PET CARE From page 42
along ? Is there fighting ? Are certain pets intimidating others ? Is each pet comfortable enough to have a good quality of life ? ❑ How do the pets look ? Are they clean , groomed and healthy looking ? Are they able to move around comfortably ? Do they get adequate exercise ? Are they fed a good quality diet ? Is everyone spayed or neutered and protected against disease ? Are they all getting wellness check-ups at least annually , and more often for those with health conditions , and senior pets ? ❑ How are things in the sanitation department ? Are they properly house trained ? Does the home smell of urine or faeces ? ❑ How clean is the home overall ? Is the pet hair being removed from furniture and floors routinely ? ❑ How about the outside of the home – is it in decent
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condition ? Weeds pulled , grass mowed , dog faeces picked up and disposed of ? ❑ Is the yard fenced for the dogs ? Finances , time , and space are probably the prime factors in deciding on how many pets you should have and that varies greatly from one family to another . You have to be really dedicated to cleaning , feeding and playing with a large number of pets . Many people have pets which don ' t cost much annually to vet but aren ' t prepared for the emergencies or accidents that inevitable arise . In the case of dogs it is preferable to train all of them , as this will help in dealing with conflicts among them . We also need to be aware of the possible health risks of keeping cats and dogs . Dogs that are not regularly dewormed can excrete tapeworm in their faeces . If ingested by sheep , and sometimes cattle , the |
tapeworm cysts can lodge in the animal ' s brain causing a condition called Gid ( Coerurus cerebralis ). As the cysts develop , they press on the brain cells and cause nervous symptoms such as blindness , staggering and circling . Cats can be carriers of the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis , which is a disease of man and most warm-blooded animals . In cats , the infection is often sub-clinical , which means the
POULTRY From page 42
they drank water 22-45 times a day . As age increases , the number of feeding times dropped but total feed eaten increased . Temperature needs to be carefully regulated if you are keeping chicks in a brooder . The chick ' s first response after hatching is to seek warmth and cover . They are very vulnerable to draughts . Body temperature at birth is
0 0
38.6 C rising to 40 C by Day 9 . If heating is inadequate , chicks huddle together in a semicircle facing outwards
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symptoms are not easy to see , so you won ' t know that your cat has it . Many humans , especially vets and cat-owners , carry the antibodies to toxoplasma in their blood and have never been ill with the disease . The main danger to humans of toxoplasmosis is to pregnant women and those with suppressed immune systems . Concerning for smallholders who keep sheep is that the disease is a major cause of abortion in ewes .
and can easily smother in corners away from draughts or in sunny spots . When too hot they disperse away from the heat source . Chicks will not move out into colder temperatures for food before five to seven days . Low rearing temperatures ( eg , 19.5 ° C ) will slow growth , cause earlier feathering but increase the size of organs such as the heart , thyroid and adrenal glands compared to chicks reared at 30 ° C . Chicks with their mother of course have a built in source of heat and protection from draughts .
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