Allergies in Dogs and Cats - simple Solutions That Work

Allergies in dogs and cats:

When I first graduated as a vet 20 years ago, I concept I knew how to treat every disease in animals known to man. A few years in suburban practice fast taught me the error of my thinking - and the many stumbling block I ever came across, was trying to treat skin allergies in dogs and cats. I fast realized that the side effects of most of my treatments were rapidly becoming worse than the former disease itself. It was with this back ground that I was impelled to look deeper, to look for the un-seen cause of allergies.

Allergies are basically an "inappropriate" or "over-zealous" reaction of an animals' (or persons) immune system. The reaction is caused by exposure to safe bet chemical or organic agents, generally referred to as "allergens". Genetics categorically play a role in pre-disposing an animal to developing allergies, but environment and cusine will finally decree to what degree the allergy is expressed.

Allergies in pets fall into some separate categories, but nearly all allergies have a base expression - lasting allergic skin disease (allergic dermatitis or "eczema"). Allergies can be triggered by airborne allergens (atopic dermatitis), by direct feel with the skin (contact allergy), by exposure to safe bet foods (food allergy), or by exposure to parasites (eg flea allergy dermatitis). The pattern of skin disease can vary widely, but subtle differences can help to decree what type of allergy is involved. The classic signs of allergy include generalized itching, feet chewing, face and muzzle rubbing, dermatitis of the inner legs, abdomen and armpits, lasting ear infections, "hot spots", and more recently, asthma in cats.

Traditional veterinary treatments for allergic skin disease have included using drugs like cortisone, anti-biotics, anti-histamines, ant-parasitic agents, and topical medicated shampoos. The good old "bucket on the head", known more professionally as an Elizabethan collar, has also been widely used to prevent self trauma. More recently, testing for known allergens has become popular, and the use of de-sensitisation (gradual exposure to diluted forms of the known allergen) has shown some success. Recognition of the role of primary fatty acids (primarily Omega 3 fatty acids), and their inclusion as a dietary additive, has also shown some promise. But on the whole, allergic skin disease is still one of the most common, and frustrating, veterinary complaints that brings pet owners to the waiting room. One unfortunate reality of allergies is that despite all the advances in contemporary medicine, allergies are still determined a "chronic" disease - meaning that there is no "cure" for an allergy, the best we can hope to do is "control" the expression of an allergy, and limit the use of drugs required to do so.

Understanding the Immune system:

The key to "controlling" allergies is to understand how and why they occur. As mentioned, allergies are an inappropriate immune reaction to a specific allergen - a reaction that that is not "pre-programmed" into the immune ideas by the core genetic code, but one that is "learned" or "accidentally" occurs. The study of the immune ideas (immunology) is a captivating science, and one that has provided much of the facts that is driving contemporary healing advances. One of the captivating facts about the immune system, is that it works in almost the same way in all animal species- from man to fish. It is an old and untouched genetic code, and is designed to "protect" an animal from disease, and to aid repair.

A approved description of how the immune ideas works is beyond the scope of this article, but a very simplified overview will aid in insight allergies. In very rough terms, the immune ideas can be divided into 2 parts. One part is complex in making antibodies - cells that yield extra proteins that are specifically designed to "recognize" specific foreign molecules (eg bacteria or viruses) which are called "antigens". The body has millions of separate cells (B lymphocytes) which yield separate types of antibodies which safe us from infection, and these antibodies form the basis of the practice of immunization (where we introduce non-dangerous parts of a bacteria or virus so the body can make antibodies to that singular pathogen). The second part of the immune ideas is known as the "innate" immune system, and it involves cells that we generally call "white blood cells". These cells are responsible for directly destroying foreign agents, infected cells, or antibody/antigen complexes formed by the other part of the immune system. When your body is under strike by a bacteria or virus, these cells poor into the blood stream to fight off the agent, and the supervene is that on a blood test, you have a "high white blood cell count". As white blood cells capture and destroy these foreign particles, they categorically die themselves, and the resultant protein sludge that remains is known as pus (when concentrated in a small area).

In an allergic reaction, we have an "accidental" response. Lets use the example of an inhaled grass pollen. Commonly the immune ideas should not recognize the grass pollen as foreign or dangerous (we inhale limited pollens all the time while spring and summer). But in an allergic response, for some think the immune ideas creates a specific antibody to the pollen. This antibody seeks out the pollen, and binds to it. Then, a singular part of the innate immune ideas (white blood cells known as "eosinophils") are released into the blood to capture and destroy these antibody/antigen complexes. When these eosinophils have done their job, they also "die", but as the cells burst, they publish histamine - which causes intense local swelling and itching. In people, this reaction generally occurs locally, at the location of the nose and eyes where the pollen first contacts the moist mucus membranes - and results in "hay fever symptoms" (swollen itchy eyes and nose, sneezing etc). If the reaction occurs deeper in the body, at the level of the bronchi in the lungs, it can cause "asthma". In dogs and cats, these cells categorically migrate to the skin (and sometimes to the lining of the gut) where they cause an intense itching reaction which we call allergic dermatitis. When the animal itches, it breaks the skin, and allows secondary infection to occur, which added adds to the irritation - and so the cycle goes on.

The pattern of allergies is determined by the type of allergen. Some allergies are seasonal, meaning that the allergen is only in the environment for a specific time of the year - most of these are caused by plant pollens etc (called atopic allergies). Some feel allergies, like grass allergy only occur when grasses are dry and producing seed heads, and most of the signs occur on the underneath of the dog, in areas where there is no fur protecting the skin (eg groin, armpits, belly). If the allergen is present all year round, such as a food allergy (to a specific food type) or allergies to dust mites, then the signs of allergic dermatitis will be constant.

