posted by Tess on May 30
Playful dog biting by young puppies is a common phenomenon. But when the same situation occurs in adult dogs, it can result in serious consequences. Biting is a part of basic aggressive dog behavior. It arises from an inherent attribute of dogs to dominate a pack.
Wild dogs use biting as a tool to assert their dominance over other dogs within the pack. Even within a litter of puppies around the mother, it is common to see some pups trying to assert dominance and biting each other. Dogs tend to Bite without provocation only when they start assuming the family as the pack and see a situation where they feel that can dominate and become the ‘alpha’ dog.
While any type of aggressive dog behavior is difficult to tolerate, dog biting assumes more significance in the light of the problems that are associated with it. In many cases, dog biting arises out of fear or when a dog finds him in an inescapable situation. If this behavior is not corrected in its early stages, dog aggression may assume unmanageable proportions.
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posted by Tess on May 29
Diabetes in cats is treatable and normally has a good prognosis. Cats usually respond to lasting insulin and low carbohydrate diets. If diabetes is detected early, treatment is usually successful in preventing nerve damage and in some cases, even remission. However, if left untreated it can lead to organ failure, blindness and even death.
Diet
In many cases diet alone is able to treat diabetes in cats . A low carbohydrate diet lowers the requirement of insulin in diabetic cats. In cats and dogs, carbohydrates are converted to blood glucose must faster than fats and proteins. A low carbohydrate diet thus reduces the risk of extreme blood sugar highs immediately after meals. Home cooked food, however, is always the preferred option than commercial foods since canned food tends to have a higher proportion of carbohydrate. Try to get hold of a cat food calculator and determine the type and quantity of fats, proteins and carbohydrates that you can safely feed your cat with.
Oral pills
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posted by Tess on May 27
Although the treatment of pet Aggression may involve practically similar procedures, there are basic differences between dog Aggression and feline Aggression. One of the most common forms of feline aggressions is actually termed as play Aggression. It is seen mostly in younger cats up to two years.
Cats learn feline behaviors during the weaning period. The mother cat and other older members of the litter play an important role in this natural learning process. It is during this period that they understand to play, stalk, kill prey and most of all, explore and investigate new objects.
This is also the time that they learn that they should not bite hard enough to hurt. Cats that have not had the opportunity to socialize enough during the early period are most likely to become more nervous and indulge in aggressive behaviors, much to the annoyance of the owners.
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posted by Tess on May 24
All cells in the body need glucose for energy. There is a typical method by which glucose enters the cells. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that signals the opening of a ‘door’ so that glucose can enter the cell. Any disruption in this mechanism means that cells do not get the energizing glucose that they need and excess glucose remains in the blood stream. This results in high blood glucose levels.
Inflammation of the pancreas is a primary cause of diabetes in cats , dogs and humans as well. Type 1 diabetes is the inability of the pancreas to produce sufficient insulin. Type 2 diabetes is a combination of a similar problem as in type 1 diabetes accompanied by a condition known as insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is characterized by the inability of the cells to accept glucose. This leads to a viscious circle wherein due to the elevated blood sugar level a signal is sent to the pancreas for production of more insulin. Sometimes this excess production overrides the excess blood sugar and the pancreas exhausts itself and gradually stops funtioning.
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posted by Tess on May 15
Diabetes mellitus or simply diabetes is a common condition in dogs. Howsoever scary it may sound it is not the end of the world for your dog because diabetes in canines is manageable if proper care is taken. Diet, regular monitoring of blood sugar levels and medication are key aspects of adequate care.
Diabetes, however, can cause an early death of the dog if it is not treated. High blood sugar levels produce clinical symptoms of diabetes in dogs and cats that can help in early detection.
Diabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels rise due to the inability of pancreas to produce enough insulin to manage glucose (a primary sugar) in the food that the dog ingests. In another situation, cells become resistant to the action of insulin, which also results in a high blood sugar level. If not managed within reasonable time, it leads to abnormally high blood sugar levels, a condition known as hyperglycemia.
