Worming around!

Most puppies are actually born with worms, so one of the first things you'll need to do is treat both the puppies and their mother for the condition. Roundworm and tapeworms (picked up from flea eggs) are the most common variety of infestation, but hookworms may also be lurking. Roundworms can be identified as spaghetti-like shapes in the vomit or faeces. Tapeworm is rice-shaped. The latter are particularly hard to spot and you are more likely to see them around your dog's bottom. Fortunately, worm infestations are easy to control and treat, as long as the condition does not progress too far. If you suspect that your dog has worms, talk to your vet. In some circumstances you may be advised to take in a stool sample, the vet will look under the microscope for worm eggs in the sample. It's a good idea to dispose of the stool when your dog goes to the toilet outside. This will help to prevent re-infestation, and will also protect playmates as well.

Diabetic Doggy

Diabetic dogs usually require insulin on a daily basis. In many cases your dog’s diet does not have to change, and your dog may be fed the same food that it has always eaten. The food, however, has to be the same amount of the same type of food, at the same time every day. Establishing and maintaining a routine is important as this routine is vital to stabilising your dog’s insulin levels. If it is proving really difficult to stabilise your dog’s insulin levels, or if your pooch is overweight, then consult with your vet so that he/she may prescribe a special diet to help avoid any fluctuations in your dog’s blood sugar levels and to ensure that your dog’s weight stays down as to prevent any further serious health issues. A good relationship with your vet is important in this instance as to ensure that your pet is provided with a healthy approach to this disease. Your pet will then still be able to live a full and happy life.

Flea Fi Fo Fum!

Fleas are one of the major causes of allergic skin diseases in domestic animals. Effective flea control is dependant on an all year round approach – this would include controlling fleas on your pet and in its environment. Fleas are present all year round, although we tend not to see them in winter as much. Effective flea control involves keeping your pet on a topical flea product throughout winter. You should also spray your household environment with a flea spray, or powder, to control those fleas and parts of the fleas’ life cycle that are not on your pet. Often the problems we experience in summer with fleas build up in the winter months, so by maintaining treatment throughout the year the spring season becomes a lot more manageable! And in particular: good winter control of fleas and other parasites means a more easily controllable summer season!

Skin Allergies

Although the symptoms of skin problems are only really noticeable in summer, they are only the tip of the iceberg and indicate what is going on in your dog’s body which needs to be controlled all year round. Generally dogs are allergic to more than one thing. Long term control of allergies is best achieved by reducing the allergen and through the use of essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids can take up to 12 weeks to be effective, but dogs should remain on them throughout the winter months so that they have high blood levels of fatty acids to provide them with strong and healthy immune systems that are able to deal with the allergen load that occurs in spring time. Consult your vet to ensure that you provide your pet with Omegas 3 and 6 as well as zinc and vitamin A to ensure a healthy coat, skin and general dog health.

The Birdcage

Birds truly are lovely pets to keep as they require little maintenance and bring much joy to their owners. However, it is always important to remember that these sensitive little creatures are pets too, and that they require all the love and attention they can get. Birds are social creatures that so it is a good idea to put their cage on a table outside, or hang it from a tree, so that they are able to interact with other birds. Throw some bird seed out underneath the cage to attract some birdlife and intern stimulate your budgie or parakeet’s social side. This tip goes for any pet: do not keep your bird in a smoke-filled room! Animals may exhibit signs of allergy to cigarette smoke and constant exposure to it certainly is NOT in the best interests of your bird (or any pet for that matter). And finally, make sure that your bird’s cage is suitable big enough for it at least to be able to jump and flap around in. All animals require enough space to remain active and stimulated in.

Pet Care Essentials

It is important to ensure that your pet has all the essentials required to lead a healthy and happy life. Ensure that your pet always has fresh drinking water. Give your pets food that’s made especially for them. Dogs should eat dog food; cats need cat food. Ensure that your pet has appropriate shelter to protect it from rain, cold and heat. Some animals need protection from noise, wind and other conditions. Exercise improves the physical and mental health of dogs. Be sure to give your pets the love they need. Pets also need vaccinations to protect them from disease, veterinary care is important to your pet’s health – and life. Use proper pet care products to control ticks and fleas. Make sure that your dog wears a collar and identity disc. You should be able to fit two fingers between your dog’s collar and his neck. Cats should only wear special cat collars with a quick release clip, to ensure that they do not strangle themselves.

