5 Houseplants That Are Toxic To Dogs

These 5 houseplants can cause a variety of harmful issues for our canine companions and dog owners should be aware when choosing plants for their homes.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is commonly known for its healing properties in humans. Any member of the Aloe Vera family of plants can be toxic to dogs.

Consumption has been known to cause diarrhoea and vomiting and other issues.

Begonia

Begonia plants can prove seriously toxic to dogs. 

The roots in particular are very toxic to our canine friends and ingestion has been known to lead to kidney failure in extreme circumstances.

Dragon Tree

Although known for their air-purifying qualities and tropical aeshetic, Dragon Trees can cause sickness in dogs if the saponins contained in the plant are ingested

Reactions may include drooling, lack of appetite and vomiting and make this plant a potentially unwise choice for dog owners.

 

Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia)

Diefenbachia commonly known as Dumb Cane is also referred to as Exotica or Tropic Snow. 

This broad-leafed plant can cause dogs a range of issues if ingested.

Harmful toxins in the plant can cause burning and swelling in a dog's mouth. 

This can lead to breathing difficulties which could potentially prove fatal for a dog.

Jade

Jade plants can be very toxic to dogs if ingested. 

Also commonly known as Chinese, Dwarf or Japanese Rubber Trees, Jade plants should be avoided in dog owning homes.

Heterochromia In Cats (Different Colored Eyes)

Ever seen a cat with different colored eyes? Maybe you own one?

This condition is known as Heterochromia and is more commonly seen in white cats.

A kitten's eyes appear blue due to the lack of  melanin pigment in the iris of their eyes. As cats grow this melanin composition will change and dictate their eye color. Some cats eyes will remain blue, some cats eyes will change color and some will have different colored eyes

It is advisable to seek veterinary advice if you cat's eyes change color. This is because heterochromia in itself is NOT a threat to your cat's health but a change in eye color may indicate another condition other than heterochromia such as Cataracts, Glaucoma or another optical disease or affliction.

Many cats simply have different colored eyes (Heterochromia) and are otherwise perfectly healthy.

Heterochromia has no negative impact on a cat's ability to see.

White cats with one or more blue eyes are known to have a higher incidence of deafness.

5 Dog Breeds More Likely To Fear Fireworks And Thunderstorms

A study was conducted in Finland to measure anxiety and fearfulness in dog breeds.

13,700 dog owners answered questions about their dog's noise sensitivity

and the dog's reaction to other stressful situations.

The findings were interesting!

#1 Male and female dogs were found to be equally fearful of  thunder.

#2 Neutered dogs were more fearful of fireworks than intact dogs.

#3 Owner's first dogs were more fearful than if the dog was not the owner's first dog

#4 Dogs with less socialization experience were more likely to be afraid of thunder.

#5 Dogs living with other dogs showed less fear of thunder

#6 Large dogs were less likely to fear thunder than small dogs

#7 The fear of novel situations for dogs decreased after 5 years of age.

#8 Dogs living with couples feared novel situations than those living in a large family.

5 Breeds More Likely To Be Fearful Of Loud Noises... 

#1 Cairn Terrier

#2 Mixed Breed Dogs

#3 Pembroke Welsh Corgi

#4 Jack Russell Terrier

#5 Rough Collie

Link To The Dog Breed Fear Study Mentioned: http://bit.ly/BreedFearSurvey

Brain Train Your Dog – Interesting Information https://bit.ly/BrainTrainingInfo

5 Quirky Cat Fur Facts That You May Not Know

Here are 5 quirky facts about cat fur that you may not have known!

1. Hair Shedding

Outdoor and indoor cats generally shed hair differently. 

Outdoor cats shed more in the spring and in the fall and indoor cats generally shed all year round. 

This is due to the outdoor cats being exposed to natural sunlight and this affects their shedding pattern.

2. Fur Color Can Affect Cat Adoption

Researchers at University of California, Berkeley found that fur color can influence cat adoption.

Orange colored felines were perceived as friendly and lovable and more likely to be chosen.

It may interest you to know that nearly all orange colored cats are male.

3. Seasonal Fur Growth

A cat's fur grows more in the summer than winter. 

