Rabbit Care and Tips

See the April 12, 2009 post titled “Unusual Pets - Rabbits” and the July 22, 2009 post titled “Building Housing for Pet Rabbits” for further information on these great pets.

Pets complete a home for both single people and families. Children often desire pets more than adults do, as they think animals are cute and fun to have. Adults, of course, know the work required. Like any pet, rabbits need care. They need to go to the veterinarian, be fed and watered daily and have their home cleaned. When you decide to purchase a rabbit, you need to know exactly what is required.

Before I get into your rabbit’s needs, you will want to know the types of rabbits that are available. The most common types of rabbits sold as pets are cottontail, dwarf and lop eared rabbits. The dwarf rabbit is small and should be kept indoors. Cottontails are not as sensitive to the weather and can be housed outside in moderate climates. Lop eared rabbits have long floppy ears and like cottontails grow to a good size. The type of rabbit you wish to have for a pet will determine the care needed.

Like cats and dogs, rabbits require shots from the veterinarian to keep them in good health. People carry diseases that can harm animals if they do not wash their hands before and after they handle their pet. Rabbits can be susceptible to worms and other dietary parasites so it is important to take your rabbit for its veterinarian visit when needed. Speak with a veterinarian about your rabbit’s care and any questions you may have before you complete your purchase.

Rabbits eat pellets, hay and some vegetables. Most rabbits like to munch on carrots or lettuce as a treat. You want to feed your rabbit every day to ensure it is receiving the proper amount of food. Unlike cats that eat when they are hungry, a rabbit can over eat and become over weight. Some commercial feed for rabbits contain nuts; however, these foods are typically not good for your rabbit as they are too high in fibre. You can feed your rabbit fruit as a treat, but you should not do so daily as the sugar in fruit could cause health problems.

Housing for a rabbit can be in your home or if you wish to keep them outside, a wooden cage will work. Most outside cages are designed to let the waste fall through so your rabbit(s) are not sitting on it or laying on it. The cage should be built large enough to house an adult rabbit with bedding spread out to make a nice little home. They should be given plenty of water and have it changed daily. Having a fenced backyard for your pet rabbit is a great idea. They can roam, under supervision, for a little exercise, which all pets need. Do not leave your rabbit unattended, even in a fenced back yard. In the time it takes you to go to the washroom and return to the back yard, your rabbit can dig a hole under the fence and be gone. Tame rabbits have no defence against dogs, large hawks or eagles. They are also easy pray for coyotes, feral cats, racoons and foxes.

You should clean your rabbit cage at least once a week or more often, depending on how messy or smelly it becomes. Your rabbit needs a clean environment to eliminate the possibilities of disease. An important factor in having a rabbit that lives a long life is its environment.

Rabbits with their fuzzy cottontails or floppy ears are some of the cutest pets you can own. They are a medium maintenance pet. With proper feeding and environmental care, you can have your rabbit for 5 to 10 years. Your children will enjoy showing off their pet rabbit to all their friends and beg you to take her to show and tell. I do not think that this is a good idea. Rabbits do not handle stress well. Being in a room full of children who want to touch and hold her is quite stressful and could cause your pet to become ill.

There are a couple of things you have to watch for that are seldom mentioned in rabbit books or by your vet. When female rabbits go into season (become ready for breeding), they will pull hair from their chest to make a nest. Frequently they swallow some of this hair, which like a cat, will form a hairball in their stomach. If your female rabbit begins to look lethargic, get her to a vet immediately. She could have a hairball, which if untreated, could be fatal.

If you have male rabbits, when they go into season, similar to a male dog, they will begin to spray their cage and any nearby furniture. Therefore, at this time, it is advisable to restrict them to their cage until their season is over. During this time, you will have to wash their cage more frequently as their urine is quite smelly. From experience, mom and dad recommend that you get a female rabbit if you decide to get a rabbit for a pet.

