1. |
Why does my dog eat grass?
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2. |
Why do dogs lift their legs when they go to the bathroom? |
3. |
How great is the sense of smell in dogs? |
4. |
At what age should housetraining begin? |
5. |
I just found out that my cat has tapeworms. Can this be harmful
to myself or my children? |
6. |
My cat has very matted fur that I've been unable to comb out.
What can I do for her? |
7. |
Do cats need to get vaccinated every year? |
8. |
I'm having some trouble getting my cat to use his litter box.
He keeps going to the bathroom all over the house. Can you
give me some advice? |
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| 1. |
Eating grass is basically a normal behavior for dogs, one
which experts have given varying theories as to why they do
this. Some believe that since dogs commonly vomit after eating
grass, they eat grass in order to vomit. They may have an
upset stomach or have eaten something bad and thus feel compelled
to induce vomiting. Those who believe this think then that
it's important that you not discourage your dog from eating
grass when he feels so inclined. Another theory is that, in
the wild, the normal diet of canines like wolves and foxes
includes grass, whether they're actively seeking it out or
eating herbivores. Because of this then, grass can also be
considered a normal part of a dog's diet. And yet another
theory is a rather simple one. Dogs eat grass simply because
they like it. In fact, there may be certain species of plants
and grasses that are particularly appealing to dogs. Unless
your dog is eating grass excessively, it's really not a concern
and you needn't be worried about it.
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2. |
Dogs use their urine as a scent marker. You can think of it
as a calling card, a signal letting other dogs know that they've
been there. Many male dogs and some female dogs will “mark
their territory” by urinating in many places. This establishes
their scent on their territory, something that other dogs
will readily pick up on.
It's not exactly certain why a male dog lifts his leg. By
lifting his leg, the male dog is getting his urine on a vertical
surface. One theory is that these vertical surfaces allow
the scent of urine to last longer than horizontal surfaces
do. Another theory is that this is more noticeable to other
dogs because it's closer to nose level and thus less likely
to be missed. I've also heard of a third theory which seems
quite plausible. You may or may not have noticed that some
male dogs seem to struggle a bit while lifting their leg,
giving the appearance that they're actually trying to get
the urine as high as possible. Some believe that this suggests
that the higher the scent of the urine, the better. One reason
for this might simply be that larger dogs can clearly get
the scent of their urine higher than smaller dogs, thus the
higher up the scent of the urine, the larger or perhaps more
imposing the owner of that scent would appear to other dogs.
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3. |
A dog's sense of smell is, indeed, very great. In fact, their
sense of smell is about 50 to 100 times more powerful than
a human's. Puppies are born with their eyes closed and greatly
rely on their sense of smell to survive. Many dogs, particularly
as they get older, have poor eyesight and rely on smell, as
well as hearing, to get around. Some breeds of dogs, especially
hounds, have a greater sense of smell than other breeds. Most
owners of hound dogs know the power of scent when it comes
to their dog as it's difficult, once they've focused on a
scent, to distract them.
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4. |
Most people take home puppies around the age of 8 weeks and,
given that, it's really never too early to start housetraining.
One of the best ways to get started is to pick up your puppy
if you notice him starting to go the bathroom and carry him
outside where you want him to go. Be sure to reward him well,
and he'll no doubt begin to learn simply by association. Just
keep in mind that housetraining can take a great deal of patience
and understanding.
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5. |
Cats will lose a few whiskers from time to time. However,
if they're losing a lot of whiskers or if the condition seems
to be prolonged, it can be an early sign of illness. In that
case, you'd want to have your cat examined by your veterinarian,
particularly if the whisker loss is accompanied by other symptoms
like bad breath, other hair loss, or discharge from the eyes,
ears or anus.
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6. |
There are some shampoos specifically designed to detangle
which can help, though they may require several repeat washes.
If, however, the fur is so badly matted that your cat is in
pain or her movement is restricted, you'll likely need to
have her clipped or shaved. In that case, a trip to the groomer
is in order.
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7. |
Most veterinarians will typically recommend that you have
your cat's vaccinations repeated yearly, and this usually
includes boosters for distemper and rabies.
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8. |
If this is a new behavior for your cat, take him to your vet
to rule out the possibility that he may have a urinary tract
infection. Otherwise, take a step-by-step approach to get
him to use the litter box. You can start by keeping him in
a small area, such as a bathroom, where he has food and water
as well as his litter box. Once he's successfully using his
litter box, slowly increase the amount of space he's allowed,
but be sure to go back a step and repeat the process if any
accidents occur.
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