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If you’re brainstorming the best Great Dane names, you’re no doubt thinking about names that will convey your dog’s strength, dignity, and beauty. Once known as the German Mastiff, the Great Dane was formerly a mighty boar hunter but today is typically content as an easy going family dog, even though he takes up a lot of room on the couch! Some of the most popular Great Dane names bring to mind the impressive size of this giant dog breed while other names are taken from pop culture, like Marmaduke from the well-known comic strip series....

For a long time cats have held a reputation of being solitary and while they certainly aren’t as social and gregarious as dogs are, cats can live in the same home and do well together. They can even become bonded to one another. One behavior you may see from time to time if you live in a multicat home is one cat slapping another cat. Why do cats do this? Are they fighting with one another?...

Ferrets are unique pets. While they may look a little like a rodent, they’re actually close relatives of weasels and otters. Their Latin name, Mustela putorius furo, means “spear-shaped stinky little thief!” About Ferrets Ferrets weigh about two to five pounds and live up to 10 years. They are bright, sociable little animals with a lot of energy. As a result, they do best when living with other ferrets or when their human friends are available and ready to play on a regular basis....

Box turtles are lovely creatures and they can be good pets, but you need to think long and hard before you bring one home. While juvenile box turtles usually adjust to an indoor terrarium, most experts agree that the best housing for adults is outdoors. Unless you have the facilities to build a good-sized outdoor pen for your box turtle, you should think twice before getting a box turtle. If the turtle will be kept indoors, you will have to consider building a custom enclosure or invest in a very large terrarium....

For a bit to work correctly, it needs to be sitting in the mouth correctly, and that means it must fit. A bit that is too small may pinch or make it hard for the horse to close its mouth properly. A bit that is too large will slide back and forth in the horse’s mouth, perhaps even knocking on the horse’s teeth. In either case, your rein aids will not be accurate, and your horse won’t be getting the right messages about stopping and turning....

The primary cause of high nitrate and nuisance algae growth in aquariums stems from allowing organic debris to accumulate in the system. The problem areas in any aquarium where broken down organic matter can settle and build up is in the substrate, between live rock or decorative structures, and inside rocks with porous surfaces. It’s not difficult to keep an aquarium clean and tidy. From this list of handy cleaning tools and the simple things you can include as part of your regular maintenance routine to clean up the substrate and live rocks, it’s easy to reduce heavy amounts of troublesome organics that settle and build up in these areas of your aquarium....

What Is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy? Symptoms of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Cats Causes of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Diagnosing Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Cats Treatment & Prevention Prognosis for Cats With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Frequently Asked Questions Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) affects a cat’s left ventricle, inhibiting blood flow and potentially causing health issues throughout its body. Cats don’t always show symptoms of HCM, but when they do, symptoms may include labored breathing, collapse, and an irregular heartbeat....

Characteristics Breed History Training and Care Health Problems Diet and Nutrition Where to Adopt or Buy Breed Overview Further Research The Norwegian lundehund is a small-medium non-sporting dog breed from Norway with a short but dense double coat that’s slightly thicker around the neck and thighs. This rare dog breed has some interesting physical attributes. It features at least six toes per foot, as well as elongated paw pads. Its neck can bend all the way back, so its head touches its spine....

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a contagious disease that can potentially be spread from one cat to another. It is sometimes also called feline AIDS. Fortunately, there are preventive measures that can be taken to keep your cat from becoming infected with FIV. Because one of the primary effects of the feline immunodeficiency virus is immunosuppression, infected cats are susceptible to a number of different secondary health problems. As a result, the signs seen with FIV will vary from cat to cat....

Trimming your dog’s nails is an important task for every pet owner, as it will help to keep your canine companion happy and healthy. The Safari Professional Nail Trimmers are our favorite scissors-style clippers. For beginners we recommend the Dremel PawControl Dog Nail Grinder and Trimmer. “Aside from cosmetic reasons, trimming or filing dog nails is essential to prevent overgrown nails and to decrease injury,” explains Dr. Jennifer Frione, DVM and owner of Lakeside Animal Hospital in Florida....

