Great stuff you can make

MAKE YOUR OWN COOL MAT or Neckerchief

THE COOL PART

First go to the plant nursery:

Buy a package of polymer granules which are marketed by different companies but are comprised of x-linked polyacrylamide. This material is very absorptive. 1lb. will hold 50 gallons of pure water. As the mineral and salt content of the water increases, the absorptive ability of the polymer decreases. This is marketed under the name Soil Moist but if you cannot find it, call 1-800-962-4010 (JRM CHEMICAL INC.) 13600 Broadway Ave, Cleveland, OH 44125

TO HOLD THE POLYMER

From a fabric store, you will need: Material for the mat--cut into a top and bottom and sew on three sides. A large pillowcase works well for a 400 crate. You will need to sew channels or tubes for the granules so that they don't lump up or shift around. Each should be about 1-1/2 inches wide. When you finish, fill each with about 1 tsp of granules per foot of length. Then stitch the fourth side closed.

Place it in cool water--30 minutes should give it about 50% absorption. Another hour should use all the absorptive ability of the granules. If its too full or not full enough, allow several days to dry and then adjust th amount in the tubes appropriately.

Use a standard pillowcase for a 400 crate, putting in 8 vertical channels and then divide each into fourths. Put a tsp. of crystals into each and then sew each shut. The mat will stay damp for several days, sometimes as long as five days!

TO CLEAN YOUR COOL MAT

WARNING: When not in use hang in a well ventilated area.

To prevent mildew, place in ziplock in refrigerator where it will stay hydrated for months. If storing longer allow to dry completely. Remember, this may take over a week. To wash--hand wash in mild soap or vinegar and water, rinse thoroughly, and hang in a well-ventilated area to dry.

DO NOT MACHINE WASH OR DRY!

Liver Bait Recipe

You will need:

1 lb. liver (beef or chicken)

1 1/2 cups flour (wholewheat)

1 cup cornmeal

1 egg

1 tbsp brewers yeast

(opt)dash of garlic powder

Put liver in the blender and blend it a bit, then add everything else, blend well. Pour onto a flat cookie sheet (greased or sprayed) Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Score the biscuits while warm.

Great Doggie Liver Treat

1 lb. Raw liver and blood

1 1/2 cups Flour

1 cup Cornmeal

1/2 tsp. Garlic - chopped

Blend liver, blood and garlic in blender. Remove. Add flour and cornmeal, you may have to add some water to make dough easy to work with. Spread on well greased cookie sheet with wet hands. Bake this at 350F for about 20 minutes. Cut into squares. Makes great treats or great bait to use for training, no grease or mess in your pockets

DEODORIZER FOR SKUNKS

You're looking for about a half-teaspoon blob of thick material with the consistency of olive-oil along with a little clotted, whitish stuff. Wick this up into a piece of paper towel or rag before you or the dog rub over the spot and spread it. The good dog-odor neutralizers, like Odormute or Champ, are also effective. Just remember, these may not be good for the dog's skin and probably shouldn't be licked off by him.

The following solution has little to no shelf-life because the hydrogen peroxide quickly breaks down. However, the ingredients are very easy to find. Just mix them up and sponge on the dog. This mixture is purported to be the best of all!

Ingredients

1 qt. Hydrogen Peroxide

1/4 cup baking soda

1 tsp or so of a liquid soap like Dawn or Palmolive or shampoo. Baby shampoo won't hurt the eyes.

Mix the soda and soap together and then add the peroxide. Use immediately. Discard after use. The ingredients quickly break down and are not reusable. Be careful around the eyes.

Dog Oil Supplement

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup cod liver oil

1/2 cup flax seed oil

Place oils in brown bottle and shake well. Store in refrigerator. Add two teaspoons to the dogs food each day. Can be add to dry food as well.

Doggie Gravy for Dry Food

1 Boneless/skinless Chicken Breast

4 Cups Water

1 Cup Flour

2 Whole Eggs

Boil chicken breast for about 1/2 an hour, remove to cool. Add flour to chicken water. Beat out lumps. Add pre-beaten eggs. Cook on low heat until it's done thickening. Pulverise chicken in food processor. Add to flour/egg gravy. May need to add more water. Unfortunately it won't freeze. But using a few tablespoons daily, it should be used up before it sours.

Hot Spots Remedies

The proper scientific term for them is "superficial pyoderma," but even vets call them hot spots. Everyone has a favorite remedy for them. What you use will probably be dictated by what you have on hand. You probably won't have it, but I have heard it's good to use just plain Emu Oil.

Prevention involves keeping the shedding hair brushed out and the dog free of fleas and other irritants. Incompletely rinsed shampoo can be one and so can just itchy hair. When the dog scratches and chews at it, he sets the stage for a moist excema that can develop into a big open ulcer unless it is treated. The same thing can happen if the area stays damp. Some dogs, cannot tolerate high protein, high fat diets in warm weather. So if your dog gets one after the other, you might try changing to a food that is not so rich.

Your dog may respond to one of these treatments immediately, but they are not intended to replace good veterinary care. If your dog has one of these treatments helps get rid of it, fine. However, if they recur or persist, your dog may have an underlying infection and needs to see your veterinarian.

Method 1

Clip away any hair that is matted around the spot and bathe the dog using Betadine or a generic iodine shampoo (wear crummy clothes because it stains). After the dog is dry, Put hydrogen peroxide on the sore every three hours or so until it is dried up and scabbed over.

Method 2

2/3 rds Bitter Apple

1/3 rds Liquid Heat

*Mix and place in a hard liquid spray bottle.

1st week, 3 times a day

2nd week 2 times daily

1x a day as needed after that. 

Method 3

For the show dogs, don't want to shave, use 50% Apple Cider Vinegar, 50% water mixed in a spray bottle, several times a day.  For the pets and the rescues, shave the spot and rub in Iodex ointment (from druggist) several times a day.

Method 4

Gentocin Spray spritzed on usually clears them up pronto and leaves no greasy spot if you are at a show. Usually poof a little Gold Bond Medicated Powder on after the spray and have never had to treat again.

Method 5

The hot spots would always last 2-3 weeks. A short while ago someone told me to make a very strong solution of tea with an aspirin dissolved in it. apply the solution 2-3 times a day and the hot spot dried up.