Article: Good friends will be willing to support you on a consistent basis, through your high points and your low points. Your friends should offer to support you during any difficult emotional times and be there for you in a real, genuine way. They may also offer guidance and advice when you need it. For example, if you're going through a rough break up, a good friend would check in on you daily and try to distract you by taking you out. Good friends offer advice, support, and guidance during difficult times, and only when you ask for it. They support your decisions, even if they don't agree. Good friendships also have a good balance of giving and taking, where you feel mutually supported. You should try to cultivate friendships where there is a balance of give and take, and where you do not feel you are giving or taking more than the other person. Some people are givers; they'll do anything to help and support someone. Others are takers; they'll take someone else's time and energy to fulfill their own needs. While natural givers may sound like the way to go, you should actually look for friends who can maintain a balance between both of these two extremes. Your friends should also encourage you to develop into the best version of yourself you can be. They should help you focus on how you can be yourself and achieve your goals. Your friends should act as your own personal cheer squad, where they proudly encourage you to go after what you want. For example, if you're trying to get into medical school, a good friend will act interested, encourage you, and help you prepare. They'll also celebrate when you do get in. Another key aspect of a good friendship is positive communication, where you can share your thoughts and feelings without limits. You should be able to be yourself around your friends and feel you can share your opinions with them. You should not feel you have to censor yourself or keep quiet about your thoughts around your friends. You should feel comfortable being called out or challenged by your friends, not turned-off. This can help you cultivate a better sense of self-control and learn better from your mistakes. Good friends will tell you when you're right and when you're wrong. You should be comfortable doing this in return. Good friendships are built on mutual respect and mutual trust. You should feel you can trust your friends with private information and trust that they will support you, even when you're not around. Good friends will stand up for you and support you in company of strangers and other friends. Cultivate respect for your friends and their choices, even if you don't share the same interests or preferences.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Make sure your friends offer emotional support and guidance. Determine if you have a good balance of give and take. Decide if your friends bring out the best in you. Determine if you can communicate effectively with your friends. Consider if you trust and respect your friends.
Article: Allergies are often the primary source of inflammation in the ear, which makes the ears more susceptible to infections. While it may be difficult to determine an allergic cause, it helps to start paying attention to factors such as if new foods or treats were introduced before the ear infection flared up. If they contained a particular protein, you may want to avoid that giving your dog that protein. Animal proteins and dairy products in food are more likely to cause allergies for pets than grains are, despite the popularity of the notion that grain free diets are better for dogs with food allergies. Specifically, put your dog on a diet trial with a novel, or new, protein, one your dog has never eaten before. New prescription diets should be fed exclusively for at least 8 weeks and ideally for a minimum of 12 weeks. Give no treats, table scraps or other food sources during this time. This may help to determine if food proteins are the problem and home in on which are culprits. The best novel protein diets are prescription formulas because they will have the least likely chance of cross-contamination with other protein sources, but they are often the most expensive choice. At the end of the trial, if your dog is not showing signs of ear inflammation or skin allergies (most commonly itchy paws and sometimes itching of other areas of the body), then you can 'challenge' your dog's diet with a single type of treat or the old food. If you notice signs of irritation near the ears, feet, or skin when you re-introduce the old food or treat, then you know that this food or any food containing this protein should be eliminated. If the ear infections tend to spring up at the same time of year every year, a seasonal environmental allergy may be causing the ear infections. While your dog has an ear infection, you should make sure he doesn't get excess moisture in his ears. Avoid letting your dog play in water, swim, bathe, or be groomed until the ear infection has cleared up. Extra moisture will aggravate the ear infection and make it last longer. Keep checking in with the veterinarian until the ear infection is completely gone. Some ear infections are mild and easily treated in 1-2 weeks with topical medications and cleaning. Some infections are more complicated and may take many weeks, further testing, treatments or procedures to treat. Follow your veterinarian's recommendations about when to check in, since the vet can help you determine if the ear infection is cleared or if more needs to be done. Once your dog has had an ear infection, he's more likely to struggle with them throughout his life. The good news is that there are several things you can do to prevent ear infections in your dog. Here are several preventative measures: avoid letting your dog swim or bathe too frequently plug your dog's ears with cotton before bathing him flush your dog's ears with a product containing salicylic acid (which helps wet ear canals dry) check and treat any allergies your dog may have frequently clean your dog's ears
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Determine if your dog has allergies. Try putting your dog on a diet trial. Challenge your dog's diet. Restrict your dog's activity. Follow up with your veterinarian. Prevent ear infections.