I feel that pets are needed to complete a family. As mentioned in one of the previous posts listed above, rabbits are great pets and can provide you with countless hours of entertainment and affection.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets: Tortoises

Tortoises are turtles which live on land and belong to the reptile family of the order Testudines. Like their cousins the sea turtle, they have a shell to protect them from predators. The top part of the shell is known as the carapace and the bottom side is known as the plastron. Tortoises have both an exoskeleton and an endoskeleton. They are active during the day and early evening and tend to be reclusive animals.

Because there are many types of Tortoises, ranging in size from a few centimetres to two meters, prior to considering one for a pet, a prospective owner should do a lot of research into the type of Tortoise she or he is interested in acquiring.

Different species of Tortoises have different diet requirements. Most of them are herbivores, meaning that they feed on grasses, weeds, leafy greens, alfalfa, clover, dandelions, flowers and certain fruits. It is not recommended that they be fed Tortoise pellets as these pellets contain too much protein which can lead to medical problems. Because Tortoises require extra calcium, calcium carbonate can be ground up and sprinkled on their greens.

Tortoises are also temperature sensitive. Usually it is a good idea to bring your Tortoise indoors at night. And when the weather is cold, they should be kept inside. But this can be a big problem if the Tortoise is large in size. Some species also hibernate during winter. This can be really stressful for the animal as well as the owners. The owners should provide the pet with hibernation facilities, otherwise the pet will suffer from stress and could even die.

If your Tortoise is large, a pen can be constructed in the yard, where the Tortoise can live (provided that your climate is within the temperature ranges for the species of Tortoise that you own). The pen should be really strong and the fences should be buried deep as some Tortoises have a tendency to dig. They are also very strong reptiles. They can easily break weaker walls. In addition, some Tortoises are good climbers, so the pen should also be provided with a roof. The roof also saves the Tortoise from other dangers such as dog bites and bird attacks. The owner must check for possible threats to the pet within the pen itself. Some plants can be harmful if the Tortoise feeds on them. So, make sure that only edible plants are kept in the pen.

Your Tortoise should be provided with water, but the water body should be shallow, so that the Tortoise doesn’t drown in it. Things which are sharp or which can be chewed and not digested by your Tortoise shouldn’t be kept in the pen. Try and ensure that your Tortoise does not have anything which it can climb. If it slips and falls onto its back, it may not be able to right itself and this could prove to be fatal.

Some species grow really big, so this factor should be considered while building the pen. In fact, this factor should be considered when first buying the Tortoise. Different species grow to different sizes; have different dietary habits, living conditions and temperature adaptability. Beginners should certainly go for a captive bred Tortoise, as they are less troublesome than the ones that come directly from the wild. Also when Tortoises are captured from the wild and transported, there are chances that they can fall ill or even die because of high levels of stress. Also wild Tortoises carry a wide range of parasites, which can be harmful for the owner as well as the Tortoise and other pets in the home. When the potential owner thinks of buying a Tortoise, it should get thoroughly examined for parasites and other diseases by a veterinarian.

Tortoises prefer to stay alone. Unless you plan on breeding Tortoises, a female Tortoise is not a good idea and two male Tortoises should never be kept together as they can fight and injure each other very seriously. Tortoises have a very long lifespan. Some can live up to 150 years. Therefore, there can be the possibility of the pet outliving the owner, so the owner should have everything planned and should make a lifetime commitment when considering getting a Tortoise as a pet.

Until next time,

Teia

Internal Dog Parasites

The picture on the left shows a Dipylidium caninum (dog tapeworm - sometimes called a cucumber tapeworm and the picture below shows a Toxocara canis (dog roundworm).

Any dog, whether the dog appears to be clean and/or if it is from a seemingly 'well-to-do home' can get internal parasites (endoparasites).

Roundworms (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina) are rather like pale earthworms which can grow to about 10cm in length. Both ends of the worm are pointed. Signs that your dog may have roundworms are mild vomiting, having a pot-belly, having a dull coat and either sudden weight gain or sudden weight loss. A puppy might cough or hiccup. You may also see worms wrapped around the dog's stool when it has a bowel movement.

