canary (a popular type), and the Red Factor is a color Canary (well known for color–the more red, the more valuable).

To read more on this story, click here: Canary Bird Information

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The Lifecycle of a Butterfly

Butterflies go through a life cycle. A butterfly has four stages in its life cycle. Each stage is different. Each stage also has a different goal. A butterfly becoming an adult is called metamorphosis. The life cycle process can take a month to year. It depends on the type of butterfly.


Stage 1: Eggs

In the first stage a girl butterfly lays eggs. A butterfly first starts out as an egg. A girl butterfly lays the eggs on a leaf. She lays the eggs really close together. The eggs are really small and round. About five days after the eggs are laid. A tiny worm-like creature will hatch from the egg.

To read more on this story, click here: The Lifecycle of a Butterfly



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How to Raise Butterflies

Look out your window and see a beautiful butterfly flutter past you. Amazingly, such beauty originated from an inch long, garden dwelling caterpillar that probably feasted on your prized roses. As you stare longingly at the butterfly, you think to yourself, "If only there were another way." And then it hits you – "Raise them myself!"

Prepare a well-ventilated container. Containers for caterpillars can be found in hobby and pet shops, on the Internet, or you can fashion one from items around the home. Preferably this should be one made from wire mesh, to give the caterpillar something to cling to. An aquarium or a one-gallon jar can work, too, provided it's lined with a screen or cheesecloth tightened with a rubber band at the top.

Don't use jar lids with holes in them, however, as these don't provide adequate ventilation and can also cut the delicate caterpillars with sharp edges around the holes.

Put a two inch layer of dirt and grass on the bottom of every container if you think your caterpillar may pupate below ground. If not, a layer of paper towels or newspaper will do fine.

To read more on this story, click here: How to Raise Butterflies

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Shelter Seeks Home For Sweet Dog Who’s Been There For Nearly 4 Years

Ginger the dog doesn’t have a bad life at the Paris, Maine, animal shelter where she’s lived for almost four years. She’s beloved by staff and volunteers, and she spends a good amount of time outside the shelter ― including long walks through the woods and trips to McDonald’s, where she enjoys a plain cheeseburger.

“She’s our little princess,” Pat Ingersoll, canine director at Responsible Pet Care of Oxford Hills, told HuffPost.

But after more than 1,450 days, Ginger needs a home of her own.

Ginger has gone viral after the organization wrote a Facebook post detailing how long she’s been looking for an adopter. The post includes a photo of Ginger appearing to look at the camera with pleading eyes, wearing a sign that says, “I have been in the shelter for 1,456 days. Please Adopt Me.”

To read more on this story, click here: Shelter Seeks Home For Sweet Dog Who’s Been There For Nearly 4 Years

Please Share Ginger!


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Spook-Free Halloween Safety Tips For Your Pets

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Halloween can be the spookiest night of the year, but keeping your pets safe doesn’t have to be tricky. There are simple, common sense precautions to keep your pet happy, healthy, and safe for your four-legged family member.

KEEP YOUR PET AT HOME in a safe, quiet room surrounded by his or her favorite bed and toys during Halloween festivities. Do not take them out to trick-or-treat and do not leave them outside in the yard or patio while children are going from house to house.

KEEP PETS AWAY FROM THE DOOR. During trick-or-treating hours pets can easily slip through the door when it’s opened to hand out candy. In addition, dogs may bite children out of fear or nervousness.

To read more on this story, click here: Spook-Free Halloween Safety Tips For Your Pets


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Overcoming The Heartbreak Of Losing Your Dog

This story is about the loss of my little ShihTzu, Sugar who crossed over the "Rainbow Bridge" in 2008.

The loss of a pet can be devastating! I speak from experience. I am Sugar's Mom. I have and always will love animals. I lost my little Sugar on October 2, 2008, just a month before her 12th birthday.. Sugar was a sweet lovable dog. We got her from a pet shop in 1997 at 6 weeks old. She stole my husband the first week! I stayed home with her for about a week to bond with her and to get her use to her new home. She adapted very quickly and was soon running the house...literally! Up and down the stairs, jumping on the couch and she loved to hide and jump out on you! This little dog changed my whole life.

When she was about 2 years old we decided to get her a companion, another shih-tuz. We got a handsome little black and white shih-tzu that we named Domino. They quickly bonded and became inseparable. As I sit and write, I can feel my emotions stirring up as I remember October 2, 2008.

In the months prior to her death Sugar was in and out of the animal hospital. She was coughing a lot and was on medication. I was very careful to give her the medication on time. Nothing seemed to work as she got sicker. She had been put in on oxygen for several hours and finally I was allowed to take her home. I could not sleep for 2 days. When I did sleep, I slept on the sofa with her and Domino's little beds right beside me. I awakened to find her in Domino's bed beside him. She had never done that before. The beds were only designed for one dog, but somehow she had managed to cuddle up with him. That's when my heart began to sink and an overwhelming feeling of sadness consumed me. I knew that she was telling him goodbye.

