Responsible

pet

ownership 

 

WELCOMING HOME THE NEW MEMBER TO
YOUR FAMILY

Feeding

FEEDING YOUR PUPPY

Diet is extremely important in the growing months of a dog’s life. The feeding regime for your puppy will depend greatly on his age, breed and individual characteristics. Until puppies are about 4 months of age they will require 3-4 meals per day. Feeding then can be reduced to 2-3 meals a day until 6 months of age, and then 2 meals a day thereafter.

Generally, a puppy should be allowed 10-15 minutes to eat at each meal. After this time remove any uneaten food and serve fresh food at the next meal.

You should always remember to feed your puppy, puppy food as the level of calcium to phosphorus is controlled. Therefore there is no need to add any supplements for example extra vitamins and minerals.

Always supplement the diet at least twice a week with raw bones as this will help to prevent bad teeth later on in life.

Cool, fresh water should always be available.

FEEDING YOUR KITTEN

Diet is extremely important when your kitten is growing. Early in life, kittens need to eaten often. They need relatively larger quantities of food to support their rapid growth, but have limited space in their tiny stomachs. Up until about 6 months of age they need about 4 meals per day. By 6 months kittens are about 75% grown up and can be fed twice daily.

Provide raw meaty bones, such as raw chicken wings and necks at an early age as this will prevent the kittens becoming fussy when they grow up and provide them with nice clean teeth for the rest of their life.

Because cats have desert origins, they can conserve water much more efficiently then dogs and for this reason, they will generally consume considerably less water than a dog of similar size. Fresh drinking water should still be available at all times, but don’t be alarmed if it is not always consumed. Some cats that are fed moist food are able to get the water they need directly from their food. Always ensure cool, fresh water is available at all times..

Desexing

As well as acting as a birth control method desexing removes the sexual urge from both dogs and cats. Desexing involves the surgical removal of the testicles in males and the ovaries and uterus in females.

Both dogs and cats are usually desexed anywhere from 3 months – 12 months of age although the operation can be carried out at any time.

ADVANTAGES OF DESEXING YOUR PET

If you do not intend on breeding from your pet surgical desexing has undoubted advantages both in the male and female. In the male it removes the sexual urge so that if the male gets scent of a female in oestrus he is unlikely to show any interest. Therefore he will not want to go wandering chasing females on heat. Desexing the female prevents oestrus as well as breeding. She will not come into heat and therefore will not have to be confined for 3 weeks at a time( the period in which she can fall pregnant).

Desexing the female not only prevents common diseases of the uterus but also reduces the possibility of mammary (breast) cancer.

DISADVANTAGES OF DESEXING YOUR PET

It is a common fallacy that a desexed dog will become fat and lazy. By feeding a balanced diet without excessive snacks and plenty of exercise, you should be able to adequately control any problems of obesity.

Another common fallacy is that the desexed pet loses character. Pets will often become more gentle but they lose neither their spirit nor their intelligence and provided they are not allowed to become obese are just as active as their entire counterpart.

VACCINATIONS

There are many diseases that are fatal to dogs and cats. Fortunately, we have the ability to prevent many of these by the use of effective vaccines. In order to be effective, these vaccines must be given in a series of injections, particularly when the animals are young. Ideally , puppies and kittens are vaccinated at 6, 12 and 16 weeks to provide full immunity. For puppies against Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis. Parainfluenza and Bordatella. For kittens Feline Enteritis, Feline Calicivirus and Feline Rhinotracheitis.

After the initial puppy and kitten vaccinations your pet will require annual boosters. We will remind you when your pet is due for vaccinations, as we send out reminders every month.

WORMING

Intestinal parasites are common in puppies and kittens. They can become infected with parasites before they are born or later through the mother’s milk. This is why it is important to worm the mother before mating and before the litter is born. Modern deworming  preparations are safe and effective and we recommend Puppy And Kitten Worm Syrup and Worm Ban. These should be used at 2 week intervals, from 2 weeks of age up until 3 months of age. It is important that the medication is repeated since the first dose usually only kills the adult worms. Then every 3 months for the rest of the animal’s life, ensuring that the worm preparation is an all-wormer. The easiest way to remember this is to worm at the beginning of each new season. 

