Feeding Your Turtle - Useful Tips For a Healthy Diet

When feeding their pet turtle, owners should take advantage of the fact that turtles are omnivorous animals. This means that feeding turtles should be simple and trouble-free, and may become an enjoyable activity for both you and your pet. First of all, you must know the type of turtle that you have; then you can pick the appropriate turtle diet to obtain your pet's optimum health.

Terrestrial or land turtles must be fed 95% vegetables. These include dark green, leafy vegetables, which should comprise the major portion of the vegetables in your turtle's diet. You may also consider feeding your turtle other vegetables such as collard, radish, turnip, and cut grass; offering lesser amounts of spinach, peas, squash, and clover. The remaining 5% of the turtle diet should be made up of fruits.

If you have Box Turtles, feed the young ones with a majority of meat or animal material, such as slugs, snails, earthworms, spiders, grasshoppers, and beetles. As they mature, you can add such plant material as fruits, berries, leafy vegetables, and seeds to your turtle's diet.

Feeding turtles that are aquatic, on the other hand, requires a different variation of food. You may feed the small ones with shrimps in the shell, slugs, chopped earthworms, chopped mice, and floating food sticks that can be purchased at a pet store. As the turtles mature, however, incorporate their diet with green, leafy vegetables like cabbage, kale, broccoli leaves, cut grass, dandelions, and cut weeds.

If you house your turtles in aquariums or ponds, you may place small fish for them to hunt, as the turtles enjoy doing this. But keep in mind that feeding turtles with small fish should only be done once a week to prevent them from growing obese, a condition that is common among the animals.

The right temperature must also be maintained when feeding turtles in indoor enclosures like tanks, or outdoor ones like pens. The correct temperature helps the turtle properly digest the food that they intake, and also keeps them from acquiring diseases.

Some important signs that your turtles have poor or improper nutrition are:

• They are sluggish or lethargic
• They have a milky fluid in their eyes
• Cloudy patches appear as blotches on their skin

Turtles have the tendency to be messy when they eat. It is imperative that you keep a close monitoring of your pet so that any uneaten food, leftovers, or crumbs are cleaned up promptly. This will prevent the growth of bacteria that can, over time, contaminate the turtle and make its housing filthy.

It is also advisable, when feeding your turtle, to use wide, flat rocks as food dishes instead of the commercially manufactured plastic dishes. These flat rocks create a large, abrasive surface for the turtle's food, and the continuous friction during feeding will protect your pet turtle's beak from breaking, and keep its nails and claws from growing too long. You should always provide your turtles with a separate container of fresh, clean water to drink.

Feeding your turtle in the same area and at the same time every day are two sure and proven methods to gain its trust. Be sure to be quiet and calm when you approach your pet, so as not to startle or stress it out. With practice, you may even find your turtle waiting for you at meal times!

Karma Williams is a pet turtle care enthusiast. Discover more about turtles by visiting the feeding turtles page on her website. Get your free 10 part Pet Turtle Care mini-course, valued at $49, by visiting her PetTurtleCenter website and requesting it. Check out her eBook entitled "The Ultimate Guide to Pet Turtle Care."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karma_Williams

Choosing the Right Pet For Your Family - Pet Rabbits

Rabbits and guinea pigs are often seen as an easy first pet for a child. They are easy to care for and don't need exercising and shouldn't incur costly veterinarian bills.

However, they do need some care and attention to keep them safe and healthy; especially during extreme weather conditions. Nonetheless, once the initial set up costs of hutches have been made, they are quite cheap pets to keep.

Whether you choose between rabbits or guinea pigs or similar rodent it is a personal choice. Both have similar life span of between 3 - 5 years. And both are relatively free of diseases; guinea pigs more so than rabbits.

I believe that the more you put into your pet the more you will get back one hundred fold. This is the same for rabbits and guinea pigs. When you spend time with them, you will appreciate their different personalities and needs.

I know rabbits that sleep on their owner's bed like a cat and guinea pigs that have remarkable play pens full of tunnels, ramps and toys. All of which provide great joy and company for their owners.

