SIGNS Your dog’s eyes are red with a yellow or green discharge. His eyes continue to water. He squints or rubs his eyes. The tissue around the eye appears swollen. With cataracts, the middle of the eye (the lens) appears cloudy.

CAUSES The causes of “red eye” are numerous. The most common are bacterial conjunctivitis, bacterial infection of the tissue around the eye, and allergic conjunctivitis. Other, more serious causes include glaucoma (swelling in the eye) or an ulcer on the cornea (erosion on the surface of the eye) . Cataracts are primarily caused by normal aging changes, although they may be secondary to diabetes.

SOLUTIONS

• TO THE VETERINARIAN. Here are three signs to trigger an immediate call to your veterinarian: if your pet’s eye infection is painful, with your pet rubbing her eye; if the

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Maintaining Your Cat’s Health You can maintain your cat’s overall health in two important ways:1) schedule an annual preventive visit (including shots and an examination) with your veterinarian as well as other visits as needed; and 2) perform daily home examinations—petting and health care go hand in glove.

• Do a nose-to-tail checkup every time you cuddle with your cat on the couch. Call your veterinarian if you detect any abnormalities during these regular checks. Start with the head. Are your cat’s ears clean and pink? Do they give off an unpleasant odor? Have mites appeared as a black, waxy mess inside the ears? Are the eyes bright, clear, focused, and free of discharge? Are the gums pink and the teeth clean? Has tartar appeared along the gum line? Is your cat’s breath inoffensive? Don’t check a cat’s nose to see if it’s cold and

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When you see a winter bird, it is nice to know not only which bird it is, but also where it lives and nests, and whether it is a West Virginia native or a visitor. It is always exciting to see a white-throated sparrow a common visiting winter bird in West Virginia that nests in Canada.

Ducks, swans, and waterfowl not usually found in West Virginia during the summer can be seen here during the winter. This includes the pied-billed grebe, hooded merganser, scaup duck, and cormorant – birds that are attracted to winter fishing in some of the state’s rivers and lakes. Many people like to attract and feed winter birds and want to know what kinds are at their feeders.

The following birds are frequent visitors to your winter feeders.

• American Goldfinch : In winter, goldfinches have a much

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