The first and foremost ingredient to choosing the right snake is the health of the animal. Once that is out the way, a number of other elements come into the equation. Species, age, temperament, colour, pattern, sex, feeding habits and price are all points to think about when looking for a snake.

Health

If you are looking at a snake in a pet shop or other premises, do not look only at the snake. Look inside and outside of the cage for signs of dirty, unhygienic surroundings. No matter how good the shop is, inevitably you will find sloughed skins, feces and other dirty materials in the cage. However, look at the consistency of your findings and excessively dirty surroundings. Overcrowding in tanks should be avoided, and if any dead animals are found in nearby enclosures, stay away from purchasing the animal. Make sure you are buying captive bred stock; wild caught snakes can harbour all sorts of problems and should be avoided by beginners.

Look at the shape of the snake in its resting position. Never buy a snake that you see resting sideways, with its head tilted on the floor. If its mouth is slightly agape, stay away. The spine of the snake should be visible, but not to an excessive measure. It the snake looks skinny, do not buy it, regardless of its feeding habits. Most snakes are generally very consistent when sloughing their skin, so if you see one with bits of skin stuck all over it, be cautious. Loose folds in the skin are apparent in dehydrated snakes, advise the shop owner if you see this in their stock but do NOT purchase the animal.

‘Never purchase a snake or any other reptile based on your feelings for that animal. Many pet shops have come and gone, the best have always stayed the longest. Neglectful shops soon realise their problems and either fade away, or amend their problems. Buying a snake which has suffered through neglect of the shop will only make the shop continue with their onslaught. However tough it is, please remember, the death of one snake, could potentially save many more.’

If you purchase an animal knowing of any possible problems, make sure it is vet checked as soon as possible. Keep the latest fecal sample from the snake and store it in the fridge until the vet can examine it. Never introduce newly acquired snakes into the enclosures of other snakes without having it fully examined. Larger breeders should keep quarantine areas separate from the rest of their collection. Newly acquired snakes should be quarantined for at least 3 months if this is feasible for the breeder.

Age

With snakes, age is often an irrelevant factor in deciding what species you would like. Baby corn snakes are good beginners’ snakes, and although they can be a little feisty, they calm down quickly and can evolve into lovely animals. One thing to be careful of when purchasing a baby, is to make sure it feeds. If you are unsure of its feeding habits, buy a slightly grown on juvenile. Adult or grown on snakes which have already been handled and are guaranteed feeders, maybe a better choice for the complete novice. However, baby snakes may be more rewarding for anyone to successfully rear.

Price

Always ask yourself; ‘quality or quantity?’ If something is cheap, there is reasoning behind it. Often, under paying for something you really want may in fact turn out to be something it wasn’t bought to be. If you pay too much, you will lose money at the worst, but you can be sure of acquiring something of quality. Do not look to buy any animal which is excessively cheap. Instead, buy the animal you really want to buy, and pay what the animal is worth.

Where to Purchase?

There are a number of places to look when purchasing a snake. I would urge anyone to seek a reputable breeder who has vast experience and a good reputation in the industry. Honesty is the most important factor for any breeder selling animals; do not buy from anyone who you know has misrepresented animals in the past.

Breeders

It is important to realise that a breeder does not have to breed many hundreds of snakes. In fact, some of the best snakes will come from dedicated hobbyists, often only having a pair of a particular species. If you are buying the more commonly seen species, you might want to look for private individuals and seek their advice. With the more expensive snake species and colour morphs, there are fewer breeders to choose from. Always communicate with the breeder before actually purchasing the animal. Ask questions regarding the age, size, lineage, temperament, health and feeding habits of the animal in question. A good breeder will spend time trying to help you, while many other breeders will shrug you off, giving minimal detail and answering only what needs to be answered. As a breeder myself, please be aware that with hundreds of snakes to care for, plus doing various things in your personal life, time can be a virtue. Do not expect an essay when e-mailing a breeder, rather, a polite response with all the necessary information should be expected.

