Haze

I had two rats out of five who had URI's for about six months, they both died the start of this year. Start of feb oscar started snotty breathing and was put strait on antibiotics then week later had steroid ijection, seems to have helped.. Now recently this week, sally has started snotty breathing, then doris started, now daisy! What on earth is going on? The vets say its just bad luck. I dont understand, i have NO airfresheners, i dont use body spray or perfume, they have vetbed on the bottom of their cages(big wire cages) and shredded paper to nest and paper cat litter in the trays! Whats causing these infections? I clean the cages on sundays and Wednesdays, when i change litter trays and wash vetbed with milton and a tiny amount of washing liquid, rinse then tumble(tumbler takes out any smell of the milton or washing liquid, they smell of nothing when they come out, but are allowed to air out until the next clean) I wipe down shelves daily and change hammocks once a week. I only hoover once a week as i know it can throw up dust.

Whats causing these infecions? They seemed very spread out until this year to be anything contagious? I know all rats have myco, and things cause it to flare but ive tried my best to avoid it!

Anyone help me?

Ive seen a gerbil being given away near me, and im tempted, but ive never owned a gerbil and know nothing about them! Done a bit of reading, but if thats anything like what you read about rats its useless info!

I own rats, have done for years, are gerbils anything like rats? I like the rats because they are so interactive and friendly, and dont bite! Can gerbils free range, are they are friendly? I know they can eat eggs and stuff like the rats from what ive read...

He is a male by himself, not that tame and of unknown age, id want to get him a friend as im very against keeping social creatures in solitary confinement, i refuse to do that! Are they like rats to introduce? I know everywhere you read online it says male rats are impoosible to introduce and everyone will die, which isnt true, is it the same for gerbils? Neutral territory, clen cage, monitor?

Also what about their cage.. my rats cages are full of hammocks and ropes and hanging chew toys, do gerbils like things like this?

Im not sure i will even get him, im just wanting to know what they are like and i suppose if i got him it would save him being poked by kids and kept alone the rest of his life?

Help!

Hi, I have an English Bull Terrier, just over a year old, spayed *****. Up until now she has been fearless, nothing scares her at all apart from the hoover. But now im starting to notice shes scared of something I cant see, hear or smell. Its started about a week ago, she was cowering, shaking and panting in the landing against the wall. She did this again another time, then one time she was in the understairs cupboard behind the hoover, today she was next to the couch again cowering, shaking and panting, ive just come out from the bath room and she was under the airer, i quietly called her and she came to me head down calmly and sat on my knee for ages being stroked, i got up after a while and she followed me, leaning against me when i stopped, then i sat down in the kitchen and she got on my knee again. She had a nasty fall (about 3ft) tonight out on our walk, landed head first and grazed her nose but was normal and bouncy after. She normally is a happy bouncy dog, but recently this random fear thing is happening. I thought i had connected it to when the oven was on, but the oven isnt on tonight. Also I dont hit her or anything.This only seems to happen in the house, out on walks shes her normal mad happy self, but this is really random. Im going to take her to the vets to get her checked over, just thought id ask on here. Also my other two dogs arent effected at all, they are just normal.

Hi, I have been taking in some rats needing homes from horrible conditions recently, to keep myself. But I was thinking about starting a proper rescue up, where I can get them in, bring them back to full health and then rehome to lovely homes. Would I need anything to do this? I have years of experience with rats and can afford vet treatment, and I also have plenty big cages for them :) Would also need a ratty rescue name!

Im uk, thanks!

I thought it meant change the battery, however, i opened it up and it looks like wires go up into the ceiling? Cant actually take the top off as its attached by wires. Anyone have any ideas of this? Its really starting to get on my wick!

Need advise!! Shes a 4yr old staffy, i let her out as normal and she did her business then she came back in and went to be sick so i sent her back out, she was sick and then collapsed onto her side for about 5 seconds shaking, i ran upto her and she got up like a shot and ran away from me scared like she had done something worng or maybe it was just my panic that scared her. She came back in and is acting fine, i have rang the vet and they said to monitor her and if it happens again to take her in. What could this be?