So what causes the Immune ideas to malfunction?:

The sass to this quiz, is the key to solving the difficulty of allergies, and unfortunately there is not one easy answer. A genetic predisposition (ie an inherited tendency) is categorically one big factor. safe bet breeds of dog (eg West Highland White Terriers) are genetically predisposed to developing allergies. Staffordshire terriers are prone to feel allergies, German Shepherds are prone to food allergies and lasting ear infections etc. But in veterinary practice, we are looking more and more dogs with allergies (probably the estimate one think people go to see their vet apart from vaccination), and genetics alone cannot be the answer.

Modern immunology has now shown us that both nutrition, and environment, will influence the way our immune ideas functions. When we talk about environment, we categorically mean the "artificial" environment, and the exposure to man made chemicals. In the house, pets may be exposed to chemical cleaning agents, carpet and floor products, insect sprays, deodourisers, perfumes etc. And outside, in the organery or on a walk, there are air pollutants (eg. Petrochemical fumes), weed sprays and herbicides, water pollutants (fluoride, chlorine) and a host of other "un-natural" potential allergens. And what about the products we deliberately use on our pets - shampoos, conditioners, worm tablets, flea and tick control, heartworm prevention, even the chemical stabilizers used in vaccines - all of these can act as potential "triggers" for allergies. Naturally some of these cannot be avoided, but we do need to exercise some care when we have an allergic pet. Other recognized triggers also include the huge range of chemical preservatives and colourings used in processed pet foods, some of which are now recognized as carcinogenic. Sulphur dioxide, a base preservative used in pet meat, is also a known trigger for asthma and eczema in people. It is leading to remember that most of these chemical agents are "new" to the immune ideas (they weren't colse to hundreds of millions of years ago when the immune ideas was evolving in fish), so it is not surprising that our bodies do react to them as "foreign".

Recent studies into immunology and parasites have also revealed some staggering results in this area. Dogs and cats have been evolving on earth for some 40 Million years, and for the first 39.98 Million years, they did so without interference from man. Their bodies had industrialized a natural equilibrium between intestinal and topical parasites, which was controlled by their immune system. The part of the immune ideas that controls parasites, are the same cells (eosinophils) that are complex in allergies. When these eosinophils react at the gut level, the publish of histamine categorically causes swelling and increased motility, which aids the elimination of gut parasites (worms). At the skin level, the publish of histamines causes itching, which in turn, aids the discharge of fleas. This process has kept the natural equilibrium of parasites in check for millions of years. With the advent of contemporary chemical worming tablets and the farranging adoption of 3 monthly worming programs, intestinal worms have become a thing of the past. To added add to this, contemporary "all in one" topical preparations that control topical parasites and heartworm, also kill the majority of intestinal worms, but on a monthly basis. Whilst this may at first appear to be a great thing for our pets (and don't get me wrong, these products are very useful), we have now reached a position where our pets can be completely "sterile" of all parasites.

What contemporary immunology has discovered however, is that when the body is sterile of parasites, the part of the immune ideas that has evolved over millions of years to control them, the eosinophils, is now left without a job to do - and as a result, there are now large numbers of these cells available to react to "allergens". What this means is that the supervene of an allergic reaction in pets that have no parasites to control, is categorically far more intense, than in a pet where these cells are categorically doing the job they were designed to do. In short, dogs and cats that are "sterile" are far more prone to having serious allergic skin disease.

And what of nutrition? How does what we eat, or what we feed our pets', influence the immune system? Most people nowadays do accept that what we eat will influence our farranging health and longevity, but what we may not realize is, that it affects our health by affecting our immune system. In easy terms, the better your immune ideas works, the better your every day health will be, and the longer you will live (excluding bad luck). contemporary cusine recognizes that there are 76 known macro and micro nutrients required for exquisite health. Naturally put, your immune ideas needs all 76 elements to function perfectly. What we also now understand, is that our bodies (and that of your pets') do not exist in a "sterile" environment. The intestinal tract requires the proximity of pro-biotic bacteria (often termed "good" bacteria) - names like acidophilus (the bacteria found in natural yogurt) are now generally recognized as being healthy. Our pets also have their own people of good bacteria, and they are also primary for good health. It is the compound of a diet that provides all the primary nutrients, combined with an intestinal tract full of pro-biotics, which allows our body to digest the nutritional value. And this finally ensures that the immune ideas receives all 76 of the elements required for it to function at its optimum.

Unfortunately, for both humans and pets, the supply of good, healthy food is no longer as easy as it used to be. Just two hundred years ago, people ate good quality fresh food. yield was grown organically, harvested and eaten. There was limited in the way of processing or preserving, and the soils that were used to grow crops, fruit, or livestock, were healthy and nutrient rich. Compare that to today, when an apple bought from the supermarket may be 9 months old before you eat it, and it has been grown entirely on artificial fertilizers and sprayed with chemicals, or the fact that the vitamin C content of a supermarket orange has fallen to 2% of what it was the day it was picked, and we see it is not so hard to understand what has gone wrong. If you add to that the processing and preservatives used to enlarge shelf life, and the over-abundance of sugars and salts included in processed food and drinks, we start to see an insidious pattern of contemporary day "malnutrition" emerging.

But don't think that you pet has been spared this reality. For the past 40 Million years, dogs and cats ate a healthy diet of wild prey, raw, uncooked and unprocessed, supplying not only the primary probiotic bacteria for gut health, but also the faultless 76 nutrients for exquisite health. But in contemporary society, we now know better, and pets' are fed on man's waste! On the whole, processed pet foods are made from in-edible carcass remains (made into meat meal and meat by-products), cheap sources of bulk carbohydrate and vegetable matter, sugar, salt, flavours, and preservatives. Add to this a cocktail of about 25 + chemically derived primary vitamins and minerals (a commercially available product which guarantees a pet food will meet Aafco nutritional standards). Then finally, mix all this into biscuits, cook at high temperatures (> 260'C for import into Australia), and then spray with liver digest and fat (so your pet will categorically eat it) - this is what has substituted the natural diet of dogs and cats.

