Posts Tagged ‘animal safety’

The Seasonal Holiday (aka Christmas) is an exciting time for most people, but it always pays to take some extra precautions with your pets. There are many dangers around at this time of year, below are some suggestions on how to ensure your cat stays safe during the Seasonal Holiday (aka Christmas) period.

OUR BIGGEST & BEST TIP IS….  Keep your cat inside the home !

Were you aware that it is illegal within the Gold Coast region to allow cats to have unrestricted access to the outdoors especially anytime after sunset and before sunrise.  Cats found outside of your property are classed as “strays”.  If you really MUST allow your cat unrestrained and mostly unsupervised access to the outside, please ensure the cat is registered and microchipped (and the microchip details are correct).   If your cat dislikes wearing a collar (Marnie is one unfortunately), this is even more reason to keep your cat inside your home.

click here for a great article: Make Your Outdoor Cat An Indoor Cat

Still want to allow your cat unrestrained and mostly unsupervised outside access?  Then please take heed of the following to ensure the safety of your cat:

Traffic / Cars:

In some neighbourhoods, this means an increase in traffic with more people coming and going visiting family, friends and other celebrations.  This is also one of the ways for cats to go missing (or die) through no fault of their own as they can sometimes curl up within an engine or the car interior itself to have a nap.  I speak from personal experience thus the reason why Marnie is an indoor cat (and so was her predecessor) as I’ve had cats go missing as well as be killed (one right in front of my eyes – not something I would wish upon any person who cares for their cat).

Ticks:

Need I say more ?  Ticks can and do kill.  Ticks are attracted to cats just as much as dogs.  The downside is that if you do not inspect your outdoor cat regularly for ticks there really is nothing more you can do to ensure their safety because a lot of the tick medications are only suitable for dogs.  Cats can find the tick medication (aka “monthly spot on treatments”) fatally toxic.    The Gold Coast region is always plauged by ticks due to our weather.

Snakes:

Snake bite poisoning is a very serious danger to cats, especially in the warmer months.  Click here for more information on first aid for cats bitten by snake bites.

Heat Stroke:

Another medical emergency is heat stroke (also known as hyperthermia). If you suspect your cat has heat stroke, seek veterinary attention immediately.  This applies for both inside and outdoor cats:  for indoor cats, ensure there is plenty of air and cool areas for your cat to enjoy; for outdoor cats, ensure there are areas where there is shade for most of the day as well as access to cool areas for your cat to enjoy.

Whilst indoor/inside cats will be a lot more safer over this period than outdoor cats – there are still many dangers to minimise or eliminate to ensure the safety of your feline family member:

Christmas Tree/Decorations

The only fool proof way to keep your cat away from your Christmas tree  is to put the tree in a room the cat can’t access. Unfortunately, this is often not practical. So the next best solution is to make the tree as safe as possible.  Real Christmas trees are more dangerous to cats than fake plastic ones. Pine needles can puncture internal organs if eaten, they are also toxic to cats. If you do have a real tree, make sure the drink stand has plenty of water to prevent the tree drying out & losing needles. It is important that your cat isn’t able to get to this water & drink it as it could result in poisoning. Ensure the tree has a good solid base so it won’t easily be knocked over by your cat. Try not to have the tree near furniture & or shelves which the cats could use to jump onto the tree.

Be careful with tinsel, if you must have it on your tree, place it at the top of the tree where the cat is less likely to be able to get at it. Tinsel can be caught around the base or move down to the intestines & stomach & cause a blockage, which will result in emergency (and costly) surgery to remove it.   A safer alternative are the strands of beads. Ornaments should be securely attached to the tree to prevent them being knocked off. Also place delicate ornaments up high where they’re less likely to be knocked off & broken. When there is nobody around, unplug Christmas lights, you may want to try applying a cat repellent  such as bitter apple to the lights to deter your cat from chewing the wires, obviously if this was to happen it could cause a fatal electric shock.

Artificial snow is toxic to cats, so is best avoided.

Candles are especially popular over the Seasonal Holiday period, be careful to make sure your cat can’t get close to lit candles.

Please note, your cat isn’t a novelty item & it’s dangerous to try & decorate your cat with ribbons etc.