Guinea Pigs will call out to their owner in a delightful "peak, peak" squeal when they hear the back door being opened to signal they need more food! Rabbits will hop and turn in circles when they see their owners approaching.

In Australia, as most parts of the world, rabbits and guinea pigs are the most popular pets after dogs and cats. And why not? They are cheap to purchase, easy to maintain and take little time out of your day. And yet, they offer great companionship and attention and make very good pets for children.

Although we often group them together because they have similar needs there are some differences between rabbits and guinea pigs that I have written about.

Neither animals fare well from being handled by children so this is best done with parental supervision. As well, rabbits will kick and cause life long scratches if not picked up off the ground properly (I have the scars to prove it).

There are also some pitfalls when it comes to choosing breeds of either animal that are best known before so that you are not lumbered with a giant breed rabbit that is bigger than a small dog or your cat or a long haired guinea pig that may take hours of grooming each week. It is certainly worth doing your research online before going to your local pet store and purchasing your new pet.

Sue Day has worked in the pet industry for many years. Now a full time dog trainer, Sue has put together a website of over 50 pages to share her knowledge and experiences of pet care.

If you would like more great tips and you would like to save some money on your pet bills for all your pets including dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice or rats, please go to: http://www.save-money-on-pet-bills.com

To receive great advice on dog training information, please go to http://www.messypawz.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sue_Day

How to Find a Lost Pet

A pet owner's worst nightmare is when his/her pet disappears and you don't know what to do. The sooner you start the search, the more likely you are to find your beloved companion. Here are the steps that you need to take to have a good chance for a happy reunion with your pet.

1. The minute you realize your pet is missing, do a thorough search of your house to see if your pet is hiding, sleeping or injured. Don't forget to search the garage, under all the beds, in the closets and anywhere else your pet might be hiding. Shaking his food dish or activating his favorite toy may bring the pet out of hiding.
2. Take a recent photo and check with all your neighbors to determine if they have seen your pet. Check the shrubs and porches and ask your neighbor to check his garage and out buildings.
3. Call all animal shelters and animal rescue groups within 20 miles of your house to see if one of them may already have your pet.
4. Make a "lost pet" flyer with a recent photo, a brief description of your pet and your contact information. Hand these out at parks and plaster the fliers on lamp posts, community bulletin boards, veterinarian offices and pet stores.
5. Post and read notices in the lost and found portion of animal forums on the internet. Consider placing an ad in the local newspaper--most of these type of ads are free.
6. Place your pet's bed or favorite blanket on the front porch to encourage him to come home. Make sure it is in plain sight.
7. Check with all local animal shelters personally. Lost dogs are often dirty and sometimes injured and it might be difficult to match them with a photo.
8. Don't give up. Most animals are very resilient. Keep checking back with the shelters on a regular basis.

Donna works as an accountant with a large corporation. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing and listening to music as well as watching old movies. She has recently learned how to build websites. Check out her latest effort related to electric room heaters at http://www.electricroomheaters.org.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donna_Cope

Guinea Pig Health

Guinea pigs are prey animals with survival instincts to hide illness or pain so guinea pig health problems and diseases are usually not apparent until their advanced stages.

Cages/Feet

Cavies (guinea pigs) do better in cages with solid floors. Wire mesh floors can injure their feet and even cause foot infections such as bumblefoot. This is one of those guinea pig diseases which is easy to prevent. Just get cages for your pet with solid floors.

Pregnancy

Toxemia of pregnancy is common and kills many females. Signs include sweet smelling or fruity breath due to ketones, loss of appetite, lack of energy, and excessive salivation.

Teeth

Their teeth like many rodents never stop growing so in attempt to prevent their teeth from getting too large for their mouth they are constantly gnawing which lessens the length. And also for this reason you need to supply his cage with things he can chew on.

Diet

Guinea pigs actually feed fairly constantly (how nice is that? The rest of us would swell up) so a constant supply of hay or other food is recommended.

They like alfalfa and will eat large amounts if it is given to them and it is a source of amino acids, protein and fiber. Some think excessive alfalfa can lead to obesity or even bladder stones because of the calcium so that may be something to watch out for.

