What Makes a Great Hamster Bedding for Your Pet?

Have you ever wondered why your pet hamsters seem to get restless and unruly? Maybe they aren’t getting enough rest or sleep. It’s time for you to inspect what type of hamster bedding you are using to identify the culprit of your pets’ lack of relaxation. 

For your information, hamsters love a quiet little area in their cage that they can turn into their beds. They also enjoy moving materials and stuffing it into a corner to make their own resting havens. As a responsible pet owner, you should take time to do some research about your pets and the ideal housing that you must provide them. 

Hamsters should be housed with specific types of bedding, which have been recommended by veterinarians and pet experts. The substrate is the material that is used to cover the cages of hamsters and this is where your furry friend will be burrowing and living on its entire life. Because the substrate needs to provide a natural coziness for your hamsters, you must learn to identify which materials will make good substrates for your little buddies.

Some of the types that you should avoid using as hamster bedding are the pine or cedar-based shavings and clumping cat litter. Since hamsters eat a small portion of their own feces as a natural part of their digestive process, cat litter won’t do because it might get lodged in their digestive system and lead to death due to intestinal obstruction. 

On the other hand, pine and cedar shavings have aromatic oils that can cause breathing difficulties or irritation of the hamster’s respiratory system. Newspaper, shredded paper and fluffy beddings are also not recommended because these contain ink fumes that can cause suffocation as well. 

Many pet owners recommend using aspen wood shavings and reclaimed cellulose fiber that does not contain ink and other harmful additives for hamster bedding. You can also add some Care Fresh or Critter Care to make the bed soft and cozy. After putting all the necessary materials inside the cage, you can put the hamsters into it and have fun watching your pets move the supplies to create their own beds.

Some Things that You Should Know Before Rabbit Adoption

Many people today are finding the joy and benefits of having rabbits as pets. Aside from providing owners with happiness because of their cuteness and fluffiness, rabbits aren’t that difficult to take care of! 

If you are planning to have a rabbit, you should learn about the rabbit adoption process first because you must know the animal’s needs and your own capacity to provide the time, money and care required in caring for one. 

Here are some simple ways of rabbit adoption that you can do to finally have a pet of your own.

1. Find a rabbit that you want to adopt - You can look for a pet that you want from various local rescue centers or pet shops. Make sure to read the descriptions and other important nuggets of information about the rabbit that you are eyeing.

2. Contact a rescue center or pet shop - Once you have selected which one to pick, you can now start contacting the shop or center to know the process on how to take the rabbit home. Also, follow the guidelines set by the rescue center or pet shop.

3. Read the adoption requirements very carefully - This is important so as not to miss out any valuable detail about the rabbit adoption process. You can also use the information in buying pieces of equipment for your pet, such as hutches and cages since requirements usually specify the accommodation sizes as well as the ideal places to purchase these. 

4. Visit the center or shop - Meet the rabbits available and take time to discuss the adoption process with the person in charge. 

5. Conduct pre- adoption checks - Before bringing your rabbit home, the center or shop staff might perform inspections to ensure that you can provide a suitable home for the pet. 

6. Sign the adoption contract - A contract includes agreements on regular vaccination, proper vet care and even returning the rabbit to the rescue center if you can’t take care of it anymore. 

Final tip, keep in touch. For pieces of advice and tips on how to take care of your new pet rabbit, make sure to maintain an open line of communication with the rescue center or pet shop.

Causes and Treatment for Pancreatitis in Cats

For many cat owners, the contraction of pancreatitis by a beloved pet is a cause for worry. The pancreas is a pale pink organ made up of lobules that can be found behind a cat's stomach and near its liver. The pancreas secretes enzymes through a duct and releases hormones straight into the bloodstream. 

The pancreas also manufactures pancreatic juice, a digestive enzyme that contains a lot of sodium bicarbonate. This enables the pancreas to assist in breaking down carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Pancreatic juice is produced by the pancreas and stored in the pancreatic duct, where it merges with the liver's bile duct before it enters the duodenum.

A normally functioning pancreas will shield itself from the digestives enzymes that it produces, stores and secretes. The enzymes are secreted in an inactivated form, also called zymogens. The enzymes are not activated until they get to the duodenum. 

Pancreatitis in cats happens when the pancreas becomes swollen because its own digestive enzymes are inappropriately activated. What happens is that the enzymes will start to break down and digest the very pancreas that created them. Pancreatitis in cats can lead to acute or chronic inflammation of the pancreas. Worse, tissues near the pancreas, such as the liver, may also be affected. 

Pancreatitis in cats can be caused by a lot of conditions. These are high fat content in the blood or hyperlipidemia, toxoplasmosis, hypercalcemia or high calcium content in the blood, feline infectious peritonitis, feline herpesvirus I, obesity, a high fat diet, feline parvovirus, some medicine, hepatic lipidosis, and trauma such as a high fall or a car accident. 

What is troubling is the when cats get this disease, most of the time, veterinarians will not be able to pinpoint the exact cause.  

Once a veterinarian has diagnosed your cat with pancreatitis, they will then try to find and treat the root cause. If it is abdominal pain that is at fault then the veterinarian will prescribe an analgesic, or painkiller. 

If your cat is vomiting, then the veterinarian will recommend that you buy anti nausea medication or antemetics. Many veterinarians also recommend that your cat be treated with intravenous fluids in order to treat dehydration or to prevent it. This is known as supportive care. 

Meanwhile, if your cat has hepatic lipidosis, then the veterinarian may recommend nutritional support. It might be necessary to avoid giving your cat food or water for 24 to 48 hours or for up to one to two days. You may also need to refrain from feeding your cat for the aforementioned period of time. 

