caring for your new pet

Thank you for considering to adopt a rescue dog/puppy/kitten/cats they make the most loving thankful family members. Rescue puppies/dogs/kitten/cat come into rescue for many different reasons and as you can imagine some of those reasons can make the dog/puppies very unsure of new environments and it can take them a lot longer to adjust with a lot of love encouragement and praise these dogs will settle and fit write into your family.

THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR MY NEW CAT/KITTEN/DOG/PUPPY

It is important that you make sure you have everything you need so that when you bring your puppy/dog/kitten/cat home this just helps to make the transition easier.

You will need:

A bed and kennel

food bowels

water bowls

lead

colar (with a bell for cat)

Id tag

car harness

scratching pole

flea treatment

worming tablets

dog shampoo and conditioner

dog jumper

any toys of your choice

FEEDING YOUR YOUR PUPPY / KITTEN

Depending upon your pet's age, breed and size we recommend feeding 4 meals a day up until 4 months of age. This can be reduced to 3 meals per day up until 6 months and then 2 meals until your dog/cat is an adult. Obviously for some pet owners these time frames may not be possible. As a minimum feed at least twice per day while young. Adult dogs /cats should ideally be fed 2 meals a day particularly in large breeds.

WHICH PUPPY / KITTEN FOOD IS BEST

Premium dog / kitten biscuits offer the best all round diet for growing puppies / kittens. Premium ranges are developed by veterinary science experts and take into consideration the development of your dog / cats body including the immune system and vital organs, skin and coat health.

FEEDING YOUR DOG

With so many brands and types of dog food available it can be difficult to know what is best. The nutritional needs of your dog have evolved in the natural or wild environment, so when feeding you must provide everything that would be found in the natural diet.

Dogs in the wild eat the entire body of their prey including skin, bones, muscle and intestinal contents, so it is not surprising that meat alone (muscle) doesn’t provide everything for your dog.

Additionally, a dog's dietary requirements change depending on its stage of life, activity level and physiological state. For instance, a growing puppy requires high levels of many nutrients, like protein, to develop strong bones and muscles. Older dogs do not require nearly as much protein, in fact high-protein diets can over-tax body organs such as the kidneys and actually shorten the dog's life span.

FEEDING YOUR CAT

Cats have a bit of a reputation for being rather particular about what's in their bowl. They need a well balanced diet and plenty of water to keep them healthy and happy, but some cats can take time to adjust to new foods so you may need a little perseverance to find out works best for both of you

With so many different cat foods on the market, choosing can be a little overwhelming. What is the best food for my cat? Should I get dry, moist, or wet food? What if my cat doesn't like it? These are all questions that most cat owners have asked themselves at some time.

But there are other things to consider as well. Cats should be fed a high quality food that supports an ideal body condition, healthy skin and coat and an active energy level. Like their wild ancestors, the domestic cat is considered a true carnivore. Cats require a higher level of dietary protein than dogs. Foods formulated for dogs may not contain adequate protein for cats. In this section we cover all of these issues and more, so you can be confident that you're feeding your cat the right amount of the right food.

TIPS FOR TOILET TRAINING YOUR PUPPY / DOG

• Observation, patience and positive reinforcement are the key to toilet training your puppy or dog.

• Remember, the younger the dog, the more frequently toilet breaks will be required. Puppies may need to urinate as frequently as every two hours. Don’t expect a young puppy to be able to hold-on for an entire night.

• Puppies generally will want to toliet whenever they wake, after playtime and after eating or drinking. At these times, take the puppy to the place where you want them to toilet and give a cosistent command, then praise and reward the puppy when they have toileted appropriately. It’s not difficult to teach your puppy to toilet at any spot of your choosing whenever you give the command – this can be very handy!

• Stick to a routine: dogs are very regular when it comes to going to the toilet.

• Toilet breaks or walks first thing in the morning, after meals and before bed at night are essential. Your dog will learn faster if these breaks occur at the same time each day (including weekends, holidays and when you want to sleep in).