Plants

Holly, mistletoe, poinsettias are all popular plants to have in the home at Christmas, especially in the northern hemisphere. These plants are toxic to cats so should be placed where your cat can’t get to them.

Food/Sweets/Chocolate

Many cat owners enjoy giving their cat the occasional treat of “human” food & generally this doesn’t harm the cat.  However, it is important to remember that some foods which are fine for humans to eat can be toxic to cats. The odd sliver of chicken or turkey (off the bone) is fine, however it really isn’t a good idea to give them large quantities of such food as this can lead to gastrointestinal problems.  Never give your cat cooked chicken or turkey bones, these bones can splinter & can become lodged in your cat’s throat or puncture the intestines & stomach. Chocolate is toxic to cats, the darker the chocolate, the more toxic. Chocolate contains both caffeine & theobromine, which are both toxic. If you suspect your cat has eaten chocolate watch for signs of restlessness & vomiting, if in doubt, see your vet.

Cats will often scavenge for food in the garbage so be aware that if you’ve covered your turkey with foil & thrown it in the bin, your cat may drag it out & chew on it which could make the cat sick. Cooked turkey bones will also attract your cat. Be aware of this & if possible, take your food scraps etc., to your outside bin.

Xmas ribbons/wrap

Rbbons etc., pose the same problem as tinsel, if eaten, it may lead to intestinal blockages. It’s important to ensure all ribbons/wrap etc., are safely disposed of.

The last danger during the Holiday Season is having someone who is without Pet CPR & First Aid skills “in charge” of the welfare of your beloved felines !

You may save a couple of dollars using friends, family or the person who is doing pet sitting for $10 per visit (generally speaking, most professional pet carers charge $20 minimum for cat sitting visits) however when presented with any pet emergency …. will they cost the cat its life due to their lack of skills ?  This situation is easily solved through having whomever is “in charge” of the care of your felines do a Pet Tech Pet CPR, First Aid and Care class which are held regularly on the Gold Coast.

Boredom and variety are always inter-connected in cases of dog misbehaving. Yes. This is true. Many times, boredom can be managed with variety of materials that will distract the animals to a greater extent.  Hence, the dog may not do the abnormal or unwanted activity arising out of the boredom experienced by it.

Bored dogs may have different types of behavioral patterns.  For example, some dogs will be seen barking continuously and some may be engaged always in some digging activities.

There are many ways to get your dog out of its boredom activities. Many toys can stimulate your dog and you do not have to spend a fortune usually.   Investing in a KONG and filling it with Vitamin Gel (and letting the Gel freeze) is a great boredom buster. If they don’t like the gel, put some of their favourite kibble (dry food) in the kong and “plug” up the ends with some peanut butter. To make it extra tricky, freeze the KONG so as the peanut butter is frozen too.

These may be kept inside the crate and in particular, puppies love these items.  A buster cube with multiple treats may be placed in the dog’s shelter and the animal soon understands on how to roll the buster cube to get the treats it prefers. A Buster Cube is an ingenious toy used for simulating and activating your dog during play and feed time.  Instead of placing the food monotonously in one place, change the place of feeding suddenly.

Dog love to work for their food so make a game of it thru the use of a buster cube or even other activities.

Such actions will be helpful for removing the boredom like activity in your dog. Activities pertaining to boredom need to be redefined well by the dog owners.  This will help them to a greater extent to drive away the unwanted behavior patterns in their pet dogs.

For example, some dogs may often have destructive biting characters and will be seen biting chair, cloth, mats, and everything they can see. After ruling out the teething problem if it is a puppy, provide  it with some large sized balls, mineral mixture based bone materials, etc. Such variety of materials help to reduce the boredom related activities.

One of the best ways to help alleviate boredom in your dog is to employ a dog walker.  Gold Coast Pet Sitting offers dog walks as well as doggie adventures or doggie daycare within your home. All Gold Coast Pet Sitting Dog Walkers try to provide physical as well as mental stimulation so as you have a tired (yet happy) dog !

What are some of the ways you help alleviate boredom in your dogs ?

