What Do Dogs Dream About ?
What do dogs dream about? Well, before answering this question one must ask himself, “Do dogs dream?”. Hugo ‘barks’, “Yes”!, they do. Hugo holds expertise in dog behavior issues and ardently believes that dogs have the ability to dream just like human beings.
A starry night, four dogs sitting under the sky….
It was getting dark and four of us were sitting on the lawn, watching the pedestrians on the sidewalk dodging each other and the vehicles, squealing and groaning at one another while they fainted at each other to find a way through traffic.
Tommy was fidgeting all evening and the rest of us were waiting for him to spit out whatever was bothering him. Finally, after grappling with the problem to his heart’s content, he stopped facing it all alone and put forth a question to all of us. “Do dogs dream?” Well, we knew Tommy was not a smart dog, so the question took us all by surprise; to which Bruno retorted with, “Can pigs fly?”
For the next five minutes we, including Tommy, with the burden of the problem shared and renewed zest, tried to struggle with the question. However, Hugo’s appearance saved us from ruining the rest of the evening. He faced the problem like a man does, i.e. in his stride, ‘What do dogs dream about’, and his eyes took a dreamy look.
He stood still like a statue and exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, “Yes!”. He went on to claim, “It is not only me, even my man believes that dogs dream in their sleep, and in my shoes, each one of you will swear by this fact”. This completely floored us, and we waited expectantly for him to elaborate.
Our experience has taught us not to strike down Hugo especially, if his explanation is related to dog behavior. We were not going to argue with him, when he was about to spin some yarn about this strange thing which all of us were eager to listen. We also thought he would say something profound that would change our views about our fellow canines. We waited, and Hugo continued with, “My firm opinion is that dogs can dream, read and sing”. To prevent him from getting off-track, I interrupted with, “Hugo, all four of us are waiting for you to say something about, what do dogs dream about?”. Read the rest of this entry »
Evolution of the Dog
Dogs are regarded to be one of the oldest friends of men and they have been revered in many civilizations. Right from Egyptians to Greeks, everywhere dogs have been held with high regards for their faithfulness and intelligence. The Greek philosopher Socrates described his dog as a “true philosopher”. The evolution of dogs is a subject of great research amongst zoologists. Over the course of thousands of years, dogs have evolved in many forms and they have spread all across the world. Being present in almost all major civilizations, they have been transferred to all parts of the world, leading to tremendous number of breeds. Numerous kinds of dogs have been crossed to produce different dogs, with varied characteristics.
History and Evolution of Dogs
A large number of studies by different scientists have proved it that modern day dogs are descendants of wolves. It is said that tens of thousands of years ago, the domestication of wolves was an integral part of many civilizations in East Asia. In fact, nowadays, keeping wolves as pets is a hobby for many animal lovers. Wolves were useful for human establishments because they provided food, fur and security for crops from birds and other animals. Even some breeds of wolves were easy to interact with humans over the course of years. Some other prominent reasons in support of the evolution of dogs from wolves is that wolves share same habitats and hunting habits like dogs. It is said the cross breeding of different types of wolves led to more domesticated species of wolves, who were tolerant and social enough to stay in close proximity with humans.
Some possibly reasons for domestication of wolves have been given by archaeologists and animal scientists. As per their views, thousands of years ago, fierce wolves who posed threats for human communities were killed for security reasons. However, their cubs or small ones were not killed and they were allowed to grow up within the community. The cubs naturally grew up to be more domesticated and less violent. By living in communities of people as well as with other wolves, many species of wolves were domesticated. This is given as a major reason for evolution of dogs from different breeds of wolves.
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Selenium Horse Supplement
Selenium is a micronutrient that is considered essential for both humans as well as animals. While this element is absorbed by plants from the soil, animals and humans derive selenium from plant sources. As selenium is required in very small amounts, deficiency of this trace mineral is very rare. However, it has been noticed that those who reside in places, where the soil is deficient in selenium, may develop selenium deficiency (as plants that grow in such soil will have almost no selenium). Even certain medical conditions may prevent the body from absorbing selenium. Though selenium deficiency is uncommon in humans, animals can be more prone to develop this condition. This article deals with the various aspects of the use of selenium for horses.
Selenium and Horses
Though, the element selenium was initially noticed for its toxic effects, later, researches revealed that it is essential for various bodily functions in mammals. This trace mineral is found to play key roles in various bodily mechanisms, including the thyroid metabolism. It is also said to be vital for cell functions, boosting immunity, etc. It is said to be an excellent antioxidant that fights free radicals.
Horses derive their daily dose of selenium from the food they eat. Whether it is grass, oats, barley or hay, the selenium content in the food may vary with the selenium content of the soil in which these plants grow. It has been estimated that horses need less than 0.1 milligram of selenium, per kilogram of the food they require for a day. According to the FDA, an average horse requires 3 mg of selenium per day. While selenium deficiency may cause health problems in them, this trace mineral may cause serious side effects, if consumed in excess. The next paragraphs will provide you with information about selenium deficiency and toxicity.
Selenium Deficiency and Toxicity in Horses
As mentioned above, horses that are exclusively fed with foods that are grown in selenium-deficient soil are prone to develop deficiency of the trace mineral. Horses with this condition are found to develop muscle cramps, which may lead to tying up or azoturia. They may also be prone to infections, and even wounds may take time to heal. Another complication that may develop from selenium deficiency in horses is white muscle disease or nutritional muscular dystrophy. This condition affects the heart and skeletal muscles in horses. In that case, the animal may have selenium deficiency symptoms like brownish urine, difficulty in swallowing, fast heart rate, etc. Read the rest of this entry »