The Life Cycle of the Toxocara canis starts with the bitch eating contaminated feces. The larvae as well as remaining in the intestine, migrate to the mammary glands and the uterus. When puppies feed off the bitch , the larvae enter their system and grow into adult worms within two weeks. The adult round worms lay eggs which hatch into larvae. The larvae burrow through the gut wall to the liver and lungs, causing respiratory problems. Some lay dormant while others are coughed up and re-swallowed. These larvae pass through the stomach into the intestine, where they grow into adult worms and lay thousands more eggs. These eggs are passed out of the dog where they lay waiting for a passerby to eat the feces enabling the cycle to start over.

The Life Cycle of the Toxascaris leonina starts with the eggs being ingested and hatching in the stomach. They do not migrate, but develop in the wall of the intestine, therefore infection to a bitch's puppies does not occur. However, these worms also lay thousands of eggs which pass out of the dog in its stool, where they wait to be eaten and continue the cycle in another dog.

It is, therefore, advisable that pregnant bitches be wormed under a veterinarian's supervision. Puppies should be routinely wormed after the age of two weeks. They should also be wormed either just before or just after going to a new home. Adult dogs should be wormed every six months. However, if you have young children in your household, it is wise to worm your dog every three months.

Tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum) are flat, segmented worms that can grow up to 50cm long. They are not normally seen as a complete worm, as these remain in the dog, but as individual segments loaded with ripe eggs. One of the signs of their presence in a dog is that the abdomen may become distorted. However, the most common sign is the presence of rice-like grains around the anus. These worms can also be seen moving in the dog's feces. They can cause diarrhoea and poor growth development in puppies. They can also get into your children if they get contaminated feces or eggs on their hands and then touch their mouth.

The Life Cycle of Dipylidium caninum starts when a dog swallows a flea, which has itself swallowed an embryonic egg. The larvae develop into adult worms in the small intestine. Specific worming remedies for this type of worm are obtained from a veterinarian (vet). Also ensure that the dog is regularly checked for fleas.

Ticks (Ixodes species) are actually ectoparasites (external parasites) but they are mentioned here because they frequently infect dogs with diseases that can also be passed on to humans. They are brownish-white in colour and can be initially mistaken for a wart, but on closer inspection the legs can be seen, while the head is buried in the epidermis. Having gorged on the dog's blood, it grows to the size of a bean or pea. You may spot ticks when you are grooming the dog or when the dog has an allergic reaction to them and begins scratching. At this time they will appear as red sores. Normally a dog will tolerate one or two ticks without showing any signs of irritation, so if you live in an area where ticks are prevalent, you should check your dog for ticks every time he comes into the house from outside.

The Life Cycle of Ixodes species starts with adult ticks laying eggs that drop on the ground. Larvae hatch and climb onto blades of grass, shrubs, etc., where they wait for a passerby to brush past, thus enabling them to attach themselves onto the hair of the dog or the clothes of the owner. Surgical spirit soaked onto the tick suffocates it, thus loosening its grip. It can then be removed with tweezers. Never attempt to pull the tick off without soaking it first, as the head will remain and cause infection. Treat the bite area with antiseptic to prevent infection. A special dip/shampoo can be obtained from the vet if infestation is severe. Ticks can also be removed by covering them with Vaseline. Vaseline coverage impedes the breathing of the tick so it backs out of the epidermis. Once it backs out of the dog’s skin, it can be picked off and destroyed. You can also use this treatment if you get a tick on you while you are walking your dog in an infested area.

For further information on ticks and your dog, do a query, within this blog, on ticks as there are several entries on these dangerous parasites. The blog search field is at the top left of the blog in the blue band next to the Blogger logo.

Until next time,

Teia

Tips, Techniques and Equipment for Brushing Your Dog

Just back from the groomer.

