Pets and Fireworks- 7 things you can do

Love them or hate them..I don't think they are going away. Every year we hear about horrible injuries to people from the misuse of fireworks and there are always people who will want them banned. But they do bring a lot of pleasure to people as well. It's a pity our pets don't share in the pleasure. For them they are just a frightening noise and sight. Many pets will shake and tremble, wet their pants, howl or hide in the corner. Some more sensitive types will try and climb the wall or jump fences and run off. I have a particularly sensitive dog that stays at my In-Home boarding facility, that does all of the above. So how can we help our furry friends survive this time of year???

1) Get prepared and go shopping (yay!!) If your pets don't have a name tag get one from your local pet shop or engraver.This is just in case your pet does happen to get out and take off. Animates have an engraving machine.

2) On the shopping list also should be some Resue Remedy, a Bach flower combination of 5 different essences for shock and terror. This can be put directly into the mouth or in your pets water bowls. I'd start a few days before the action is due to start or before fireworks go on sale. There are other similar products, one is called Courage and it is a combination of homeopathic remedies. One of my clients was saying she found it most effective. You can get it at your local Vet Clinic

3) Make sure your pet is on a good balanced diet,a raw natural diet without colours, favours and preservatives will all help to have a calmer pet. Adding supplements like Flaxseed oil, My Beau ( avaliable at your local vet or pet shop) or Fish oils will help to ensure they have a good funtioning brain..amongst other things. Adding a Vitamin B complex or sprinkling Brewer's yeast ( high in vitamin B) will also help with stress and additionally Vitamin C supplements will help to keep your pet well if they are stressed.

4) There are c/ds you can get to desensitise your pet to the noises. Happy-Fireworks-Desensitisation. Alternatively do a google search and see if you can find some free sound effects. Start quietly and build up the sound.

5) Essential oils of Lavender have a calming effect. Similarly Calm me solution from Herbology is a lovely product that I use here for the dogs, rubbing it on their ears.

5) Prepare for the nights well. Shut curtains, leave lights on, put TV or radio on. Have a litter tray inside for cats and take the dog for a walk before it starts getting dark. Give them a crate or little cave area they can go and 'hide' in. When the fireworks starts keep calm yourself as your pets will pick up on your feelings of anxiousness.

6) Have a look at this video about calming signals for dogs. The techniques shown here may help during the actual noise to help your pet feel calm.

7) Another idea is using Feliway spray for cats. This is an analogue of the feline facial pheremone which is what the cats deposit on the legs of chairs and your legs when they rub around you. These are their happy smells. Humans have reproduced it in a laboratory and bottled it, so you can use it at home as a plug in diffuser or a spray. The dog equavalent is called DAP which I believe smells like 'Mum'. It's available at your vet, it's not cheap but very effective.

I hope some of these products and ideas will help you and your pets have a more enjoyable time over the next few weeks..and also over New Years when we seem to have another round of Fireworks.

Lisa Hudson
Manager & Vet Nurse
Absolutely Precious Paws Limited

Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, Dog Day Care, Pet Home Stay, House sitting
Member of Tauranga Chamber of Commerce
A network of caring Pet Care Specialists providing consistent, superior,holistic care for pets that enhances their quality of life, educates their owners,and allows them to 'leave with peace of mind, and come home to happy pets'
Ph 0508 738748 xtn 1
Mob 0272419945

headoffice@preciouspaws.co.nz
120 Ridge St, Otumoetai,Tauranga

http://www.preciouspaws.co.nz/

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Here's how to solve a common problem pet owners have when they go away

If you are planning a holiday it can be a real concern as to what to do with your pets. You want to do the best for them but may struggle to find the right option for yours or your pet’s special needs. I understand how you feel. I remember when I first took my little dog to a Kennel I drove away bawling my eyes out….which was quite dangerous when I was trying to drive. I took her to 4 different Kennels in her life and didn’t really like any of them. She would often come back with the Tux biscuits they fed (but she didn't eat) buried in her bed. I thought there must be a better option.
The key to keeping your pets happy is to change as little as possible. You want to make sure they are fed their normal food, exercised their normal amount, they have company (if they like that), they keep their normal routine, that they are safe and warm in the colder winter month...and that they are loved.
There are 4 options

1) You take them with you….sometimes an option but often not practical if you are flying to destination or you are staying in a place where you can’t have pets. And even if you can have them there, what do you do with them if you are out for the day on the golf course, or wanting to go to a restaurant or at the hot pools?


2) You put them in a Kennel or Cattery. There are many good facilities around and some pets love going to them...but there are some not so good ones and just as many pets that get very stressed when they go to a new location. You will know your own animal and whether they will do well in that situation. I recommend having a look yourself and talking to the owner/manager/staff. Ask questions pertaining to your pet’s particular requirements and judge for yourself. Ask too if the owners/managers are new to the job, which may indicate some inexperience or if the business is on the market, which may indicate some lack of enthusiasm for the job. Burn-out is a big issue in the pet care world when people are working and caring for pets every day.

"Pussy was very happy to stay at home. None of the usual cattery drama. The plants are healthy and I’m very happy too."

