Having pets is probably one of the best ways to add happiness into your home. Pets can shower you and your family with love, loyalty and affection just like a family member.

Dogs and cats are perhaps two of the most loved pets in most homes all over the world. Dogs are more preferred because they are very affectionate of their masters and thus considered man’s best friend. On the other hand, cats are also adored because of their natural charm and sweetness towards their “parents”. However, given the fact that these adorable animals can be great pets, it is a very sad truth that some of these precious beings suffer cruelty even from their own masters.

We don’t need to see an injured or malnourished animal just to get a clue that they are being abused. This series of blog articles shall help us recognise animal cruelty when we see them and educate us on what to do if we see or suspect that an animal is being abused.

What is animal cruelty?

Animal cruelty is defined as the act committed by a human being towards an animal that results to suffering or sometimes death of the animal being inflicted upon. In detail, it can also be defined as the hitting, shouting at, or injuring an animal in a particular way. Sadly, animal cruelty is an alarming problem that still occurs today and is evident in many forms.

Understanding and Knowing its Negative Effects on Animals

Animal cruelty can result to a lot of negative effects on animals for a long period of time. For instance, if you impose physical or even verbal abuse on a dog, which are forms of animal cruelty, it is most likely that either of these will cause him severe psychological effect. In many cases, physical abuse or cruelty can cause the dog to be handicapped for life or live with severe health problems. Psychological effects are usually presented in the form of fear, aloofness or even aggressive behaviour in animals. An abused animal can exhibit fear by hiding under tables, beds and closets while aloofness happens when they reject any physical contact from humans. On the other hand, aggression can occur when they attack even innocent people. For dogs, you can see aggression if they growl at people without any apparent reason.

To be continued…

*Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Given the fact that desexed pets are healthier and happier and that Australia has a pet overpopulation problem, what are some of the reasons people might give for not wanting to have their pet desexed?

“I want to show my children the miracle of birth”. You can teach your children about birth without producing a litter of puppies or
kittens which will face an uncertain and possibly tragic future. Buy your children a book or a DVD on the subject or get one from a library. Also, it’ll be a lot easier on them then experiencing the trauma of seeing the puppies and kittens being taken away. It is more important to teach your children about responsible pet ownership.

“Nature intended animals to have babies”. Possibly, but nature also intended for most of them to die early from disease,
starvation or becoming a meal for another animal before they reproduce. As pets, there are already more of them than there are homes to take them in.

“I can’t afford to have him or her desexed”. This is false economy. It costs far more to feed a pregnant bitch or cat plus her litter
twice a year. Also, if there are any complications during the birth, you could be facing huge vet bills, and your bitch or cat could die. In NSW, dogs and cats must be registered with your local council by the time they are 6 months old. The cost of registering an entire (not desexed) animal in NSW is approximately $120, whilst a desexed animal is $40. Ask your local council to refer you to rescue groups and charities which could help with the cost of desexing or do a web search to find the groups.

“The operation will hurt my pet”. The surgery is routine and simple. Your vet has probably done hundreds of them. For female pets, the vet will remove the ovaries and uterus, and in males the testicles are removed. Your pet will usually be able to go home at the end of the day and not stay overnight. Sometimes pain relief tablets are given. I many cases your dog or cat will be back to normal the next day or at most, the day after.

“Our pet is too young to be desexed”. Females can be desexed from around 4 months old. Don’t wait until your female is older than 6 months or you risk her getting pregnant. Males can be done as soon as their testicles descend at anywhere from 3 months old. Follow your vet’s advice. Don’t put it off. Your pet will be happier and healthier.

“The pound will find them a home”. This is the saddest myth of all. The fact is that they will not! Pounds have limited space and resources and far more dogs and cats coming in than people coming to adopt them. The majority of pets entering pounds get put down! Read more about the realities of dogs and cats in pounds at http://www.deathrowpets.net/

Read more about the desexing at http://tinyurl.com/desexyourpet

Guest Author: After a long career in IT, Terri now divides her time between bookkeeping for the family business and volunteer work with Dog Rescue Newcastle.

Petitude, in partnership with Dog Rescue Newcastle, will publish pet care guide and pet adoption articles until end of 2010. To learn more about Petitude’s new advocacy campaign and what you can do to help our less fortunate furry pals while doing your online shopping, please subscribe to our newsletter.

Christmas is such a very busy season and one of the most important things that we pet owners often forget is ensuring that our beloved pets are always safe. For example, we all get busy and excited decorating our Christmas tree, but only some of us take the extra steps and measures to ensure that it will be pet safe. Unfortunately, of all the Christmas symbols, the Christmas tree can pose the most danger to a curious pet. Therefore, it is very important to learn how to build a pet safe Christmas tree.

