Maria Coder

Puppy Proofing Your Home

by Maria Coder (Subscribe to Maria Coder's posts): May 29th 2009 @ 10:00AM Filed Under: Dogs, Pet Health

Photo: existentist/Flickr

Before bringing your puppy home, you'll need to "puppy proof" your house. Puppies are like babies: they want to explore every corner of your house, and they want to put everything into their mouths.

Poisonous household items
Make sure all poisonous household items are securely stored out of the puppy's reach.
Place all household cleaners, insecticides, fertilizers, mothballs, antifreeze, insect poisons, rat poisons and other items in cabinets or on high shelves. Remember, as your new puppy grows, he will be able to explore higher places and be tempted to jump up on shelves.

Check your plants
Many plants in and around your house can be harmful to your pup. Did you know that the pits of apricots and peaches, as well as spinach and tomato vines, can make your puppy sick and, in large dosages, can even be fatal? Click here to learn about the plants that should be kept away from your furry companion. For a more complete list of plants that are dangerous to dogs, consult your veterinarian.

Click here for more puppy-proofing tips.

Source

Nutro Products Dry Cat Food Recall

by Maria Coder (Subscribe to Maria Coder's posts): May 22nd 2009 @ 10:10AM Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Pets News, Pet Health

Photo: alasam/Flickr

Nutro Products is recalling some of its dry cat food.

The voluntary recall includes several varieties of Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care and Nutro Max dry cat foods with "best If used by" dates between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. It does not include canned cat food or any Nutro dog food.

Click here for a complete list of affected Nutro Products.

The cat foods were distributed to stores in all 50 states, as well as in Canada, Mexico, and elsewhere.

Nutro Products, one of the largest pet food manufacturers in the U.S., announced the recall on Thursday after finding a mistake made by its U.S. supplier of mineral premixes. Apparently, two premix batches didn't have enough potassium, and one of those batches had too much zinc.

If you're using one of the recalled products, Nutro advises you stop immediately. While the company says it hasn't received any complaints, it asks that cat owners monitor their cats for symptoms including loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea.

Unused dry food portions may be returned to your retailer for a full refund or exchange.

For more information on this recall, contact Nutro Products at 1-800-833-5330, or visit www.nutroproducts.com.

Source

Funny Cat Video: Spider-Cat Scales Building

by Maria Coder (Subscribe to Maria Coder's posts): May 20th 2009 @ 10:00AM Filed Under: Cats, Pets News, Funny Animal Videos

Charlie is surely no scaredy cat.

This gravity-defying, daredevil tomcat can scale the 13-foot wall to his apartment building in Denny, England.

But this claim to fame isn't intentional. Charlie gets locked out a lot.

According to his owner, the seven-year old cat routinely meows to be let outside, then changes his mind and wants to come back in. If no one hears him, Charlie gets impatient and wanders around the back of the building, scales two stories, and pops in through his balcony, The Sun reports.

The British cat has become somewhat of a local celebrity in his hometown, where he's known as "spider-cat."

Cue the stunt music.

Source

The Penguin Files - Study Cracks Penguin Mystery

by Maria Coder (Subscribe to Maria Coder's posts): May 18th 2009 @ 4:00PM Filed Under: Exotic Pets

Beak-to-the-water: macaroni penguins love to swim. A new French study reveals where they go. Photo: Lawrie Cate/Flickr

All dressed up, and penguins do have a place to go.

For years, zoologists have been trying to figure out where these land-and-sea birds jet off to during their long spells away from home. And now, some French scientists think they've solved the penguin mystery. So where's the secret hideout? The southern Indian Ocean.

A team of scientists from the National Centre for Scientific Research attached tiny monitoring devices (weighing less than an ounce) to the legs of a dozen macaroni penguins just in time for their annual voyage, according to a story on Yahoo! News via the Agence France-Presse.

At the onset of winter, the unsuspecting penguins left the Kerguelen Islands with monitors in tow. The devices tracked location, ambient light and water temperature for six months until the birds returned to Kerguelen to breed.

