Too Pooped to Scoop?

Life is busy. If you are too tired to clean up after your dog or just don't want to deal with it, call The Scoop Squad. Steve Robertson, owner of The Scoop Squad, offers sanitary pet waste management, dog walking and more. For more information visit his website at www.Scoop-Squad.com or call him at 301-606-1169

Fluther of Jellyfish ?

Ever wonder what to call a certain group of animals- well here are some collective pronouns for animals!

A
A herd of antelope
A colony or an army of ants
A shrewdness of apes
A herd or pace of asses
B
A culture of bacteria
A cete of badgers
A shoal of bass
A sleuth or sloth of bears
A colony of beavers
A swarm, grist or hive of bees
A flock, flight, congregation or volery of birds
A sedge or siege of bitterns
A sounder of boars
A herd of buffalo
A brace or clash of bucks
C
An army of caterpillars
A clowder or clutter of cats
A herd or drove of cattle
A brood or peep of chickens
A clutch or chattering of chicks
A bed of clams
A quiver of cobras
A rag of colts
A cover of coots
A kine of cows (twelve cows are a flink)
A band of coyote
A sedge or siege of cranes
A float of crocodiles
A murder of crows
A litter of cubs
A herd of curlews
A cowardice of curs
D
A herd of deer
A pack of dogs
A dule of doves
A brace, paddling or team of ducks
E
A clutch of eggs
A herd of elephants
A pod of elephant seals
A weaner pod is yearling elephant seals
A gang of elks
A mob of emus
F
A business or fesnyng of ferrets
A charm of finches
A school, shoal, run, haul, catch or draught of fish
A swarm of flies
A skulk or leash of foxes
An army or colony of frogs
G
A flock, gaggle or skein (in flight) of geese
A cloud or horde of gnats
A herd, tribe or trip goats
A charm of goldfinches
A band of gorillas
A leash of greyhounds
H
A down or husk of hares
A cast or kettle of hawks
A brood of hens
A hedge of herons
A drift, or parcel of hogs
A team, pair or harras of horses
A pack, mute or cry of hounds
J
A smack or fluther of jellyfish
K
A troop or mob of kangaroos
A kindle or litter of kittens
L
An ascension or exaultation of larks
A leap (leep) of leopards
A pride of lions
A plague of locusts
M
A tiding of magpies
A sord of mallards
A stud of mares
A richness of martens
A labour of moles
A troop of monkeys
A barren or span of mules
O
A parliament of owls
A yoke, drove, team or herd of oxen
A bed of oysters
P
A company of parrots
A covey of partridges
A muster or ostentation of peacocks
A litter of peeps
A nest, nide (nye) or bouquet of pheasants
A flock or flight of pigeons
A litter of pigs
A wing or congregation of plovers
A string of ponies
A pod of porpoises
Q
A covey or bevy of quail
R
A nest of rabbits
A pack or swarm of rats
A rhumba of rattlesnakes
An unkindness of ravens
A crash or herd of rhinos
A bevy of roebucks
A building or clamour of rooks
S
A herd or pod of seals
A drove or flock of sheep
A nest of snakes
A walk or wisp of snipe
A host of sparrows
A dray of squirrels
A murmuration of starlings
A mustering of storks
A flight of swallows
A bevy, herd, lamentation or wedge of swans
A flock of swifts
A sounder or drift of swine
T
A spring of teal
A knot of toads
A hover of trout
A rafter of turkeys
A pitying or dule of turtledoves
A bale of turtles
W
A pod of walrus
A school, gam or pod of whales
A nest of vipers
A pack or route of wolves
A fall of woodcocks
A descent of woodpeckers

Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month

March is Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month and Kingsbrook Animal Hospital would like to encourage you to make adoption your first option when thinking about adding a guinea pig to yor family. These adorable little piggies make very sweet family pets. The guinea pig is quiet, small, has low-cost upkeep and is very affectionate.

For more information about adopting a rescued guinea pig, contact Small Angels Rescue, Inc. at 301-668-0404 or e-mail at guineapigs@smallangelsrescue.org.

You can also view all of the small mammals up for adoption at smallangels.petfinder.com

Skunked

To your dog or cat, the outside world is a playground, and coming head to head--or head to tail--with a skunk is just one more adventure. For you, the smell of adventure may be a little hard to take inside the house. You can take heart, however--there are ways to banish that skunky smell and welcome your pet back into the living room.

The most important thing to do if your pet has been sprayed is check his eyes, nose, and mouth. If he was sprayed in the face--which is exactly where skunks tend to aim--the chemicals in the spray could cause irritation and inflammation. They could even inflame the lining of your pet's throat and lungs, if inhaled. If your pet was sprayed in the face, rinse his eyes, nose, and mouth with water. If, after rinsing, his eyes look red or he rubs at his face, he should be seen by a veterinarian. The veterinarian can make sure his eyes aren't damaged and prescribe an ointment to soothe the irritation.

