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Archive for 2013

Saturday, February 16th, 2013

Food allergies in dogs occur when your dog’s intestinal tract becomes overly sensitive to certain proteins, causing a harmful antibody reaction. Food allergies can develop in any breed of dog at any age. Just like in humans, food allergies in dogs are different from food intolerance in dogs. Food allergies will cause problems such as skin itching and infections, hair loss, ear infections, and hot spots, while food intolerance will result in symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. So what foods are dogs allergic to?

Below is an ordered list of the most common foods that dogs are allergic to:
– Beef
– Dairy
– Chicken
– Lamb
– Fish
– Chicken Eggs
– Corn
– Wheat
– Soy

There is a very strong correlation between the above list of most common foods dogs are allergic to, and the most common ingredients in dogs foods. It is likely that overexposure to certain foods can be a cause of dogs developing an allergy to that food. In order to prevent your dog from developing food allergies, it is recommended that you vary their diet.

Additional Help

In order to treat food allergies in dogs, you only have to remove the food they are allergic to from their diet. However, the symptoms of food allergies in dogs are very similar to the symptoms of many other problems that your dog could have, so if you notice symptoms of food allergies in your dog, you should take them to a veterinarian in order to get a proper diagnosis. If you do not have a veterinarian, you can use TalkLocal to find one. You can receive up to three phones calls in minutes from high quality veterinarians in your area, that are available when you are. TalkLocal will save you time and money by matching you with local professionals that can accommodate your schedule and budget.

Posted in Veterinarians | No Comments »

Make Laptop Faster for Gaming

Saturday, February 16th, 2013

Gaming is a great way to just sit back, relax, and have some fun…or maybe you enjoy to competition. Either way, you’ll want your laptop to be able to handle any game you play. Even if you have an older model or you did not buy a laptop built specifically for gaming, there are ways to make your laptop faster for gaming.

Make Laptop Faster for Gaming

One of the easiest ways to make your laptop run faster for gaming is simply to upgrade your graphics card. While it may be expensive at first, if you have the money and you plan on spending a considerable amount of time gaming, it will definitely be worth the investment. Upgrading from a 512MB dedicated graphics card to a 1GB graphics card make a huge difference in gaming quality.

Another possibility is to increase the amount of RAM in your computer. If you open up the task manager while gaming and you see that you’re currently using close to 100% of your physical memory, then you’ll need to install additional RAM to speed up your computer. Laptop RAM is a little more complicated to install than desktop RAM, so make sure that you purchase the correct type of RAM for you laptop. After purchasing it, only install it if you are comfortable with disassembling and reassembling your laptop.

Make sure your system is optimized to run as fast as possible. That means while playing games, make sure to turn off unused programs and clear up as much memory as possible (using Task Manager to end services that won’t be utilized while gaming). Check your power management options, and use the Best Performance or Maximum option (you may want to be plugged in to a wall outlet, as this may drain your battery quickly). Furthermore, make sure to defragment your computer, and use the disk cleanup utility on a regular basis, so that your laptop is running in optimal conditions.

Additional Help

If your computer is still running slow after all these steps, then you may want to use TalkLocal to contact a highly-rated local computer professional to evaluate your computer and see how you can improve your gameplay experience.

Posted in Computer Repair | No Comments »

How to Paint a Galvanized Metal Roof

Saturday, February 16th, 2013

While galvanized metal roofs are usually weather-resistant, they’ll eventually begin peeling and rusting, making them extremely unattractive. In these cases, the peeling and rusting usually signifies that it’s time to give your roof a fresh coat of paint. Read on for step-by-step directions on how to paint a galvanized metal roof.

1. Scrape down the roof

You need to remove any accumulated rust on your galvanized metal roof so that you can repaint it successfully.

– Take a putty knife or paint scraper to remove as much old peeling paint and rust from your roof.

– Follow that up by using a power washer to clean the rest of your roof and to remove debris.

2. Remove any mildew or algae

Mildew and algae can actually compromise the galvanized roof’s integrity and may lead to expensive problems in the future, so this step makes sure your roof is clean and protected.