What Is Thrombocytopenia? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Prognosis Prevention Thrombocytopenia is a condition that affects certain cells in your dog’s blood, and can occur for a variety of reasons. In thrombocytopenia, the platelet count is low. Platelets, also called thrombocytes, are the component of blood that clots together when there is an injury, thus stemming the bleeding. Thrombocytopenia decreases the ability of the blood to clot and can lead to spontaneous bruising or uncontrolled bleeding, although some dogs don’t have any symptoms at all....

While there are some basic and essential manners each horse should have while being handled, there are also a few that should be expected when under saddle. One of these ‘“good manners” is standing still while the rider mounts. Many horses squirm, fuss, and sidle away when the rider attempts to get into the saddle. And even if they do stand for mounting, they move off immediately before the rider has time to settle into the saddle and organize the reins....

History Temperament Speech and Vocalizations Colors and Markings Care Health Problems Diet and Nutrition Exercise Where to Adopt or Buy Further Research Beautiful, playful, and charming, the Illiger’s macaw has grown in popularity as an easily trainable pet bird. Also called the blue-winged macaw, it is a small parrot that requires plenty of attention. As an extremely social bird, it wants to be part of the family. Most people choose a mini macaw species because they think they can’t handle a larger bird....

Characteristics Origin Colors and Markings Tankmates Care Diet and Feeding Gender Breeding Further Research A dwarf cichlid, kribensis is a colorful fish that’s easy to care for. Its Latin name translates to “beautiful belly.” During the spawning season, the female sports a brilliant, cherry-red colored belly. Kribensis fish originate in the African waters of southern Nigeria and the coastal areas of Cameroon. They prefer shallow water with thick vegetation but are tolerant of many different levels of water hardness....

What is Neoplasia? Types of Neoplasia in Cats Symptoms Causes Diagnosing Treatment Prognosis Prevention Neoplasia in cats is the abnormal growth of cells within the body. This condition can affect cats of all ages and breeds, but it is most commonly seen in older cats. This growth of cells can lead to malignant or benign tumors. The prognosis and treatment for benign and malignant neoplasms vary significantly. Benign neoplasms may not need to be treated at all, unless they interfere with bodily function, whereas many forms of malignant cancers require surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and supportive care like fluids, pain medications, and medications to treat nausea and increase appetite....

Puppy pain can seem hidden if the signs don’t look like what you’d expect. How dogs show pain differs based on their personalities and on the type of injury or illness. A puppy may react differently to an injured paw pad compared to a tummy ache or ear infection, for example. How Puppies Show Pain The most common signs of discomfort include vocalizations when touched in a painful place. Pups whimper, whine, cry, or yelp....

There are typical signs a cat is in heat that all people in possession of an unspayed cat should know. All female cats will naturally go through a heat cycle if they have not been spayed. This heat cycle is referred to as estrous and it indicates that a cat is capable of breeding. There are a few key indications that a cat may be in heat. Knowing the typical signs a cat is in heat helps you to know what behavior can be expected and what behavior is more unusual and not related to the heat cycle at all....

Agency Animal Picture / Getty Images Ready to start training your dog? In addition to healthy treats, you’ll want to pick up a clicker. The idea with clicker training is to provide your dog with a consistent cue for correct behavior. To clicker train your dog, when your dog behaves in line with a desired action you make a click sound, then reward them with a treat, so that they know they did the right thing....

If you’ve ever given your feline friend a sprinkle of catnip, you know that it drives them wild for a short while. Catnip, Nepeta cataria, is a perennial herb in the mint family that contains the active ingredient and essential oil nepetalactone. It’s just one of thousands of terpene compounds found in plants that are capable of effecting brain chemistry. Giving your kitty catnip is quite safe and has benefits like elevating mood and relieving boredom....

Ear cropping (or trimming) is an elective cosmetic surgical procedure that involves cutting and shaping the floppy part of a dog’s ear (the ear pinna). This is done so the ear stands up and creates a look or standard for some dog breeds. The professional and social view of ear cropping has changed over the years, as has the legality of the procedure in some countries. How Is Ear Cropping Done?...