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An extra dose of care

Pets bring us endless joy; however, owning a pet is no walk in the park and comes with a whole lot of responsibilities – taking care of its health, ensuring a safe environment for the animal and feeding it right

What kind of food is a diabetic dog to be fed?

Regulating the blood glucose levels (sugar in the blood) is the key to controlling and treating the symptoms of diabetes.

One thing to avoid is food with simple sugars. No fruit, honey, sugar, processed food or milk should be given. These will raise your dog's blood sugar level. Avoid giving any treats or table scraps that contain sugar or sweeteners such as corn syrup.

No high glycemic foods that quickly boost blood sugar such as white rice and bread.

If your dog is overweight, increasing the soluble and insoluble fibre can help in weight management. Oat bran, lentils, peas have soluble fibre, wheat, potatoes, cauliflower and green leaves have insoluble fibre.

Some dogs with diabetes

w also have pancreatitis, a condition that does best if the dog avoids foods high in fat. But it is important that the reduction in fat isn't accompanied by an increase in carbohydrates.

Your dog needs the structure of having meals timed with insulin administration for management of diabetes to be the most effective.

How to Control Aquarium Algae?

To prevent or rectify an algae overgrowth situation, follow the below mentioned steps:

Reduce lighting: Do not place the tank where there is direct sunlight for even part of the day. Use a timer to turn the lights on and off each day.

Feed less: The majority of owners overfeed their fish, which increases the phosphate levels in the water. Always remove any uneaten food promptly.

Water changes: Change 10 to 15 per cent of your aquarium water every week to keep nutrients in the water low.

Know your water: Test your water source. If it is high in phosphates, you should consider using phosphate removers or find another water source. Also, it is wise to test for nitrates, as some water sources have elevated nitrates. It does not do much good to change the water if you are adding nutrients.

Clean it up: If you see algae beginning to grow on the glass, rocks, or other hard surfaces of the tank, remove it.

Keep live plants: Live plants will use many of the nutrients that algae thrive upon. Fewer nutrients mean there is less fuel for algae overgrowth.

Keep algae-eating fish: Keeping Siamese flying fox, otocinclus, or even the common plecostomus, will help reduce some of the algae in the tank.

Views expressed and information provided are personal. Send your questions to manekaanimallove@gmail.com

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