Penguin

I don't know if you've read about the parrot hoarding situation in Ohio, but it's really bothering me. A man was hoarding birds in a squalid house. There were thirty dead birds on the premises. The surviving birds have problems ranging from cuts to diseases which require critical veterinary care. There was no fresh water or food for the birds at all. They were eating drywall, paint, etc. The director of the humane society is doing nothing to get these birds into better hands, despite the fact that this man has been found with birds in negligent conditions before this incident as well. Meanwhile, cats and dogs were almost immediately seized from a negligent shelter, also in Ohio.

So why are the two cases being treated so differently by the same set of people? Why did the dogs and cats receive immediate help when the birds are likely going to be left with the current incompetent owner? What is the reason given to allow for such drastic differences in standards of care? IS there a reason? I don't get it, so if someone could tell me what the thinking is I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

If you don't know what I'm talking about there are some articles on it here: http://www.tibetanbuddhistaltar.org/2011/08/troypa...

I was reading about the similarities between birds and reptiles, and one thing they have in common is blood cell structure. Their white AND red blood cells have a nucleus, but humans only have nuclei in WHITE blood cells. I understand that the lack of nuclei in human red blood cells allows for more room to carry oxygen. So what is the purpose of having nuclei in red blood cells for reptiles and birds?

If you can't answer all of them that's not a problem at all. Here goes:

1. Is it possible for a beardie to very lightly brumate? Mine was sleeping a lot and eating less and hiding some, but he still spent a decent amount of time at his basking spot.

2. Do you think beardies get attached to a certain comfy spot for brumation? Mine would change spots every now and then, but most of his time was spent sleeping on his hammock, which is his basking spot. He has always seemed to like that hammock. I even had to move it from the cool to warm side (before brumation) so he would actually bask. Do you think he might disregard light and temp just so he could be on his hammock? Like I said, he seemed to be very very lightly brumating. In fact, I was beginning to worry he wasn't brumating at all, but he wasn't losing weight or showing any signs of distress so I put my paranoid mind to rest.

3. The last two days, Loki (my beardie) has become very active again. He is constantly patrolling his cage. Is it likely he is fully awake for good now?

4. Is it normal for a beardie to poop less when brumating? I was having to give him baths so he would go every single week. However, today he pooped for the first time without using a bath to make him. Is it just a coincidence that he is both more active and has pooped on his own, or are the two things related?

5. (This one is just for fun.) Any cute pictures of your beardie? :)

It's from a German fairy tale. The girl asks for a "clinking clanking lowesleaf." does anyone know what the heck that actually is?

I plan on giving him a soak tomorrow since it's been almost two weeks since he last went. I was just wondering if it's normal for beardies to not poo while shedding their body skin. His appetite and energy levels are fine and he does not have any substrate or food that could make him impacted.

Hello. :) Certain observations about how our budgies at work interact in their large group have made me curious about the social organization in parrot flocks. Feel free to answer any of the following. You don't have to tackle them all if you don't want.

1. How does socialization work in budgies and other parrots? For example, is there one distinct leader or are things mostly cooperative...?

2. Do you think wild and captive flocks form social structures the same way?

3. How does "dominance" theory apply to their social organization (if it does at all)? In other words how is dominance gained and how is it expressed? Or is there no absolute dominance?

4. Is the height-relative-to-"dominance" theory accurate or not? (This is the idea that birds higher up on the social ladder perch higher than others.)

I have my own opinions already but I'm interested to know what you all have observed for yourselves. Thanks! :)

I've read through the old questions that ask about this but most are about puppies and don't offer any help for this situation.

We have a 3 1/2 year old chihuahua who won't sleep through the night. He is crate trained and sleeps in the crate in my parents' bedroom at night. There is a blanket over three sides and the top of the crate because if he sees anything he starts yapping. He has a bed and blanket inside the crate. He has never been the best sleeper but it is really driving my mom insane lately. He will only sleep or be quiet for a short amount of time before going into a whining fit. Letting him sleep in the bed doesn't work because he gets down and causes trouble. He doesn't have to pee or get a drink, because if you let him out, again he just wanders around and gets into stuff. Ignoring him doesn't work at all. My mom has tried that for the better part of three years. Scolding him or shaking a can with coins in it will shut him up temporarily but he resumes whining after a little bit. I've tried walking him for 2-3 miles in the evening to wear him out, and it doesn't work. The vet said to try melatonin and/or benadryl. He's on both and it's not helping at all. (He's only 5 lbs so he probably metabolizes it too quickly...)

Does anyone have any advice?

I've been trying to find some firsthand info online, but I can't find much. One of our lizards at work, a little male veiled chameleon, had a problem with retained eyecaps after his last shed. To make matters worse, the vet says his eye slits are unusually small. Even before his shed problem, he had the worst aim I've ever seen. Despite soaks and warm mists and trying to help with the eyecaps, it doesn't look like he is going to get much better. Both eyes are completely sealed shut, even though it looks like all of the shed is gone now. Currently he is living off of repti-aid by flukers, and that's all. I realise this can't be ideal for the long term, can it? Will force feeding him daily stress him too much? Has anyone ever had a situation remotely like this?

