PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

This fall make sure to check out the various pet shows that will be happening in the U.S. and Canada. Not only will your pets appreciate a snout full of fresh air, they will enjoy being a part of the pack.

The 250^th Halifax Kennel Club Dog Show will be held at Exhibition Park in Halifax from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. The show will include obedience trials and drill team performances. Also pet supply vendors will be there so you can stock up on of your doggy needs.

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Birds can be intelligent, enjoyable companions, but choosing the wrong bird can really cause heartache and frustration. How do you choose the right pet bird for you and your family? Before you try to decide which species of bird you want, you may want to think about whether a bird is really the right type of pet for you.

Many people decide to buy a bird because they want to have a pet that provides some company, but doesn’t require a lot of time and energy to take care of. Actually, caring for a bird properly may not be quite as hard for caring for a dog, but it involves a bit more than tossing some seed in the cage every day.

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Moving to a new home can be stressful for a bird, especially if the bird is a handfed baby. Luckily, if you spend some time setting everything up properly, it isn’t too hard to help your bird make the adjustment to a new home.

The first thing you should do for your new bird is to place his cage in an area that does not have too much traffic and confusion. However, although you don’t want him to feel like he is in the middle of everything, you also don’t want to put him in an unused room where he will be neglected. Pick a spot where he can interact with you, but won’t be constantly startled by loud noises and sudden movements.

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One of the worst things you can do to your pet bird is to subject him to stress. Stress can literally kill a bird that would otherwise live a long and healthy life. How can you avoid stressing your bird and what can you do for him if he does become stressed?

You should be sure that you recognize signs of stress in birds so that you can alleviate stressful situations immediately. Obviously, a bird that has his mouth open and seems to be struggling for breath is stressed. However, he can also show less obvious signs of stress, such as standing very tall and skinny on his perch or eating less than he normally would.

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If you are new to bird ownership, it often seems like there is so much to worry about. After all, your parrot came into your home happy and healthy. Now, how do you make sure that he stays that way?

One of the first concerns of a new bird owner is the home’s temperature. After all, a lot of pet birds are tropical animals, so the climate of the room your bird is staying in should be quite warm and humid, right? Actually, birds can live comfortably in a room with a temperature ranging from in the mid-fifties to the high eighties. You should actually be much more concerned with drafts in the room.

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One of the biggest problems bird owners have with their pets is the tendency birds have to bite. Birds bite for a variety of reasons, which makes breaking this bad habit a bit of a challenge. Luckily, it is often possible to stop birds from biting.

Newly weaned baby birds often turn from adorable cuddle bugs to vampire like little creatures literally overnight. The shock of picking up that sweet baby, only to end up with bloody hands, has caused more than one bird owner to decide to never handle his bird again. Since this is one type of biting that is usually possible to break, it’s a shame to give up on your newly weaned bird.

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While most people think of pet birds as animals that just sit in the cage or perch on someone’s shoulder and say the occasional funny phrase, some birds can actually learn quite a few interesting and entertaining tricks. While not all birds are able to perform elaborate tricks, you should be able to teach your bird a few simple tricks.

One of the easiest tricks you can teach a young bird is to play dead. To teach this trick, you first need to accustom him to having his head and back touched. When he doesn’t mind being touched anymore, it is time for the next step.

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If you own a dog or a cat, you probably knew that you would have to spend some time grooming your new pet. However, did you know that birds need to be groomed, too? Of course, you won’t be brushing his feathers, but you will need to clip his toenails, clip his wings and give him the occasional misting.

Clipping a bird’s toenails is a fairly simple procedure, but if you are uncertain whether you can handle the job, you can ask your veterinarian or local pet store owner for help. If you do not have his nails clipped, your bird can get his foot caught on his cage bars, his toys or his cage cover, so you really shouldn’t avoid this grooming chore.

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While caring for a sick pet can be a little tricky, caring for sick birds is extremely difficult. By the time many bird owners realize their pets are sick, the birds are seriously ill. If your bird is sick, you should contact your avian vet immediately. However, reaching your vet when you recognize your bird is sick is not always possible. What do you do to help your bird until you can get him to the vet’s office?

The first thing you should do for your sick bird is to warm him up. A grow light for plants is an ideal heat source. Aim the light so that your bird is able to move away from it if he gets too hot. If your bird is sitting on the bottom of his cage and is unable to sit on his perch, you may want to move him into hospital cage for added warmth and safety.

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Determining the Sex of Your New Bird

Many people are not concerned with whether they have a male or female bird. After all, if you’re not going to breed your bird, it doesn’t really matter, right? Actually, it is important to know whether you have a female bird because you will need to know to look for signs that she is egg bound when she is mature. Some birds, especially if they are one of the smaller species, will decide to go to nest even if they do not have a mate. Of course, it is also nice to know that if you name your bird Fred, he really is a boy.

There are several ways to determine the sex of a bird. The most reliable method is to literally look at the bird’s reproductive organs. Not only does this tell if the bird is a male or female, but it also allows the veterinarian to find out how healthy the organs are. The sexing procedure is relatively quick and inexpensive, but this is still one of the least popular methods because it is still surgery. Some birds die when they are put under for the operation.

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