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Bird Owners, Do You Know the Signs of ‘Sick Bird Syndrome’?

The presence of signs of illness in a bird is sometimes termed "sick-bird syndrome." This is because many illnesses in birds cause the same signs, and, by the time a bird shows signs of illness, the bird is really sick. Aviary birds, like other prey animals, hide signs of illness. Predators look for signs of illness or weakness when choosing their prey, so a prey animal needs to appear healthy, or it will be a sure target. By the time they are showing signs of disease, in many instances, the birds have become too weak to be able to disguise it. At this point, small birds, especially, have little reserve, and even handling them can put them into shock. This is why it is extremely important for bird owners to be aware of signs of illness in a bird, and monitor their birds at least twice daily for the presence of these signs.

If you notice any of the signs of illness in the list below, contact your veterinarian. Weakness, labored breathing, bleeding, injuries, collapse, seizures, or other nervous system signs are especially serious, should be considered emergencies, and need immediate attention.

Signs of illness in birds as characterized by changes in general appearance or stance:

• Huddled
• Sitting low on the perch
• Sitting on the bottom of the cage
• Hanging onto the side of the cage with his beak instead of sitting on a perch
• Head tucked under wing and standing on two feet
• Ruffled feathers (consistently)
• Weakness
• Losing balance, teetering, or falling off of perch
• Lumps or swelling of any portion of the body
• Picking at his feathers or body
• Trembling
• Not preening
• Harassed by other birds
• Eyes dull, sunken, or abnormal color
• Walking in circles
• Unusual smell to bird or droppings
• Drooped or elevated wing(s)

Changes in behavior and general attitude that may be signs of disease in birds:

• Inactivity
• Decreased or changes in vocalizations or singing
• Drooping wings
• Collapse
• Seizures
• Increased sleeping or eyes closed
• Poor response to stimuli
• Changes in personality, e.g., more submissive, more aggressive
• Displaying juvenile behavior, e.g., begging for food

Changes in color, volume, consistency, and number of droppings indicating illness in birds:

• Change in color of the urates (the normally white portion of the droppings), urine (the normally clear portion), or feces (normal varies with species)
• Change in consistency: watery (increased urine), loose feces (diarrhea), hard feces (constipation) indicating illness
• Bloody droppings
• Undigested food in feces
• Decrease in number or size of droppings
• Increase in urates

Signs of disease in birds characterized by changes in appearance of the head:

• Discharge around the eyes and/or nares
• Squinting or half-closed eyes
• Overgrown or flaky beak
• Shiny black beak in a cockatoo (symptom of Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease)
• Loss of symmetry (one area seems swollen or smaller compared to the other side)
• Redness or loss of feathers around the eye
• Discoloration of the beak
• Flicking or twitching of the head

Changes in feathers suggestive of illness:

• Ruffled or fluffed feathers
• Lost, misshaped, or broken feathers
• Decreased preening
• Wet, stained, or matted feathers on the head, vent, or other area
• Dull feathers
• Long or excessive molt, bald spots
• Pulling or picking at feathers
• Abnormal color or barring

Changes in legs or feet associated with disease:

• Lameness or favoring a leg
• Flakiness, crusting, or discoloration of feet
• Abnormal nail growth
• Shifting feet
• Swollen feet or joints

Signs of illness in birds associated with changes in breathing:

• Difficulty breathing
• Breathing with an open beak
• Tail bobbing when taking a breath
• Sneezing
• Discharge or crusts around the nares
• Wheezing or clicking sounds
• Exercise intolerance (heavy breathing after exercise, or inability to exercise)
• Change in sound of voice

Changes in eating/drinking/digestion indicating disease:

• Increased or decreased appetite
• Increased or decreased drinking
• Vomiting or regurgitation
• Straining to defecate or pass an egg
• Diarrhea
• Swelling in the crop area
• Weight loss (use a scale) and/or prominent keel (breast bone)
• Discharge from mouth
• Inability to pick up food or manipulate it
• Protrusion from the vent

Injuries:

• Burns
• Bite wounds
• Injury from flying into a window or other object
• Bleeding

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Tips On How To Remove Dog Smell From Your Furniture

We are a nation of people who love to cuddle with our pets. It is undeniable. Long gone are the days when out pets were simply working companions whose place was at the hearth - and that was if they were allowed in the house. Now, they not only cuddle with us on the sofa to watch TV, they snuggle with us in our beds, go on long holiday trips in the car, even out to dinner at our favorite cafés.

