As backyard chickens are increasing in popularity as pets, their owners are coming to expect quality veterinary care for these feathered friends.

Alkalinity is a measure of the water’s ability to buffer the pH to provide stability and avoid rapid changes in pH that could adversely affect the health of the animals in the water.  It is one of the more important but most often overlooked parameters to monitor for healthy water quality in a system.  Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is the compound that has the most effect on alkalinity, but sodium, bicarbonate and other compounds play more minor roles.  Good quality kits are available from companies like Salifert and Red Sea to test alkalinity by adding drops to the water sample in a test tube.

Problems with the Nitrogen Cycle

Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates measure the biological filter in a system.  Elevations in any of these parameters with normal pH and alkalinity indicates a problems with biological filtration (see related article: The Importance of Water Quality Testing on this website).  Mild elevations in all parameters are generally easy to fix, but there are some special cases described below that are far more concerning.

Puffer fish have teeth that grow continuously and need to be continuously worn by proper hard food items found in their wild diet.  In captivity they will often have problems with overgrown teeth due to soft captive diets. 

Fish have a unique way of showing signs of health concerns.  Paying close attention to appearance and behaviors will help identify problems early and allow a more narrowed focus for diagnostic testing. 

Pig Terminology

Sow- Adult female pig
Gilt- Young female pig
Boar- Intact male pig
Barrow- Male pig neutered before puberty
Stag- Male pig neutered after puberty

Koi are extremely popular pets due to the growing number of people who enjoy backyard ponds.  While generally quite hardy with appropriate care, koi still come down with a variety of conditions that may be helped by working with a veterinarian.

White's tree frogs are relatively easy to care for and are a good start for those looking to keep frogs as a pets.

African dwarf frogs (Hymenochirus sp.) are often sold as additions to tropical freshwater fish aquariums or as "living art" to be kept in small glass vases or other displays.  In fact, these frogs often do not compete well with aggressive tropical fish and fail to thrive in community aquariums.  They also need a larger more complex environments than a 1 gallon vase filled with water lined with gravel in order to do well. 

Asian water dragons, also known as the green water dragon or Chinese water dragon, can make beautiful pets but they have specific care needs that must be met in order for them to thrive. Once they are used to your presence, they are generally tame and easily handled. While they occasionally fight among themselves or compete for superiority with cage mates, they are rarely aggressive toward human keepers.