Questions tagged [biology]
For questions about the biology of a pet. It's physical attributes.
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My dog has very reflective eyes but no night vision!
I just adopted a dog from a local shelter and she bumps into things at night. She is 5 and very healthy. I am able to see, but she evidently cannot.
Her eyes are very reflective blue/green. I asked my ...
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Is it safe to get my cat on X-ray machine?
My vet advised having an X-ray taken of my cat's paw after she was stomped upon by my reckless neighbor who I am not speaking with anymore. She is always coming to drink my coffee and take my food, ...
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Betta with black dots on fins
My Betta seems to have recently developed little black dots on his fins on both sides about a week after moving him from a small bowl to a little Top Fin 2 gallon (7.6 L) aquarium with a heater.
He ...
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Is this statement about pets and their food accurate?
[...] pet parents asking if [brand omitted] is causing any of the
following:
(a) bloody diarrhea,
(b) vomiting,
(c) elevated liver enzymes or
(d) pancreatitis.
The answer is:
“No.” Veterinarians
...
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Gourami breathing at water's surface
I've had a pair of Pearl Gouramis and another pair of Opaline Gouramis for a few months now and, unlike any of my other fish (Tetras, Rainbow, Loaches), they spend time at the surface breathing the ...
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Film on surface of female betta tank
I recently took in one of my friend's male Bettas to treat it for ich (Ichthyophthirius infection). When I brought him back I noticed a film on the surface of her other Betta's tank (this one is a ...
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I have two kittens and need an answer on determining hair length [duplicate]
I have two kittens. One we know will be long haired for sure. The other one I am not sure. Can anyone tell from these two pictures if she will be short- or medium-hair?
We know she won't be long-hair.
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Why did my dog's ears start to flop?
I have this dog who has standing ears, and now at almost 10 years old I just noticed the other ear did not have that structural support to stand up anymore. Is there something wrong with the dog or is ...
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Do rabbits feel pain?
An answer at How smart are rabbits? includes the following quote and reference.
Rabbits also have no or very underdeveloped pain sensing regions in their brains (source):
Even as a predator rends a ...
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What is this white layer growing in the snail shell's entrance?
My snails have been making a layer of... something(?) around the entrance to their shells. I don't know what it is. They remain in their shells until I remove the layer, which is really bothering me....
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Why do dogs have black eye juice?
I always wondered; why are the bodily fluids, etc. that accumulate (and usually dry out) in the corners of a dogs (and cats too, I think) eyes black?; but in humans, it is not?
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How do windows impact health considerations of sunlight for pets?
I heard, the goodness in sunlight that helps people make vitamin D does not pass through windows.
Is this true, and if so, does it impact pets as well? If my pet only gets sunlight through windows, ...
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Is my guppy pregnant? How could I tell whether a guppy is pregnant?
I recently purchased a guppy and I feel that it's quite fatter and stomach is bulged compared to other fish.
Is it pregnant? How could I tell whether a guppy female is pregnant or not?
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How frequently do cats lose their whiskers?
Does anyone know how frequently cats lose their whiskers? Is it natural shedding, like their hair, or is it much less frequent?
I ask because I have two cats and am randomly find a whisker here and ...
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What causes rabbits to spontaneously change gender?
Working with rescued rabbits we often have people who purchased two girl (or boy) bunnies from a pet store or breeder, and a few months later they have a bunch of baby bunnies that need new homes.
I ...
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Idle mackerel tabby terminology question
It is said that "mackerel tabby" cats (tiger tabbies) always have an M on their foreheads, made of two stripes forming a chevron (^) on each side of the centerline.
My two, as shown by ...
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Why do cats have whiskers?
Whiskers definitely make the shape of a cat's face. I have always wanted to know why cats have whiskers.
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Why do dogs' and cats' eyes reflect light? Does bright light affect their vision?
At night when the light is pointed towards dogs and cats, their eyes give a gleaming effect (greenish light). It even happens during a flash of a camera. I've seen this on a cat and the dog and ...
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What is cats' color vision?
A couple of existing questions, answers and comments How can I train my cats to only eat from their own bowls? and Can cats see optical illusions the same way we can? involve cats' color perception. ...
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How do kittens prevent my cats from going into heat?
I have two indoor cats who're sisters. One of them got pregnant and had kittens, and the sister did not go in heat once during the 3 months we had the kittens. Do kittens prevent a cat from going in ...
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Motion-induced dizziness in cats
Humans can become dizzy by spinning around quickly. Small children will occasionally do this on purpose, for the thrill.
