Special Supplements

Like all living creatures, fish require a certain amount of vitamins and minerals to truly thrive. Of course, you can’t just pop a few of your daily supplements into the aquarium, you need to purchase a supplemental product that slowly releases various vitamins and minerals into the water.  Necessary nutrients include calcium, iodine, folic acid, and manganese.  Check with  a local veterinary clinic that specializes in fish care for more advice about such products before actually making the purchase.

Aquarium Salt

Use this in conjunction with other fish vitamin products to prevent illnesses and stress.  Like all sea life, most breeds of fish were meant to live in an oceanic atmosphere, which is something the aquarium salt can replicate inside the aquarium. Regular use of this type of product also improves gill function and enables them to breathe better.

Ichthyophthririus Multifillis Medication

Ichthyophthririus Multifillis (or Ich, as its sometimes called) is a fish disease caused by a parasite that tends to spread fast and often proves fatal for the fish. The good news is that Ich is easily cure if treated fast and effectively with the right medication.  Symptoms of this illness include tiny white spots on their body and lethargy.  There are over dozens of Ich medications on the market but only your vet can recommend the right one so you will want check with them before your fish get sick.

1- Check Your Pet Bird’s Physical Health

Whenever you hold in your hands, take note of their feathers, skin, and eyes.  Take notes if any changes, big or small, and consult your vet. Sometimes even the most minorthings like ruffled feathers can indicate something more serious.

2- Pay Close Attention To Their Habits

Its always a good idea to pay attention to your pet, even when they do the most mundane things. Cleaning out their cage is also a good way to learn more about their habits. Monitor their food and water intake. Has she been drinking more or less water? Does he eat less than he used to? Other important things to look out for include changes in their droppings and vent region. Again, small changes could mean something more serious, especially if you’ve noticed the changes for several days or more.

Whenever you’re in doubt about anything, don’t be afraid to ask your veterinarian for advice, especially when it can save your pet’s life.

The Food and Drug Administration has some advice for would-be buyers at online pet pharmacies. Among other things, it lists the following red flags:

Selling prescription drugs without seeing a prescription. This is illegal — and filling out a questionnaire online can’t take the place of a vet visit.

No licensed pharmacist on board.

No “real world” contact information, like a phone number or street address. (It’s hard enough to get your money back from a post office box, let alone a URL.)

Not based in the U.S. It’s not that you can’t trust anyone out here (I’m not “based in the U.S.” myself), but if they do turn out to be scammers, the U.S. government won’t be able to help much.

For U.S. sites — not licensed by the State Board of Pharmacy. You can check this out with your Board; contact information for all of them is here.

Not a secure site. Watch out for identity thieves — look for that little padlock.

Prices are too good to be true. See if your vet is willing to match them.

Sends you the wrong stuff, or something that just doesn’t look like your pet’s usual medicine. Don’t give your pet anything you’re not sure about.

You can read the rest of the FDA’s advice here.

It  starts when one mosquito (carrying heartworm larvae) bites an animal and transmits the parasites inside the bloodstream.  Over a period of 2 or 3 months the larvae grows and eventually release more microfilariae, also know as the offspring.  The parasites contribute nothing but take up space in the heart or lungs where they continue to procreate more parasitic worms. The end result is often tragic for most pets as the heartworms will eventually kill the animal if not treated in a timely manner.  Read on further to find how to to prevent and treat heartworms.

The scientific name for the the parasite is Dirofilaria immtis and it affects both dogs and cats, although the latter has a slightly lower risk for the infection. The heartworm parasite usually nests inside the hearts of dogs or lungs of cats.  Oftentimes, it is hard to tell if and when a pet is infected with it because your pet probably won’t exhibit any clinical signs of the illness until the latter stages which can sometimes take 3 years or more. Some of the clinical signs include difficulty breathing, fatigue, and moderate to major weight loss. Of course, these general symptoms are vague and are in no way to indicate that your pet has heartworm. Check with your vet for more information.

