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How To Keep Your Dog Fit And Healthy

Avatar photo Brandon Foster on January 9, 2023

Pets are essential to many people’s lives and deserve the best care we can give them. Dogs, in particular, are known for their loyalty and affection and can bring joy and companionship to their owners.

However, just like humans, it’s essential to ensure that our canine companions are healthy and happy. This article will discuss simple but effective ways to keep your dog healthy and prevent common health problems. We will cover the topics of proper nutrition, regular exercise, grooming, and preventive healthcare. Following these guidelines can help your dog live a long and healthy life.

1.  Proper Nutrition

Feeding your dog a balanced and nutritious diet is crucial for their overall health. Choose a high-quality commercial dog food that meets their needs based on factors such as age, size, and activity level. Avoid giving your dog table scraps or food that is unhealthy for them, such as chocolate or grapes.

2.  Regular Exercise

Yes, regular exercise is vital for dogs to maintain a healthy weight and overall physical fitness. It is recommended that dogs get at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day, but the exact amount of exercise needed can vary depending on the breed, age, and size of the dog. Some dogs may need more or less exercise than others.

In addition to daily walks or runs, there are many other ways to provide your dog with exercise and mental stimulation. Some ideas include playing fetch, going to a dog park, taking your dog on a hike, or participating in canine sports like agility or flyball.

It’s also important to remember that not all forms of exercise are suitable for all dogs. For example, certain breeds may be prone to certain joint or skeletal issues that could be exacerbated by certain types of exercise. It’s always a good and smart idea to consult with your veterinarian or a professional trainer to determine the best and safe exercise plan for your dog.

3.  Grooming

Yes, regular grooming is important for your dog’s overall health and well-being. Here are a few specific grooming tasks that you should be sure to include in your routine:

Brushing: Regularly brushing your dog’s coat can help to remove loose fur, dirt, and tangles and prevent matting. This is especially important for dogs with long hair, but even dogs with short coats benefit from regular brushing.  Dogs often fall prey to dandruff and flea eggs, be sure to brush regularly to avoid itching.

Nail trimming: It’s essential to keep your dog’s nails trimmed to prevent them from becoming too long and causing discomfort or even injury. If your dog’s nails are too long, they may start to curl under and grow into the pads of their feet, which can be very painful.

Ear cleaning: Dogs can get ear infections if their ears are not kept clean. It’s important to check your dog’s ears regularly and clean them as needed. This can be done with a gentle ear-cleaning solution and a soft cloth or cotton balls.

Bathing: How often you need to bathe your dog will depend on their breed, age, and overall health, as well as their lifestyle and the activities they participate in. Some dogs may only need a bath once every few months, while others may need to be bathed more frequently.

In addition to these specific grooming tasks, it’s also important to keep your dog’s teeth clean and healthy by brushing them regularly. This can help prevent dental problems and maintain good overall health.

4.  Preventative Healthcare

Yes, preventive healthcare is important to keeping your dog healthy and happy. Regular visits to the veterinarian can help to catch any potential health issues early on, which can help to prevent more severe problems from developing.

During a preventive care visit, your veterinarian will perform a physical examination, check your dog’s vital signs, and discuss any concerns you may have about your dog’s health. They may also recommend preventive care measures such as vaccines, parasite prevention, and regular testing for certain conditions like heartworm or tick-borne diseases.

It’s important to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations for preventive care, as this can help to protect your dog from serious health issues. Remember that the specific preventive care measures recommended for your dog may vary depending on its age, breed, and lifestyle.

In addition to regular visits to the veterinarian, there are other steps you can take to help prevent health problems in your dog. For example, you can keep your dog at a healthy weight, provide them with a balanced diet, and practice good hygiene to help prevent infections and other health issues.

Conclusion

To keep your dog fit and healthy, ensure that you provide them with a balanced diet, access to clean water, regular exercise, good hygiene, preventive healthcare, and mental stimulation. This can help to maintain your dog’s overall health and well-being.

