Common Birds

Birds for Beginners – Getting your First Pet Bird

Not all birds are created equal! If you’re thinking about getting a pet bird, it is important to choose a bird that fits your personality and lifestyle. That way you can …

What Drives Your Dog – Pet tip 207

When it comes to understanding dog behaviour in an attempt to modify it for training and/or obedience purposes, we quickly come to the term of a dog’s ‘drive’. What we are referring to here is what motivates a dog. By …

Lymphoma in Dogs

The lymphatic system, including the lymph nodes and the spleen, is extremely important in the body’s immunologic defense against “foreign” invaders, known as “antigens”. The lymph nodes contain numerous types of white blood cells that are important in the body’s …

Dogs and Hybrid Vigour

Why does is seem that certain breeds of dogs are more likely to develop specific health problems than other breeds? For example, why are Doberman pinchers more likely to have heart problems than other breeds? You may or may not be familiar with the term “hybrid vigour”, but you have probably run across this concept before. In this article we will discuss how this term can be used to explain why various dog breeds are predisposed to developing certain health issues.

How are dog breeds created? If you think about it, all dog breeds descended from a single ancestor related to the modern wolf. The Chihuahua and the Great Dane, as well as the Yorkshire terrier and the Bull Mastiff all came from the same genetic background.

Adopting Adult Cats & Dogs

Getting a new pet is never a quick or easy decision. How do you know what pet is right for you? First you must figure out what your options are. There are purebreds, strays, rescues, puppies, kittens, and adults. That’s …

Dog Barks When Left Alone

Hark, Hark, The Dog Doth Bark: Silencing The Dog That Barks When Left Alone – Jacque Schultz

Of all dog behavior problems, perhaps the most distressing one is the dog who barks when left alone. Incessant volleys of yips, woofs …

Canine Distemper

What is distemper?

Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic dogs. Some other species, including ferrets, skunks, and raccoons, are also affected by this disease.

How is the disease spread?

The virus is spread primarily by direct contact …

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.

Socializing your Puppy

Socialization

Until they reach 16 to 18 weeks of age, a puppy will be in a socialization period. This period is the most important and critical in its life. Every effort should be made to socialize your puppy; meaning to …

Helping a Wild Bird

Beth McMaster of Wildbird Recovery in Middlesex offers these guidelines for what to do with a wild bird that appears to need help:

To catch and pick up an injured bird, throw a pillowcase or towel over it and gently …