All of this one-on-one time means that all of our furnishings are going to hold the distinct smell of dog, and even the most rabid of dog lovers amongst us may not want the whole house to smell of a dog that needs a good washing – not if we want to enjoy the company of human guests. So how do you get rid of that smelly dog smell? It’s relatively easy.

Start off by taking all of the furniture apart – pillows, blankets and the like – and vacuuming everything thoroughly. If the sofa and chairs have removable slipcovers or cushion covers, take those off for washing. Get into the crevices of the furniture as deep as possible to remove all the hair, and flip the bed mattress to get both sides. On the floors, make sure to get under all of the furniture and in the corners, where “hair bunnies” tend to gather.

Next, gather your deodorizing supplies. It’s simple; all you need is a big box or two of baking soda and a bottle of apple cider vinegar. Wash all of your linens, blankets and cushion covers in a mix of oxy powered laundry detergent and a ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar. There are also pet odor removers available at pet supply stores, but generally speaking, they are not much more effective than the home remedies.

On the carpets, bed and furniture, sprinkle baking soda liberally, using a cleaning brush to spread it around and into the fabric. Let it all sit overnight so that the baking soda has a chance to absorb the odors.

For the bed, you might want to do this in the morning so that you can clean and remake the bed at the end of the day. Follow up by vacuuming all of the baking soda from the bed, carpet and furnishings and returning the bed linens and cushion covers or slipcovers to the furniture.

This will get rid of a great deal of the smell, but to really do a thorough job, you might want to rent a carpet cleaning machine with an attachment for furniture – or call a cleaning company to do it for you. Always start with neutralizing as much of the smell as possible before the shampooing, though, or all you will be doing is creating a hybrid of dog smell and perfumed shampoo. Not a good combination. And don’t use carpet shampoo on the furniture, or you could end up with ruined and smelly furniture.

Finally, if you do want to use a perfumed product to help neutralize the smell, make sure that it is non-toxic to animals. Many products that are safe for humans are not always safe for dogs. Some home air fresheners – sprays, plug-ins and scented oils – can be harmful to a pet’s health, so when in doubt, just stick with the tried and true baking soda solution.

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5 Common Health Problems That All Chinchilla Owners Should Be Familiar With

Chinchillas are rodents that are generally hardy pets. However, they do commonly develop a handful of problems that all chinchilla owners should be familiar with. If chinchilla owners are educated about conditions their pets potentially could develop, they can recognize abnormal signs in their animals and have them treated by a veterinarian as soon as possible to improve the chances of recovery. Common illnesses in chinchillas include:


Dental Disease
Chinchillas have open-rooted or continuously growing teeth that grow 2-3 inches per year. In the wild, they eat rough, coarse grasses that help keep these continuously growing teeth worn down. Many pet chinchillas are fed excessive amounts of dry, crumbly pellets, rather than fibrous hay, and as a result, they don’t chew enough and their teeth don’t wear down properly as they grow. In addition, their top and bottom teeth must meet properly to help wear them down as they grow.

A condition called malocclusion occurs when the teeth don’t align properly, so that the teeth surfaces hit each other inside the mouth. Once the teeth grow so long that they hit, there is no room for them to grow longer, and they become impacted in the gums and jaw bone (like wisdom teeth in people). Both the front (incisor) teeth and back (molar) teeth can become impacted — a very painful condition when the chinchilla tries to chew. Overgrown, sharp edges may form along teeth surfaces, leading to cuts on the tongue, cheek, or lips. The roots of overgrown teeth may become infected and abscessed. The chinchilla may have difficulty eating, lose weight, drool, and paw at its mouth. If an owner sees a chinchilla exhibiting any of these signs, the animal should be examined by a veterinarian right away so that treatment may be started.

