Featured Articles
Reading pet food labels – Pet tip 146
Attempting to choose the right pet food for your dog or cat can be a daunting task. Wandering amongst the aisles of food in your local pet store, there seem to be millions of options. While many owners appreciate the …
Caring for Newborn Kittens
Like a newborn baby, the care of a newborn kitten requires special attention and focus. For most cat owners though, this care is not usually required of them as kittens are typically adopted at approximately eight weeks of age, when they have been weaned from their mothers. However, there are several instances when newborn kittens may require hand-rearing, and in those situations, it is important to have a good understanding of what these neonatal animals need for proper growth and development.
The two most common situations where kittens may need to be hand-reared are either because they have been orphaned, or because their mother is not providing adequate care. This second point can be due to a variety of reasons, but the most likely cause is that the runt of the litter may be being overlooked by the mother in favour of healthier kittens.
Aging Dogs and Cats – Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome CDS – Pet tip 126
Just like us, animals experience some classical signs of aging. When our cats and dogs reach their senior years, it is normal for them to develop a few grey hairs and spend a few more hours sleeping on the couch. …
How do I subscribe for free – what’s a podcast?
What is a podcast
A podcast is simply an audio file that you can play on your computer right now or on an MP3 player such as an Ipod. You can think of a podcast as a recorded radio program …
Dewlaps and Dogs
The dewlap is defined as a flap of skin beneath the lower jaw. Fat is stored beneath the surface of the skin and if an animal has a fur coat, there will be fur covering the outside of the dewlap. …
Fearful Cats – Pet tip 197
Although phobic and extremely fearful domestic cats are not as common as domestic dogs, fearful feline behaviour does occur regularly. The most common phobias in cats are fear of storms and loud noises. One of the main differences between cats …
Tip 75 – Pumpkin for cats – pumpkin for dogs – Pumpkin for diarrhea or constipation
If your dog or cat is having the occasional case of constipation or diarrhea, one of the things that might help is canned pumpkin. Yes canned pumpkin in its pureed form (NOT pumpkin pie filling) is a fantastic stool softener …
Lilies and Cats
The lily is a truly spectacular flower. Unsurpassed in beauty by most other flowers, it is often the central flower in floral arrangements that we keep in our houses. We often bring stunning Easter lilies into our homes in the …
Blastomycosis in dogs
Perhaps you have heard of ‘blasto’ in dogs, it’s an important disease that all dog owners should be aware of.
Blastomycosis dermatitidis is the most common systemic mycosis of dogs. Systemic meaning that it can affect the whole body, and mycosis, meaning that it is caused by a fungus. It is called ‘dermatitidis’ because it affects primarily the skin, but it can also affect other body parts, such as the vascular system.
Blastomycosis is largely confined to the Ohio, St. Lawrence and Mississippi river-drained areas of North America. It is a soil organism, which can be inhaled by a dog. It is often found growing on dead leaves along a river. The classic case of a dog getting blasto is a young male hunting dog following a trail and sniffing eagerly along a river-bank. It is most common from August to October, since this is when leaves are falling off trees and the mould version of the fungus can grow upon them.
