What Do Turtles Eat ? by Steven Megill
What do turtles eat? Well, that really depends on the type of turtle you are asking about. Most turtles are carnivorous when they are young, but grow in to omnivores when they mature. Some feed mostly on plants while others, like the snapping turtle, actively hunt small creatures for their food. A turtle's diet depends on what kind of turtle it is, where it lives and what it has access to.
If you have an adult turtle as a pet, here are some of the foods you can feed it to keep it healthy:
Protein: There are many sources of protein that are safe to feed turtles: small amounts of cooked fish, turkey or chicken are okay; boiled eggs are okay; mealworms, waxworms, earthworms and silkworms are okay; slugs are fine, as are shrimp, snails and crickets. Don't give them raw meat, though because it can contain a lot of fat and could become contaminated by the time the turtle decides to eat it.
Vegetables: leafy vegetables are best: grape and fig leaves, red clover, carrot tops, dandelions, lettuce (red and green are okay), turnip greens, water lettuce, duckweed, collards, endive and plantain weed are all okay. Regular vegetables like corn, green beans, beets, carrots, okra, green peas and some squash varieties are also okay.
Flowers: some turtles love flowers! Roses, pansies, petunias, lilies, carnations, hibiscus, hyssop, borage, nasturtium and geraniums are all okay as turtle food.
Fruit: some turtles also like fruit: kiwi, apple, mango, strawberry, cantaloupe, blackberries, bananas, grapes, tomatoes, blueberries and some citrus fruits are all a fine to feed a turtle.
Of course, there are some foods that should never be given to a turtle:
Turtles cannot digest milk or dairy products because their stomachs do not carry the enzymes needed for the breaking down of lactose. Feeding dairy products to your turtle is a good way to make sure it gets very sick.
It is also a bad idea to feed any sort of canned or processed food to your turtle. These usually have large amounts of salt and preservatives and people don't yet know what these ingredients will do to the digestive system of a turtle.
What do turtles eat from their natural habitats? Some turtles have been known to eat poisonous plants that are a part of their natural habitat—they do this as a way to make themselves inedible by predators. Unfortunately, especially in the case of pet turtles, you won't know exactly what kind of plants are a part of its native habitat, so it is best to keep poisonous plants (like poison ivy, rhubarb plants and avocado plants) out of their reach and out of their tanks.
What do turtles eat? The turtle's diet depends on what kind of a turtle it is and how old it is. While they are babies, turtles are almost completely carnivorous, though they change into omnivores or even herbivores when they get older (depending on the turtle species). If you are buying a pet turtle from a store, the pet store will likely have food you can feed it.
Copyright (c) 2008 Steven Magill
For great turtle care advice, turtle food recommendation or turtle health issues visit us at .....
http://www.petturtlecare.net/
Article Source: Free High Quality Articles at Article Crux
Monday, July 14, 2008
Diagnosing Dog Health Problems at Home
By Garry Neale
Dogs are no different from humans in the way their bodies respond to disease and changes in their environment. When exposed to contaminated food, extreme cold, or infectious disease they can get sick. Dog illness symptoms can usually be diagnosed by changes in behaviors. Weight loss is also an indicator that something is wrong. Although it may be something minor, anytime you notice your dog losing weight, it's best to take them to a vet and let them deal with this problem. Since weigh loss could be a sign of a serious problem, don't wait long to make an vet appointment if you notice a sudden reduction in weight.
Dog illnesses can be separated into two different categories; 1) chronic dog illnesses like skin rashes and dog allergies which can be easily treated; and 2) acute illnesses that are life threatening like poisoning, Parvo or heatworms, which you can't do much about and require veterinary assistance as quickly as possible. Loss of appetite is another dog illness symptom. If your dog suddenly stops eating, it may be a sign your dog is in substantial pain. Dogs are a lot like people in terms of illnesses. Well, more like toddlers because they can't really explain what's wrong. So that's the way you need to treat them.
Just like people, dogs can suffer from a fever. A fever is usually a sure indicator that there is some type of internal body malfunction. If this symptom is left untreated, it can turn into a high fever and become life threatening. A fever is also a key indicator that your dog may have Parvo. A dog infected with this disease will also show signs of nausea, malnutrition and dehydration. If these signs are present, you need to get them to a vet or pet hospital as soon as possible. Once the disease has been treated and your dog is feeling better, you will still need to administer antibiotics to help prevent other infections. Parvo wrecks the immune system for several weeks.