If your veterinarian thinks that your pet has the heartworm infection, they will do either a blood test or ultrasound.  The good news is that there are many treatment options available for canines, unfortunately the same cannot be said for cats. Remember that the best thing you can do for your pet (cat or dog) is to put them on prevention medication. Your pet’s veterinarian will probably prescribe a once-a-month pill like Sentinel or Heartguard. Remember to consult your vet before administering any medications to your pet.

• It lives up to its title and then some. The “remedies” are not only for medical problems, but for issues like boredom, fears, and the habit of jumping up on you when you come home.
• At 400 pages, it covers the essentials without being thick enough to discourage you.
• The introduction includes a vaccination chart, a list of safe and unsafe medications, and tips on everything from choosing your pet to pet-proofing the house.
• Topics are listed alphabetically, from acne to wounds, making them quick and easy to find.
• Plenty of experts have contributed to it — including some I’ve consulted for my own articles.
• The articles on sickness and injury have “When to see the vet” boxes. After all, home remedies can only go so far.
• Many articles have sections for cats only and for dogs only. After all, giving a cat a bath is not the same thing as giving a dog a bath. (The book doesn’t downplay how hard a cat bath can be, either — “like wrestling barbed wire”.)
• The book advises you to spay and/or neuter your pets — but also shows you how to birth puppies and kittens, if need be. Nobody’s perfect . . .
• The line drawing illustrations are clear and easy to understand.
• My cat liked the cat puzzler I made him following the directions on page 82 (you just cut some holes, big enough for a cat to reach into, in a shallow box and put a small ball inside).

This book is written by the editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books and published by Rodale.

1- Never Leave A Pet In A Car

You’d never leave a baby or toddler alone in a car on a hot summer day, so why would you do the same to your pet? Because animals are smaller and don’t really sweat the same way people do,  it doesn’t take much for them to suffer heat exhaustion or heat stroke.  Also, leaving your pet inside a hot car is considered illegal in many states.

2- Protect Your Pet

Its not always the best idea to let your pet cat outside, but many people do anyway.  So if you must let Fluffy out, take caution and make sure your cat gets a microchip tag.  Your vet can easily implant a microchip tag in your cat’s skin.  If your pet gets lost and winds up in an animal shelter, the people at the shelter can scan your pet for identification information and contact you so you can pick up your pet.  That said, microchip identification shouldn’t be your only source, make sure you get a classic collar with ID tag.

3- Keeping Your Pet Safe During A Vacation

Once you’ve decided on your summer vacation plans, its time to think about your pet. If you have a dog, you’ve got a choice to bring them or leave them, but if you’ve got a cat, your best bet is to leave them home.  If you’ve decided to bring your pet on vacation, make sure you book a pet friendly hotel, and don’t forget to bring the essentials like pet medications and the vet’s emergency number.  If you’re leaving your pet at home, make sure you hire a trustworthy pet sitter or keep your pet in a local kennel. Check to see if your veterinary office has one or could recommend a trustworthy company.

To both questions, professionals say sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Dr. M. Duffy Jones, an Atlanta vet, says, “They have a strong instinct for individual survival and sometimes that will carry over to other pets or people.” Dr. Jones has seen pets that seem to understand an animal companion has died, and others that don’t understand — or don’t care.

Chris Hamer, a dog behavior consultant, shares a story of death among her own pets:

“We recently were faced with the death of our 17 year old lab. I feel that my other dogs knew that Ember was close to dying . . . I watched the other dogs closely for signs of grief. The human family members were certainly grieving but other than curiosity about Ember’s blanket that she went to the vet on, they didn’t display any unusual behavior.”

She has, however, had clients report grieving in their pets (though this may be a projection of the owner’s feelings onto the animal). Dr. Jones also reports that some animals seem deeply affected by the death of a companion, to the point of getting physically sick — but says this may be a reaction to the owner’s stress and any change in routine. Dogs especially, as we’ve seen before, are very sensitive to the moods of humans. They’ll feel better if the family sticks to its usual schedule as much as possible, though maybe with a little extra playtime for the surviving pet.

