Responsible Pet Ownership

Pet ownership comes with many responsibilities, the biggest being financial. Pets cost money, and not just to buy them, but to care for them. Cost of a Pet Be sure to do your homework before you purchase the pet you are longing to have–sometimes the long term costs and commitments are not always expected. For example, a Blue and Gold Macaw costs approximately $3500 to purchase. The cage is $2500, food is $100 per month, initial veterinary costs are $500 for laboratory tests to confirm health and sex. Ongoing veterinary costs are approximately $500-$1000 per year depending on the health
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Should I use CBD oil for my pet?

At this time…no you should not. CBD or cannabidiol was found to be highly effective for a seizure disorder in children called Dravet syndrome. This led to the production of Epidiolex, the only FDA approved and tested CBD oil. What is CBD oil? CBD oil is a concentrated extract made from cannabis flowers or leaves that is dissolved in an edible oil such as sunflower, hemp, or olive oil. Cannabis is a plant. There are different kinds of cannabis plants, one yields hemp and CBD while another kind of cannabis yields marijuana and psychoactive chemical THC (tetrahydrocannabinol.) It is believed
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Nutrition: What is good gut health?

I am starting a series on nutrition and I want to begin by talking about what is good gut health. Your pet’s gut is the basis of his or her immune system. Over 70% of the immune system relates to good gut function. Why is this so important? Good gut health will help fight off infection, reduce the chance of auto-immune disease and process food effectively. There are 2 components to good gut health, 1) a healthy and diverse microbiome and 2) a leak-proof barrier system. Microbiome The gut microbiome is inside the gastrointestinal tract and houses thousands of little
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Is my dog fat? Is my cat fat?

  Pet Obesity is an Epidemic! The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) conducted its 2018 survey. The results are in and they found 56% of dogs and 60% of cats overweight or obese. This is very concerning as obesity leads to many health problems. These include heart disease, diabetes, orthopedic issues, and even cancer. How do you know if your pet is overweight? Start by trying to feel their ribs–can you feel them? You should be able to feel a thin layer of fat over the ribs but they should be easily felt. You should also be able to
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Should I be worried about my dog contracting Lyme Disease?

  YES you should be worried! Tick-borne disease is at epidemic levels! What is Lyme Disease? Lyme is a tick-borne disease that is spread by a deer tick. Ticks transmit a spirochete bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is the cause of Lyme disease. Once infected with the spirochete it is very difficult to eliminate the disease in your dog. It can be treated, but 1 in 10,000 dogs can develop a condition whereby the Lyme infects the kidney, heart or brain and can kill your dog. Clinical signs of Lyme disease look much like the flu. Your dog may have a fever, not eat
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Why does my dog eat grass?

Aaaah, the most asked question of dog owners! The simple answer…because your dog can! Dogs are, what are called, opportunistic carnivores. What does that mean? It means they eat meat (carnivore) but they also eat other vegetable/grass/grain matter (opportunistic) if is available. I think some dog breeds are more opportunistic than others, like the labrador retrievers who eat just about anything! The definition (omnivore vs carnivore) has had a lot of debate because some think dogs may actually be omnivores (eat meat, plants, grains) much like people. If you look at evolutionary biology and the development of the domestic dogs,
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