Here are a few tips:

• Consider using an artificial tree so your pet cannot choke on any fallen pine needles.
• Anchor the tree to the wall and ceiling with screws and nylon fishing wire.
• Get a table-top tree that can be elevated out of reach.  Even then, use caution with fabric skirting, as your pet can always pull on that and take everything else with it.
• Put a small gate around the tree. (Although it may not be effective for all pets, especially the bigger ones.)
• Use plastic or cloth decorations instead of breakable ones.
• Do not use tinsel and ribbons because they are both hazardous to our furry pals.
• Keep any electrical cords out of reach. You can also try taping the cords down with heavy duty duct tape.

The holiday season should be a great time to bond with our family, friends and pets, so it is always important to avoid accidents that can spoil the most-awaited occasion of the year. By ensuring that you have a pet safe Christmas tree, you can expect the merriest Christmas ever with your precious four-legged pal.

Photo courtesy of: wikipedia.org

This can be an emotional subject but it boils down to two undeniable facts: (1) it is better for your pet and (2) it is better for our community. It is better for your pet because a desexed dog or cat is happier and healthier; and it is better for our community because you will not be adding to the tragedy of hundreds of thousands of homeless pets being put down in Australian pounds every year.

A puppy or kitten needs to be desexed (spayed or neutered) no later than 6 months old to prevent having a litter. The simple, routine surgery can be done as young as 3 months and up to any age. It’s never too late.

Happy and Healthier Pets

Male and female dogs and cats which have been desexed are usually more relaxed and settled than those that are not because they are not troubled by hormonal urges which compel them to go out and find a mate. Male desexed pets are often less aggressive, less likely to mark their territory with urine, less likely to perform “humping” behaviours, and less likely to roam and to try escape their yards.

When your female dog or cat is desexed you won’t have to deal with the mess of her period or the worry of having strange males trying to get at her. Female cats won’t yowl out for a mate.

Undesexed male and female cats and dogs get more cancers then desexed cats and dogs. Females can also develop the life threatening disease pyometra, which affects the uterus. Undesexed females also run the risk of complications and death from
pregnancy and giving birth.

Better for Our Community

Every year, 250,000 homeless dogs and cats are euthanised in Australian pounds, according to www.deathrowpets.net. Even if you think you can find homes for your pet’s litter (a litter of 12 is not uncommon), there is no guarantee they won’t wind up dumped in a few months or years. Also, many of your pet’s offspring will breed, and their offspring will breed, and the pet overpopulation problem will continue to get worse and worse.

Read more about the pet desexing at http://tinyurl.com/desexyourpet The next article in this series will address some myths about pet desexing.

Guest Author: After a long career in IT, Terri now divides her time between bookkeeping for the family business and volunteer work with Dog Rescue Newcastle.

Petitude, in partnership with Dog Rescue Newcastle, will publish pet care guide and pet adoption articles until end of 2010. To learn more about Petitude’s new advocacy campaign and what you can do to help our less fortunate furry pals while doing your online shopping, please subscribe to our newsletter.

The First 3 weeks

Allowed Foods

• Fish (This is the only animal derived protein allowed. Fresh, frozen or tinned) –or — another meat such as kangaroo)
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Starches: pasta, rice, potato, beans
• Small amounts of fish based dry dog food

Not Allowed Foods

• All protein from animal sources:
• Meats (chicken, beef, lamb, pork)
• Dairy products (cheese, milk, yoghurt)
• Eggs
• Meat based dog treats (i.e.: liver treats, pig’s ears)
• Table scraps
• Tinned dog food and other commercially prepared dog food such as dog roll
• Dry dog food biscuits other than fish based (as above)
• Nuts

Hints

Go to the grocery store and stock up on the following:

• Tinned fish such as tuna, mackerel, salmon, and sardines. All in oil or water, not brine which is salt water. Buy the supermarket brands to save money.
• 6 fresh fish fillets such as orange roughie or hake. No shellfish or prawns.
• 3 potatoes
• Bread crumbs
• Bag of small pasta such as elbow macaroni or soup mix (little alphabet letters)
• Bag of frozen mixed vegetables (carrot, peas, etc but no onion) or fresh veg
• Apples, bananas or other fruit your dog likes (no grapes or stone fruit)

Make a batch of Homemade Fish Cakes (containing only fish and mashed potato) and a boil a batch of Pasta and Vegetables to store in your freezer and fridge for quick meals for your dog. A typical meal might consist of fish cakes or tinned fish, plus pasta or rice, plus vegetables, and maybe chopped fruit.

