Featured Articles
Egg Binding in Birds
Many sick pet birds look alike. They sit on the bottom of their cages with ruffled feathers and their heads down. This is why it’s so hard to figure out what is wrong with your bird without taking it to the veterinarian. Perhaps you also notice that your bird has a big belly. Perhaps it is a female who has a history of laying eggs but has suddenly stopped laying eggs. Your veterinarian will confirm this problem as “egg-binding”.
Egg-binding is a fairly common issue in certain female birds, such as cockatiels, budgies, and lovebirds. This is because these species tend to constantly lay eggs. If something prevents them from laying the egg, it will get stuck in the belly. When multiple eggs get stuck in the belly, this is called egg-binding.
Coughing in Dogs and Cats
Coughing cats and dogs – The coughing pet
Cough is a common problem in dogs but occurs less frequently in cats. Cough is caused by irritation of the throat, airways or the lungs. The main airway to the lungs known …
Dog is a Crotch Sniffer – Pet tip 245
Most dog owners are aware that dog noses are extremely sensitive. This is due to the quantity of olfactory or ‘smell’ receptors in a dog’s nose. Whereas humans have around five million olfactory receptors, dogs have two hundred and twenty million. This makes their noses exponentially more sensitive than a human’s. Most times a dog’s sensitive nose works to our benefit. All kinds of dogs are used as service dogs to help humans find missing people, sniff out explosives, drugs etc. They can smell people coming from quite a distance and alert us to their presence. There are some embarrassing occasions however, when a dog’s nose is just too sensitive from our human perspective. Most notably this occurs when dogs try to sniff humans in their private areas.
This behaviour is a common one in dogs and equally common is the fact that it upsets most dog owners. The reason some dogs sniff at a human’s private parts is the same reason they sniff the private parts of other dogs. We know that when they smell other dogs in this way they can tell the sex, rank (is the dog more dominant or submissive) age and other information about the dog.
Greeting Strange Dogs
Are two always better than one? It is often tempting to add a second dog to the family, whether for your own enjoyment or just to keep your current dog company. Two dogs will give you twice and fun and …
Bad Breath in Cats – Pet tip 189
When a cat has bad breath (feline halitosis) it is usually a sign of a dental problem or some type of illness. The natural smell of your cat’s breath might not be as minty-fresh as a mouthwash commercial might suggest, …
Tip – 13 – Cats and catnip – what is catnip?
Catnip is a non addictive, harmless herb that just over 50% of cats react to. Whether your cat responds to catnip or not, is genetically determined. The reaction that most cats have to catnip, includes rubbing, rolling around, purring and …
Heartworm in Dogs
Heartworm Caused by Mosquitoes
Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite called Dirofilaria immitis, which lives in the right side of the heart and the adjacent blood vessels. Its presence in these blood vessels causes cardiovascular weakness, compromised lung incapacity, …
Tip 84 – Dog begs for food – begging at the table
Nothing is cuter than a puppy-dog, a full grown dog or even certain cats that look at you while you are eating. They seem to use their ESP powers to try and convince you to give them a morsel of …
Dog Owner Responsibility
Dog Owners Beware
Thomas R. Smith
Man’s best friend can become his visitor’s enemy. So, if you are a dog owner take steps to avoid a very preventable injury to your visitor and very expensive injury lawsuit. If you are …
