New Puppy Care: 12-18 Months
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Explore The Ferret Skeletal System
The ferret skeletal system is made up of roughly 200 bones. These bones are similar to most other mammals including humans, but there are some unique differences specific to ferrets. The skeleton can be divided into three main parts. The axial skeleton is made up of the skull, vertebrae, ribs and sternum. The appendicular skeleton is made up of the bones of the front arms, rear legs, shoulders and pelvis. The heterotopic skeleton is made up of the kneecaps, the fabella in a tendon of the rear legs and, in males, the os penis.
Dog Corns (AKA Paw Pad Keratoma): What Is It? And How Do Vets Treat It?
Also known as hyperkeratosis or paw pad keratoma, dog corns are—as mentioned earlier—painful, dense lesions that typically form on a dog’s paw pads. “These lesions are characterized by well-defined, raised areas with excess keratin, often taking on a conical shape at the center,” says Dr. Becca Boronat, DVM, a Charleston, South Carolina–based veterinarian at Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization.,Jump to section What Are Dog Corns? What Causes Corns in Dogs? Symptoms and Signs of Dog Corns How Vets Diagnose Dog Corns How To Treat Dog Corns How To Prevent Corns in Dogs
Bird Heart Health
The avian heart is an amazing organ. Because birds are so athletic, they have relatively bigger hearts than that found in mammals. (Anyone who has shared a home with a bird knows about their big hearts!) Not only is the heart bigger in birds, but it also beats a lot faster, relatively. For example the cardiac output (the blood flow out of the heart) is about seven times greater in a flying budgerigar (parakeet) than in a person or dog at maximum exercise level! Birds also must have a higher blood pressure than mammals to go along with that increased blood flow from the heart. Anatomically, birds have four chambers to the heart, which is the same amount as mammals. They are: right and left atrium, and right and left ventricle. You don’t hear much about birds and heart disease, but it does occur, although not as often as it occurs in mammals. Do birds get heart attacks? Well, that’s a complex question. Birds have an excellent blood supply to their heart muscle, as would be expected with an athletic animal. A heart attack occurs when, over time, the blood vessels that supply the blood, oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscles become obstructed to the point that the muscle cells begin dying. The most common reason for obstruction to the heart’s blood vessels is from atherosclerosis, which is a buildup of plaques inside the blood vessels. This seems to occur most often in African grey parrots but can occur in any parrot species. In people, it was discovered that there were Chlamydophila organisms (the primitive bacteria responsible for psittacosis) under some plaques in the blood vessels. This is an interesting discovery, and one that I have not heard diagnosed in birds, but one that warrants further study, since the connection between birds and psittacosis is well-known. Other heart conditions are more common in older birds, including congestive heart failure. This occurs when the heart no longer acts as an effective pump, and the blood supply to the kidneys is often compromised. In some cases, there is fluid in the sac around the heart itself, preventing it from pumping optimally. In other cases, the heart may become too muscular or too flabby, with both conditions causing ineffectual pumping. If the right side ventricle fails (or both ventricles are failing), then usually there is an enlarged liver, fluid found in the body tissues (called edema) and also excessive fluid in the body cavity. If the left ventricle fails, there is usually excess fluid in the lung tissue. When performing a physical exam on a pet bird, your avian veterinarian will auscult (listen to with a stethoscope) to the heart, lungs and air sacs of your bird. The heart rate and rhythm will be evaluated. Most birds have a really fast heart rate, and it is easier to evaluate when under anesthesia, as the rate often slows down. Some birds have an arrhythmia, meaning that the heart rhythm isn’t always the same, and may speed up or slow down based on breathing or for other reasons. Some birds may have a heart murmur, which means that there is abnormal blood flow in the heart and through one or more of the valves. This in itself doesn’t mean that the bird had a problem, but those identified with a heart murmur should be followed more closely and undergo a cardiac work-up either before a problem occurs or if signs of a heart problem begin to show up. A cardiac work-up includes baseline blood tests, radiographs to evaluate the heart, lungs, air sacs, liver and other internal organs, and perhaps an echocardiogram or electrocardiogram or special dye studies of the heart and blood vessels. I also suggest testing for Chlamydophila, although testing is never 100 percent in a live bird. Older birds, overweight birds and perhaps inbred birds are more likely to develop heart disease. I have seen a few cases of congenital or developmental heart disease, as well.
