Nylon Dog Bones Warning !

Should you use a nylon dog bone to help satisfy your dogs chew cravings? Many people do and get great results. I use them myself to help relieve my dog Zac's boredom or his need to chew on something like my wife's antique end tables! I'm not trying to scare you with this article, but there are some painful and expensive dog dental health concerns you should consider when giving your dog this type of bone.


Nylon bones are dangerous to dogs who are strong chewers. They're made of super hard nylon materials. When your dog chews on this type of bone for extended periods of time, he runs the risk of a slab fracture in his large molars at the back of his mouth. These teeth are the grinders and they can deliver a power that is unbelievable. When you allow your dog uncontrolled access to these hard chew bones, you put those teeth at risk. If this thin, longitudinal stress fracture occurs in a tooth,it can expose the pulp through the thin crack. This can be very painful and you also run the risk of infection and loss of the tooth.

Most nylon dog bones come in different degrees of durability. You'll often see a rating on the package. The industrial strength bone is usually labeled "For Powerful Chewers". This nylon bone is as hard as a slab of granite. The packaging often calls it indestructible, which is really stretching the truth. I've seen Zac dismantle this type of bone in two months or less. Zac is a miniature schnauzer. Imagine what a pit bull could do. The next level of durability is for the "Medium Chewers. Unless your dog is not a hard core chewer, he'll probably destroy the medium strength in a month or less.

I'm not suggesting that you quit using a nylon dog bone. They do serve a couple of great functions for a dog that likes to chew. The help battle boredom, separation anxiety and, to a certain degree, help fight plaque build-up. However,I do suggest a "medium chewers" bone and controlled chew time, as opposed to allowing your dog to chew all day long.

Often, a good time for chewing on their bone would be after mealtime. I don't "free feed" Zac, or he would look like a baby blimp. He gets a controlled portion twice a day. After he's inhaled his meal, he looks around as if to say "Okay, where's the rest?" I give him his chew bone after a meal and it seems to satisfy his need to keep chewing on something.When I'm going to be gone for an hour or two, I'll leave his chew bone out. The point here is structured chew time, rather than just letting him have his bone whenever he wants, all day long.

You might not like the extra expense of buying a bone labeled for "medium chewers". If your dog is a "powerful chewer", he'll go through this bone much faster. However, the chances of a tooth stress fracture are diminished considerably. Yes, you will have to invest in a nylon dog bone more often, but it's a lot cheaper than a dental job. The extra few bucks you'll pay to buy bones more often is well worth it.

One final note. Don't let your dog chew his bone down to half it's original size. Those nylon bits have to go somewhere. They could collect in the intestine and cause an impaction. When he's roughed up the ends of his bone and chewed them down somewhat, pitch it out and get a new one. It's penny wise and pound foolish to keep that bone, so why take the risk?

Sugar Gliders - 3 Main Reasons Why Your Gliders Are Dying

Many new sugar gliders owners are running into a problem! This problem is to NOT being able to keep their exotic pets alive.

You must keep in mind that these animals are living a healthy life in the wild because they have the right diet the wild. In order to be able to keep your pets healthy and alive in captivity there are few fundamental things that you need to know and apply.

The first reason why these animals are dying in captivity is lack of calcium. Calcium is a fundamental part of the sugar gliders diet. If you do not feed them enough calcium, they will start developing health problems such as paralysis, and eventually they will die.

The second reason why captive gliders could die prematurely is because of improper diet in general. Those exotic pets diet can be very simple, but it is also very specific. You must be able to balance their need of protein, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins in such a manner that they can maintain good health and thrive in captivity.

The third reason why captive sugar gliders might not live long in some cases is because of inadequate living environment. Things as simple as the size of the cage can be a factor for the life span of your animals. For example, only tall cages are suitable for this kind of animals. Lack of quite, light, proper bedding and other details can also be vital for the surviving of your pets. Hygiene is also a must in raising and keeping a glider alive.

Caring for those adorable exotic pets is not very hard at all, but it does require some knowledge on your part. Once you have acquired this knowledge you will be able to enjoy your pets for as long as 12 to 15 years.

Chinchilla Care Tips

Pet chinchillas require attention and care just like every other type of pet. Some care procedures are common sense and some needs are unique to chinchillas. Here we will go through the basic pet chinchilla care tips to keep your pet healthy.

Clean your chinchilla's cage often. This may seem obvious, but it is often overlooked or just put off until later because it isn't the most pleasant part of being a pet owner. Despite the hassle, a clean cage promotes the health of your chinchilla and can prevent the development of disease or infection in your pet. If you use a bowl for water, it is a good idea to change the water on a daily basis.

Try to use a wire mesh cage with a solid floor or a solid slide-out tray. The wire mesh is good for ventilation and a solid floor is important because if there is a wire mesh floor with space under it a chinchilla will have difficulty getting around on it. Even with bedding on an open floor, your pet risks injury just by moving around in it's cage. A slide-out tray is great when it's time to clean the cage and you will be glad to have it.

Chinchillas need a bath every two to three days. The unique thing about chinchillas is that they should not be bathed in water. Water baths will wash off the oils that these animals produce. These oils are important for their fur and the health of their skin. Chinchillas need, what is known as, a dust bath. These dust baths use a special dust that you can get at many pet stores or online. Put a couple inches of chinchilla dust bath into a bowl and let your pet use it a couple times per week. He will roll around in it and make it seem like he is making a mess but this is actually good for them. The dust bath can be reused but it is a good idea to clean the balls of dust out between uses because this is what has gathered as waste from your chinchilla's bathing.

Keep your chinchilla healthy by allowing him to exercise and keeping him from getting too hot. Some chinchillas like to use an exercise wheel. Even if you have a large cage it would be beneficial for your pet if he could run on an exercise wheel, as well as roam the cage. A pet chinchilla should also be allowed out of his cage at least once a week. This will, also, allow exercise time and provide some bonding time with you. Keep an eye on your chinchilla while he is out of his cage. These animals can fit in small places and get lost easily and have been known to chew through electrical chords.

Chinchillas are interesting animals and fun pets to have. The basics of pet chinchilla care are simple and inexpensive. Look out for the welfare of your pet and you will have a happy and healthy chinchilla in your life.