Save your dog!

It is no secret that a poorly behaved dog is no fun, as a matter of fact it can be a liability that (in extreme cases) can lead to loss of life (of human or dog). Majority of dog behavior problems encountered have their roots in dominance misunderstandings (between dog and owner). Establishing boundaries and enforcing same sort out a lot of these problems. 

Retaining the services of an animal behaviorist/pet psychologist is not a cheap undertaking; currently, the average cost of doing same in Nigeria is Forty Five Thousand Naira for a 90 minutes session, and it usually takes about two sessions to identify challenges completely, and anything from three to eight more sessions to eliminate the issue satisfactorily. All the aforementioned will be a total waste if there is no follow up by the dog owner. The most basic fun activity between owner and dog is walking, and it provides a good opportunity to practice what a behaviorist teaches both you and your dog.

Top 10 Persistent Pet Myths That Just Won’t Die

With love of pets leading to some amazing and outrageous beliefs, don’t wait for your next vet visit to begin researching them. Below are the top ten pet myths that have plagued pet owners for decades as debunked by veterinarians, researchers, and other experts. 

1. Cats smother babies. As answered by the U.K. site Safe Kids, the myth that cats will purposely smother babies is just that. While cats have been known to explore the new nursery and curl up next to a heat source such as a baby, it has not been proven that cats smother on purpose. The most important thing for cat owners with an infant to remember is to keep the nursery door closed.

Symptoms you should never ignore in your pets

In these tough economic times, pet owners are looking for ways to save money on their pets. Unfortunately, this also leads people to delay seeking medical care because they're uncertain if a visit to the vet is absolutely necessary. Most people know if a pet has collapsed, had a seizure, is bleeding, bloated, unable to walk, or has been injured they should see their veterinarian quickly. But what about other, more subtle symptoms? When should you absolutely, positively take your pet to the veterinarian? Here are examples of some common clinical signs that you should never ignore in your dog or cat.

1. Difficulty Breathing

Any changes in your dog's or cat's breathing needs to be addressed immediately. Because cats and small dogs have small respiratory tracts, even seemingly minor breathing issues can quickly lead to life-threatening situations. If your dog or cat is coughing, panting more than normal, fatigues easily, or suddenly has loud or noisy breathing, it should be examined by your veterinarian immediately. Heart and lung disease, infections, obstructions, and more can cause sudden breathing problems.

11 things you probably dont know about pet deaths

Pets die with their eyes open. It takes active muscle control to close the eyes. (The same is true of humans.)

2. Many pets "hide" when they are sick. This is a defensive mechanism to prevent predators from spotting them in a vulnerable state.

Puppy Socialization; What it entails.

You have your new puppy. You want to do everything right. Friends have told you that you need to “socialize” her, @wildeji always mentions the concept on Twitter, yet you are still confused.
Socialization is an important,yet often misunderstood concept in raising puppies. In the next few paragraphs, I am going to help explain what we,as trainers mean by socialization, what type of socialization exercises are beneficial to your puppy and which can be harmful.
In a nutshell, socialization means exposing a puppy to a variety of experiences,places, animals, other dogs and people in a manner that will not frighten the puppy, but rather allow her to gain confidence in these situations.

How to acquire dog bites

Three separate incidents around the world last week reminded me of how little people understand dogs and what makes them tick. A baby in the UK got killed by a mastiff, a young man in Madagascar was hunted down by German Shepherd dogs, and a 4 year old boy got mauled by a pair of savage German Shepherd dogs in our own Lagos.The stereotypes are failing us. There are always reasons for dog bites, and 7 out 10 times they occur it's the human's fault. 

Most dog bites in Nigeria go unreported, but they occur. With the increasing interest in dogs, the frequency of bites will follow suit. Regardless of the breed of dog you encounter, if you go against the tenets of the canine society, you will get bitten. Commonsense is key. Always. 

Job Creation in the Nigerian Pet Care Industry

The Nigerian Pet Care industry is comatose, the entire focus is on vets. No support services, thus animal abuse is inevitable. A lot of this abuse is as a direct result of ignorance, because even some vets do not know things outside their purview; something has to be done about it. Someone is training coders from scratch and employing them. Lots of coding to be done. This template can be used in all industries. 

Predatory Aggression

All dogs have some level of prey drive (the motivation to chase, catch and kill small furry or feathered creatures) because hunting and killing was a way of life for their ancestors and the means for their survival. Predatory aggression by dogs does not reflect a psychological problem and neither is the perpetrator vicious, malicious or vindictive. 

Predation is a natural survival-related behavior that may sometimes alarm or disgust us. The entire predatory sequence involves searching, stalking, chasing, catching, biting, killing and then eating. 

Predatory behavior is not preceded by a significant mood change or threatening gestures because either would be counter-productive to the objective – to catch and kill the prey. The absence of warning signs plus the fact that killing is the natural end point for the behavior makes it dangerous for target animals and prey facsimiles.

Many natural drives of dogs, including prey drive, have been modified by selective breeding practices. Thus, the level of prey drive varies between breed groups - even between breeds. In fact, four of the seven breed groups of dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club (sporting, herding, hound and terrier groups) have an enhanced prey drive.

Dogs with high prey drive have greater potential to pursue and perhaps kill any perceived prey species. Dogs that have been bred for herding and sporting activities have a high prey drive but may have also been bred for having "a soft mouth." Terriers have been bred for a pure, unadulterated prey drive in the process of honing their vermint chasing and killing skills.

One of the key factors that distinguish predatory aggression from other forms of aggression is that movement often triggers it. In the wild, this movement is in the form of running and escape attempts of a small critter that the dog has honed in on as his prey. In the domestic situation, joggers, skateboarders, cyclists, automobiles, people on bicycles and running children frequently awaken the dog's otherwise dormant predatory instincts.

