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Exotic Pets: Degu

Degu belongs to the family of rodents. They are very friendly and intelligent pets when compared to other rodents. They are hassle free and demand less maintenance. Some people compare degus to chinchillas, squirrel and even gerbils. They have a tweed brown color and have a long tail with brush like hair at the end. The tail is nearly one to two third of the body’s length. They use it to maintain balance while climbing and while walking they keep it in upright position. Their belly is creamed color and there are circles around their eyes. Their ears are surprisingly big as well as their whiskers. They hinder the growth of their claws by nibbling on them, so they the claws don’t require grooming. Degu’s forelimbs are longer than their hind limbs. They are born with yellow teeth that turn orange after reacting to the chlorophyll present in plants, which also turns their saliva into orange.

They are originally found in Chile and are exported to other countries. There are some import restrictions on degu in America, so it is uncommon to find degus at pet shops, but they can be found in pet stores, all over Europe. Initially other countries brought them not as exotic pets but to conduct laboratory experiments. They do not have the ability to digest sugar, so they were used to test diabetes.

When young, their size can be compared to hamsters and when they grow to their full size they can be compared to hamsters. They grow in size within few months, so all the equipments should be bought with keeping these constraints in mind. The cage should be big and must have a running wheel. Their average body weight is 160-230 gram when they grow into full adult.

Degus are very playful animals and lots of toys are generally kept in their cage. Baby degus do not fight at all and are always involved in playing. It would be a bad idea to keep their cage in the bedroom, as they will keep people away with all the noise they make. Although they are diurnal, they sleep for short periods and chances are that they stay awake for few hours at night. They are at peak of activity in mornings and evenings and otherwise, shut their eyes a little. Since they are sociable and not afraid of humans, it is recommended never to keep a degu alone. They should be kept, at least, in pairs. If they are kept alone, they life period decreases and they get really depressed, in spite of human attention. They also become aggressive.

Degus have the tendency to shed their tail in defense when animals attack them. So it is recommended never to tug the tail. The tail bleeds and nearly half of the tail dries slowly and falls off or gets chewed by the degu. Even worse is that the tail doesn’t grow back. They even don’t like to be held very tightly and for a long time. Never lift them from top as they have the natural tendency of getting scared as the degus in forests get carried away by birds. Owners can gain familiarity by stretching out their palms and calling out to them calmly. The degus develop voice familiarity and get trained to climb onto the palm of the owner.

In the forests, the degus can live up to less than a year and less than one percent live up to two years. But in captivity, they can live up to five years and more. Females, who live with males, die fast as they become weaker because of constant pregnancies. Their pregnancy periods last for eighty seven to ninety three days. Therefore, it is recommended that members of the same sex should be kept together as pets. If the owner is interested in breeding them, opposite sex can be kept together, but should be careful about not exhausting the female with regular pregnancies. Keep In mind, that they shouldn’t beget a child more than once a year.

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Understanding Reptiles

Did you think a frog is a reptile? Maybe it would help to learn the difference in reptiles and amphibians. Amphibians can’t travel far from a water source because their skin would dry out. Their eggs wouldn’t survive either since they must be laid in water. Reptiles, on the other hand, already have tough hard scaly skin.

Snakes are well-known and feared reptiles. Many people simply misunderstand the snake. It’s a benefit to the balance of nature. They consume rodents, amphibians, and insects as well as providing a source of food to other animals. They’re valuable additions to our animal world because of the importance as predators and as prey.

Many people kill snakes without knowing whether or not they are dangerous. Some snakes are “good” snakes in the way that they kill the bad snakes. Those annoying mice are controlled because of the snake population, too. But before you decide that you’d rather have a bigger mouse population than snakes, you would surely agree that everything was created for a reason. Just because you may be scared of something does not mean it is less important to our world.

Have you ever struck out in fear, by instinct or reflex? Sometimes a reptile is forced to do the same thing in order to survive. It doesn’t stop to think first because the time could cost it a life. Snakes do not strike out because they hate humans, lizards do not bite because they are holding a grudge, snapping turtles do not snap because they don’t like the blouse you decided to wear today. A reptile attacks because it feels threatened or because it is hungry.

If you live in an area where the venomous snake population is higher than normal or maybe your chance of coming into contact with such is higher, you may want to purchase a Sawyer Pump Extractor. This handy little machine suctions out the venom from the bite, reducing your chances of more serious illness or death.