How to Stop Your Cat From Biting
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Send Some Love with These Pet-Inspired Valentine’s Day e-Cards
Remember the days spent handing out little Valentine’s Day cards to all the kids in your class? The kind you got from the drugstore that came in a pack of 30 and you’d spend an hour picking juuust the right one to give your crush? (Why was it always Simba and Nala from “The Lion King”?) We’re not in elementary school anymore but you can still send a smile to someone special with one of these pet-inspired Valentine’s Day e-cards we created just for you (because we like you, like fur-reals). Download one of the free Valentine’s Day e-cards below and either text, email or DM it to the one who has your heart—no licking that nasty envelope glue required. Or, attach them to these Valentine’s Day cookie grams and pass them out to your pet and all their friends!
7 Things You Must Know About Grass Parakeets
Grass parakeets are quiet and unobtrusive by nature. In the wild they are so calm that they will let people get close to them when feeding. This trusting nature combined with their natural curiosity leads even non-handled breeding pairs to become friendly. As pets, they are quiet and are ideal birds for apartments. Their tiny beaks do little damage, unless they are housed in a planted aviary. Then, like little feathered termites, they will chew the greenery, reducing it to a bunch of sticks. Grass parakeets are happiest when kept as a single pair in a large flight cage or housed in a large community aviary with other peace-loving small birds, where they are just fantastic to observe. Compared to other pet birds, grass parakeets are a bit fragile and need special care to live their full life span of about 10 years.,1. Why Are They Called Grass “Keets”?
5 Fluffy Cat Breeds
The Persian breed is probably best known for their long-flowing, luxurious coats and their sweet and gentle personalities. That’s probably why they’ve been the No. 1 breed in popularity for the Cat Fanciers’ Association for more than 30 years. Their long coats require indoor, protected environments, along with daily maintenance including a daily run-through with a comb to eliminate tangles and hairballs.,While most of our feline friends have some kind of fluff factor to them (except, you know, the hairless kinds), it’s a given that certain breeds of cat are fluffier than others. Grooming is an integral part of taking care of our feline companions. It’s important to teach our cats as kittens to get used to a comb or brush, and to groom our cats frequently – depending on the length of their coat – to prevent hairballs. Proper grooming sessions are also a great opportunity to inspect your cat’s coat and skin for any changes, scratches, abscesses or disorders. Finding your cat’s favorite place for grooming – like your lap or favorite spot on the floor – will make things infinitely easier for the primping sessions, too. We consulted with the Cat Fanciers’ Association to find out which breeds of cat are actually known to be the fluffiest. If you’re planning on bringing home one of these five breeds in the near future, you better go out and buy a FURminator.
6 Essential Tornado Safety Tips Pet Parents Should Know
From toxic foods to illness to new experiences, we dutifully protect our furry friends from every potential threat that may come their way. And if you live in an area with dangerous weather—like tornadoes—then knowing how to keep pets safe from extreme storms is a priority as well. Here’s everything you need to know about tornado safety, including how to prepare in advance, what action to take once you hear warning sirens, and how to help your pet stay calm and secure during a scary storm.
What It’s Like to Foster a Pet During the Pandemic
Liz Burrage, a Baltimore-area nonprofit worker who helps her mother raise therapy dogs in her spare time, loves to give back. But when the pandemic cut her off from her usual work, she found another way to be of service: fostering pets. Her first foster, a 1-year-old Sharpei-Labrador mix named Snickerdoodle, came home with her March 19. “He has the softest wrinkles and fur on his head ever,” Burrage says. “And he had a huge play drive.” At the shelter, Burrage says, Snickerdoodle was only able to go outside for short periods three times a day. At home with Burrage and her family, Snickerdoodle had more opportunities to play and exercise—and it showed. “In a few days, he started to really come out of his shell,” Burrage says. Snickerdoodle proved he was good with children and other dogs—which helped his shelter find a home for him in just six days. Having Snickerdoodle by her side helped ease Burrage’s anxiety about the pandemic, she says. And through his interactions with kids and other pets in Burrage’s family, Snickerdoodle proved he was good with children and other dogs—and that information helped his shelter find a home for him in just six days. “When [the shelter] called and said, ‘Snickerdoodle was with us for two months and we didn’t have one application, and now after six days, he’s adopted’—I just sat there and cried. Like, wow, I didn’t even put that into perspective.” Now, Burrage is a foster convert. After Snickerdoodle, she fostered and found a home for a Jack Russell Terrier named Arby, and is currently fostering a three-legged mixed-breed rescue named Boston.,You’ve probably seen a lot of foster pets lately, posing on your social media feed or out for walk with a neighbor. That’s because more and more people are fostering homeless pets during the coronavirus pandemic. This trend is a win-win for everyone: It gives pets a better chance of finding a forever home, relieves the burden on shelters and rescues, and makes life more livable for foster parents while they’re sheltering in place. Just ask these foster parents, all of whom took in a temporary pet for the first time in March. From adoption successes to foster “fails,” their stories are unique—but they all share the rewarding feeling of helping a pet in need.