Microchipping and

Registration

Chipping is like a vaccination for your pet. It only takes a few seconds to put a chip in your pet’s neck. It is usually injected between the shoulder blades along the neck line. The procedure is very safe and your pet will feel little pain.

A microchip is the size of a grain of rice. Inside is a number which can be read by a scanner. The number in the chip will identify the pet’s owner through a central registry.

All new puppies and kittens must be microchipped by 12 weeks of age for lifetime identification and register for life with our local council by 6 months of age. Registration is through the NSW Companion Animals Register.

The state wide register records all microchip numbers, linked to owner’s details. This way you can be informed if your pet is found. Your privacy is strictly protected as only authorized people can access the registry, which is not linked to any other data base.

There is a  once only registration fee, these fees help councils provide pounds, rangers, dog refuse bins and other pet facilities. The cost of registration is:

                       Desexed cat/dog                                            $35

                      Desexed cat/dog owned by pensioner        $15

                      Entire (undesexed) cat/dog                        $100

                     Entire cat/dog owned by register breeder $35

                     Assistance dogs                                          Free   

What will you need?

A kitten or puppy

A name

A cosy bed – lined with old blankets or towels

A warm, draught-free, safe place to sleep

Two unbreakable bowls for food and water

Puppy or kitten food

A few toys

A litter tray (kittens only) 

Grooming

It is essential to groom your pet, especially long-haired cats and dogs. There are many different brushes on the market, each are designed for a specific coat. Dogs and cats with long, thick coats for example Malamutes, German Shepherds and Persians, should be brushed with slicker brushes. These are designed to strip old fur from the coat. Your pet should be brushed every second day, particularly the period from Winter – Spring when they are malting.

There are many varieties of shampoos available for use on both puppies and kittens, but it is important that you buy one that is designed for use on younger animals. Products like ecto-soothe and natural shampoo available from your vet clinic have a soothing affect on your pets skin. It is also good to get your pet use to bathing, because when they grow bigger you may have a few problems.

Dogs sometimes grow very sharp toe nails. They can be blunted and shortened using an emery board or piece of fine sandpaper. They can also be trimmed with nail scissors or with clippers designed for dogs and cats.

FLEAS

Fleas breed quickly all year round, particularly in warm, carpeted homes. In warmer months, the lifecycle is as short as 2-3 weeks and flea numbers can rise rapidly if  preventative measures are not taken. Regularly monthly treatment of all your cats and dogs with products like Frontline or Advantage will rapidly reduce flea burdens and prevent reinfestations. There is no point in fleaing one dog when many live in one household the fleas will just jump from animal to animal. It is important when applying the product that you part the fur between the shoulders on the neck and apply the product to the skin of the animal.  Frontline and Advantage move quickly through the oils on your pet’s skin and collects naturally in the hair follicles and oil producing glands. From this reservoir, it is constantly reapplied to the hair and skin, giving you long-lasting control, even if your pet gets wet.

Exercising your dog

Responsible pet ownership involves having a well-trained dog and this training should be commenced as soon as the dog is acquired. Dogs are continuously learning from the moment their eyes are open. Basic training of a puppy is not a very difficult task provided certain simple rules are followed.

1. Keep the tasks simple
2. Teach sounds and words as commands
3. Avoid distractions and competing activities
4. Be effusive with your praise and don’t be afraid to use food rewards
5. Ignore failures and do not punish the puppy
6. Be consistent

Canobolas Family Pet Hospital also runs its own puppy preschool which will help you to train your puppy.

Local training clubs are an ideal way of ensuring socialization and dog and owner participation in basic training methods. We recommend Orange District Kennel and Obedience club. They train at Waratah oval every Sunday morning.

There are also particular areas available throughout Orange for you to walk your pet of the lead. These are called leash-free areas. These are located at Wirraburra Walkway, Bloomfield Park, Pilcher Park and Ridley Oval.