Most important is love, but pets do require a few other things to be well cared-for!

	Blood Work: CBC and Chemistry Panel
	Blood work - presurgical or otherwise - is usually a combination of a complete blood count (CBC) and a blood chemical analysis. Blood work is a basic evaluation tool. Pets, particularly senior ones, should have a CBC at every annual examination.
	Complementary and Alternative Therapy #1
	Complementary and alternative therapies are becoming more popular in human and veterinary medicine. These therapies are very controversial even among veterinarians.
	Complementary and Alternative Therapy #2
	Some of these therapies can appear to be effective when they actually may not be. One of the most common reasons for this is the placebo affect. Even though the placebo affect does not affect the animal, it can most certainly affect the animal owner’s perception.
	Complementary and Alternative Therapy #3
	Today we will explore how the concept of natural healing can make it difficult to judge a response to therapy. The natural tendency of an animal is to heal unless the condition is chronic, and many conditions will heal without therapy if given time. Consequently, just because a drug or therapy is used on an animal and the animal gets better does not mean the therapy was responsible.
	Complementary and Alternative Therapy #4-Herbal
	Many herbal products are promoted by their manufacturers to be natural and therefore safe. They may or may not be safe as clinical trials are usually not done or not reported, but natural has nothing to do with being safe. If all of the natural medicines were safe and effective, pharmaceutical companies wouldn't spend an estimated $500 million to produce each new synthetic product.
	Feeding Reptiles (21)
	Hurting Pets for Attention
	People with Munchausen syndrome sometimes claim their pets are ill, or purposefully hurt their pets, so that they can get attention. The researchers refer to this activity as Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
	Internet Research: Gathering Information Efficiently and Wisely
	Anyone can publish a Web site and anyone can say just about anything they like. Here are some hints to retrieve quality information on pet health care while immediately discarding the bad.
	Lab Values
	The normal range of values from a given test at a given laboratory will usually be listed on the results form, so that you can see immediately what is not in a normal range; often, results considered to be outside of the norm will be in bold text. Your veterinarian will point out to you which values are of concern and why.
	Make Sure Your Parrot's Toys Are Up to Snuff
	Toys are essential to maintaining the physical and mental well-being of parrots large and small. Playthings help keep pet birds fit while fighting the boredom that can contribute to behavioral problems such as feather-picking.
	Releasing Captive Reptiles and Amphibians
	It is illegal to release non-native wildlife into any area. It is illegal to release native wildlife without a permit. Releasing long-term captives outside their normal range, even if it is in similar habitat, may also prove fatal as many of them fail to learn to feed, hide and generally survive.
	Reptile Basics (92)
	Do you know how to hold a reptile? Do you know what they need to be happy and healthy? Learn the basics before you buy and improve your relationship with your reptile and your reptile's health.
	Reptile Species (23)
	Rodent Husbandry and Care
	The order Rodentia contains 2020 living species placed in 28 families (approximately half of all mammalian species) and is the largest order of mammals. Rodents are found worldwide except in Antarctica and on some small islands. Some spend their entire lives above the ground in the canopy of rainforests; others rarely emerge from beneath the ground. Some rodents are highly aquatic, while others are equally specialized for life in deserts. Many rodents are omnivorous; others are highly specialized, eating, for example, only a few species of invertebrates or fungi.
	SI and U.S. Standard Measurements: Conversion Confusion
	SI is the modernized version of the metric system of measurement. It is the language universally used in science and medicine. SI is an abbreviation from the French Système International d’Unités, or International System of Units.
	Selecting Your Veterinarian
	You and your veterinarian are the mainstay of the team that will take care of your pet's health, so it's best if you find a veterinarian that you can work with.
	Sneezing and Yawning
	Many people are concerned when they first see or hear their reptile sneeze, especially iguana owners, as many iguanas sneeze more often - and more productively - than any other animal (at least it seems that way to those iguana keepers who seem to spend a significant amount of time cleaning salty deposits off of windows, walls, furniture, etc.).
	The Pitfalls of Breeding Reptiles for Release
	There are insurmountable problems associated with putting a program like this into practice.
	Veterinary Certifications: The Alphabet Soup of Specialists
	A list of the most common certifications and what those initials mean can help you feel more comfortable when you need to see a specialist.