Myta

I have a 4.5 yo Akita (about 85 lbs) that I know is prone to hip dysplasia, her litter mate was tested severe. She is spayed and kept at a good weight with a moderate exercise regimen. From what I have been able to find, in cases where surgery is not an option, proper diet, exercise, and pain medication are about the extent of treatment options.

So if my dog is not to a point of needing medication for pain, is there really any point in having her tested or just keep an eye on her, lift her in and out of vehicles, and get medication when she appears to be in pain?

For those of you in the USA, about how much is a hip exam? Is there anything useful to learn from it? Do treatment options really vary much depending on results?

I am interested in purchasing a pair of Canada Geese as pets this spring and I know some states have regulations or required permits to own them. I can't find any definite answers on what laws there are in Texas for Canada Geese. All google and even .gov searches are just coming up with hunting permits for geese, not ownership. Does anyone know if they are legal to own in Texas, and if so if they require any permits or specific regulations? Please link official sites where this information can be found.

Okay, so I have two green and yellow parakeets, both with very little black, just lime green and yellow. The male is named Sam-I-Am but I am still needing a name for the female. I would love something somewhat related, but the only other green Dr. Seuss character I can think of is the Grinch, and I am not designing her for a life of grouchy mood swings, so any other ideas?

My 3yo Akita has been on Avoderm Salmon recipe grain free dog food for, her entire adult life, but now all of the major retailers are dropping Avoderm dog foods. They said it was just because it isn't selling like it used to, nothing specifically wrong with the food. I know I could find somewhere online that I could purchase it, but I'm starting to think, if they aren't selling enough, there's got to be a reason, either better foods or better price for the same basic food. So what other foods would you recommend that I could purchase at the major retailers (petco, petsmart, etc) that would still be grain and poultry free (as my dog does have food allergies) in a similar price range? I know there are a lot of others out there, I just don't have any experience with anything other than Avoderm from the last 10 years.

Is the Target release of the new Avril Lavigne album clean or explicit? It doesn't state anything on their website. I'd like the acoustic bonus song, but not at the risk of a bunch of lyrical blanks where songs have been edited.

I am purchasing a grey Russian Arabian gelding and he could really use a barn name. I refuse to take anything from his registered name, I'm not fond of it. Mainly, the name needs to be 2 syllables or less and not be atrocious for people to remember.

Okay so I am looking to move in the near future and am needing ideas on the ideal location for me. I am very much an outdoorsy person, love hiking, biking, horseback riding. I prefer a smaller city, but would probably need a hospital or university to work at (I am in medical research). I really like Boulder with the rich culture and very active community, but I'm a little worried I'll freeze in the winters. I lived in Ireland for some time and loved their weather (summer highs in the mid 70s, winter lows in the mid 40s, and of course, tons of rain). So the Pacific NE looks to have a similar climate, but Portland and Seattle are far too large of cities for my taste. Anyone from that area have any ideas for me?

My tailgate broke and is in the shop right now. They are having to order new parts for it, so it might be there for a week or so before I can get it back. So my question is, do i have to buy a tailgate net (or plywood) to put across the tailgate, or can it just have a naked rump? I've always been under the impression that you legally have to have something across the back of the pick-up bed, but that may be just old rumor. Anyone know the laws in Texas regarding this?

Since Walmart is a 24hr store, things come into question. So if the release date for an item is Tuesday, what time is it actually on the shelves and available to buy? Midnight? 5am? Does anyone know Walmart's policy on this? If it varies by product, I'm specifically looking for books and CDs.

I'm going to look at a new draft mare this weekend. The current owner just uses a rope halter on her, and I really don't like trailering horses in a rope halter, as if she panics, that knot will not be stuck for life, and nothing breaks. So I'm wanting to get a standard nylon halter for her, but I don't know what size to guess at. She's a 7yo Shire mare, selling as 19hh, but I doubt that. Either way she is a massive horse. Triple E makes a nice 1" draft halter, but it comes in 3 different sizes, based on esitimated weight, I have no idea how to guess her weight, and mares usually have smaller heads for their size than geldings. The three sizes are S (1200-1600 lbs), M (1600-2000 lbs), and L (2000-2400).

I am also open to other halters, but I prefer a 1" nylon, throat clip, and non-adjustable (the ring always gets caught on the buckle). If you know of any other brands, I'm open. By and large, a standard horse halter, the large size is considered to be a 2yo draft, which might fit her, but not likely.

http://www.jefferspet.com/nylon-draft-halter/camid... This is the halter I am looking at.

I am looking for a listing of all horse-drawn vehicles ever produced by Breyer. Identify your Breyer doesn't have a listing for vehicles, and i can't seem to find a listing for them anywhere. Does anyone have a list or know of a site that does?

My company borrowed two Belgian mares from a horse trader for Christmas. They have no names that we know of and we will only have them for the next 45 days. I have been set to drive them and "Left" and "Right" just isn't going to cut it. So I need good team name ideas for two females. Both are red Belgians, and a Christmas theme would be great since we will only have them for the holidays, but a real quality non-festive name can still take the win.

The best we've come up with so far are:

Lucy & Ethel

Sugar & Spice

Helter & Skelter

Mischief & Mayhem

But I'm just not overly fond of any of them.

