Top 5 Health Issues in Senior Cats

With advances in veterinary medical care, cats now often live well into their teens and even 20’s.

However, with old age comes age-related health problems. Fortunately, senior cats aren’t left to days full of sickness and pain as they age. With proactive care on your part, your senior cat can live a fulfilling life in their golden years.

Below are a few common health conditions in senior cats that pet parents should keep an eye out for when caring for a senior cat.

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Ailments of Aging Dogs: 5 Health Challenges to Watch for in Your Sweet Senior Pup

Keeping an eye out for these common conditions in your sweet senior ensure you stay on top of your dog's health.

Getting old is hard to do. And dogs, much like people, need time to adjust to new routines and changes as they age. The medical needs of senior dogs can be very different from younger pups.

Dogs age faster than humans (although not at a rate of seven human years for each year of their life.) Dogs are typically considered "senior" when they hit seven years old, with larger breeds usually having shorter overall lifespans than smaller breeds. While you may notice changes to their coat color or that their pace slows down, the biggest indicator that your dog has hit the senior age bracket is the emergence of age-related health problems. "Similar to when humans get older, we begin to see more chronic, progressive problems in our pets as they age," said Hyunmin Kim, DVM, Director of Veterinarians, Community Medicine, at the  ASPCA. "And animals are very good at hiding their symptoms when they are sick until they get to the point where they are so sick that they just can't hide it anymore."

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Are You Considering Spaying or Neutering Your Pet?

I would like to start off by explaining the difference between spaying and spading. Often time people will say, “I’m going to get my dog spaded”. A spade is a tool designed primarily for the purpose of digging or removing earth. The correct word is Spaying.

A female dog is spayed, and a male dog neutered (castrated). This is the only way to be sure your dog doesn't produce unwanted puppies. In most cases, it is considered safe to alter dogs as early as eight weeks of age.

Spaying involves the removal of both the uterus and the ovaries. Castration refers to the removal of a male dog's testicles. The term neutering is a general term to describe either spaying or castration.

Some questions that you may have:

Question: Isn’t it unnatural to deprive my pet of a sex life?
Answer: No. Dogs and cats have sex strictly to satisfy hormone-induced instincts, not for pleasure.

Question: What is actually done in a spay or neuter procedure?
Answer: A spay surgery (also called an ovariohysterectomy) is performed on females. While performed routinely, an ovariohysterectomy is a major surgery in which the reproductive tract including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus are removed. Blood work may be performed to make sure the pet is healthy enough for anesthesia and surgery.

Neutering refers to the castration of a male animal. It is a surgical procedure in which both testicles are removed. Neutering requires considerably less time and equipment than a spay surgery. In both cases, the animal is given general anesthesia so that it cannot feel anything.

Advantages of Spaying or Neutering:

1. Altered pets are less likely to make inappropriate sexual approaches toward people or objects.

2. They are less likely to roam and are less likely to be aggressive. This helps to prevent pets from becoming lost or stolen, being hit by cars, or contracting a contagious disease through fighting with other animals.

Care Guide for Discus Fish – The King of the Aquarium

Discus fish are one of the most beautiful freshwater fish in the hobby, known for their spectacular colors and large, circular shape. However, they’re notorious for being extremely difficult to keep, with Internet forums often recommending strict practices like 100% water changes every day. In reality, only a small percentage of people are able to follow those rules, and the rest of the world uses more low maintenance methods. We’ve spent many years keeping discus personally at home, caring for them in our fish store, and helping customers be successful with them. Based on our experiences, this care guide offers practical advice and useful tips for beginners starting their first discus tank.

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10 Common Tabby Cat Health Problems (With Prevention Tips)

If there’s one thing any tabby cat owner wants it’s for their cat to be healthy and safe.  The reality though is that almost any cat breed or coat type can still sometimes face some health concerns. With a proper understanding of what issues a cat can face, you can take some preventative measures so they can always feel their best. Below is a list of the 10 most common tabby cat health problems along with helpful prevention tips!

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15 Ferret Health Warning Signs

These scenarios may indicate a problem with your ferret’s health.

Ferrets aren’t just cute and funny balls of fluff. They are adventurous, sneaky and extremely curious.

Before you close the fridge door or washing machine lid, check for your ferret — I’m not kidding. Ferrets can, and will, get into some strange places.

And don’t forget about chewing. Ferrets can ingest dangerous things, so keep your veterinarian’s number handy and be on the lookout for the following ferret health warning signs.

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Sculptor Rajiv Anchal Spent 10 Years Creating This Magnificent 200ft Bird Sculpture

India has so much to offer to its people and tourists alike. If you’re planning to take a trip to this charming country, make sure to visit the tallest bird sculpture in the world. The 200-feet sculpture lies on top of the 1,000-feet Jatayupara towers located at Jatayu Earth Centre in Chadayamangalam, Kerala.  Rajiv Anchal, an Indian film director and sculptor, took 10 years to finish this magnificent sculpture. This gigantic statue of a fallen eagle has caught the attention of social media even during its construction. Now, people can finally see this spectacular attraction up close and personal. Instagram and Twitter better get ready because this majestic eagle statue is going to take over social media for sure.

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Meet Einstein, the Smallest Horse in the World

They say good things come in small packages – meet Einstein, the world’s smallest horse!

He holds the record as the smallest foal worldwide, weighing in at only 6 lbs at birth.

Einstein was foaled in April of 2010 at a farm in New Hampshire. He stood a mere 14 inches at birth!

His dam and sire stood at 32 and 30 inches tall, both holding championship miniature horse titles.

How Tall is Einstein the Miniature Horse?

At the age of 10, Einstein is now full-grown and stands at 2 feet tall and weighs roughly 80 pounds.

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