I watched my girl Pepper sneeze six times in a row after I switched to a popular “low-dust” paper bedding. Within a week, that sneezing turned into a full upper respiratory infection that cost me $180 at the vet. That experience taught me that choosing bedding to prevent rat respiratory problems isn’t about trusting the … Read more
When I found a walnut-sized lump on my 28-month-old rat Marshmallow’s belly, my stomach dropped. I had lost a younger rat to anesthesia complications two years earlier, and I knew the surgery-versus-palliative-care question was about to become my whole weekend. Rat mammary tumors whether to operate on an older rat is the most common surgical … Read more
Noticing bald patches or thinning fur on your pet mouse can be alarming, and the question every owner asks is the same: why are my pet mice losing fur? Mites are the most common culprit, but fur loss in mice can also stem from barbering behavior, natural aging, stress, or underlying skin conditions. The good … Read more
Last year my friend’s bearded dragon stopped eating on a Saturday night. Within 20 minutes she was panicking, scrolling through Google with a half-limp reptile under one arm and no idea who to call. That night taught us both the same hard lesson: if you own an exotic pet, you need to know your exotic … Read more
I remember the first time I heard about avian influenza reaching a flock just two miles from my house. I had six hens in my backyard and no plan beyond the basics. That moment forced me to learn everything I could about protecting a small flock, and I want to share what actually works. Setting … Read more
I’ll never forget the first time I got sick after cleaning my coop. Three days of stomach cramps, fever that hit 102F, and a doctor’s visit that cost me $340. The diagnosis? Salmonella from my backyard flock. That was 6 years ago, and it taught me something the CDC wants every chicken keeper to understand: … Read more
If you have noticed your chickens scratching more than usual, dropping feathers, or laying fewer eggs, you might be dealing with a parasite problem. Mites and lice are the two most common external parasites that infest backyard flocks, and a single female mite can multiply to over 500,000 mites in just nine weeks. The good … Read more
Last spring, I walked out to my coop expecting the usual four warm eggs and came back with an empty basket. Three days passed. Then a week. I had six healthy hens who looked fine, ate well, and acted normal, yet my egg count had crashed to zero. That panic is what most backyard chicken … Read more
Yes, you can treat bumblefoot in a chicken at home for mild and moderate cases. Bumblefoot (pododermatitis) is a staph infection of the footpad that responds well to warm Epsom salt soaks, careful removal of the infected core, and daily bandaging when caught early. I have walked several of our own hens through this exact … Read more
I lost two chicks to coccidiosis before I learned what to watch for. By the time I noticed the bloody droppings, it was already too late. That was years ago, and since then I have raised dozens of batches without losing another bird to this disease. The difference? Knowing how to spot the early warning … Read more