How to Take Advantage of Automated Services in Business Operations

Avatar photo Alice Blake on January 9, 2023

There are often several priorities in business that seem like they could be competing interests. These include providing an improved customer experience, enhancing efficiency, and increasing revenue. Luckily, all three of these priorities can be improved through one common strategy implemented into a business strategy: the use of automated services. 

The customer experience can be enhanced through the use of automated processes (such as digital purchase orders and maintenance work orders) while improving the internal management experience as well. Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, investing in the right automation and digital services tools can help your business create a better customer experience while positively impacting every department within your business. 

Advantages of Automated Services in Customer Service

The customer service department can benefit from automation tools that help streamline customer service processes and provide customers with faster and more efficient service. Automation tools can also help reduce manual labor, allowing customer service representatives to focus on providing the best customer experience. This can be achieved by automating work orders and service tickets, and streamlining the digital purchase order experience. 

Advantages of Automated Services in Marketing

Another segment of the business that can benefit from automation and improved management is the marketing department. Automation tools can help streamline marketing processes and help create more effective campaigns. Automation saves time and money, allowing marketers to focus on creating more effective campaigns, which can increase customer engagement.

Advantages of Automated Services in Sales

Finally, the sales department can also benefit from automation and improved management. Automation tools can streamline the sales process and make it easier for customers to purchase products or services. Automation tools reduce manual labor, allowing sales representatives to focus on providing the best customer experience.

Examples of Business Automation to Implement

Maintenance Work Orders

Digital maintenance work orders are electronic documents that are used to manage and track the completion of tasks within a business. They are created and exchanged online, and can be used to manage everything from small tasks to larger projects. Digital work orders help enhance efficiency and business automation by streamlining the workflow process. 

For example, digital work orders can be used to assign tasks to specific employees and track their progress. This ensures that tasks are completed in a timely manner and that employees are held accountable for their work. Additionally, digital work orders can be used to automate the workflow process. This helps reduce manual labor and save businesses time and money. Finally, digital work orders can be integrated with other business systems, such as accounting software, to streamline the task management process. This can help businesses to improve their efficiency and accuracy.

Digital Purchase Orders

Digital purchase orders (POs) are documents that are created electronically, rather than on paper, to manage the buying and selling of goods and services. These digital documents are created and exchanged through an online platform, and they enable businesses to manage their purchasing processes more efficiently. Digital purchase orders offer a number of advantages to business owners looking to increase their business automation. 

Firstly, they provide a streamlined process for managing and tracking orders. Business owners can easily track their orders and view the status of their purchases in real time. This makes it easier to identify any issues that may arise and to ensure orders are fulfilled in a timely manner. Additionally, digital purchase orders can be used to automate the ordering process, allowing businesses to place orders quickly and easily. This reduces the need for manual labor, saving businesses time and money. Finally, digital purchase orders can be integrated with other business systems, such as accounting software, to streamline the ordering and tracking process. 

Future of 2023

As we look ahead to 2023, businesses should consider investing in automated processes, digital services tools, and other solutions in order to incentivize improved customer experience. Automation, improved management, and other tools can help businesses provide customers with a seamless digital purchase experience, and investing in the right solutions can help to ensure that businesses remain competitive in the coming year.

What Proxy Criteria Help You Choose the Right Solution?

Avatar photo Alice Blake on January 9, 2023

There are numerous proxy products in the market, each with its own unique advantages, use cases, and pricing. At the same time, multiple service providers offer starkly different proxy servers. Given the product overload, choosing the right solution for your needs can be daunting. Fortunately, we have prepared this guide containing the proxy criteria to help you choose what is best.

What is a Proxy Server

A proxy server is any software- or hardware-based intermediary that intercepts all internet traffic between networked devices, i.e., a web server and a user’s computer. It works by routing outgoing requests and incoming server responses through itself, creating a setup whereby the requests appear to originate from, and responses terminate at the proxy server rather than the user’s computer.

Additionally, the proxy products hide the user’s computer’s real IP address and assign another IP address in its place. This helps anonymize the browsing. The proxies’ underlying functionality offers numerous advantages. Moreover, it has influenced their utility in a myriad of situations.