Dog owners love to think of their dogs as children.  “That’s my baby,” they’ll say when referring to their dogs.  They’ll refer to themselves as “Mommy” or “Daddy” when talking to their dogs as well.  And, of course, they buy their dogs toys to play with.  Choosing the right dog toys can be tricky.  People like to get cute, squeaky toys for their dogs or give them stuffed animals to chew on and carry around (the stuffed toy becomes the dog’s “baby” quite often – “Get your baby, checkers!  Checkers, where’s your baby?”) because they think it’s “adorable.”  Dog toys don’t need to be “cute.”  They need to be practical, fun for the dog, durable, and safe.

Avoid Non-Toy “Toys”

For as lovable, loyal, friendly, and playful as they are, dogs are not the brightest creatures.  They are naturally attracted to things that can cause them the most harm.  It’s important to start early with your dog, providing save toys to chew and play with while teaching the animal to avoid household items it may wish to use as toys.  Dogs love to chew on pantyhose, for example, but these could easily be partially ingested, choking the dog.  Some dogs will chew on power cords, risking a harmful (or fatal) electric shock.  Teach your dog early on what things are for chewing and playing and what things are off limits.

The Best, Safest Dog Toys

The size of a toy is an important consideration.  Kongs, balls, and other typical toys must be small enough that the dog can chew them and carry them, but not so small that they can become lodged in the dog’s mouth or throat.

Durability is a factor, especially for a dog that loves to chew.  A toy that will break apart easily can become a hazard as the small, sharp parts can be swallowed, caught in the throat, or cut the mouth and gums.  Again, a hard rubber Kong (easily one of the best dog toys ever conceived) is an excellent choice.

Softer toys, like the popular “squeak” toys made of thin plastic and full of air are good for dogs that are a bit gentler.  They’re unlikely to chew through such items and are usually attracted by the squeaking sound.

Tennis balls are great for some dogs, but poor choices for others.  This is a question of size ratios.  If the dog is too small to fit a tennis ball all the way in its mouth, then it can be an excellent toy that the dog will love but costs very little.  If the ball can fit all the way in the dog’s maw, however, it becomes a choking hazard.

Related articles

• Why Does My Dog Love to Play with His Stuffed Toys? (brighthub.com)
• Fun With Kongs! (wlte.radio.com)
• Useful Dog Tricks Video (doggies.com)
• Humans baffled by dog toys (alphadogblogger.wordpress.com)

Dogs NSW is suggesting a number of ways to make your dog more comfortable this summer.

These include putting zinc on unpigmented skin during periods of sun exposure, to protect your pet from sunburn, as well as keeping your dogs safe and secure during summer storms.

…

Mr Osman said heatstroke can prove fatal when people walk their pets in the hottest part of the day and particularly when dogs get left in cars.

“You should never under any circumstances leave your dog unattended in a car,” he said.

“It only takes five or 10 minutes and you can lose them even if there’s a window down.

You can read the rest of the informative article ( here )

dog sitting gold coast

We do dog sitting within your home or accommodation on the Gold Coast !  Please contact us for a free quote !

Quote from:  Gold Coast Mail

Fluoridation of south-east Queensland water supplies began on Monday at a water treatment plant in Molendinar, north of the Gold Coast,  …. It marks the first step of the government’s plan to provide fluoridated water to 90 per cent of the south-east and the remainder of Queensland by 2012.

Quote from:  http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education3/2-water-pets.htm

Animals, like humans, need water to survive. And, like humans, animals are about 80% water. So, most animal experts will agree that pets should be given the same quality water as humans: bottled and/or filtered. As stated earlier, municipal and well water can contain many harmful things, even parasites. And, they don’t discriminate between pets and people!

Our animals are drinking the fluoridated water within the Gold Coast water system !! The Government

From AustraliaMatters.com:

Fluoride’s primary ‘benefits’ are topical, not systemic. There is no need to swallow fluoride.

Nothing more needs to be said. We’re poisoning our pets by giving them Gold Coast tap water.

After some personal research, I’ve come across the ESPRING Water Purifier. There is an “above sink” option that is great for those of us that rent as well as a below sink option.  Click here to learn more about the ESPRING Water Purifier.   Contact me if you would like to see a demonstration of the ESPRING Water Purifier or to order your own ESPRING.

