DOGS AND CATS INFORMATION
CARE FOR YOUR NEW PUP Ideally feed your pup a food that is free of chemicals, preservatives and high amounts of grain or carbohydrates. For more information about a well balanced raw food diet please see our information sheet. Nutrition With pups always change their diet gradually as they can get tummy upsets from sudden diet changes ie. Mix ¼ of the new food with ¾ of their old food for a couple of days, then ½ and ½ for a couple of days, etc. Fleas and worms can be extremely harmful parasites. Not only do they cause a tremendous amount of irritation but they are also responsible for health problems such as ea allergies, sore tummies, diarrhea and they are capable of infesting young animals so severely that they can cause them to be anemic and very sick. Feeding your pup a healthy, wholesome and wellbalanced diet will help it to stay in good health. Dogs are naturally carnivores and depend on good quality protein and fat to keep them t and strong Worm & Flea treatment There are a number of ways to reduce worm and ea burdens numbers. Firstly supporting your pet’s immune system with good nutrition will go a long way to making them less tasty to eas and more able to defend against worm burdens. Regular treatment with worm and ea products are important to help keep your pet healthy. Some products are of much better quality than others and there are some products that can have toxic side effects so be sure to check with your vet what the most user friendly option for your pet is. With eas, environmental control is very important as typically the number of eas on any dog or cat is only the tip of the ice berg reecting a much greater ea population in the animal’s environment of both adult and immature eas. Therefore addressing the environment is a very important component of ea control. Immature eas can be destroyed by regularly hanging pet bedding out in the sunshine, thoroughly vacuuming carpets on a regular basis and sprinkling them with borax or diatomaceous earth afterwards. Pups should be dewormed every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old and then once a month until they are 6 months old. A Faecal Egg Count (FEC) is a test that we can do to see if worms are present, what types they are and whether treatments are needed or are working.
CARE FOR YOUR NEW PUP continued Taking your puppy to the vet for a check up between six and eight weeks of age will give you the opportunity to come to an informed decision that you’re comfortable with about what vaccines to use for your pup. Desexing Unfortunately pet overpopulation is a huge animal welfare issue worldwide and many animals are abandoned, aren’t adequately cared for or can’t be rehomed by animal shelters leading to millions being euthanized each year. Desexing is an important tool to help address this issue. Desexed dogs are less likely to have territorial behaviors and get into ghts, which is important in helping to reduce injury and the need to see the vet. Desexing can be done as young as 8-10 weeks of age but as with any surgical procedure there are risks involved and the timing of the procedure can be important. For more information please refer to our Desexing information sheet. Pet Insurance Sometimes health problems develop suddenly and often unexpectedly and especially for occasions such as these, pet health insurance can be invaluable. A good Pet Health Insurance Plan will cover basic health checks as well as major health issues which may crop up. Ideally choose a pet health insurance plan that covers complementary and natural therapies in addition to all the benets of conventional veterinary medicine and surgery so that you can easily give your pet all the healthcare options that they may need. Socialization Dogs that are used to people and other animals are well socialized. Before the age of 4 months is the most important time to expose your puppy to people and other animals and help them to become well-adjusted, condent and friendly individuals. A microchip is approximately the size of a grain of rice. It is inserted under the skin usually between the shoulder blades and offers a reliable means of identifying an animal. This can be a fantastic help when an animal has been found and it has no collar or other identifying features and when the microchip is listed on the national database, it is relatively easy to reunite an animal with their owner. Microchipping can be done at any age but it is a council requirement for dogs to be registered and ideally microchipped at 3 months of age unless they are working dogs. Vaccinating you puppy can be an important way of helping to prevent serious life threatening diseases like parvo-virus. A vaccination is a means of giving the body a much less severe form of a disease than it could potentially contract. This primes the immune system to be prepared for the disease and enables the body to mount an effective enough defence so that the animal doesn’t become severely ill when exposed to the real thing. Homeopathic vaccines are available but don’t carry the scientic weight that our conventional vaccines do in terms of efcacy, however negative reactions to these gentle remedies aren’t an issue. From a holistic point of view, the best support that we can give our animals’ immune system is to nourish them properly, live cleanly and respect the environment that we live in. Vaccination has its place, but each animal needs to be assessed individually and the benets of a vaccination protocol versus potential negatives carefully weighed up. Any vaccine is only as good as the host’s response to it and this requires an animal to have a healthy immune system. This is a big reason why vaccines sometimes fail to provide immunity. As with any medication, there are potential negative effects associated with vaccines such as vaccine reactions. There is also evidence that over vaccination contributes to the development of autoimmune conditions and other degenerative diseases. Microchipping Vaccination and Regular Health Checks
