| |
|||
| a great place for pets - www.thevets.com.au | |||
January 2008 - Happy New Year IN THIS ISSUE 1. What's happening for your pets down at the vets? 2. Aqua Dog swimmers of the month 3. New Year's Resolution - how much to feed 4. Choosing a second pet: the more the merrier 5. Octavia feels a bit seedy 6. Zoom in for a Groom 7. Puppy Preschool is the beginning of a beautiful friendship 8. The Australian love affair with cats |
|||
|
|
1. What's happening for your pets down at the vets? Embrace the New Year! We're going to say goodbye to all the indulgences of the Festive Season and Embrace the New Year with a real focus on Health & Fitness! Good nutrition and regular exercise improves our quality of life and it's the same for your pets. As the saying goes “You are what you eat”. Have you thought about your pet's diet lately? Are you feeding your pet the best food you can? We recommend feeding a premium food. Premium foods are made with the best ingredients, contain no fillers and actively contribute to improving the health of dogs and cats. Feeding premium food is actually economical considering a bag of premium pet food goes twice as far as other foods. Once again, this is because there are no fillers and so you only have to feed small quantities. Make the switch to premium food today and ask us how to save 10% with our Hills Science Diet reward program. Of course a balanced diet goes hand in hand with good exercise. Did you know that 10mins of swimming is equivalent to a least an hour of walking? That's why AquaDog Health & Fitness Centre is a great place for fun & fitness for your dog. Swimming your dog twice weekly at AquaDog will ensure they are slimmer, fitter and healthier faster than just taking them for a walk. Wishing you and your pets a New Year full of good Health, Fun and Fitness and many happy summer days of play with special friends and family. Except for being Closed on New Years Day, our normal opening hours will apply for January. For after hours and emergency veterinary care, please call the clinic and listen to the message for contacts details. Back to top |
||
|
|
2. Aqua Dog swimmers of the month Spot & Phoenix are ten year old beagles that swim together at AquaDog for fun and fitness every week. When they first started swimming at AquaDog they were both a bit on the tubby side and Phoenix had arthritis in her front paw. As swimming is non weight bearing, no strain is put on bones or joints while they are exercising, making fitness and weight loss even safer in the AquaDog pool. Thanks to swimming at AquaDog, Spot and Phoenix are both safely down to their ideal goal weights. These two little girls just love coming to the pool each week and always rush in barking to let everyone know that they are here! AquaDog is next door to our Nerang clinic. Why not unleash your dogs fitness? Ask us about an introductory swim for your dog this new year. For more information click here Back to top |
||
|
|
3. New Year's Resolution - how much to feed Looking for a New Year's resolution? One of the best things you can do for your pet this year is to feed the right amount of food. Feeding the right amount can add many happy years to your pet's life. Working out how much to feed can be confusing, but we can help. Here's how: Know your pet's weight: this is something that can be done every time you visit us and we'll record it. Knowing your pet's weight has many advantages: it helps you work out how much food to feed and any significant changes in weight can be investigated. Follow directions: refer to the food packet for how much to feed. Following directions is especially important if feeding premium food, which we recommend. Premium foods require very small meals; sometimes half that of poorer quality dry foods and a fraction of canned foods. Free cup measures are available at the clinic. Adjust for bones: if feeding other foods such as bones, remember to reduce the amount of premium food provided to avoid over feeding. Our front desk staff are well qualified in this area and will be happy to help. Back to top |
||
|
|
4. Choosing a second pet: the more the merrier We are often asked whether we think it a good idea to get a second pet. In almost every case the overwhelming response is YES. In fact, the ideal number is probably three pets, but depending on the council, this may require a special permit. Three is ideal because it allows there to be a young, middle aged and older pet reflecting the natural order in the pack. Getting a second pet is a great step as it will provide friendship and company for your existing pet. They play together, get less upset when you leave the house and dogs love running in the park with a friend. When choosing your second pet the key things are: 1. Choose on behaviour, not looks. You need a pet that will fit your lifestyle. If you choose on looks, you may not choose the best pet for you and your family 2. Take your time and plan for the new addition. It's worth sitting down with your family and writing a “Pet Description” of what you want. Consider the following: • Trainability – do you want your pet to respond to basic commands or are you looking for something more, such as agility training? • Aggression – Do you want a dog that is good with kids or a guard dog? • Responsiveness – Do you want a chilled out pet or one that is full of beans? • Physical requirements – is coat type or size of pet an issue? Do you live in a flat? If so, are you prepared to provide the necessary exercise? 3. Seek expert advice from those without a vested interest in a particular breed. Ask us first. We see thousands of dogs a year and know where the good pets are coming from. Others to consult are groomers, trainers and park rangers. We look forward to helping you choose your next pet! Back to top |
