Knowing your pets

 

(1)  Hi Bunnies!


Cartoon bunnies are always seen munching away carrots happily. 


True to give them lots of carrots?  NO!

According to the House Rabbit Society of Singapore, rabbits should be given limited quantities of carrots only once or twice a week.  The sweetness in carrots causes dental problem, weight gain and potentially fatal stomach problems.

So what to include in their diet?  Going back to their ‘wild’ days, they would graze heavily on a range of vegetarians to keep their fast-growing canines down.  Unlike carrot that is starchy, most leafy vegetables are not and contain much water content.  Another good choice to be given unlimited quantities is quality hay.


Can rabbits be picked up by their ears?  NO!

The society advises that rabbit be lifted up by cradling its rump securely to give full support to its weight. A rabbit’s ears are very delicate and should never be squeezed or grabbed.  If you do hold the base of the ears to steady it, then you must already be cradling it securely with your other hand.  It has a very delicate skeleton, and can quite easily fracture its spine if it kicks out in the air while you are holding it incorrectly.


In general, rabbits dislike to be picked up, so learning to render support allows it to be more relaxed before you have them in your arms.

(2) Is too hard for me! - Bones for dogs?

A contented dog is always pictured with a bone locked in its jaws.  However, most of us, including dog lovers do not know that bones can hurt and even cause death.

Small bones such as chicken and duck bones easily splinter when crunched on, and the splinters can pierce the dog’s digestive tract, causing serious injury or death.  Raw bones do not splinter so easily, but raw meat tends to harbour bacteria and other microbes leading to illness in pets.  Those large beef bones are too big and hard to be swallowed, and can damage their teeth.

If you must give something bone-like, a few bone-shaped rawhide treats should suffice because too much can clump in the stomach and cause indigestion.

Some chocolate treats?

In sufficient amounts, the theobromine found in chocolate is toxic to dogs because they are unable to metabolise the chemical effectively. When fed on chocolate, the theobromine will remain in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours, and they may experience epileptic seizures, heart attacks, internal bleeding and eventually death.

Dogs catching sticks?

This can be a dangerous act.  Why?

There have been documented cases in some countries tossing a stick to their pet dog, only to have the stick pierced the dog right down the throat, or through the mouth or body.  In less serious cases, the dog catches the stick, but splinters from the stick pierce its gums and lips.  If it is a hard object, the dog’s teeth can be broken.

Advice is to stick with soft pet toys and soft balls but ensure that they are not small enough to slip entirely into the dog’s mouth and choke it.

(3)  Meow~~I am HUNGRY

  

For cats lovers, please note..

MILK

Surprisingly, many cats are lactose-intolerant to milk especially cow’s milk, like us.  Those that are less lactose-tolerant can be fed with milk occasionally without ill-effect.  Hence, milk should not form part of its diet.


Kittens are like babies, need much calcium and other nutrients in their formative years and milk from mothers’ is the best.  The biological process takes care of that by providing the enzymes to digest this milk. However, the level of enzymes drops gradually as they grow up.  A young adult may have digestive upset after consuming  milk.  Likewise, cats may get diarrhoea after taking milk which may lead to dehydration.

Look out for milk substitute from pet store if your cat loves milk but is lactose-tolerant.

CHOCOLATE

In sufficient amounts, the theobromine found in chocolate is toxic to cats because they are unable to metabolise the chemical effectively. When fed on chocolate, the theobromine will remain in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours, and they may experience epileptic seizures, heart attacks, internal bleeding and eventually death.

FISH

Some fish are good for cats to a certain extent.  It is found that too much fish content can even destroy B vitamins such as thiamine in cats, which may result in seizures and loss of appetite. By nature, cats can hunt, scavenge and consume a wide range of foods, deriving nutrients from many sources.  Hence, relying solely on one food is not a ‘complete’ feline food.  Most cat lovers are not aware of this and overfed their pets with only fish or fish supplements, causing dietary imbalance and throwing a cat’s system off-kilter.  Also watch the bones in fish as vets have seen cases of cats in pain from fish bones stuck in the throat or digestive tract.

Advice is to either keep to a good-quality commercial cat food and feed according to instructions, or discuss with your veterinarian on how to prepare their meals correctly.

Please do not disturb.  I need a nap. Cats love their beauty sleep a lot.