Pet Herbal Info Blog

posted by Tess on Dec 8

As cute and lovable as guinea pigs can be, one must remember that a guinea pig is an animal first and foremost. Therefore, when a guinea pig feels threatened, he will use any resource that he has to protect himself, including his teeth. Feeling threatened isn’t the only cause for a guinea pig biting, however.

First, most guinea pigs actually won’t bite you, unless they have a very good reason – according to them – for doing so. They are not inherently mean animals, and in fact, they have no desire to hurt you at all. Guinea pigs are quite gentle actually. So, if your guinea pig bites, it is important for you to discover why he is biting.

First, guinea pigs do not like to be held or carried in certain ways. Ideally, when you hold or carry a guinea pig, you will hold him in a way that makes him feel safe and secure. This includes holding him against your body, and not carrying him in a way that leaves his abdomen exposed. He simply wants to feel safe, and he may bite you if he doesn’t.

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posted by Tess on Nov 20

Unlike many animals, guinea pigs are a bit picky about what they eat. Regardless of this, they absolutely must have a sufficient amount of vitamin C in their diets. Without the proper amount of vitamin C, your guinea pig can develop scurvy and die. Unlike humans, guinea pigs are not capable of manufacturing their own vitamin C.

So, how much vitamin C does your guinea pig need? An adult guinea pig requires at least 10mg of vitamin C daily. If your guinea pig is nursing or pregnant, she requires more, up to 20mg daily. It is important that you understand that vitamin C is only effective when it is fresh. This means that even if you purchase pellets that contain vitamin C, the amount of vitamin C that your guinea pig requires must be acquired from other sources.

You can add vitamin C supplements to your guinea pigs food, but this isn’t necessarily tasty for them, or cost effective for you. The best sources of vitamin C for your guinea pig will come from fresh fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, with vitamin C supplements, you won’t have to wonder if you are giving your guinea pig the proper amount of vitamin C.

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posted by Tess on Aug 22

There may be numerous reasons why you want to breed guinea pigs. One thing is certain, however. You should not breed guinea pigs in the hopes of getting rich for it. The truth is that there is very little money in breeding guinea pigs, and finding good homes for guinea pigs isn’t always easy.

However, if you have a very good reason for breeding guinea pigs, here are some guidelines to help you out.

Obviously, you need a male, known as a boar, and a female, known as a sow. A sow needs to be at least six months of age, and the boar needs to be at least four months old. It is possible for both sexes to mate before they reach this age, but it isn’t advised, because it has an affect on the health of the litter.

The male and female also need the opportunity to get to know each other properly. You need to put them in the same pen, preferably alone, for at least a month. Do not separate them until you are sure that the female is pregnant.

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posted by Tess on Aug 19

So, your ferret needs a little training? Unlike dogs, there is no obedience school for ferrets – but they are intelligent creatures, and they are very easy to train. This is something that you can easily do yourself with a little know-how and a lot of patience.

The first thing you will want to train your ferret to do is to use the litter box – obviously. Luckily, this is very easy to do, because ferrets have very specific bathroom habits. First, a ferret needs to relieve himself upon waking, and again after eating or drinking.

Second, when a ferret is about to do his business, he seeks out a corner – which is where you want to position the litter box. The ferret will back into the corner, as opposed to walking straight in it, so you will know what he is about to do. All you have to do is put the litter box in the corner he has chosen, or immediately pick him up – before he relieves himself – and carry him to the litter box. That’s all it really takes – and before long, he will know where he is supposed to go.

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posted by Tess on Feb 26

Hamsters are the most popular rodents kept as pets. They are extremely easy to tame and take care of and are relatively inexpensive animals. Hamsters are a suitable pet for almost any household; children can even keep them!

There are many different types of hamsters: large, small, patterned, solid colored, longhaired and shorthaired. The most popular hamster is the Syrian. It is the largest variety and comes in either longhaired or shorthaired. The longhaired Syrian hamster is often called the “Teddy bear hamster”. There is even a hairless Syrian! It also comes in many colors such as golden brown, white, cinnamon, cream, rust, gray, lilac, honey, yellow and black. An adult Syrian hamster reaches a length of six to eight inches.