Most breeders will not offer a refund after the sale; this is commonplace when dealing with animals. Unfortunately with animals, mistakes by the buyer can easily be made. It is therefore too risky for the seller to guarantee an animals life, when it is completely out of their hands. However, try and be confident when dealing with a breeder, that they will help you even after the sale. If you run into any problems, they will be there to give you more advice.

Reptile Shows / Expos

Reptile shows offer a great place to meet new people and see many new things, not only with snakes but other reptiles as well. Look for breeders who have spent the money showing off their animals. Well built, classy looking display stands with clean cages and tubs show that the breeder is making an extra effort to sell his or her animals. It shows that the breeders are dedicated, and their effort stems further than just breeding and selling animals. These people are often the ones that will make the effort to help you further if need be after the sale.

If buying a snake from a show, be careful. You must realise that you do not know the people standing in front of you, nor do you know the background behind any of the snakes. Many good breeders will have photo albums of their adult stock on the tables. This is a great bonus; it enables you to view the parents and the lineage of the particular animals you are looking to buy. It also shows that breeders are again, putting more effort into selling their animals and taking pride in their stock.

Avoid any breeders who are unable to answer your questions. Ask for hatch dates, parental information and feeding records. These are minimal details that any good breeder should be able to offer without a problem. Any vendor at the show who is unable to provide this information should be avoided.

Do not feel in a hurry to purchase from the breeders at the table. Ask as many questions as you feel appropriate and take a look at what they have to offer. Ask for the breeders contact details, e-mail, web site and their phone number. If they are unwilling to offer their phone number, try and stay away from them. Not giving their phone number allows them to choose whether or not to answer your e-mails. It is these people which are unlikely to help you after a sale is made.

Newspaper Adverts / Internet Classifieds

This is a way to pick up some fantastic animals, but at the same time the most common way for buyers to be ripped off and often left with unhealthy animals. Many breeders, good and bad will use the internet classifieds. Remember to ask all the necessary questions before buying, ask for photos where possible and expect a reply which is polite and informative. Be careful when viewing photos, that they look normal coloured and not distorted or strange in appearance. Look for other objects in the photo to get an idea of accurate size and colour of the animal. It is commonplace to see people falsely advertising animals, and enhancing images to fit their descriptions better. Try and build a relationship with the seller before you purchase the animal.

Also remember, ‘you get what you pay for’. Do not expect to get bargains; you get what you pay for and rarely anything else. Look for the people who are less willing to give you a good deal, these are often the people who are confident in their animals, and confident that another buyer will come along if you do not buy.

Be wary of ‘Free’ Snakes. It is commonplace to see adverts for ‘Free to Good Home’. Ask yourself why, and check to see if the snake is really what you want. Pretend the snake is actually quite expensive; would you still buy it? If not, don’t get it.

Dogs have the same five senses as humans. However, some are more highly developed, and others are deficient compared with those of humans.

Dogs’ sense of smell is by far the most acute and is immeasurably better than that of humans. Dogs are used for such tasks as tracking missing persons, digging underground, and tracing toxic substances, such as gases, that are undetectable by humans. Dogs can detect drugs, explosives, and the scents of their masters. Not all canine noses are the same, however. Some breeds, such as the German shepherd and the bloodhound, have much more keenly developed olfactory senses than others. One would not choose a short-nosed breed, such as the pug, to engage in tracking.

Even in short-nosed breeds, however, the olfactory centre is relatively highly developed. It is arranged in folds in order to filter smells from the incoming air. Some rescue dogs are trained to follow a scent on the ground, and others are trained to scent the air. Both are able to distinguish one person from another even after a considerable passage of time. Hunting dogs-such as pointers, retrievers, and spaniels-are trained to scent birds and can distinguish one variety of bird from another.

The dog’s sense of taste is poorly developed compared with that of humans. If forced to live on their own, dogs will eat almost anything without much discrimination.