Food or other dog allergies are another common problem dog owners have to deal with. Chronic scratching is a sure indicator that allergies are present. Dogs with food allergies will scratch year round, while dogs with other types of allergies, like grass and tree pollen, will usually only start scratching during certain seasons. Some dog will even display symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss if the allergies are severe. Food allergies are slow to develop because a dog's body must be exposed to the allergen long enough to build up a sufficient number of antibodies to trigger the dog's symptoms. With food allergies, most dogs will have been eating the offending diet for months or years before your dog's symptoms start to appear.
If your dog is over 7 years old and you see it limping, especially after climbing stairs or sleeping, it might be a symptom of arthritis. The AKC recommends your dog have a comprehensive examination once every year to check for liver, kidney or heart problems. Older dogs also are likely to develop vision and hearing problems and this will be discovered during an annual exam.
An yes, dogs can also have heart attacks. The are several various cardiac and pulmonary problems that can cause major heart attacks in dogs. If a heart attack is detected early, the problem can be treated and the dog can live a normal healthy life. Heart attacks should be a special concern for owners whose dogs are obese or very old.
You should always keep an accurate vaccination history of your dog in case treatment by a professional is ever needed. Remember, our dog's health depends on us.
About the Author: Garry Neale is and avid dog enthusiast and creator of the popular e-book, "The Dog Lovers Guide", a FREE dog owners handbook you can download at no cost from his Dog Lover Website.
Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=272765&ca=Pets
Dogs are no different from humans in the way their bodies respond to disease and changes in their environment. When exposed to contaminated food, extreme cold, or infectious disease they can get sick. Dog illness symptoms can usually be diagnosed by changes in behaviors. Weight loss is also an indicator that something is wrong. Although it may be something minor, anytime you notice your dog losing weight, it's best to take them to a vet and let them deal with this problem. Since weigh loss could be a sign of a serious problem, don't wait long to make an vet appointment if you notice a sudden reduction in weight.
Dog illnesses can be separated into two different categories; 1) chronic dog illnesses like skin rashes and dog allergies which can be easily treated; and 2) acute illnesses that are life threatening like poisoning, Parvo or heatworms, which you can't do much about and require veterinary assistance as quickly as possible. Loss of appetite is another dog illness symptom. If your dog suddenly stops eating, it may be a sign your dog is in substantial pain. Dogs are a lot like people in terms of illnesses. Well, more like toddlers because they can't really explain what's wrong. So that's the way you need to treat them.
Just like people, dogs can suffer from a fever. A fever is usually a sure indicator that there is some type of internal body malfunction. If this symptom is left untreated, it can turn into a high fever and become life threatening. A fever is also a key indicator that your dog may have Parvo. A dog infected with this disease will also show signs of nausea, malnutrition and dehydration. If these signs are present, you need to get them to a vet or pet hospital as soon as possible. Once the disease has been treated and your dog is feeling better, you will still need to administer antibiotics to help prevent other infections. Parvo wrecks the immune system for several weeks.
Food or other dog allergies are another common problem dog owners have to deal with. Chronic scratching is a sure indicator that allergies are present. Dogs with food allergies will scratch year round, while dogs with other types of allergies, like grass and tree pollen, will usually only start scratching during certain seasons. Some dog will even display symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss if the allergies are severe. Food allergies are slow to develop because a dog's body must be exposed to the allergen long enough to build up a sufficient number of antibodies to trigger the dog's symptoms. With food allergies, most dogs will have been eating the offending diet for months or years before your dog's symptoms start to appear.
If your dog is over 7 years old and you see it limping, especially after climbing stairs or sleeping, it might be a symptom of arthritis. The AKC recommends your dog have a comprehensive examination once every year to check for liver, kidney or heart problems. Older dogs also are likely to develop vision and hearing problems and this will be discovered during an annual exam.
An yes, dogs can also have heart attacks. The are several various cardiac and pulmonary problems that can cause major heart attacks in dogs. If a heart attack is detected early, the problem can be treated and the dog can live a normal healthy life. Heart attacks should be a special concern for owners whose dogs are obese or very old.
You should always keep an accurate vaccination history of your dog in case treatment by a professional is ever needed. Remember, our dog's health depends on us.