So you’ll have to play it by ear if you find yourself and your pets in this situation.

NSAIDS work by blocking the body’s production of prostaglandins, which cause inflammation in response to injury or irritation. There are several of them approved for dogs in the U.S., and the different names they go by can be bewildering, so here’s a list from the Department of Health and Human Services:

* ETOGESIC (etodolac)
* RIMADYL (carprofen)
* METACAM (meloxicam)
* DERAMAXX (deracoxib)
* PREVICOX (firocoxib)
* ZUBRIN (tepoxalin)
* NOVOX (carprofen)

Your vet is likely to use one of these words instead of telling you he’s prescribing an NSAID, so it’s good to be aware of them. As with any prescription, you should take the time to ask the vet what the NSAID is prescribed for, what your dog should avoid while taking it, and what side effects might be.

Side effects, unfortunately, can be an issue. The DHHS says they are mostly mild, but can be serious. You’ll need to stop giving the drug and call your vet if you see any of these symptoms in your dog: Loss of appetite or a change in drinking pattern, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, black waste, a yellow color in the gums, skin, or whites of eyes, or irritation in the skin. It’s probably a good idea to call your vet any time you see one of these symptoms, whether your dog’s on an NSAID or not.

A poster with this information and more is available in pdf here.

When you realize that most fish sold in pet stores are considered “exotics” – it just means they’re not native to the country – you can see it’s really not an unusual event.

At least 185 exotic fish species have been found in U.S. waters, says the U.S. Geological Survey, and over half of those species got there through “release or escape of aquarium fishes”. Lots of people, apparently, have been slipping their unwanted pet fish into the nearest river or lake.

Most of them probably would never dream of dumping a cat or dog in the wilderness. It seems less cruel, somehow, with fish – but that’s an illusion. Releasing a pet fish is always harmful to it or some other creature.

First, 90% of exotic fish don’t survive after being released, as scientist Paul L. Shafland told the U.S.G.S. They’re stressed and an easy target for predators.

The ones that survive may compete with native fish for food, or even prey on the native fish. They may spread exotic diseases or parasites. They also can contribute to overcrowding, especially if they start breeding (75 exotic species have).

If you need to re-home your fish, search online for “fish rescue”. If there’s no fish rescue society in your area, try these U.S.G.S. suggestions:

· Pet stores
· The local zoo or aquarium
· Schools, nursing homes – even prisons might want the fish.

If your fish is sick, a vet can euthanize it if necessary. You can do this yourself simply by putting it in a container of water in the freezer. The U.S.G.S. says, “Because cold temperature is a natural anesthetic to tropical fishes, this is considered a very humane method of euthanasia.” Still, let’s hope you don’t have to do this!

There’s always a better way than abandonment.

When I began researching insurance companies, it looked like a good deal – typically about $18 a month for the first level of coverage above “accident only”. That seemed like a small price to pay to avoid another huge bill.

Then I did the math.

$18 a month is $216 a year; we’d be paying that much even if nothing happened to the cat. Then, every insurance plan I checked out had a $200 deductible for illness (less for accidents). So, if we’d had insurance this time, we’d still have to pay at least that much.

Of the other $350, the plan would pay 80%, or $280, leaving us with $70 to pay, for $270 in all.

Add this to the monthly premiums and we’d be paying $486 a year in pet health costs – only $64 less than the original, uninsured bill. Now, I’m not saying that $64 is nothing. But is it worth the effort of getting the insurance, or having one more monthly expense, or carrying one more card around in my wallet? I’m still thinking about it.

Of course, all this is assuming the cat doesn’t have to go the vet again this year. That may seem like a risky assumption, but this was the first time he’d had to go in his whole 4-year life (apart from his neutering, which was covered by his adoption fee). Without insurance, two visits would cost $1100. With insurance, a year with two visits would be only $756 – saving $344.

Insurance may be the best thing to do when our cat is older, but for now, I think we’re going to bank on his staying healthy.