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posted by Tess on May 13
Unlike dog aggression , which basically occurs due to the inherent dominant nature of dogs, feline aggression is most of the times a playful activity. Cats seldom indulge in aggression without provocation. But they are likely to react aggressively if provoked too much. A fearful cat is more likely to try the escape route and hide behind a sofa. Biting is not a natural response that it has.
But it is not uncommon to hear about cats losing their homes due to aggressive behaviors like Biting. Physical distress and fear are factors that can drive cats to indulge in Biting in a manner that it provokes aggressive dog behavior .
However, it is only when aggression is encouraged or ignored that a cat tends to behave aggressively. A delivery man, who hides or runs away on seeing a household cat that shows aggressive body language, is sure to instill enough confidence even in an otherwise docile cat. He will remember it and every time a delivery man comes knocking he is liable to face an increasingly aggressive cat every time.
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posted by Tess on May 9
Most people bring home a cat or a kitten expecting a friendly cat that will become a companion and lie cozily in the lap. It is unlikely that a cat will be confident enough to adjust easily to a new home and people. However, apart from the initial short period that the cat may take to get used to a new environment, most cats adjust easily in new homes.
On the other hand, some cats remain fearful of the new surroundings despite patient efforts of the cat owner. Su situation may be the start of a problem. If the fearful and anxious situation continues you can be sure that you have landed yourself with a stressed and unhappy cat.
A fearful or defensive cat is likely to resort to aggressive behavior like fighting, biting and scratching. Understanding cat behavior is critical to handle an aggressive cat or to stop cat biting behavior. Unlike treating aggressive dog behavior , which requires re-training, handling a mean cat may require a little bit more than that.
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posted by Tess on May 7
You may train your dog to perfection but it is difficult to remove all basic traits of canine nature. Domestication and evolutionary changes have converted a basically aggressive species into lovable and sweet animals. A well trained dog will give you his unconditional love and affection. But an action like this is no guarantee that he will not have an aggressive encounter with you at least once in his lifetime. Dog Biting statistics are a standing testimony to that.
Consider the options that a dog has when he is upset, annoyed or approached when in fear of a noise, stranger or situation. He can only growl, bark and ultimately Bite. Howsoever you may train your dog unexpected situations are liable to arise, which may induce the dog to Bite. If there is a need to re-train your dog that is showing signs of aggression, there is an equally compelling need for learning how to protect your family and you from dog Biting.
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posted by Tess on May 6
Out of the numerous liver functions, filtering of blood is perhaps one of the most important and crucial to the health of your dog. After the food has been digested in the intestines it is absorbed into the portal blood stream and carried to the liver. The liver works upon it to:
* Store some of the food for energy.
* Filter bacteria, chemicals, toxins and nutritional byproducts.
* Produce proteins and other substances necessary for life.
A liver shunt is a condition where the portal blood vessel, instead of carrying blood through the liver, carries it around it. In dogs with a liver shunt the unfiltered blood is carried into the body and toxins accumulate in the blood stream and kidneys, a condition that ultimately causes serious problems.
There are reasonable indications that suggest that liver shunt is a congenital liver disease in dogs and mostly the young puppy dies within weeks after birth. Some dogs do survive for years before some of the symptoms of liver disease in dogs like seizures, abnormal behaviors and serious illnesses become noticeable. In certain cases, however, liver shunt is acquired later in life due to insult to the organ due to a disease or injury.
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posted by Tess on May 2
A liver shunt is a blood vessel that carries blood around the liver instead of carrying blood through the liver. A liver shunt problem is mostly congenital. A dog may also acquire multiple small shunts from a severe liver disease, such as cirrhosis. There are basically two kinds of liver shunt conditions that are possible – congenital liver shunt and acquired liver shunt.
Congenital Liver Shunts
The liver function is not needed in the fetus. The mother’s liver performs functions like filtering, production of proteins and storage of sugar for the unborn baby. There is a large shunt in mammalian fetuses that carries blood from the fetal liver to the heart. This shunt (duct) usually closes once the baby’s liver becomes operational before or after birth. In rare cases this shunt does not close leading to what is known as a congenital ‘intra hepatic’ shunt. In certain cases, a blood vessel outside the liver grows abnormally and remains open while the fetal shunt closes. This condition is known as congenital ‘extra-hepatic’ shunt.
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