Tip 71 – Cat purring – Why do cats purr?

Purring is the rhythmic vibrating sound that all cats can produce when they are in a content state. It is an instinctual response in domestic cats that can be seen at the onset of life when the newborn kitten purrs …

Blood Donor Programs for Dogs and Cats

We all know of the importance of donating blood from a human medicine perspective; collecting and maintaining a blood bank ensures that there will be an adequate supply of blood available when it is most needed, for instance during surgery or following an accident. But what about a blood donation program for our pets? After all, they undergo many of the same medical procedures as we do; is there a program in place for them? It turns out that there is, and certain organizations are looking for you and your pet to help out and donate blood.

While there isn’t a national blood donor organization for animals as there is with humans, there are several smaller organizations that exist across the country. Several of the veterinary colleges have one in place, so if you happen to live close to a veterinary school, that would be a great place to check out.

History of the Dog and Human Relationship

Dogs and Humans – How the relationship began
(excerpt from The Intelligence of Dogs) Dr. Stanley Coren

“…We will probably never have conclusive evidence to tell us how dogs and humans first formed their personal and working relationship with each …

Tip 57 – Dog in heat – signs your dog is in heat – the Estrous cycle

Once a female dog reaches puberty it begins its regular cycles of Estrus or heat which allows the dog to release eggs and reproduce. Most females have 2 cycles per year. Signs that your dog is in heat include vaginal …

Blastomycosis in dogs

Perhaps you have heard of ‘blasto’ in dogs, it’s an important disease that all dog owners should be aware of.

Blastomycosis dermatitidis is the most common systemic mycosis of dogs. Systemic meaning that it can affect the whole body, and mycosis, meaning that it is caused by a fungus. It is called ‘dermatitidis’ because it affects primarily the skin, but it can also affect other body parts, such as the vascular system.

Blastomycosis is largely confined to the Ohio, St. Lawrence and Mississippi river-drained areas of North America. It is a soil organism, which can be inhaled by a dog. It is often found growing on dead leaves along a river. The classic case of a dog getting blasto is a young male hunting dog following a trail and sniffing eagerly along a river-bank. It is most common from August to October, since this is when leaves are falling off trees and the mould version of the fungus can grow upon them.

Safe Plants and Poisonous Plants for Cats

Good plants

These are all common houseplants that are non-toxic to cats.…

African violet (Saintpaulia)
Aluminum plant
Any of the true ferns (Boston fern, maidenhair, etc.)
Cacti (but make sure they are real cacti, not just a succulent)
Catnip
Common

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?

Pica in Dogs and Cats – Pet tip 151

You’ve probably heard about a million pet owners claim “my dog eats anything” or “my cat eats everything”. Maybe you’ve even said so yourself. More often than not, when people make these statements, we chock it up to exaggeration. People …

March 2012

Dear Petlover,

Hi there it’s Marko, one of the owners/administrators on Pets.ca and this is our first newsletter of 2012. We intend to only put out occasional newsletters, so rest assured you will not get bombarded with mailings. If you …

Should I Clip My Bird’s Wings

Are you a new bird owner? Perhaps you are unsure about what kind of regular care your bird will need. Of course you need to feed and love it, but did you know that many bird owners choose to have their bird’s wings clipped? Wing clipping is one of the most controversial topics in pet bird ownership. In this article, we will discuss how wing clipping is done and what information you need to know before making this decision.

Although the thought of clipping a pet bird’s wings is horrendous to some bird owners, clipping is a very common procedure done to pet birds. It is done to prevent the bird from flying away and from flying into harmful household objects like windows and ceiling fans.  The idea behind wing clipping is to cut the “primary feathers”. Primary feathers are the long feathers that are closer to the wing tip. These feathers are very important for the bird’s ability to fly and to steer while flying. Some people will clip (cut) only one wing. When this is done, it is believed that the bird will not be able to fly, but will instead float down to the ground in a spiral.