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If you're looking at buying a new reptile for a pet, you'll find that there are different places where you will find available animals.

The most common place to buy a new pet is the pet store, but this isn't always going to be the best place to buy a new pet. In many pet stores, you'll find geckos with parasites, snakes who aren't feeding, and dehydrated frogs. You have to be very careful when buying animals from pet stores.

You can adopt a reptile from a shelter, but in these cases, it's not always easy to find animal rescues who have reptiles available for adoption. When they do, it's not always a rescue with the most reptile experience, so be sure to ask plenty of questions.

You can go to a reptile show and purchase a reptile from a breeder or wholesaler. In many cases, this is the most ideal place to purchase a pet reptile. You get to talk to the breeder, get personalized tips and tricks for the care of the animal, and you can hand pick what animal you want. Usually, at reptile expos, there will be many vendors, and at least two of them will have ball pythons, leopard geckos, or other common pet reptiles.

If you can't find a local reptile show, or there isn't one that you're willing to travel to, you can find reptiles online. Many reptile breeders have websites where you can view their available animals, and all you'll have to do is contact the breeder for a shipping quote and total to have the animal over-nighted to your house. You may also want to check out kingsnake.com and faunaclassifieds for large selections of animals for sale by various breeders. In some cases, you may not get to hand select the animal that you want, but you will be guaranteed many options.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Pet Tips

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Expensive Pets

August 14th 2011 18:38

Where the city pound was once the place to go to find any cat or do breed you could want and pay a minimum fee to adopt, that's not the case or trend anymore. So many people want the mixed dog with the fancy name and the costly price tag, versus paying the small fee to adopt the same mix at a shelter.

In any case, this isn't want I'm talking about today. Today, I'm more referencing the expensive pets that you can't believe people actually pay for.

Bengal Cay- This cat is a mix of the wild Asian Leopard and the domestic cat. The cat can cost a minimum of $1,000 to $4,000, but when first introduced, a price tag of $42,000 wasn't uncommon.

Ashera Cat- Designed to be like a miniature leopard, made by crossing the African Serval and Asian Leopard with a regular domestic cat. This cat costs nearly $23,000

Toyger- Another cat that was bred to appear like a miniature tiger. This cat was specially bred to have rounded ears, stripes, and the overall appearance of a tiger. This cat costs an average of $2,000.

Lancelot Encore (Cloned Dog) - A family had their beloved Labrador- Lancelot- cloned for a mere $155,000. Several years back a woman cloned her Pit Bull for a mere $50,000, as she was the company's first client, not the costs average $150,000

Big Splash

Big Splash - Red Tibetan Mastiff- As of March 2011, the Red Tibetan Mastiff became the most expensive dog when it was purchased in China for $1.5 million. Big Splash, the dog's name, weighs 150 pounds, and although the family purchased him for over a million, people are willing to pay $100,000 for his DNA, alone. China holds the Tibetan Mastiff as a holy animal, blessing the owners with health and security.

Goliath Palm Cockatoo - Depending on the colors, the price of this bird will drive the price even higher. Because it's not easy to breed this type of bird in captivity, those who are successful tend to charge at minimum $15,000 per bird.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Pet Tips

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Diseases You Can Get from Your Pets

August 4th 2011 23:30

Believe it or not, you can get sick from your pet. I know that pet-lovers don't want to hear it, but you can. These zoonotic illnesses are those spread from animals to people, but as long as you take basic precautions and practice good hygiene, you can avoid these illnesses.

The basic precautions, such as avoiding kissing your pet, licking it, putting your hands in your mouth after a pet has licked all over you, will reduce the risks. You want to avoid direct contact with feces, and just wash your hands thoroughly.

You'll find that you will be safer around your pet if you practice basic hygiene, but if you have a lowered immune system, sometimes even washing your hands will not be enough. Those with lowered immunity should be extra precautous.

And, although you can contract several diseases from your pet, you cannot get feline leukemia, canine influenza, or feline herpes.

Rabies- You may not end up quite like Cujo, but you can contact rabies from your pet or another animal. Rabies is a virus that spreads through the body from the bite of an animal. The early signs may include a fever or headache, but can develop into confusion, exhaustion, and agitation.

Toxoplasmosis- This isn't the most commonly heard of illness, but toxoplasmosis can cause you to suffer flu-like symptoms. If you are pregnant, be extra cautious, as it can infect the fetus and cause birth defects or miscarriage. This illness is caused by a protozoan that you can contract from partially cooked meat or contact with animal feces.

Cat Scratch Disease (Bartonellosis)- This bacterial disease can be contracted from animals who have been infected by fleas. Generally, a person would contract the disease from a cat bite or scratch. You may develop a mild infection and flu-like symptoms, but the disease can worsen and damage the heart valves.

Hookworms and roundworms- Internal parasites are quite common, especially for puppies, kittens, and outside pets. The larvae gets passed from your pets through feces. If you have picked up hookworms, you may experience an itchy skin infection and various abdominal symptoms; if you've picked up roundworms, you may experience various degrees of eye damage.