CARE FOR YOUR NEW KITTEN It is useful to have a bed or special blanket in a designated place in the house that is quiet and peaceful where your new pet can escape to when it feels threatened by other pets, children or visitors. Nutrition Ideally feed your kitten / cat a food that is free of chemicals, preservatives and high amounts of grain or carbohydrates. For more information about a well balanced raw food diet please see our information sheet. With kittens always change their diet gradually as they are prone to getting tummy upsets from sudden diet changes ie. Mix ¼ of the new food with ¾ of their old food for a couple of days, then ½ and ½ for a couple of days, etc. Feeding your cat a healthy, wholesome and wellbalanced diet will help it to stay in good health. Cats are naturally carnivores and depend on good quality protein and fat to keep them t and strong. Introducing Your Cat to its New Home For the rst 2 weeks in its new home it is important to keep your cat / kitten indoors so that it can become settled in its new environment. Cats and kittens that are let outside too early are likely to wander and become lost. Worm & Flea treatment Fleas and worms can be extremely harmful parasites. Not only do they cause a tremendous amount of irritation but they are also responsible for health problems such as ea allergies, sore tummies, diarrhea and they are capable of infesting young animals so severely that they can cause them to be anemic and very sick. There are a number of ways to reduce worm and ea burdens numbers. Firstly supporting your pet’s immune system with good nutrition will go a long way to making them less tasty to eas and more able to defend against worm burdens. Regular treatment with worm and ea products are important to help keep your pet healthy. Some products are of much better quality than others and there are some products that can have toxic side effects so be sure to check with your vet what the most user friendly option for your pet is. With eas, environmental control is very important as typically the number of eas on any dog or cat is only the tip of the ice berg reecting a much greater ea population in the animal’s environment of both adult and immature eas. Therefore addressing the environment is a very important component of ea control. Immature eas can be destroyed by regularly hanging pet bedding out in the sunshine, thoroughly vacuuming carpets on a regular basis and sprinkling them with borax or diatomaceous earth afterwards.
CARE FOR YOUR NEW KITTEN continued Kittens should be dewormed every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old and then once a month until they are 6 months old. A Faecal Egg Count (FEC) is a test that we can do to see if worms are present, what types they are and whether treatments are needed or are working. Unfortunately pet overpopulation is a huge animal welfare issue worldwide and many animals are abandoned, aren’t adequately cared for or can’t be rehomed by animal shelters leading to millions being euthanized each year. Desexing is an important tool to help address this issue. Desexed cats are less likely to have territorial behaviors and get into ghts, which is important in helping to reduce their injuries and the need to see the vet. Desexing can be done as young as 8-10 weeks of age but as with any surgical procedure there are risks involved. For more information please refer to our Desexing information sheet. Microchipping A microchip is approximately the size of a grain of rice. It is inserted under the skin usually between the shoulder blades and offers a reliable means of Vaccinating your kitten / cat can be an important way of helping to prevent serious life threatening diseases like panleukopenia and it can help to reduce cat u. Other diseases such as FIV (Feline Aids) and Feline Leukemia may be considered depending on risk factors. If your kitten or cat has received a vaccination, its vaccination booklet will indicate when a booster vaccination is recommended. Most vaccinations hold for 3 years but an annual health check is recommended to help keep your pet in top health and pick up any health issues early on. Desexing Vaccination and Regular Health Checks identifying an animal. This can be a fantastic help when an animal has been found and it has no collar or other identifying features and when the microchip is listed on the national database, it is relatively easy to reunite an animal with their owner. Microchipping can be done at any age Pet Insurance Sometimes health problems develop suddenly and often unexpectedly and especially for occasions such as these, pet health insurance can be invaluable. A good Pet Health Insurance Plan will cover basic health checks as well as major health issues which may crop up. Ideally choose a pet health insurance plan that covers complementary and natural therapies in addition to all the benets of conventional veterinary medicine and surgery so that you can easily give your pet all the healthcare options that they may need. Cats and Wildlife Looking after your cat responsibly ensuring that they are well cared for and do not threaten wildlife is an important part of helping to preserve our natural heritage. Here are some tips on how you can help: l For those cats that do hunt wildlife, a bell may be being caught. l Keep your cat inside at night so that it is less likely need to hunt placed on their collar to help warn native wildlife quality food l Ensure that your cat always has access to good about the cats’ presence. Another option is a special “cat bib” that can help to prevent wildlife them to fend for themselves and it is a threat to our have a new cat desexed. wildlife. to prey on wildlife (and get into ghts) l Never abandon unwanted cats. It is unfair to leave l Unless you are a responsible cat breeder, always l Provide toys and regular playtime so that your cat is well entertained and exercised and less likely to