Guest Author: After a long career in IT, Terri now divides her time between bookkeeping for the family business and volunteer work with Dog Rescue Newcastle.

It is estimated that approximately one in 10 dogs suffers from skin problems. Scratching, rubbing, chewing, biting, and licking of the skin and fur will make your dog’s life a misery. It is a sign that there is an underlying problem that needs treatment. There are medications which your vet can prescribe which will suppress the itching but these have side affects and shouldn’t be used long
term. The best solution is to discover the cause of the problem and eliminate it.

As noted in a previous blog article “Three Different Sources of Allergies in Dogs” persistently itchy skin in dogs can be caused by fleas, inhaled substances, and sensitivity to a particular food. In this article we’ll look at food sensitivity in more detail and suggest a diet which can determine which food is the problem.

Dog’s Allergy Elimination Diet

In order to find out which food is the problem you need to eliminate common problem foods your dog has been eating and replace them with an uncommon food for three weeks to see if the dog itches less. If the dog shows improvement after the 3 weeks,
then you can start adding back other foods, one at a time. If any food you add back causes your dog to start itching again then you know this is the problem food which you need to eliminate permanently from your dog’s diet.

If there is no improvement after 3 weeks, the allergen may be a grain such as rice or wheat (pasta, bread, most dry dog food). Continue with the Allergy Elimination Diet but eliminate grains for 3 weeks. If there is still no improvement, then food allergy
may not be a major problem. Talk to your vet about this diet and about Atopica medication and other treatment options.

The basic facts are:

• The foods most likely to cause an allergic reaction are animal derived proteins (meat).
• The proteins most likely to cause an allergic reaction are beef, lamb, pork and chicken. Do not feed these during the 3 week elimination period.
• Feed only one animal protein source for 3 weeks.
• Choose a protein which your dog has very rarely or never eaten before, such as: fish, rabbit, kangaroo, or goat.
• Fish is easiest because you can vary the fish given (i.e.: tuna, salmon, roughie, etc) and you can use fresh, tinned or frozen.
• Other non animal protein sources such as beans are allowed.
• Fruits and vegetables are allowed.
• Starches are allowed but not too much as these are the second most likely allergen.

Guest Author: After a long career in IT, Terri now divides her time between bookkeeping for the family business and volunteer work with Dog Rescue Newcastle.

If your precious pet is expecting puppies, then you should start to prepare her for motherhood. A couple of weeks before your dog gives birth, make sure that you give the expectant mother a place where she can lie down and put her puppies in. You can secure a whelping huge box with lots of blankets in it or you can buy a big crate to make her and her puppies feel more comfortable. However, make sure that the whelping box or the crate that you will give your pet dog must be large enough for the mother to stretch in and out as well as to allow enough room for the breed of new puppies. It is also advisable to put the crate or box in a warm area which is free from distractions. This is because your pet and puppies will need a quiet and secure place to rest.

After securing the mother dog a place where she can stay for whelping, see to it that she is healthy and strong by giving her essential supplements, lots of water and nutritious dog food. These will help her get through the birth stage especially if this is the first time for her to give birth. Just remember that as soon as you see any signs of whelping or the stage where your dog is having her contractions put her in the whelping box or crate that you secured for her and leave her alone. Do not move her unless she already has given birth because moving her at this time can make whelping more difficult for her.

Moreover, an experienced mother dog will be able to know how to take care of her puppies after she has given birth. For example, she will bite off the umbilical cord and eat the placenta afterbirth. But whatever the case, be ready to assist your pet dog in instances where her puppies may be strangled with the umbilical cord. If the mother does not take the initiative, remove all covering membranes from the puppy, clean its face and remove any mucus from its mouth and nose. The umbilical cord should then be tied off with one inch thread from the puppy’s body and cut it off beyond the tie. Apply a drop of any antiseptic at the end of the cord to prevent any infection. Finally, when each puppy begins to squirm and cry, just place it close to his mother so he can receive warmth and mothering, thus, your precious pooch will now begin another chapter of motherhood through nursing her babies.

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Heartworm infection is a very deadly disease for dogs. Although there are a lot of effective preventive medications that are available and easy to use, there are still lots of dogs who can be infected of this fatal disease. If your dog is already suffering from this disease, it is important for you to understand that in order to treat heartworms in dogs, the degree of infection must first be determined. In general, there are three classifications of heartworm disease in dogs; below is the description for each:

• Class one – mild heartworm disease symptoms;
• Class two – moderate heartworm disease symptoms;
• Class three – severe heartworm disease symptoms.

