Tip 68 – Dog training – teaching your dog to stay

Once your dog knows its name and the sit command, another key thing for it to learn is the “stay” command. The stay command is used to make your dog stay put. It is extremely useful in circumstances where the …

Dog tails – tail wagging

Many people understand that a wagging tail means a happy dog. But is it really that simple? What else does a dog’s tail tell us? The dog uses its tail as an important means of communication and is evaluated along …

Dogs and Cats with Retained Baby Teeth

Usually baby teeth fall out before adult teeth grow in. What happens if the baby teeth don’t fall out? Retained puppy/kitten teeth (‘baby’ teeth that don’t fall out) are very common. A retained tooth is not a life-threatening issue, but …

Dogs Cats and Anesthesia – Pet tip 239

Most cats and dogs undergo some type of surgery that requires anesthesia during their lifetimes even if it is only the surgery done for spaying and neutering. Other common procedures that require anesthesia include dental cleaning or dental surgery as well as repairing broken bones. Whenever surgery is done on a pet the topic of anesthesia arises. For the purposes of this article we will be talking about general anesthesia where pets are completely unconscious. We’ve all heard about the potential risks and possible complications regarding anesthesia in our own lives, and so it makes good sense to wonder about anesthetic complications when it comes to our pets as well.

Luckily, veterinary medicine has made huge strides in reducing anesthetic complications. So long as the pet is properly monitored during the actual surgery and the pet has been carefully prescreened for possible problems, anesthesia on pets is quite safe and problems are few.

Cats Sucking on Wool

Sucking, and wool sucking in particular, is a common behaviour in cats. While the causes are unknown, it is most often seen in Siamese or Burmese cats, suggesting that there may be a genetic basis to this behaviour.

A possible …

Teaching Parrots to Talk

In the wild, many types of birds learn to vocalize by repeating the sounds they hear around them. A young bird raised among its own kind will learn, of course, to make the same sounds and songs as its family …

Hyperthyroidism in cats

Veterinarians get frustrated sometimes. It seems like cats only come into the veterinary clinic for three reasons; weight loss, lethargy, and vomiting. No matter what is wrong with the cat, it seems like they almost always have one or all of these signs. Hyperthyroidism is one of the diseases that also have these symptoms. Cats suffering from this usually lose weight, even though they are eating more. They can be lethargic or extra-excitable. Sometimes the cat will drink more water (usually noticed because they urinate more) and can have vomiting and/or diarrhea. The owner subsequently brings the cat in to see a vet because it is sick.

Hyperthyroidism is always on the list of possibilities when these symptoms occur. Hyperthyroidism is a very common disease in older cats. It is so common that most vets will test the thyroid every time a sick cat comes in. It is a disease that can be easily treated, but it will slowly kill the cat if it is not treated. Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone.

Fat puppies – puppies on a diet

Everyone likes to see healthy, happy puppies bouncing around. How can we tell if a puppy is healthy? Usually we look at its energy level, fur, and weight. In general, people think that a healthy puppy has a round little …

GPS Systems for Cats and Dogs

GPS or global positioning systems are everywhere these days. These pieces of hardware track your exact location on a portable device by sending and receiving information about your location via satellite. One of the more common uses for these devices …

Cat Vaccination – Pet tip 139

Vaccination is one of the simplest and most effective ways to help your cat live a long and healthy life. Some of the most common and deadly feline diseases can be prevented through an annual (or even less frequent) booster. …