What causes those red, itchy eyes, stopped up or runny noses, scratchy throats and clogged sinuses? In a word, pollen. Pollens are minuscule grains of protein produced by male plants (or the male portion of plants) which the plants use to cross-fertilize themselves. Some plants, especially those with bright pretty flowers, have sticky pollen, and rely on insects to transfer the pollen from one flower to another. Those plants don’t cause problems, since the pollen stays put, either in the flower, or on the insects.Why are some of us allergic and some of us not? Mostly, it’s genetics, which means you can blame your mother and father. On a more direct level, if you are allergic to something that means that your body produces a molecule called lgE, which is a kind of an antibody, related to those molecules which fight off infection. When you come in contact with whatever you are allergic to , you produce lgE. This sticks to a cell which makes histamine, and when more of that allergen comes along and sticks to the lgE stuck to that cell, it releases the histamine into your blood stream and we all know what happens after that. You itch and sneeze and cough and blow your nose a lot.

Even if you manage to get through the spring without an allergic attack, you still need to survive the blooming of the grasses, the weeds, and the sagebrush which bloom all summer, as well as the mold and mildew spores which are around all year long.

Rain helps, some. It washes the pollen out of the air, and weighs it down so it can’t blow around. But it also stimulates the growth of mold and mildew, and encourages weeds to flourish. So instead of sneezing at one thing, you’re sneezing at another. Since these plants have to rely on the wind to carry their pollen, they have to produce massive quantities of the stuff, and the stuff has to be very light. The result? Well, for several months of the year, every time you take a breath, you’re breathing in pollen. And if you’re one of the many people who have a reaction to pollen, you’re eyes will swell, your nose will stuff, and you’ll feel miserable. You’re in good company; it’s estimated that as much as 20% of the population is allergic to something.The warm winter and the dry spring we had last year made it one of the worst years for allergies that most of us suffers can remember.The pollens that do cause allergies are from plants which rely on the wind to distribute the tiny granules from one place to another. These microscopic particles are produced by plants which have flowers that are not noticeable, either visually or by scent, such as the cottonwood or sycamore.

So what can you do about it? Well, to start with, don’t plant those plants which produce air borne pollen. The city of Albuquerque is working on an ordinance which would either ban the sale of these plants out right, or require labeling of their pollen producing potential. The plants to watch out for are male junipers , fruitless mulberries, seedless ashes, and cotton less cottonwoods. The female versions of these trees, i.e., the fruiting mulberries, female ashes, and cotton-producing cottonwoods, don’t produce pollen, so they don’t cause allergies. Elms and sycamores are both male and female at the same time, so they all produce pollen. Pines and cedars are also air pollinated, but their pollen grains are covered with a heavy, thick waxy coating which keeps them from being a problem.Wear a mask when working around pollinating trees and shrubs, and if your allergy is really bad, wear long sleeved shirts and long pants, and wash them when you’re done. And finally, save up your money and see an allergy specialist. He (or she) can tell you exactly what you are reacting to, as well as prescribe medicines that help fight the symptoms which make us all so miserable.It’s impossible to avoid pollen completely, unless perhaps you blast off on the space shuttle, or take a very long ocean voyage. If you have a sneeze-inducing plant in your yard, try hosing it off daily during it’s pollinating season, to wash the pollen off the tree and into the ground.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Bookmark to:
         

If you're new here, you may first want to get a copy of my information and resources jam packed handbook on your right. Thanks for visiting!

Have you ever heard that in regular communication between people, body language accounts for nearly 25% of the meaning that people derive from the conversation. Well this is exactly the same in the dialog between a human and a dog, except more so. A dog can’t talk and barking only has a limited use, so dog body language accounts for most of the meaning you will get from a conversation with your dog. Thus it is important to understand the finer points of dog body language to better understand your pet.

The meaning of your pet’s body language will become clear once you have lived with him for a few years, until then however here are a few pointers about dog body language.

When dogs are happy or in a playful mood they will raise their hindquarters in the air and wag their tail. They may also prance or bounce about on their front legs. This is really obvious when they drop a ball in front of you hoping you will throw it for them. Their mouth will be open in a doggy smile.

Rolling over to expose the belly is generally a sign of submission to you or another dog. It is an acknowledgment of pack hierarchy. Other body language that indicates submission to the hierarchy is a wagging tail in a lowered position. It may also have the ears back and the eyes will be lowered to the ground.

A relaxed dog will have it’s weight evenly distributed. The tail may wag intermittently. The head will be raised with the eyes focusing in the direction that it is walking or looking.

An alerted dog will have the same demeanor however the weight of the dog will be ever so slightly forward making appear to lean forward. The hair at the base of the tail may stand on it’s end. The ears will rise and point in the direction of the noise or disturbance.

