Introducing New Pets and Some Signs of Hostile Behavior

One challenge to maintaining a home with more than one pet is how to get the animal companions to live in harmony together. If a new pet arrives, you cannot let it socialize with the resident pets. The resident pets are also likely to become aggressive to newcomers, and you will see these signs of hostility. One behavior is that residents will be fixated on that new pet or at least, the room where it is staying. Hissing or growling with the newcomer’s presence is another sign as well. Your animal companions need some time to be familiar with one another’s presence and scent.  Any newly acquired pet has to be put inside a room that is separate from the residents. Introductions have to be done gradually so that any aggression is prevented.  Be sure that you supervise closely any interaction between your pets in case any hostility occurs. If any hostile actions still happen after an extended time, check with your veterinary clinic Louisville KY regarding the best way to handle situations like these.

Protecting Your Dog Against Canine Influenza

 

Canine influenza or dog flu is a highly contagious viral illness that dogs and even sometimes cats can get. Infected dogs can shed the influenza virus through nasal discharges most especially when the disease incubates, meaning that the infected dog is still not displaying any signs or symptoms that he has the virus. It is almost a certainty that any dog that had exposure to this virus will get the infection. The dog flu mortality rate is lower than ten percent, however, most of the infected dogs will display symptoms that are flu-like and they last for two to three weeks until full recovery.

A dog that shows signs that he is infected has to be quarantined. This must also be done to dogs that were exposed to or suspected of exposure to an infected dog. A one to three-week quarantine period is recommended, depending on your veterinarian’s recommendation. Because you can also transmit the infection if you handle a dog that is infected, be mindful to always practice sanitation and good hygiene. Thoroughly wash and clean your hands using water and soap. Bedding, toys, kennels, and various other items that an infected dog uses have to be washed, cleaned, and disinfected. Fortunately, this influenza virus could be destroyed with common home disinfectants.

Check with your veterinarian Brampton, ON regarding a vaccine that could safeguard your dog from canine influenza.

Puppies And Play Biting Behaviors

 

A puppy will always want to use his mouth, most especially when exploring his environment. And being playful creatures as they are, they will want to place items in their mouths, nibble, and bite whenever they play. Initially, it may not hurt at all when a young puppy bites since not all of their teeth are present yet. But as the puppy’s adult teeth start to grow, the bite will start to become more painful. Some pups will not outgrow this play-biting behavior, carrying it to adulthood. Biting itself is just one of a dog’s instinctive behaviors as they were predators before they got domesticated. Certain situations may trigger a pet dog’s instinctive biting behavior, and this can be somewhat of a danger to nearby people and other pets. Because of this, a puppy has to be trained behaviorally while at a young age so that they can play properly. But if your pet continues to play roughly, consult your veterinarians Derby for assistance in dealing with your dog’s aggressive behavior.

Setting Up Lighting For Your Pet Snake’s Enclosure

Most snake keepers use a lighting setup that is similar to the ones used for other pet reptiles.  But there are certain lighting factors not needed for most pet snakes.

If your pet snake’s original home in the wild is a temperate environment and your home is kept warm the entire year, then lighting will not be needed much.  But do not make the mistake of confusing humidity with temperature.  Two snakes might be coming from similar climates, but they might have varying humidity requirements.

A lot of pet snakes will do well even without the UVB lights.  But most snake keepers report increased coloration and activity with their pets if with exposure to UVB lights.

A snake’s temperature requirements will typically be the determining factor whether or not heat lights are needed.  You can try using heating pads for tanks to maintain the warmth of your snake’s enclosure but they can be tricky to maintain and monitor the right temperature.

Heating lamps also offer an advantage in that they simulate the natural night and day cycle than heat pads.

If you have concerns about your pet, contact your vet clinic Greater Cincinnati.

Tips to Protect Horses from Sunburn

 

Horses are very likely to get sunburned. This is due to them always being out to pasture, being exposed to the harsh rays of the sun. These sunburns could be painful for the animal. Their light-colored spots are the areas most likely to get sunburned. But there are methods to minimize or outright prevent your horse from getting sunburned. Keep your horse in a shed to shield it from the sun’s rays during the hottest parts of the day and let it out to graze during the cooler hours. There are also sun creams that can shield horses from the sun available commercially. You can apply this cream to your horse’s most vulnerable spots, like its legs, torso, back, eye area, ears, and face. These sun creams can aid in blocking the sunburn causing UV rays. Apply the cream several times within the day to make sure that your horse is fully protected. Your best veterinarian Wichita, KS can offer more information on sun damage prevention you can try on your horse.

Traveling With A Pet Turtle

 

Pet turtles can be stressed out by travel.  If transporting your turtle is needed, then some preparation and planning will have to be done ahead of the scheduled car ride so that problems can be minimized when the day comes.

Put your turtle inside a plastic box that has holes drilled into it so that it will have enough ventilation.  Turtles are notorious escapologists, so select a box that has a securely closing lid.  Also, put in some padding material at the bottom like an old towel.  There must be no loops or loose threads that can tangle up your turtle.  Paper towels and newspapers also work quite well for the same purpose.   Of course, you want to make sure that there is ample space inside the box where you put your pet.

A turtle can deal with being without water for considerably long periods.  But if the trip is quite long, consider misting your pet, or at least dampen the padding inside the box.  Misting your turtle cools it down but make sure that you are able to warm your pet enough for the duration of the trip.  A relatively shorter trip that might just take a couple of hours will be okay with semi-aquatic species of turtles like the red-eared slider even if they are not in water.

Check with your veterinarian Dahlonega GA for additional useful information regarding how to keep your turtle safe and content while you travel.

Prevent Hair Balls By Frequent Brushing

 

If you are worried about hairballs forming in your cat's stomach, your best solution would be to brush the cat's hair regularly. Regular brushing is very effective in collecting the hairs that might get ingested.

If you brush the cat's hair regularly, especially during shedding season, you can fur from getting in the stomach. If there is less hair in the stomach, there is a lesser possibility that hairballs will be formed. When you can control the hairball formation, you will not have to worry about these obstructing the cat's digestive system.

A short-haired cat can make do with once a week brushing. But for long-haired cats, you need to brush the hair more frequently. But during springtime, you need to brush the cat's hair daily because this is the season for shedding the thick coat from winter.

Consult your vet Aurora, CO, or groomer regarding the proper way of using a de-shedding tool. Make sure to use the right comb for your dog's hair. Take time to remove any mats and tangles so you will not encounter any problems in the future. Read more here.