Pet First Aid TAS

20/10/2021

04/02/2020

Great advice on adding raw bones to your dogs diet - helps keep their bones strong and their teeth strong and clean.

🦴 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 & 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗶𝘂𝗺 🦴

Edible bones are bones that are intended to be eaten entirely unlike big marrow bones, Edible bones are intended to be part of the dogs diet not additional to it.

🚫 Big marrow bones are weight bearing bones of large animals that are generally advised to be avoided as they can wear down teeth, chip teeth etc.

🥛 If you are feeding your dog a fresh food diet then bones are essential for the calcium component of their diet, if you are unable to offer bones you must offer calcium in another form, this may be via supplementation under the guidance of your vet, egg shell powder in adult dogs or crushed bone in what is called "pet mince".

🤪 When you choose the type of bones you give your dog you will need to take into account their personality when it comes to eating i.e. if they're a gulper, eat too fast etc. then you wouldn't give them bones that would be considered small for their size. Supervision is an important aspect of feeding bones.

👥👣 To slow dogs down eating bones the dog needs to feel safe, that means you and anyone in your house hasn't fussed with them when they have eaten before to the point that they eat fast to try and eat before you take something away from them - if you have fussed with your dog then feed them away from you with a closed door so they don't have to worry about you. Children should have NO access to dogs when eating if they're not able to understand their own safety and the respect a dog requires. They should be fed away from other dogs to the point the other dog cannot access them. Bones can be seen as high value to dogs and therefore they may get defensive with other dogs in their area.

❄️ Frozen bones for dogs with good digestive systems can be a good way to slow down dogs and something nice and cool on a warm day.

🥴 Edible bones are given as an entire meal or part of a meal therefore a dog shouldn't bury the bone, if they do, they're not hungry enough for it and you may need to re-evaluate how much they get fed.

🍗 If your dog mainly gets kibble then their ability to break down bones well may be affected as their pH is not quite at the level needed, however, you can help your dog by including Apple Cider Vinegar in small amounts plus a pro-biotics (such as our own Gut Dust available at our website) in their meals to help their digestive system try and function at a higher level.

✅ Different types of edible bones that you can consider depending on the size and personality of your dog may include but not limited to:

🦴 Chicken Frames
🦴 Chicken Necks
🦴 Chicken Feet
🦴 Chicken Wings
🦴 Turkey Wings
🦴 Turkey Necks
🦴 Duck Necks
🦴 Duck Frames
🦴 Duck Feet
🦴 Beef & Lamb Brisket
🦴 Whole Fish
🦴 Rabbit Frames
🦴 Pig Tails

Bones such as lamb necks and roo tails can be very dense and may require a high functioning digestive system to manage i.e. a raw fed dog. These dense bones may also carry a risk of wearing down teeth and chipping teeth.

Ribs may be too brittle and splinter and shouldn't be fed as singular ribs, always choose a rack that has at least 3.

👉 Never feed cooked bones. If you're feeding dehydrated bones, just stick to the likes of commercially dried chicken feet and necks, anything bigger could be problematic in terms of splintering.
👉 Avoid machine cut bones i.e. soup bones, these have very sharp edges.
👉 Drumsticks can splinter when broken because they are so dense.

22/03/2019

Link in this post with more information about the recalll

⚠️ WARNING: THE HILLS RECALL HAS EXPANDED:

‼️ Hill's Pet Nutrition is expanding its recall of specific lots of its Prescription Diet and Science Diet dog foods due to elevated levels of vitamin D.

➡️ Very high levels of vitamin D can lead to serious health issues in dogs, including kidney dysfunction.

➡️ I have contacted Hills who have confirmed that the additional affected batches are carrying over in Australia.

☎️ If you have any concerns please contact Hill’s Pet Nutrition:
1800 679 932

Find more information about the recall, visit here:

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/hills-dog-food-recall-expands/

28/11/2018

Silly season is upon us again and our pets all seem to know when the normal vet closed and its about to cost a fortune for an after hours emergency. Prevention could save both your pet and whatever is left in your credit card at this time of year so be proactive to make sure your pets are safe.

Festive Season, Christmas, New Years, Holidays, Dog, Cat, Travel, Pets, Vacation

18/09/2018

Are you a p**p sleuth?

