It's not easy to say goodbye to cherished pets, even those that have lived long, happy lives. Although you may hate the thought of life without your pet, euthanasia can be the kindest decision you can make when your friend is suffering. Making the Decision If your pet has been seriously injured in a
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Cats and dogs are amazing pets to have, but you may be considering something a little more...exotic. Exotic pets may not be as popular as other animals that you are used to seeing as part of a family’s household, but they can be just as fun, rewarding, and easy to form bonds with!
Birds, for example, are highly intelligent animals that can be taught to or vocalize. Turtles, if provided the proper habitat and dietary requirements, can be another great addition to your home with their unique personalities. Reptiles are quiet, low-maintenance, scaly friends that can also offer you companionship without all the hassle. Read more below to discover what type of care each of these animals needs and if they’re right for you.
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Euthanasia: Saying Goodbye
Category: Newsletter Library, Recognizing Illness
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Evaluation and Diagnosis of a Red Eye in Dogs
Category: Newsletter Library, Recognizing Illness
Dogs occasionally develop a red eye. The redness may be in the white of the eye, in the clear part of the eye called the cornea, or within the eyeball. There are many causes of a red eye, but all ocular diseases should always be considered an urgent matter, and be checked immediately by a veterinarian. Evaluation A
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Exams and Vaccinations
Category: Living With Your Pet, Bringing Your Pet Home
Experts agree that widespread use of vaccines within the last century has prevented death and disease in millions of animals. Pets, like people, can be protected from some diseases by vaccination. Although this resource provides basic information about vaccinations for your dog or cat, your veterinarian
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Family Cats and Pregnant Women: Take Measures to Prevent Toxoplasmosis Infection
Category: Feline, Living With Your Pet, Providing Care
Nothing must spoil the joys of becoming a new parent. Not even your pets. But family cats with normal, every day habits can pose a risk to expectant women. Women's immune systems can be disturbed by a parasite carried in fecal matter. If you're the primary caretaker of your family's feline friend it
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Family Friends Aren't Always Furry - Think of Feathery Friends!
Category: Newsletter Library, Tips for Pet Owners
Transitioning a Bird into Your Home When including a bird of any size and species in your household, take time before the transition to prepare. Use these tips to welcome your new bird and create a happy experience for your family. Choose housing with bars or slats that are only half the width
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Fatal Rabies Disease is Preventable
Category: Newsletter Library, Recognizing Illness
Pets need to be vaccinated to prevent against rabies. Rabies is a fatal viral zoonosis and veterinarians believe that all mammals are susceptible to it. This disease puts the public at risk and prevention measures are urged. Rabies is transmitted through saliva. It enters the body of person or pet through
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February Newsletter: The Benefits of Proper Nutrition for Pets
Category: Newsletter Library
How's your pet's diet?
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February Newsletter: Weird Things Your Cat Does and What They Mean
Category: Newsletter Library
Looking for an explanation for your cat's strange behaviors?
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February Newsletter: What Causes Nausea in Cats?
Category: Newsletter Library
Think your cat may be nauseated? These conditions, illnesses and diseases could explain why your pet doesn't feel well.
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February Newsletter: Where to Start When Training Your Puppy
Category: Newsletter Library
Is your puppy ready to be trained?
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Feeling Apprehensive About Pet Treatment Involving Anesthesia?
Category: Newsletter Library, Visiting the Vet
Emergencies happen when we least expect it, and anesthesia could be a necessary component required to treat your pet. Treatment recommendations your veterinarian makes could also include dental care involving anesthesia. You may elect to neuter or spay your pet. Anesthesia will be required. Repair
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Feline Distemper
Category: Pet Health, Diseases and Viruses
Feline distemper or feline panleukopenia is a highly contagious viral disease of kittens and adult cats caused by the feline parvovirus. It is also called panleukopenia as it affects the bone marrow and causes low white blood cell counts. It is relatively common in unvaccinated cats and is often fatal,
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Feline Leukemia Virus: What You Need to Know
Category: Feline, Pet Health, Diseases and Viruses
Feline leukemia (FeLV) is a virus that weakens your cat's immune system. Unfortunately, when the immune system does not function properly, your cat may be more likely to develop other diseases, such as cancer and blood disorders. How Cats Contract Feline Leukemia Cats get feline leukemia from other cats.
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Feline Retro Viruses
Category: Video Newsroom, Health Topics
Retro is a word usually bringing warm and fuzzy feelings of nostalgia. But for the more than 80 million cats living in North America, the word retro is anything but warm and fuzzy. Retroviruses like Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) can be devastating to your cat. More
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Feline Skin Allergy Symptoms and Care
Category: Newsletter Library
Has scratching become your cat's favorite activity? A skin allergy may be to blame.
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Feline Stomatitis: Treatments
Category: Feline, Pet Health, Digestive and Oral Health
Cats rarely display their pain, but cats with feline stomatitis are often the exception. If your cat appears to have mouth pain, is reluctant to eat, doesn't want to groom, is drooling, and doesn't want you to open its mouth, it may be suffering from this debilitating, degenerative oral condition, and
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Fennec Foxes
Category: Choosing Your Pet, Small Mammals, Domesticated Animals, Fennec Foxes, Choosing Your Pet, Small Mammals, Domesticated Animals
Fennec Fox Care Guide With oversized ears and mischievous faces, fennec foxes are cute as can be. But these exotic pets require a lot of care to stay healthy and happy. Health At just three pounds, fennec foxes are the smallest member of the fox family. Native to the Sahara desert, fennec foxes are
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Ferret Health
Category: Choosing Your Pet, Small Mammals, Ferrets, Choosing Your Pet, Small Mammals
You will need to take your ferret in to your veterinarian twice a year for a medical checkup and yearly vaccinations. Ferrets require yearly inoculations against canine distemper. They are highly susceptible to canine distemper and it is always fatal. Do not forget to inoculate against this every year!
