Tip – 34 – Dog training – Desensitizing dogs

PROBLEM – AFRAID OF, OR DOESN’T LIKE, BEING TOUCHED:

The secret, is to desensitize the dog to reacting to being touched, especially when cleaning paws. Start by touching casually WITHOUT making eye contact since eye contact is always seen as …

Fixing Broken Bones with Bone Plates

Fractures (AKA broken bones) are common in pets and can be caused by a variety of reasons. Old animals can get ‘pathological’ fractures, which happen from osteoporosis causing the bone to weaken, the same way this happens to many elderly people who are deficient in calcium and/or vitamin D. On the other hand, young animals can break bones from jumping off places that cause too high an impact on their fragile bones. Accidents also happen, and many animals are hit by cars.

Bone plates are one of the strongest and most effective methods of fixing a fracture.

Neutering dogs and cats – Pet tip 111

When it comes to neutering cats and dogs, many veterinarians will tell you that their male customers are often reluctant to have their male pets neutered. When the veterinarian asks why, the answer is focused on them putting themselves in …

Tip 54 – Punishing or disciplining your cat – stopping bad behaviour

Sometimes cats engage in behaviour that we the owners don’t appreciate. In order to make our cats behave in the way we want them to, we may try to punish them for their bad behaviour. Common reasons for wanting to …

Corneal Ulcers in Dogs and Cats

You’ve noticed lately that your pet is pawing at its eye. Maybe the eye is partially closed and tears are running onto the face. Your pet won’t let you look at the eye, which seems to quickly be getting worse …

Issue 3: January 2003

Welcome to our third issue of the pets.ca newsletter. As with previous issues, we welcome your feedback and your suggestions. We want to know what interests you, and how you feel about all things pet related. Please send your comments …

Dog Urinates in Home

A pet owner’s greatest frustration is often inappropriate elimination in the house. When the beloved family dog starts to use the living room as his own personal restroom, owners are understandably distraught. Aside from the monetary and time costs of …

Dogs – Cats – Pets and Divorce – Pet tip 232

The divorce rate in Canada and the U.S. is extremely high with nearly one out of every two couples getting divorced. Many couples that are divorcing don’t think much about how the divorce can affect the family pet. This is …

Tip 86 – Leashes for training puppies and dogs

There are many different types of leashes that are available at any pet store. Although some of the leashes may be very comfortable for your dog, they may not be well suited for training. Good examples include retractable leashes which …

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.