– Make a mixture of 1 part bleach, 1 part trisodium phosphate, and 4 parts water.

– Apply that solution all over the roof.

– After allowing it to dry, wash it off with water.

3. Prime and paint the roof

– Choose an appropriate galvanized metal primer and prime your entire roof. Wait until the primer dries completely before applying the actual paint.

– For the top-coat paints, you’ll want to choose the appropriate type of paint for your climate. You may want to talk with a painting expert so you can choose the best paint for the conditions your roof is in, but you’ll generally want to use an acrylic latex paint.

– Apply at least two coats of paint to the roof so that you have even and complete coverage over your entire roof and allow it to completely cure (it can take up to 2 weeks).

Additional Help

Painting a galvanized metal roof can be time consuming, labor intensive, and potentially dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s highly recommended that you at least consult with a professional roofing contractor who is experienced with galvanized metal roofing. TalkLocal makes it really easy to talk with roofing professionals, connecting you with a high quality local professional in just minutes. You’ll have your roof painted in no time!

Posted in Roofers | No Comments »

Dry Mouth Home Remedies

Saturday, February 16th, 2013

Dry mouth home remedies can be extremely useful if you are about to host a big party or are simply just irritated from having a dry mouth all the time. Not only does dry mouth occur if you are talking loudly or a lot, dry mouth also results from physical reactions within your body – you may not be producing enough saliva. Hopefully you will be able to swallow, chew and speak like normal after trying out these tips and tricks.

How Do You Get Rid of Dry Mouth?

– Drink water! Being dehydrated can be a cause of dry mouth, and unfortunately, because dry mouth can be the result of many different causes, it can be extra tricky to monitor. For example, being dehydrated can result from exercising, having a fever, and from contracting other illnesses and their side effects (such as vomiting and diarrhea).

– Get a humidifier. Not only is physically ingesting water by drinking it important, but having humid air surrounding you can mass produce the moisture in your mouth.

– There is a rumor that says to avoid soda. Why is that? Well, saliva’s role is to break down the foods and drinks that you ingest along with protecting your teeth and gums. If you are not producing enough saliva, your mouth’s defenses are down against the acidity and sweetness of soda, and this can lead to damages to both your teeth and your gums.

– Brush and floss regularly. This will help keep your mouth healthy and will help protect you from all types of mouth related issues.

In what other ways does dry mouth affect me?

Dry mouth can lead to many other problems as well. Having bad breath is one of the main downsides to dry mouth. In addition, headaches can come upon along with dry nasal passages, and other pain related to dry skin and mouth.

Additional Help

Get rid of that dry mouth today! Need some help or interested in seeking guidance? You may want to find a dentist. Check out TalkLocal. You will be connected directly to local, high quality professionals that will help you get rid of your dry mouth and your symptoms. Check it out!

Posted in Dentists | No Comments »

How Early Do I Need to Book a Limo Service?

Friday, February 15th, 2013

When you’re looking to book a limo service, you will likely want to book the limo ahead of time. In general, you should always be searching for a limo at least three to four weeks ahead of the event. However, a couple of factors can influence how far ahead of time you’ll want to book your limo, such as the type of event and time of year.

Type of event

This is perhaps the biggest factor you’ll want to consider, as weddings and other large events that depend on limousines need to be sorted out far ahead of time. For wedding limos, some people book as far as 12-18 months in advance, while for prom limos, people book between two to three months in advance. As long as you book far enough in advance, you can be almost certain you’ll have a limo ready for you during your big event. If you wait too long, you may be subject to expensive fees for last-minute scheduling or no limo at all!

Time of the year

Different events tend to be clustered around certain times of the year. There are really two peak times during which limo services are heavily booked: prom season and wedding season. The spring season is prom season for most schools and the early summer is the usual wedding season, making it really difficult to find a limo on short notice during that time. You’ll likely want to book at least two months or so ahead of time to be safe. However, during off season times, you can most likely book just one week ahead of time for a birthday event on a weekend or a simple event.

