All the Creatures

If you wear leather, eat meat, wash with soap, or have a variety of boxed food products, you should be aware of how animals are treated that provide those products. None of us is completely independent of products that are in some way related to animals. A simple product such a Jello is made from pigs and the soap you use often has animal oils or lanolin (made from sheep). That being said, do you really know how livestock is treated?

Remember those commercials that state “Happy cows come from California.” Well I got news for you, cows in dairys in California do not have access to open fields. They are kept in a feed lot type of area that is often surrounded by fields. Those fields are grown to produce hay which is dried, baled and stored for the cows to eat later. Cow fair better in Oregon and other surrounding states that have ample rain for their cow pastures.

Most people are aware of where their eggs come from. After that e-coli outbreak a few months back, we were all subjected to images of chickens in very small cages in darkened barns. But do you know how chickens are killed for the dinning table? There are machines that the chickens are processed through. They are hung by their feet on a conveyor system and it takes them through a machine that kills them with very hot steam. The same machine removes their feathers. So one end you see a live chicken go in and the other end a dead, cleaned of feathers and hanging upside down bird comes out. The horror the birds must go through in that contraption.

Now if you really want to know more about this gruesome but necessary subject and are not afraid of the truth then I suggest you get a copy of the DVD called Food Inc. It was made in 2009 and details most of how animals are treated in the food industry. It also covers how the FDA is not protecting the public like it should from health related problems. If you cannot find that DVD on sale anywhere, see if you can rent it or catch it on the Discovery Channel, PBS or one of those documentary channels.

Finding out how animals are treated by industries will be a real eye opener for many of you.

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There is no secret that economic times are tight. If there are any ways that we can cut some corners to save a little cash we find them. For example, I use to buy a complete horse feed for my senior horse. The price of that feed sky rocketed from $11 a 50# bag to $27 for a 40# bag in about 6 months. There was no way that my old guy could continue on that diet. What I did is find a substitute feed that worked for him and kept him in good condition. I ended up mixing 2 bags of feed to get the right ratio that he needed. In the long run my new mixture costs about $9 for 50#. I ended up saving more than the original cost of the feed I was giving him over 7 months prior to that.

I also found my neighbor cutting costs in her barn. Instead of using convectional lighting during the early morning hours when she feeds, she turns on a string of C7 led christmas lights that she put up. The light level is bright enough to see her horses and to feed them. Another neighbor is using the same type of lighting on his front deck year round instead of porch lights. What he did was to put the lights on the floor of the deck so he could see the steps.

Other neighbors have been fencing in more of their property and letting their livestock graze in more areas. That is to cut back on the amount of hay they have been normally buying since a ton of hay now cost over $140.

Everyone I know digs for pet food coupons like they were gold. I have not been able to find many of those since I don’t get magazines nor newspapers anymore.

Saving money…..it’s a lot like hard work.o

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The Shih Tzu is a small breed dog that unfortunately is the victim of several genetic problems. Often they are the result of poor breeding by puppy mills and individuals that have not researched their dog’s bloodlines. The puppy rarely shows any deformities but as they grow and mature, that is when the problems arise.

The major genetic problems that the Shih Tzu dog face are problems with their eyes, more specifically Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Juvenile Cataracts and Entropion. Their kidneys are also subject to Renal Dysplasia. Hip Dysplasia is not limited to the larger breeds of dogs, Shih Tzu is also prone to that dreaded affliction. Of course there are many other lesser known genetic defects that the Shih Tzu can have. I have listed only a few.

Avoid obtaining your Shih Tzu puppy from a breeder that does not test their breeding stock for genetic problems. Ask to see their dam and sire’s certifications to see that they have passed genetic testing. Breeders who do not have their breeding stock tested are usually breeding dogs for mere profit, or should I say a quick buck and do not care about the future welfare of the puppy they have produced.

For more information on genetic problems of the Shih Tzu, visit the American Shih Tzu Club website, click here for their genetics page.

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