Once the veterinarian gives the go-ahead for you to give food to your cat, be sure to only give them bland, low-fat food. If the veterinarian notices that your cat has an infection, they may prescribe antibiotics.

How to Choose Horse Supplements

Everyone would probably agree to the slogan, “health is wealth” and this doesn’t only apply to human beings but to animals as well. It’s really painful on the pockets to shell out lots of money just to bring your pet to the vet and have it treated for some kind of illness. Just like humans, animals such as horses need specific horse supplements to maintain vigor and health.

The types of supplements depend on a gamut of factors such as the horse’s overall health status, age, weight and kind of activities. Since the supplements vary, you should have a clear and accurate assessment of your horse’s health before deciding to give it some powder, pellets or pills.

When a horse ages, its body tends to change dramatically. The older it gets, the harder it is to break down horse supplements. One of the essential nutrients that should be administered to your racing buddy is Vitamin C but unfortunately, it is also one of the most difficult to break down.

On the other hand, Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient that your horse can readily obtain from grazing green grass. Supplements come in different forms like granules, pastes, powder and pellets so it’s important to do your research before settling for a particular type.

In choosing horse supplements, consider your horse’s internal tolerance depending on age, the solubility or ease of digestion and most importantly, the needs of the animal. Many veterinarians would recommend buying products that come from reputable and trusted companies, which have been researched and published in scientific publications.

You must also remember that quality and not quantity is valuable when giving supplements to your horse. Check the expiration date as well as the ingredients in the supplement to give you an idea about its benefits.

By providing your horse with supplements, it can become stronger, livelier, healthier and more productive. Take extra caution in administering the supplements because anything in excess can lead to negative effects on your pet. Also, don’t forget to feed your horse properly because proper nutrition remains to be the main reason for your animal’s top shape.

What's Behind the Slithery Snake Tongue?

Aside from their scales and sinewy form, snakes are also known for their tongues. The sight of a long tongue flicking from a snake can be both majestic and terrifying. What's behind a snake tongue?

Scientists have discovered that the tongues of snakes contain extremely complex receptor systems. Don't be surprised if you don't see a lot of tongue if you happen to glance inside a snake's open mouth. Once it retracts, snake tongue is hidden inside a sheath in its lower jaw. This is why if you look inside a snake's open mouth, you will only see the forked ends of its tongue.

When a snake uses its tongue, it flicks it through the rostral groove, which is a small notch in the snake's lip. This lets the snake flick its tongue out of its mouth without actually opening it. That's pretty cool. While snakes have nostrils and can use these to detect scents, they smell primarily through their tongue.

That's right, a snake's tongue is what it mostly uses to smell. The snake tongue is part of the vomeronasal system, or how snakes perceive things. The receptors on the tongue of a snake can detect small chemical particles. To a snake, this is what counts as scent. When the snake retracts its tongue, its next step is to send chemical information to the brain, which processes and analyzes it. All of these happen very quickly.   

Many scientists say that the tongue of a snake is split so that it can discern which direction to move based on the heavy amount of chemical particles on one side of its tongue compared to the other side. The chemical receptors on the tongue of a snake not only allow it to decide in what direction it should go. It also helps it to detect nearby predators and even possible mates. 

Contrary to popular belief, the tongue of a snake does not have magical powers against poison, nor does a snake store venom in its tongue. A snake releases its venom through its fangs, not its tongue.

Top 5 Things You Need for Your Goldfish Aquarium

Contrary to popular belief, goldfish don't have a three-second memory span. It's actually closer to 4 months, sometimes longer. In fact, goldfish can recognize their owners and can even be taught to perform tricks. Before you start training your fish, however, make sure that you provide them with a healthy environment – the ideal goldfish aquarium - where they will thrive.

1.Tank

In our heads, we’ve all had an image of keeping goldfish in a bowl. Nevertheless, goldfish are very active so they need a spacious habitat where they can get enough oxygen. A tank, therefore, is your best option. To help you choose the tank size, remember to provide at least 3 gallons for every one-inch goldfish. Make sure that you factor in how big the goldfish can grow when making your decision.

2. Filter

Goldfish are voracious eaters so they tend to produce a lot of waste. If the tank doesn't have a good filtration system, the waste will accumulate and will increase the ammonia levels in the water. A double filtration system is standard in most goldfish aquariums. This means that if you have a 20-gallon tank, the filter should be rated for a 40-gallon aquarium. Check the filter every now and then to make sure it is working properly.

3. Water

The water you will use in the goldfish aquarium should be clean and well oxygenated. Use water conditioner to remove the chlorine if you are going to use tap water. You must also check for ammonia and nitrate levels, which should both be zero. Clean the tank and partially change the water every two weeks but depending on the number of fish and the size of the tank, you might have to clean the aquarium and replace the water more frequently.

4. Plants

If you want to add plants, it is better to stick to artificial ones at first.  The goldfish will most likely eat and uproot living plants, which could lead to high ammonia levels. After a few weeks, you can start adding live plants. Choose hardy ones that will supply both oxygen and little amounts of food to the goldfish.

5. Decorations

Fish like having places where they can play and hide so it's a good idea to provide decorations in the goldfish aquarium. Just make sure that they are free from sharp edges so that the fish will not hurt themselves or damage their fins. Finally, before adding the fish to the tank run the filter for at least a few days to make sure everything is working well. This will allow you to make any adjustments so that the aquarium will be prepared for the arrival of your goldfish.