A chinchilla-savvy vet should perform a thorough oral examination and take x-rays of the animal’s head to assess the teeth roots. If the teeth are overgrown and impacted but not infected, the pet should be started on a softer, easier-to-chew diet (such as shredded veggies and chopped hay), or syringe-fed a liquid diet if it cannot chew at all. It should also be given liquid anti-inflammatory medication.

If x-rays show infected teeth roots, the infected teeth must be surgically extracted under anesthesia. Prognosis for chinchillas with dental disease is better when the animal is treated early on, before they become weak and thin. In general, however, dental problems in chinchillas are recurrent and lifelong.

Ringworm
Chinchillas are common carriers of ringworm — a fungal (not a parasite or worm) skin infection that causes hair loss and crusty, scaly skin, and which is transmissible to people and other pets. Skin on the ears, face, and legs is commonly affected; however, chinchillas have very dense fur and can carry microscopic ringworm spores on their thick haircoat without actually showing any signs. Owners who notice dry, flaky skin or patches of hair loss on their pets should have them examined by a veterinarian immediately. A veterinarian can diagnose ringworm by culturing the affected skin in special fungal culture media or by having a veterinary laboratory run DNA tests on the hair to see whether fungus is present.

Treatment involves thorough clean-up of all areas in which the chinchilla has been in contact to ensure that no infectious hair is left behind that could re-infect the affected animal, other animals, or people. Mildly affected animals can be treated with topical prescription medications applied to the areas of infected skin. More severely affected animals may require long-term treatment with oral prescription medications, as well.

Fur Issues
Chinchillas commonly develop two conditions that involve their fur. First, fur chewing in chinchillas is a common behavioral problem in which they chew on their own or their cage mates’ fur so that the haircoat looks patchy. Hair growing back into the chewed regions may be shorter and darker than the original fur.

Chewing occurs most often over the back and tail but can occur anywhere on the body. Theories about why chinchillas do this include stress, hormone imbalances, dietary deficiencies, underlying dental problems, boredom, the presence of other (parasitic or fungal) skin infections, and a genetic predisposition. The most widely accepted explanation is that fur chewing is a displacement behavior in response to environmental stress, such as from an overcrowded cage, the presence of aggressive cage mates or other predatory pets (such as cats and dogs), too frequent handling, or other anxiety-inducing circumstances.

A veterinarian can diagnose fur chewing by performing a thorough physical examination and skin tests to eliminate the presence of infections such as ringworm. Proper diet must be assured, too, to rule-out dietary deficiencies. The cause of fur chewing may be difficult to pinpoint; treatment may include elimination of possible stressors by providing a larger cage, handling the pet less often, removing other pets or aggressive cage mates, and ensuring a proper diet. Offering other, more appropriate things to chew on, such as hay and wooden toys, also may help.

The second common fur issue that occurs in chinchillas is fur slip. Fur slip is another name for the release of a large patch of fur in response to being grabbed or handled roughly.

Wild chinchillas have developed this mechanism to escape predators when they are captured. They release big clumps of hair to get out of a predator’s mouth when the predator grabs them. With normal shedding, chinchillas lose small amounts of fur gradually from all over their bodies as hair ages, falls out, and is replaced by new hair growing underneath. This process is gradual, so that obvious bald spots aren’t visible. With fur slip, however, a traumatic event precedes the hair loss, a large amount of hair comes off all at once, and a clean, smooth, bald patch is left behind.

Short, stubbly hairs may grow back in the bald patch within a few weeks after fur slip occurs, but return to a full, thick, normal coat may take up to several months.

Owners can prevent fur slip from happening by never grabbing the animal directly by the fur or skin and by always supporting the pet’s body from underneath the chest, abdomen, and hind end. Also, owners should never allow other naturally predatory pets, such as cats and dogs, near their chinchillas. These other pets may be good-natured and well-intentioned in carrying the chinchilla in their mouths to play with it, but may actually cause fur slip or worse injuries.