Pet Rights

1. The right to be wanted
You can choose your pet, but your pet can’t choose you. Be sure that you are committed to caring for the animal before you bring it home.
2. The right to proper care
Pets depend on their owners to meet all of their needs.
3. The right to proper food and shelter
All animals need the right food to eat and fresh water every day, as well as protection from the elements.
4. The right to exercise
Lack of exercise and stimulation prevents pet wellbeing.
5. The right to health care
Take your pet to the vet if it’s sick or injured.
6. The right to safety
Watch kittens and puppies carefully and protect pets from the streets.
7. The right to help when in distress
If you see a sick, abused or neglected animal, report it to the SPCA immediately.
8. The right to be animals
An animal isn’t a person. Reward good behaviour and ignore ‘bad’ behaviour.
9. The right to love and company
Your pet loves to play and spend time with you and enjoys the company of other animals.
(SPCA 2009).

Store bought animals

I feel compelled to share the information that I recently came across, on the SPCA website, regarding animals for sale in pet shops. The SPCA regularly monitors the pet shops and the source of their puppies, kittens etc. It is reported that more often than not the animals for sale in these stores are rarely de-wormed or vaccinated and that they may be harbouring viruses that only manifest during stressful periods i.e. being bought by a new family. The new owners then have to deal with an ill animal and the heartache of the little sick pet. Buying animals from pet shops keeps unscrupulous breeders in business. However it is possible to be apart of the solution: Don’t buy puppies or kittens from pet shops. Approach the SPCA if you want to adopt an animal. The pets are vaccinated, de-wormed, sterilised, and micro-chipped and given an ID disc before they go home; and report any concerns about pet shops to your SPCA.

Belly Up

I recently had to say ‘goodbye’ to my dear goldfish ‘Goopy’ after a long and surely uncomfortable battle with ‘Flip-over’ disease. Unfortunately this is not the first goldfish I have owned that has suffered this fate, but I thought it was time to draw the line and investigate this goldfish disease! Flip-over disease is actually a symptom of one or more goldfish diseases that affect buoyancy. In other words, if your fish is unable to swim up right, floats the top of the tank, or sinks to the bottom it probably has flip-over disease. If your little buddy is suffering from this symptom, it could indicate a problem with its swim bladder, intestinal tract, organs situated near to the swim bladder, tumours in the abdomen or as a result of failure of the mechanism that controls gas pressure in the swim bladder. A bad diet and/or poor water quality may also result in flip-over disease. If it is as a result of poor diet or water quality it is quite easy to treat, however if the problem is internal there is little one can do for the goldfish. It should be noted though, that surgery is an option. Don’t think my Vet will take me too seriously though.

Vet check-ups

It’s important to take your pet for regular check-ups at your local veterinarian. They should go for consultations at least once a year, where they can receive injections that protect them against a whole array of feline diseases, as well as vitamin and immune boosters. It also gives your vet a chance to inspect any other potential issues such as dental hygiene. When I last took my cat to the vet, the vet noticed that her teeth were unusually yellow, and there was some evidence of early deterioration. She suggested that I change her food to something specifically tailored towards oral care. The food she’s on now actually cleans her teeth and acts like a kind of toothbrush every time she bites into it. I’ve noticed a lot of differences: her breath smells fresher, which is good for both her and me.

Caffeine in your cat food?

Returning to the topic of cat food, I heard a disturbing fact the other day. Apparently, what some pet manufacturers have done in the past to increase their sales (and hopefully they do not do this today) is to put trace amounts of caffeine in their food products. So, you start feeding your cat a particular brand of food, and the cat actually becomes slightly addicted to the food. Then, when you try and change the food for whatever reason, the cat refuses to eat anything else, and so the pet food manufacturers have just conned you into staying with their products for life. Next time you’re buying food for your cat, make sure you check the label to confirm that there’s no caffeine in there. Ingredients should be natural, wholesome, and healthy.

Combatting obesity in pets

What can you do when your dog or cat is overweight? Because many owners feed their pets “treats” from the table, and often leave out an indiscriminate quantity of dry food for their cat or dog to munch on the whole day, many pets start gaining weight. This can lead to a whole host of problems: sluggishness, arthritis and other joint-related problems, an increased risk of a heart attack and in general a shorter lifespan. One major contributing factor to overweight pets is a lack of activity. Owners can become too busy at work, and fail to prioritize spending time playing with their pet. And sometimes, owners will adopt an enormous dog like a Malamute or a St. Bernard, and keep them fenced in within a tiny, enclosed space with no room to run around. To help your pet lose weight, consider switching him to a reduced calorie diet with the “light” moniker. Then, spend some more time with your pet, throwing a ball, running on the beach, and going for walks. Not only will it benefit your pet, it will probably be a lot of fun for you as well.