Additional Help

If you’re looking to schedule a limo soon, TalkLocal can help you out! TalkLocal will do all the work of calling the companies for you, allowing you to talk to companies who already know your situation and can you help you right away! It’s fast, cheap, and you’ll be sure you have a quality limo service for your event as soon as possible!.

Posted in Limo Rental | 2 Comments »

Can I Get A Divorce Without a Trial?

Friday, February 15th, 2013

Can I Get A Divorce Without a Trial?

Going through a divorce can be a stressful experience. Since appearing in court can add to the stress of going through a divorce, many separated couples ask if they can skip the trial. The official answer is “sometimes.” The answer is a bit complicated because it depends on several different factors.

Some factors to consider when deciding whether or not you can get a divorce without a trial are:

– Your state’s divorce laws. Some states have restrictions when it comes to settling a divorce out of court, so you will need to be aware of the laws in your state.

– The terms of the divorce. If the divorce is uncontested than you may be able to settle out of court, again, depending on your state’s laws. If you cannot agree to the terms of the divorce, you will likely need to have it settled by trial.

– Are there children involved? This makes divorce exponentially more complicated, and you will often be required to settle in court. A court will need to determine which parent the child must stay with based on financial means, living situation, etc.

Additional Help

Another trial-free option is to settle out of court, oftentimes with the supervision of a mediator. However, the best option is to consult a lawyer. A lawyer will be able to analyze your divorce situation, and they will inform you whether or not you should- or are required to- take a divorce to court. If your divorce does go to trial, you will need to hire a lawyer. TalkLocal will help connect you to a reliable lawyer in your area in just minutes!

Posted in Lawyers - Family | No Comments »

Types of Roof Pitches

Friday, February 15th, 2013

If you are thinking of re-roofing your home, you might assume there are endless options with regard to the available roof materials: asphalt, metal, wood, composite shingles, etc. An important factor you should consider before choosing a material is roof pitch. In other words, pitch is the angle(s) of your roof. Read on to learn more about types of roof pitches.

Often symbolized as a fraction, the roof pitch tells you how steep an angle is in terms of inches. For example, a roof pitch of 4/12 means that for every 12 inches in horizontal distance, the roof rises (or drops) 4 inches. More simply, it is the slope of the roof (the rise/the run).

Types of Roof Pitches

There are many different types of roof pitches. Here is a list of some of the most common (in no particular order) along with a short description of each:

– Cross-Gabel: has many triangles offsetting less-angled, flatter sections

– Saltbox: usually has one very long side contrasted with one short, steep side

– Flat: self-explanatory

– Skillion: has a single sloping side, usually found on a single part of a home. It resembles a “half-triangle.”

– Mansard: a common type of roof pitch containing four slopes, two on each side of the house. There are two lower slopes and two higher slopes.

– Hip: similar to a pyramid shape, except that instead of the four sides coming up into a point, there is a flat surface where the four corners meet.

Additional Help

If you have successfully classified your roof pitch type and are ready to contact a roofer for the job, use Seva Call to locate one near you. Seva Call is a free service that will connect you with top-quality, reputable professionals in your neighborhood, within minutes. Simply enter in your specific need, location, and availability and Seva Call will contact multiple roofers, who will then call YOU directly, ready to help.

Posted in Roofers | No Comments »

How to Remove Torrent Trackers

Friday, February 15th, 2013

You often hear of people downloading torrent music or movies. A torrent is a file that allows you to access data from other computers. When you remove the tracker for that torrent, you can no longer share that torrent. Think of a tracker as a bridge between users that allows traffic from one computer to another. People remove torrent trackers to hide their online footprints and protect their identities. Other times, people remove trackers to increase their torrent download speed; some trackers are slow to respond or dead and can slow down your client. A client is a program that reads torrent files; Microtorrent is one such popular client. Think of the client as a tollbooth for torrent files to pass through before becoming accessible to the user. Clients rely on trackers to transfer data and share torrents. Learn how to remove torrent trackers from Microtorrent by following these steps:

1) Open Microtorrent. Let the torrents download fully to ensure that the data stays intact.

