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Pet Health Articles

Preventive Care & Wellness

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Lories and lorikeets have bubbly personalities and inquisitive natures. They have adjusted well to captivity and can be charming pets, as they are also entertaining and affectionate. This handout outlines some basic facts about the birds and veterinary care required.

  • Lovebirds are inquisitive, playful, and spirited. Young, single lovebirds bond closely with their owners and can be a wonderful, affectionate, and interactive family pet. Most lovebird species originally hail from the continent of Africa. Like all other pet birds, lovebirds require annual, routine veterinary health check-ups.

  • This cheerful dog has become a hit with folks who want a merry companion to accompany them on short and long jaunts. With their unique appearance and chipper personality, they always draw attention.

  • 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. Macaws require annual, routine veterinary health check-ups.

  • It can be a challenge to prevent rebound weight gain once a pet has lost some weight. Sticking to a specific number of calories, weighing food portions, and helping your pet stay physically active are a few recommendations. This article addresses several commonly asked questions about how to help a pet during the maintenance phase (after the weight has been lost).

  • Good management is the key to preventing or controlling the spread of disease. Good management practices aim to keep horses in good condition and in a healthy environment, in order to reduce the risk of introduction and spread of disease, to identify individuals especially at risk and to promote rapid recovery if disease does occur.