About the Author: Garry Neale is and avid dog enthusiast and creator of the popular e-book, "The Dog Lovers Guide", a FREE dog owners handbook you can download at no cost from his Dog Lover Website.
Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=272765&ca=Pets
Puppy Training: Saving Your Furniture
By Sarah McDermott
Having a puppy that's new in your home can be something that is rewarding beyond many different things. Just to come home and to know that even before your hand touches that door, there is a cute and cuddly little puppy standing there waiting for you to come in is something so exciting and great. It is something that brings a lot of joy to a lot of people to have this little puppy so excited to see them. On the down side there is something that not all owners experience but it happens to more people than normal. There is a definite reason for it but it’s hard to deal with even if you know why it’s happening. Coming home one day to find your entire couch or chairs eaten to bits is something that not too many people can take in a great way. It’s hard to deal with something like that because furniture is very expensive these days and having a new puppy destroy them is a tough pill to swallow.
There are many reasons why this happens and the main one is that your puppy is teething. When his adult teeth start coming out, it can be an uncomfortable situation or just downright painful. The only way that he knows how to deal with it is to find something to scratch his gums. Unfortunately your furniture seems to fit that description to the letter. Many people react the wrong way to something like this and often feel that he is doing it out of spite or is just a destructive animal. Many people don’t take the time to think that something might be wrong and a lot of people often try to take it out on the puppy who is only trying to help themselves out.
There are a few things that you can do to either prevent this from happening to you or help your puppy out. To prevent your furniture from getting destroyed a good practice to do is to try and keep your puppy somewhere that he doesn’t have access to anything that can be valuable to you. It’s generally a good idea to have your home sectioned off before he gets there so that you can have some sort of control of where he can go and what he can do in the area that you decide to keep him. Another great thing you can do is to get your puppy a new toy, something that has little grooves that while he chews it, it will scratch his gums and offer the same thing that your furniture offers without all the destruction and loss of money.
When it comes to raising a puppy, you need to be mindful about what might be going on with him and why he might be doing something. It is almost always a good idea to protect yourself and your belongings from these types of mishaps. There is nothing you can do to stop these things from happening to your puppy but you can protect yourself.
About the Author: This author lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband and 5 month old daughter and is an expert contributing author for a luxury dog feeders boutique offering variety of dog beds and personalized dog beds.
Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=271572&ca=Pets
Having a puppy that's new in your home can be something that is rewarding beyond many different things. Just to come home and to know that even before your hand touches that door, there is a cute and cuddly little puppy standing there waiting for you to come in is something so exciting and great. It is something that brings a lot of joy to a lot of people to have this little puppy so excited to see them. On the down side there is something that not all owners experience but it happens to more people than normal. There is a definite reason for it but it’s hard to deal with even if you know why it’s happening. Coming home one day to find your entire couch or chairs eaten to bits is something that not too many people can take in a great way. It’s hard to deal with something like that because furniture is very expensive these days and having a new puppy destroy them is a tough pill to swallow.
There are many reasons why this happens and the main one is that your puppy is teething. When his adult teeth start coming out, it can be an uncomfortable situation or just downright painful. The only way that he knows how to deal with it is to find something to scratch his gums. Unfortunately your furniture seems to fit that description to the letter. Many people react the wrong way to something like this and often feel that he is doing it out of spite or is just a destructive animal. Many people don’t take the time to think that something might be wrong and a lot of people often try to take it out on the puppy who is only trying to help themselves out.
There are a few things that you can do to either prevent this from happening to you or help your puppy out. To prevent your furniture from getting destroyed a good practice to do is to try and keep your puppy somewhere that he doesn’t have access to anything that can be valuable to you. It’s generally a good idea to have your home sectioned off before he gets there so that you can have some sort of control of where he can go and what he can do in the area that you decide to keep him. Another great thing you can do is to get your puppy a new toy, something that has little grooves that while he chews it, it will scratch his gums and offer the same thing that your furniture offers without all the destruction and loss of money.
When it comes to raising a puppy, you need to be mindful about what might be going on with him and why he might be doing something. It is almost always a good idea to protect yourself and your belongings from these types of mishaps. There is nothing you can do to stop these things from happening to your puppy but you can protect yourself.
About the Author: This author lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband and 5 month old daughter and is an expert contributing author for a luxury dog feeders boutique offering variety of dog beds and personalized dog beds.
Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=271572&ca=Pets
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