There are some helpful do’s and don’ts to know once you’ve been bit. Of course, you should get away from the snake first. Although it is scary, you will less affected if you can make yourself stay as calm as possible. Remove jewelry that may become binding should your arm or hand swell from a bite. Wrap a wide band of material or elastic bandage above the bite area and leave in place until proper medical help is achieved. Do not wrap this too tightly. Alert an emergency center of your upcoming visit if possible.

Don’t take any alcohol or drugs as this may interfere with your treatment once you arrive at the medical center. It could also inhibit your ability to get there if you are forced to drive yourself. Applying ice or electric shock of any kind is not advised.

It will help to pay attention to the reptile that bit you so that you can relate the information to the medical personnel when you get help. It may help them identify your needs quicker.

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Exotic Pets: Chinchilla

Chinchillas are of small sized crepuscular rodents belonging to the Chinchillidae family, almost the size of rabbit. They are found in the Andes Mountains of South America. There are two different species of chinchilla, Chinchilla Lanigera and Chinchilla Brevicaudata. Although they look almost similar, the tail and ears of Chinchilla Brevicaudata is shorter, its shoulder and neck are broader and is found in the wild. The Chinchilla Lanigera species can be kept as pets. Their standard color is grey and they can also be found in ebony, beige and other colors.

Chinchillas are endangered species. They can be kept as domestic pets, but are very shy animals and are not good with small kids. Because of their fragile bone structure, they should be handled with care and that might be the reason why chinchillas don’t like it when people hold them in their hands.

The life period of chinchillas is about fifteen years, when kept in captivity; some even survive till twenty or more years. They are noisy animals and make noises like squeaks, barks and chirps. They make noise to express their moods. They use a sweet chirping sound to attract another chinchilla for mating. They bark loudly when they get aggressive or scared. Chinchillas are social animals and can be kept together. When keeping the chinchillas of opposite sex, they should be neutered. A group of same sex chinchillas also does well, except that there is a chance of them fighting when a younger or older member is introduced in the group.

Chinchillas are very playful animals. Arranged shelves can be kept in their cage, which they can jump on. Toys like large wheel measuring more than eight inches in radius, hanging wooden toys, and paper towel cylinder can also be placed in the cage. Care should be taken that none of the objects should have a mesh structure as there is a possibility of chinchillas getting their legs stuck in it. Adding to this, when they are given wooden toys or wooden chew stick, the material shouldn’t be conifer wood, because it contains resins which are poisonous to them. Even plastics should be avoided for the same reason as they will block their intestines I swallowed. The cage should be very airy and the bedding again shouldn’t be of cedar wood. Birch, apple tree, willow, and Manzanita are good options for wood.

Temperatures should be maintained below seventy-seven degree Fahrenheit, because chinchilla don’t have sweat glands and do not sweat. When the temperatures get really high, they get overheated and get a heat stroke. Since the animals are hyper active they should be made to spend at least half an hour outside their cage to exercise, in supervision. They clean their fur many times a week by taking dust baths. A container filled with special chinchilla sand dust and fine pumice should be kept in their cage for bathing purpose. The chinchillas shouldn’t be given wet baths because their fur has the property to retain moisture and this could aid fungus growth. Even if they are given wet bath, they should be dried very fast with the help of blow dryer on a low setting.

Chinchillas shouldn’t be given a sweet and fatty diet, like nuts and fruits, as their digestive system is very delicate. Their main diet can comprise of hay based pellet and loose hay. They can also be given small pieces of papaya and raisins sometimes. If they are fed with sugar products, they have a tendency to develop diabetes or diarrhea. Even fresh vegetables block their digestive system which can be very dangerous.

The cause of extinction of chinchillas is that they are killed on a large scale for its superb soft feeling fur. Also, they have a very evenly colored fur which makes it most apt for small apparels and as lining for bigger apparels. Although, now the wild species aren’t hunted for fur, but domestic species are especially bred for this purpose. There are fur farms where chinchillas are bred in larger numbers. They are kept in really bad conditions.

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Exotic Pets: Tigers

Tigers are felines which are extremely popular among pet lovers who have immense passion for exotic animals. At the same time they are also the most dangerous of all the exotic pets. In the first place, it is really difficult to get a permit for them to be kept as pets. And even if the owner gets the permit, they have to face other issues like finance, responsibility, threats, and regulatory issues so much so that even the local inspector drops by every now and then to inspect the animal and the living conditions provided by the owner. Although owing a tiger sounds impressive but it is more like building castle on clouds.

Potential owners shouldn’t get turned down, but they should very well understand the challenges they have to undergo during the whole process. They should work as a volunteer at a zoo which has adult tigers to understand in depth about what they are going to do.