It is vital that your dog is brushed regularly for several reasons:

1. To avoid discomfort – matted hair is uncomfortable and leads to “hot spots” - areas where air cannot get to the skin and thus skin irritation and infection frequently set in.

2. To help eliminate skin disorders (see above).

3. To prevent an infestation of parasites. If parasites get onto your dog, you will usually see evidence of them when brushing the dog. The earlier you detect the parasites the quicker you can eliminate them.

4. To stop smells from developing. Debris, dirt, bits of food and matted hair, all of which smell, are removed during a thorough brushing.

5. To avoid extra charges at the Veterinarian and the Groomer. Many veterinarians and groomers charge extra when working on dogs with dirty matted hair. Mom and dad's older daughter took her two Cocker Spaniels to a groomer for a haircut and when she went to pay the bill she was shocked to find that the cost was $300 per dog because the groomer had to remove some matted hair from each dog. Needless to say, she no longer uses that groomer. However, most groomers have a $25 to $50 surcharge for dealing with dogs that have matted hair.

6. To remove loose hair, reducing the amount floating around the house.

To ensure that your dog's coat is in tip-top condition and to maintain a healthy pet, it is essential that the ears, eyes, coat, skin and anal area of the dog are checked regularly.

The first steps to brushing the dog:

1. Ensure you have a steady and non-slip work top or table. A rubber bath mat placed on a firm table will do. Do not use a towel as this will slip and slide. Having a firm surface that the dog feels comfortable on will prevent accidents and it will alleviate some of the stress of a thorough brushing.

2. Make sure that the dog knows that this is the place where misbehaving is not allowed. Start if possible as a puppy with regular short sessions. The more comfortable the dog feels on the brushing (grooming) table, the less problems you will have.

3. Make this an enjoyable and pleasurable experience (for both of you) but not a game.

4. The dog must learn through repetition, correction and praise. Do not smack the dog, use voice control.

5.Always reward the dog after brushing, either by treat or physical attention.

6. Take the dog outside to relieve itself before you begin the brushing session and again after you have completed the brushing.

The recommended frequency of brushing your dog's coat varies according to coat texture and length. Seek the advice of an experienced breeder or groomer. As a guide, every dog should be brushed at least once a week, although there are many breeds that need brushing three times a week! Unfortunately, some long haired dogs need to be brushed daily.

Does and Don'ts when brushing ALL types of coats:

1.Do not bathe the dog before thoroughly brushing out, as this tightens any knots present, also shampoo will be difficult to rinse out. Always remember that to prevent dry skin and to keep the natural oils in the dog's hair, restrict the number of baths you give your dog. My groomer recommends a bath only before getting my hair cut unless I get in the mud and get real dirty, then an extra bath can be given. Also remember that dogs require dog shampoo and conditioner as it has the proper PH for dog hair.

2.Do start brushing from the back and work toward the front as this is less sensitive for the skin.

3.Do be systematic, so that you do not miss any areas.

4.Do always hold limbs at a natural angle, no matter how awkward a position the knot or mat may be in.

5.Do remember that with most breeds there is the undercoat to brush too, not just the surface of the coat.

6.Do be firm, but do not smack your dog. Praise once corrected and obeyed.

Techniques of Brushing:

With long-haired dogs, or dense and curly non-shedding haired dogs, be aware that by brushing just on the surface of the coat you will not prevent matting. There is hair all the way down to the skin that needs attention.

Begin at the bottom of the back leg and, using your non brushing hand, lift the hair up and slicker brush underneath, bit by bit, gradually brushing hair down from where you are holding it.

Remember that there are four sides to a leg, front, back, outside and inside. Having worked your way up the leg, start on the belly and use the same method on the body. Always check with a comb, after thoroughly brushing, to check for hidden knots or undetected matted hair.

