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Preventive Care & Wellness

  • This handout provides basic guidelines for feeding a pet chinchilla a healthy and balanced diet tailored to the specific needs of chinchillas.

  • Chinchillas can make fun, enjoyable pets. They can live 15-20 years, so the family must plan for a long-term commitment. They require a cage with a wheel to run in to help them maintain their health and strength. Yearly veterinary examinations are highly advised as they are very good at hiding symptoms of illness.

  • Chinchillas are generally hardy animals but can have several unique problems; understanding them will help you care for your pet and manage potential health problems.

  • Your chinchilla's cage should allow them to move around a lot, as they are very active, agile, and acrobatic animals. This handout discusses best practices for maintaining a healthy chinchilla living environment.

  • Chocolate is toxic to dogs. While rarely fatal, chocolate ingestion often results in significant illness. Chocolate is toxic because it contains the alkaloid theobromine. Theobromine is like caffeine and is used medicinally as a diuretic, heart stimulant, blood vessel dilator, and muscle relaxant.

  • Choke is a relatively common condition that occurs when food or a foreign body blocks the horse's esophagus (gullet), which is the tube that takes food from the back of the mouth (pharynx) to the stomach.

  • Your cat's skin and coat condition are good indicators of her health. A healthy coat should be shiny and smooth, not brittle or coarse, and healthy skin should be supple and clear, not greasy, flaky, or bumpy. Selective breeding has led to the development of cats with various coat characteristics requiring varying grooming needs. To maintain healthy skin and coat, your cat also requires a properly balanced diet.

  • The general condition of your dog's skin and coat are good indicators of his health. A healthy coat should be shiny and smooth, not brittle or coarse, and healthy skin should be supple and clear, not greasy, flaky, or bumpy. Selective breeding has led to the development of dogs with various coat characteristics requiring varying grooming needs. Nutrition also plays an important role in skin and coat maintenance.

  • The term colic simply means abdominal pain. There are many causes of colic and symptoms range from very mild to violent.

  • Choosing the right collar or harness for a dog requires understanding how each device works and what is best for the dog and the owner. Correct selection, fit, and use are crucial for any training tool's success.