My main question is this: Could this little guy have any chance of living a decent quality life? If so, how can we at the store and any potential adoptors make this possible?

I'm losing my mind worrying over my bearded dragon. Please help me regain a very tiny fraction of my sanity...

Sometimes I notice my beardie making a swallowing motion. It's like when you swallow something and your throat moves a little. It's kind of like he is very subtly flexing his beard, but it is NOT him puffing his beard out. I've seen his angry beard and this isn't it. Why is he doing that ???

I'm paranoid he has a respiratory infection or something. He is breathing normally, eating like a pig, is alert and active throughout the day, and there is no visible mucus in his throat, mouth, or nostrils. The only unsettling thing is that once in a blue moon I will hear a "clicking" or "popping" sound coming from him...I know that clicking and popping sounds when breathing are signs of a URI. The thing is, it isn't constant. I've only heard it a couple times...maybe 3 or 4 times is the month and a half I've had him. My sister said he did it last night and I took him and half an hour later I also heard it. So today I've been watching him like a hawk. I check on him every few minutes for labored breathing or gaping, but I've not seen anything like that...I'M JUST SO PARANOID!!! How do I stop myself from freaking out over every little thing? Is this normal? Or SHOULD I be freaking out???

Really...where do you draw the line? When do you stop to look after yourself instead of others? As for me, I just can't decide.

I'm not referring to merpeople, although you're free to answer as well. :D

Okay so....I'm bored. Anyways, I work at a pet store and I think it's interesting to see the various personalities in relation to different pet keepers. So, today let's talk about fish-lovers. If you love aquarium keeping, feel free to answer. =)

1.) What fish do you currently have?

2.) What are some of your favorite fish and why?

3.) Why do you like fishkeeping? (Looks cool, kills time, feels rewarding, etc.?)

4.) Are you left-brained, right-brained, or somewhere in between?

5.) Are you an extrovert or an introvert?

6.) What are your hobbies?

7.) Who are you? (This is a vague question. You can answer however you like. You can talk about yourself as a person, your likes and dislikes, anything you think is important.)

:D

Obviously size varies from one individual to another, but I just want a general idea of size related to age. About how old do you think a WTF about the size of a quarter is? Around what age are they full grown? I can't find any growth charts, although I'll admit I didn't search extensively. Anyways, thanks for any input. :)

I just broke a big ornament and want to glue it back together. Can hot glue withstand the high temps in a beardie's cage? Or will it melt in the cage?

I know you can use aquarium sealant, but it takes forever to dry. Plus if I can use what I already have at home rather than buy a tube of sealnt that isn't going to get used, that's always a bonus. I know it's only 7 bucks but every dollar counts for a broke college student. :) If hot glue isn't safe though, I'll get some sealant...he is pretty fond of his hammock and his giant log. :)

Hey. :) I have a few questions about keeping crickets. You don't have to answer all of these. Any advice at all is appreciated. Thanks!

1. Can I keep my cricket container in a cabinet? I'm worried about air circulation though...I've read about people using aquarium air pumps to circulate air in cabinets...how would that work exactly? And would soundproofing foam on the walls help muffle the noise?

2. How important is light? I've done a lot of reading and have read everything from "too little light will reduce the lifespan" to "crickets should be kept in a dark area." What's your opinion?

3. How can I keep noise at a minimum? It's bugging the crap out of my sister (no pun intended). Would putting soundproofing foam on the outside of the four sides and the bottom of the container help at all? Obviously the top needs left alone for air circulation.

4. What's the best way to clean out the container without letting crickets escape? I have one of those "cricket keepers" with the tubes, if you know what I'm talking about. I was thinking of getting a second container, then transfering the lid with the tubes from one container to the other, and dumping any stragglers and egg crate in after. Obviously some will inevitably escape, but I do all my cricket work with the container sitting in my bearded dragon's tank. Escapees last about 10 seconds thanks to my dear Loki.

5. Anything interesting and irrelevent you want to share? :)

Any info is appreciated. Your thoughts are welcome too. :)

Also, is there somewhere I can read the bill itself?

Yep. I feel like an idiot for asking this. I'm used to only dealing with hatchlings at my work, so this is a little new for me.

I have a 10 month old male dragon. He's 15.5 inches long, although I don't know his weight. I got him this past Thursday morning. As soon as he was out of the bag (he was shipped from Georgia) he was ready to eat--so much for stress from shipping. 0.o He's been eating crickets that are no larger than the space between his eyes and a mixture of greens with a little bit of other fruits and veggies for treats. He eats a lot but he quits when he is full.

Temps and humidity are all correct. UVB lighting and calcium and vitamin supplementation are provided appropriately.

No loose substrate or any impaction hazards to speak of.

He IS going into shed.

So I realize it's only been 4 days, but I just wanted to know what was normal for a larger beardie to poo. 0.o Like I said, I'm used to the stinkers at work who poop multiple times every day.

I'm sorry this is really long but PLEASE READ:

Hello. I really want to get your guys' opinions about this situation.