The birds headed east to the southern Indian Ocean, clocking an average of 8,930 miles during their six months away. 80% of their time was spent between 47 and 49 degrees latitude south, where they gorged on lobsters, shrimps, crabs, and other crustaceans. Come rush hour (the final weeks of migration) the birds covered 1,108 miles in just one month.

This information is priceless to scientists. Macaroni penguins are the most numerous penguin species but their population is thought to be on the decline. Charles-Andre Bost, who led the study, says the findings pinpoint the penguins' key feeding grounds and will help in conservation efforts.

Source

Dog to Undergo Sight-Restoring Surgery

by Maria Coder (Subscribe to Maria Coder's posts): May 14th 2009 @ 10:00AM Filed Under: Dogs, Pet Health

If all goes as planned, a Maltese named Buffy will be able to see again on Friday. Photo: Natalia RomayFlickr

Buffy the pup may see her devoted owners again by week's end.

The 11-year-old Maltese will undergo the first ever retinal reattachment surgery in Western Australia this Friday at a private veterinary clinic in Mt. Lawley.

Ophthalmologist Dr. Dimitri Yellachich, his assistant Denise Lomax and veterinary surgeons Robert Harris and Trevor Pavey will re-attach Buffy's retinas during the operation, which could take anywhere from one to five hours. When it's done, Buffy should be able to see again.

"Buffy is a lovely little dog," Dr. Yellachich told Paw Nation. "We are going to do everything we can to make sure the operation is a success."

Not only is this the first surgery of its kind for Western Australia -- it won't cost Buffy's owners a dime.

"I have called upon good will," said Dr. Yellachich. "All the equipment and consumables for this surgery are loaned or donated. It's all coming from the private sector. No Medicare, no public hospital resources will be used." And in keeping with the spirit, the medical professionals and vets have also forgone their fees. "The operation will take place in a private veterinary clinic on our own time," Yellachich said.

Click here to read more.

Source

Follow Pawnation on Twitter Follow Pawnation on Facebook

Can't Miss Galleries

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=748445&pid=748444&uts=1268346491

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Camouflage Animals

Madagascar Day Gecko
The green Madagascar Day Gecko lives in the dry regions of forests in Madagascar and neighboring islands. They usually grow to be between four to six inches long. Their tail makes up almost half of their length.

Getty Images

Camouflage Animals

Argentine Horned Frog Reptiles
The Argentine Horned Frog, also known as the Horned Frog or Pacman Frog, originated in South America. The green and black amphibian, which can grow up to six inches long, is a popular pets and can live for as long as 10 years.

Camouflage Animals

Walkingstick
The Walkingstick takes its camouflage abilities to the next level by creating the appearance of a stick or twig to hide from predators. While they normally stand still, these insects are able to walk around as though they were a twig caught in the wind. They can be found in tropical forests or woodlands all across the world.

Camouflage Animals

Dwarf Puff Adder
Found in Nambia, the venomous Dwarf Puff Adder hides from the hot desert sun by burying itself in the sand, where only its eyes show.

Camouflage Animals

Stonefish
Often resembling a rock, the brown colored Stonefish camouflages itself perfectly in the ocean. With 13 venomous dorsal spines on its back, the Stonefish can cause tissue damage and respiratory distress, which can lead to cardiovascular shock if left untreated.

Camouflage Animals

Chameleons
Chameleons, the quintessential color-changers, can transform their skin color when their mood, temperature or the amount of light around them is altered. Their hue, which can vary from yellow and pink to brown and black, is also altered when they communicate.

Camouflage Animals

Green Anole
Often confused with chameleons, Green Anoles turn brown when they're stressed or sick. Found in the trees and shrubs of the Southeastern United States, these lizards are popular pets.

Camouflage Animals

The Eastern Wood Frog
The Eastern Wood Frog tricks competitors by changing colors to match its surroundings. Found in North American woodlands, the frog also has a dark black patch from its eye to the base of its front limb that can change colors.

Camouflage Animals