May, 2023 - Barky.com.au

May 30, 2023

Can Leopard Geckos Eat Hornworms? Vet-Reviewed Facts & FAQs

Leopard geckos are popular pets because they’re adorable, interesting, and very laid back. Plus, these reptiles are independent; all of these traits make them popular exotic pets. However, leopard geckos require very specific maintenance and husbandry, particularly when it comes to their diet.

As insectivores, a leopard gecko’s diet consists of insects—primarily crickets and mealworms. Though crickets and mealworms tend to be the most popular insects to give to leopard geckos, you might be wondering if there are other insects safe for them to eat. There are! And the hornworm is one of them. Hornworms are actually a type of moth caterpillar, Manduca sexta, or the tobacco hornworm. Giving your leopard gecko hornworms does come with a few caveats. Read on to find out everything you should know!

Benefits of Hornworms

Feeding your leopard gecko hornworms now and then offers it a few benefits, some nutritional, some not. Dietary benefits include the hornworm’s high moisture content, which enables your leopard gecko to get more water (this is especially good for leopard geckos that are ill and suffering dehydration), and are a source of calcium and phosphorus.¹ Calcium and phosphorus are particularly important when it comes to warding off metabolic bone disease.² Reptiles require roughly two times much calcium as phosphorus, a ratio of 2:1.

Other than those nutritional benefits, hornworms don’t contain chitin, which means they are easier for leopard geckos to digest. Plus, because they are slow-moving and brightly colored, they are simpler for your gecko to catch.

However, there are a few cons to giving hornworms to your leopard gecko.

Downsides of Hornworms

While leopard geckos generally love hornworms, they don’t meet all their nutritional needs. For example, hornworms have far less protein (9%) than super worms, mealworms, and crickets. So, they shouldn’t be a regular part of your pet’s diet (which could be disappointing to your gecko because they enjoy them so much, they can sometimes become addicted to hornworms if offered too often!).

It’s also more challenging to gut load hornworms, as they prefer sweet things to other foods. And because hornworms have a shorter lifespan, they can only be stored for about two months. Due to this short lifespan and the general cost of hornworms, they can be a more costly option to feed your leopard gecko.

Feeding Hornworms to Your Leopard Gecko

The two most important things to know about feeding hornworms to your leopard gecko are that juvenile leopard geckos can only eat small hornworms (otherwise, the hornworms can pose a choking risk!), and you should never feed your pet any hornworms from the wild. With hornworms found in places such as your front yard, you have no idea where they’ve been or what they’ve gotten into. These hornworms could be affected by toxins on plants they have fed on, and could harm your leopard gecko.

Other than that, you should only feed hornworms to your gecko sparingly. For example, one large one each week, two medium ones a week, or three small ones weekly. As stated above, too many hornworms can anecdotally become addictive to your leopard gecko (because they’re awfully yummy!), resulting in your pet refusing food that contains all the nutrients it needs.

Though it’s more difficult to gut load hornworms, you should still try to do this 12–48 hours before giving them to your gecko. And because hornworms lack in many nutritional areas, supplementing them by dusting them with vitamin and mineral powder will help provide a bigger nutritional boost.

leopard gecko eating mealworm — Image Credit: MattiaATH, Shutterstock

What Constitutes a Healthy Leopard Gecko Diet

You don’t want your leopard gecko to eat the same thing every day. Not only is that boring for your pet, but it will limit the nutrients they receive. They should receive a variety of insects to maintain health. Plus, some insects have higher levels of fat content, so they should only be given to your gecko sparingly to avoid weight gain. When it comes to the sorts of insects your leopard gecko will enjoy, try a variety of these:

Mealworms
Crickets
Dubia roaches
Beetles
Hornworms
Butter worms
Waxworms
Grasshoppers

However, do avoid any insects found in the wild and fireflies (which are toxic to leopard geckos).

Conclusion

Leopard geckos can absolutely eat hornworms (and enjoy them immensely!), but they shouldn’t have too many of them. Besides lacking some nutritional value, leopard geckos can end up choosing to only eat this tasty snack and forgo other foods. A healthy diet for your leopard gecko will include a variety of insects. Contact a reptile specialist for advice on feeding and care of your leopard gecko if you have any concerns.

Sources

Featured Image Credit: warrior-on-ice, Pixabay

The post Can Leopard Geckos Eat Hornworms? Vet-Reviewed Facts & FAQs appeared first on Pet Keen.