DENTAL HEALTH AND YOUR PET Bacteria then have the potential to enter the bloodstream and to lodge in major organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver leading to organ failure or systemic infections. In its attempt to prevent this from happening, the body launches its next line of immune defence. The constant battle between the body's immune system and these invading bacteria drains the body of important resources and the inammatory cycle that is set up causes the production of free radicals which act like hot cinders ying off a home re into the surrounding carpet do and cause cellular damage. One of the major foundations of health is a healthy oral cavity. This is the place where nourishing the body begins as food is taken in and begins to be broken down and digested making valuable nutrients available. In our modern world, dental disease is one of the biggest dis-eases affecting our furry friends. Sore teeth and gums are not only uncomfortable but set up a cascade of events that lead to further deterioration of our pets' health. With improper dental hygiene, excessive amounts of unhealthy types of bacteria accumulate in the mouth, attaching to tooth surfaces which lead to the formation of dental calculus or tartar. These provide a greater surface area for more bacteria to accumulate in ever deepening pockets where toxins are produced and more bacteria multiply leading to gum inammation or gingivitis and is usually the origin of putrid smelling breath. With a well balanced diet the body will have a normal pH and the right nutrients available to ensure that minerals in saliva are available to maintain and repair teeth and that the mouth environment is inhospitable for the proliferation of pathological (disease causing) bacteria. Good dental care, which includes care of your whole animal will add many quality years to your pet's life and is an investment which is well worthwhile. It's never too late to start! Together with the local tissue destruction, this cumulative damage, over time can contribute to systemic degenerative diseases such as cancer and auto-immune disease. Dogs and cats have sharp triangular teeth and jaws designed for cutting, dicing and crushing, not for chewing as herbivores such as horses and ruminants that have large at teeth with jaws that grind from side to side do. There are many commercial foods, chew toys and even pet toothpastes and toothbrushes advertising their essential contribution to your pet's health. But despite this, dental disease still proliferates and often painful and diseased teeth need to be extracted and vets routinely do tooth scaling and polishing under anaesthetic to help maintain a healthy oral cavity. Common signs of dental disease include bad breath, red gums, the avoidance of harder foods, repetitive lip licking, drooling and sometimes weight loss, increased drinking and lethargy. When our pets are fed a healthy well balanced diet containing fresh raw meat and raw bones from a young age, as Mother Nature intended, dental disease is rare and generally only occurs in the form of broken teeth due to trauma.
GETTING PETS TO EAT NEW FOODS - A FEW HANDY HINTS As with humans, our pets can become addicted to food that is unhealthy for them. In fact, research has indicated that for humans during early childhood the brain resets the needs of the body according to what foods are consumed during the formative years. This may lead to cravings of these foods later on in life which can be detrimental to health if the food is not nutritious. I believe that this is true to a certain degree with our pets, especially cats that are fed grain based diets as kittens and will only settle for similar foods later on in life which overrides their natural instinct to eat meat. In addition to this some foods have additives or are coated with substances which cause animals to be attracted to the food and eat it even though the nutritional value is poor. Another trick, if they're only keen on biscuits / crumbles, is to crush them up and sprinkle them on the new food. Cats may nd the new food more appealing if you add a few drops of soy sauce. A good way to start, which is also useful for pets that have sensitive stomachs and are easily upset by a change in diet, is to convert them gradually over a 2week period. Start off with 7/8ths old food and 1/8th new food – mix in well, use this for 2 days. For the next 2 days mix ¾'s of the old food with ¼ of the new food. Then for the next 2 days 5/8ths old food and 3/8ths new food... etc. they often gradually make the change. Some animals respond positively if one places a bit of the new food in their mouth, they taste it and decide "OK, this isn't so bad" and then devour the rest. Stroking, patting and praising them while they eat and hand feeding them to get used to the change is a very handy tactic as they're much more amenable to eating when receiving affection. With most pets it is worth persevering, as their longterm health will be greatly enhanced by good nutrition. Some pets end up having their way and won't make the change. For some ill animals, bad eating habits are better than not eating at all, especially if it is in their nal days when quality of life is of utmost importance. When all else fails, try explaining to them that this new food is good for them and will make them feel better. Believe it or not, this has worked in a number of cases! Getting pets, especially fussy cats and certain toy breed dogs, to eat new foods that are healthier for them can be a tedious process but it is generally well worth it in the long run as an animal's health improves in leaps and bounds when their body is given the right balance of nutrients from natural ingredients.
HOW TO GIVE YOUR PET A TABLET middle nger and thumb at each corner of its 1. Hold your cat around the top of its head with your mouth. For a dog hold around its muzzle. Use your left hand if right handed and visa versa. scratches. It’s often easier if you have someone thumb and index nger. Then using the middle throat with your index nger. Then close their nger of the same hand gently pull down on the mouth. 5. Hold their mouth closed while still aiming their chin toward the sky and rub gently under their neck until hold its front legs and body if it wriggles or bottom jaw to open their mouth. they have swallowed. 6. Reward them with affection or a food treat. helping you to hold them. 3. Hold the tablet in your other hand between your 4. Once open, place the tablet at the back of the 2. Point their chin towards the sky and have someone throat and give a quick push of the tablet down the swallow the 2nd with the tablet in it very quickly. If this fails you can invest in a pill popper or try the following: into really tasty pieces of chicken or sh paste. they don’t think there’s something suspicious going 2. Crush the tablet and mix it into some tasty food. the coat and the cat should lick it off as they groom follow this quickly with a 3rd untainted treat. They Feed a small amount rst without any tablet so that on. Next, feed the piece that has the tablet in it and 1. Break the tablet into smaller pieces and sneak it themselves. then be syringed in to their mouth. butter, marmite or vegemite that you can smear on usually focus so intently on the 3rd treat that they 4. Crush the tablet and dissolve it into water which can 3. For cats, crush the tablet and mix it into some
Animals have an itch threshold, basically a line drawn at a certain level which is different for each individual depending on their genetic make-up. There are ve main factors which play a role in causing animals to itch. These are diet, stress, eas, environmental factors and irritation from waxy ears, sore teeth, full anal glands, etc. Other contributors can include hormone imbalances, mites, worms and infections. As a practical rst line of defence we focus on managing the main contributing factors so that the itch threshold is not reached. Conventional medicine then makes use of antibiotics to control the infection and cortisone or antihistamines to suppress the itch as a means of breaking this cycle. The prevention of this scenario is our ultimate goal and to achieve this, we need to address the underlying issues. Nutrition plays a major part. Poor quality food, articial preservatives, allergies to specic proteins and lack of essential fats, vitamins and minerals can all play a role in contributing to the itch. Generally we recommend a natural, raw food diet diet together with the addition of optimal amounts of vitamins, anti-oxidants, minerals and omega 3 fatty acids (natural anti-inammatories) found in high concentrations in ax oil and cold water sh. Sometimes it is necessary to design a special diet to address specic issues. An itchy animal will scratch or chew at themselves causing inammation, leading to a further itch which often progresses to infection and a vicious cycle is established. There are many options available to help a chronically itchy animal, but for long-term success, much time, effort and patience are often necessary. A visit to your vet will help to eliminate other causes of irritation and help you to devise a good management strategy to keep your pet's tail wagging! Stress weakens the immune system and lowers the body's itch threshold. In cats we commonly see itchy skin problems and establish in the history that there is a new tomcat in the area bullying the cat. Stress can also be due to other factors such as a much loved owner going away, a new baby in the house or even a fellow companion no longer being present. Rescue Remedy or Emergency Essence are wonderful remedies to help animals cope with stress. Fleas (and other parasites such as sarcoptic mange) can contribute greatly to an itch, either a few eas or even the saliva from just one eabite ("Freddie the ea" could be hiding somehwere in the house, jump onto your pet for a quick snack and then jump back off leaving many owners sure that eas don't play a role) might cause an itch to last for a couple of weeks. Environmental factors can be difcult to isolate or control for example wandering jew, a plant to which many dogs react with a violent itch. Pollens may also be a primary factor and homeopathics may be used to help manage symptoms. Also, many dogs love playing in the sea but the salty water can cause them to be itchy, it is therefore a good idea to always hose them down with fresh water afterwards. Various shampoos can also create an itch while others are wonderful at helping to soothe irritated skin. It is important to be aware of these factors that may play a role and limit exposure where possible. ITCHY SKIN CONDITIONS
HEALTHY DIETS FOR CATS AND DOGS OR 1. A good quality commercial food that is made up of wholesome ingredients including meat or sh (animal bye-products or meat meal may mean that it’s not actually meat in the food) as the primary ingredient, little if any carbohydrates and no foreign chemicals or preservatives. 2. A well-balanced raw food diet as follows: It provides the basic building blocks that the body needs to function optimally. Good nutrition is rst and foremost in helping your pet to stay healthy! After changing to a wholesome and biologically appropriate diet, many animals show a remarkable improvement in their condition and often, chronic ongoing health problems begin to resolve. A gradual diet change over a 2-week period is recommended (3/4 of the old food with ¼ of the new food for 3 days then ½ and ½ for 3 days, etc.) Feeding a BALANCED diet is vital. This may be achieved with either: DOGS: l 30% vegetables (and fruit), variety is best. These can be lightly steamed or blended up. health issues. l 90% good quality raw meat, sh and eggs. RAW chicken wings/necks or whole sh 3 times a week to provide bone and 1/5th organ meat (liver, kidney and heart). l 50 – 70% good quality raw meat like chicken, whole-wheat bread and muesli may be used to bulk Carbohydrates like pasta, rice (brown, ideally), up the food BUT many dogs do better without gluten and corn in their diet as these can contribute to RAW marrow bones should be fed at least 3 times CATS: They can be steamed and mashed up. mutton, lamb, sh or eggs. RAW chicken necks or a week as well as 1/5th organ meat. l 10% vegetables - yes, most cats eat vegetables! splinter) and the correct size (either too big for them to swallow or they’re small enough not to get 1. The safety of feeding bones – these are usually stuck like a raw chicken neck. Bones can also be crushed up in the food but the chewing action OK as long as the bones are raw (cooked bones Some issues to be aware of regarding the safety of feeding raw food are:
HEALTHY DIETS FOR CATS AND DOGS continued on a high carbohydrate food which depletes the to be crushed up and introduced to the diet helps to maintain dental health. Occasionally some gradually. 2. Bugs like E.coli and Salmonella, which are not a problem if the meat is fresh or frozen. Cats and dogs also have a greater tolerance for these organisms than us humans. Keep your utensils dogs don’t tolerate bones (they can vomit or get a separate from your pets’ for your safety. to digest bones. In these cases, bones may need 3. Parasites such as hydatids are killed after freezing sore tummy), this is often because they have been Hydrochloric Acid in their stomach that’s essential raw meat for 3 days at –20 degrees Celsius or - level and health of the animal but is usually 2 - 3% Tips: evolved to digest them, thus requiring more of the minerals (especially calcium) and vitamins as well feeding chicken which don’t harbour hydatids. get 100-150g per day. Watch your animals’ in raw food, which are very important for good otherwise. Hydatids can be avoided altogether by l RAW bones are very important to provide important 10°C for 7 days. It is illegal to feed raw offal to dogs acids in raw food, which can be transformed into animal's energy. In most cases dogs and cats do l The amount to feed varies according to the activity of bodyweight per day i.e. a 5kg cat or dog should page for more info and risks associated with as keep animals’ teeth clean. ***See previous l Cooked foods take longer to digest as they're not they’re losing condition. best on uncooked food but there are exceptions. Points to bear in mind: wherever possible. the natural way their gastro-intestinal tract has substances that can damage the body. condition and adjust the amount accordingly i.e. bones. health. Heating may also damage essential fatty feed less if they’re gaining weight and more if l Heat destroys vitamins, and antioxidants contained l Organic and Free-Range products are best l Egg yolk should ideally be fed raw to preserve supermarkets and stocked at Holistic Vets www.rawessentials.co.nz provide free, l K9 Naturals and Feline Naturals www.k9natural.co.nz are available at some l Raw Essentials – 525 Maunganui Rd support (stores across NZ) Tauranga, Tel. 07 541 1536 l Out of the Wild Pet Food – In Katikati personalised advice and veterinary nutritional www.outofthewild.co.nz For further information on the great benets of wellbalanced raw food diets have a look at: www.drianbillinghurst.com and www.rawmeatybones.com or read “Give Your Dog a Bone” by Dr. Ian Billinghurst. www.rawpawz.com l Raw Pawz – at Tauranga’s Farmer’s Market l Pet Essentials - 1343 Cameron Rd, Greerton, especially for cats as it contains high amounts of supply valuable minerals and phytonutrients. taurine (essential for cats) as well as other valuable vitamins and important fatty acids, but eggs in any form are a valuable asset to an animal’s diet. l As part of a balanced diet, organ meats such as liver and kidney should be fed as about 1/5 of the meat component. Heart mince is very important, nutrients. l High quality vitamin, mineral and essential fatty acid (EFA) supplements are usually recommended for optimal health. Whole green foods such as Spirulina, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass and Chlorella l Other supplements can be very valuable aids in arthritis, co-enzyme Q10 for heart conditions, etc. l Red meats (beef, venison and lamb) muscle meat associated with allergies and other health problems. l Foods to avoid that are potentially toxic include: raisins, grapes, onions, macadamia nuts and chocolate. many health conditions eg. Glucosamine for Nature knows best and balance is important! may need to be avoided, as they are often Raw Food Stockists: Not all meat available for animals is of good quality. It’s important to buy high quality and reputable products.
DESEX AND YOUR PET First and foremost, desexing is used as an invaluable tool to help combat pet overpopulation, which is a huge animal welfare issue worldwide. An underlying theme in our society is that quality is exchanged for quantity and the massive number of animals that are abandoned, aren't adequately cared for or can't be rehomed by animal shelters leads to millions of dogs and cats being euthanized each year. For most dogs and cats there are a number of very good reasons why it is important to consider desexing. Further to this, there are several factors to take into consideration when electing the most suitable age for your pet to be desexed. Except in very tractable and well-behaved animals, dogs and cats (especially males) who have not been desexed are very driven by their sexual hormones to roam seeking mates, aggressive behavior when defending their territory, or generally, and inappropriate urination or territory marking. Frustration often ensues because the animal's need to express sexual behavior is not met which often escalates to destructive behavior. These behaviors are not only largely unacceptable in our society, but they often lead to injury. It is wonderful and rewarding to witness a litter of kittens or puppies being born. Some pets are used for breeding and are not desexed (a surgical procedure where males have their testes removed and females have their ovaries and usually their uterus removed). Further medical considerations for desexing are mammary cancer, uterine infections, prostatic disease All of these factors make a good case to support the desexing of cats and dogs, especially those living within close connes in an urban environment. But what are the negative points about desexing? Desexing is a straightforward procedure and our modern anesthetics are very safe but complications such as excessive blood loss, infection and drug reactions do occasionally arise. In pre-pubertal animals, the procedure is generally quicker, easier, and less stressful and there is a faster recovery. Research has indicated that a desexed female dog is more likely to suffer from urinary incontinence and for dogs bigger than 20 kg there is an increased risk of joint disorders (hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament disease and elbow dysplasia) if they are desexed before 1 year of age. It has also been suggested that pre-pubertal desexing of dogs may cause an increased incidence of bladder infections and cats may be more inclined to be shy and obese. Dogs usually attain puberty at 7 – 12 months and cats at 4 – 9 months of age. At this point, there is a greater production of sex hormones which are involved with growth and development, helping to promote the maturation of cartilage and assist with calcium deposition in bones. There is concern about some of the long-term health risks of removing the benets of these hormones. and hormonal imbalances. Although they have multifactorial origins, a desexed animal has a much lesser risk of developing these conditions. For the pet population as a whole, it is clear that desexing at a young age is an important practice that is adopted by animal shelters globally. When considering desexing your pet and the many factors relating to their specic needs as individuals, it is important to obtain guidance from your vet to help you to make the appropriate decision for their long-term health.
How long is a dog/cat pregnancy? Counting from the day breeding was likely to have taken place, pregnancy can be conrmed; Breeding dogs and cats can be incredibly rewarding but it can also be an agonizing process involving much heartache when things go wrong. Most pregnancies and deliveries proceed normally; but sometimes emergency veterinary intervention is necessary to save the lives of the mother, the babies or both. It is important that you have some basic knowledge of what to expect with a normal pregnancy, so you'll know when to leave things alone and when to involve your vet. Deciding to breed your dog or cat is a big decision, and places a lot of responsibility on you. Also, when deciding whether or not to breed your pet, it is important to plan ahead nancially. You'll need to set aside funds for health checks as well as for any unexpected emergencies which may arise. As an example, an emergency caesarian section may cost you between $600 and $1500 – so it's best to be prepared for the unexpected! What to Expect When your Pet is Expecting - FAQ Once bred, the average pregnancy lasts 63 days (9 weeks) but this can sometimes vary between 59 - 72 days. What if I'm not sure that she is pregnant? WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOUR PET IS EXPECTING l After day 18 - via ultrasound l After day 26 - by a blood test or sometimes by a best left until day 55 to limit potential harm to the Usually, around 24 hours before giving birth, cats and dogs will make a “nest” in a place they feel will be safe, quiet and comfortable for delivering and nursing a new family. If there is a place you would prefer Mum to deliver, it is best to create this space a week or so before delivery so she has some time to get used to it. l After day 47 - X-rays can be taken to determine The most important need for any pregnant female is top-quality food. She has to support her own body, the growing litter inside of her and make enough milk to feed her litter once they are born. As the pregnancy progresses, and especially while she's nursing, Mum will also need to eat a good deal more than she did before she was pregnant. You can also take your dog's temperature twice a day for the last 2 weeks of her pregnancy. Normal temperature can be anywhere from 37-39 degrees, so keeping a record of your dog's temperature will give you an idea of what her normal temperature is. When this temperature suddenly drops by a whole degree, she will probably give birth in 12-24 hours. How can we tell when she's getting close to giving birth? Does Mum need any special care while she's pregnant? Labour begins when the mother starts having contractions. During this time the mother may appear What is normal labour? hands-on vet examination how many pups / kittens are present but this is young from x-rays.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOUR PET IS EXPECTING continued If there are problems during the birthing process, early intervention can make a life or death difference for the mum and babies. Call the vet if: When to call the vet; Pups and kittens are usually delivered feet and head rst, but it is also normal for the back legs and tail to come out rst. The newborns are usually covered in a membrane which Mum will bite away before she vigorously licks them to stimulate breathing. restless; sometimes she will pace, pant, shiver or even vomit. This can last 6-12 hours. A rst time mother, or a mother who is disturbed by too much attention of activity in the birthing area, may not release the newborn from these membranes. If this happens, it is important that you intervene and do this for her. Gently tear away the membrane and rub the baby vigorously with a warm, clean towel to stimulate them to breathe. Once the baby is breathing, the umbilical cord can be knotted or tied off about 1cm from the newborn, then cut and disinfected. The newborn should be returned to mum as soon as possible. l There is no pup / kitten produced after 30 minutes There should be a placenta or “afterbirth” for each baby, though it may not immediately follow each birth. Sometimes a placenta will be delivered after each newborn – i.e. baby, placenta, baby, placenta, etc. However, it is also normal to have multiple newborns delivered before the placentas, i.e. baby, baby, placenta, baby, placenta, placenta, etc. Sometimes Mum may eat the placentas immediately after they are expelled, so it may be difcult to accurately know how many have been passed. green or black discharge. l It has been more than 4 hours between births, After this the contractions become more intense, and a pup/kitten will be delivered. Once delivery starts, there is usually a birth every hour or so, though it is not uncommon to have a 2-4 hour gap between births. Mum usually rests a little during this time and may clean and nurse any babies that have been delivered. If Mum is straining unproductively for more than 30 minutes, it is wise to contact your vet. of straining, especially is there is a bloody, dark It's always useful to have Rescue Remedy or Emergency Essence on hand to help ease stress and anxiety for the expecting mother (and owner!). l The mother is not interested in the babies and they started labour 24 hours after her temperature has l The mother is apathetic, seems ill or is restless especially if the mother seems restless or lethargic. are not suckling. dropped. l The mother is past her “due date” or she has not After the birth It is always a good idea to have the mother and babies checked by the vet within 3 days after birth. This will help to ensure that the babies haven't been born with any major abnormalities (heart murmurs, deformities) and that the mother is t after giving birth and that nothing has gone wrong (like having a retained puppy). after delivery. It is normal for the mother to have a green, dark red or brown discharge for up to 8 weeks after giving birth, but if it becomes foul smelling or an abnormal colour, it should be checked by your veterinarian.
