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,
We have two brothers, one slightly bigger than the other. The larger boy started picking on his brother to such a point that the smaller one needed stitches. They're now living in separate cages that are next to each other. I'm surprised this happened; I thought since they were brothers, they wouldn't fight. Will I ever be able to put them in the same cage together?
Thanks, Dale
A: Dear Dale,
Pairing guinea pigs successfully is about personality and temperament. Even in harmonious pairings, you'll occasionally see minor dickering over space, snacks, or attention; full-blown battles that draw blood and require stitches are rare. As guinea pigs age and hormones fluctuate, one pig might become more dominant and turn into a bully, as your larger boy apparently has. Bullying doesn't happen a lot, especially in established pairs like yours, but at the rescue we've had a number of pairs who had to be split up because something went amuck in the relationship.
I would not attempt to put your boys back together. If things were bad enough to draw blood and require stitches, the relationship is irreparable. When a male is that dominant, he's not going to settle down easily; neutering is not likely to help him -- the personality remains intact. The smaller boy has been traumatized by his brother and he will always be afraid of him, always cower in a corner when they're in the same cage/play area and always be timid. He hasn't fought back yet and, as traumatized as he is now, he never will. Just the stress of an attempt at re-introduction will be substantial enough to affect his health.
They'll do fine in side-by-side cages and play areas (www.guineapigcages.com offers cage designs that can help you manage their space requirements and yours), but they'll never be roommates again.
Sorry I couldn't give you better news,
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,
What is the difference between a horse and a pony?
Tanya
A: Dear Tanya,
A pony is simply a small horse. Horses are measured in hands. One hand equals 4 inches. So a horse that is 15 hands high is 60 inches, or 5 feet tall. A horse that stands 15.2 is 62 inches, or 5 feet 2 inches tall. Ponies are horses that are 14.2 hands or smaller.
When you measure a horse you measure a horse from the ground to the withers. The horse’s withers are at the base of the neck, where the mane begins. The withers are the highest point of the horses back.
Ponies stay small in size and meet the 14.2 hands and under height even when full grown. Many people mistakenly think a pony is a baby horse, but that is not true. Baby horses are called foals, yearlings, colts, or fillies, depending on age and sex.
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: Greetings.
We recently adopted a 6-year-old female beagle that we adore.
I have 3 questions. First, what do you think about vaccinations? Her previous owners went to a traditional vet and she had regular vaccines. We met with a holistic vet this weekend who is totally opposed to distemper and bordatella and thinks rabies vaccine should be given as infrequently as possible. She claims vaccines kill dogs.
Second, she said that Frontline only needs to be given every 4 months because they last 4 months even though the package says one month.
Third, do you think that boarding at a reputable, nice kennel is better than having the dog stay at someone's home who takes care of dogs as their profession?
Thanks so much.
Best, Ellen
A: Dear Ellen,
Congratulations on adopting your new beagle! I hope you and your family are enjoying her.
My opinion on vaccinations is that they save significantly more lives than not. I know there are isolated cases of severe vaccine reactions, but these are rare. I shudder to think what would happen if we stopped vaccinating dogs for distemper. It is a viral respiratory disease that is fatal. I would ask your vet to use a distemper vaccine that is labeled for every 3-year administration. And if you still do not want to vaccinate, at least have blood titres done every year to make sure she is protected. Rabies is required in the state of Connecticut, by law, to be given every 3 years. Bordetella is recommended if your dog will be in multiple dog situations as in a grooming parlor or boarding situation. You do not have to give it, though, unless the establishment requires it. If she did become ill with bordetella (a bacterial respiratory disease), it usually responds well to antibiotics and cough suppressants in 7-10 days.
Frontline is labeled to be given every 3 months if you are only concerned about flea protection. If ticks are a concern, then monthly applications are necessary. If you are opposed to giving Frontline or other topical parasite preventatives, I would suggest at least testing your dog for Lyme disease yearly. Chronic Lyme Disease in dogs can cause debilitating kidney disease.
Finally, the best boarding situation really depends on your dog's personality. If you are comfortable with the boarding kennel, I see no reason not to use it. There might be slightly better personal attention for her if she boards at an individual's home. Beagles tend to be very social creatures, so if she is a typical beagle, I'm sure she will command lots of attention and love from whoever is caring for her!
Best of 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,
Can you advise me on what to do to cat-proof furniture? We've used Feliway often but it doesn't seem to deter the two cats. They've ruined a couch and two upholstered chairs. We need to buy replacements and I’m wondering what to do? They do have scratching posts. They use their original one only. This is now pretty shot.
Ann
A: Dear Ann,
Personally, I'm considering redwood when I can afford to replace my furniture! Have you heard of Sticky Paws? It's a double-sided tape that can be applied to upholstered furniture. It's available at most pet stores or by visiting www.stickypaws.com.
I can't stress enough the importance of having enough scratchers. The inexpensive cardboard ones come in various sizes. They can be placed in all the areas the cats like to hang out. Arty Mitchell from Arubacats makes the best scratchers in the world --they're sturdy as anything and last forever; he's at all the cat shows in New England or call 603-382-8418.
I recently got a post through Felix Cat Tree Company (www.felixkatniptreecompany.com) that my cats seem to like, though it doesn't have the perches. Offer a smorgasbord of scratchers and make sure they’re laced with plenty of catnip. The more choices they have, the more likely they'll use them.
Squirt bottles or yelling don't really work because they'll just scratch behind your back. Although some people may think cats do it for spite, scratching is perfectly natural behavior (the equivalent of a feline manicure) that needs to be properly channeled.
I'm also looking for suggestions from people on what kind of upholstery works best for people with cats. Readers?
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,
I bought a young veiled chameleon at a reptile show in New York. I have a red heat lamp and a UVB light on a 20-gallon tall tank. Whenever I turn the UVB light on, the chameleon gets dark. When I turn it off, it goes back to a brighter green. Is he afraid of the light?
Dave