Modern pet foods are sterile (they supply no pro-biotic bacteria) and they categorically do not supply the body with the 76 nutrients required for optimal health, no matter how much they cost, or what they say on the pack. Sure, there are much better ones, and much worse ones, but collectively, they are contributing to the same "modern day malnutrition" that is affecting western society. We are gently turning our pets into "junk foodies".

So back to allergies, how is all this causing allergies in pets? It is quite simple. The way immune cells react is categorically influenced by a wide range of nutritional factors, many of which contemporary science is yet to fully understand. We do know that if an animal's diet is deficient in Omega 3 primary fatty acids, the immune ideas will react in a more inflammatory way, producing more histamine publish and a greater "allergic" tendency, than compared to an animal that has an adequate dietary intake of Omega 3 fats. We also know that omega 3 fats are generally deficient in processed pet foods, or are categorically oxidized and rendered useless, by the processing and handling of dry and tinned pet food. And this is but one of the 76 elements that can influence the immune system. When we consolidate this type of deficiency, with other mal-nutritional factors caused by poor dietary ingredients and processing,a pattern emerges. Add the loss of pro-biotic bacteria, and the sterile gut caused by over zealous hanger-on control, and we have a "pro-allergic" state in the animal's immune ideas - which is just waiting to react.

So whereas the "healthy" body may have shown just a mild reaction to an allergen (say flea saliva from a flea bite) we suddenly have a weighty over-reaction to the introduction of a Commonly mild allergen - with wide scale publish of histamine and intense itching and chewing (and we end up with a dog with "hot spots"). If we consolidate all this with a living environment full of contemporary chemical agents and potential "triggers" (and in the food we feed our pets), then it is not hard to understand why we are looking such an "epidemic" of allergies in pets, and in people.

So what can we do?;

Certainly I do not pronounce to have all the answers to treating allergies, but there are some basic guidelines that I supervene in practice, that consistently lead to effective, safe bet results in pets that have allergies.

1. To best supply the primary pro-biotics and 76 elements, convert you pet onto a natural, raw, balanced and unprocessed diet, using fresh meats and yield that has not been treated with chemical preservatives (avoid sulphur dioxide = preservative 220, 221, 222 etc). Choose a meat source that your pet is not likely to have had regular entrance to (eg kangaroo meat, or tripe) - avoid chicken and beef. And stick to a easy carbohydrate, like rolled oats or brown rice. Eg. Vets All Natural superior Choice, or faultless Mix

2. Add the following daily supplements - a dose of pro-biotics (eg Protexin), an all natural multivitamin and mineral supplement, an Omega 3 fatty acid supplement such as Flax Seed oil or Fish oil (fish oil is better for cats). Eg. Vets All Natural health Booster and Omega Blend Oil.

3. When using hanger-on control, try to use products that only influence the hanger-on you are targeting. Eg, use a product that only kills fleas if you have a flea problem, or a product that only kills heartworm larvae, and not one that also kills intestinal worms. For regular worming, consider having a fecal test done to see if there are worms present at large numbers (much like we do for horses and other stock animals) rather than just treating every 3 months. Pets can tolerate low numbers of worms naturally.

And if these changes alone are not fixing the problem, try:

• consider using rain water for drinking rather than chlorinated and fluoride treated tap water.
• Make anyone adjustments to your home and backyard environment that are feasible - try and avoid using harsh chemical sprays or cleaning agents
• When an animals skin is inflamed, avoid using shampoos and medicated washes, they often supply only temporary relief, and may categorically be "contributing" to the ongoing cycle.

My experience, gained over the last 15 years in practice, has shown me that more than 70% of allergic pets can be maintained on a drug free regime if they supervene these guidelines. The extreme goal is to get your pet off all ongoing medications and treatments (especially cortisone) - even if they have the occasional itch.

Allergies in Dogs and Cats - simple Solutions That Work

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Using Eco-Friendly Means to control Insects

With the approach of spring and summer, many population begin to worry about insect-proofing their house.  Nobody likes to see bugs in their home and many of us use some pretty harsh methods to keep them out.  Those bugs that do carry on to make it in are ordinarily fast put to death instead of being led out of the house or left alone. 

One thing that most of us do each year is have our house sprayed with some sort of chemicals that keep the insects outside.  This is ordinarily pretty effective, but is also not the healthiest or most eco-friendly way to combat the insect problem.  Just like you can still bring home groceries with reusable shopping bags without having the negative environmental problems that plastic bags create, so too can you control you insect problems with "green" methods. 

The first step we can all take is to keep our house tidy.  Most bugs come in to our homes in search of food, not because they want to hang out with us.  retention your cupboards, counter tops, and floors free from crumbs and other food debris will go a long way in attracting fewer bugs.  And, when possible, store opened packages in airtight, reusable containers. 

However, no matter how clean you keep your house, chances are that some bugs will still make their way inside, especially in positive geographic regions of the country.  This does not mean that you have to resort to chemicals, though, to keep them out.  There are a amount of eco-friendly ways to keep the bugs out.  For example, baby powder and cinnamon work well in retention ant populations at bay.  simply lining the area that you consideration the ants advent from with cinnamon will keep them away.  If you want to kill them, use baby powder.  They will carry it back to their colony where it will kill them all. 

The above strategies will work well indoors, but what about outside?  If you want to keep pesky bugs out of your backyard so you can enjoy it, there are some eco-friendly alternatives.  First, try to take benefit of natural order and get some predators to roam your yard for you.  Lady bugs, preying mantis, lizards, geckos, birds, and bats are all your allies in your fight against insects.  If you don't have any of these predators simply attracted to your yard, check your local organery shops.  Sometimes they stock predatory creatures that you can add to your organery to safe it for you.  Of course, don't forget to shop with your reusable bags!

Installing a bird house or bird bath in your yard will do well to keep adequate birds in the area.  And, even though bats have a bad reputation, they are one of the best animals you will ever find at controlling mosquito populations.  You can buy a bat house and hang in a tree in your yard and look send to noticing a nice decline in the mosquito population in your area. 

