Featured Articles
Cat Respiratory Disease
Sometimes we notice our cats coughing and sneezing. Is it something to worry about? Do cats get colds like humans do? How does one know if it is serious? How long should one wait before bringing the cat to the …
Pain aggression in dogs – Pet tip 257
Unfortunately the following two scenarios occur from time to time: You’re innocently petting your cat or dog when all of a sudden your pet bites you. The same reaction can happen when you pick up your cat or dog the way you always do, when all of a sudden it bites you. What is going on here? Your pet NEVER bites you, and now that you are trying to show it some love, it bites you. Has your pet gone mad? What might be going on here is pain induced aggression.
It seems so obvious after you bring your pet to a veterinarian to figure out what is going on, but it may be as simple as pain induced aggression. Pain induced aggression means that your pet has exhibited an aggressive behaviour because it is in pain. This is especially common in older pets that may be suffering from arthritis or perhaps one of their internal organs is bruised or diseased.
Tip – 38 – Dog toys – good and bad dog toys
GOOD AND BAD DOG TOYS
All dogs like to play, especially chase games but these are not necessarily the games you want them to play. Retrieving games are best, giving the dog lots of exercise, without necessarily exhausting you. Balls …
Intestinal Parasites in Dogs and Cats
We’ve all heard about intestinal worms. There’s heartworm, roundworm, hookworm, ringworm (which is actually a fungus, not a worm) and so many more. How do we keep them all straight? This article will introduce you to two of the most common intestinal worms that your dog or cat may encounter.
First of all, how do we diagnose intestinal worms? Sometimes you may see your pet vomit or defecate whole worms or worm pieces (especially roundworms). But most worm infections are not so visible. This is why the most common way to diagnose intestinal worms is by bringing a fecal sample to your veterinarian.
Tip 60 – Cat wagging its tail
When a dog wags its tail in that familiar broad stroked side to side manner, it means the dog is happy and content. When a cat wags its tail it does not mean the same thing at all. A cat …
PDD in Birds
Proventricular Dilation Disease – PDD in Birds
Let’s say that lately you’ve been noticing that your bird isn’t feeling well. It’s lethargic, dull, and has ruffled feathers. Then you start noticing that it’s not getting better. In fact you’ve realized …
Clipping Dog Nails and Cat Nails – Pet tip 184
Did you know that it is recommended that you clip your dog’s or cat’s nails every 3 to 4 weeks? Feeling like a neglectful owner now? Don’t feel too bad; most of us seem to forget about our pet’s nails …
Dog Tails – Why Dogs Wag their Tails
“….In some ways, tail-wagging serves the same functions as our human smile, polite greeting, or nod of recognition. Smiles are social signals, and human beings seem to reserve most of their smiles for social situations, where somebody is around to see them. Sometimes, vicarious social situations, as when watching television or occasionally when thinking about somebody special, can trigger a smile. For dogs, the tail wag seems to have the same properties. A dog will wag its tail for a person or another dog. It may wag its tail for a cat, horse, mouse, or perhaps even a butterfly. But when the dog is by itself, it will not wag its tail to any lifeless thing. If you put a bowl of food down, the dog will wag its tail to express its gratitude to you. In contrast, when the dog walks into a room and finds its bowl full, it will approach and eat the food just as happily, but with no tail-wagging other than perhaps a slight excitement tremor. This is one indication that tail-wagging is meant as communication or language. In the same way that we don’t talk to walls, dogs don’t wag their tails to things that are not apparently alive and socially responsive.
A dog’s tail speaks volumes about his mental state, his social position, and his intentions. How the tail came to be a communication device is an interesting story.
Heat Stroke in Pets
Heat Stroke – What is heat stroke and how does it occur?
Heat stroke is a fever that is induced by high environmental temperatures. Animals are at risk when exposed to hot and humid temperatures because effective evaporated cooling in …