||
|
|
5. Octavia feels a bit seedy Haircuts for long haired cats are a godsend in summer because they help them keep cool and prevent knots and mats from forming. Cats feel so much better afterwards; even if they do look a bit strange! Leaving a haircut till late in the season is not usually a problem, but in Octavia's case, it caused a great deal of fuss and bother. Octavia is a Chinchilla cross. Chinchilla's are infamous for having a long coat that forms knots if not brushed every day. Octavia began limping just after Christmas and her parents, Barb and Jim felt under her arms and discovered a couple of big hair mats. They booked her in to have them removed. When cats like Octavia are groomed, they are usually sedated. At the pre-sedation exam by the vet, it was noticed that under one armpit there was a swelling and discharge coming from under the hair mat. To investigate this fully, Octavia was given a full general anaesthetic rather than the light sedation used in grooming. Under the left armpit was a nasty shock; a grass seed had buried itself under the skin causing a pussy abcess to form. This was surgically removed, the wound cleaned and Octavia put on antibiotics to control the infection. Grass seeds can bury themselves deeply, sometimes tracking 10-20 cm inside the body. Octavia recovered well but Barb and Jim are now on guard. They have booked in a regular groom to prevent this happening again to their beautiful cat. For both cats and dogs, be on the look out this summer for grass seeds. When you're patting your pet, do a quick check, paying attention especially to the eyes, ears, feet and armpits. Remove any seeds you can see and report swellings to us. Back to top |
||
|
|
6. Zoom in for a Groom The Vets at Nerang and Helensvale is a great place for your pet to cool off and get a stylish new look for summer. Our professional pet stylist, Lisa is available now to help your dogs shed that unnecessary coat for some great carefree summer days of play. Just call us for an appointment. Wishing, your pets no more bad hair days, just carefree summer days of play. Embrace the New Year special! Zoom in for a groom and receive 50% off an Introductory Swim at AquaDog Health & Fitness Centre. Back to top |
||
|
|
7. Puppy Preschool is the beginning of a beautiful friendship Puppy Preschool is where we "Love, Listen, Laugh and Learn". It's a fun way for puppies and families to learn all the skills required for a rewarding life together. Under the expert guidance of our qualified nurses, families can enjoy being involved in developing their new puppy's social skills to ensure they become polite and well behaved canine citizens. Our 4 week program includes a puppy water safety class at our indoor swimming facility, AquaDog Health & Fitness Centre. For more information click here Congratulations to our recent graduates: At Nerang Tuesday night: Eeyore Rodino, Ashby McGregor, Lilly Taylor, Pepper Taylor, Molly Lengsfeld, Kiara Woolnough, Tinto Woolnough, Mojo Alderdre, Billy Burton. At Helensvale Monty Riding, Brie Ferguson, Lewy Bryant, Diesel Jordon – Merrick, Bella Martin, Sophie Scholz, Jet Carr, Pippa Leech, Elvis Alaiagh, At Arundel Last month's class graduation was deferred until later this month. Stay tuned for next graduation announcement in next months newsletter. Thank you to all the enthusiastic puppy students and their dedicated parents for sharing the experience with lots of love and laughter. Back to top |
||
|
|
8. The Australian love affair with cats This Australia Day, we're looking at a national phenomena; our love affair with cats. We have more pets per capita than any where else in the world and 26% of homes have a cat. How did we develop such a strong attraction to cats? It all started with a man called Matthew Flinders. The first man to circumnavigate our great southern land, he went everywhere with a cat called Trim. They even went to jail together! [The French locked them up during the Napoleonic Wars.] To see more click here Early settlers were keen to bring as much of England to their new home Australia as possible. Along with oak trees and rabbits, cats were an important part of this connection with the mother country. Since then, cats have increasingly become important members of Australian families. While dogs provide us with unconditional love, cats offer something else. They will love you absolutely but they are also their own individual, with a character that can be quirky, funny and often very stubborn. At the end of the day, it's their strength of character that wins the hearts and minds of even the toughest people. As one famous vet said, "Cats teach you to be humble and compassionate". So on this Australia Day, let's raise our glasses to our cats: may they live long happy lives and continue to be a part of our families for many years to come. Back to top |
The Vets Nerang Unit 5/90 Spencer Road Nerang 4211 ph 5596 2322 fx 5596 0549 Helensvale Unit 7/14 Sir John Overall Drive Helensvale 4212 ph 5529 8011 fx 5529 4133 www.thevets.com.au |
|
|