Using Eco-Friendly Means to control Insects

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Boost Your Home's Resale Value Guaranteed

1) Lawn-care/landscaping. A lot of citizen overlook this one. A green lawn is a plus. A weedy, crabgrass filled lawn will detract from your homes presentability and value. Its not hard to green your lawn (use a weed & feed and apply it to the whole lawn - -). It will take a few weeks and will yield a major improvement. Have the lawn expertly cut (they will edge your lawn, remove weeds, etc... For or so per session) - it shows you care and cared for your house. Well placed shrubs, trees, and flowers can make the ugliest home inviting. They can also hide shortcomings, misaligned panels, meters, hoses, pipes, and other out yard detriments and annoyances.

2) Paint/pressure washing the exterior. Many times the outside will brighten up with just a quick pressure washing (average 0-0). This will remove dirt, cobwebs, some stains, mildew, etc... If there is more left when done you will need to repaint the outside (average 0-00). This is more expensive, but will right on brighten up your house and make it more marketable.

3) Driveway. Look at your driveway. Does it have oil stains, spots, look aged? Revitalize it. A good pressure washing will help most driveways. For stubborn oil stains and spots spray a aggregate of 10-30% muriatic acid on the concrete wait one little then pressure wash off. This will remove the most stubborn stains great than anything else. Be rigorous not to spray the acid on your lawn or let the over-spray from pressure washing get on the lawn (it will kill your grass and turn it yellow fast).

4) Entrance-way. If you don't have a decorative glass door, get one. They are certainly installed (goes on in front of your front door) and greatly dress up or quit a well kept house - they give it that concluded touch. Also a few nicely trimmed potted plants, decorative plants and shrubs will add that welcoming and cozy feeling. Remember 95% of all home buying purchases are heavily influenced by a woman. Make them feel at home and you will get a much higher price and return for just a little work and a little money - well worth it.

5) Inside paint and trim work. This is a must. Have the interior repainted along with the trim work. little dings, marks, scuffs, do detract from your homes value. Pick or stay with neutral colors. For free master advice call your local realtor and ask them what sells (colors, etc...). They will be glad to tell you as you may become a client for them.

6) Make sure your appliances that are staying with the house all work.

Women are prone to try out appliances in the kitchen. Replace any mismatched appliances and upgrade to stay in tune with your neighborhood. Do not out price your neighborhood or you will risk throwing away money. Your realtor can best help you here as to whether you should go with granite, tile, formica and similar questions.

7) Useable space. Take that attic or extra closet and turn it into a bathroom or extra room if it is feasible. Remember the rule - quadrate footage equals money. The more beneficial room you have the more you will get.

8) Carpets. Have them expertly cleaned and replaced if necessary. possible buyers will be finding with the mindset of how much money and time they will have to put in to make it liveable and homelike. The more you help them, the great off you will be. There's nothing like a stained carpet to bring down your value and deter buyers. Don't just try the cover up method. These spots will come out when the buyer does their preclosing inspection - and don't think they won't.

9) Have your home inspected. Have the foundation, roof, plumbing, etc... Checked out. By having the results of a determined inspection in hand for possible buyers it shows that you know you have a good, well cared for house. The buyers will be willing to pay more for your house. Also have it inspected for pests, ants,and other insects.

There you have it 9 steps that will guarantee a much higher resale value of any house in any area or neighborhood.

Boost Your Home's Resale Value Guaranteed

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What Was Right in Front of Me!

Growing up in north New York was to say the least, one of the more boring tasks' of my life. My only real joy in life was to venture to the edge of town on the weekends to a deserted old farm that was known as Cooks' Barn. It was an over grown pasture with a dilapidated barn who's roof had been scattered about the pasture. This was the best spot in Clinton County to look for snakes. It was here in the early 1960s that I caught my first snake, a fine species of Thamnophis sepidon or the Northern Garter snake. Like every boy, I held it captive in a shoe box under my bed for a few days then released it in my back yard in hopes it would multiply and I would own the states largest residential snake lot! Had my mum known what I had planned, I would have grown up an orphan.

While I had that snake and many others as the years multiplied, I studied them with a magnifying glass seeing closely at every scale, its Nair's, its tongue and anything else that was presented to me. I dreamt of one day owning such snakes as Cobras, Mambas, rattlesnakes. I set glued to the Tv when ever Marlin Perkins was on praying he would take me to the Amazon with him on an anaconda hunt. My mind evolved around these breathtaking creatures and my school grades reflected that, all except Science, right A student. As I grew older, my mind continually raced with the thoughts of nearing the age when I could do as I had dreamt of, searching for real venomous snakes and production a name for myself.

Time passed and I finally got out of High School and got to thinking. There was no money in this place and I wanted to get out Now! What to do? A light bulb went off and I decided to join the Army, they would pay me, I would be in distant places and I would finally have the chance to look for other species of snakes then Garter snakes. At one point after Basic Training At Fort Dix New Jersey, I was sent to a lovely Army Camp called Fort Lee settled in Virginia. This was not panning out as I had planned. While on maneuvers one Saturday early Am, my platoon was driven to a huge swamp. We were the blue army and our goal was to capture the red army that was somewhere out in front of us. The swamp was about two to three foot deep, dead and decaying trees all around us, I was in heaven, absolutely there had to be snakes in this breathtaking place. Every one else was tip toeing around and I was on my knees with brown water up to my chin searching for snakes as we moved forward. At one point I came upon a dead large water oak that had fallen some years earlier. The bark was pealing back and there were many places for a snake to hide. I quest that tree very considered and my hand slid across something two inches below the water, it was a wire that was pulled tightly and spread across the swamp. I was no real soldier, just a misplaced Herpetologist but I knew a trip wire when I saw one, John Wayne had taught me that much!