She did eat 12 cupcakes filled with nutella and half a victoria sponge on saturday cos some idiot left the lid off, i went mad she has food allergies anyways but normally just goes bald if she eats something that effects her. But if this was it, why has she been fine all weekend, i have been watching her closely for any signs of illness all weekend and shes been fine, no different. What could this be???

This is really hard to explain so thats why im asking on here!

The problem is, the flush button on the top of the toilet isnt held in place any more after a round thing broke in half and fell off (inside toilet) i need to find the name of the round thing that holds the flusher where it is ment to be so i can order a new one.

Its like the thing that broke maybe screwed on to hold the flusher in place like a bolt would. I can get hold of the flush botton and pull it up out of place easily, as nothings holding it down. Please help!

My dog (EBT) will lick the carpet, furniture, her bed and make herself sick by eating the fluff and bits. Will she grow out of this? She is food obsessed and will eat inedible objects, so she stays in her cage when im out, when i get in i like to make a coffee before taking her out and this is when she will be licking her bed and being sick, over and over. I have just noticed my other dog is doing this too, are they lacking in something? or has he just learnt this behaviour off the other dog? This has only just started recently and have only just seen my staffy do it just now! The EBT has always hoovered the carpet since day one though. Any ideas? I dont want to have to muzzle the EBT, not that that is easy with her head shape. Thanks.

Oh they eat dry dog food without any artificial colours, and hypo-allergenic as they have skin problems.

It has always popped out on one side for as long as i can remember, only a little without any pain, but recently the side of my face aches and it hurts when I open my mouth wide, like to bite a sandwich. The left side of my jaw is normal (at the hinge bit) if i open my mouth it stays where it is and just rotates in its place, the right side pops out and goes a good inch forward along my cheek bone towards me eye, it also really hurts, this has definitely got worse and yawning is crippling as it feels like my jaw bone is grinding on my cheek bone and catching at the muscles and tendons in it path! I do have a wisdom tooth erupting on that right side, could this be whats causing it? Although if i feel the gum where the tooth is coming through with my finger is it so sore and painful but not the same pain as in my jaw, which must be quite close but feels apart to me. Any suggestions what this could be? I also fractured my jaw but right in the middle a year ago and it didnt really bother me at the time, but a few months ago it started aching (i thought i had an abscess) Could this be related, but why so long after I did it? Do i need to go to a doctor, or will it right itself? I dont like going to docs, i always feel im making it up, i also dont get a lot of spare time! But this is aching so bad even when im not moving my jaw! :/

I have a female year old English Bull Terrier (just turned one 31st december) My problem is that she will only do commands with hand gestures, not with words. To sit if i raise my hand she will sit, but wont when i just say sit. To lie down, she has to sit first then i have to point at the ground and practically touch it. She will only give each paw when i move the leg on the side of each paw, she wont give the correct paw if i just say paw, or other paw. Basically with any voice command she just looks at me and breathes in noisily through her nose. I say the command and use the gesture at the same time but it just isnt clicking with her. I have been training her since she was 8 weeks old consistanly and she goes to puppy classes still. Her focus is on me (or the treats!) so its not asif she is distracted, just completely oblivious to what im asking. Any tips? Would prefer from bull terrier people as they arent like other breeds, i have a staffy who is to a word, i also trained him my self from being a puppy, he got it strait away with voice commands. (also she can watch my staffy doing it by voice but still doesnt copy him!) Its not a major problem or anything, just would be nice to not have to point everywhere! Thanks

I have a 6 month old husky dumbo male. He's recently started to sneeze, like sounds really snotty, not all the time but a few times a day. Had him to vets, they think its an allergy, his lungs are clear. He had an injection, this was on thursday, just now he's sounded really snotty again, he's in his cage about 2 metres from me and I can clearly hear him. Does anyone have any ideas on this? Or if this injection will take time to work?

He lives on shredded paper bedding.

Sleeps in a hammock

I shake the food when I mix it to rid dust

Nothing is sprayed in the room they are in

He has two cage mates, neither affected, both older

There are four girls in same room, non are affected.