Neither cavies or humans are able to make their own vitamin C when most mammals do. And like humans deprived of vitamin C they will get scurvy which can be fatal to cavies. Signs for this could be joint stiffness or they can just get sluggish. They need to get their C from fruit like apples or vegetables like cabbage, spinach, celery and carrots or a daily supplement.

They also need vitamins D, A and E as well as certain minerals or can get vitamin deficiencies or muscular dystrophy.

But don't make any drastic changes in your pet's diet. Cavies don't do well with sudden changes in diet and in fact may even stop eating and starve.

Scratching

If your pet is scratching excessively he may have a parasite. You can brush through his hair searching for them they are small and brown in color. You can get a special shampoo from the vet which will take care of it. You will also need to clean and disinfect the cage.

Head Tilt

It could be torticollis or wry neck which is usually gone in a day. If he is having problems walking with it as well it could be a middle ear infection which could possibly damage his hearing so you would need to take him to the vet.

With most guinea pig diseases it's best to take your pet to the vet preferably one who specializes in exotic animals.

Guinea Pig Health comes from a website that gives health tips for cavies which are free for the taking at http://ginneypig.com/ so go there and grab some tips for a happy and healthy pet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russ_Cooper

A Guide to Picking a Pet Frog By Dan O. Smith Platinum Quality Author

Important! Frogs could make splendid pets, however toads in the wild are facing population declines and extinction generally due to human activities. Regrettably, the pet trade is probably causing the amphibian extinction crisis and also the spread of an devastating contamination by Chytrid fungus. Because of this, you should only purchase toads that you are positive are captive bred in the area and tested as without any illness. It may be impossible to get toads that fulfill all these conditions, but often, pet toads could possibly be causing the decrease of wild frog populations.

More Things to Think About When it Comes to a Pet Frog

* Maintaining toads' enclosures tidy might be a lots of work. Several toads have relatively basic light, temperature, and humidity requirements, however they are sensitive to contaminants and waste in their surroundings.

* Frogs in captivity may be long lived (with proper care), thus be ready for a lasting commitment.

* You should manage insects to feed most toads.

On the other hand, most of the larger toads may be sedentary and do not move much.

* It can be hard to get an individual to care for your toads if you plan on travelling at all (keeping in mind you can have your frog for years, you may at some point need somebody to look after your toads for a considerable length of time).

Set up a tank with everything necessary prior to buying a frog.

Items to consider include:

A few of the smallest toads you may see in a pet shop grow into giants. Usually their name adds to the baffled expectations -- "pixie" toads, that sound like they should be small, are really African bulltoads that mature to be 8-9 inches long and very fat. They get their cute name from their latin name, Pyxicephalus adspersus.

* The kind of tank they will need - aquatic, terrestrial, arboreal, or semi-aquatic (or half land and half water, which is perhaps the trickiest to set up and one of the most typical types of tank needed for toads).

* The type of food necessary - many toads need a variety of insects, and the larger types may even eat pinkie mice

* Does the frog need to hibernate?

Excellent Selections for newbies:

* Dwarf Frogs: small, active and totally aquatic, and are among the easiest of toads to keep in captivity.

* Oriental Fire Bellied Toads: semi-terrestrial toads which are pretty lively and relatively easy to keep as pets.

* White's Tree Frog: terrestrial (tree toads) that are docile and easy to maintain, however they do tend to be fairly inactive.

* African Clawed Frogs: aquatic toads that will get really huge (be careful not to mix them up with young African clawed toads with the much smaller dwarf clawed toads). Care is not that hard, though.

* American Green Tree Frogs: another good tree frog suitable for newbies.

* Pacman Frogs: mostly terrestrial toads are fairly easy to care for, but get very big and are also rather sedentary.

Related Topics:
For more information on exotic pets and pet stores, visit http://theexoticpetstores.com/

Dan Smith has long engaged himself full as time internet marketer, with more than years of experience in giving advice to thousands of customers on choosing the best products online

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_O._Smith