Heat Stroke
Wild chinchillas live in the Andean Mountains where it is cold; they have developed a thick fur coat to keep them warm in a cool climate. But as pets, chinchillas are very susceptible to overheating. They function best at environmental temperatures ranging from 55-70°F and should never be exposed to temperatures above 80°F. They also don’t do well with high humidity.

During the summer, or in warm climates, they should be kept indoors in air conditioned, dry areas, and they should never be exposed to direct sunlight without access to shade.

A chinchilla suffering from heatstroke appears weak and may be collapsed; it will need to be treated by a veterinarian immediately to cool it off with fluids injected beneath the skin, a sponge bath, and direct air flow from a fan.

Chinchillas with heatstroke must be treated as soon as possible or they risk stroke, organ failure, brain injury, and even death.

Gastrointestinal Problems
Gastrointestinal (GI) problems in chinchillas occur secondarily to other systemic illnesses and to other conditions that cause stress or pain. Chinchillas with GI disease may have decreased appetite, lethargy, decreased to no stool production, diarrhea, prolapsed (sticking outside the anus) rectal tissue, and a bloated, gas-filled belly. Several causes of GI disease in chinchillas exist, including sudden diet change, feeding excessive amounts of carbohydrates (typically chinchilla pellets) or vegetables, a reaction to treatment with antibiotics, GI parasite infection, and overgrowth of abnormal intestinal bacteria or yeast. Chinchillas with any of these signs should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

A veterinarian performing a diagnostic work-up for GI disease in a chinchilla might do a stool examination for parasites, abdominal x-rays, bacterial culture of stool, blood testing, and abdominal ultrasound. Once the veterinarian determines the cause of the chinchilla’s GI signs, in addition to specific treatment of the underlying cause, he or she can provide general supportive care for GI disease, including subcutaneous fluid administration, syringe feeding, pain relief, treatment with antibiotics and/or anti-yeast medications, and gas-relieving agents, as indicated.

Emergency surgery may be warranted in cases where a chinchilla is severely bloated or has ingested a foreign object that is obstructing the passage of food through the intestinal tract, but animals with these conditions are usually extremely debilitated and are poor surgical candidates. Rectal prolapse, often associated with GI parasites and overgrowth of abnormal GI bacteria or yeast, generally requires surgery.

A simple annual veterinary check-up helps keep chinchilla owners up-to-date about preventative medical care. Owners who are educated about common illnesses in their pets generally have healthier, happier, longer-lived animals with a better quality of life.

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Best & Worst Pets for Apartment Living

Over time, dogs are reportedly more stinky than cats by a 2 to 1 ratio. And yet, the age-old personality question persists: Are you a dog person or a cat person?

Beyond personality, we wanted to look at the many other considerations of pet ownership that are important for apartment living. How much space does your pet need? How much care and walking will it require? Is it stinky? How much does it poop?

We set out to find statistics and data to answer these questions so you can find the best pet to suit your apartment life. Here’s what we found:

To read more on this story, click here: Best & Worst Pets for Apartment Living




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Some Unusual Shelter Animals You May Not Have Known You Could Adopt

Although dogs and cats remain by far the most common pet to rescue and adopt, other kinds of animals do end up in shelters. From farm animals to small rodents and even reptiles, there are plenty of options if you’re looking to bring home a different kind of furry or scaly — friend.

While some of these animals end up in shelters because an owner moves away, plenty of them are abandoned by “impulse buyers” who change their mind after buying a needy breed of pig or chinchilla, experts say.

For that reason, Dana Puglisi of AdoptaPet.com, which has listings for more than a dozen species of shelter animals, said that it’s important to read up on animal needs if you’re interested in adopting an atypical pet.

“It’s very easy to look at an animal and say, ‘That’s such a cute animal, I want it to be a part of my life,” Puglisi tells NBC. “It’s another thing to take on the actual day-to-day responsibility for caring for that pet.” 

