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So you want to be a Veterinarian?

There are so many choices about what to study in college. It seems everyone would like to be a doctor or lawyer, maybe even a dentist. What about becoming a veterinarian? If you like animals or even just the medical field, you might look at this under-filled job area.

Demand is Growing

There is a wide variety of kinds of veterinary medicine in which you could practice after school. The demand seems to be growing at 35 percent for veterinarians but the supply isn’t keeping up. Job areas such as large animal practice are wide open to those who want to pursue them. It isn’t for everyone but it is very rewarding. For example, equine (horse) vets make very good money!

How to Become a Vet

There are certain classes you should take even as early as high school to become competitive for vet school. If you consider becoming a veterinarian, you can talk to your advisor to find out about the process, but many don’t really know what is required. It is best to speak with an actual veterinarian or even better, vet schools. Agricultural schools are pretty in-the-know about requirements as well.

Most Popular Fields of Vet Science

Currently, many students in vet medicine are women. They typically want to work with household pets for their practice because the schedule is a little more predictable and the work is not as physical as large animal practices. Pay scales often depend on the geographical areas as well as clientele of the practice. People love their pets and they pay to keep them alive and healthy!

Filed Under: Feeding, General Tagged With: , ,

Foods to Avoid Giving Your Cat

Anyone who has a cat likely enjoys feeding their cat special treats and “people food.” It’s fun to give your cat a special treat that they can enjoy instead of the same pre-packaged cat food. How it’s important to take care with what you choose to feed your cat, to avoid causing him or her health problems. Also, treats should never be a substitute for food that is specially made for cats, only an addition to their diet. Cats need certain vitamins to help keep them healthy, this can be very hard to get in their diet without providing a complete cat food.

There are many different foods that should NEVER be fed to cats. Chocolate, coffee, tea, or any product that contains caffeine can cause damage to the heart and nervous system of a cat. Onions and garlic contain a chemical that can damage the red blood cells of the cat and eventually cause anemia. This is one to especially watch out for because many pre-packaged human foods contain onion, garlic or derivatives of either of these for flavor. Grapes, raisins and currants contain a toxin that has not been precisely identified but causes damage to the kidneys. Any food that has too much iron added can also damage the kidneys of a cat. Sugary foods are not good for a cat as they can lead to obesity and damage their teeth, but a very small amount, very occasionally will not risk anything more than an upset stomach.

Two foods that people often feed their cats are ones that need to be strictly controlled. A cat that eats too much fish or other seafood will be at risk or vitamin deficiencies. Cats need a more varied diet that one of exclusively fresh seafood can provide. Finally, while cats love milk, it can upset their stomach so should be given only in very small amounts as a treat.

Filed Under: Feeding, Pets Tagged With: , ,

Why Cats Cannot Be Vegetarians

Many people are becoming vegetarians not only to support animal welfare but for their health. Unfortunately some cat owners feel that Mr. Kitty should be a vegetarian. This is actually very bad for the health of the cat. Cats are obligate carnivores which means their diet is supposed to consist completely of meat. Everything about the way cats are designed supports them being the most complete predatory animal. Their teeth and tongue are designed to grip, saw and shred their prey. Their digestive system cannot convert plant material to the essential nutrients like humans and many other animals. The most important nutrients your cat cannot get from a vegetarian diet are taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B12, niacin, thiamin, and protein. Some of these can be found in vegetables, but they are not in forms the cat’s body can convert. By feeding a cat a strictly vegetarian diet you can end up causing illness and possibly the death of your cat.

There will always be the debate about completing your cats vegetarian diet with store bought supplements and therefore your cat can be a vegetarian. It would be nice if the cat had a say in its diet, but some vegetarians do feel that forcing their cat to eat a diet based on their philosophy is the correct path to choose. In this time where more people are focusing on animal welfare, which is absolutely wonderful, there needs to be a balance in what we are doing to the animals. Some with all good intentions try to protect all species, but may end up causing harm to one in this pursuit. Life was designed a certain way and we should not be trying to turn a true carnivore into a herbivore because of our personal preference to eat as a herbivore. We have that choice and our bodies are designed in a way that can handle this decision, cats are not designed that way.

Filed Under: Care, Feeding Tagged With: , ,