It is noteworthy that there are multiple proxy types, namely:

  •   Forward proxies
  •   Reverse proxies
  •   Residential proxies
  •   Datacenter proxies
  •   Rotating/dynamic proxies
  •   Static proxies
  •   Shared proxies
  •   Dedicated/private proxies
  •   HTTP/HTTPS proxies
  •   SOCKS proxies
  •   Transparent proxies
  •   Anonymous proxies
  •   High anonymity proxies

●       Advantages of Proxy Products

Proxies have the following benefits/advantages:

  •   Online anonymity: They anonymize browsing by hiding the real IP address and assigning a new unique identifier
  •   Website performance: Proxies perform load balancing functions in addition to caching frequently requested files, thereby saving bandwidth and reducing loading times (reverse proxies and server-side HTTP proxies)
  •   Security: HTTP proxies filter responses and emails, preventing attacks
  •   Geo-restrictions: proxies help bypass geo-blocking by facilitating the access of content or websites that can only be viewed by residents of a given country
  •   Content control: transparent proxies are used to block access to specific websites

●       Uses of Proxy Servers

The above-mentioned benefits, as well as other characteristics, make proxy servers ideal for the following use cases:

  •   Web scraping: this is the automated process of extracting data from websites. It can be used to undertake market and academic research, price monitoring, search engine optimization (SEO) monitoring, reputation and review monitoring, and more
  •   Accessing geo-blocked content
  •   Load balancing
  •   Caching frequently accessed content
  •   SOCKS proxies facilitate fast peer-to-peer file sharing as well as video/music/data streaming
  •   Ad verification

How to Choose the Right Proxy Solution

There are several considerations you can and should make when choosing a proxy. These considerations are based on a few criteria that, when implemented, help you make better decisions. Below are the criteria that can help you choose the right proxy server.

1.      Price/Cost

The various proxy products have varying prices. For instance, residential proxies, which assign rare residential IP addresses, are more expensive than datacenter proxies, which assign virtual datacenter IP addresses. Similarly, private proxies are costlier than shared proxies.

2.      Use Case

It is important to consider the purpose for which you wish to use a particular proxy. This is because some proxies are better suited for specific tasks than others. For instance, a residential proxy provides greater online anonymity than a datacenter proxy, a property that makes it ideal for large-scale web scraping. Moreover, if you want to secure your web server, select a reverse proxy or server-side HTTP proxy rather than a forward proxy.

3.      Security and privacy

The different proxy servers have varying levels of security and privacy. For instance, shared proxies are less secure than dedicated proxies. The former type can predispose you to cyberattacks because you share the bandwidth with multiple other users, some of whom may be driven by malicious motives.

4.      Reliability of proxy service provider

A good proxy server is contingent on how reliable the proxy provider is. This is because the proxy should ideally be available 99% of the time. And only a reliable provider can guarantee this feat. Thus, before selecting a proxy solution, it is important to go through reviews.

5.      Customer service

You should select a proxy that is offered by a service provider with great customer service. The provider should have a help desk that is reachable 24/7 to assist when something breaks.

6.      IP network pool

You should choose a proxy and proxy provider that has a vast IP network pool. This ensures your browsing or web scraping activities, for example, continue smoothly even when one IP address is blocked.

7.      Proxy management tools

A proxy provider should have proxy management tools such as a user-friendly dashboard to enable you to manage your proxy servers. This is handy whenever you have purchased different proxies.

Conclusion

Suppose you are looking to purchase a proxy server. In that case, it is important to consider parameters and factors such as the IP network pool, proxy management tools, customer service, reliability of the proxy provider, price, use case, and security. Using these considerations as your proxy selection criteria will help you choose the right proxy products.

Kids in sports: how you can protect them and still let them have fun

Avatar photo Brandon Foster on January 9, 2023

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Kids: Participating in sports can be an excellent way for kids under 13 to stay physically active, develop new skills, and make friends.

It can also help them build confidence and self-esteem and teach them valuable lessons about teamwork and sportsmanship.

However, parents and caregivers need to ensure that young children are appropriately supervised and participating in age-appropriate and safe activities.

Importance of sports for kids

There are many benefits for kids to participate in sports.

