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Guinea Pig Expert!
Whitney Potsus has owned guinea pigs for nearly a decade. She is Vice President of The Critter Connection, Inc., a Durham-based non-profit dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of abandoned and neglected guinea pigs. You can find the rescue on the Web at www.ctguineapigrescue.org. Please direct all your Guinea Pig questions to Whitney.
Q: Dear Whitney,
I've given my guinea pig chew sticks as well as a salt wheel and a cardboard tube, but he'd rather chew on his plastic ladder. Is there any danger in him chewing the plastic? What might be missing from his diet to make him want to chew the plastic? What can I do to stop him from chewing through his ladder to get to his food?
Thanks, Katie
A: Dear Katie,
The plastic toys that manufacturers make for well-known gnawers like guinea pigs and rabbits are supposed to be non-toxic. Still, eating plastic is not behavior to prolong. I can think of several reasons for his behavior.
• If the ladder is blocking his food, or is just in the way of how he'd like to get to his food, the food should be moved elsewhere in the cage.
• He's bored. Adding tunnels (such as Chubes) to his cage might get him to explore and run around a bit more. If he's alone a lot, getting him a (male) buddy would do wonders for him. Guinea pigs are communal and they're happiest when they live with other pigs.
• He needs more to gnaw on to keep his teeth in check. Guinea pigs need unlimited timothy hay on a daily basis for digestive and dental health. I've noticed that guinea pigs with constant access to hay chew less on other things. For some recommendations, check out our list at www.squidoo.com/guineapigs. You want a hay that's described with words like "soft," "leafy," "lots of leaf and little stalk," "2nd cut," or "3rd cut."
It's hit or miss with guinea pigs and chew toys. At the rescue, we haven't seen many guinea pigs show much interest in them, however, in some of the online forums, I've met owners whose guinea pigs love chew sticks. I recommend taking the money you are spending on chew toys and salt wheels (which are a gimmick anyway) and put it toward good hay instead.
Whitney
Equine Expert!
Mary Jo Zanolli is an instructor at Connecticut Equestrian Center in Coventry. She has over 12 years experience teaching beginner and intermediate riders, and over 20 years experience riding horses. Send all of your horse related questions to Mary Jo!
Q: Dear Mary Jo,
The local stable where my daughter takes riding lessons insists on having the students help groom and tack the horse before each lesson. Why is it so important to thoroughly groom the horse before each ride, and is there a correct grooming method?
A: Hi,
Grooming is not only a great chance to look over your horse closely for injuries or skin irritation, but it can also be quite an enjoyable activity for both the horse and the rider. Brushing away excess dirt under the saddle and girth area helps prevent saddle sores and irritation in the saddle area. Most horses also enjoy the massage-like action of a currycomb, as it feels good to their muscles and is a great way to get those itchy spots the horse cant quite reach!
Most grooming sessions start with a good currying. A currycomb should be used in a circular motion, adjusting pressure, depending on the horse’s level of enjoyment. The currycomb loosens dirt and mud that can be built up in the horse’s coat. When currying, be certain to avoid bony areas such as the horse’s legs and head. The hard brush, or body brush, follows the currycomb. The body brush whisks away loose hair and dirt that was brought to the coat surface by the currycomb. A hard brush can be used on a horse’s leg to remove mud. Follow the hard brush with the soft brush to give the horse’s coat a more finished appearance. The soft brush is the best brush to use on the horse’s head area.
Every grooming session should always include picking the horse’s hooves. Dirt, manure, and even stones can get lodged inside the sole of the horse’s foot. Daily hoof care is essential to the soundness of your horse. When picking a horse’s feet, you should also be sure to look for any cracks or injuries to the horse’s hoof.
Brushing the horse’s tail and mane should be done slowly and carefully, taking care not to break any hairs. There are many tail and mane detangling products that can be used to make this job easier.
The best part of grooming your horse is the quality time you get to spend with your horse. This is especially important to beginner riders, as time spent working around the horse and handling the horse can greatly increase confidence in the saddle! Have fun, and don’t forget the carrots and apples too!
Mary Jo
Ask the Vet!
Lauren Mascola is the veterinarian at Petcare Veterinary Services in West Hartford. She studied at UConn for undergraduate and Tufts for Veterinary Medicine. She has over 10 years experience and 2 dogs and 3 cats of her own. She is excited to answer your questions!
Q: Dear Dr. Mascola,
My 4-year-old male cat has stomatitis. It is located in the back molar area only. The medicine he is given is prednisolone (5 mg/ml) and he has been on this for 3-4 months. Antibiotic hasn't made much of an impact.
Thursday my cat will have an x-ray, three molars removed and a cleaning. The veterinarian said there may be bone loss also, and removing these teeth doesn't guarantee it will stop his infection.
He eats fine and favors hard food. He doesn't lap as often as usual, which is understandable and his neck glands are not swollen.
What would be your treatment? And are we going the right direction?
Concerned kitty owner
A: Hello,
It sounds to me like all of the listed treatments your veterinarian is recommending are appropriate. With chronic stomatitis/gingivitis cases, sometimes the gums become healthier after the affected teeth are extracted. Many times, these cats need almost all of their teeth extracted, and they seem to do just fine. In fact, their quality of life may actually be better. If your cat has not been tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, have your veterinarian take blood to test for these, as they can be an underlying issue with oral inflammation.
Good Luck, Dr. Mascola
Ask The Cat Lady!
Sally Bahner is a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and has a private feline consulting practice. She is the "Dear Sally" on Tracie Hotchner’s Cat Chat Radio (www.catchatradio.com), found on Sirius, the Martha Stewart Living channel. She is a longtime editor and writer on everything feline.
