Canine History

Miacis, is described as a weasel sized small carnivore that lived 40 million years back in the Eocene period. This animal is believed to be the oldest ancestor of present day dogs. They were forest dwellers, smaller in size with long tail and short limbs.

Cynidictus was the next to evolve and the evolution of Hesperocyan is thought to be next stage. There are two views on the development of Miocene period was followed by Tomarectus of Pliocene period and then the present day canids. But there is another view that Hesperocyan and then Leptocyan may be the ancestors of dogs or even Tomarectus. The immediate wild ancestors of the dogs are more or less accepted as wolves (Canis lupus). But there are other views like the possibility of mixing of jackal and wolves, which lacks fossil evidence. The production of fertile offspring from the mating of wolf and dogs supports wolfian ancestry for dogs. Moreover the dog breed Alsatian has lot of similarities with wolf. Dogs belong to the class Mammalia, sub class Metatheria, Order Carnivora, Family Canidae, Genus Canis and species familaris.

Dog Dental Health

Dental health is very important for the general health of the dog. The health of the dog depends very much on what it eats. The eating nutritious food is possible only when the dog dental health is at its peak.

Plaques are the one that gets formed in the teeth between the brushings. Plaque is nothing but the mixture of saliva, food particles and bacteria. The plaque will be very soft at the beginning and it slowly gets hardened. The color too changes to brown when it has hardened. The hardened plaque is called tartar. As more and more plaques are formed, they spread to the gum, thus carrying the infection to gum.

Tooth brushing is the easy and simply the best in removing the plaque and also in preventing the formation of the plaque. The dog’s teeth must be brushed regularly. There are special tooth brushes available for the dogs. The veterinarian will guide you how to brush the dog. In case brushing the dog’s teeth is not possible, then you can think of using the chews that rubs the sides of the dog’s teeth.

Old Soul

Cats are now living longer than ever with the average age being between 11 and 15 years (may be shorter for pedigrees). It is no longer unusual to find cats in their 20’s and even some reaching their 30’s. In human terms a cat ages 24 human years in its first 2 years and then 4 years every year thereafter. Therefore a 15 year old cat would be 24 + 52 (13x4) = 76 years in human terms. Old age cats, suffer various illnesses. Old age can also bring along aching bones, arthritis, kidney and liver failure, thyroid problems and cancer. An elderly cat should be blood tested once a year as many medical issues can be managed in the older cat if they are found in the early stages. Unfortunately, for example in the case of kidney failure - the kidneys can be 80% damaged before the owner notices anything is wrong. His teeth will also need checking!

If you have an older cat, you must make allowances, as you would for a human. It may feel warm enough to you, but for an old thin cat he may well seek out the heat of your lap.

Timid Tomcat Continued…

If you have a particularly timid cat, or if there are other pets in the house try putting one room aside to work with the timid cat. Set this up with its own bed, toys, litter tray, food, and a cardboard box as a safe haven. Do not place the litter tray near the bed or food. The cat is likely to be in here for a while, maybe even a few weeks, so make it comfortable. Leave the cat carrier in the same room as the cat. Place the box in a quiet corner, facing the opening into the wall. Cats feel more secure in a small dark environment. Also if you leave the carrier out the cat will not be as fearful of it should you need to take it to the vet. It is quite normal that when you get a shy timid cat back home it will become even more introvert. It is important at this stage to allow the cat to come to terms with its new environment at its own pace. Never attempt to drag the cat out from wherever it has taken refuge.

Timid Tomcat

We all hope that our cat will be the loveable little soul that will want to sit on our lap for hours and have endless cuddles, but some of them are just not like that. The most important time in a cat’s life is the first 8 weeks. Any experiences in these first few weeks will form their characters. Bare this in mind if you want to ensure a loveable pet: Hand feeding is the quickest and easiest way to gain a cats trust. If proving particularly difficult use tuna, ham or prawns to get started with and then feed her normal cat food. As she becomes more confident move the food further away so she has to come towards you to get her reward. This method can also be used with cats that will not sit on your lap. Sitting on the floor at her level, offer her the food - then bit by bit start to move the food a little further over each time, so she has to put one paw on your leg.