Some of the physical benefits include improved cardiovascular health, increased muscle strength and flexibility, and better coordination and balance.

Participating in sports can also help young children maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of obesity.

In addition to the physical benefits, sports have numerous mental and emotional benefits.

It can also teach them essential life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and goal-setting.

Participating in sports can also be an excellent way for young children to make new friends and socialize with their peers.

Participating in sports can be a valuable and rewarding experience for kids under 13, both in terms of their physical and mental health.

Parents and caregivers must encourage and support young children in their sports activities while ensuring they participate in safe and appropriate activities for their age.

Kids getting injured playing sports

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission released recent data showing that overall injuries from youth participation in football have declined since 2013.

Although it plateaued in 2020, injuries spiked back up in 2021.

The commission reports that more than a million kids were injured in sports bad enough to require a trip to the ER.

The data covers sports and other significant injuries from playground equipment and skateboards.

In 2021, children aged 5 to 14 were likely to get football injuries; there were 110,171 reported injuries in 2021 compared to 92,802 in young adults aged 15 to 24.

Meanwhile, soccer had 59,000 injured kids, while basketball had 79,207 injuries.

Concussion rates

Boys’ football has the highest concussion rates, with 10.4 concussions per 10,000 athlete exposures.

Girls’ soccer follows with 8.19 per 10,000 athlete exposures, while boys’ ice hockey had 7.69.

Although high-contact sports have a higher risk of severe injuries, even safe sports like swimming and track have a risk for overuse injuries.

Read also: 6 Tips to Make Baby Shower Special for Moms

Screening

Dr. Stuart Berger, the division head of cardiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, warned that cardiac events could occur whether people play sports.

According to Berger, it’s crucial to screen cardiac events.

While kids are safe to play sports and exercise without worrying about cardiac events, it’s still important to do a physical, especially with family history, to find out who could be at risk.

“The concerns are that maybe there is somebody with an underlying abnormality,” explained Berger.

“The screening is designed to bring that out, and that we can identify, if possible, who those kids are.”

Families often cite head injuries as their major concern when their children enter sports.

Dr. Andrew Peterson, the clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Iowa, revealed that the bulk of kids’ concussions is sports-related.

However, he said there is no substantial evidence that a few concussions in childhood have any long-term impact on adulthood.

Peterson stressed that it is important to avoid reinjuring the head before the concussion fully heals.

“The thing we worry about most are these second impact events where people have a concussion on top of a concussion,” he explained.

Symptoms

Dr. Erin Grieb, the pediatric primary care sports medicine physician at Stanford Children’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center, agreed with Peterson’s sentiments.

She said that coaches, referees, and families should learn to identify concussions to ensure the kids are cared for.

Grieb said the signs and symptoms could include:

  • Headaches
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Mental problems like confusion or difficulty paying attention
  • Sadness
  • Anxiety

Concussions can be present in many ways, and some symptoms may manifest in one trauma but others in a different concussion.

Prevention

Injuries are inevitable in sports, but there are ways to minimize the damage.

  • Ensure they wear appropriate protective gear, such as helmets, pads, and mouthguards, as needed for the specific sport.
  • Ensure they are properly conditioned and trained for the sport and do not overexert themselves.
  • Please make sure they are playing on properly maintained equipment and playing surfaces.
  • Follow the rules and guidelines for the specific sport to help reduce the risk of injury.
  • Encourage kids to speak up if they feel sick, tired, or in pain and seek medical attention.
  • Have an emergency action plan in place in case of injury.
  • Encourage kids to respect their opponents and follow good sportsmanship.
  • Consider the level of competition and the child’s age and skill level when choosing a sport or league.
  • Make sure the child is supervised by a responsible adult who is trained in first aid and CPR.

In almost every sport available, kids should be given time to rest to avoid injuries from overuse.

According to Grieb, athletes with head injuries need to take considerable time off to recover.

“You break a bone, I can put you in a cast and not let you use that arm. When you have a head injury, I can’t put your head in a cast,” said Grieb.

“You get one brain, so it’s really important that we let your brain heal.”