Q: Dear Sally,
I have a question about my cat, Pompeii, whom I found at the animal shelter about 2 years ago when she was 1-1/2-years-old. Almost every time I walk up to her she flops head-first onto the floor and rolls around on her back. If she is already lying down and I come over, then she will flip over onto her back and proceed with the rolling around. The flipping is especially intense when I’ve been away for a few hours or after I’ve just gotten up in the morning. I am wondering why she does this. What does it mean? Have you ever met a cat that does this? I’ve never had another cat with this behavior.
I also wonder if there is any way Pompeii could ever become a lap cat. She will not sit on my lap and every time I put her there she jumps off and runs away. Is there anything I can do about it? Thanks for any information you might be able to provide.
Irene
A: Dear Irene,
Pompeii may not be a lap kitty, but she is certainly demonstrating her affection for you. You’ve been away and she is happy to see you. If you notice, she is probably purring while she is "flipping" and the "flipping" may become more intense if you talk to her. It’s definitely one of the cutest interactions we can have with our kitties. She is also demonstrating her trust in you by exposing her vulnerable tummy.
Our Coco is also a "flipper" and while she is very sweet and affectionate, she is not a lap kitty. However, she sleeps on my hip every night.
Some cats are just not lap cats, but they show their affection in different ways. You might want to try to clicker train Pompeii to join you on the sofa, by clicking (using a clicker or making a clicking noise) and offering her a treat. You can play with her using a fishing pole toy, get her to jump on the couch and pet her, then give her a treat. Also try grooming her on the couch and giving her a treat for staying with you.
As you can see, the point is to make being with you a pleasant experience. While she may not stay on your lap you can train her to stay next to you.
Sally
Reptile Man!
Ron Wulff, the Reptile Man, has worked for one of the big retail pet stores for 6 years as a reptile and aquatic specialist. He rescues reptiles and runs www.nopaws.com, dedicating his time to educate people on exotic pets. Direct your exotic pet questions to Reptile Man.
Q: Hi Ron,
Is there any way that I can keep more than one kind of reptile in the same cage? I only have room for one tank.
Peter
A: Hi Peter,
In the right set up it is possible to keep multiple species. A tropical terrarium can be as enjoyable as a fish tank and will require a little work up front to save you work later. If you are going to keep several fast moving lizards that you are going to have to catch every time you clean the cage then you need to make a living environment that will help clean itself.
For smaller lizards you should have a 20 to 30 gallon tank that is on the tall side. Start with a soil like substrate that will support live plants. Place a small water bowl on one side. Pet stores sell seeds to grow "cat grass", which is a pretty hardy type of wheat grass. Plant some of these seeds along the back of the tank, and around the bowl. A screen cover on top of the tank will allow you to have a heat lamp and a florescent light designed to promote plant growth (standard fish tank light). When the grass grows it will also form a network of roots that will sort of bind the soil together. The small lizard droppings get turned into fertilizer. If you keep the grass that grows from getting too tall, where the heat lamp will dry it out, you can go months without cleaning out the tank. Larger live plants as well as artificial tank vines or branches can be used to build a world with plenty of hiding places. You want the lizards to be able to get up close enough to the heat light. Changing the water bowl will still be a daily thing if you have a species that will need one at all.
Green Anoles are one of the lizards that work well in a community terrarium. Males can be territorial so a pair or a trio (1 male 2 females) will be better. There are different species of anoles, such as the Bahaman Anole, that is quite different looking, and may not provoke the same aggression as another male Green Anole. Long Tailed Lizards are an interesting little lizard that I have kept with anoles. As the name suggests they have tails that are twice the length of their body.
House Geckos can be another possible addition but they are more active at night, so you need to make sure you put in enough crickets so the active daytime animals don't eat them all.
If you have a bigger tank, you can try some of the bigger Arboreal Geckos, like the Golden Gecko and the Skunk Gecko. All of these animals can do with out an actual water bowl as long as you spray down the tank daily. The live plants, grass and glass will collect water drops, which the lizards will lick up. If you want to try to add some small frogs like Green Tree Frogs or Fire Belly Toads, you will need a water bowl.
It’s a great project. Good luck.
Ron
Ask the Lazi Birds!
Steve and Diane Lazicki have been rescuing and working with birds for over 8 years, as well as raising them as pets since childhood. They live with over 150 birds in their "bird house," so they have a wealth of bird expertise. Direct your bird related questions to the Lazi Birds.
Q: Dear LaziBirds,
What is Foraging and is it important for my parrot?
Jerome
A: Hi Jerome,
Foraging in the classic sense is the time in which a bird spends its day flying to and looking for food.
Little of its time is actually spent eating. Most of the time is spent in the process of looking for the food.
Foraging is a great way to stimulate the parrot's mind and also encourages more movement and exercise.
As you can see, foraging is quite beneficial to the captive bird. There are so many ways that you can 'set up' a foraging situation inside a cage.
One thing that I like to do is wrap (nonperishable) treats inside of dried cornhusks, found in the produce section of most supermarkets. Tie the ends closed with cotton rope. You can use these as foot toys or hang them in the cage. You can also wrap treats in plain paper and do the same thing. Use non-wax paper cups to fill with a combination of treats and shredding material. You can also use the cardboard toilet paper rolls to fill and secure the ends or, wrap it on paper and secure both ends of the paper.
The possibilities are endless. As your bird becomes more familiar with foraging, make it a little more challenging. Take a small plastic baby bottle and put both small (bird safe) toys and treats inside. Instead of putting the nipple back on the bottle, put paper on the top and then the nipple ring to secure it. Once the bird realizes that he/she has to tear the paper, use a couple of layers of cheesecloth. The idea is to provide a challenge. You do need to start simple until your bird gets the 'hang' of it.
Have fun as you create,
The LaziBirds
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