Good Nutrition for your pet

What role does good nutrition play in your pet’s overall health? Though they are cheaper, many of the foods that are found in grocery stores do not quite make the grade when it comes to adequately meeting your pet’s nutritional requirements. Specifically, grocery store pet food often contains a lot more fillers such as corn (often listed as maize) or corn gluten meal (which is just a cheap way of increasing the protein content of pet food) than the more expensive kind often available only at your veterinarian. Food purchased at your vet often contains higher amounts of quality, meat-derived protein such as chicken and beef. Also, it’s better to try and avoid animal by-products, which are those parts of the animal that are not intended to be eaten by humans. All in all, remember that better nutrition for your pet generally translates into less frequent visits to your vet for medical check-ups later on in life.

Yummy… Dairy!

Why do cats have such a liking for milk? What is it that makes them smell the dairy wherever your are, and rush to get a small lick?
Could it be that the smell of milk so reminds them of their days as kittens that the security and comfort the smell brings is irresistible to a animal renowned for it aloofness and independence. When one amused reader commented on the fact that each morning, when she has her breakfast, cereal with milk or yogurt, her 14 year old cat hastens, from the front garden, or wherever it is she was sleeping, to sit at the foot of her bed and beg ceaselessly for the leftover milk in the cereal bowl.

Watch this space for some hard facts pertaining to cats and their milk fetish - it is not as healthy as you might think!

Nature vs. Nurture

Is aggression bred? Or cultivated by circumstances? This question has been pondered for many decades, by many philosophers. One has to agree that there are certain breeds that are inherently more aggressive than others, for example, the pit-bull vs. the poodle. But if a pet grows up in a hostile and unhealthy environment, it is expected that the attention they know, is generated through negative reinforcement and just like any being, they will strive to make their presence known through aggression. Just like any human being, animals are products of their environment and the way they learned how to interact with others, by the way they were treated, formulates the type of relationships they cultivate.
So it is conclusive that while some characteristics are part of your genetic make-up, the emotions and personality traits that we all have can be encouraged to become prominent.

Multiplicity

Recently there was an article in the April issue of Animal Talk that spoke of the first cloned puppy. There was a dog cloning auction where a couple won the privilege of having their late dog, who died of cancer in 2008, cloned in a scientific South Korean project. This issue is very controversial, and to tackle all the ethical and moral debates surrounding it would take many hours and many informed professionals. The main issue that I have with this is that when we contemplate cloning we inevitably have strong reactions pertaining human cloning, but to clone an animal, a pet is accepted enough that all know of Dolly, the cloned sheep, and now we can win the opportunity to have our beloved lost pets cloned too.

Tail Docking

The issues of Tail Docking is a heated argument today that is still quite debateable in many circles but, morally, the deliberate infliction of pain on a defenceless animal is out rightly wrong no matter how you spin this tail.
The SAVC states that ail docking is unethical as there is no justifiable reason to cut a puppies tails off. While in the past it was excused and permitted as reasonable, with today’s knowledge of animal welfare, pain perception and animal psychology it is inexcusable for a vet to perform this service. How do we as pet owners request this, for adopting a pet come with inevitable compromises that we have to undertake, whether it is a few precious ornaments broken from a wayward tail, or some bruises that remind you of your pet's happiness and excitement to see you, the simple and emphatic answer is… deal with it.

Hills Pet Slimmer Programme

According to a recent Hills pamphlet, about half the animals that South African vets treat are overweight, or weigh more than is healthy. This weighty problem connects very much with another blog entry we recently talked about. Monster; an adult male cat who weighs approximately 9/10 kg, who shares his food with 4 other feline friends and does very little exercise. There are a many pet health repercussions to this problem such as arthritis, joint problems, heart disease, breathing problems, slipped discs and many other risks.
There are many different prescription diets that Hills offer that are specially formulated for weight loss.
Achieving and maintaining a good weight increases your pets’ life expectancy and his/ her quality of life. In many respects we can deduce that looking after your pets diet, is just as important as looking after your own.

‘Tis the season to be Biting

December and January is here and so are ticks and fleas. It’s a rather expensive job trying to juggle the inflation of pet food and pet health with human food and human health as everything in our country has become more expensive. But despite the bills rising and the belts tightening it is still imperative to make sure that your furry companion is free of companions of their own for these blood sucking critters could very well creep into your bed and nibble on you, a prospect that is not very appealing, for either party. Hence, tighten that belt one more notch, and stay bug free.

A healthy dog is mans best friend.

Everyone knows the old adage “a dog is mans best friend”. If you have a tail-wagging pet at home you’ll realize the utter truth of that statement for dogs to fully commit and bond with their adopted families. But as with all things in life there are definitely conditions to a symbiotic relationship that functions and benefits both human and pet. One of which is health, more specifically dog health, for a sick pet is more likely to resent and act out if they are neglected. This behavior can range from general disobedience to outright aggression. So it is important to take your best friend for all his check ups.