Dogs possess an acute sense of hearing. Aboriginal breeds had large, erect and very mobile ears that enabled them to hear sounds from a great distance in any direction. Some modern breeds have better hearing than others, but they all can detect noises well beyond the range of the human ear. Dogs are able to register sounds of 35,000 vibrations per second (compared with 20,000 per second in humans), and they also can shut off their inner ear in order to filter out distracting sounds.

The eyesight of a dog is not as keen as its sense of smell, and it is generally thought that dogs have poor colour perception. Some breeds, such as the Saluki and the Afghan hound, were developed to chase game by sight over long distances, and these dogs can see well enough to detect any movement far on the horizon.

Dogs can generally see better in poor light than humans but not as well in bright light. They have a wider field of vision than humans because their eyes are set further toward the sides of their heads, but they are not as adept at focusing on objects at close range or at judging distances. Dogs have a third eyelid, a membrane that protects the eyeball from irritants and is sometimes visible in front of the eye.

Dogs are sensitive to touch, the fifth sense, and use this sense to communicate with one another and with their human counterparts. Learning where to touch a dog is an important part in either stimulating or relaxing it and is useful in training a puppy or bonding with an adult dog.

What is dog lice? Are they the same type of lice that affect humans? What is the most effective way of getting rid of dog lice?

Sometimes even a clean, well-groomed dog can play a host to different types of unwanted guests. One of these unwanted visitors is called dog lice. Dog lice infestation is not common among dogs in this country, especially those that live in a clean environment and get proper care and attention.

However, you should still be aware of their symptoms and know how to deal with the problem should it occur. Dog lice causes severe irritation and illness to your dog. In addition, dog lice carries disease and complications such as anemia.

Dog lice are flat, gray, wingless parasites that are about a twelfth of an inch long. Dog lice are very slow movers. In fact, they hardly move at all. Dog lice only affect the dogs in your home and are not capable of surviving off of cats and humans.

here are two types of dog lice that exist: The first type of dog lice concentrates on biting the skin and feeding on skin flakes; the other type of dog lice feed on your dog’s blood. Blood sucking lice causes severe irritation because they penetrate the skin of your dog in order to feed.

Signs that your dog is infected with dog lice are heavy, intense scratching, and irritation that often results in bald patches. Dog lice are usually found on the area around the ears, neck, shoulders, and anus. Although dog lice are relatively large, you are more likely to spot their eggs in your dog’s hair. Lice eggs (nits) are easier to see because they are attached to the dog’s hair and look like white tiny flakes of dust.

Treating dog lice is relatively simple and easy due to the fact that they have not built up a resistance to insecticides. Your vet will more likely recommend an insecticide spray or bath to kill them. He may require you to cut off matted hair and wash your dog about once every week with the insecticide.

This procedure is then repeated until the itching is gone and there are no more visible lice eggs. If you have a puppy that is infected with lice, consult your vet first before starting on any kind of pesticide treatment or other type of medication.

To prevent further lice infestation and make sure that all the lice eggs have been completely eliminated, it is a wise idea to throw away all bedding that your dog has lain on during lice infestation and to disinfect the area where he sleeps.

Dog lice - When it is time to see the vet

Chances are that you have noticed lately that your dog’s new favorite hobby is scratching himself in at least three places at once. When you part his coat to examine what is causing the itch and excessive scratching, you notice tiny white dust-like particles that are attached to the hair shafts. What are these tiny particles and why are they causing your dog to itch?

Your dog is suffering from lice infestation. Dog lice are six legged parasites that feed either on your dog’s flesh or their blood, triggering intense itchy reactions. The tiny white particles that are attached to his hair are lice eggs or nits. Although dogs rarely get lice and it is actually more common for people to get human lice, dog lice is still out there and our dogs are not immune to them.
One tiny louse cannot kill your dog, but once that tiny louse decides to invite all his louse friends to live off of your dog, then your pet could literally be eaten alive. If your dog is suffering from a severe case of lice, he could lose about one quarter of his blood volume within months, causing severe anemia or shock.