2) Click the torrent whose tracker you want to delete to highlight it. The selected torrent should turn blue.

3) Click “Trackers” in the window below the one from step 2.

4) Click the website URL for the tracker you want to delete. The website URLs are located on the bottom half of the window.

5) Right click the URL. A menu should pop up.

6) Click “Remove Tracker” in the menu.

7) Repeat steps 4 through 6 for every URL/tracker you want to delete. Keep in mind that a deleted torrent can be restored, but until then, the torrent cannot be shared.

Additional Help

For additional help, contact Seva Call to talk with local IT support professionals. Seva Call uses a combination of social reputation, online rankings and reviews, and call analytics to select the best service providers for you. Just fill out a short online service request to talk with up to three high quality service professionals in your area.

Posted in Computer Repair | No Comments »

Symptoms of Heartworms

Friday, February 15th, 2013

Heartworms are caused by mosquito bites; mosquitoes carry the heartworm larvae from an infected animal and bite your uninfected pet. The heartworm cannot be transmitted from dog to dog or cat to cat; its larva must be carried by a mosquito for it to grow up into a heartworm. The larvae then take six months to grow into the adult worms and may live up to seven years in dogs and up to three years in cats, reproducing just seven months after infection. Repeated bites from infected mosquitoes increase the number of heartworms in an animal. Adult heartworms settle into the blood vessels near and inside the heart and lungs, clogging blood flow and potentially causing congestive heart failure.

Symptoms of Heartworms in Dogs

Dogs generally do not show external symptoms of heartworms in the early stages. In later stages, they will develop a soft, persistent cough and have decreased physical activity. Other symptoms include coughing up blood, breathing quickly, losing weight, fainting, bloating in abdomen due to fluids, and experiencing nosebleeds or labored breathing.

Symptoms of Heartworms in Cats

In the early stages, cats do no exhibit clinical symptoms of heartworms. However, in later stages, some symptoms are: breathing quickly, coughing, losing weight, vomiting, and having decreased physical activity. Outdoor cats are more likely to become infested than indoor cats, but they are still not completely protected. Cats produce an antigen that fights against the heartworm; however, the heartworm can still survive. Cats are only less susceptible to heartworms than dogs.

Additional Help

If you believe your pet has heartworms, or if you want to have them tested for heatrworms, go to your vet and get a proper diagnosis of the severity of the infection through blood tests, microfilarial concentration test, chest X-rays, or an ECG. TalkLocal can help you find a local quality veterinarian quickly!

Posted in Veterinarians | No Comments »

Do I Need To Tip A Limo Driver?

Thursday, February 14th, 2013

Unless you are a millionaire, you probably don’t ride in a limo often. So when prom or a wedding comes up, there is always the question of whether you tip the limo driver. The answer is yes; limo driving is a service just like a taxi, so you should tip the driver based on his or her performance. Limo drivers are either paid by the fixed rate or hourly rate, which both equate to minimum wage. The next question is then how much should you pay the limo driver?

Do I Need to Tip a Limo Driver?

Before paying a limo driver call the limo company and ask them if gratuity is included in the bill. If the limo driver did his job then tip him a 15% to 20% of the total bill. If the limo service was poor, then tip the limo driver 5% or lower of the total bill. At minimum, a limo driver should be paid around $5-10 for short trips, regardless of the percentage. For trips over an hour, the limo driver should be paid a minimum of $10-20.

Be courteous to the driver and the car. If the car becomes a mess after you’re done, be courteous and pay a higher tip. Remember that cleaning the limo is often the driver’s responsibility. Also, you can tip based on the size of the car. If renting a smaller vehicle, you can tip 10% of the total bill. For larger limos, you can tip 15% of the total bill.

Additional Help

Now that you know the proper tipping procedure, you just need to find a limo driver. To get a limo driver, use TalkLocal. TalkLocal can connect you with up to limo drivers in your area, who will be available when you need them!

Posted in Limo Rental | 1 Comment »

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