If your pet's eyes, nose, and mouth check out okay, the next step is getting rid of the smell. The traditional remedy of soaking in tomato juice can reduce the odor somewhat. It will be more effective if you give him a bath with dog or cat shampoo first. Another home remedy that can cut down on odor is a mixture made of one teaspoon of dish washing liquid and one cup of baking soda dissolved in one quart of hydrogen peroxide (three percent strength). After thoroughly soaking your pet in the mixture, rinse him with clean tap water.

Commercial products made to remove skunk odor will most likely work better than either of these options, however. Shampoos and sprays that are formulated to neutralize the foul-smelling chemicals in skunk spray are available from your veterinarian and at most pet stores. If you use them according to their labels, you should have a nice-smelling dog or cat again. You may have to cut some of the hair off of a long-haired dog or cat to remove the lingering odor, though, particularly if his fur is tangled or matted.

Once you've cleared the air, you can think about how to prevent this smelly situation from happening again. Skunks can be more than a nuisance; they have sharp claws and teeth that could injure your pet in a fight. Some may even carry diseases that could infect your pet. So, instead of letting your kitty or pooch run loose, you may want to consider fencing in your yard, which will both keep your pet in and unfriendly wildlife out. When your pet gets the urge to roam, you can take him on long walks on a leash (yes, cats too!). Not only will this cut down on skunky-smelling incidents, it will also keep your pet safely away from traffic, hazardous chemicals, construction sites, and all the other dangers he could find outside.

Interesting Dog Facts

There are more than five million puppies born in the United States each year.

When a puppy is born, he is blind, deaf, and toothless.

Dogs don't actually sweat by salivating. They sweat through the pads on their feet.

The Taco Bell dog is actually a female Chihuahua named Gidget.

The oldest recorded age for a dog is 29.

Greyhounds can reach a speed of up to 45 miles per hour.

There are over 800 different dog breeds.

There is only one barkless dog in the world, the Basenji.

Dalmations are born without their spots. The spots appear as they mature.

Smiling at a dog causes him to think you are baring your teeth to show aggression.

There are about 68 million dogs with owners in the United States.

If a dog lives to be 11 years old, it will cost approximately $13,550 to own that dog.

The top five favorite breeds of dogs in the US are:
Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Beagle, and Dachshund.


"My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am."
Toby Green

Presidential Pups

There has been a dog in the White House since 1920. Do you remember their names and breeds?

Charlie (Welsh Terrier)/John F. Kennedy

Liberty (Golden Retriever)/Gerald Ford

Him and Her (Beagles)/Lyndon B. Johnson

Millie (Springer Spaniel)/George Bush

FaLa (Scottish Terrier)/Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Laddie Boy (Airdale)/Warren Harding

Sweetlips (Hound)/George Washington

LeBeau (Greyhound)/John Tyler

Hector and Nellie (Shepherd dogs)/Rutherford Hayes

Faithful (Newfoundland)/Ulysses S. Grant

Mike (Irish Setter)/Harry S. Truman

Pete (Bull Terrier)/Theodore Roosevelt

King Tut (Police dog)/Herbert Hoover

Buddy (Chocolate Lab)/Bill Clinton

Checkers (Cocker Spaniel)/ Richard Nixon

Barney (Scottish Terrier)/George W. Bush

Lucky (Bouvier des Flanders)/ Ronald Reagan

Heidi (Weimaraner)/ Dwight D. Eisenhower

Tidbits: Factual, Funny, Fascinating

* The story of a rescued cat that lived for 19 years in a small town library has sold for about $1.25 million. Grand Central Publishing bought the book, entitled "Dewey, a Small Town, a Library and the World's Most Beloved Cat." New York Times 4/4/07

* National Human Genome Research Institute is looking into the reasons why dogs vary so much in size, which can improve understanding of diseases caused by growth gone awry. Associated Press 4/5/07

* Missing sleep may cause the brain to stop producing new cells. A team from Princeton University found a lack of sleep in rats affected the hippocampus, a brain region involved in forming memories. BBC News 2/7/07

* The last animal listed in the American Heritage Dictionary, 2000, is the Zyzzyva, a tropical weevil. www.freakyanimals.com

* A new study ranked U.S. cities that exemplify superior care, services, and legislation for pet's health and well being. It analyzed 30 different criteria ranging from veterinarian-to-pet ratios to incidence of obesity to rabies legislation. The top five cities are: 1. Denver, 2. Oakland, Portland, Anaheim, and San Francisco. Press release 3/19/07

* A Boston terrier named Mickey that disappeared 4 years ago from his Kansas City backyard was reunited with his owners. They received a call from an animal shelter 1,100 miles away in Montana thanks to an embedded microchip. Associated Press 4/5/07