5 Things to Know When Feeding Your Dog Hill’s Prescription Diet
In This Article How Hill’s Prescription Diet Dog Food Works View 5 More +

In This Article How Hill’s Prescription Diet Dog Food Works View 5 More +

No, cats can’t have grapes. Grapes have been linked to kidney issues in pets, and while the exact cause isn’t fully understood, experts believe tartaric acid or its salts may be to blame. Most of the data comes from dogs, but vets recommend keeping grapes—and raisins—away from cats to avoid any potential risk. ,Grapes are a popular snack for humans, but can cats eat grapes safely? While they might seem harmless, grapes are one of several foods that can pose serious health risks to cats, even in small amounts. To help you understand the risks, we spoke to a veterinarian expert who explains why cats shouldn’t eat grapes and what could happen if they do. Before introducing any new food into your cat’s diet, always check with your veterinarian.

Some shelters are creatively attracting potential adopters by posting background stories and fun photographs. The MSPCA Boston Adoption Center uses Facebook to post pictures and bios of its available adoptable pets. The group is able to share heartwarming stories of animals who may have special needs or disabilities, and reach people worldwide thanks to social media., ,Social media has become an important tool in how the world communicates these days, and a general way of life for most. It creates a smaller world, where people you know from a distance are part of your everyday life. This network brings people together, and allows us to help one another in ways that weren’t so easy before. It also creates a bond between people over common interests and is a great way to get to know others—including animals.

You’ve made an appointment to have your female kitten spayed, but you wonder what she’ll go through on the day of surgery. What happens during kitten spay surgery? When can she come home? When can she start playing again? Will she be in pain? Put your mind at ease. Animal welfare organizations including the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Veterinary Information Network have answered all your questions, taking you step by step through the surgery and recovery period. For more information, talk to your veterinarian.

Jump to section Choosing a Location Necessary Pond Equipment How To Build a Koi Pond: Step by Step Maintaining Your Pond Koi Pond FAQs

Does your cat seem less active, hesitate before jumping to a favorite perch, skip it altogether, or struggle to get up after resting? You may also notice changes in behavior, such as irritability or changes in grooming habits. Hip dysplasia could be to blame, especially in large cat breeds prone to the condition, such as Maine Coons, Persians, and Norwegian Forest Cats. To help you better understand hip dysplasia in cats, experts shared the signs to watch for, causes, and treatment options, ranging from at-home management to surgery. With the right plan, cats with hip problems can live happy, active lives.

WRITTEN BY Victoria Lynn Arnold Freelance Writer,NOTE: Always check with your veterinarian first before giving your dog any new foods, especially “people foods.” What might be OK for one dog might not be good for your dog, depending on multiple factors, such as their age, health history, health conditions, and diet. Dogs on prescription diets should not be fed any food or treats outside the diet. Are nuts safe for dogs to eat? It depends on exactly which nut you’re talking about. Some, like macadamia nuts, are toxic to pups. Others, like peanuts, are perfectly fine when properly prepped and fed in moderation. But can dogs eat cashews? Cashews are not toxic to dogs, but there are some things to consider before you give them to your dog as a treat. Are Cashews Bad for Dogs? Although cashews are nontoxic for dogs, they should only be eaten in moderation. Cashews contain a high amount of fat, and eating fatty foods repeatedly over time can cause obesity or pancreatitis in dogs. As with any other food—especially nuts—there’s always a potential concern for them to be a choking hazard or cause an intestinal blockage. Thankfully, cashews are softer and more rounded than other types of nuts, such as almonds, and they are not sold inside shells (like pistachios). This can help reduce the chances of your dog choking on cashews, but pet parents should always supervise their pup while they snack. And remember that all nuts are not the same. For example, because macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs, it’s important to avoid feeding your dog mixed nuts.

Max was just 4 months old when I adopted him from Saving Grace Animal Shelter. When we met, the little guy with a tuxedo coat appeared healthy and alert, and he got along well with the other adoptables in his temporary kitty condo. He gazed at me with those golden eyes, and I simply had to add him to my family. I brought him home, took him into the spare bedroom, opened his carrier and allowed him to cautiously explore. Once he felt comfortable in the new space, his real personality — and activity level — came out. Curious, energetic and fearless, Max dashed about like a madman, err, madcat. Pouncing on his cat toys, attacking them with his needle teeth and clawing up the curtains, Max had some serious spunk! Though my instinct was to tamp down that Tasmanian devil-like behavior, Ernie Ward, DVM, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, says that kind of playful spirit should be encouraged in kittens. “When they’re young, kitty cats are going to be much more active and playful, just like people,” he says. “So when you see your kitten doing that, encourage it, don’t discourage it, and then try to maintain that activity as lifelong habits.”

In This Article How To Give a Cat a Pill View 4 More +

Where our fish come from, and how they were obtained, is important information to consider when stocking a system. We have three main options: wild-caught, tank-raised, or captive bred. Wild-caught obviously refers to animals that have been captured in the wild and brought into captivity, but the other two terms are not necessarily clear cut. Tank raised means that eggs or larvae have been collected from the wild and raised in captivity, while captive/tank-bred refers to animals that have been reared from egg to adult in a captive environment. Many species are not currently available by any means other than wild collection, and I feel sustainable harvesting can have a positive impact on indigenous people, who make a living capturing aquarium animals while being given a strong reason to protect that environment for the future. Sustainable wild collection for the aquarium trade has the potential to protect our world’s coral reef ecosystems by showing coastal people the true value of their natural resources so they understand the importance of keeping these underwater habitats healthy. If the reefs are healthy, there will be many fish to collect and plenty of work, both for the current generations and those to come. While there are valid reasons for some aquarists, particularly those who have many years of experience or are breeders, to choose a wild-caught animal over a captive-bred one, for the vast majority of us, tank-raised and captive-bred specimens should be our preferred options. These animals are perfectly adapted to aquarium life, used to eating commercial foods and unlikely to harbor disease. They also reduce stress on ecosystems from collection pressure by eliminating the need for all ornamentals to be wild-caught, and they are often considered to be the best livestock available. The number of captive-bred marine ornamental species that aquarists now have access to is constantly growing and not in any small part due to the efforts of dedicated hobbyists as well as nonprofit organizations—such as Marine Breeders Initiative, a breeder’s award program that supports and promotes the captive breeding of marine organisms—and companies, such as Oceans, Reefs, and Aquariums (ORA) and Sustainable Aquatics (SA), which supply our trade with 100 percent, captive-bred fish and aquacultured corals. According to a 2014 list of captive-bred marine fish, approximately 250 species of ornamentals have now been tank-bred, ranging from anemonefish to gobies to seahorses. This certainly does not mean that we regularly have access to every species that has been bred thus far, but the more we support these efforts with our wallets, the better chance we will have of one day being able to choose from hundreds of readily available tank-bred marine fish without feeling limited to a tank full of clownfish. This article is meant to be a top 10 list of captive-bred marine ornamentals currently available, accompanied by information about their life history, care requirements and their respective places in the world of tank-bred fish. I will, of course, have to begin with the most well-known of all captive-bred fish: Amphiprion ocellaris.