Classes of heartworm disease are determined based on clinical signs and results from basic blood testing and chest radiographs. Once the severity of the heartworm is determined, the treatment for the disease must be done immediately. The only way to treat this kind of disease is to use an arsenic compound that will be injected into the lumbar muscle of the infected dog. Your vet will be the one to schedule the series of injections that your dogs must undergo. Again, this would depend on the degree of heartworm infection that your dog is suffering from. Probably, the worst part in treating a dog that has heartworm infection is the fact that it entails a lot of risks for your dog. Apart from these risks, you also need to make sure that you have the right budget to go with the treatment. Since treatment for heartworm in dogs involves injecting a medication into the body of an infected dog, there is a possibility for toxicity.

One of the major complicating factors with treating heartworm disease in dogs is that as the adult heartworms in the heart of the infected dog begin to die off, as a result, they can cause a barrier or clot to the lungs, thus, leading to damage within the lung tissue. This complication can be quite serious and can be very fatal. Severely restricted exercise is the primary technique used to combat this complication. It means that your dog must be put in a cage for many weeks in order for the infected dog to fully recover during the whole process of the treatment.

As a final note, prevention is always better than treatment so make sure that your dog is always healthy by ensuring that he is always protected from any dreadful disease.

Heartworms in dogs can only be passed on by an infected mosquito. That is why the best prevention with this kind of disease is to make sure that your home and backyard is always clean to reduce your dog’s exposure to mosquitos. Aside from maintaining a clean and tidy place, there are also other ways on how you can prevent your dogs from getting heartworms. The best program for prevention of heartworm infection includes using preventives and performing routine heartworm testing to avoid the possibility of doing any treatment of heartworms in dogs.

The first step in preventing a heartworm in dogs is through blood testing. Your vet will perform the test with a few drops of your dog’s blood. Heartworm testing can only be performed on adult dogs because puppies do not require a heartworm test yet. This is because it will take six months after exposure for heartworms to be determined on a test. Every veterinarian will have their own recommendation on what age to start testing so it would depend on your vet’s advice. Preventive testing can be done every year to secure that your dog is free from this deadly disease.

Today, there are actually many kinds of medications that you can use to prevent heartworms in your pet dogs. This is a prescription product that you can buy from a licensed veterinarian. So always consult your vet on what is the best preventive medication that you can use for your dog. But keep in mind that whatever product you use, you will have to give it on a monthly basis. So make sure that you properly include this on your schedule. This is because if you fail to give a preventive medication to your pet on its specific schedule, you only risk him of getting infected easily.

Moreover, your dog should also be tested for heartworm if you are going to switch from one preventive product to another. In these situations, there are specific time periods at which the pet should be retested to ensure that your pet is protected.

Heartworms are classified as a kind of worm similar to roundworms. In fact, they look a bit like roundworms. Adult heartworms in the heart of an infected animal lay very tiny larvae called microfilariae, which then live in the bloodstream. These microfilariae enter a mosquito when it sucks blood from an infected animal. In two to three weeks, the microfilariae develop into larger larvae in the mosquito and migrate to the mosquito’s mouth. Therefore, the only way that heartworms can occur in dogs is when a dog is bitten by an infected mosquito. It actually takes about seven months after the dog is bitten by an infected mosquito for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms. Afterwards, they reside in the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels of the bitten dog, hence, they begin reproducing. Adult worms can grow up to 14 inches in length and can live for about five to seven years in the dog’s bloodstream.

It is also important to note that it can only be passed on by mosquitoes. This is because it’s a specific parasite that only affects dogs, cats, ferrets and other mammals. In dogs, the adult worms can obstruct the various large blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs. Worms may also enter smaller vessels in the lung and obstruct those vessels, as well. In severe cases, these deadly worms can start to fill the right ventricle of the heart, causing heavy breathing in dogs and even heart failure. So in order to prevent this to happen to your dogs, here are some ways that can help you determine if your dog is suffering from heartworms:

• Coughing can be a sign of heartworms. Observe your dog if he is having frequent coughs and is experiencing heaving coughing as well. If you have already taken him to the vet several times and the cough may not seem to subside despite any basic medication, it may be best to have laboratory testing to check on heartworms.
• Easily fatigued even on very minimal physical activity can be a sign of heartworms in dogs.
• Sudden loss of appetite can be a potential sign for heartworms, so never ignore this aspect.
• Difficulty or heavy breathing can be a great sign of heartworms in dogs. This is because these worms can obstruct the smooth blood flow in your dog’s heart, causing it to have difficulty in breathing.

Once you see these signs in your dogs, take your dog to a vet to perform laboratory testing. It will also be best if a yearly blood testing is done to detect heartworms that are in early stages. Not only can you save your dog from a very deadly disease, you can also save some money in terms of medications.

[The next article is about how to prevent heartworms in dogs.]