I work at a pet store and one of my favorite things are the birds, particularly our conures. We only have one conure at a time, and I always consider them my little projects, because they are usually at the store for a while due to their higher costs.

Last year, our store bird was a Green Cheek Conure who we named Chewy. He was a very cuddly bird and loved to snuggle. He was sold sometime around November or early December. I didn't sell him, so unforunately I don't know the people who bought him as well as I would like. I am very picky when it comes to people taking my babies home. =)

Well, as it turns out, Chewy is now dead. =( I'm so sad!!! It's very unfair. >:( I told you he was a cuddly bird; well, that became his downfall. He snuggled into a blanket, suffocated, and died after only being with his family for 6 months. =(

Now here's the thing: the family who bought Chewy has been very interested in our CURRENT store bird, Chico (another Green Cheek). I've talked to the woman and her daughter for a little bit. They seem like very nice people...but I just can't help but wonder what the circumstances of Chewy's death were!!! How could this have happened without them noticing? Would a smothered bird not struggle? Should I assume they were not paying attention to the bird at the time? I can't just ask for details! That would be awful...I can tell from talking to them that they loved this bird dearly. But I just question the quality of care they were giving him. We were talking about different quirks of the two birds. Other things I picked up on were that they were big on giving Chewy junk food. While I'll admit I will treat my animals to the occasional junky treat, I really encourage using fruits and veggies as the main treats...I told them Chico's favorite things were peppers and red fruits and they said something like they had never tried that...??? No fruits and veggies??? Aeeeiiikkk!! D: The woman also proudly said how attached to her Chewy had become, to the point where he would draw blood when other members of the family tried to take him away from her. I know Chico is also going to have this one-person-bird tendency, as he has already had the problem with me. I have worked very hard to quell this behavior. He still shows a strong preference for me but he has improved SO much. I hate to think that I would be sending him to a home where he will be ENCOURAGED to regress back to his one-person-bird ways. =(

In these peoples' defense, I am a huge stickler for the rules when it comes to animals. I think if you take responsibilty for another living thing, then you need to be able to provide it the BEST care. I realize that in reality, many people are content with only providing minimally required care. I know minimal isn't necessarilly BAD, though. It's just not as good as GREAT care...And I also know that to err is human. Am I overreacting to these peoples' mistakes? Should I give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that they will learn from their past experiences?

I don't KNOW that these people are going to buy Chico. But they stop by about once a week just to say hi to him and play with him through the bars of the cage...so I think there is a good possibility they will consider it. I'm just not really sure what to think or do in this situation...I don't want to be insensitive to their loss, but I also want to make sure my Chiricochicarico goes to the perfect home...So what are your thoughts on this situation.

I'm sorry this is so long!!!

Just some background ifo: Our Maltese has been really bad about licking his paws and stomach lately. I know they are prone to allergies. However, he is only bathed with unscented shampoo, and he eats Solid Gold food. He rarely gets treats, and even then they are the natural blueberry and carrot kinds. I also know excessive licking can be caused by anxiety issues, and he definitely has those. He FREAKS OUT when my mom leaves the house, or even if she just goes upstairs over the baby gate...However, she is a stay-at-home mom, and she is home with him most of the day throughout the week.

So just some random questions:

1. Can plug in air fresheners cause increased licking? I read something about that...We have used them for a while but my mom changed the dispenser about a month ago, which might coincide with when his licking started getting worse. I'm not positive on this though...Should we change them? Get rid of them all together? What are some pet-safe air fresheners? What about floor cleaners?

2. Should we put some sort of ointment on it? Do these hot-spot lotions or sprays actually work? Obviously I'm going to tell my mom to talk to the vet about all this at his next visit. I just want to know if there's anything that can help in the meantime.

Thank you!

It's a pretty self-explanatory question. How do your small (or large) parrots feel about finches? Just wondering because our Green Cheek Conure at my work LOOOOOVES finches. Usually our conures just ignore them or shoot them dirty looks, but Chico absolutely adores them. It's strange. Does anyone else have a conure or parrot who actually likes small birds?

Sooo, last night I had a customer come in with a water sample. She had purchased her 75 gallon tank off of craigslist. It had been sitting dry for quite a while before she bought it. She washed the old gravel out in a diluted bleach solution. The filter was brand new. She ran the tank for about 3 weeks with nothing in it--no chemicals, no fish, no plants, nothing. So on Saturday night she came in to get some fish. I didn't sell them, obviously, or I would have pushed her to do a fishless cycle, and I would never have sold her as many fish as she had gotten if she had insisted on doing a fish-in cycle. She got 3 fancy goldfish, a shubunkin, and a pleco. Needless to say, all died over night. Last night I was working when she came in to return them. I did a test on a water sample she brought in. Here's the part I don't get: nitrites were 0, ammonia was barely detectable, maybe .25, and nitrates were 50??? I did a retest, thinking that couldn't be right. Same results. How...HOW??? I don't understand how any of the bacterial colony could have survived, yet these are the results I would expect from a newly cycled tank. Any thoughts...?