Send this to a friend…

Send to a friend…

Send this to a friend…

Your Dog’s Diabetic Lifestyle

It is important, especially as your dog ages, to be alert for warning signs that diabetes may be present. Clinical signs of diabetes include: excessive thirst, excessive urination, excessive appetite and weight loss despite good appetite—a visit to the veterinarian is imperitive for the appropriate diagnosis.

The initial shock and fear one feels after hearing your dog has diabetes does not have to be frightening. This is not a death sentence for your pet. Much fear is caused by the lack of information on the disease.  The next challenge for you as a pet owner is learning how to adjust your pet’s diet, exercise and medication to support good health. A diabetic dog requires regular veterinary care and partnership to assist you in implementing the right program for your dog for proper nutrition, exercise and medication.

Diet plays a critical role in keeping your dog’s diabetes well regulated.  Because insulin requirements change depending on the amount and type of food eaten, a consistent high-quality diet is important. Research continues on the ideal diet composition or diabetic pets. However, many vets recommend special diets containing greater amounts of soluble fiber. Research has shown that a soluble fiber slows the absorption of glucose from the digestive system.

In spite of a more restrictive diet, treats can and should continue to play a part in your diabetic dog’s daily routine .Many pets are accustomed to receiving treats during the day and eliminating them from the daily routine makes your dog unhappy. Healthy treats made specifically for diabetic dogs are becoming more available to meet demand. Many owners even use them as treats after giving the insulin injections as a reward. A healthy diabetic treat is one that has no obvious source of sugar and has either complex grains (Whole Grains) or meat as its main ingredients.

Caring for a diabetic pet requires a strong commitment on your part to your dog, but it’s a rewarding challenge.  Once your dog becomes regulated to their insulin levels and diet, you quickly develop into a daily routine. With the help of products specially formulated for dogs with diabetes, your diabetic dog can lead a happy, healthy and long life.

African Greys as Pets

African Greys are beautiful, intelligent parrots, that would make a wonderful addition to any family who fully understands their capabilities and provides them with a stimulating, interactive environment. Building a relationship takes lots of love, time and patience.

Congo African Greys and Timnehs share many personality traits, although the Timnehs are said to begin speaking earlier than Congos, and are often said to be less nervous around strangers and new situations. Timnehs are often more social than Congo African Greys who may bond more to one person. Individual personality differences do exist — and much of it may depend on the level of socialization an African Grey got during its early stages of development as well as continued socialization throughout its life.

Due to their highly intelligent nature, the African Grey can become easily bored and inactivity may quickly lead to behavioural problems such as feather picking. African Greys that are bored have a tendency to chews things and consistent training and a diligent owner are a must for this vivacious bird.

These intelligent birds are best suited to people who have experience with pet birds and are familiar with their ongoing care requirements.

If you fulfill his or her needs, you will have a lifelong friend – as the lifespan of an African Grey is up to 60 years. A big commitment, however, if you are a true parrot lover you will appreciate having a true friend for life.

African grey parrots are particularly noted for their exceptional talking and cognitive abilities. Irene Pepperberg’s extensively published research with captive African greys, including Alex, has shown that these parrots are capable of associating human words with their meanings.They also mimick sounds and voices quite accurately. (This Chart lists other good and bad talkers, and respective care requirement.)

African Greys as Pets

Training and Behavioral Guidance:

African Greys are amongst the easier parrots to keep. This being said, they do present challenges, such as excessive chewing – especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of “disciplining us” once they are out of the “baby stage” and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined parrots will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. They regard anything in your home as a “toy” that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation.