No
kill animal shelters?
Did
you know that there are animal shelters with a "no kill"
policy? Shelters such as the NSW Animal Rescue at Toongabbie (02-9896
3287) or the Animal Welfare League on the Gold Coast (07-3807
3782) have a strict no kill policy. If you believe that shelters
should operate this way, please support them with donations or
check with them first when you, your friends, or relatives are
looking for a new pet.
How
do citronella anti-barking collars work?
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ABS
Anti-Barking Collar
A harmless Citronella spray collar that conditions your dog to
stop nuisance barking, 100% safe and painless for all Dogs, Humans
and the Environment.
How does it work? Every time your dog barks, the electronic bark-sensing
unit releases a painless spray of citronella in front of the dog's
snout. Your dog hears it, sees it, feels it, and smells it! At
the first spray of citronella, your dog's natural curiosity will
be to seek the origin of the new odour. The dog will very quickly
learn that when he or she barks, ABS Anti-Barking Collar Sprays!
Through this harmless conditioned reflex, ABS
Anti-Barking Collar discourages your dog from barking. In
a few days, the dog learns to keep quiet while wearing the collar
and concentrate on more normal activities. No more trouble with
the neighbours!
ABS
Anti-Barking Collar, a self-sufficient product, requires no human
intervention; it will work even if you are not there. Should you
want to reverse the effects of ABS Anti-Barking Collar, just stop
using the device. Ultimately, the animal can be trained to cease
barking without having to wear the device. ABS Anti-Barking Collar
is the only humane solution to the problem of nuisance barking.
Fireworks,
thunder and pets
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Thunderstorms
and fireworks may provide an entertaining sound and light show
for humans but for pets they can be terrifying. Sadly, the reaction
of many dogs and cats is to try and out run the noise –
and they run, and run and run. In their frantic efforts they may
get hit by a car or end up in a strange environment suburbs away
and not be able to find their way home.
Many dogs
will damage themselves and surroundings as they try to chew their
way to freedom to escape the noise.
After every
thunderstorm or fireworks display "Lost and Found" columns
will list many lost dogs and cats and animal welfare shelters
know their admittance figures will climb steeply.
Owners should
plan how to keep their pet safe in advance of any advertised fireworks
display or forecast thunderstorm activity.
Ensure that
your pet wears a collar and tag with contact details and/or is
microchipped. This enables your pet to be quickly re-united with
you if it escapes.
Keep your
dog and cat inside in familiar surroundings. The pet needs to
feel safe and is less stressed if you remain with it.
Do not console
the pet as this can make it believe you are also worried. Remain
calm and cheerful and act normal.
Never chastise
your pet for being scared. Close the curtains or blinds to hide
the flashes from fireworks or lightning.
Play music
or put the radio or tv on to help drown out the noise.
Play games
with your pet to distract it.
If you have
a dog with a thunder storm phobia it can be difficult to manage
at times when you are absent and, as we all know, weather forecasts
are not 100% accurate and unexpected storms happen.
Ensuring that
your pet is identified and that your yard is escape proof helps
minimize risk to your pet.
Your local
veterinarian may be able to suggest behaviour modification techniques
to help overcome thunder or fireworks fear but these are a long
term strategy and not an overnight fix. De-sensitizing the pet
to fireworks and thunder saves it from suffering a great deal
of distress.
Never take
your dog to a fireworks display or to areas in proximity. Noise
from fireworks can be heard over a long distance and fireworks
displays in other suburbs may upset your pet.
If the worst
happens and your pet goes missing check all the nooks and crannies
first to make sure it isn't hiding somewhere. Cats are very clever
at hiding away and ignoring your calls. Once you are sure the
pet is missing, door knock your neighbours and ask them to check
their yards, sheds and under their houses.
Phone your
local Council and animal welfare shelters and ask them to record
details of your missing pet. Phone your local veterinarians as
if it has been injured it may be taken to their surgery.
Having taken
these initial steps to see if the pet is in your immediate neighbourhood
it is time to widen the search if it hasn't been found.
A "flyer"
with a description of the pet and a photo if possible, should
be drawn up, photocopied and distributed. Dogs can run quite a
distance in a few hours so expand your search into neighbouring
suburbs. Place advertisements in Lost and Found in the newspapers.
It is better to put only a description of the pet and the date
rather than the area in which the pet is lost. A finder may believe
it is not your pet if they have found it in a different suburb.
Visit all
the animal welfare shelters and Council pounds in surrounding
areas every few days and ask to look through the pens. Do not
depend on phone calls to ascertain whether your pet is in the
shelter or pound. Your description of the pet may be quite different
to how someone else views it.
Article
printed courtesy of Petnet
Keep
the backyard safe for your pet
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Backyards
and pets are part of the Australian lifestyle. The majority of
Australians live in the suburbs in a home with a backyard and
almost two-thirds of Australians also own a pet. Keeping the dog
secure in its own backyard protects it from the dangers of vehicle
accidents on the street and the number of pets presenting to veterinarians
with road accident injuries has dropped significantly over the
years. Sadly however, accidents in the backyard still occur.
Pool safety
for children is at the forefront of most pool owners and parents
minds but many pet owners do not recognize the danger pools may
be to their pets. Dogs and cats which fall or jump into pools
are often unable to find their way out again, or if there are
no steps, unable to get out and finally become exhausted and drown.
Just as with young children, young puppies and kittens drown very
quickly. While pool fences are made with verticle rails to prevent
children climbing, often the rails are far enough apart to allow
a small family pet to squeeze through.
Seedlings
are a smorgasbord for snails and slugs and avid gardeners are
very keen to protect their plants. To be appetising to snails
and slugs, the snail bait must be more appetising than the seedlings,
and it is unfortunate that the same ingredients that appeal to
snails also appeal to dogs.
All
manufacturers of snail killers print on the packets warnings of
the danger of the products to pets. Unfortunately every year many
pets still die from snail bait poisoning. Gardeners who own pets
should take every care to ensure that their pet, or their neighbour's
pet, does not have access to the areas where the bait has been
placed.
Placing the
bait inside an upturned terracotta pot with a small "doorway"
broken into it to allow the snails access, or placing the bait
down a narrow terracotta pipe placed on its side can also lessen
the chances of a pet eating the bait. None of these methods should
be relied upon as a safeguard against poisoning.
Gardeners
who wish to keep their pets safer and at the same time as kill
snails would be better to adopt one of the non toxic methods.
Snail traps can be built by placing a terracotta saucer of beer
in the garden patch. The snails are rather partial to a drop of
ale and will climb the sides of the saucer to reach the beer,
drink their fill and then fall in and are unable to climb the
sides to get out again. Pets which are suspected to have eaten
snail bait should be taken immediately to the nearest veterinary
clinic. Prompt veterinary attention is essential if the pet is
to have any chance of surviving.
Gardeners
must also take care to keep poisonous chemicals, such as insecticides
and fertilisers, away from pets. Pets are best restricted from
sprayed areas of the garden, including lawns which have been chemically
fertilised.
Most people
are aware that the beautiful oleander is a deadly poison but so
are many others. Bulbs often prove an attractive toy for puppies
and or adult dogs, particularly those who love to play with a
ball. Daffodils, Jonquils, Tulips, Spider Lilies, Nerines,and
Crocus bulbs are all poisonous.
Burning Bush,
Castor Oil Plant, Daphne, Foxglove, Golden Chain, Ivy, Larkspur,
Lily of the Valley, Mock Orange, Monkshood, Mountain Laurel, Rhododendron
and Sweet Peas are among other plants which are poisonous.
If the dog
or cat eats a plant which you suspect may be poisonous contact
your local veterinarian immediately. If you are unsure of the
identity of the plant your local nursery will be able to assist.
Article
printed courtesy of Petnet
Pets:
The key to elderly health and happiness
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The
role of pets in alleviating loneliness and preventing illness
will become more significant as our population ages and pressure
on the healthcare system mounts.
According
to Dr Joanne Righetti, Animal Behaviour Consultant, caring for
a pet has scientifically been proven to alleviate loneliness and
depression, reduce illness, lower the risk of heart disease, relieve
stress and aid recovery from illness and surgery.
Some of the
ways in which the 'golden' touch of pets is currently being used
in Australia to benefit the elderly is through visiting or live-in
pets in hospitals and nursing homes and a program that helps elderly
people look after their pet in their own home.
"While
these health and well-being benefits extend across all age-groups
they are particularly important in the burgeoning elderly population
where the likelihood of living without human companions increases,
and with it, loneliness and illness" Dr Righetti said.
It is evident
that in this age group pets have a significant role to play in
increasing quality of life.
Centre Manager
at the Villa Maria Society's O'Neill Age Care Residence in Prahran,
Victoria, Mrs Jill Segan, cannot imagine life at the centre without
their resident canine friend, one-year old Labrador Retriever,
Sally.
Sally was
trained at the Royal Guide Dogs Association of Australia for the
Pets As Therapy program.
"Having
Sally at O'Neill has dramatically increased the quality of life
for many of our residents" Mrs Segan said.
"She
has a lovely nature and is wonderful at drawing the residents
out and getting people, who are generally not very interactive,
smiling and talking to her and to other residents as well. For
others, she provides activity and exercise with ball games and
grooming, or simply pleasant, nostalgic companionship" Mrs
Segan said.
Sally is the
Centre's second dog, their first dog, Brandy, died at the age
of ten, after eight year's loving service.
"When
Brandy died, one of our more introverted residents, who hardly
ever spoke to anyone at the Centre, walked-up to reception and
surprised everyone by demanding, "Where’s the dog?"
Mrs Segan recalled.
To assist
the elderly in caring for their pets at home Victoria's City of
Port Phillip council last year launched Petlinks as part of their
Home and Community Care Program. The program helps elderly people
gain the full benefit from animal companionship while remaining
in their own home.
Petlinks matches
volunteers with elderly people who need assistance in looking
after their pet. The program has been so successful in the Port
Phillip area that a training and implementation manual has been
developed and is now available to other councils.
"Numerous
international studies have found that animals can effectively
intervene the process of ageing and increase the physical, social
and psychological quality of life in old age. They can also significantly
reduce the stress and grief associated with losing a spouse or
loved one" Dr Righetti said.
Australia
is currently home to 3.8 million dogs and 2.7 million cats but
the 65+ age group is the least likely to own a pet.
A recent study
found that the annual national health cost savings resulting from
the health and well being benefits pet owners gain could be up
to $1.5 billion.
Article
printed courtesy of Petnet
Links
to Pet and Pet Care Web Sites
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Pet
Direct - www.petdirect.com.au
Petnet
- www.petnet.com.au