An aggressive demeanor is similar to an alerted body language with a few important and obvious differences. Firstly the dogs face and muzzle will look completely different. The lips will be raises to reveal the teeth and it may even start to snarl. The eyes may have a wild or strained look in them as the focus intensely on the object of their aggression. The hackles will be raised. This is the fur on the shoulder blades just below the top of the neck. The body may be prone or rigid in a state ready to attach or run away.

All these signals will become obvious to you once you have seen them a few times. Understanding their means will help you respond to your dog appropriately. It will deepen your relationship with your pet and even identify what type of obedience training your dog needs.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Bookmark to:
         

In 2001 and again in 2003 The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis looked at the risk of mad cow disease to U.S. citizens and determined the risk to be very low to humans. Their study felt that as long as the FDA and USDA continue with current restrictions to processing ‘at risk’ meat materials into human food and subsequently, with the current restrictions to processing ‘at risk’ animal material into animal feed of ruminants (cattle, sheep, pigs) the risk to humans would remain very low. However it is a different story for our pets. It is legal, acceptable, and common practice for ‘at risk’ materials to be processed into pet food.

Current U.S. rules regarding ‘at risk’ materials originated from an outbreak of mad cow disease in the United Kingdom. During the 1980’s the UK suffered a significant problem with the disease which ended up being responsible for the death of 1000 people. During the height of the problem, it was reported that mad cow disease spread to animals including cats. When the cats were diagnosed, European pet food manufacturers voluntarily agreed to restrict the processing of ‘at risk’ materials into pet food. “In 1996, however, Agriculture Minister Angela Browning informed the House of Commons that ‘mammalian meat and bone meal-powdered residue from culled and rendered cattle is used in pet food.’ Labour Parliament member and microbiologist Martyn Jones called Browning’s admission ‘an astounding revelation. ‘This stuff is so risky that they are not even allowed to bury it,’ Jones stated. ‘Yet they are getting rid of it by passing it on to pet food manufacturers.’

Andeven though the FDA does allow risk materials into pet food - they also realize they are a risk to pets. In 2003 when a confirmed animal diagnosed with mad cow disease was processed into pet food, Dr. Lester Crawford, FDA’s deputy commissioner, told United Press International”If we determine that some of it was headed for pet food, we would likely recall that,” Crawford said. But he noted the agency would not take any action until it gets confirmation, which probably will occur on Monday. The main threat among pets is cats because they “are susceptible to BSE,” he said. Dr. Crawford said there is no way of knowing how much pet food would have to be recalled. But he said the FDA does not consider the infectious agent, called a prion, can be diluted to safe levels, so even if a small batch of infected pet food was mixed with a ton of other food, “the ton would have to be destroyed.” The point being - the FDA does realize the threat of mad cow disease to U.S. pets - it’s just that they are not doing anything about it.

In late February 2008 a congressional panel began listening to testimony regarding the recent beef recall. Many are being called to testify - including the Humane Society. Discouragingly - the Humane Society’s stance on risk materials has changed since 2004 - now their stance is to allow them into pet food. Quoting a 2004 article”Dr. Michael Greger of the Humane Society of the United States said downer cows that don’t pass inspection often wind up in pet food. They yield much less revenue than those that remain standing. The financial incentive for plant operators and employees, then, is to force hurt and sick cows to stand by any means necessary, rather than put them down, Greger said. “A truly comprehensive ban on meat from downer animals is needed,” he said. Greger urged lawmakers to support the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act, a bill that would ban processing downed animals. That, he said, would take away the incentive for plant workers to prolong the life of a suffering animal. Instead, he said, all downer cows could be euthanized and used for pet food or other products that don’t involve human consumption.” Again - discouragingly - the Humane Society not only considers it acceptable for sick, diseased downer cattle to be used in pet food - but they also consider it acceptable for pets to consume a euthanized animal and the euthanizing drug. That is not good news. I consider it a complete lack of responsibility on the part of the Humane Society. This is opposite of their stance from a letter dated August 13, 2004 when they asked the FDA to ban risk materials from being processed into pet food. Makes me wonder who has made large donations to the Humane Society since 2004.

Sadly, this is a real threat to U.S. pets. Late February 2008 there was a confirmed case of mad cow disease found in a cow in Alberta, Canada. The good news is that Canada does NOT allow any ‘at risk’ materials to be processed including use in pet food. Let’s hope that the FDA and the USDA will take note of Canadian regulations before something terrible happens here in the U.S. Pet food and pet treat ingredients that could contain processed ‘at risk materials or any euthanized animal are: Meat Meal, Meat and Bone Meal, Meat By-Products, Beef By-Products, Beef By-Product Meal, Animal Fat, and Animal Digest. Please read the ingredient listing of your pet’s food and treats.

Tips On Spanish Mastiff Dog Secrets