Cats and dogs are amazing pets to have, but you may be considering something a little more...exotic. Exotic pets may not be as popular as other animals that you are used to seeing as part of a family’s household, but they can be just as fun, rewarding, and easy to form bonds with!
Birds, for example, are highly intelligent animals that can be taught to or vocalize. Turtles, if provided the proper habitat and dietary requirements, can be another great addition to your home with their unique personalities. Reptiles are quiet, low-maintenance, scaly friends that can also offer you companionship without all the hassle. Read more below to discover what type of care each of these animals needs and if they’re right for you.
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Overweight Pets
Category:
Video Newsroom, Health Topics
According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), 43% of all dogs and 53% of all cats are classified as overweight. What's worse is that an additional 10% of all dogs and 19% of all cats are considered obese! Therefore, more than half of our dogs and cats are overweight or obese. So, should
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Pain Management in Pets
Category:
Video Newsroom, Health Topics
Arthritis and chronic pain are not purely human conditions. Dogs and cats feel pain too and arthritis causes long term pain that can affect your their behavior and activity level. Modern veterinary diagnostics and therapies can offer some hope.
Pain has many causes. When it happens to your pet friends,
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Red Eared Sliders
Category:
Choosing Your Pet, Exotics, Reptiles, Turtles
Red eared sliders are semi aquatic turtles that are very commonly kept as pets. Unfortunately, lack of understanding what they require means that many red eared sliders have died from improper care. While they are not overly demanding as pets, many unsuspecting owners have been told that it was fine
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Blue Tongued Skinks
Category:
Choosing Your Pet, Exotics, Reptiles, Lizards
Blue tongued skinks are quite and gentle, and quite easily tamed and handled. It is reported that even wild blue tongued skinks will sometimes allow themselves to be picked up without a struggle. Popular as pets, blue tongued skinks or "skinks" are moderately sized lizards native to Australia. They live
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Canaries
Category:
Choosing Your Pet, Exotics, Birds
The Canary species is called Serinus canaria and is actually a member of the finch family, native to the Canary Islands. The wild canary is greenish yellow over most of their body with yellow underparts. The domestic canary comes in an array of bright colors and can live up to 10 years. Male canaries
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Lovebirds
Category:
Choosing Your Pet, Exotics, Birds
Lovebirds are very social and form deep bonds with their owners. If you are short on time to spend with your lovebird, then it is best to get him or her a companion.
There are several species of lovebirds, such as the genus Agapornis. But the most commonly found species in the pet trade include peach
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African Grey Parrots
Category:
Choosing Your Pet, Exotics, Birds
There are two subspecies of African grey parrot commonly found in the pet trade - the Congo African grey (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) and the Timneh African grey (Psittacus erithacus timneh). The Congo African grey is slightly larger than the Timneh, and has bright red tail feathers. The Timneh's
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Bearded Dragons
Category:
Choosing Your Pet, Exotics, Reptiles, Lizards
Bearded dragons are generally docile, and their aggressive displays are rarely seen in captivity. It is reported that even wild bearded dragons will sometimes allow themselves to be picked up without a struggle. Popular as pets, bearded dragons or "beardies" are moderately sized lizards native to Australia.
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Tortoises
Category:
Choosing Your Pet, Exotics, Reptiles, Turtles
Tortoises can make an interesting pet, although they can present a challenge, due to their size and dietary habits. Their diets vary based on species, but all need quite a variety of foods, with careful attention paid to the amount of roughage as well as calcium/phosphorus balance. Some species have
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Animal Shelter
Category:
Choosing Your Pet, Finding Your Pet
Animal shelters, or what used to be known as pounds, are either governmental or private organizations that provide temporary homes for stray, surrendered, or abandoned pet animals. They most often house dogs and cats. The animal is kept at the shelter until it is reclaimed by the owner, adopted to a
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Breeder
Category:
Choosing Your Pet, Finding Your Pet
Buying from a reputable breeder gives you the opportunity to interact with the pets family, siblings, dam, also possibly the sire. You can, therefore, form a general impression of what the future holds for the pet you take home.
A responsible breeder is a good source for a well-bred, healthy pet. The
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Vetopedia
Category:
Today's Veterinarian
Vetopedia is a glossary of terms used by vets in treating animals.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AAFCO Association of American Feed Control Officials; an organization which sets standards for pet food ingredients and minimum daily requirements.
Abdomen A region of the body between
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Hip Dysplasia
Category:
Pet Health, Orthopedics
Hip dysplasia is a congenital disease that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. It is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It can be found in many animals and, rarely, humans, but is common in many dog breeds, particularly
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Diabetes Mellitus
Category:
Pet Health, Chronic Conditions
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a life long disorder of dogs and cats that results when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to meet the animal's needs. Insulin is a hormone needed to transport glucose (blood sugar) into the body's cells. When there is a lack of insulin in the body, blood glucose rises
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Veterinary Acupuncture
Category:
Video Newsroom, Technology and Science
The use of acupuncture is growing in popularity among veterinarians and the practitioners say they are impressed with the results. Only a few decades ago, the use of acupuncture in veterinary medicine was virtually unheard of. In recent years, the use of acupuncture in veterinary medicine has been steadily
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The Cutting Edge... Laser Surgery for Pets!
Category:
Video Newsroom, Technology and Science
It's doubtful that anyone would picture their family veterinarian swinging a light saber on the bridge of some galactic cruiser, but he or she may just have a similar technology available to help keep your pets comfortable during surgery.
For more than 30 years, human doctors have used various
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