Checklist For Your Rabbit’s Hutch

Perhaps the most important thing your rabbit needs is a place where he can stay and do his own thing. There are a few things that you have to consider before making a hutch for your pet. 

Your pet must be able to move freely, so the hutch should be spacious enough. Below are some other things to check and include in your pet’s cage:

●Hay - High-quality bedding is important as it protects your rabbit from getting hurt on the cage floor. 

●Food And Water Bowl - It is also important to clean it regularly and replace leftover food and water daily.

●Litter Area - Ensure that the litter area is accessible. Use good quality hay in the toilet area. 

●Hideout, tunnels, and toys - To keep your pet entertained and their getaway space when they needed alone time. 

Rabbits need a place where they feel safe and a room to explore, it is best to consider your rabbit’s preference in terms of his shelter.

Your veterinarian Derby is a valuable resource regarding your pet’s health and needs.

What Not To Do With Your New Kitten

When rearing a freshly acquired kitten, parents should focus on being tolerant and compassionate while rewarding appropriate behavior with positive reinforcement. In the instance that any purposeful or inappropriate activity, negative punishment, i.e. removal of some advantage, can be used. Even knowledgeable owners may fail to recognize the extreme no-nos of kitten rearing.

No yelling, threatening, or physical punishment. Punishment teaches a cat nothing but finds a way to avoid it. It is kinder and more humane to educate the kitten on what it should do instead of punishing it for what it is doing. Punishment is the administration of a stimulus that reduces the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. It must correspond with the bad behavior and be unpleasant enough to discourage the cat from repeating it. Punishment, when used incorrectly, can generate dread, anxiety, and owner avoidance, making it the least ideal technique for modifying behavior. Remember, you're penalizing the behavior, not the animal.

If you have concerns about your pet’s health and/or behavior, make an appointment with your veterinary clinic  Derby.

Pet Food – How Much Is Enough?

 

We've all seen the labels on food packs regarding pet age. It makes it easier for pet owners to transition their animals to a new diet. A pet's nutritional needs change as it approaches maturity, and it's up to us to ensure that our fur baby gets it.

Consider your pet's lifestyle. Is it overweight, and is the excess weight getting in the way of its mobility? What about activities? Is your pet getting enough exercise? You can answer these questions by simply looking at your pet. And depending on how heavy your pet is, you can also estimate how much food you're going to deduct from its daily helpings.

If the animal is only a little chunkier than what its weight should be, a decrease of 30% of the usual amount of food can be enough. But do it only until your pet is back to its old weight. It's a little easier to help out a skinny pet. All you have to do is feed it 20% more than what you give. Talk it out with your vet to ensure you're doing it right.

Your pet’s diet is one of the important concerns that you should discuss with your veterinarian Derby during your pet's health and wellness checks.

Cold Weather Care Tips For Dogs

We all know it's tempting to wrap your dog in layers of blankets and cuddle together while waiting out the winter. But believe it or not, they still need to go outside on cold days, if only for a few minutes. As a pet owner, it falls on you to ensure the safety of your fur baby while you humor the little bugger.

Ahead of the start of the winter, it is common practice to take your dog to your trusted vet for a check-up. Doing so will allow you to address any underlying condition that the cold might make worse. It's okay to use medicine to help mitigate symptoms, especially the extreme ones, but try to limit it to what the vet recommended.

If your pet is still young enough to be called a puppy, the little guy will likely have more challenges dealing with the cold. An adult dog is needy enough, so it's a safe bet that a puppy would require more care. If you like dressing up your pet, this is the perfect opportunity as the added layers will help keep them warm.

If your pet is showing signs of hypothermia, contact your veterinary health center Derby immediately. 

Reasons Why Cats Make Great First Pets

 

Cats, on average, are ultimately cheaper to maintain. They're usually not as sickly as dogs, so they require not as many vet appointments as canines typically do. Relative to the size of their pets, dog owners will likely need more money to feed their dogs. Pups also need more accessories such as leashes, beds, collars, and durable toys. On the other hand, cats are generally happy with only an empty box to sleep in and some random stuff at home to entertain them.

Aside from that, cats are also natural to potty training. While dogs need to get training for proper defecation, cats can usually do it without prior guidance. Even young cats already know how to use a litter box. Perhaps cat litter is expensive. But it's nevertheless cheaper than the rugs, flooring, and cleaning fees you'd have to pay every time a dog messes up.

Your vet Derby can enlighten you about important health issues that can affect your pet.

Loud Noises Can Be Stressful To Parakeets

Loud noises can cause parakeets to respond in a variety of forms. While some parakeets can tolerate a noisy environment, sensitive ones become agitated even upon hearing the doorbell. When subjected to continuous noise, some parakeets get anxious, while others exhibit negative behavior in response to unexpected loud noises. Some parakeets become agitated by the sound of a blender or vacuum cleaner, although they can tolerate music playing at an average volume. It may take a few adjustments to discover what kind of noises disturb your pet parakeet and the degree of the effect.

A bird agitated by a noisy environment may chatter incessantly, pull its feathers, avoid using the perch, refuse to feed, or remain silent. If your parakeet behaves in this manner, consider decreasing the amount of household noise and giving your bird some privacy to see if the behavior changes.

If you have concerns about your pet's health and/or behavior, make an appointment with your pet clinic Derby.

Keeping Your Barred Rock Chickens Hydrated

It’s important to make sure your Barred Rock chickens, both young and old, are drinking plenty of water throughout the day. If you suspect that your Barred Rocks are not drinking as much as they should, call your vet for assistance. Signs of dehydration or heat stress in Barred Rocks may include lethargy or behavioral changes. In order to keep your chickens hydrated, make sure cool, fresh water is available throughout the day by setting up multiple watering stations. You may also want to place ice cubes in the water to help keep it cooler longer. If your baby Barred Rock chicks aren’t drinking, pick up one of them and dip his beak into the water. He may just need to be shown where the water is. On the really hot days, talk to your vet clinic Derby about adding electrolyte supplements to the water to encourage your chickens to drink more.

Rough and Tough Canines

Are you looking for a rough and tough canine companion that can keep up with your life on the wild side and your love for the outdoors? If so, check out the Australian Cattle Dog. This breed was developed to endure long distance travel over rough, rugged terrain of Australia. Designed as a working dog, the Australian Cattle Dog is known for his ability to nip at the heels of cows and sheep and literally herd and drive them over long distances. Because of this instinctive nature, the Australian Cattle Dog loves to be on the go and he loves to play rough and tough. He also requires very little maintenance. He has a double coat with a top layer that is rain resistant. He requires little to no grooming although frequent baths are needed due to his active lifestyle. Call your animal hospital Derby for more information.

Spot-On Fly Control for Horses

 

Have you ever used a spot on monthly flea and tick prevention treatment for your cats or dogs? If so, did you know that there is a similar spot-on treatment for fly control is available for horses? If your horse is having trouble with flies, ticks, gnats, etc. please talk to your vet about using a spot on prevention program. The spot-on fly control comes in a liquid form that is applied directly to your horse’s skin. It is recommended that it be applied no sooner than every 14 days. One popular brand of spot-on treatment is Equi-Spot. This particular fly control is said to be waterproof and sweat proof and can help repel houseflies, stable flies, face flies, horn flies, eye gnats and ticks. In addition, it may help control horse flies, deer flies, mosquitoes, and black flies. Talk to your vets Derby before using this type of product on your horse.