The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too

Monday, November 23, 2020

Could Your Senior Dog Have Kennel Cough?


As the holidays approach, many people have to board their dogs. Like a child exposed to all the germs at school, senior dogs can be extremely susceptible to kennel cough.  Unlike a child that can cover their mouth when they cough, this is a highly contagious illness for dogs.

What is Kennel Cough?

Kennel cough is a respiratory illness that dogs can catch when they are around other infected dogs, whether it’s in a shelter, dog park, rescue center or boarding facility. Although most of us pet parents know it as kennel cough, the official name is canine infectious respiratory disease or CID. When a dog has kennel cough his trachea and bronchi are inflamed.

To read more on this story, click here: Could Your Senior Dog Have Kennel Cough?


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Lifting the Veil: Canine Cataracts & Cataract Surgery


The word “cataract” derives from the Greek word for waterfall, and so is apt as the term for an opaque, whitened lens which impairs the passage of light (a more complete discussion can be read here).  The lens is essentially a bag of protein, with lens fibers residing inside a defined capsule (a modified basement membrane). Like cooking an egg white, changes in the structure and orientation of the usually-parallel lens fibers will cause light to reflect from the surface, instead of transmitting through to the retina. Cataracts are typically staged from incipient (<10%) to immature (10-90+%) to mature (complete, Figure 1) and hypermature (complete yet resorbing lens, with lens capsule wrinkling and crystalline refractive opacities present). Visual impairment can result from almost any stage of cataract (eg a small cataract in the axial, posterior lens capsule will be directly in the path of the most important central light rays), although obviously more complete cataracts elicit greater visual impairment.

To read more on this story, click here: Lifting the Veil: Canine Cataracts & Cataract Surgery



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What To Know About ‘Bunny Ebola,’ The Rabbit Virus Sweeping The Southwest US


It's hardy, contagious, and risky to wild animals and pets.

A deadly virus is spreading with alarming speed among wild and domestic rabbits in seven southwestern states. The contagion causes an illness called rabbit hemorrhagic disease that has earned the nickname “bunny Ebola” because the disease causes massive internal bleeding and bloody discharge around the nose and mouth. The virus kills swiftly—as happened in February, when pet rabbits boarding at a veterinary practice in Manhattan suddenly began to die without warning, The New Yorker reported last month.

To read more on this story, click here: What To Know About ‘Bunny Ebola,’ The Rabbit Virus Sweeping The Southwest US



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There Are Swimming Tarantulas In Texas And It’s Terrifying


Have you enjoyed spending time outdoors while the weather was warm this year? Perhaps you are the type of person who likes jumping in the swimming pool or maybe even going to a state park and swimming in the lake.

If you happen to fall into that category, we have something to share with you and it’s not pretty.

To read more on this story, click here: There Are Swimming Tarantulas In Texas And It’s Terrifying



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Thursday, November 19, 2020

Cataracts In Cats: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments


If you’ve noticed a change in your cat’s eye color or their vision seems impaired, you may suspect cataracts of being the cause.

Cataracts are sometimes viewed as a condition that only affects the eyes of seniors, but this is not the case with cats. In fact, age is generally not the main factor when cats develop them, and it’s more rare for cataracts to appear in cats than in dogs.

You should always take your cat to the vet if you notice abnormalities when it comes to their eyes. Here’s what you should know about cataracts in cats.

To read more on this story, click here: Cataracts In Cats: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments


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Kennel Cough In Dogs


If your dog is hacking away or constantly making noises that make it sound like they are choking on something, they may have a case of kennel cough, or canine infectious tracheobronchitis. Although kennel cough can sound terrible, most of the time it is not a serious condition, and most dogs will recover without treatment.

What is Kennel Cough?

Just as human colds may be caused by many different viruses, kennel cough itself can have multiple causes. One of the most common culprits is a bacterium called Bordetella bronchiseptica m-- which is why kennel cough is often called Bordetella. Most dogs that become infected with Bordetella are infected with a virus at the same time. These viruses, which are known to make dogs more susceptible to contracting Bordetella infection, include canine adenovirus, canine distemper virus, canine herpes virus, parainfluenza virus and canine reovirus.

To read more on this story, click here: Kennel Cough In Dogs


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Helping Your Depressed Pet Bird


Depression in pet birds is more common than you might think. Check for the signs that mean your bird is not in its usual cheerful mood. Many symptoms of depression also could point to an illness, so it is a good idea to visit the avian veterinarian for a checkup. Learn the small changes that can bring back those happy chirps

Causes of Bird Depression

Depression in pet birds has a number of causes, both mental and physical. Any illness or recovery from being sick and result in the bird being less chipper. The mental and psychological stresses that can lead your bird to be blue include a change in cage position, boredom, the death of a partner, or the loss of a favorite toy.

To read more on this story, click here: Helping Your Depressed Pet Bird



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Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Fat, Flightless Parrot Named Bird of the Year After a Campaign Tainted by Voter Fraud


London (CNN)A lengthy and bitter election campaign that dragged in competing interest groups and was sullied by a voter fraud scandal came to an unlikely end on Monday, when a fat, flightless and nocturnal parrot stunned pundits to claim an upset victory.

The kakapo, officially the world's heaviest parrot, won New Zealand's Bird of the Year vote after a weeks-long campaign that rivaled human political contests in intensity.