The next most common hamster is the Dwarf Russian. It only reaches a length of three and a half to four and a half inches. The smallest hamster is the Roborovski. It is only two inches when full grown. The main difference between the Syrian hamster and other hamster species is that Syrian hamsters must be kept alone and the other species can be kept in groups. If Syrian hamsters are kept together, they will fight and can become seriously injured or even killed. You must keep only one Syrian in a cage.

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posted by Tess on Feb 22

Turtles are fascinating pets to own, but many people get them not knowing how to care for them. They need to have the right amount of space, light, shade, and moisture to survive. You need to learn what turtles require before you get one.

The best place to keep a turtle is outside. Turtles hibernate in the winter and if they are kept inside they won’t hibernate. This can cause them to develop liver diseases. A turtle’s natural cycle should not be messed with. Also, if you keep a turtle pen outside you can create a completely natural turtle habitat.

Some people that keep turtles inside use refrigerators to make them hibernate. This is not recommended though because if the refrigerator suddenly rises in temperature or if the power goes off, the turtle’s hibernation will be interrupted. This can be fatal for them. If you plan on keeping your pets inside, just don’t let them hibernate.

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posted by Tess on May 22

Ferrets: Health, Husbandry and Diseases

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posted by Tess on Mar 14

Guinea pigs are very lovable animals. They are very affectionate and have their own personalities, which will become very evident within days after you bring them home. They love to snuggle and cuddle. They will live longer than most other small pets, usually five to eight years. Although guinea pigs are naturally healthy animals and rarely get sick, doing your part to care for them can have a direct impact on how long they will live.

However, assuming that because they live in cages, guinea pigs have little or no care requirements is far from true. They need daily care. They rely upon you to give them proper nutrition, exercise them daily, and give them lots of love.

A guinea pig will need fresh food and water every day. While this may seem like a lot of work, making it a part of your daily routine will help it seem easy. In addition, you will receive lots of love from your pig, which will make your sacrifices worthwhile.

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posted by Tess on Jan 18

You may wish to consider a chinchilla as a possible pet. They are of the rodent family, (but it doesn’t seem that way).

Also known as “chins” they have incredible velvety fir, and they resemble a chubby squirrel with Mickey mouse type ears. They are nocturnal, although they do get up and play alot during the day. Chins are very smart and playful, and I’m told can be trained. They are also very clean,so their cage area doesn’t tend to stink as many other types of caged animals can.

I got my first pair of chinchillas, as adults, a proven breeding pair. They were nice enough but they never really did bond with us. We ended up having 3 litters total. They usually have 1-3 babies (also known as kits), and their pregnancy is 111 days (about 4 months), which is very long gestation period for an animal that size.

The babies are born fully formed, “ready to go” you might say. Fully furred, eyes opened, running around. They can even eat adult food almost from day 1, although they prefer to nurse.

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posted by Tess on Nov 26

Rabbits are one of the most popular pets, apart from dogs and cats. They look attractive, lovely, gentle, friendly and cute. They are easy to take care and undemanding in terms of care and housing. They will settle well either indoor or outdoor, at home.

There are 40 species of rabbits and hares worldwide. All domesticated rabbits are originated from European rabbits. The scientific name for domestic rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus.

Typically, domesticated rabbits weigh between 2.2-221lb (1-10kg). The domesticated rabbits can be fed on commercially produced rabbit food, pellets, hay, green food, root vegetables, tree bark, herbs and apple.

The gestation period of a rabbit is 31 days and the typical litter size ranges from 6-8 young. The lifespan varies with breed.

Keeping a rabbit as pet requires a good training system to prevent unnecessary destructions or hassle. For example, furniture and carpet chewing problems, pseudo pregnancy symptoms, litter problems, fights, behavioral problems, rabbit-house worries, sickness, fleas, predators and etc. Nevertheless, these challenges can be overcome when the owners have the knowledge and experience to deal with them. Thus, one of the recommended ways to acquire the important knowledge is to read widely and exchange practical information with experienced rabbit owners.

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