• Designate a toilet area: this is an area where it is okay for your dog to go to the toilet. It may be outside, a courtyard or atrium, or on artificial grass or a pet loo. Dogs should be taken to this spot when they need to go to the toilet: first thing in the morning, after meals and last thing at night. Praise your dog for toileting in this spot.

• Confine your dog: after toileting your dog, and before you go to sleep, confine your puppy or dog to a crate. Dogs are unlikely to mess up their sleeping area so will wait until they can access their normal toileting area – but be sure you get up early so your dog isn’t waiting too long.

• Pre-empt your dog: if you notice a sudden change in behaviour, or obvious toileting behaviour (sniffing, circling, squatting or leg-lifting), move your dog to the designated toilet area and praise him or her for using it.

• Clean up accidents quickly: if your dog does have an accident inside, that spot may be seen as an acceptable place to toilet in the future. To minimise the risk of this, clean up all urine and faeces as quickly as possible. Wash the area with an enzymatic washing powder and lots of warm water. Products such as “Urine-Off” help remove the smell of urine which may be left behind by products that just disguise the smell (as far as humans are concerned).

• Don’t punish your dog in the event of an accident: it’s likely to confuse him or her, which can backfire – the dog learns that toileting in front of the owner is the unacceptable behaviour and can lead to “secret” or “sneaky” toileting.

• If your dog does toilet regularly in the wrong spot, place absorbent puppy pads or artificial grass in thatspot. Once your dog is toileting on these, gradually move them to the site where you’d prefer your dog to toilet.

TIPS FOR LITTER TRAINING YOUR KITTEN / CAT

Cats are naturally clean creatures. Teaching them to use the litter box encourages this inherent instinct. Most kittens and cats easily learn to use their litter box ... and they will usually continue to use it unless it gets too dirty. Here are a few tips to help your kitty along:

Place the litter box in a clean, relatively quiet and accessible location. Keep it away from high-traffic areas and be sure your cat has access to it any time she needs it. Be sure to keep the litter box out of reach of children as well as the other animals in the household.

Show kitty where it is. Place her in the box and let her sniff. Some people have found it useful to rake their fingers through the litter to show their cat what they want her to do.

If you have more than one cat, consider a separate litter box for each. Cats generally don't like to eliminate in the same place as other cats.

Keep the litter box clean. Scoop out soiled litter daily, and change the entire box every week, putting in fresh litter. You can wash out the box with a solution of water and vinegar to help reduce the odor, and then add a little baking soda to the litter itself. An inch and a half of fresh litter is usuall plenty.

Don't place her litter box near her food and water. Cats don't like to eliminate where they eat.

Clean any accidents immediately. If kitty does have an accident, clean the area right away with a half and half solution of white vinegar and water. This will help to eliminate the odor and hopefully prevent kitty from returning to that spot.

Never punish your cat for having an accident. Do not strike her or rub her nose in the mess; instead, firmly say "No!", then place her in her litter box and praise her there.

VACCINATING YOUR NEW PET

PUPPIES

To safeguard your pet from potentially serious and sometimes fatal diseases your puppy needs to be vaccinated (inoculated). Our vaccines protect against several diseases including Canine Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis and Canine Parainfluenza Virus.

Your puppy's vaccination / immunisation schedule

Puppy vaccinations can commence as young as 6 weeks of age. If your puppy is older we are able to commence a vaccination / immunization schedule anytime during puppy hood. So your puppy can socialise safely with other dogs and go for walks outdoors we aim to achieve full immunity by 12 weeks of age. To keep your dogs immunizations u they will need to vaccinate every 12 months. If you are unsure about your puppy's vaccination status please contact us before you take him/her outside for walks and to meet other dogs and pets.

KITTENS

To safeguard your pet from potentially serious and sometimes fatal diseases we recommend vaccinations. Cats are vaccinated against:

Feline Enteritis - This is the most common life threatening disease affecting cats. It is a very contagious viral disease with a high death rate especially in cats under 12 months of age. Signs include fever, depression, severe stomach pain, vomiting diarrhoea and dehydration.

