animals

Dog massages therapeutic for pooch and person

At a dog day care centre in Ballarat, Victoria, the National College of Traditional Medicine is conducting training clinics for people interested in giving dogs the professional treatment.

Participants are taught how to assess a dog for tight muscles, adhesions or injuries, before identifying what type of massage is most suitable.

'Massage has a place for every species in the world'

Leslie Williamson has been a canine masseuse for around 20 years, after an accident left her and the horse she was riding injured.

What sort of future are we creating?

The photo is one of the finalist images selected for the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, now in its 53rd year.

After the announcement, expedition leader and underwater photographer Justin Hofman shared the photo on Instagram, saying he wished it "did not exist".

"Now that it does, I want everyone to see it," he wrote.

How to shoot wildlife (with a camera) like a pro

His "bread and butter" as a wedding photographer pays the bills, but his real passion is wildlife.

The Sydney-based photographer was a finalist in this year's Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Awards with a portrait of a family of brolgas that had just returned to their nest to settle in for the night in Victoria.

He won the award in 2015 with an incredible symmetrical shot of a white-winged tern about to take off.

"I grew up with parents who took us camping, so I loved nature, I loved being in the bush from a very young age," Mr Stowe said.

How helping animals can help us better understand human trauma and rehabilitation

She was found wandering in a car park, highly agitated, by a family who took her home and made her their live-in pet. However, after three months they could no longer keep her.

She was relocated to the Sugarshine animal sanctuary, outside Lismore in New South Wales. Kelly Nelder, Sugarshine's founder and a mental health nurse, described her as "highly strung" and "needy".

Easter egg and other food that could poison your dog

Veterinarian Mark Reeve has named and shamed the five most common foods that could be harmful to your dog this Easter.

Death by chocolate

As little as 100 to 200 grams of chocolate can kill a small dog, Dr Reeve told ABC Radio Adelaide's Afternoons program.

"Be really careful with chocolate in the house," Dr Reeve warned.

Even giving dogs a small piece was dangerous, he said.

Ice-addicted python just one of hundreds of animals in prison rehabilitation

The jungle python was seized during a police raid of an ice lab where it had absorbed the drug through its skin, said Ian Mitchell, a senior overseer at the John Morony Correctional Complex in Berkshire Park.

He said the snake's methamphetamine addiction made it more confused, erratic and aggressive than it would normally be and it needed six weeks of detoxification at the prison's wildlife care centre.

The 5 basic freedom of animals

It starts small, and it starts with caring for the animals closest to you.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) of Papua New Guinea was out on World Wildlife day to promote the 5 basic freedom of animals:

#1 Freedom from Hunger and Thirst – people must make sure their pets are fed properly and have clean drinking water

#2 Freedom from discomfort – pet must have a proper place to sleep

#3 Freedom from pain, injury or diseases – if your pet is sick, treat them. Take them to the vet – RSPCA

RSPCA offers monthly wash for dogs

Well, not generally dangerous to humans, although they can be troublesome.

When fleas bite humans, they may develop an itching rash with small bumps that may bleed. Most flea bites require minimal treatment with a mild cortisone cream or an antibiotic ointment.

Infestations are a concern, however, and can cause prolonged discomfort, respiratory trouble and other symptoms.

Furthermore, fleas can transmit tapeworms and diseases to pets.