Continuing play

Despite the risks that sports pose for kids, it’s still an essential physical activity and habit.

Peterson says that regular movement is part of growing up.

Grieb added that it gives children leadership skills, life lessons, and, most importantly, fun, saying:

“If you’re focused on using proper techniques, you’re focused on following the rules of the game, and you have coaches and referees who are also engaged in that, then I think particularly risky sports can be safer than they have in the past.”

Reference:

How to protect your kids when they play sports, according to doctors

Bed Bath & Beyond sink further in early 2023

Avatar photo Scarlet Logan on January 9, 2023

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Bed Bath & Beyond: Bed Bath & Beyond announced a growing crisis on Thursday after suffering yet another significant setback.

The retailer declared that it lacked the funds necessary to settle its debts.

As a result, the business missed payments on its JPMorgan credit line and issued a foreboding bankruptcy notice.

Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond fell later on Thursday after-hours, briefly stopping trade.

The stock’s market cap decreased by 22% to settle at around $295 million.

The news

Bed Bath & Beyond disclosed that the company lacked the funds necessary to repay the loans covered by the Credit Facilities in a securities filing.

Without adequate resources, the business may have to think about other options.

Restructuring its debts in accordance with the US Bankruptcy Code is one of its choices.

Bed Bath & Beyond is now striving to reduce expenses by undertaking a number of things, such as:

  • Closing stores
  • Lowering capital expenditures
  • Negotiating lease deals with landlords

The business did, however, offer a caution, stating that the steps might not be effective.

Challenging times

The latest Bed Bath & Beyond filing is another evidence that the retail company’s time is running out as sales are falling short and debts are mounting.

Additionally, it coincides with a period of economic transition during which inflation has been straining consumers’ purse strings.

In addition, consumers are spending more on dining out or vacations than on household items.

Other difficulties include Bed Bath & Beyond reducing credit limits and tightening credit terms because it needed early payments in the second quarter of its fiscal year.

They impeded the business from properly stockpiling products in anticipation of the holiday season, according to the filing.

Bed Bath & Beyond also disclosed that prepayments were necessary from suppliers.

Read also: BuzzFeed and Peretti take a unique stance on AI

Debt

The asset-backed loan with JPMorgan has an outstanding balance of $550 million with the company.

In addition, Bed Bath & Beyond owes Sixth Street $375 million as a result of the credit facility’s expansion in August 2022.

Unsecured notes amounting to about $1.2 billion are included in the company’s debt load.

The notes’ maturity dates, which are split over 2024, 2034, and 2044, have been trading at depreciated values.

Bed Bath & Beyond previously said that it was unable to restructure some of its debt after informing investors that it intended to use more credit to settle its debts less than a month later.

The company has spent a lot of money lately.

Bed Bath & Beyond spent $890 million in cash on Thursday over the course of the nine months that concluded on November 26.

The business disclosed that it still had $225.7 million in cash as of that date.

Early warning

Bed Bath & Beyond issued a warning earlier this month that the business was thinking about declaring bankruptcy due to a lack of funding.

The business had had worse-than-expected sales, raising the possibility that it wouldn’t have enough money to pay its bills.

At the time, CEO Sue Gove insisted that the business’s priorities were revitalizing Bed Bath & Beyond and guaranteeing that its brands remained popular with consumers.

Following weeks of Bed Bath & Beyond’s “going concern” warning about not being able to pay bills after the worse-than-expected quarter.

Other options

Bed Bath & Beyond has been looking into solutions recently.

The business is debating securing funding to keep it afloat in the event that it has to file for bankruptcy.

In an effort to find a buyer and help keep its doors open for big chains, the company is presently going through a sales process.

Bed Bath & Beyond is also looking for lenders that can offer funding to keep the business operating in the scenario that it needs to seek bankruptcy protection.

“Multiple paths are being explored, and we are determining our next steps thoroughly, and in a timely manner,” a spokeswoman said last week.

Private equity investor Sycamore Partners has expressed desire to buy the company.

Buybuy Baby, which has outperformed the bigger company, is of interest to the firm.

Buybuy Baby is expected to continue to exist going ahead, according to sources.

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