Feline Respiratory Disease (Cat Flu) - This is a highly contagious disease. Cats of all age are at risk, especially young kittens, Siamese and Burmese cats. Signs include sneezing, nasal discharge, runny eyes, coughing, loss of appetite and tongue ulcers. This can lead to severe dehydration followed by death.

Feline Chlamydia - Chlamydia is an organism that causes eye disease, predominantly seen in kittens up to 9 months of age. The signs of infection are discharge from the eyes (sticky eye or conjunctivitis) and nose, fever, coughing, respiratory signs, enlarged lymph nodes, inappetence, weight loss and depression. Chlamydia is found in up to 1/3 of cases of conjunctivitis and is transmitted by close and persistent contact between cats.

FIV Feline Immunodeficiency Virus - This blood borne viral infection causes feline AIDS which is potentially fatal. Vaccination is available and will be recommended by our veterinarians if your cat is considered to be at risk. The virus interferes with the immune system and initial symptoms such as fever, sores, lesions and diarrhoea progress to severe chronic infections as the immune system is overcome. There is no treatment or cure for the virus itself.

Your kitten will require a course of three vaccinations:

6 weeks First Vaccination - Temporary
10 Weeks Booster Vaccination
14 Weeks Final Vaccination
One week after the 14 vaccination your kitten can go outside and socialise with other cats.

FIV Vaccination requires a course of 3 vaccinations which can be done at 10, 12 & 14 weeks of age or later in life also. Cats vaccinated for FIV after 6 months will require a blood test prior to vaccination.

Adult cats require an annual vaccination booster for life. You will receive a reminder when your cat's yearly vaccination is due.

WORMING YOUR DOG/PUPPY

The most common worms that affect dogs in Australia are roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm and whipworm. Worms are a common cause of ill health in pets and can cause problems such as loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea and in severe cases, death.

Puppies need to be wormed at with an allwormer at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of age, then every month until 6 months of age and then every 3 months for life. We recommend Drontal or Canex Cubes for younger puppies

WORMING YOUR CAT/KITTEN

The most common worms that affect cats in Australia are roundworm, hookworm and tapeworm. Worms are a common cause of ill health in pets and can cause signs such as loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea and in severe cases even death.

Kittens should be wormed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age, then every 3 months for life with an allwormer, eg. Drontal tablet or Felix past.

FLEA CONTROL

Fleas are unfortunately an ever present nuisance to our pets. If fleas exist in the environment they will find a way onto your pets coat. Fortunately, they can be prevented easily and effectively with a once a month topical solution or tablet. All pets in the household need to be treated. Puppies/kittes can be given a topical flea treatment as early as 6-8 weeks of age.

HEARTWORM PREVENTION IN DOGS AND PUPPIES

Heartworm disease can affect dogs and puppies and is very easily spread by mosquitoes. Unfortunately the impact of heartworm is devastating which is why your puppy will need heartworm prevention medication. This treatment will commence from 12 weeks of age. You can choose to give your puppy a monthly spot on preventative medication or a heartworm injection. The heartworm injection, Proheart can be given at 12-16 weeks of age, followed by an adult dose at 9 months of age and then a once a year injection thereafter. Heartworm prevention will continue throughout the life of your pet.

HEARTWORM PREVENTION IN CATS AND KITTENS

Heartworm can affect cats and is spread by mosquitoes. Although heartworm is not prevalent in South Australia, there is a monthly spot on available to prevent heartworm in cats.

Your kitten can commence heartworm prevention anytime before 16 weeks of age. Heartworm prevention is needed for the lifetime of your pet.

BATHING YOUR PUPPY/KITTEN

Puppie/kittens generally do not require lots of baths, however if a bath is necessary make sure you use a mild shampoo. Canine and feline skin is very different to ours. We recommend that your dog/cat is bathed no more than once a week.

Caring For Your New Rescue Pet