From PetSitUSA’s blog:

If you’re looking for a pet sitter for the first time, you really need to get busy. You’ll need to  allow for enough time to meet with at least one pet sitter before you hire someone. Since you’re hiring someone to care for your pet and home, you don’t want feel rushed into making a decision that may not be a good fit. Planning early can help.

If you already have a relationship with a pet sitter, and need pet care between now and the end of the year, give him or her a call right away! If not, you’ll risk hearing, “I’m sorry, but I”m booked!”

{ read full article here }

If you are a current client of Gold Coast Pet Sitting, I’m already “book out” for Live In House Sitting and Overnights on select dates. If you are a new client, I would strongly advise you to get into action sooner rather than later:  we do offer two free meet n greets with every booking to help you.

As I am the Founder of the Network of Professional Pet Carers Gold Coast, if I cannot be of assistance I will be able to be of assistance to you by finding the appropriate available pet carer for your requirements.  At the same time, the majority of Network members are already quite busy for the last two weeks of December and first week of January.

I bought this book in late September. I love it.  I’m sharing some of it with you here.  You can also download a preview of the eBook [ here ] — xox Aunty Vanessa

101 Ways to Keep Your Dog Entertained

by Sarah McMullen

[ BUY NOW ]

In 101 Ways to Keep your Dog Entertained Sarah McMullen shows you how to enrich your dogs life & prevent and solve behaviour problems by starting at home. Sarah’s informative & light hearted style guides you step by step…..giving you the keys to help prevent serious problems like separation anxiety, and solving many destructive and unacceptable behaviour problems.

Full of practical, innovative suggestions that will benefit both you and your dog

Discover…

• Over 101 ways to keep your dog entertained
• Valuable information for home alone dogs
• Welfare and safety considerations
• Low cost ideas
• Ideas for interactive entertainment
• Training and health care ideas & instruction
• The best toys & items you can buy
• And much more!

101 Ways to Keep your Dog Entertained is a MUST HAVE for Every Dog Owner!

YOUR DOG WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT!

Here’s a sample:

LOW COST IDEAS

Treasure Hunt – Hide treats before going out.

Have you bought this eBook ?  What did you think of it ?

Have you tried the Treasure Hunt idea ?  What was your experience ?

Search 101 Ways in the search box to the right to find more ideas from this marvellous eBook !

I bought this book in late September. I love it.  I’m sharing some of it with you here.  You can also download a preview of the eBook [ here ] — xox Aunty Vanessa

101 Ways to Keep Your Dog Entertained

by Sarah McMullen [ BUY NOW ]

In 101 Ways to Keep your Dog Entertained Sarah McMullen shows you how to enrich your dogs life & prevent and solve behaviour problems by starting at home. Sarah’s informative & light hearted style guides you step by step…..giving you the keys to help prevent serious problems like separation anxiety, and solving many destructive and unacceptable behaviour problems.

Full of practical, innovative suggestions that will benefit both you and your dog

Discover…

• Over 101 ways to keep your dog entertained
• Valuable information for home alone dogs
• Welfare and safety considerations
• Low cost ideas
• Ideas for interactive entertainment
• Training and health care ideas & instruction
• The best toys & items you can buy
• And much more!

101 Ways to Keep your Dog Entertained is a MUST HAVE for Every Dog Owner!

YOUR DOG WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT!

Here’s a sample:

LOW COST IDEAS

Empty Ice-cream Containers

You may wish to hide a treat underneath.  You can also use them with a lid and treats inside. Place some treats inside and attach the lid. See how long it takes them to work it out!

Have you bought this eBook ?  What did you think of it ?

Have you tried the Empty Ice Cream Container idea ?  What was your experience ?

Search 101 Ways in the search box to the right to find more ideas from this marvellous eBook !

RSPCA Don’t Knock Appeal !

For every $100 raised, I’ll add $10 of my own money…

click here to donate

Reason #3 I would prefer to stay home – the hazards of apartments and gated communities …..

This information has been provided to you from Vanessa, the owner of Gold Coast Pet Sitting.
For more information please go to http://www.goldcoastpets.com.au