The results of such cases of mistaken identity can range from annoying to painful and even life-threatening. Dogs in such prey mode display relatively little mood change. They may slink up on their prey and, when within range, launch an attack. They then accelerate towards their target, either nipping at heels or biting at calves or thighs, perhaps hanging on in an attempt to drag their prey to the ground. Sometimes other dogs will be drawn in to the attack displaying "packing" behaviour or "group" aggression. When the subject is a young child who is attempting to run away, the results can be disastrous.

New Puppy?? What you need to know

When first-time puppy owners pick up their 7- or 8-week-old pup, they usually glow with pride and affection. At this time, they set their hearts on doing everything possible to make the new pup welcome in their home and try to help it adjust to the considerable change in lifestyle that the pup inevitably faces. Owners are often inundated with information on how to feed the pup and take care of his medical needs, and so on, but other questions soon arise and the correct answers aren't always easily available. Common questions include:

The puppy cries at night. Should he be left alone or cuddled?

Trainers stress the importance of socializing the pup to other dogs, but the veterinarian says to keep him inside until all his vaccinations are complete. What do you do?

What are the best methods for housebreaking your dog?

How do you handle nipping, chewing, leash training, and crating?

Opinions vary on these subjects, but this article provides some guidance to help the owner make reasonable and, most importantly, humane decisions. Raising a puppy is not easy. Half the new pups born in this country do not live to see their second birthday largely because of supposedly unsolvable behavior problems. The fact is, many people don't know how to communicate the right messages to their dogs as they go through highly sensitive periods of development and sow the seeds of disaster early.

Diseases You Can Catch From Your Pet

Your pet can give you so much: love, attention, entertainment, company – and infection. But being alert to some of these problems can help to keep you and your pet healthy.

Whether you own a dog or a cat, a bird or a reptile, a rabbit or fish, you should be aware that your pet can have an effect on your health by infecting you with certain diseases. These are called zoonotic diseases, which are animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans.

Submissive Urination in Dogs

Submissive urination can be a frustrating and embarrassing problem. Fortunately, it is often easily corrected. Shy, timid puppies are the most likely candidates for submissive urination but occasionally it persists into young adulthood. This problem is most common in female puppies under 1 year of age.

Situations that precipitate submissive urination include:

Over affectionate greetings

Guests entering your home

Arguments between people

Scolding

Loud noises

Dogs are social animals that use subtle cues to maintain order and prevent disputes. In order to display deference to a more dominant individual, a submissive dog uses gestures such as averting her eyes, rolling on her back, and urinating. So when a dog feels intimidated or threatened, the appropriate response is to offer a submissive signal. These signals demonstrate that the dog recognizes another individual's dominance. The urination that occurs is not a spiteful act but a natural part of a dog's behavioral repertoire.

 

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Dogs are social animals that form strong bonds with people, so it is not surprising that they may feel somewhat anxious when separated from their social group. Most dogs adapt well to the typical daily separation from their owners. Unfortunately, problems can arise when an overly dependent dog develops a dysfunctionally strong attachment to her owners. The dog with separation anxiety is distinguished by signs of distress when left alone and over-attachment when the owner is present.

Canine Abuse; how to handle it.

It is a sad fact of life that many dogs suffer abuse of some kind during their lives. Abuse can take the form of physical assaults or punishment - but many pets suffer from the silent abuse of neglect. When abuse occurs during a sensitive stage of a dog's development, it can have a profound impact for the rest of its life, even if the dog is subsequently removed from the abusive environment.

An older dog may bounce back from a bad situation, but a young, impressionable dog will show lasting mental scars. He or she often has to be coaxed out of a shell of resistance and will likely never be fully trusting.

Toilet Training Your Cat

Every cat lover who saw the movie Meet the Parents envies Robert DeNiro's character, whose seal point Himalayan cat, Mr. Jinx, used the toilet to eliminate his wastes. Think of the convenience: no more hoisting bags of litter into and out of the car, no more scooping waste from the litter box and throwing it into the trash, and no more smell when Rocko makes a hefty deposit in (or outside of) his box. With the exception of flushing, a toilet-trained cat eliminates all of the problems associated with managing pet poop.

Coughing Dogs

Coughing is a common protective reflex that clears secretions or foreign matter from the throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), windpipe (trachea) or airways, and protects the lungs against aspiration. It affects the respiratory system by hindering the ability to breathe properly.

Common causes include obstruction in the windpipe, bronchitis, pneumonia, heartworm disease, lung tumors, kennel cough and heart failure.

Feeding your parrot

Hiya,

The best diet for parrots consists mostly of pellets, supplemented with "table food." These birds need foods from the bread/cereal, vegetable and protein (meat) groups - just as humans do. Dairy products aren't necessary, although some owners do feed them to their birds in small amounts. Fruit is mostly sugar and supplies few essential nutrients to birds.

Feline Obesity

Obesity is defined as the excessive accumulation of body fat. At least 25 percent of all cats are considered obese or are likely to become obese. It is the most common nutrition-related health condition in cats.

The primary causes of obesity are overeating and lack of exercise. When regular caloric intake exceeds the energy burned, the excess is stored as fat. As little as an extra 1 percent caloric intake can result in 25 percent increase over ideal body weight by middle age.


Most owners don't recognize that their cats are overweight until they take them to the veterinarian for another reason. Most pets begin slowly gaining weight and only a historical review of body weight reveals the insidious nature of this condition.

Cats that are overweight may experience difficulty breathing or walking or they may be unable to tolerate heat or exercise.