He will have been sneezing maybe a week now

Vet isnt worried, but I am!

Am I just worrying for nothing?

It really upsets me. Why if someone "loves" their pet would they keep it in such un natural conditions and not care that they really need company? It baffles me, id never dream of keeping a lone rat, ever. But people think its fine and quite happily carry on keeping them living a sad lonely bored life? To me its a form of animal cruelty, not caring for their needs. Anyone have any idea why they do it? Just I cant figure it out in my mind!!

http://www.nfrs.org/company.html

Ok, so i'm actually quite experienced with rats, but this one has me stumped!!!!

I bought two rats from a breeder about a month ago, one was quite young(rex) the other a little older(hairless), the older one is deffo a boy! However the black rex DID look like a boy (looked as if his manparts were developing) But last night when I had them out "he" really didnt look like a boy! I'm really worried he is in fact a she which means il have to buy another cage and another girl! I read they can "suck them up" when scared, but is this possible at this age, it will be about 3-4 months old..

And I know how obvious a boy rat is, but not at a very young age, when i got him/her.

I am nearing then end of the classic version of swiss family robinson, and would like ideas for my next book to read! I only really like adventure stories about islands or being shipwrecked.

I have already read:

Robinson Crusoe

Coral Island

Lord of the Flies

Kensuke's Kingdom

Im not sure on treasure Island, I don't know if I'd like it, has anyone read it, and what is it like?

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Just wondering. Like people buy and sell horses and they don't get sad cos they get a new owner, they just go where life takes them. So what is it that people say is so bad about passing dogs on? Surely they take to new people and love them just as much and enjoy life as much, obv providing they dont get abused.

I have an english bull terrier, and I'm wondering what other peoples bullies are like!

Mine eats anything edible, or inedible! Last week I pulled a toilet roll tube out her mouth, she ate a marble, tissues, any little bits off the carpet ect!

She also does this mad half hour thing at night. And sleeps in really odd places like the washing pile, or perched on the couch arm, even under the cushions on the couch!

She gets really excitable at people and dogs to the point of backflipping, but when she actually meets them she just lies down!

She's a odd ball!

What are yours like?

(I dont want any stupid hate comments btw)

Ive been at this yard for about 4 years. When I moved there the old man ran it and there were no rules, just do what you want kinda thing, everything was great! Now his daughter in law (who married his son purely for the yard) Is running it and its gone so down hill! We arent allowed to do anything, there are loads of stupid rules and I get shouted at on a daily basis. I work on a racing yard so I'm not some inexperienced kid.

A few months ago I jumped a pony for my friend at the yard, she decided what he jumped and how high, we jumped upto 105cm but the second time we went to jump it he ran out, bucked and I fell off (it was an impressive buck!) Anyways the yard owner saw the video and had a massive go at me for jumping the "poor" pony too high, I asked her what it had to do with her what Emma does with her pony and bam, first warning to be kicked off the yard. I didn't even say it in a horrible way, just curious why she was angry about me jumping someone else's horse? She should have spoken to the horses owner, not me who was simply doing her a favour.

Last night I filled a net for my horse for this morning as i knew id be rushing and left it at the side as usual. I went up this morning and my net had gone, so i looked for it and found it in one of her horses stables, I went up to her and said I had filled a net last night as id be rushing now and it was in her horses stables and she went mad saying its stupid to fill nets and she will ban it and ive ruined it for everyone and that I should make time to do it when i need the net. I said i didnt understand what was so bad about filling nets and everyone does it.. bam second warning.

I just dont understand this, I get shouted at for jumping someone else's pony that they asked me to and now for someone taking my net?

By the way the pony I was jumping loves jumping and jumps 90cm with scope, he is forward into jumps and i didnt kick or carry a stick, heres the video of him jumping 90cm and you can see why we put it up another hole..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVfYBIBWnvk

And this is a vid of him jumping the one before i fell off, im hardly beating him to jump it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_YULlM2oyY

So what should, or can I do? Im not happy here anymore but I was there before her and don'y know if id find somewhere else. Help? :(