The Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrates, nitrites, ammonia: where do they come from, and why are they dirtying up your fish tank? Various forms of nitrogen are the by-products of food consumption and digestion in all terrestrial and aquatic animals. In a natural environment, waste …

Feeding sick anorexic cats

Cats can be notoriously picky eaters, and this finickiness can become even more pronounced when they are sick. For owners trying to feed this type of cat, getting enough food into their pet can be a frustrating battle, as no matter what is offered (wet food, kibble, treats) the cat will often turn its head away. Unfortunately though, a cat that is not eating is not something that can be ignored, or treated as a “wait and see” type of situation.

Tip 66 – Dog training courses – obedience training – socializing your puppy

In general, puppies that have had obedience classes with other puppies have less behavioural problems than those without any training. This is because dogs are natural pack animals and need to learn how to act with other pack members. Within …

Collapsed Trachea

Every living creature needs to breathe to survive. Breathing allows animals to deliver oxygen to tissues, as well as to get rid of wastes such as carbon dioxide that are produced by the body’s metabolism. The air is taken in …

Dog Bones

Bones… The Really Scary Part

Dogs eat non-digestible dirt, rocks, tampons, plastic squeaky toys, and rawhides. They vomit, choke, poop out foreign objects, sometimes need veterinary attention… these are real dogs in real life. One of my Rottweilers had to …

Dog skin – cat skin – skin problems in pets – Pet tip 143

The skin is the largest organ in the body. This is true for all animals. Being the largest organ in the body also means that it is very important to the health of the animal. If the skin and associated …

Hedgehogs

Want to time-travel into the past? Amazingly, you don’t even need a time-travel machine to do so. The hedgehog is a portal to the past; the present day hedgehog looks almost identical to the hedgehog that lived 15 million years …

Hairless Cats – Pet tip 145

For many, just the thought of a hairless cat is enough to make them shudder. For these people, the sight of a hairless cat is shocking, and touching one is downright scary. If you are one of these people, then this article is unlikely to sway you in the other direction. However, if you are the kind of person who has always been a little bit intrigued by the unique look of hairless cats, read on. Behind their striking appearance is a fascinating background, and if you are considering making a hairless cat part of your family, there is also a plethora of information to know about the proper way to care for these beautiful creatures.

Congenital hairlessness in cats is an extremely rare trait. Essentially, a hairless cat is the result of genetic mutations in one or more of the genes which encode for normal hair development. While the word ‘mutation’ implies that this genetic condition is unwanted and accidental, there are actually many breeders who select specifically for the hairlessness trait and work to maintain the hairless lineage in their cats.

E. Cuniculi in Rabbits

You’ve been noticing it for a few months now. Your bunny just hasn’t been acting like itself. You can’t quite put a finger on it, but it just seems ‘off’ somehow. Then you see a bit of a head tilt, which grows worse with time. Sometimes you catch your bunny stargazing. Then you realize it seems just a bit weaker than usual on its hind legs. It’s not jumping as high and isn’t running to the door to greet you as usual. A few months later it’s practically holding its head to the floor. What could possibly be wrong with it? Is it a brain tumour or some rare bacterial infection?

Emergency Veterinary Clinics – Hospitals – Pet tip 198

Even though we love our pets and do our best to protect them from harm, pet emergencies can happen at anytime and being prepared can often be the difference between life and death. Road accidents, foreign object obstructions, and bloat …