Articles
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Leopard geckos make great pets for children and adults. They do not require elaborate habitats and they have a 10–15-year lifespan with good health care, a clean environment, and proper feeding.
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Crate training is most used with dogs, but it can be useful for kittens and cats too. Crate training is useful in many situations, such as providing a safe place when home alone or unsupervised. Cats that are calm in their crates experience less distress when they need to travel, visit the veterinary hospital, or stay at a boarding facility. Starting while your cat is young makes training easier, but even adult cats can be trained to relax in a crate. If your cat shows signs of distress (e.g., prolonged vocalization, trying to escape, salivation, rapid continuous movement) while using the training methods provided in this handout, consult your veterinarian.
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Crate training is useful in many situations, such as providing a safe place when home alone or unsupervised. Dogs that are calm in their crates experience less distress when they need to travel, visit the veterinary hospital, or stay at a boarding facility. Starting while your dog is young makes training easier, but even adult dogs can be trained to relax in a crate. If your dog shows signs of distress (e.g., prolonged vocalization, eliminating inside the crate, trying to escape, salivation) while using the training methods provided in this handout, consult your veterinarian.
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A wild reptile typically spends many hours a day basking in the sun and absorbing ultraviolet (UV) light, which is necessary for the manufacture of vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is manufactured in the skin and is required for the intestines to properly absorb calcium from food. Lack of UV light can predispose a pet reptile to nutritional metabolic bone disease (MBD). Regular exposure to natural direct sunlight outside is encouraged and recommended whenever possible.
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Cats can have hearing loss due to increasing age or chronic ear infections, or they may be born with a defect. Deafness in cats can present some challenges, but overall they can have healthy, normal lives. It is possible to teach your cat household routines by using hand signals and body language. It is important to take their deafness into account when considering their safety, and they must remain indoors or in outdoor enclosures.
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Dogs can have hearing loss due to increasing age or chronic ear infections, or they may be born with a defect. Deafness in dogs can present some challenges, but overall they can have healthy, normal lives. Training is still possible by making some modifications and incorporating hand signals. It is important to take their deafness into account when considering their safety and ensure that they are never off leash on or near a street.
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Lories and Lorikeets are small to medium size, energetic parrots. They come from southeastern Asia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Polynesia. They are fun-loving, social birds with a variety of brightly colored variations. Lories and Lorikeets can be high-maintenance pets and require a specific type of diet.
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The peach-faced lovebird is the largest and most commonly kept of the nine species of lovebirds. Lovebirds are incredibly inquisitive, playful, and possess a delightful, spirited sassiness. Although not generally very destructive, they do enjoy chewing. Young, single love birds bond closely with their owners and can be a wonderful, affectionate, and interactive family pet. A pair of lovebirds often bonds more strongly to each other even if they are the same sex. Young birds may be easier to tame and train than older, wild-caught, or colony- or parent-raised birds. After bringing your new bird home, you should have it examined by a veterinarian familiar with birds to help ensure that it is healthy. Like all other pet birds, lovebirds require annual, routine veterinary health check-ups.
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Macaws are the largest members of the parrot family. They are high maintenance birds that require a great deal of space to house. They also require a lot of daily affection and attention. Their vocalizations tend to be loud, harsh, penetrating squawks. Their impressively large beak can be exceedingly destructive. Some commonly kept macaws include the blue and gold macaw, scarlet macaw, severe macaw, green-winged macaw, and the hyacinth macaw. Despite the exotic appeal of macaws, they are unsuitable for many households and family situations due to their loud screeching, destructive behavior, and great need for daily attention and time out of their cages. Macaws may be purchased from pet stores or reputable breeders or adopted from rescue organizations. After bringing your new bird home, you should have it examined by a veterinarian familiar with birds to help ensure that it is healthy. Like all other pet birds, macaws require annual, routine veterinary health check-ups.
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Once a pet has lost some weight, the new goal is to make sure that excess weight stays off. Pet parents who partner with their veterinary health care team for support and who focus on changing their behaviors often have the most success. Examples of some changes include using a different food or a different feeding method, focusing more on portion control, and incorporating some movement or activity time into each day. This article addresses several commonly asked questions about how to help a pet during the maintenance phase (after the weight has been lost).