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT FOR YOUR PET Although, as with humans, the scale is not completely accurate to determine the absolute condition of an animal because muscle weighs more than fat, it is generally a useful indicator of progress. Another useful tool is to view your animal from above and if they have their chest tapering into a waist (as opposed to a barrel like appearance!) and their ribs are easy to feel under their skin, but cannot be seen, then your animal is in good condition. Generally there are a few fundamental guidelines to follow that help to make weight management easy. The more of these simple guidelines that are used, the greater the progress that may be expected. However, even making use of just some of these daily habits should help to make a difference. Firstly, the quality of food fed is imperative to helping the body use nutrients efciently. Poor quality food is difcult for the body to use, the body can be starved of important nutrients and it tends to store what it gets as fat. Ideally use a raw food diet as previously discussed. Premium pet food biscuits may also be fed The "excess baggage" that our animals may carry can be a very important factor affecting long-term health. Extra weight can be a burden to an animal with sore joints and it may lead to health problems later on such as diabetes. Occasionally animals might have health conditions that may make it difcult for them to lose weight such as thyroid disease or too much cortisol in their system, due to either a malfunction of their adrenal gland or from medication. In these cases we may use further diagnostics such as blood tests and apply various medications to support their health. Ideally, you should implement these changes gradually over a 2 week period. Also bear in mind that cats may be very difcult to manage as they can be very picky eaters and if you're not feeding what they want, they often go and visit the neighbour! Overall however, the effort is worthwhile to add quality to your animal's life. Finally, exercise is an extremely valuable tool to assist body burn excess fat. Always start off with a gentle walk (500m) in unt and obese animals and gradually build up over several weeks to a few kilometres. Omega 3 fatty acids are extremely helpful to aid the body in burning excess body fat. Supplementing your animal's diet with this wonderful nutrient found in high concentrations in ax oil and sh oil will make a tremendous difference not only to their weight, but to their overall health and well-being. but they are generally decient in optimal amounts of critical nutrients such as the omega fatty acids and more research is indicating that chemicals and preservatives may be detrimental to long-term health. The amount of food fed is the next critical step in helping to regulate a healthy weight. Feeding too much food will cause the excess to be stored as fat. If your pet isn't losing weight after 2 weeks on a set protocol then you will need to cut down further on the amount that he/she's being fed. The frequency and timing of meals also has an impact on weight. Feeding only once a day teaches the body that it needs to store fat so that it can use it for energy when there's no food. It also slows the metabolism down. Rather feed 2-3 smaller meals a day rather than one big one. Large meals fed at night lead the body to store fat as the metabolism slows when sleeping. Ideally feed larger meals in the morning and vice versa in the case where your cat is more active at night. Limit snacks and treats, especially where they are unhealthy foods such as cake. They provide extra calories which may be stored as fat. Rather give a small treat instead of a whole biscuit; your pet will enjoy it just as much. Feed a large raw or rawhide bone or a pigs ear for your pet to chew on, or add extra vegetables or wholegrain rice if you need to bulk their food up as these are high in bre and won't easily be stored as fat.
EAR PROBLEMS Most commonly we see infections of the outer ear which may be identied by observing any of the following signs in animals; head shaking, tilting of their heads to one side, scratching at their ears, slight hearing loss or in severe cases animals can be lethargic and uninterested in eating. On closer inspection the ear might be red and inamed, and contain discharge which could be yellow pus, wax or black material and might have a putrid smell. Ear infections are common and can cause severe pain and discomfort to your animal. Recognizing the symptoms early on and halting the progression of ear dis-ease is very important to help prevent serious long term problems. Dogs and cats have an external ear comprised of relatively long ear canals which are made up of the outer vertical ear canal running downward to meet the horizontal ear canal which runs almost at right angles to the vertical ear canal. The external ear is separated from the middle ear by a ne membranous sheath known as the ear drum which connects to the delicate ear bones that are responsible for an animal's hearing. By visualizing the ear canal and ideally the ear drum with an ophthalmoscope, we can identify ear mites, foreign bodies such as grass seeds in the ear, protuberant growths, inammation, infections or problems of the ear drum. Samples of ear content may be analyzed to conrm various bacterial infections. There are a number of ear medications, both conventional and more natural, which have antibacterial properties and will easily drown ear mites. These are important to help get on top of the problem but from a Holistic point of view we look further than the bug and attempt to uncover why the body is out of balance and why the ear canal is a hospitable environment for infection which it shouldn't be in a healthy animal. Various genetic factors will predispose certain breeds to problems; Labradors with hairs in their ear canals and spaniels who have long ears encourage a moist environment for bugs to prosper. In animals with long term ear problems, they might have thickened ear canals which cause narrowing of the ear canal space and subsequently are more likely to develop recurrent infections. These animals need to have their ears regularly cleaned with a good ear cleaner (a simple solution is a 1% dilution of Hydrogen peroxide, but ensure that your animal's ear drum is intact with a visit to your vet). By instilling a generous amount into the ear and massaging the ear canal to ideally hear the "squish" noise that the liquid makes, debris will be loosened and most animals really enjoy the rub as it relieves their irritation immensely. Because of the great length of the ear canals, just wiping the visible outer ear simply doesn't do enough to keep ears clean. In the greater scheme of things, the ears are simply an extension of the skin and as with skin problems, ear infections are generally easily prevented by keeping animals healthy with a natural raw food diet, that is free of chemicals and preservatives and provides optimal amounts of vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids, as well as basic management with the regular use of an ear cleaner in animals predisposed to problems.
NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR Older animals show a remarkable improvement in their general vitality and well-being while younger animals show improvements in these areas as well as pronounced positive changes in their temperament and overall tractability. Unfortunately many commercial foods don't manage to achieve this. They are generally heavily processed destroying a signicant amount of nutrients and, especially biscuit or crumble formulations, are very decient in vital omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. In addition to this, they frequently contain additives to improve the taste of the food, which may not only be detrimental to long term health but also contribute greatly to an animals' poor behaviour. Sub-optimal nutrition is a huge factor undermining animals' sense of well-being and their ability to cope with stress, which is usually the underlying issue of many behavioural problems. It never ceases to amaze me what fantastic changes take place when an animal begins to receive a well balanced, wholesome, natural diet with optimal amounts of nutrients. All in all it can be challenging to treat behavioural problems but once the basics are applied, most animals can be well managed and quality of life restored for all involved! As part of resolving behavioural disorders, we always address nutrition as an important rst step in helping to take the edge off (and often alleviate!) behavioural disorders and anxiety. Other useful tools are Rescue Remedy or Emergency Essence, calming herbs such as skull cap and valerian and therapies like NIS and homeopathy. Additional considerations of importance are guidance from an experienced animal behaviourist and aids such as toys. It has been shown that optimal amounts of omega 3 fatty acids are of great assistance to children with ADD and to people who experience mood swings and this is true for animals as well. Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin B's are especially helpful to support the nervous system and to moderate extreme behaviours. Tryptophan, an amino acid, helps to bring about the feeling of calmness and well-being; it can be a very useful aid in reducing dominance associated aggression. High concentrations of sugar (also listed as corn syrup or sucrose) and some articial avouring in certain foods have also been linked to behavioural abnormalities such as nervousness, hyperactivity, anxiety and aggressive behaviour in children and pets.
PET FOOD INGREDIENTS THAT MAY BE DETRIMENTAL Avoid unnatural chemicals, preservatives or food additives as far as possible. These are foreign to the body and can potentially cause health problems as the body is unable to eliminate or process them. When considering the nourishment of your dog and cat, the main important key point is to provide optimal amounts of nutrients. The list of ingredients will list the food components in order of the highest amount to the least amount. It is concerning that one of the rst ingredients listed for many foods are grains. Grains can be helpful in moderation to bulk up dogs' food but certainly for cats, which are carnivores and some dogs that have health conditions such as inammatory bowel disease and allergies, they can be detrimental to health as they have a pro-inammatory effect which contributes to dis-ease. Unfortunately many commercial foods don't manage to achieve this. They are generally heavily processed destroying a signicant amount of nutrients and, especially biscuit or crumble formulations are very decient in vital omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. In addition to this, they frequently contain additives to improve the taste of the food, make it look more visually appealing and to preserve the shelf life. Many food additives have little or no safety testing and some such as propylene glycol, potassium sorbate, sodium nitrite and propyl gallate have been linked to health problems in animals. Ethoxyquin is a preservative of many commercial animal foods that was originally used in rubber production. It helps to prevent fat from becoming rancid and has been approved as safe by the overseers of food production, however, ethoxyquin is alleged to cause cancer - as well as kidney, liver and thyroid problems. A good quality food will only be preserved with natural substances such as naturally occurring tocopherols and vitamin C. In addition to this, high quality foods source their ingredients from farms where care has been taken to minimize exposure to herbicides, fungicides, anti-biotic residues and hormones which many food producing animals are treated with to improve their production. High concentrations of sugar (also listed as corn syrup or sucrose) and some articial avouring have also been linked to behavioural abnormalities such as nervousness, hyperactivity, anxiety and aggressive behaviour in children and pets. Sugar in high amounts can also lead to health problems of the adrenal glands and pancreas such as diabetes. Allergens are food components which are involved in initiating allergies and while there is the potential for many types of food to fall into this category for different individuals there are certain foods which are more likely to be allergens than others. These include beef, beef bye products, milk and grains. All in all it can be challenging to nd great quality food that takes all of this into consideration helping to enhance the health of your pet. But the bottom line, as usual, is that nature knows best and by respecting natural principles and feeding a natural raw food diet as nature intended you can be sure that you're making a substantial investment into your animal's health and well-being. BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) is another poorly tested preservative implicated by some scientists to cause liver damage, metabolic stress and foetal abnormalities while BHA (butylated hydroxysanisole) has been implicated in liver and kidney problems as well as birth defects, behavioural problems and is potentially considered a carcinogen (cancer causing substance).
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