Cubs usually like to cuddle and sleep with humans around. They can be fed with milk bottles like a human baby. They need to be taken out for a walk, frequently. They won’t complain if the owners keep other pets along with them. Tigers like to play wild games around the house. They attack a piece of furniture multiple times and drag them from one corner to other, because of their wild instincts of hunting. They will get companionship and would enjoy playing with each other, inside the house as well as outside. Problem arises only when the tiger outgrows other pets, as they start biting and attacking the weaker one. They should not only be moved out of the house, but also will require a bigger cage, if a smaller cage was built earlier. The expense for building a larger cage will be huge. When they grow, they need to be shifted to a cage which is at least eighty-seven feet long and thirty-feet tall. A small swimming pool should also be built for them, which they can enjoy in the scorching sun.

But when they grow, they become very heavy and the owner finds it difficult to take it outside for a walk as he will find it impossible to manage the leash with the animal’s weight on it. The animals will then begin to miss out the freedom and will sometimes get aggressive and start roaring a lot. To keep them occupied, the owner can place things strategically, so that the animal gets involved in the activity of sniffing out things and food. They can be given toys to play with, but they won’t last for long and should be replaced by new ones frequently. They even throw the toys outside their cage, which the owner should get it back for him to play again. When the owner leaves the house, even for a while, the animals should be securely tied within the cage. There are chances that they can break open and attack humans in the neighborhood.

After the passage of eighteen months, tigers shed their baby teeth and grow four inches canines. That’s when most of the owners freak out because although till then they had tamed the animal, but the wild predator will always dwell in the animal. The owners no longer go inside the cage to feed the animal, and even if they do, they carry a pepper spray along with them. Special protective measures should be taken to ensure the safety of people not only in the house, but around the house as well.

One of the most hectic parts is cage keeping. There are chances of algae growth which requires lot of scrubbing and water. The old hay should be thrown out, which makes really big pile and not to forget animal waste. The water in the swimming pools should also be replaced often. As they are fed with whole animals, the remains accumulate which should be cleaned as they will start decaying. Especially during the summers, maggots grow rapidly if even one cage cleaning schedule is missed.

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The Importance of Pet Vaccinations

When you were a child you had to have vaccinations at certain points in your life such as measles, tetanus, and other shots. This is important for your pets as well. We will specifically look at dog vaccinations, as they are a very common pet to have. Keep in mind during some of these shots are required for cats as well.

Dogs need to have vaccinations to guard against disease. When your dog is a puppy they will need a distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and corona combination between six to eight, nine to eleven, twelve to fourteen, and sixteen to seventeen weeks. They will also need these shots again every twelve months. The next vaccination is a bordetella administered at fourteen weeks and every six months. Rabies must be given at sixteen weeks and again every twelve to thirty- six months.

Vaccinations protect your dog and other pets from human diseases as well as other problems that could arise. Make sure you visit your pet on a regular schedule. A few more vaccinations are the giardia at fourteen and seventeen weeks, with a yearly dose. Lyme is another type administered at fourteen and seventeen weeks as well as yearly.

Occasionally state regulations will require a different administering chart. It is best to speak with your vet to gain the proper knowledge for your breed of dog as well as the correct vaccinations. Dogs are “man’s best friend” and thus it is important to give proper care that includes treatments.

Other care besides vaccinations can be proper baths, toenail clipping, and feeding your dog properly. Most health problems arise in a dog that is either genetically susceptible or environmentally exposed to human food. Human food because of its greasy qualities can block a dog’s artery. So proper nutrition is often found in dog food or cooking meals for your pet per vet guidelines if your dog has health issues.

Dogs also require a lot of attention and exercise. Breeds such as the Huskies or golden retrievers require special care. Huskies are breed as working dogs. They need to have a lot of exercise as well as play time with their owners. Golden retrievers are social animals, will feel lonely, and rejected if left alone for too long. Other breeds though social may not react in the same manners of the latter two. Other breeds can be content with a large yard and runner as long as they can play and eat.

Part of owning a pet, especially a dog is to provide it with love and attention just like you need. Proper care is very important on a day-to-day basis like having a routine feeding time or visiting the vet for the proper vaccinations. Vaccinations can determine the longevity of your dog just like a proper diet and exercise. While your vet has spent a lot of time, going to school for the proper care of animals it is always a great idea to be knowledgeable about your pets care. Vaccinations when not administered properly can harm the animal. I would stay away from ordering medications and vaccinations online if you are not familiar with the products and how to give them to your dog, this may cause some medical problems. Any pet deserves the care we would give ourselves and with today’s world, we are finding better ways to make going to a vet easier.

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