It became the first bird to win the contest for a second time -- a feat not explicitly prohibited by the country's constitution -- and snatched victory thanks to the competition's unique and convoluted voting system, having lost the outright popular vote to the Antipodean albatross.

To read more on this story, click here: Fat, Flightless Parrot Named Bird of the Year After a Campaign Tainted by Voter Fraud



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Bear Cub Seen Peeping Through Windows At Canadian Border Was Apprehended For Not Having Documentation


Vancouver,  BC -This little cutie was seen peeping through the windows of a border crossing office at the U.S.-Canada border in northern British Columbia.

The Canada Border Service Agency jokes on Facebook that, "A traveller sought entry for essential reasons, but had no travel documents."

Of course, the officers on site apprehended the cub immediately.

"After a forceful attempt on its part to cross the border, our officers moved quickly to apprehend and transfer it to the Smithers' Northern Lights Wildlife Society for the winter," the agency said.

The baby bear was reportedly looking for food. A nearby animal rescue center tells Canadian news source CTV News that they have been tracking the bear for a month, hoping to help it survive the winter.

The little explorer lost her mom, earning her the name Annie after "Little Orphan Annie."

Luckily, the shelter was able to bring little Annie to Northern Lights Wildlife Society. They plan to help her through the winter and release her back to the wild in the summer.





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Could My Pet Be Allergic to Their Food?


Just like people, cats and dogs can have food allergies, too. And like humans, those allergic responses can range from itchy and irritating to severe and dangerous.

Food allergies in pets can begin at any age. They can start even if your cat or dog has been eating the same food for months or years.

If your pet has a food allergy, you may notice:

Itchy skin: Also known as allergic dermatitis, this is the most common type of allergy in pets. Irritated, itchy skin can happen anywhere on your pet’s body. In cats, it often happens on the head and neck. In dogs, it often happens near the:

To read more on this story, click here: Could My Pet Be Allergic to Their Food?


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Feline Vision Problems: A Host of Possible Causes


In most cases, early diagnosis and treatment can keep a cat from losing its eyesight, but it's important to look for signs of trouble and ensure your cat gets regular check-ups.

Cats have developed several unique vision features during their evolution that enable them to see clearly indoors and out. Unfortunately, these finely-tuned feline eyes are vulnerable to injury and a wide variety of diseases that can dramatically impair a cat’s eyesight or, in some cases, render a cat partially or totally blind.

"We see cats that are either blind or going blind several times a week," says Thomas Kern, DVM, associate professor of ophthalmology at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. "Most of these animals have eye disease as a primary disorder—they have no other health problems. And most of them are middle-aged or elderly cats whose vision loss has been progressing for years."

To read more on this story, click here: Feline Vision Problems: A Host of Possible Causes


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9 Most Common Dog Eye Problems


Dog eye problems are very common and in most cases it's just a mild inconvenience. However, certain conditions will be more serious and require veterinary intervention, including surgery.

Studies observed that German Shepherd Dogs and Maltese are twice more likely to suffer from different types of eye disease than any other breed. Dry eyes, cataracts, corneal ulcers, progressive retinal atrophy and glaucoma are the most common eye conditions in dogs, commonly occurring in breeds between ages of 4 and 7 

Eye disease are often inherited, and it's the most well-studied areas of all inherited diseases in dogs. Below is a list of nine most common dog eye problems with pictures, their causes, prevention and treatment.

To read more on this story, click here: 9 Most Common Dog Eye Problems


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“He Would Have Done Anything For You”: Officer Breaks Down After Losing His K9 Partner And Best Friend


The dog passed away after working alongside police officers to keep the streets safe and after giving his partner a strong friendship.

It has been five years since former K9 officer, Axel settled into a life of retirement after delicately serving the Central Falls Police Department. Even though he was no longer serving the department to keep the residents of Central Falls safe and sound, Axel was still dearly loved and the entire department mourned when he passed away.

When Axel was working alongside the police officers of the department, he was so good at what he does that he retired after the usual retirement age for K9 officers. "because he just had the drive to keep going," said a post shared on Friends of Central Falls Animals. "He did a phenomenal job at keeping the streets safe, and he always made sure our officers were safe regardless as to how dangerous a situation was. He wouldn't have hesitated to give his life to save the life of a fellow officer, especially his partner, Officer Decristoforo."

To read more on this story, click here: “He Would Have Done Anything For You”: Officer Breaks Down After Losing His K9 Partner And Best Friend


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Saturday, November 14, 2020

Comedian Zoltan Kaszas’s Breakdown Of Why Cat’s Are Better Than Dogs


There are thousands of comedians in the world. Every topic has been explored for it’s comedic possibilities from a thousand different perspectives. We’ve ALL been around animals in one form or another through our lives. But there are just some people who retell their tales with a hilarity that draws others to them. Their side-splitting perspectives are just better displayed from the stage. And for comedian Zoltan Kaszas, 33, his daily antics with his cat have provided him with a truly unique view into the lives of animals.

However, Zoltan Kaszas’s standup routine of “Why Cat’s Are Better Than Dogs” has garnered MILLIONS of views on YouTube! 

To read more on this story, click here: Comedian Zoltan Kaszas’s Breakdown Of Why Cat’s Are Better Than Dogs


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