May 30, 2023

Borzoi Dog Breed Temperament

The post Borzoi Dog Breed Temperament by Megan Arszman appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

Some dogs have a job and love to work, but ancient breeds bred for hunting like the Borzoi are not that type of dog, says longtime breeder Pamela Jo Leichtnam from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “They love the fun of the chase. They love to run, and they need to exercise,” she says. “But, once they are done with their run and their exercise, they can come in and be a couch potato just like other breeds. They don’t have to be active all the time. They don’t run all day; they can go out and have their exercise and then they rest.”

Training sighthounds like the Borzoi

There is a stigma about the temperament of sighthounds that their minds focus solely on the chase, but the Borzoi is biddable and trainable to be successful in just about any sport or arena.

“They are as smart as a fox,” says Pamela Jo. “They’re not hard to train — it’s just the amount of time you want to put into them to get what you want out of it, just as with any other breed.”

Borzois are treat driven when it comes to training, and it’s easy to train a dog that lives to please.

Best families for Borzoi temperament

Borzoi dog breeders have placed their puppies with families with children and with other dogs or with no children. However, Pamela Jo cautions against bringing an adult Borzoi into a home with smaller dogs or cats if the Borzoi is not used to smaller animals due his temperament.

“You must realize they are a hunting breed — they’ll chase a bunny or a squirrel,” she says. “If you have a smaller dog in the house or a cat, the best way to handle that is to buy a puppy and raise the puppy with that. It’s just their instinct.”

Borzois do best in homes with yards so they can run and do not do well in apartments only because of the need to exercise — going for walks is not enough for this dog.

“I think Borzoi are just very sweet, very biddable dogs, and an educated owner will make for a happy, long lasting relationship,” says Pamela Jo.

Interested in getting a Borzoi? Check out the Borzoi Club of America.

Read about other sighthounds in the article Come See About 5 Sighthound Dog Breeds.

May 29, 2023

Bronchitis in Dogs: Signs, Causes, & Treatment (Vet Answer)

In dogs, bronchitis is a relatively common problem. In humans, bronchitis is usually thought of as an infectious problem. And in dogs, it can be an infection, but it can also be present in other ways. Hopefully, if your dog has been diagnosed with bronchitis, it is an acute, short-term problem. Chronic bronchitis can get a little complicated

This article will discuss the differences. It will help you learn how to identify bronchitis if your dog gets it and arm you with tools to help them.

What Is Bronchitis?

Bronchitis can be a short, acute problem, or it can be a chronic, long-term problem that waxes and wanes. In both cases, though, it is caused by inflammation, swelling, and irritation in the lower respiratory tract—in the lungs. This inflammation causes a dog to cough.

Acute bronchitis

Acute bronchitis appears quickly, seemingly out of nowhere, and goes away quickly as well.

In acute bronchitis, the primary cause needs to be identified and managed for the best results. Acute bronchitis is commonly caused by infectious agents, bacteria and viruses, or both. They cause inflammation, and if the infection goes away (which it usually does), then the bronchitis improves. It can improve in 5–7 days, but sometimes it may take 3 or 4 weeks, depending.

Chronic bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis is when the inflammation sticks around for longer than two months.

The cough can wax and wane, but it is a persistent problem. The inflammation may have once been caused by infection, but it no longer is. It is a response in the body to long-term irritation so that the inflammation is pretty much out of control.

Veterinarian and puppy in veterinary clinic undergoing medical examination — Image Credit: megaflopp, Shutterstock

The Signs of Bronchitis

Coughing is the most apparent sign of bronchitis.

Coughing in a dog can be confused with other things, such as sneezing, reverse sneezing, or even gagging. Coughing is often much louder and more persistent than these problems, though. Although if your dog reverse sneezes, it is good to get to know what that sounds like so you can tell the difference.

A cough caused by bronchitis tends to sound wet; however, it is more productive than a dry cough. They may cough in spasms or intermittently. They may cough after an activity or randomly at any time.

Coughing is a sign of many problems, such as pneumonia, heart disease, lung cancer, or other respiratory diseases besides bronchitis. So, if your dog coughs persistently, they need a physical exam with a vet. Although a dog with bronchitis can also have multiple problems, any of which can be concurrent.

Some dogs may also demonstrate exercise intolerance, an inability to exercise as much as they used to. But most dogs with chronic bronchitis act otherwise normal; they just cough.

black dog coughing — Image Credit: 5075933, Pixabay

The Causes of Bronchitis

Acute bronchitis

Acute bronchitis can happen in any dog breed and at any age. It is commonly caused by infectious agents, but it can also be caused by sudden exposure to harmful inhalants, such as smoke. The cause may never be concretely identified, especially if treatment cures it quick enough.