A: Hi Dave,
The most likely problem is that when the UVB light is on the lizard is able to see its own reflection in the glass and thinks it is being challenged. The dark color is showing that it is upset with the lighter green being the normal color. Chameleons are solitary animals and can get very stressed when they see another of their own kind. When you see them together on display, keep in mind it is only for that show, not long term. They tend to lay large clutches of eggs and are probably found together when first hatched but they spread out as they mature.
Not using the UVB light isn't an option, because a young lizard needs it most. You might have noticed at the show that many of the chameleon cages where made from some type of screen or mesh, rather than glass, because they do not reflect. If buying a new cage is not an option, a possible solution is to break up some of the glass surface with plastic or silk plants. Some of them have suction cups that allow you to stick them to the glass or you can hot glue or silicone them right to the glass. Do the back and sides first to see if that makes a difference. If you have to do some of the front, start around the edges and try to lean climbing branches closer to the front to hopefully make a shadow that will disrupt any remaining mirroring. Spraying down the tank just prior to turning the UVB light on, might also minimize reflection too.
Good luck, Ron

The Bunny Expert!

Susan adopted her first house rabbit 5 years ago and soon after got highly involved in rabbit rescue. She has volunteered at a local rabbit rescue group and a local animal shelter working with rabbits. She has since co-founded 3 Bunnies Rabbit Rescue Inc. Susan can surely answer all of your rabbit questions!

Q: Dear Bunny Expert,
What is the best way to clean a litter box?
New Bunny Parent
A: Dear New Bunny Parent,
The easiest and cost effective product to use for cleaning litter boxes is vinegar. I cover the bottom of a litter box with straight vinegar and let sit for a few minutes. Then I wash out with water and paper towel it clean and dry. Makes the litter box look like new again. I also use vinegar in a spray bottle to clean tough spots in cages. Vinegar is great for cleaning a lot of things.
Susan