Tapeworm- Generally, humans contract tapeworms from undercooked meat, but you can get it from your pets. You can contract tapeworms by accidentally swallow a flea infected tapeworm larvae. You would start to notice rice-like segments in your poo and an insatiable appetite.

Ringworm- Ringworm is more of a fungal infection than a worm that is generally contracted from a minor injury. This infection can cause an itchy, ring-shaped, red rash on your skin. The rash may be dry and scaley or wet and crusty, and is highly contagious. Ringworm may cause temporary hair loss, discolored nails, or scaly and cracked feet.

Salmonella- Generally salmonella will be contracted through feces and contaminated food, but reptiles, chickens, and ducks, as well as other animals, can carry the bacteria. If you become infected, you may notice stomach pains, diarrhea, and fever.

Psittacosis (Parrot Fever)- This is a bacteria infection that you can contract from breathing in dried feces or respiratory tract fluids from infected birds. This infection can be hard to detect because the birds often do not show any signs.

Lyme disease- Although you cannot contract lyme disease from your pet, you can contract it from the ticks that he/she picks up while outside. Ticks carry a bacteria that can lead to lyme disease, and you may notice a bull's eye rash, fever, headache, and/or muscle/joint pain. Without treatment, the disease can become chronic, and can cause nerve and heart inflammation, mental changes, and pain.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Pet Tips

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Reduce Stress Traveling with Pets

December 10th 2010 14:01

When you travel with your pets, you may find it quite stressful for both you and your pet(s). Even if you're a pro at taking your dog with you on vacation, there are still many things that you have to consider when taking your pet with you on a trip.

* Where will you stay?
* Where will you need to stop, and how often? (Pets need potty breaks)
* What will you do with your pet once you've arrived? (Will the pet stay at the hotel the entire trip, or will there be any pet-friendly adventures?)
* How can you make the trip easier for your pet?

If you're driving, that's one less cost expense for you, and you don't have to worry about losing your pet on the trip. So many pets get lost every year when traveling on planes, that it is always hectic if you have to bring your dog, cat, or other pet on an airplane.

If you are driving with your pet, you'll want to figure out the best way to keep your pet stress-free during the trip. If your pet is calmer in the car and not bouncing around, you will be that much less stressed.

You don't want to have to worry about your dog or cat getting hurt in the car, which is why a safe kennel is necessary.

If you know that your pet gets motion sickness, then you'll want to ask your vet before you leave for a sedative or something to help ease the sickness. If you're about to just knock your pet out during the ride, then he won't vomit and you don't have to worry about cleaning up a mess at every stop.

Do not offer food before or during the trip, especially if you know that your pet gets sick in the car. You'll want to offer water at every stop, but not during the trip in the car, as that's just going to make a mess.

Make sure that when you've stopped for the day, to offer your pet a bowl of food and fresh water.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Pet Tips

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Iams and Euaknuba Dog Food Recall

August 6th 2010 14:08

There's another dog food recall out, so if you feed your pet Iams or Eukanuba, you'll want to make sure that your dog food isn't one of the four on the list.

All sizes, varieties, and UPC codes dated between July 1, 2010 and December 1, 2010 are on recall.

Iams Veterinary Dry Formula
Eukanuba Naturally Wild
Eukanuba Pure
Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin

If you are considering changing you dog food, consider changing to a brand that has never been on a recall list.

List of Premium Dog Food

* Acana
* California Naturals
* Evo
* Fromm Four Star
* Natural Planet
* Orijen
* Taste of the Wild

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Pet Tips, Dog General Care

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Traveling with Pets on a Plane

August 6th 2010 13:44

When traveling on a plane with your pet, you want to be very careful, as there are many stories of people losing their pet in travel. The best thing to do is to try to find one way flights without any lay overs; you may have to spend a little more on the ticket, but the likelihood of keeping tabs on your pet is a little better.

Other options, may include finding a sitter for your pet while you go on vacation, but if you're not going on vacation, but moving instead, flying may be the only options

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Pet Tips

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Travel with Pets in the Car

August 4th 2010 13:28

When traveling with your pet, it can be very stressful for both you and your pet, which is why it's always good to reduce the amount of stress on your pet so that you can reduce your stress.

You want your pet to be safe, and you want to reduce the headache of having to worry about him

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Pet Tips, Cats

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Treating a Snake Bite

January 11th 2010 21:49

Whether you're concerned that your pet snake will bite you or you're just doing to research to make sure that you know how to handle the situation, it's always a good thing to know what to do. First off, even if you're snake is non-venomous, you don't want to play around and say it's ok to get bit. Those people who are not scared of getting bit by their pet snakes are more likely to have less fear of any snake, as sub-consciously they're just not thinking about it.

Any snake can and will bite under the right circumstances, so just because you've got a non-venomous, docile temperament snake, that doesn't mean you won't ever get bit

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Pet Tips, Snakes

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Checking Online Classifieds for Pets

October 30th 2009 17:47

When checking online classifieds for pets, you want to be careful of who you give your money to. There are many scams that are online where people post animals that they don't have, you send payment, whether money order or paypal payment, and never receive an animal. Sometimes, you may receive an animal, but it may not be the one you though you were going to get. There are many crooks in the world, so be careful of who you buy from. Find reputable people as best as you can.