I used my knife to tap on the log and that got my Co's attention, he looked at me with anger written all over his face, we were not to make a sound. He slid over ready to strangle me when I pointed to the exposed wire at the logs edge. He smiled and I heard a giggle, this was the only time anything ever saw this man smile. He snipped the wire and rolled it up onto a stick showing every man as he went by. The rest is history, we did capture the red army and I was given a three day pass off post for the upcoming weekend. I was a good observant soldier (he said) I saved the platoon from definite death (he said) I was the only one who took that maneuver serious (he said) and we should all take a note from my book and be best soldiers (he said). If Major G. Mayfield had known I was only seeing for snakes, I would still be pealing potatoes at the local mess hall. I went snake hunting with the three day pass.

After the Army, I went back to school and met my wife Janice. She did not care for my snakes and I got to keep two non venomous snakes. Soon after we married my son Chris was on the way. I then realized it would be an additional one 18 years before I could have my own Herp Room with the snakes I dreamt of. Nothing was going as I had planned? After a concentrate of years we had two more children, two girls, Samantha and Ashley. Here it comes, The kids are grown, off to school and I have a room all to my self with no kids to worry about getting bitten. I started my variety at the ripe old age of forty-five, what the hell happened? Anyway I soon had Copperheads, rattlesnakes, cobras and tree vipers, all mine. Oh how I cared for these snakes, they ate on time, they never spent more then an hour in the same tank with any waste produced, fresh water twice a day, outside time to get fresh air. All of their food was shipped to me frozen, they never had to fight for a meal and I never had to be involved with taking a life by proxy so to speak. Life was good. I sold the venom to explore labs that designed drugs around the venom, so I was very proud of my animals for helping mankind. I became proficient at doctoring their minor ills and nothing serious ever cropped up, all was well with the world. Or so I thought.

I knew my snakes so well that I was able to tell days before their eyes clouded signaling a shed cycle was in progress.

I would up the humidity, add a wet towel into their tanks and increase the temperature a bit so the shed would slide off in one piece, what a variety I had. I had all the time been an avid reader of any and all magazines or books written about snakes and the habitancy who keep them. A few years earlier I received an description in the mail, sent by a friend which was about a woman named "Grace Olive Wiley" In the 1930's she had been the first person to breed rattlesnakes in captivity and she was able to free deal with venomous snakes with out incident? Maybe a great lady I understanding to myself but no one handles these animals unless they have been fixed. I filed away the description on Grace and understanding no more about it. As I said earlier I knew when my snakes were about to shed and one of my copperheads "Felix" was going into a shed cycle so I did the usual, the humidity, wet towels upped the temp. Same old same old. Ten days passed and Felix was shedding, it came off as usual except for a large patch over its left eye and onto its head and neck. I was not to implicated so I settled a wet towel in his tank so he could rub against it and it would peal off soon enough. Two weeks later and no go! The dried patch was stuck fast. I had seen this happen on a amount of occasions but not on the head and never over the eye. I decided to let it go as it would come off with the next one, some snakes have gone a year with sheds stuck to them with out incident so I was not worried.

Days turned to weeks and weeks into months, it was Felix's turn to shed once more. I held the humidity at 95% and kept a wet towel in his tank and misted him twice a day, absolutely this was the end of the problem. I awoke on a Sunday morning to find a shed in Felix's tank. It was one piece except for the part on the head and neck, now I had two stuck patched, one on top of the other? I had to do something, I called every Vet within a fifty mile radius and explained the situation over and over. Each vet was sympathetic and told me to bring him in! I then advised them of Felix's species and some hung up, others said "shoot it", one doctor said "I would but it is against the law"? It was clear no one would help me, I called the Zoo and they would not return my call. If it was everywhere other then the Brill (eye cap) over the eye, I had read stories of snakes dieing from infections caused by stuck eye caps and this was not going to happen. Three days of trying every recipe known to man and some I invented, all with no results. I went into the Rep. Room on Wednesday morning to find Felix had rubbed his nose bloody on a rock which was kept there to help him shed, this was bothering him something awful. I was a wreck, what to do, what to do? I understanding to myself "Grace Wiley, where are you when I need you"? For reasons I will not understand, I went into the kitchen, got two clean dish towels and a basin full of warm water and marched back into the Rep Room. I flipped the top off the tank, reached in and took Felix into my right hand. My left hand was wringing out a warm wet towel, I swiftly settled the towel over Felix's head and sat there with him in my hand.

There was not one flinch under the towel, I can't even tell you what I was thinking, I was shut down, no thoughts or none I can remember. When the towel cooled I rapidly replaced it with a new warm one, this prolonged for over one half hour. I removed the towel and used my thumb nail to pick at the edge of the stuck skin around the neck. It started ti roll upwards as I rubbed. I got the misting bottle and moistened the area while I rolled it up, soon the flap was only stuck over the eye. I settled the warm towel over the head one more time and in five minutes I took it off and the brill and old skin came with it. Success, I did it, I was in heaven, for about three seconds. I looked down and reality cam rushing back, I was retention a Northern Copperhead in my hand and its head was raised about three inches above a large bulging vein in my wrist. I was frozen with fear. I had received over 40 tags within the past twenty-five years, tags by rattlesnakes, long nosed vipers, cottonmouths and copperheads, mostly copperheads ands they were by far the most painful, not lethal by any means but that meant two or three sleepless nights rolling in pain.

I sat there seeing at Felix, should I toss him into the tank? Drop him onto the table and jump back? There were a few options open to me but what one to choose? I then remembered part of the description written about Grace, she said if you do not pose a threat and treat them with kindness they will not bite? This was a hell of a time to test her theory, I started to relax and Felix slid out from my hand, this was the first time he had moved since I picked him up, I was very confused. Was it possible, a venomous snake had to bite, didn't it? But why did it have to bite? I had been told all of my life just like every one else that venomous snakes bite, it is built into them, there is no changing it, they bite. Felix had every chance in the world to tag me, I know the scraping did not feel good and the towel over his head, he trusted me not to bash his head in while he was blinded, but he did nothing. I have been working with snakes all my life, could I have been naturally sucked up into a fantasy tale about snakes? absolutely I was smarter then that.