Being a p**p sleuth helps keep our fur babies safe and healthy.

You can download my free P**p poster on my new community: https://redandhowling.com/community/

03/07/2018

Great advice on managing fireworks but could also be used for any number of stressful situations. The key to prevention is having the strategies in place already that will work best for your dog
https://www.facebook.com/PlanetPaws.ca/videos/1911958068825804/UzpfSTE0ODAzODE2MTg4NDQ3OToxOTE1Njg1NDM4NDUzMDY3/.

10/03/2018

This has been around a while but still makes me laugh just as much.

I'm not sure who wrote this but it is funny and I'm sure some of our clients can relate to it!

HOW TO GIVE YOUR CAT A PILL:

1) Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2) Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in
left arm and repeat process.

3) Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4) Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear
paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5) Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6) Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7) Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap.
Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8) Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill inside end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9) Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10) Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11) Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pour shot, drink. apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw Tee shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12) Call fire brigade to retrieve the f------ cat from tree across
the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.

13) Tie the little b**tard's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of steak filet. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

14) Consume remainder of Scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the
emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and remove pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15) Arrange for RSPCA to collect "mutant cat from hell" and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

HOW TO GIVE A DOG A PILL:

1) Wrap it in cheese.

27/01/2018

With the weather expected to hit the high 30's this weekend it is important that not only you keep cool, but you make sure your furry family members are also sun smart. Here are some tips on how to keep your pets nice and cool this weekend.
For more info on Heat Stroke, follow the link here http://ahvec.com.au/resources/heat-stroke/
We are open 24/7 all weekend from 6pm tonight (25/01/2018) until 8am on Monday morning (29/01/2018).
Phone 1300 302 912
AHVEC

24/10/2017

Snake seasona already in Tassie! Some advice belos from Montrose Vet Clinic. Remember if you are travelling make sure you look up contact details for the local vets before you set off.

https://www.facebook.com/montrosevetcentre/photos/a.249962781854644.1073741828.245901618927427/771022416415342/?type=3&theaterE

Unfortunately it's snake season again! With the warmer weather snakes come out of hibernation and our inquisitive pets with strong hunting instincts can get themselves into trouble. Tasmania has three species of snakes - tiger, copperhead and white lipped snakes. All three are venomous, however the white lipped is less so.

The copperhead and tiger snake venom can cause coagulopathies (issues with red blood cells and clotting), kidney, heart, nerve and muscle damage.

Clinical signs of snake bite can occur within 1-24 hours of being bitten. In the first instance, animals may collapse or vomit after being bitten. The animal may appear to recover before the clinical signs gradually worsen. Dilated pupils are often an early sign followed by hindlimb weakness causing the animal to stagger. Eventually the weakness can progress to paralysis and has implications on respiration and breathing ability. Other signs can include drooling, trembling, bleeding, pale gum colour and depression.

What do you do if you think your pet has been bitten- keep calm! A calm owner means a calm pet! Treatments like icepacks, tourniquet, alcohol on the bite, bleeding the bite site, or sucking the wound do nothing except delay you seeking emergency veterinarian treatment. Carry your pet to car, and give us a call to let us know the situation and your estimated time of arrival. When you arrive- your pet will be immediately examined and if needed, intensive therapy is implemented. Anti-venom may be required to treat your pet. Ideally this is administered within the first 6 hours to be the most effective. Often more than one vial is required depending on the individual animal and the level of envenomation.

The prognosis of snake bite envenomation can range from extremely guarded to good depending on the speed of treatment and the amount of venom the animal received.

So remember
- Keep calm!
- Carry your pet to the car and keep them calm and still.
- Seek immediate veterinary care even if they appear to have recovered!
- All snakes in Tasmania are protected and killing them is illegal

27/06/2017

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40293975

But painkillers and chocolate among the biggest causes of accidental poisonings in the home.

02/06/2017

Good article about preventing injury from repetetive ball throwing. Just like humans our pets can get acute injury or arthritis when their bodies are put under repeated stress.
http://totofit.com/tbt-think-before-throwing/

TBT – Think Before Throwing! In the past two days, I have worked with two dogs injured from overzealous ball playing, fetching, retrieving at quick paces, or whatever you want to call it. When I m…