Many foods have adequate levels of fiber already provided. The ‘Guaranteed Analysis’ provided on your pets’ food bag should note the maximum crude fiber concentration. Most pet foods contain about 5% crude fiber, and this is often adequate for the average healthy dog. If your dog is constipated or has diarrhea, this could be something a simple stomach bug, parasites, other gastrointestinal diseases, or strain due to an enlarged prostate or mass impeding the passage of stool. Observe your dog to see if the symptoms persist for more than two days. The symptoms of constipation can overlap with those of urinary obstruction, which is very serious. If you see your pet repeatedly straining then a vet check is strongly advised. Ask your vet to include a rectal exam. If the primary issue turns out to be one of diet and digestion, your vet may suggest fiber supplementation.
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One-sentence summary -- Check your dog’s current food. Observe your dog. Take your dog to the veterinarian.


You'll get the best results with a corded mixing drill, as these offer the distance and convenient control you need to work comfortably. Thread the end of the paddle into the drill, making sure the joints fit together correctly. Run the drill for a few seconds at a low speed to check that the mixer attachment is secure. Wire cage-type mixers can cut through clumps rather than just push them around. Lower the paddle into the plaster to the bottom of the bucket and switch on the drill. As you mix, raise and lower the paddle and swirl it in both a clockwise and counterclockwise direction. This will help the blades hit the plaster from as many different angles as possible.  Set your drill to a slow speed to prevent splashing.  Aim to mix the plaster for 1 to 2 minutes, or just long enough to wet it throughout. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bucket periodically with your trowel to loosen dry, stuck-on bits. Cut off the drill and add a small amount of plaster into the bucket, then resume mixing to incorporate the fresh plaster. Continue sifting and mixing until the plaster is roughly the same consistency as peanut butter.  A good rule of thumb is to only add about half the amount you originally used on follow-up mixes.  Sifting the plaster by the handful may be more precise than pouring straight from the bag as you get closer to the optimal texture. Rinse off splatter or plaster powder from your surroundings before it dries. Let the plaster sit for a few minutes after you're finished mixing. At that point, the plaster should be thick enough to heap onto the trowel without running off. Another useful test is to route the top of the mixture with your trowel and watch for it to fill in gradually—thin, soupy plaster will puddle instantly, while you may not notice any change in overly thick plaster at all. If you accidentally thicken the mixture too much, you can add more water to thin it out.
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One-sentence summary -- Attach a paddle mixer to your drill. Mix the plaster thoroughly. Add more plaster to achieve a thick, smooth texture. Test the thickness of the plaster.


Once your tree is bearing fruit, you will notice that its main lateral branches get weighed down by fruit. These are branches you’ll want to keep at the next pruning time. You will see other branches that are growing vertically, or some that look old or weak.  Make notes of these vertical, old or weak branches that you should prune the following year.  Your tree may take a year off from fruiting every other year. Light annual pruning is still a best practice for encouraging new growth. Branches growing straight up, especially those near the top that are thin and weak, should be removed. You also want the inside of your martini-glass shape to not be dense with vertical branches, so remove those as well.  A rule of thumb is that a bird should be able to fly through your olive tree. If your tree is too dense with vertical branches in the middle, a bird would not be able to do that, and you should remove more vertical branches. Fruit only grows on lateral branches, so another reason to prune these vertical branches is to give your tree more energy to put toward fruit-bearing branches. As your tree ages, some of the lateral branches growing off your main branches may become old. When you observed your tree at picking time, these are the old branches that maybe bore fruit at one time, but they have stopped. Cut these branches to encourage your tree to grow more fruitful branches. Any growth below the main fork of the tree, going down the trunk to its base, should be removed. These branches are usually small, grow vertically or downward, or otherwise look out of place to your tree’s main shape. You can remove these suckers any time of the year, whether its your annual pruning time or not.
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One-sentence summary --
Observe your tree at picking time. Remove vertical branches. Cut lateral branches that have become exhausted and weak. Remove suckers from the trunk’s base any time.