I reached out and picked him up, I stroked his side and he moved gracefully against my fingers as I rubbed his side, I was retention a hot snake and it was enjoying my caresses. At that one exact split second in time, the meaning of my existence came rushing into my head. I knew exactly how Grace must have felt when she held her first hot snake and came straight through it unscathed. The joy, the rush of endorphins delivered a feeling of elation within my head that no drug or drink could ever match. I had learned a lesson that few humans had ever realized, venomous snakes do not have to bite, a snake cared for and treated with love and respect will reciprocate! I had spent all of my life retention a very safe distance from the animals I loved so and why? Because I took others words for gospel, what a waste, what to do now, what to do?

I ran into the house and got my wife Janice, I was screaming, Janice, Janice, she ran out mental I had been bitten again. I grabbed her hand and drug her to the Rep. Room, I sat her down and reached in and grabbed Felix, she (Janice) approximately slid out of her chair, "Are you crazy, put him down, put him back! I tried as best as I could to explicate what had happened but she would have no part of it until I replaced Felix. I did so and told her the whole story, she replied "Well that was one snake, maybe he had a tooth ache, maybe he just had a sore jaw, did you ever think of that? No, I must admit, there might have been an additional one hypothesize for not biting me. My spirits sank, well it was nice for a while. I felt like the world had been pulled from under me, I was so sure. I stopped in my tracks, I am doing it again, I am listening to the voices of the ages, No, Felix was in good shape, he was a fully functional Hot Copperhead, I had to know. I stomped back to the room and with out hesitation I reached in and picked up "Blue" a three and a half foot copperhead that was one of my best venom donors. I held him, I let him glide straight through my fingers and from one hand to the next. I went into the house with Blue, Janice I shouted, does Blue have a bad tooth also? She was speechless. I went back in, that afternoon I had picked up, caresses and talked to Felix, Blue, Aggie, Andrew, Orson, Toni, Sigmund, all copperheads and for the final test I picked up and held Faith, a seven foot (six foot then) Egyptian cobra. All of these snakes that I had cared fo , some for two years, others for up to seven years, all of them with out even a snarl, they all thorough me. Now I know this sounds like a fish story and I would agree with you if it were not for one puny fact! I still have every snake named above and I deal with them each and every day, News papers have came by and snapped pictures in disbelief. Felix is less then one foot, twelve puny inches from my right hand as I type this story, all coiled up and resting peacefully. Please read the next paragraph, it could save you from a nasty bite!

Do I go out and grab every snake I see on the ground? Hell No, that would be stupid, the trick is to bond with the animal, I had been bonding for years and did not even know it. I constantly talked with my animals, I gave them the best life imaginable, life is grand living with me, all they want, they have and they never have to kill for their food, total protection from predators, fresh water and condition care benefits with out cost. Serious now. I have found out something very special, If you are kind to every living animal, humans to ants, it will come back to you. As for venomous snakes, that is my profession, that is what I do and have been trained to do for over 40 years now. I can approximately warrant that if you pull a stunt like grabbing an unknown snake, it will bite you and you have never experienced pain until you have been tagged by a Pit Viper, your skin melts, gaping holes form into your skin, pain is approximately unbearable and sometimes it stays for ever and other times you Die. This story is 100% the truth and I can prove all I say. Please, I beg you, do not get with in astonishing range of any snake.

What Was Right in Front of Me!

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Killer Series - 7 Steps to building a Killer Team

Have you ever watched a high-performing team in action? good yet, have you ever been a part of a high-performing team?

I don't how many of you watched the show that the Chinese put together for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games but I can tell you it was truly a spectacular sight and accomplishment. This was the pinnacle of a high-performing team in action - what I like to call a Killer Team. The pure energy and masterful synchronicity was de facto impeccable. They were fluid and flawless during every show and de facto electrifying with every move. It was absolutely a sight to descry and if you didn't have the opening to see it, I can say without a doubt that you missed something very special.

I don't know what they will do when the games hit London in 2012 but I do know they've got their work cut out for them.

I have had the opening to feel the variation in the middle of a Killer Team and a team that gets killed. It is always a much happier, more productive, more sufficient and more creative scene when you are on a Killer Team - as if that's not obvious. It is so much more superior that my ultimate goal when working with a team is to be a part of and cultivate a Killer Team. This is of the utmost point the moment you begin to work in multiples.

Whether you are foremost or are a part of a team, this should be your ultimate goal. all else that the team accomplishes rests with the way they are able to work together. It will be next to impossible to perform any follow of great value if your team is not working together. If some of you are pushing while others are pulling, it will generate negative energy and in some cases wreak havoc on the whole team. Contrary to the favorite reliance - opposites do not attract, especially when it comes to teams.

Like-mindedness is considerable for team success; the goal of the team must be the focus of every team member in order to perform the best results. That being said, following are my best ideas on what it takes to build a Killer Team. I've broken it down into 7 steps that you can begin to apply immediately and perform immediate and distinct results.

1. Embody the mission This is something that will come up over and over again on this website in some context or another. So many population embark on new journeys, start new projects or new relationships without ever creating a mission for what they want to achieve. It is de facto ludicrous when you think about it; see yourself in your mind's eye getting ready to do something or go somewhere without knowing exactly what it is you are trying to accomplish.

Does that make sense? Of procedure it doesn't. That would only make sense to a moron and I know that's not you.

So then, the first step in construction a Killer Team is to embody the mission. Embodying the mission though means several things. In order to be one with your team mission, every member must be willing to commit to it without wavering; you must all see it straight through together.

Several things occur when a mission has been embodied successfully.

Creating and living the mission - when the whole team is complex in creating the mission, it makes them feel like they are a part of something greater than themselves. Their values become a part of the whole which makes it personal and therefore automatically commands more commitment. It is a lot easier to live a mission that you created than it is to live person else's; in fact I'd say it's damn near impossible to live a mission you didn't have a hand in creating. This is de facto considerable if you want your team to fully embrace the mission - be one with it. You must all be complex in the creation of it and then you must all live it every singular day for maximum impact.

