General Tips & Advices

Holiday Time For Pets

Planning your holiday is always fun and exciting, but when you have a pet to consider it’s never that straight forward. Should you or should you not take your pet? This decision is often made for you depending on your destination. If you do have to leave your pet behind, leave pet care to the professionals, such as a pet sitter or boarding kennels/cattery.

What should you be looking for in a Kennels/Cattery:

Clean & well-ventilated,
Offer protection from the weather,
Provide adequate space for the size of the dog,
Guarantee medical care if your pet gets sick,
24-hour coverage with someone living on the kennel property.

How do I find a good Kennel? Ask a friend, neighbour, veterinarian, animal shelter, or dog trainer for a recommendation. Once you have names, it’s important to do a background check and inspect the property. Ask for clients as references.

Choosing a House-sitter

Go through a reputable agency, where someone can take over from the house-sitter in the event of an emergency,
Choose some-one who works full-time those who do it for their main income have a vested interest in doing the best job possible,
If you find someone who bonds with your dog, you may have to give advance notice if you want them again. They may get booked up quickly especially at busy times such as summer and Christmas.

But, if you are taking your pet with you, remember that many pets find travelling and visiting new places difficult and become stressed and anxious, often taking several days to calm down and settle in, by which time the journey home is upon them. Making holidays as relaxing for them as it is for us can only be a good thing for all concerned. Stress triggers many behaviour issues including digging, chewing, indoor toileting, spraying. These problems can be hard enough to deal with at home, but are amplified somehow when we are away.

Serene-UM® has been successfully used to combat tension and trauma in our pets for many years, in a very natural way. It works by working with the body to produce more of a mood stabilising substance called serotonin - reducing anxiety and fear. Many pets take their Serene-UM® tablets without difficulty, even sitting for them as they would a treat. For those who find tablets awkward or unpleasant Serene-UM® is available in a tasty droplet form. It is advised that you start your pet on either drops or tablets a few days prior to the planned journey or boarding kennel and maintain the course until the settling in period is completed. Again, this should be repeated for the return journey until you and your pet are back into your daily routine. Happy Holidaying.

Caring For Elderly Pets

Depending on the size and breed of your pet you may have noticed it is a bit slower when chasing a ball, struggles a bit more getting up the first thing in the morning or loses its breath a bit quicker. The aging process wears down your pet in much the same way it does us, but on a much faster pace. While most human beings live to be 70+ a dog, depending on many factors, often lives for 10 years or less.

How old is elderly?

This depends on the breed - larger breeds tend to age more rapidly than smaller ones. In general, “elderly” means over eight years old for a medium sized dog, five years old for a larger dog and eight years old for a cat. Despite all those age brackets there is no one hard fast rule. The best way to judge is based on the individual animal and the changes in its behaviour and health. The best thing you can do for an older animal is to keep it healthy and not over or under weight. Also, keep your animal exercised but be careful not to overdo it.

Caring for the health of elderly pets

The needs of an older animal are often different so it is very important to maintain communication with your veterinarian concerning your pets and all the health problems/changes which are included in this advancing age process.

Arthritis
Circulatory problems
Ear Infections
Hearing, sight & smell disorders
Dental problems
Incontinence
Weight
Kidney disease

As your pet gets older, arthritis may develop in its joints. This may mean that your pet becomes less active and may need a diet containing fewer calories to prevent them from gaining weight.

Teeth/gums: Check your pet and see what is normal for it as “normal” may be different from one dog to another. Changes in gum colour can indicate potential problems. Foul breath can be another warning sign, as well as loss of weight, pawing at the month, excessive salivation, swallowing difficulty or other signs of pain.

Hearing, sight and smell can all become less acute with age, and you may need to make allowances for these changes.

Lumps/bumps: Check your pet for these as you groom the animal. Masses are common and in most cases are benign but if you find a new one of these, consult your vet to have it checked as cancer is quite common in dogs.

Changes in thirst and elimination: Changes such as increased thirst or having to “go” more often are indications of potential kidney or bladder disease. Check with your vet.

Body/Coat Condition: Keeping your dog in shape cuts down on a lot of potential health problems—heart disease etc.

Heart Disease: Changes in sleeping habits or coughing through the night can be indicators of canine heart disease. Frequent check-ups can often prevent these types of diseases. Consult your vet.

TIPS OF THE DAY

To deter cats from raiding the rubbish bin sprinkle some chilli powder over the top of the rubbish
To keep soap out of a dogs eyes when washing it, add a layer of Vaseline over its eyebrows and round its eyes
When you get a new cat or move home, just let the cat out for the first time hungry - it won't go very far!
Remove cats hairs from clothes and furniture by rubbing with wetted rubber gloves
To help keep Rabbits cool in the hot summer take a bottle of soda, empty it, and fill it up with water. Now, stick it in the freezer until it is frozen. Stick it in Bunny’s cage, it is like their own personal air conditioner!