However, intentional dizziness inducing behavior is (as far as I am aware) ...
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Are dogs sensitive to star anise's smell?
I have just read (in Polish) a 1985 crime novel, by Norwegian author Gert Nygårdshaug. It seems, that it wasn't translated to English. Its original title is Honningkrukken.
There's a tiny end-story ...
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Can dogs see things that humans can't?
The other day I was sitting in my lounge alone and my dog got up and started growling and barking at the air. She wouldn't stop whining and wouldn't take her eyes of this spot for ages.
Can dogs see ...
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Do house rabbits depend more on sound or vision for warning?
In the related question What is a rabbit's field of vision, range and visual acuity? we learn about a rabbits vision. This question is asking about what is the primary sense a house rabbit uses ...
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What is a rabbit's field of vision, range and visual acuity?
I have a pet house rabbit, rabbit eyes are pretty much on the side of their head. They also have great big ears.
What can a rabbit really see? How well can they see? Can they see 360 degrees?
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What does mg/kg in AAFCO's nutritional guidelines mean?
In AAFCO's nutritional guidelines the minimum quantities for iron(adult minimum), for instance is expressed as 40 mg/kg. Does that mean that a dog should eat at least 40 mg of iron for every 1 ...
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On average, when do cats stop producing milk after giving birth?
As mentioned in my other question, How can I get my cat to stop nursing on its mother, I mentioned that I was not sure if the mother cat was producing milk, which could be causing my 9 month old cat ...
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Do cats recognize their family? Perhaps by scent?
Is there any scientific or anecdotal evidence that cats recognize other cats who closely share their DNA? As in, new kittens from the same mother and the such?
I'm suspecting that there might be such ...
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Can cats see equally well in both light and dark?
I know that the cats can see in the dark, but I have been wondering: can cats see as well in the dark as they do in the light?
Or do they see better in the light?
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What age do cats stop growing on average?
I've heard humans stop growing around age 18-24. What about cats? When do they stop growing in height?
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Glycemic load for foods with respect to dogs
Have there ever been conducted tests on how fast dogs digest various foods? That is, to determine the glycemic load of various foods with respect to dogs?
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Do the colors of a cat's coat correlate with its personality?
I've heard some people say that a cat's coat color says a lot about its personality. I think it's fairly common to think that tortoiseshell cats have attitudes ("tortietudes"). Is this urban ...
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Diurnal, crepuscular, nocturnal, matutinal, vespertine; what do these mean and how do they impact my pet's life?
A recent answer listed all of these and said the group a pet falls in could impact how they behave: diurnal, crepuscular, nocturnal, matutinal, vespertine.
What do all of these mean and how do they ...
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My rabbit survived botulism poisoning; is she now immune to it?
According to this article by the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; an inactivated toxoid is used to vaccinate horses against botulism. Though it does call for an annual re-...
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Can corn snakes see everything?
Can a corn snake see everything? It seems that my corn snake acts like he can actually see me. If I move somewhere in the room he will look right at the direction I am at. I mean snakes like to do ...
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How wide can a corn snake open it's mouth?
I know snakes can unhinge their jaws when they eat food that is large (rats, large mice, etc.), but I don't know how much that helps them to open their mouth. How wide can adult corn snakes open their ...
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Light spectrum visible to hamsters
I'd like to build an infrared tachometer for my hamster's wheel, but I don't want to distract him with a light source. Therefore I want to choose the wavelength of the LED for my hamster not to see it....
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What are "growth plates" in dogs?
I've heard a lot of people say you should wait until a dogs "growth plates" are closed before fixing them. What does that mean? From what I understand it isn't really a bone structure called a growth ...
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What are the "points" in my rabbit's mouth that my vet is referring to?
My vet was looking in my rabbit's mouth and said she had a couple of "points" that might need to be addressed on the next visit. I forgot to ask for clarification and am wondering what he was talking ...
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How do I determine the age of my turtle?
I recently adopted a yellow-bellied slider, and the people who had her said that they had been keeping her for about 10 years, when they adopted her from a rescue house. I don't know how old she was ...
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Why do cats often screech when mating?
My friend has two pet cats. I saw them mating. After mating, when the male jumped off her back, the female cat screeched. This is not to be mistaken with cats fighting, he didn't bite her or anything....
user6796
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Why does my cat hold its mouth slightly open sometimes after smelling something?
On occasion, my cat will sit there with its mouth open, usually after smelling something new.
It looks similar to panting, but without the heavy breathing or a protruding tongue.
What is the reason ...
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