Clarity in purpose - nothing beats the knowledge of destiny. When you know exactly what you want to perform and de facto where you're going, it's pretty difficult to miss the mark. At that point you only have to choose the right vehicles to get you to your destination - to your goal. A purpose-driven goal is one destined for success. Once every team member is clear on what the purpose is, expectations are aligned and focus is singular. This creates power beyond your imagination and productivity skyrockets under these conditions.

Roles & responsibilities defined - this cannot be stressed enough. I've seen so many teams implode because the members have no clue what each is supposed to be doing. This is what creates chaos on a team and breeds dissatisfaction that lead to conflicts that lead to undesired or disastrous results. It is de facto imperative that roles and responsibilities are clear and that each team member knows not only what he or she is supposed to be doing but also exactly what each of the other team members are supposed to be doing. This is foremost in order to perform maximum efficiency and efficacy. It allows your team to execute at a high level with the least effort. No double work!

The tie that binds - this is what embodiment of a mission does; it creates a deep bond among those who've created and are de facto living it. This is a very foremost element as you will see in the next step, Cultivate Synergy. If you generate a mission together, live it daily together and commit together to see it through, this creates a superior and roughly unbreakable bond. It creates unshakable focus and straight through your commitment, it crystallizes your purpose - the team's purpose.

2. Cultivate Synergy Synergy is supremely foremost for any team to function at its peak. This is the pinnacle of togetherness in a common cause. When a team is synergized, each move they make is like flowing water; they move in fluidity and synchronized harmony. It's de facto a gorgeous thing to feel and if you have, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Cultivating synergy requires transparency and openness among all the team members. It requires the desire to listen with the intent to first understand each other and also the courage to state your point of view. It requires that, when trying to resolve issues or come up with solutions where you do not all agree, that you always seek Third Alternative which is a clarification derived from all the desires combined to generate a good clarification than any of the private ideas - it promotes and demands win/win.

Furthermore, cultivating synergy also requires that you cherish teamwork in all facets and eliminate competition - at least against each other. Competition among the team can easily, and often does, lead to "I first and team second" and selfishness. This creates the "what's in it for me" mentality which throws the whole idea of the team purpose right out the window.

Rather than promote competition, Killer Teams promote collaboration; they promote cooperation and fellowship. Instead of sitting on opposite sides of the table, members of a Killer Team sit on the same side. Side by side is good than opposing sides - both from a corporal and psychological stand point.

When a team is synergized, trust is at its pinnacle - each teammate trusts the other to do exactly what he is supposed to do. Each member covers the other and is distinct that his/her backside is covered at all times. If you are unable to trust your teammates, you will be unable to perform success as a team.

Synergy is what made the L.A. Lakers of the 80's and Chicago Bulls of the 90's so great. The players trusted each other - they knew when to give the ball up to the next man. They seemed to always know where each other was on the court and every man seemed to know where he needed to be in order to receive the ball and sink a basket. It was like watching gorgeous choreography when these teams played.

3. Level the playing field For the most part, every team has a leader as well it should. There should be person in the director position - the person responsible for production sure the blueprint is followed and the goals are met. That being said, one of the most foremost elements of a Killer Team is a level playing field.

This means that no one and I mean no one is above the law so to speak. As a matter of fact, the first person upholding the laws of the team should always be the leader. His/her example should be like a shining beacon to all other team members.

Leveling the playing field is simple - it requires that every member of the team is accountable for his/her actions. Each person from the top down is held to the same appropriate and has equal opening to voice opinions, ideas and grievances without fear of negative recourse. Each team member must treat every other team member as an equal and with love and respect.

Leveling the playing field in this manner can often generate superior and unbreakable bonds - it fosters loyalty. When every team member knows that his part is just as foremost and is given equal standing to the next person's, it becomes easy to commit. The purpose of the team comes alive and thrives in the harmony of collaboration - in synergy.

4. nurture heretics Killer Teams are notorious for going against the grain - they often recognize the masses and do the opposite. As such, even though a team usually has a leader, Killer Teams expect leadership to come from any rank, any position, anywhere. This is why they nurture heretics.

Killer Teams are always seeing for leaders - not just one. Heretics are leaders because they don't wait for others to make change, they start it and others follow. Heretics abhor the status quos - they are not curious in the discovery from last week, they want to go forth into new frontiers and make the next discovery.

The best Killer Teams are usually made up entirely of heretics - leaders. Mindless sheep get left in the pasture while the heretics steal the dawn of the day. While you whine about breakfast, heretics are busy eating your lunch and stealing your supper. Killer Teams are known for beating others to the punch and the imagine is that they only recruit innovative and forward-thinking individuals; those that would sooner crush the status quos than live a day by it. Killer Team members only like the status quos because it gives them a new challenge - it gives them a change to champion.

Killer Teams are at their best when they are fueled by heretics because there are leaders in every hall production changes and breaking new ground. When you are part of a team that operates this way, you are constantly in a state of inspiration because you see the world anew each and every day.

5. Discourage conformists As Killer Teams nurture heretics, something else happens automatically, they discourage conformists. Conformists are those who uphold the status quos - they fight for the status quos. Conformists hate change, they reconsider most change a threat and that's why they live in fear.

Killer Teams have no use for these types of individuals because they know they won't bring any creativity or innovation to the table. They will naturally do what others are doing without ever giving a belief to change; even in the face of a broken system, conformists will still fight for the status quos.

A team of conformists generate nothing, build nothing and change nothing. They naturally do what they are told or what they are unbelievable to do. There is a place for these people... In an ant hill. Ants are like programmed soldiers - they each have a job that they were born to do and they do it until they die. It's great for an ant, probably get a medal or a crumb, but very sad for a human being.

As one comedian said of our 43rd president and I'll paraphrase, "conformists do the same thing on Wednesday that they did on Monday, no matter what happened on Tuesday."

