Q: I have an 18-month-old male pit bull mix that thinks he is a beaver as he actually eats sticks. He chews them up and swallows them along with grass, flowers and you name it. When I try to take them from him he just bolts and gulps them down along the way. My vet said that some dogs are just that way. Is there any way I can stop him before he gets sick or worse?
A: Your vet is correct in that some dogs are just that way. I had a dog once that would swallow rocks. If yours is chewing everything up before he swallows it, and your vet has examined the dog and finds nothing wrong, then most likely there is not an issue at this time. However, scolding or chasing him to get the things he is eating back from him is not a good idea.
Some dogs experience your concern and drama as attention, and just like some children, they would rather have negative attention than none at all. So if he does have a stick in his mouth and you think that he is going to start eating it, you would do better to show him a piece of cheese or some other treat and call him over for it, then trade him the cheese for the stick.
If he learns that every time he brings you a stick he gets a small piece of cheese, at least your yard will soon be clear of sticks and you will not have to worry about him eating them anymore. As time goes on you will find that you do not have to reward him with food for bringing you the sticks _ he will just do it for the positive attention that you are giving him.
Q: My aunt just passed away and it seems that I was left her cockatiel that is supposed to be more than 20 years old. I put him in the same cage with my 4-year-old cockatiel and they get along just fine. My question is: How long do they live and how can I tell if the bird is really as old as my cousin says it is? Dogs get gray in the face when they get older, but this older bird looks just like my younger bird.
A: The oldest living cockatiel on record was 32 years old, and I personally own several that are in their mid-20s. You are correct in the fact that there is no color change in the feathers of a senior bird that is kept in optimal conditions.
I am blessed with quite a few older birds of many different species that are my pets, and one thing that I have noticed about them is that their toes and legs seem to get very skinny as they get older, and they lose the ability to regrow feathers on the lower part of their legs. So, although I have never read about this in any scientific journal about geriatric birds, it is something that I have learned from my own experience in keeping many different birds. I suggest that you compare the legs of your two birds. If your late aunt's bird's legs look like the legs on my older birds, then most likely it is indeed as old as it is claimed to be.
Q: There is a narrow canal that runs behind my house, and we enjoy watching all the geese, ducks and swans that live there. However, the Canada geese have adopted our yard as a sanctuary, and I am sure that I do not need to tell you how much excrement these birds can produce and what a mess our yard is. They do not bother our neighbors as they have fences up where the bulkheads end. The obvious solution would be for us to put up a fence, as well, but quite frankly we like our unobstructed view. People have told us to sprinkle Kool-Aid grape crystals on the grass and that will keep the birds off. I wonder if this actually works as I do not want to encourage more insects or small animals by sprinkling this sweet product on our lawn.
A: I do not think that the crystals will do any good, but you can buy a concentrated grape extract from bird control companies that when sprayed regularly on a lawn will make the grass not taste good at all to the geese. The geese truly do not like to eat the sprayed grass and will learn not to feed on it when the product is used as the manufacturer states. However, even though the geese may not be feeding on your lawn anymore, they still may use it as spot to rest and relax out of the water, and there is nothing you can do to prevent them from doing this apart from putting up a fence or some other barrier such as a thick hedge of privet or rugosa roses.
