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January 2005 edition - Happy New Year!
1. Aquadog Health & Fitness 2. Tell us what you think & win a family pass to Sea World! 3. New Year's Resolution 4. How Pet Insurance works 5. Heart disease - keep an eye on the puffing 6. Training - On the Mat 7. True Blue pets |
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1. Aquadog Health & Fitness Aquadog Health and Fitness is opening in early 2005! Next door to Coast & Country Vets - Nerang - cnr Pappas Way & Spencer Rd A pool specifically designed for the needs of our four pawed friends with easy access ramps in/out of the pool : Behaviour solutions Acupuncture and Chiropractics Physiotherapy Fun/recreational swimming Hydrotherapy Chubby checkers weight loss Sensational Senior care Puppy pre-school swimmers class Do it yourself Hydrobath Our professional team are trained specifically in the area of animal care. Trained veterinary nurses will assist swimming dogs. Come along and join in the fun!! p.s. our pool is pre-set at the ideal temperature for our doggy friends. Back to top |
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2. Tell us what you think & win a family pass to Sea World! We'd like to know what you think of our new email newsletter. Please tell us by clicking on the button below and we'll put you in the draw to win an awesome prize - a family pass to Sea World on the Gold Coast! You can go on heaps of hair raising rides and adventures, visit Polar Bear Shores - or Shark Bay if you're game! Get in quick and tell us your ideas because the competition will be hot. To enter, get your boardies on and slap on some sunscreen and then click on the button below. Back to top |
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3. New Year's Resolution Looking for a New Year's Resolution? Here's one Spend quality, focused time with your pets at least once a day. This might sound simple, but it's a real commitment and one they will love you for. If you lead a busy life with kids, work or sport, it's easy to pass a whole day with barely a "hello" to your pets. This isn't great for you or your pets. Here are some ideas: Cats: As cats spend more of their time inside it's easy for them to become bored. Think of a game you can play every day it only need take 5 minutes: · Fish on a string toy dangly toys on the end of a rod are great fun. Cats love to hunt the dangly toy and the soft material is ideal for sinking claws into. This is a terrific way to burn off excess energy as the cat leaps and darts around. · Kitty Kongs the cat version of the well known dog toy. Stuff with delicious treats such as dried liver, barbeque chicken or cat nip. · Simulate hunting: scatter dry food around the house or garden rather than putting it in the bowl cats love the challenge. Dogs: Commit to walking your dog once a day. This encourages both of you to exercise and once you're into a routine, it's really quite fun. You get out and about in all weather and it may even provide the catalyst to make new friends [it's amazing how people start talking once their dogs say hi to each other]. Back to top |
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4. How Pet Insurance works We hope it will never happen to you, but pets do have accidents or suffer unexpected illness. These by their very nature are unpredictable, and in addition to the trauma the pet has to go through, tend to happen at the worst times. One way to create some peace of mind is to enrol your pet in health insurance. The major pet health insurance companies will cover approximately 80% [up to $5000] of the cost of treatment for unexpected illness or injury. Pet owners increasingly demand higher standards for the care of their pets and veterinary science responds by offering the most advanced care available. Not many dogs will require a hip replacement and few cats a kidney transplant, but if a pet is unfortunate enough to be hit by a car or suffer other severe illness, the resulting care may involve intensive care, surgery, pathology and radiography. For those that use pet health insurance, it gives a piece of mind that all will be ok in the event of an accident or unexpected illness. There are several different policies available. To find out more, call us and we'll take you through the options. Back to top |
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5. Heart disease - keep an eye on the puffing On hot summer days, dogs will puff and pant as they strive to keep themselves cool. It's part of what they do. However, if you notice your dog is panting more than normal, there may be an underlying heart or lung problem. Heart disease is relatively common in dogs especially as they get older and hot weather tends to make this more noticeable. Things to look out for include: · Panting more than normal · Slow recovery from exercise or an unwillingness to exercise in the first place · Coughing especially after resting or in the mornings Cats rarely pant they tend to keep their cool a lot better. Any laboured breathing is to be treated seriously and should be discussed with us. The key with heart disease is to diagnose it early. If you are at all concerned, let us know. We will examine your pet thoroughly and suggest a course of action. This may include taking radiographs and utilising ultrasound imaging to identify the exact problem. From there, we employ the best medications available to manage the condition. With early intervention, treatments are often very effective. Finally, remember that 'prevention is easier than cure' so to keep your pet healthy its wise to feed a good quality, lower salt food such as Hill's Science Diet. Excess dietary salt found in some lower quality pet foods may exacerbate heart problems by contributing to high blood pressure. For more information click here. Back to top |
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6. Training - On the Mat Teaching your dog to sit on a mat is not a new idea but it's very useful. It gives the dog a sense of security and helps to keep your home in a semblance of order. To view a short video click please click here [filesize 1.7Mb] The steps are: Keep the mat in the same position as your dog is learning this command. It will help your dog to associate the mat with his or her area. · Choose a verbal and visual cue such as pointing to the mat while saying mat. · Bring your dog inside [it may be necessary to be on a lead to begin with], walk to the mat and use your cues. When your dog's feet touch the mat, reward with a food treat and praise. Repeat this numerous times so your dog begins to associate your visual and verbal cues [along with the rewards] with the action of being on the mat. · To encourage a longer stay on the mat, continue to give food rewards while your dog is restful on the mat. Gradually increase the time between rewards while your dog remains settled. If your dog moves from the mat, cease any rewards immediately, avoid eye contact until he returns to the mat then immediately reward. The key is to gradually increase the duration of stay on the mat. Don't expect your dog to be sitting and staying on his mat for 5 minutes if you haven't worked up to this length of time. Training tips are courtesy of Erin Mathieson, a Delta Society Australia qualified Canine Good Citizen Instructor. For more information click here. Back to top |
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7. True Blue pets The Australian Mist Once called the Spotted Mist, this is the only cat breed created in Australia. It was forged by mixing moggies with Burmese and Abyssinians. The product is a beautiful, gentle cat. The coat is short and dense like a Burmese and comes in a range of colours, all with the spotted look. They are terrific with kids and cope with a busy household, always eager to play games and get into mischief. The Blue Heeler Known officially as the Australian Cattle Dog, the Blue Heeler has its origins in the bush. Bred to work cattle in both the yards and in the paddock, this dog is stocky, gutsy and hard working. They are beautiful to look at but their temperament really demands that they are given a lot to do. They make the ideal pet for people, such as tradespeople, who can take their dogs to work. They're about as Aussie as you get - up there with Tim Tams and Vegemite. The Budgerigar Probably Australia's most famous pet export in terms of numbers, the budgie is found in homes across the globe. Ideally suited to being a pet, the small and hardy but delightful bird comes in a multitude of colours. They are inexpensive to buy and are known for their whistle some will even talk! If you're interested in getting a purebred pet, please speak to us first. We can help you through the peculiar maze of the breeding world. 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 |
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