Teams that consist of conformists are the teams that are getting killed by Killer Teams. Conformists are managers, not leaders; they manage the assembly line and do exactly as they're told. Heretics are leaders; they chase all that is considered taboo in the hopes of distinct change. Killer Team members are heretics because they thrive on change and crushing the status quos.

6. Be A square If you want to build a Killer Team or lead one, you must understand and specialist how to be a square. Ever wonder why it roughly always never works when a third party tries to solve problems in a relationship, especially when no request was made for help? These population are usually told to butt out!

On a team, one of the worst things you can do is generate triangulation in a problem. Triangulating a problem means taking a problem that occurred in the middle of and affected two individuals or two groups and inserting a third party to fix the problem. What usually happens is, the conflicting parties end up confessing each other sins and then the mediator is left in the difficult position of choosing who's right and who's erred. This roughly always never ends well - at least one person usually comes out of this situation unhappy.

Individuals who build and lead Killer Teams never generate triangulation in a problem. Instead, they promote one-on-one Third Alternative resolution. This advent basically says that if you have a friction with other teammate, you agree to work straight through the issue together until you reach a resolution that you are both happy with. If a third party is ever inserted into the equation, it would only be because the conflicting parties both agreed that it was best in the procedure of resolving their issue.

When you build and lead a Killer Team, you must commit to being a square with every team member, no triangulation ever unless explicitly requested by both conflicting parties. Be a square and you will always be fair.

7. Get out of the way Many teams have been thrown completely off track when this element gets muddled. It is inherent to build and lead a Killer Team only to find that you've limited its inherent by constantly getting in the way. Part of the imagine for adhering to the 6 steps above is so that it makes it very easy for you to follow the 7th.

Once your Killer Team is in place and every team member knows what to do, as a leader your job is to now get out of the way. When you take off yourself from every nook and cranny, superior things begin to happen. Team members work together, creativity is high and results are astounding. I've seen so many talented leaders fail at getting out of the way so badly that the team failed and the mission never got off the ground.

I remember once when I was expensed to lead a group of about 90 individuals at a company symposium. My task was to lead the team of individuals who were monitoring classrooms and catering to the customers. This by far was one of the most foremost leadership roles at the symposium. On the morning of the pep rally just before the event got underway, I was scheduled to give my team a pep talk - put in order us for what was ahead.

I said many things that morning but one of the most foremost things I did was recognize the unbelievable talent that was on my team, plant the seeds of the mission and then stepped aside and watched a well-oiled engine run. The results were, as you can imagine, astounding. I was distinct in the tenacity of my team, I knew that it was packed with heretics and feel so I naturally shared the mission, gained unanimous consensus with it and then in case,granted a platform for them to execute - I got out of the way.

This is often very hard for leaders to do - instead, they try to operate every outcome and every process. For the most part though, all they end up doing is managing instead of foremost which defeats the entire purpose of construction a Killer Team.

What kind of team are you on? So, are you on a team? Where do you think your team falls, Killer or Getting Killed?

If you want to build teams that perform great things, you must be willing to commit to the 7 steps above. I realize that it may seem like you don't have much of a selection when it comes to who is on your team, especially if you have a job; however, you can still be a heretic, a leader.

You can start your own Killer Team within a team. Possibly you want to start a Killer Team at work whose sole purpose is to generate distinct changes in the workplace and stamp out the status quos. Just remember, the top doesn't always mean the Ceo, the top can start with you.

Killer Series - 7 Steps to building a Killer Team

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Eliminating Your Ant-Problems

Above all else, ants play a vital role surface our homes. They ventilate the soil, manage the insect people and beak the nutrients present in the soil composition. And so it is fair to think of a goal that will not destroy the ants but to have a operate over them out of the perimeter of your house. In short, it is best to practice ant operate rather than kill them all together.

Ants build their colonies wherein the scouts are being sent surface the colonies to look for their food and water. For the other ants to know if these scouts are able to look for resources, they leave a scent that signals their way back to their colonies. Other ants in the colony have a task to consequent the path of scent by the scouts and bring the found resources to their colony. There are also sub colonies that will later on established as new autonomous colony depending on the kind of ants led by queen ants from the mom colony.

You can consideration heavily passed scent paths from dissimilar varieties of ants because of their going in and out of the colony. There are also other types of ants seem to like a less travelled trail like the commonplace wandering ant. In the same way, these ants are still following the scent path made by the members of the colony who travelled before them.

Ants' favorite food is the honey dew made by dissimilar insects like aphids found surface your house. If you operate the production of honeydew you can sacrifice the supply of food for the colony of the ants by selecting plants that are not known to aphids.

It is good to use ant trap, a type of pest control, to lessen the usage of insecticides and also more favorite than sprays. But in the other hand, baits for ants have disagreeable side consequent to the attraction of new ants. Ant baits have a taste that can attract and poison ants. The ants bring it to the colony and starts o die. But some colonies usually send scouts surface their colony who are able to know the ant bait and colonies that are far from this bait forward their workers as food collector. Ant baits are productive if being settled in the pathway on the ants' scent trail and taken away the bait after the activity of these ants is done. Baits for ants use many kinds of attractants, and so if in any chances that it will not work, you may as a matter of fact try other kinds of ant bait. Other presuppose is that ants can taste turn with regards to their colony's need. An ant bait that did not function before can work in you present time.

You can also utilize sticky barriers to contend ants from their travel up the plants and trees. The branches of prunes that touch your house or fences make a bridge that will able ants to cross.

Not too high toxic compounds that operate ants include diatomaceous (De) and boric acid. Some compounds are safe because of they are natural compounds. Any product that has this kind of natural mixture cannot harm your house and pets. Just be just in reading and following the steps on how to use the insecticides or pesticide. Lastly, one formula of controlling is to pour some boiled water into the opening of the ant colony or nest. They can live underwater but not in boiling water because it's high temperature can kill them.

If the recommend methods of home pest operate remain not useful, it is great to give a pest supervision a ring. By doing this, you put a history to your pest problems!

Eliminating Your Ant-Problems

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