Donkeys have evolved over thousands of years to live in semi-arid environments where the nutritional quality of the food available is very poor. They have adapted to eat fibrous plant material in small quantities throughout the day. This is known as trickle feeding and helps to keep the donkey’s digestive…
Off-leash dog parks offer many physical and mental benefits for dogs and people including the opportunity to exercise, socialise, and enjoy fresh air, training, and play. Are off-leash dog parks suitable for all dogs? When you take your dog to an off-leash park, you need to be confident that they…
A number of plants are poisonous to pets. These can cause serious illness and even death in some cases. It’s important to check the safety of any plants before your pets have access to them. If you’re unsure about the safety of a particular plant, talk to your veterinarian for…
Cocoa Mulch is also known as ‘Cocoa Bean Mulch’ or ‘Cocoa Shell Mulch’ and is used as a mulch in home gardens in some countries. It is a byproduct of the manufacture of cocoa powder and other chocolate products. There have been several reports of pets being poisoned by cocoa…
Laws relating to the welfare of animals vary in different states. In some states, companion animal breeders have to be registered, which may also require meeting certain standards of care but in other states, breeder registration and/or standards may not exist (see Table below). Specific requirements are often contained within associated…
The term ‘registered breeder’ generally means one of the following: 1. Registration with a breed club or association Dog and cat breeders are often referred to as ‘registered breeders’ when they are members of a breed association or club (which operates a stud book or register) or another breeder association….
Backyard breeding is the irresponsible breeding of animals in inadequate conditions with insufficient care, often by people with little experience or knowledge. When irresponsible breeding is carried out on a large scale, the term puppy or kitten farming is used. Why is backyard breeding a problem? Backyard breeders, as distinct…
Helping your dog to become a good canine companion is one of the most important responsibilities for every dog owner. This leads to happy and safe interactions at home, with friends, with strangers and with other dogs. The first concept to understand is that training should only be done using…
Adopted greyhounds can do amazingly well considering that many are considerably disadvantaged by their start in life. Their different early life experiences, confinement, and often limited socialisation means they have to learn to interpret the body postures, actions, words and asks of their new family whilst simultaneously trying to get…
RSPCA believes that wild animals, even if they are captive-bred, should not be kept as pets unless there is clear evidence that they will have a good quality of life, their needs can be met, accurate care information is available, a suitably experienced veterinarian is utilised as needed, and the…