General Pet Advice: Environment
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Flea control is very important when it comes to our furry friends. Both cats and dogs can experience the annoyance and discomfort of these tiny pests. Although adult fleas are visible to the naked eye there are actually 4 stages of a flea life cycle.
The cycle starts off with flea eggs, they are white in colour and about ½ mm in length, eggs will then go on to hatch in to larvae. Flea larvae are slender and about 2-5mm in length. After the larvae have matured they will enter the next stage of the cycle called pupa. Pupa will produce a silk like cocoon where they will reside until emerging as an adult flea on the look out for the perfect host…your pet! This life cycle is completed in around 14-21 days so that means that these critters breed fast!
If left untreated the female flea will consume your pets blood over a period of a few weeks. A female flea can consume around 15 times her body weight of blood and although the male flea does not consume as much it still contributes to significant amounts of blood loss. Treating an animal that has fleas is easy but you have to remember two very important things.
Firstly, preventions are available at most Supermarkets and vet clinics. Exelpet® provides a range of products suitable for the prevention and treatment of fleas (for more information visit www.exelpet.com.au. And secondly, once you’ve got them, you need to tackle them in two ways:
Fleas must be controlled on your pet
Fleas must be controlled in your pets environment
Killing just the adult fleas and not the eggs will not do the trick as they will grow and you will still have an annoying flea problem! Visit your local veterinarian orwww.exelpet.com.au for more information on how to go about controlling fleas in your home and on your pet.
Surprisingly, snake bites in suburbia are far more common that you may presume. But, what should you do if you suspect your pet may have been bitten? Obviously you need to get to a veterinary clinic as quickly as possible. But in the meantime, don’t let your pet walk or become too active, as this will spread the venom around the blood stream a hell of a lot faster! Keep your pet calm and apply a pressure bandage.
Toxins from a venomous snake bite will affect the central nervous system of your pet may also cause internal bleeding. Fatality rates can be high. Signs that your pet may have been bitten by a venomous snake are paralysis, drooling, trembling, vomiting, rapid pulse, dilated pupils and bloody urine.
Just like humans, pets can be given anti-venom. Sometimes is works and sometimes it doesn’t, it all depends on factors like time, age and general overall health of the animal. If possible, try to identify what type of snake has bitten your pet. If you can’t do this there may be a snake detection kit in your vet clinic that can tell what type of snake has bitten your pet. Always be careful when taking your pet to bush land areas, keep your pet close and look out for any possible hazards.
Finding a stray animal can be scary, especially if you have no idea what to do. Here are a few useful tips to make things a little easier should you find yourself in a situation like it. First of all if you consider yourself to be a Good Samaritan and see an injured animal on the side of the road, please stop. By doing this you will give an animal another chance at life.
Approach the injured animal with care, remember your safety comes first so look at the animals behaviour and assess if you think the situation is safe or not. If all systems are go, look at where the animal is injured and be very careful when handling. It is best to find the nearest local emergency clinic or welfare organization to look after and care for the injured animal. Here they can assess the animals health, and provide the appropriate treatment. Stray animals often do not get the respect they deserve so by helping out and doing the right thing, you are certainly doing your bit to save lives!
Losing your beloved pooch or puss can be a traumatic and emotional experience. But you can put in place preventative measures to reduce the risk of this happening.
Here is what you can do:
•Micro-chip your pet
•Have an identification tag on their collar with their name and a contact phone number where you can be reached.
•Keep your pets in at night
•Have your pets de-sexed
If you have followed all of these steps and your pet still gets out, try being speedy with your actions. Print out lost pet flyers with a clear colour photo and information about your beloved pet. Stick these flyers around your local area and in local shop windows.
You can even advertise in your local paper. Go for a walk around the streets in your area and call your pet’s name. For dogs, it is a good idea to contact your local city council to see if your pet has been impounded. Many pets have been found long after they go missing. The key is perseverance! Not giving up hope is the most important thing to remember. Give your pet the search they deserve and hopefully you will come out of the situation a very happy pet owner!
Do you need to get away for the weekend but have no one to look after your pets? Why not try a holiday shelter for pets! Holiday shelters can range from typical boarding kennels to luxurious 5 star accommodation. Your pet will have the 24 hour care receive the food, water, shelter, exercise and most importantly company and little love!
Before taking any pets on board most holiday shelters/boarding kennels will need a full vaccination history from your pet. This will ensure that disease is not spreading around the area and everyone is kept healthy. Most holiday shelters will also offer other services such as grooming, so your pet will be returned to you in the highest of conditions. If you do not want to leave your pet in a shelter but would prefer to leave them at home, there are other options.
There are companies that offer house combined with pet sitting services. That takes care of 2 problems in one. To find out more about this topic ask your local vet for more information or simply check out the phone book or search on the web. And once you know your pet is safe and happy, you can enjoy your holiday!