Take care when brushing near the eyes. The pins of the brush can scratch the eyes and cause permanent damage, sometimes loss of sight. The hock and the belly are also sensitive areas when brushing. Special attention should be given to the zones that tend to mat - underarms, inside legs, behind ears, feathering on thick coated dogs and the ear hair of floppy eared, long-haired dogs.

Basic Tools for Grooming:

Smooth-haired dogs will require a rubber brush to brush against the lie of the coat to loosen hairs. A bristle brush to remove dead skin and surface dirt and also stimulate circulation. A chamois cloth should be used to polish the coat for added sheen. Be gentle, you are not polishing your car!

Short coated dogs will require a slicker brush and a bristle brush. Also use a slicker brush and a bristle brush on long silky coats, which will additionally require a comb to test for remaining knots and matted areas.

Curly, non-shedding coats will require a pin brush and comb.

Until next time,

Teia

PS. My mom and dad brush me and give me emergency baths, but I get my hair cut and my regular bath from a professional groomer. You may want to consider this arrangement too, especially if you have reasonably priced professional groomers in your area. Giving a dog a nice looking hair cut requires a lot of practice. A good quality dog clipper is quite expensive. The clipper blades need to be professionally sharpened on a regular basis and will probably have to be replaced a couple of times during your dog's lifetime.

Unusual Pets – Turtles

Turtles have fascinated people for a long time. Unfortunately, this interest has lead to many turtles becoming targets of unscrupulous individuals who attempt to smuggle them into countries where demand is high. Not only does this lead to the unnecessary dealth of many turtles, but it endangers the population and health of native turtles. That is because turtles from other countries carry diseases and parasites that native turtles have never previously been exposed to. As a result, many native species are now in serious trouble.

If you have a genuine interest in owning a turtle as a pet, there are things you should know about the situation turtles face and how you can protect them from extinction and harm.

IS OWNING A TURTLE ILLEGAL?

Owning a turtle in Canada or the United States is legal unless you obtained it illegally. If you live in a country other than Canada or the United States, check with your local authorities to find out what the laws are regarding possession of a turtle. Laws to restrict the selling of turtles have two purposes.

1. Baby turtles once commonly sold as pets were identified as a health risk because of the Salmonella bacteria that is present on their shells and bodies. Because of this, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States banned the selling of turtles with a shell less than 4 inches in size. This obviously includes eggs and hatchlings of all species.

2. Many turtle species are endangered and most states have laws regarding the selling of turtles captured in the wild.

If you do own or purchase a turtle you may have to obtain a permit. Not having the proper permits can be considered a crime. So, if you live in the United States, check with your state officials to learn the rules applicable to your particular state.

WHERE SHOULD YOU GO TO FIND A TURTLE FOR A PET?

Never buy a turtle when you are in a foreign country. Dealers are not concerned with how you will get your turtle home. When you get to the airport in your home country you could be held responsible for illegally importing a turtle from another country.

At times the turtles available for sale have been illegally captured in the wild. These turtles have undergone extreme stress by being captured, held captive in small, crowded spaces with other turtles and often neglected, subsisting on meager food and unclean water.

These turtles, who may have enjoyed decades of life in the wild, may live no longer than two years in captivity due to the ill health caused by their capture and lack of care. Individuals who buy from these commercial sellers are inadequately informed on the care and cost of owning a turtle. Serious health problems arise, which are often undetected until expensive treatment is required, or in extreme situations, treatment is ineffective and the turtle dies.

In Canada, there are several breeders who breed and raise turtles for the pet store trade. If you buy your turtle at a pet store, be sure to keep the receipt so that you can prove that you got the turtle from a legitimate source. Other countries may have specific laws covering turtles so before considering one for a pet, check with your local authorities to see if you can legally own a turtle in your country.

Joining local or online groups that are interested in the proper care of turtles can put you in touch with hobbyists and placement agencies which find homes for captive turtles and hatchlings that are in need of a home with a loving owner. It will also put you in contact with individuals knowledgeable about the care required by your unique pet.

Until next time,

Teia