Chronic bronchitis

Most common in middle age and older dogs. Smaller dogs are also more likely to have it. Once inflammation occurs in the lungs (after a bout of acute bronchitis, for example), it can lead to permanent changes, especially if it is severe or lasts long enough. The permanent changes not only make the lungs less efficient at breathing air, but they also make the inflammation more likely to come back if it ever goes away completely, that is.

How Do I Care for a Dog with Bronchitis

The most helpful thing is to get your vet involved.

Acute bronchitis

If you suspect bronchitis or infectious bronchitis, book an appointment with your vet right away. But also tell them that is what you suspect, so they can take extra precautions at the clinic, so the infection doesn’t spread to other dogs. Tell them before you enter the building. Call and ask for instructions on how to come in with your potentially infectious dog.

Caring for Acute Bronchitis at Home

The most important thing to do for acute bronchitis is to know if your dog needs to be isolated. If the sudden outbreak of bronchitis is caused by infectious agents, then your dog will need to be isolated so they don’t spread it to others.
Medication can help reduce the cough and interrupt the cycle discussed above, where the cough makes bronchitis worse.
Antibiotics may or may not be helpful. This will depend on the infectious agents, your dog’s health, and the environment where you live. Ask your vet if they are needed, but do not be surprised if they are NOT.
Keep them warm, dry, and rest until they are better.

Chronic bronchitis

Vet visits work best with frequent check-ins; once every 3–6 months to make sure everything is managed just right is a good idea. Having a vet who knows their pattern of cough is more helpful for improving their quality of life.

Caring for Chronic Bronchitis at Home

Dogs with chronic bronchitis may be put on medication to help their lungs function, but things you do at home can also be helpful.

Maintain a well-ventilated home. Reducing air contaminants such as smoke is important. But also managing any things that might trigger a reaction. Perfumes and strong-smelling soaps do not mean the air is fresh and well-ventilated.
Manage their weight so that obesity doesn’t make it more difficult for them to breathe.
Manage their exercise. Getting some controlled exercise is important for maintaining healthy lung function but it can also trigger bronchitis and make it worse. Interrupt the exercise if it is getting to be too much.

sick dog — Image Credit: ykaiavu, Pixabay

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How will a vet diagnose chronic bronchitis?

Chronic bronchitis may take a while to diagnose. It can take a long time to know something is chronic. Plus, since there are so many other things that a cough can be caused by, these other ‘things’ need to be ruled out first.

Diagnostic tests such as bloodwork, X-rays, and even taking samples of the airways can help a vet get to a diagnosis.

What is the prognosis for chronic bronchitis?

The severity of chronic bronchitis will dictate its prognosis. Severe chronic bronchitis can be quite limiting and impede a dog’s quality of life. Or it can also wax and wane so that there are periods of more intense inflammation and cough, followed by periods of relative calm. This is the most common pattern, in fact.

Mild bronchitis might just be a pestering problem that flares up and is dealt with quickly.

chow chow dog at the vet — Image Credit: 135pixels, Shutterstock

What’s the difference between bronchitis and pneumonia?

Bronchitis inflammation is not as deep in the lungs as pneumonia goes, but it’s lower than the upper airways, where sinusitis causes inflammation. It is between the two, in the bronchi, which is what that part of the airways is called.

Acute bronchitis is closely related to pneumonia; both are inflammation of the lungs. But pneumonia is much more severe as the infection is much deeper and more insidious. But bronchitis can also switch to pneumonia easily. Both acute and chronic bronchitis can escalate to pneumonia.

Why is my dog’s bronchitis getting worse?

Inflammation causes a cough, which is irritating and causes more inflammation. So, bronchitis can be a difficult cycle of inflammation to break. As a dog coughs, the irritation and mucus are stimulated to become more.

Conclusion

Bronchitis can look different in different dogs and in different scenarios, but overall, TLC is the best thing for it. Keeping your dog’s lungs healthy means providing exercise and fresh, clean air. Getting their vaccines, including kennel cough—even if they don’t go to a kennel—are all necessary steps to prevent bronchitis.

Hopefully, this has helped explain some of the different ways bronchitis can affect your dog and helps you know how to provide the best tender loving care.

Sources

Featured Image Credit: vet_Duet PandG, Shutterstock

The post Bronchitis in Dogs: Signs, Causes, & Treatment (Vet Answer) appeared first on Pet Keen.