Dogs experience the world around them differently than we do. You probably already know they have a superior sense of smell and have more sensitive hearing than humans, but what about their vision? The most common myth about dog vision is that dogs can only see in black and white—and therefore, don’t have any color vision. But that’s actually not true. Because, yes, dogs can see color, just not all the colors of the rainbow.
According to Smith, there are more than 7,000 species of anurans (that’s the scientific order that includes frogs and toads), including dart frogs, red-eyed tree frogs, tree frogs, White’s tree frogs, green tree frogs, bullfrogs, pixie frogs, and literally thousands more. With so many different frog species, your frog tank setup might differ from another’s, based on the specific needs of your frog. However, there are a few general rules to consider. We’ve listed everything beginners need for a frog tank setup, including specific products, what they do, why they’re needed, and everything else a frog keeper should know. Tank Substrate Hideouts/retreats Water conditioner Water dish Lighting Heating Water test kit (for aquatic frogs) Filter (for aquatic frogs) Thermometer Hygrometer Spray bottle or misting system Decor and accessories,Jump to section New Frog Tank Checklist How To Set Up Your New Frog Tank How To Clean Your Frog Tank FAQs About Frog Tank Set Up
“Also known as castration, neutering means removing the testicles in male dogs in order to make them reproductively ineffective,” says Dr. Ivana Crnec, DVM, of Veterinarians.org. “Today, with the advances in veterinary medicine, neutering is considered a routine procedure.” As Dr. Crnec points out, it is an extremely common procedure, with the American Kennel Club (AKC) estimating 80 percent of US dogs to be fixed—either neutered or spayed depending on the dog’s gender.,Jump to section What Is Involved in Dog Neutering? When Are Dogs Neutered? Benefits of Neutering All About Dog Neutering Surgery Neutering a Dog: FAQ
Food is food, right? Wrong. Human food does not necessarily equal healthy pet food, and not even pet food works for every type of pet. Just as dogs cannot eat foods like grapes, chocolate, and avocado, cat food is also considered not safe for dogs. Of course, it’s more complex than just a simple “no.” If your dog eats cat food one or two times, it is not that big of a deal; however, it becomes a cause for concern and significantly affects a dog’s health when they eat cat food over an extended period. Eating cat food can cause myriad health issues for a dog, including pancreatitis, obesity, and gastrointestinal upset, among others. Dr. Julie Buzby, DVM, who practices in Beaufort, SC, says, “It is not necessarily dangerous for a dog to eat cat food (unless the dog has specific dietary restrictions related to a health problem); however, it’s not ideal. Cat food is formulated for cats, and dog food is formulated for dogs. They are very different animals with different nutritional needs.” Dogs are omnivores, which means their stomach can tolerate both meat and plant-based food. Cats, on the other hand, are obligate carnivores, so their sensitive stomach can really only handle meat, and they literally require it to survive. This key difference in nutritional needs is why dogs, even an adult dog, really should not eat cat food. Dogs’ nutritional requirements require a more varied diet, and they need only 10 amino acids, whereas cats need an 11th: taurine. Taurine is crucial for cats’ health in many areas, including vision, heart function, digestion and an overall immunity. Cat food fulfills a cat’s unique nutritional needs, as it contains more meat-based protein, fat content and carbohydrates in addition to taurine. You may have heard that veterinarians sometimes will prescribe cat food to dogs, particularly in puppies who may need more protein in their diet. However, while that may be true, Dr. Buzby says it’s an outdated method. “Perhaps decades ago [feeding cat food to puppies] was common, but in 2023, veterinarians have at our fingertips a plethora of excellent dog foods to prescribe or recommend—even if it means ordering online,” Dr. Buzby explains. “Furthermore, we can connect our clients to a board-certified veterinary nutritionist who can custom-formulate a diet (based on a dog’s age/stage, palate preferences and bloodwork), which can be cooked at home.” If your dog (or your cat) is on a veterinary diet, you should take that into consideration as well while assessing the levity of the situation. “Veterinary diets are formulated for a specific species—cat or dog, not both—and special health conditions,” Dr. Buzby says, citing low-fat, easily digestible foods for dogs prone to pancreatitis as an example. “Obviously, it is much more concerning for a dog who is on a prescription diet to eat cat food than a healthy dog who has no dietary restrictions,” she says. It goes both ways, too, according to Dr. Buzby, who says that a cat eating dog food regularly is actually more harmful.,Jump to section Is Cat Food Bad for Dogs? 4 Ways Cat Food Is Bad for Dogs How To Keep Your Dog Away From Your Cat’s Food What To Do if Your Dog Eats Cat Food
Cats are crepuscular creatures, which means they are most active during twilight. Outdoor kitties will prowl the neighborhood or roam around the house if they are indoor cats, which begs the question: Do cats have night vision? “Cats can see very well in low-light conditions, but this does not mean that they have night vision like the one we can get from night-vision goggles,” says Dr. Paola Cuevas, a Mexico-based veterinarian, MVZ and behaviorist with Hepper.com. “This means that in conditions where it is too dark for us to see, cats can see very well.” A common misconception about cat vision is that they can see in total darkness. However, Ceuvas says that’s not true. Cats have better night vision than the average human (and maybe even than the average dog), but some amount of light is required for a cat’s eyes to see. “Cats have several specific adaptations within their eyes to help them have enhanced night vision,” explains Dr. Kristin Fischer, DAVCO, a veterinary ophthalmologist at Animal Eye Country of the Lowcountry, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. According to Fischer, these adaptations include: More rod photoreceptors: The increased number of rod photoreceptors within the retina are responsible primarily for dim-light vision. Because a cat’s eyes have more rods than human eyes, your feline friend sees better in the dark than humans can. Tapetum lucidum: This is a reflective structure in the eye beneath the retina that acts as a reflective layer or mirror to reflect light in the eye. The reflection of light within the eye helps stimulate more of the photoreceptors to allow improved vision in dim- or low-light conditions. It’s also the cause for what we refer to as “eyeshine” in cats (and dogs, too). Slit-shaped pupils: Cats have slit-shaped, vertical pupils that dilate very widely, creating a large opening for light to enter at night. “All of these things combine to help cats see well in the dark,” Fischer says.,Jump to section Do Cats Have Night Vision? How Your Cat’s Vision Is Different From Yours Does My Cat’s Breed Affect Their Vision? Can Cats See Better Than Dogs at Night? Why Do My Cat’s Eyes Glow at Night? Nighttime Safety for Cats
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