In addition, some states have restrictions on what kind of animal you can keep as a pet, so Puglisi said she also suggests checking local laws before reaching out to a shelter.

Below are some of the unusual shelter animals you may not have known you could adopt:

Cows
Holy cow, indeed! In areas with more farmland, shelters and sanctuaries like Animal Place in Grass Valley, Calif. may have cows that were rescued from factories. Be sure you have the space and resources to adopt a shelter cow, though, as they need at least 80 square feet of space and over 20 gallons of water a day.

Chinchillas
According to ChinchillaRescue.org, chinchillas are noisy and nocturnal, so it’s best to avoid keeping them in their new owner’s bedroom. Since rescue chinchillas are of unknown parentage and may not be neutered, owners should plan to keep them apart from opposite-sex chins in order to avoid accidental breeding.

Pigs
The right breed of pig can make for an adorable rescue animal — and a shelter is often the best way to find one. Puglisi said that more and more pig owners are abandoning their pets after being tricked into bringing home baby farm pigs that put on hundreds of pounds as they grow up. If you have the space, you can adopt one of these larger abandoned pigs, but shelters also have plenty of smaller breeds, like Vietnamese miniature pot-bellies.

Parrots
Parrots (as well as other tropical birds like parakeets) are often left behind at shelters when owners move away or become unable to keep caring for these sometimes needy birds. As with some other animals on this list, though, be sure to check local regulations if you choose to adopt — parrots aren’t allowed to be kept as pets in some states.

Goats
If there’s anything to learn from the recent goat yoga fitness craze, it’s that these farm animals can serve as fun, furry additions to the family. While regular-size goats can be found in some shelters, a few also have pint-sized pygmy goats up for adoption for anyone short on space. Who knows, they might even eat the weeds in your yard.

Horses
Equestrian lovers can adopt either full-size or miniature horses, like Smooshy, a dwarf miniature horse adopted by actress Kaley Cuoco of “The Big Bang Theory.” Mini-horses in particular are seeing a surge in shelters right now, Puglisi said, as “impulse buyers” purchase and then abandon the horses they use to emulate celebrity horse owners.

Snakes
From king snakes to corn snakes to Colombian boa constrictors, there’s plenty of shelter serpents snakes that you can adopt into your home. Most snakes are carnivores or omnivores, and they require a steady diet of other animals in order to be well-fed — so be prepared to keep “mousicles” inside your freezer.

Ferrets
These tail-wagging mammals make for active, friendly pets to adopt or even house temporarily through foster programs for older or sick ferrets. Watch your fingers, though — ferrets are also known for biting.

Bearded Dragons
They may not be quite like the Viking pets in “How to Train Your Dragon,” but shelter bearded dragons can let you support shelters while (sort of) living out a mythical animal fantasy. Sometimes known as “beardies,” these reptiles originated in central Australia and are often kept in zoos. They’re considered one of the easiest reptiles to care for, but still need a specific light pattern and large tank.

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A 16-Inch-Long Horn Shark Was Stolen from the San Antonio Aquarium in Texas

Miss Helen, a 16-inch-long horn shark in the San Antonio Aquarium in Texas, lives in a tank where visitors are encouraged to touch the animals. Three people took the encouragement too far this past weekend, lifting the shark out of the tank and plopping her into a baby stroller, the police said.

The trio of sharknappers — Ocean’s Three? — can be seen on surveillance video using their own net to capture Miss Helen on Saturday, removing her from the 76-degree water after staking out the pool for more than an hour, the aquarium said in a statement. She was placed into 52-degree water to make her voyage — a shock to the system that her handlers feared would quickly kill her.

But Miss Helen, who’s less than a year old, proved her resilience, from her snout to her caudal fin. And the thieves, if bad at covering their tracks, turned out to be good at taking care of sharks.

If aquarium employees are correct in their suspicions, the thieves were also skilled at reconnaissance. An official said she recognized one of them from a month earlier, when he said he worked for the facility’s salt supplier and got an all-access tour.

