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Zoran Jankovic

Although you may not think of your cuddly pooch as a predator this is what he essentially is. And like all predators dogs have a set of glands located on the both sides of the rectum, with their ducts emptying slightly below the anus.

Ferrets and cats too have these glands but in cats anal gland impaction is very rare.

Anal glands are often misunderstood and many vets don’t learn enough about them in school. Well at least this was true in my case. Not surprisingly most of the dog owners are not even aware of their existence.   Today we will try to demystify this unsightly and smelly part of your dog’s anatomy.

In severly infested areas Pine Caterpillar processions can strech for tens of meters.

At this time of the year  Pine Processionary Moth caterpillars leave their silken nests in the pine treetops to begin en masse migration downwards. As many as three hundred caterpillars may travel long distances from the natal tree, looking for soft soil in which to bury themselves and form cocoons, forming the most spectacular processions.

So far I was unable to confirm if this species was ever officially recorded in  Malta. Nevertheless,  dog owners should be very careful during early spring if visiting areas with pine forests, as this little creature presents considerable threat to our canine companions. Cats, on the other hand, seem to have an inherent fear of the larvae and it is quite unusual for a cat to be poisoned.

Very interesting video, some of the points are pretty moot though!

For example the dental expert should surely take into account epigenetic changes caused by inappropriate food. Also important fact to consider is that raw diet cannot instantly clear the problems that were induced by lifetime of wrong diet.  In addition, it is very unfortunate that most of the nutrition experts featured in this video seem to be completely oblivious to the devastating effect gluten and other anti-nutrients found in grains have on canine health.



 

 

Some people regard tripe as one of the most exquisite delicacies whilst others roll their eyes in disgust as soon as the dish is mentioned.  I certainly belong to the former category and for the ultimate experience for your taste buds I wholeheartedly recommend a visit to Mercato Centrale in Florence where you can taste Trippa alla Fiorentina unpretentiously served in a working class setting. 

However, whilst tripe may be a matter of taste for humans, when it comes to our canine companions, green tripe is an invaluable component if we are to create species specific home-made meals.

In 2010, twenty-eight wild wolves from the forests of Sweden were culled in an effort to control their population. Twenty-six of these wolves ended up on autopsy tables and were examined by state veterinarians in different counties.

The overall picture that emerged from these autopsies paints a stunning contrast to the state of health in domesticated dogs. Some of the examined wolves were estimated to be very old by canine standards, yet signs of osteoarthritis, the most common disease in domestic of dogs of all ages, were nowhere to be seen.

This coyote skull is not as strong and as bulky as the wolf skull- still we can see unmistakable sets of carnivore teeth.

There has been growing trend lately to attempt to classify dogs as omnivores, perpetuated mostly by kibble  companies  and sometimes even some veterinarians. Many pet owners who like to treat their pets as equals  have readily accepted this, forgeting all about the essential needs of their pets, first as an animal species and then as a particular breed of that species. This anthropomorphisation of our pets has come at a very dear price indeed – their health, psychological wellbeing and ultimately their life.

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