This is due to the 'resting growth cycle' of a cat's primary and secondary coat.

4. Cats Have Muscles Attached To Their Hair Follicles

Ever seen a cat's hair stand on end?

This is due to Arrector Pili muscles attached to their hair follicles.

Stress can activate these muscles in cats and lead to their hair standing on end...

...as well as spontaneous shedding.

5. Long-Haired Cat Fact

A long-haired cat's fur can potentially make up to 24% of it's body weight.

 

 

5 Myths About Dogs That Just Aren't True

We debunk 5 common myths about our canine friends that just aren't true.

1. Dogs Only Eat Grass When They Are Sick

Not true at all. Dog eat grass for a number of reasons...

..boredom, to improve digestion or simply because they like the taste!

2. Dogs Can Feel Guilty

There is actually no evidence to support this just videos of dogs 'looking guilty'

Guilt and interestingly smiling are believed to be learned human responses in dogs

3. Well Trained Or Socialized Dogs Never Bite

Totally untrue, any dog could bite an owner or stranger for a variety of reasons

It's not just perceived 'mean' or aggressive dogs that can lash out with a bite.

4. Female Dogs Should Have A Litter Before Neutering Or They Get Broody

This well-perpetuated myth is simply not true. Dogs don't get 'broody'

Neutering your female dog before their first season reduces health risks such as breast cancer and womb infections.

5. A Dry Warm Nose Means That Your Dog Is Sick

A dog's nose temperature can change quickly due to it environment.

Although dogs with symptoms of diarroea, lethargy and vomiting commonly present with warm dry noses..

..these symptoms are a more reliable indicator of sickness than simply a dry warm nose.

Can A Cat Catch A Cold?

Can a cat catch a cold? The answer is slightly more complex than the question!  

Cats don't 'catch' the same kind of cold as humans.Cats can however catch a type of cat flu.  

Caused by several viruses, cat flu is most commonly spread 'cat to cat'and can be highly contagious. Kittens and older immune-compromised cats are more commonly affected.  

Although human colds and cat flu can be similar in symptoms, humans very rarely pass on their colds to cats and cats don't pass on their cat flu to humans.

Cat flu is most commonly caused by the feline herpes (FHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV) strains of virus.  

Usually lasting around 7-10 days, some cats that contract cat flu during kitten-hood can have lifelong flare ups.  

There are yearly injections available to help prevent cat flu and cats can start these injections as kittens from around 9 weeks old. Sadly, these vaccines will be ineffective if your cat has already contracted cat flu.

There are also medications and treatments available that can help your cat should they contract cat flu.  

If your cat shows 'cold like' symptoms such as lack of energy, fever, congestion, loss of appetite, sneezing, coughing etc then veterinary advice is advised.  

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Study Reveals The Top 10 Words/Phrases That Dogs Like To Hear

                           

A UK study revealed the top 10 words that dogs love to hear from their owners. 4389 dog owners were first asked which words their dogs reacted to the most.

60 dogs of varying age, breed and size were then monitored on a range of favorite words/phrases from the survey.

The following 10 words/phrases were chosen as the ones that increased a dog's heart rate the most from a resting heart rate of 115 beats per minute (BPM)

10. Find It - This phrased increased the dog's heart rate to an average of 124 BPM

9. Their Name - The sound of their name had the dog's heart rate up to an average 128 BPM

8. What's That?- This boosted the dog's heart rate to an average 135 BPM

7. Good Boy/Girl - This compliment upped the dog's heart rates to an average 139 BPM

6. Toy/Get Your Toy - A playful phrase that increased heart rate in the dogs to an average 144 BPM

5. Fetch - This popular instruction raised the dog's average BPM to 147

4. Get It - Instructional excitement again raising the dogs's average BPM to 150

3. Treat - This popular word raised the pooches average BPM to 151

2. Dinner/Food/Eat - Food proved popular with these words raising the average dog BPM to 152

1. Walkies - No surprise to many owners!

'Walkies' sent the average dog's heart rate to 156 BPM!

Personally, we were surprised to find a phrase missing from the study

The phrase that studies have previously found to have a positive effect on dogs..and owners.

The simple 'I love you"