On Saturday, just after Miss Helen’s disappearance, an aquarium manager caught up to the trio in the parking lot. They refused to allow an inspection of their truck or the baby stroller and drove off, said Ammon Covino, the aquarium’s chief operating officer.

No matter. Surveillance footage recorded the license plate number, and an image of the getaway truck was all over local media. Tips poured in to the police, who tracked down the truck Monday morning, according to Joseph Salvaggio, chief of the Leon Valley Police Department.

The police arrived at a home near where the car was found and were preparing a warrant when a man arrived and let the officers into the home, Chief Salvaggio said.

They quickly found Miss Helen. It was hard to miss the giant pool inside the house, filled with sharks and other marine animals.

Click on video below.

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Hundreds of Breeds of Pigeons Compete in Their Own Version of the Westminster Show

Ontario, California - Dogs aren't the only animals that vie for best in show. Hundreds of breeds of pigeons compete in their own version of the Westminster show, strutting on long, thick legs or fluttering curly, lacy feathers in their bid to be best bird.

These pigeons aren't the nuisance flocks that swarm food scraps at outdoor restaurants. They are genetically rich birds, including variations bred to look like turkeys or sound like trumpets, that drew thousands of enthusiasts including ex-boxer and pigeon lover Mike Tyson to the National Pigeon Association's 93rd annual Grand National Pigeon Show.

Showing pigeons is one of the oldest and largest hobbies in the world. It thrives at a time when pets are becoming a more important part of people's lives and animals kept as companions range from the traditional to the unique, such as rats and tarantulas.

More than 7,800 birds packed the Ontario Convention Center in Southern California last weekend, cooing and strutting in their cages, which sent feathers and feed flying. But the well-behaved show birds wouldn't let one drop of waste fall on a judge's shoe as they were examined for build, color and weight.

There were birds in blacks, whites and browns with feathers on their feet, circular crests framing their faces and 8-inch necks. Some looked like street pigeons but bigger and stronger, with massive shoulders and thick necks.

Tyson, the four-time heavyweight world champion, kicked off the three-day event by releasing 100 white pigeons. He agreed with the mostly older male owners about the need to infuse young blood in the aging hobby.

"Take this opportunity at a young age to enhance your responsibility and enjoy it," he told youngsters who asked for photos and autographs.

Tyson, 48, who had pigeons as a kid, keeps 1,800 birds. He said he was 10 when he won his first fight because a bully killed one of his birds in front of him.

"They teach you a lot about yourself," Tyson said of pigeons.

Nearly a thousand different breeds of pigeons exist. Not only can these birds become pampered pets, they can be raised for racing and stunt performances. Racing pigeons can fly for hundreds of miles a day and flap as fast as 80 mph, and performers will unleash death-defying stunts midair.

"Racing pigeons are the Ben Johnsons of the world and fancy pigeons are the Naomi Campbells of the world," said Fadiel Hendricks, president of the National Fancy Pigeon Association of South Africa.

The performers are dubbed rollers and tumblers because of their motion during flight. The popular Birmingham roller dives into a series of backward somersaults, stops the roll before hitting the ground, then heads back up and performs the feat again.

Hendricks, who traveled 36 hours from Cape Town, South Africa, said age is a problem in his country, too. In his group, 90 percent of the members are over 50.

"We are up against computers and computer games," he said.

Bob Nolan of Dana Point, a historian and 60-year member of the Los Angeles Pigeon Club, which hosted the show, said new variations are rare because "kids aren't much interested in breeding anymore."

"All these pigeons are man-made. None of them occur in nature like this," said Nolan, who raises English trumpeters, known for their acoustic sound of distant trumpets. "All of these breeds have evolved from man's creative genius."

Samantha Wendell of North Hollywood and her fantail Francis, which looks like a turkey, are inseparable.

"Pigeons are just like dogs, they love you like a dog if you spend time with them and love them back," she said. "He is all hugs and snuggles."

Tyson says he will watch his birds for hours. The fighter who bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear explained his softer, pigeon-loving side by saying: "What I am just wasn't what I did for a living."

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