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,
Besides rattlesnakes are there any other dangerous snakes in Connecticut?
Trevor
A: Hi Trevor,
Connecticut is also home to the copperhead.  Even though it is not common for people to die from a copperhead bite, they are still a dangerous venomous snake and should not be handled or disturbed.
Look close at the photo. The adults can get around 3 feet long. The color of the pattern might vary a little from dull to very bright. The shape of the band can vary as well, but it will remain that very distinct two tone pattern.  Even the babies have the exact same pattern with the addition of a bright yellow tail (which can look dull and greenish when getting ready to shed),  which is used to attract prey.
The head and eyes are also very viperous with the vertical pupils and arrow shaped head that set it apart from all of the other native snakes.Other snakes that are confused with copperheads are the eastern milk snake, the eastern hognose and the northern water snake.
A little bit about the nature of this animal. It doesn't want to fight with anyone. It will often remain still when approached, because it assumes you can't see it with its wonderful camouflage.  I found the one in the photo between two rocks at a park with lots of people walking dogs.  
When people get bit by accident it is when someone accidentally steps on one (foot bite) or  someone accidentally puts their hand down on them (hand bite), and there is no chance for a warning because the contact has been made hard. The other hand bites (probably the bigger percentage of this kind of bite) are due to intentional handling of the animal. Sometimes it is just people showing off by messing with a dangerous animal. Be careful; if you get bitten on the hand, don't plan on using that hand for weeks and don't count on it working the same way ever again. 
If you see one, just walk around it.
Ron
 

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,
How do I know when my horse and I  are ready for a show?
Stephanie
A: Dear Stephanie,
Great Question! The simple answer is - as long as your horse has basic steering and brakes, you can begin to expose your horse to the activity of a show early in training. You don’t mention what discipline or type of riding you do, but most disciplines offer classes at the novice level for both beginner horses and/or riders. There are also mock or practice horse shows where you can ride your horse in classes without the stress of it being a "real" show- these types of events usually offer feedback from the judge and often even a chance to work your horse through some training issues if needed. Trailering your horse to a show, but not actually competing is another possibility. It’s usually an option to pay an arena fee and ride your horse in the warm-up arena amidst all the commotion, but not enter any real classes, thus exposing your horse to a show without the pressure of competition. Another idea before going to a show is to trailer your horse to a friends’ house to ride, or to a new barn for a lesson, just to get your horse comfortably working in a new environment.
Good Luck, and happy showing!
Mary Jo

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 heard that once cats were completely on wet food, the fur ball regurgitation should cease. My cats, Pawla and Catlin, have been on wet food for at least five months. I tried the fresh/frozen foods, but they turn up their noses. I have tried the salmon oil, but the girls won't touch their food with it on. My Burmese are still sharing their fur balls with me at least once a week. They have both been examined by their vet recently, who states they are in excellent health. Any suggestions other than chemical products?
Ginger
A: Dear Ginger,
Yes, I think hairballs are hard to avoid, especially in the summer. I was blessed with one on my desk the other morning! Eeww!
A couple of mine who have really thick coats yak them up every few days even though they're combed regularly and get fish oil in their food. Let's face it, cats are always grooming themselves and ingesting the hair with their rough tongues, and most cats have a lot of hair.
I would worry if there's a lot of other yakking going on or the cat is overgrooming out of stress or if it's constipated.  My cat, Coco, has the daintiest yaks, barely audible, and produces the tiniest, perfectly formed trichobezoars (great word!).
If you do feel a remedy is needed, Dr. Jean Hofve, a holistic veterinarian, is not opposed to an occasional dab of petroleum jelly. Of course, regular combing, even for short-hair cats, is a good thing, especially during the summer.
Sally

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 Lazi Birds,
With the kids going back to school, will my Cockatiel feel abandoned?
Mrs. Anderson
A: Dear Mrs. Anderson,
Well sure, if the kids paid a lot of attention to your tiel during the summer, it will surely feel the loss. There are, however, things that you can do to get him/her through the trauma. First, where do you keep your bird? Is it in a room that sees a lot of traffic? If not, you may want to consider moving it. You may also want to turn on a radio during school hours unless your bird has access to a TV. (they LOVE the Cartoon Network)
When the kids come home, quality time can be spent during homework...  This will serve as an incentive for the kids, too. I spend a lot of time at my computer with a bird on my shoulder and also while writing letters and doing other chores. Your Tiel will be happy just to be with the kids if that's what he/she's used to. The bird will adjust as long as it is still getting attention and knows that it is loved. You may want to include him/her in dinnertime. We once had an Amazon that shared dinner with us every night. (we both worked days).  We set a place at the table for him and he had his own plate. It was the cutest thing to watch him try to 'sneak' to daddy's plate to steal a yummy and then run pack to his own plate with it.
As long as you can set a time which is for the birdie and be consistent, your baby should be fine.
Lazi Birds

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,
How frequently should we check our dog for parasites?  He stays mostly in our yard, but then goes for longer walks on the weekends with us in a nearby State Park.
Thanks, Angela
A: Dear Angela,
My practice routinely checks fecal samples for intestinal parasites once yearly.  We will also do fecal testing on any dog that has diarrhea. We also check a blood sample for heartworm disease and 3 tick-related diseases (Lyme, Ehrlichia and Anaplasmosis) annually.
If you keep your dog on a heartworm preventative throughout the year you will cut down on hookworms, whipworms and roundworms, 3 of the most common intestinal parasites we see.  This is because most preventatives control these parasites as well as heartworm disease.  It is also advisable for you to keep your dog on a monthly flea and tick preventative to protect against the diseases these bugs carry.
I hope you and your dog have a happy and parasite-free summer!
Dr. Mascola