Animals can get upset, anxious, worried, scared, and even stressed just like people. If your horse is not behaving like his usual self, give your veterinary clinic Tualatin, OR a call and schedule a check-up. Your horse may be coming down with an illness or he may just be experiencing a little stress. Stress is a typical way animals cope with changes in their routines or environments. Some horses may show signs of stress in the form of an increased heart rate, sweating, showing alarm or alertness, or even running.  Other horses may act out their stress by refusing to work. Other signs include depression or a decrease in appetite. Long term symptoms may include a steady increase in depression and a change in appetite to no appetite at all. It’s important to tell your vet about any changes in routine, environment, feeding, etc. in order to identify and treat your horse’s stress. To know more visit ... Read more »

If you spend time gazing out your window, you’ve likely seen outdoor birds taking dust baths. Do indoor birds need dust baths too?

Outdoor birds can frequently be seen taking dust baths. The dust is able to soak up excess oil in the feathers. Then, the dust can easily be cast out of the feathers with a little ruffling. Outdoor birds also engage in this behavior as a way to control parasites. The dust can help smother feather mites and lice.

In general, indoor birds do not need dust baths. Because they aren’t regularly exposed to the outdoors, regular water baths are usually just fine. Just make sure you never use soap! Detergents can be very harmful to your bird’s plumage.

For a little fun, you can try giving your bird a dust bath. Just be prepared to follow it up with a water bath.

To learn more, click here ... Read more »

Pet cats are prone to obesity especially if their owners keep on refilling their food bowl without any regard to how much their food their kitty should consume in a day. A cat can easily cleanup his food bowl in a few minutes especially if he finds the food delicious. Overconsumption of calories can eventually lead to piling on of excess pounds.

The lifestyle of domestic cats significantly differs from than those of their ancestors that roam the wild in search for food and sustenance. These wild cats need lots of energy to hunt for prey. But pet cats don’t have to work for their food because it is their owners’ responsibility to provide them with a complete and balanced diet appropriate for their lifestage. This is the ultimate reason why pet cats don’t need as much calories as their ancestors.

For more information about your cat's dietary needs visit a Canton ... Read more »

Short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica) are fast-becoming popular household pets. Unlike other marsupials, they don’t have a pouch where immature young stay until they are fully developed. Instead, their offspring attach to the mother’s nipple and stay there until they can wean themselves from their mother’s milk.

Pet opossums should get used to being handled while still very young. Each should be housed individually because they can easily engage in fights with other opossums. They are nocturnal creatures, sleeping most of the day away, and engage in activities at night.

They should be housed in an enclosure that can be kept locked and secured because they are expert escape artists. You can use a 15-20 gallon fish tank with a layer of corn cob shavings, a nest box, and nesting material. Putting in a hamster wheel and tree branches will encourage yo ... Read more »

Social hierarchy is also observed among pocket pets, thus people can see some the ‘underdogs’ displaying signs of submission to the more dominant ones in the group. Here are ways pocket pets show dominance and submission:

Guinea Pigs

Mounting behavior is a way to establish dominance in cavies. The dominant one mounts the submissive cavy, regardless of sex. Fights usually ensue when a male cavy tries to mount another male cavy in his bid for dominance.

Hamsters

When a submissive hamster is chased by a dominant one, the former one stands up when cornered so that the dominant hamster can lick his belly. Submissive hamsters may also scream or flip on their backs.

Rabbits

A rabbi ... Read more »

Batteries contain certain components that are toxic to people and animals. Although you have developed the habit of eliminating used batteries in the proper manner, your pet can still have access to batteries in toys, cellphone or even the TV remote.

Some of the toxic components in batteries include heavy metals, chemicals, and lithium which can be harmful when swallowed, often resulting in severe damage to the tissues that line the digestive tract.

Alkaline batteries contain potassium hydroxide and/or sodium hydroxide which are known to cause deep ulcers in tissues they come in contact with. Batteries can also obstruct the digestive tract when they become stuck.

You should never induce vomiting if you think your pet has swallowed a battery. The corrosive substances that a battery contains may also make the injuries worse. To prevent serious and ... Read more »

A dog’s nose is considered as the most important of their sense organs. Their nasal passages are lined with millions of scent-analyzing cells that contribute to their extremely sensitive sense of smell. A dog uses his sense of smell, hearing and sight to perceive and interpret anything he encounters in his environment.

While canines possess a highly developed sense of smell, the sensitivity varies between breeds. The number of scent-analyzing cells that they possess often determines the degree of olfactory sensitivity.

A dog is able to distinguish between various scents and use these to identify people, places, or things. This particular trait makes many breeds of dogs useful in police work like search and rescue work, as well as detecting explosives and contraband.

Have your dogs checked regularly at a Stoughton, MA vet. Visit this ... Read more »