I just moved my horse up here with me to Dallas. She has, until now, spent her life around Brownsville. In preparation for the winter, I am just wondering what weight of blanket or turnout sheet she would need up here. She is an appy, but built like a Thoroughbred, so she isn't really designed for the cold. Her stall is an outdoor stall on the back side of the barn (opposite from typical wind direction), 3 walls, with an open front. The owner will blanket the horses around 35 or below (I think that's what he said). So that's pretty much the temperature we're looking at. If the high is below 40 she'd probably just be turned out in it all day, not just blanketed at night, and since the stall is outside, she could use the rain/wind proof all day. I'd rather not get 2 blankets, so would she be fine in a light turnout sheet or would she need a mid-weight blanket?

My top choices would be Amigo's Turnout sheet or the Tough-one light weight turn out blanket (200g fill), but I'm up for other suggestions. I just don't know how much she'll need in this climate.

I am looking to find a new place to rent near me that could board a horse. Anyone know of a site that would specialize in this, or one that allows you to search for key words within a zipcode. I know craigslist can be of use, but I live in the DFW metroplex, so craigslist can pop up listings over 2 hours from me, and since it has no zip code feature, I just have to truge through it, and it doesn't have much on it. Any other ideas?

I drive a team of Clydesdales and have tried a number of different products including Bright n' White, Quick Silver, diluted bleach, bleach alternatives, oxyclean, etc. What in your opinion is best to remove the yellowed stains from their feathers without being damaging to the horse's skin?

I only drive on weekends and the horses live an hour and a half from me, so I can't clean them daily, as I know many products have better cumulative effects, but 3 days in between and all your hard work fades to yellow again. So I pretty much need the best power in one use, or something that might have effects that do last a week.

okay, so I started her books with Clockwork Angel and was going to read all of the Infernal Devices before the Mortal Instruments series, as that is the order, chronologically, that they would go. However, I just can't wait another year for the next book when there are 5 of the Mortal Instruments series I could read today. If I started reading the Mortal Instruments series, would it give away anything in the Infernal Devices series? I know they are the same institute, in a different country, about 150 years apart, so while I expect some things to overlap, I'd hate to read in the Mortal Instruments books who Tessa ends up with or what happens to Nate, Will, Jem, and the other characters, I think it would just ruin the excitement for reading the Infernal Devices books.

So from people who have read both, does anything in the Mortal Instruments series give away character story lines or plot in the Infernal Devices series?

I am looking for a high quality replica of either the Sugar Plum Fairy or a Swan costume for an AG doll (standard 18" doll, wide stuffed body). I've tried Ebay and google shopping to no avail. I'm looking for one with the Classical Pancake type of tutu (straight out with no downward fall). Anyone know a website that sells either of these ballet costumes for dolls?

http://1heckofaguy.com/wp-content/photos/Takahashi...

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Daria+Klimentov...

I have an 18 mo old b*tch. She was a show dog, but her litter mate turned up with severe hip dysplasia, so I am now going to spay her. She went into her first heat cycle in early December, bled again in January, then started bleeding again last week. I know the first cycle or two on a dog can be a bit sporadic, shorter, and more frequent than is "typical" for an adult and "false starts" may occur. But by this point I'm really just confused on whether she is just going into heat or just getting out? A couple of resources say that a dog may get a red discharge at the end of the heat cycle (diestrus), but most don't mention this second bleeding period.

I am going to get her spayed, but I don't see any point in paying the additional charges to spay a b*tch in heat when I am perfectly capable of keeping her separate from all other dogs (she is my only dog, in a third floor apartment, and only goes outside on a leash). What are some of the differences in the dog's physical characteristics during the beginning and end of the heat cycle (the two times when they can have a red discharge)? And what stage does she need to be in to be spayed as "not in heat"? As diestrus lasts 60-90 days after she is receptive, then we go into anestrus when she is completely out of her heat cycle. Would a dog in diestrus still incur the extra charges to spay?

I am primarily a commuter skater, so I am looking for a backpack that I can take with me while I'm on the skates, then can strap the skates to when I get where I'm going. The must haves: exterior skate holsters, exterior pocket or mesh for beverage, at least one small compartment for keys, train pass, phone, etc. I've been looking a lot at the Jug 4 backpack and Rollerblade's Quantum, but since no local stores actually sell these things, I need advise from people who have actually seen or used a backpack. Which ones did you like, which ones did you not like, pros and cons to any bags (not just the two I've listed).

I am driving a new horse this weekend at work. He's a solid white percheron gelding. So I'm going to give him a mane roll, but I've only ever done them on bays. His harness pads are red, so red will be one color. On a bay with red pads I'd always do a red a white mane roll, but I don't know if the white would make anything worth of a contrast on a white mane. So what colors would you do on a white mane?

I could do solid red, red and silver, red and white, red and black, or really, any other color you can think of that would look good with the red on a white horse.

This is not for show, it's just a carriage company, so the reason for the roll is just to get women and kids to choose to take my horse over any of the other 10 that will be on the street that day.

This is a mane roll, for those of you who don't know them. http://maplegrovedrafts.fateback.com/images/mane11...