I gently picked her up and took her upstairs and placed her in my bed next to me. I can remember her eyes where sort of squinting and starring at me. I kissed her and told her that I love her and that she could go now. She had been in so much pain. Every time that she coughed her little body would shake all over. Frightened I carried her downstairs and called to my son. Just as I sat her down all of her legs seemed to give away under her and she when flat on the floor. We rushed her to the animal hospital a few blocks away and waited while they stabilized her. They told me that she was very sick and needed treatment and it would cost approximately $2,000. Once home I can remember looking down at my wedding rings...yes, I was going to sell them if I could to get the money needed for her treatment.

My sister heard of Sugar's illness rushed to my house. I can remember sitting at the table on the Internet trying to find somewhere to sell my wedding rings. When it happened...the phone rang. I saw the words P.G. Animal Hospital come across the phone. I hesitated and my sister kept telling me to answer the phone. I picked it up and a soft voice said, I am so sorry but Sugar has passed. I don't remember what happened next because I collapsed, when I came too I was told that I had grabbed Domino and was squeezing him so tight that someone had to take him out of my arms.

I felt like I was going to die! The pain was one that I had never felt. I thought I was having a heart attack...but soon realized that it was my heartbreaking! I could not eat or sleep for several days. I felt guilty. Although, anyone that knows me would tell you that my dogs had a wonderful life. They had their own love seat that I purchased to put in front of a large window so that they could climb up on the window seal and look out, nice comfortable beds and never missed a vet or groomers appointment. I know that I took good care of Sugar, but I still felt that I should have done more.

The next few days where really hard. The first thing that I notice was there was no barking to go outside. Sugar was the leader and Domino was a follower. She is the one that would bark loud and come and get you if necessary when she wanted to go out. I had sugar cremated. I then turn to God. I asked him to take this pain away, and he did. I asked him to help me deal with this and he did. I went online and went into every blog or chat room I could find to talk with people who are going through a loss, and reading their stories, was a great help. I realized that I was not the only one who was grieving a pet.

You are reading this because you have lost a pet or you have a very ill pet. To comfort you let me just say, I am so sorry for your loss...and yes, I do know what you are going through. I am listing several things that have helped me through my grieving process, and hope that it will help you.

The Pain:

The pain is almost hard to bear, but you will be okay. Cry as much as you need too, believe me this helps. I cried until I had no more tears.

Your Pet's belongings:

Do not immediately get rid of you pet's belongings. You would think looking at their little bowl, toy or blanket is going to make it worst. It is not. The first thing I did was took Sugar's picture off of my screen saver on my computer and bagged her little toys, and other items up and put them in a bag. I felt worst! It was like I was hiding her existence. I put her back on the screen saver and put all of her items in her bed. I gave Domino her blanket. It was hard seeing these items on a daily basis but as time went on I began to accept my loss. it has been over a year now and I have stored her items away. Sugar's cremation box sits in my curio cabinet with the picture that is shown on my profile on it. When you walk by her eyes seem to follow. My husband and I still talk to her. It now brings a smile to my face when I see her looking at me and I thank God for the privilege of having her in my life.

Don't blame yourself!

The guilt can be strong. It was not your fault and you did nothing wrong. Just as we humans were born and will die someday...so will our pets. Just remember that your pet was a gift from God, and will someday return to him. After Sugar's death I could not understand why this happened to me. I had to pull myself out of the guilt and understand that I did nothing wrong. I became very protective of Domino. If he coughed I would rush him to the vet. I was afraid that he was going to die too.

Most importantly

Don't let other's decide how you should grieve. Sometimes people are insensitive to a person's feelings when they have lost a pet. They will say things like, "it was just a dog"! To these people I say as -- Anatole France says:" Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened". I had it said to me a couple of times and it made me furious. My first instinct was to lash out at this person. I politely told them that what they called, "just a dog", was a family member that I loved dearly.

Time does heal

It's true, time does heal. `You will smile again, you will have happy days and you will go on with your life. However, you will never forget your precious pet...and you shouldn't. It took about a month for me to come around. I was really out of it. Every time someone gave me their condolence, I would think about her and cry. I knew that I had to pull myself out of the depression that was slowly creeping up on me. I continued with my daily activities and started giving Domino a lot of attention. The first week after she passed, I would dream about her every night. They would be fun filled dreams with her running and chasing Domino. I would only awaken to realize that she was no longer with me.

The companion left behind

Domino is 2 years younger than Sugar. She was full grown when I got him at about 6 weeks old. She was just like a little momma. She taught him all of her sneaky little begging tricks...and he learned well! A couple of days after she passed he started sniffing around the house and crying a lot. I did not know what to do and called my vet because he started chewing on his leg. I took him in and he explained that he knew she was gone...but did not understand where. You can not explain to a dog that his mate has died. It was touch and go for a few months with him constantly sniffing and looking. He then became very quite no more playing, no barking. My vet said that with time he would get better...and he did. Now he is the boss! I gave him a stuffed dogie to sleep with him and it has helped. We allowed him to sleep in our bed for about 2 weeks after her death. I don't know if it was to comfort me or him.

Should you get another dog?

That decision is strictly up to you. We plan on getting another dog in the future. However, we will be getting a shelter dog. We want to give a good home to a dog in need. It will be a hard choice because I am allergic to dogs. I picked the shih-tzu breed because they don't shed. I will be checking the shih-tzu rescue sites when I am ready to adopt.

Thank you for taking the time to  read my story. I hope that some of this information will help you. 

May god bless you and your pet!
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