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Ferrets Can Be Furry Family Too
Category: Newsletter Library, Tips for Pet Owners
Fragile Ferrets Entertain Families and Friends Your new family pet will provide you with entertainment and laughs as he or she climbs and crawls through tubes, hoses, boxes, clothing and pipes. Keeping your ferret safe and secure in your home is easy with a bit of advanced planning. Create or
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First Aid
Category: Living With Your Pet, Providing Care
Never leave dangerous objects like pins, needles, or fish hooks within reach. Keep poisonous products and materials far from your pet's reach as you would with a child. Of course, before an emergency ever arises, it's a good idea to learn all you can about first aid techniques and pet health care. Never
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First Aid Basics for Pet Owners
Category: Newsletter Library
Celebrate Pet First Aid Awareness Month by brushing up on your first aid skills!
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Fish
Category: Choosing Your Pet, Exotics, Fish, Choosing Your Pet, Exotics
If you’re thinking of getting a pet fish, you should know that your veterinarian has a lot of good advice about pet ownership. Fish can be very rewarding as pets, and you just may be surprised about how much fish actually interact with their owners. Here’s more valuable information about choosing
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Fitting Fiber into Fido's Food Bowl
Category: Newsletter Library, Nutrition & Food
Fiber is important because it helps dogs feel full, supports natural, healthy digestion and aids in moving material through their digestive tract. Is there fiber in your pet's food bowl with each meal? Does your pet need fiber, or more fiber? Grains like wheat, barley, corn and rice contribute small
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Flea Preventative Medications: Oral vs. Topical
Category: Newsletter Library, Fleas & Parasites
Fleas are not only a source of irritation and frustration, but they also pose a serious health threat to animals. These tiny external parasites can carry a variety of diseases, including bubonic plague, and severe infestations may cause deadly levels of blood loss in very small or young pets, according
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Flea Prevention Is Important for Cats Too!
Category: Newsletter Library, Cats
When most people think of who needs flea prevention, the family dog is at the top of the list, and often cats are forgotten or assumed to be flea free. Dogs are bathed more regularly than cats and when they scratch it’s much more obvious. Cats are very clean creatures; they groom themselves daily and
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Flea and Tick Season
Category: Newsletter Library
Want to protect your pet from fleas and ticks? These tips can help.
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Fleas
Category: Pet Health, Pests and Parasites, Pet Health
A common parasite, fleas are found in almost every area of the world and can be found on dogs, cats, and many other mammals. They survive year to year even in cold climates because they live on pets, in buildings, and on wild animals. There are four stages to the flea life cycle. Eggs are laid by an
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Fleas, the Frustrating Pest
Category: Newsletter Library, Fleas & Parasites
Consider the following scenario: You arrive home from a long flight from a wonderful, two-week vacation. As you drive home, you remind yourself the boarding kennel is already closed and you have to wait until tomorrow to pick up your dog, Max. You finally walk in the front door, happy to be home. As
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Flying Squirrels
Category: Choosing Your Pet, Small Mammals, Domesticated Animals, Flying Squirrels, Choosing Your Pet, Small Mammals, Domesticated Animals
Much like sugar gliders, flying squirrels make affectionate pets when purchased young and raised by their owner. Unlike sugar gliders, however, flying squirrels are rodents that need veterinary care specific to the species. Your veterinary team can help with the care and treatment of flying squirrels.
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Food Allergies
Category: Newsletter Library, Nutrition & Food
Food allergies occasionally occur in dogs and cats. They usually manifest themselves as itchy skin, ear infections, chronic vomiting, or diarrhea. If you suspect that your pet may have a food allergy, you can investigate by performing a food trial. There are three rules for a food trial: 1. Pick a new
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Food and Housing
Category: Choosing Your Pet, Small Mammals, Ferrets
Food Ferrets are exceptionally playful, so expect your ferret to tip over his food and water bowls. Check on them often, tape them down, or use an unspillable bowl. Rodent water bottles are not recommended as a ferret may damage his teeth on the spout. Because ferrets have such rapid metabolism, they
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Food and Housing
Category: Choosing Your Pet, Small Mammals, Rabbits
Food Feeding pet rabbits is easy because nutritionally complete and balanced commercial pelleted diets are readily available. One of these pelleted diets and fresh water are all a pet rabbit requires. The pellets should be offered at all times unless overeating and obesity have become problems. The pellets
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Foods to Avoid for Pets on Low Sodium Diets
Category: Newsletter Library, Nutrition & Food
Pets afflicted with heart failure or high blood pressure should not be fed salty foods, as they cause fluid to be retained in the body and make it harder for the heart to work. They also can lead to fluid developing in the lungs (pulmonary edema). Most commercial dog foods have a decent level of sodium,
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Fresh Breath and Straight Teeth
Category: Video Newsroom, Technology and Science
Although many of us dread it, we visit our dentist routinely to insure our mouth stays healthy and our smile bright. Our pets also benefit from a visit to their dentist and advanced dental care is quickly becoming more common. That's right…braces for Boxers, crowns for kitties and a root canal for
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Frogs & Toads
Category: Choosing Your Pet, Exotics, Amphibians, Choosing Your Pet, Exotics
If you want an interesting change of pace or simply don't have the right environment for a dog or cat, a frog or toad might make the perfect companion for you. First, however, you need to acquaint yourself with these fascinating creatures and their requirements. Frogs Versus Toads: What's the Difference? Toads
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