"Puss looked in better condition than I left him, was loving the house to himself"
"I think I was more worried than they were!! Very happy and relaxed, and didn’t ignore us like they usually do after a cattery”. Hayley Andrews
"My partner and I went away for the weekend but when arranging it found ourselves worried about taking the pets (1 cat, 1dog) to the kennels. Don’t get me wrong, the people at the kennels are great but Pasta (our dog) doesn’t like to be caged and the cat hates change. By chance I came across an ad in the local paper for a pet sitting company, I don’t know if I am allowed to mention their name on here but they were FANTASTIC. They fed both animals, picked up doggie doos from the lawn, walked, petted, pampered, you name it they did it! Our animals were so happy when we got home; it was like we had never left. As well as this we got a small written daily report about behaviour and well being and a welcome home card. Yeah but how much?? It was cheaper, better service and far more friendly for our pets and I highly recommend anyone going away to look into it." Rose

3) You can ask your friends, family or neighbour to look after them. This may work for you...as long as your friend, family or neighbour is responsible, reliable, mature, not too busy, well-fenced, has the same pet care standards as you do, is experienced with animals, committed, has good common sense and is kind and caring. Oh and that they are willing to do it. They may say to you that they are willing to do it as a favour but are they willing to do it well? And what happens when there is a problem? Just today I was contacted by a client who had chosen to use her friends to care for the dog this time. The text said things weren’t working out for them. The dog’s owner said they’d be around at midday to drop the dog off..the truth was that as soon as they got a text from the owner to say it was fine for me to care for the dog, they were in the car. I said to the carers ”She’s a rather exuberant dog isn’t she” They said..”She ran away twice and broke the gate”..Oh dear.

4) You can use a Pet Sitting/Pet Home Stay or House Sitting service like the one Absolutely Precious Paws provides. Pet Sitting is looking after your pet in your own home. Cats especially, but many dogs too prefer their own home environment where they can lounge on their (owners) beds and snack on their normal food. Some other benefits are you don’t need to take them on the car trip to the kennel or cattery or fit into their drop off or pick up times. Your pet will avoid exposure to illness from other animals and your house can be checked and given a lived in look as well.
The Pet Home Stay option is where your dog (and sometimes cats) stay in the home of a Pet Sitter. Some of the features of the Pet Home Stay in Tauranga includes a bedroom with queen sized bed to sleep on and 6 different inside heated rooms, dog appeasing pheromone to calm new dogs, and filtered water in their water bowls. We have pools, couches, and toys and the optional use of treadmill. “Songs to make Dogs Happy” on the C/D player and Skype on the laptop camera, so you can check in if you are near a computer. And for your convenience, flexible pick up and drop off times.
You will receive peace of mind knowing that our experienced, qualified, responsible, mature, reliable Vet Nurses and Pet Sitters are caring for your pets with integrity, kindness, common-sense and love. That’s why one of our guarantees is you will leave with peace on mind and come home to happy pets.
Also we guarantee we will ensure your pets physical and emotional needs and wants will be met so they will remain healthy and happy and won’t get lonely.
We guarantee we will visit when scheduled and can send you a text to confirm.
We guarantee we will attend to their needs as requested, thoroughly and with love.
And we guarantee we won’t go snooping through your bedroom drawers.( we know some trades-people do thanks to the “Target” show). If you would like to talk to us about caring for your pet visit our website http://www.preciouspaws.co.nz/

Not all Pet Sitting services are the same. Look for someone with extensive experience, not just animal experience but experience Pet Sitting and knowing about the potential problems that can arise and how to deal with them, or that they are supported by people who have the experience. This would mean they have been in business for a number of years. Anyone can set themselves up in a Pet Sitting business relatively easily. Experience is the difference between someone who can give you peace of mind and someone who can’t. Having hired well over 20 Pet Sitters in the last 10 years, interviewed scores more, and been in contact with other Pet Sitters around the world, I know it’s a special person who chooses this as their calling. Even though you may meet a Pet Sitter and think “oh they are really nice” doesn’t mean they will be the best person for the job. It’s the difference between a people person and a task orientated person. Your Pet Sitter will be completing tasks, so the ability to do that is more important than them being a really nice person. The sort of people I hire have both people and task skills but predominantly are task orientated, so I know they will do as you ask and do it thoroughly and carefully. Another important factor is qualifications and that these qualifications have then been used in the field. Again anyone can go and get an animal or Vet Nurse qualification, but if that has been followed up with on the job experience in a Vet Clinic, at the SPCA or similar, then that is far better. If your pet has some sort of medical condition you will need to know that your pet sitter is able to deal with that. Sometimes I have looked after animals and they have had unknown medical conditions, or undiagnosed medical conditions, which become quite obvious when I am caring for them. Some conditions owners may put down to old age, when they can be quite simply treated and alleviate the animals discomfort.
Other factors to consider is if they have Liability Insurance and are police checked...not only that they run a police check on themselves, but also their staff or contractors. Ensure that they have a few people on their team as back up if they are unwell..and also so they can have some time off. Read some references from previous clients and ask for one of them to talk to or email if you are unsure. If you would like to discuss your needs with us visit our website www.preciouspaws.co.nz
“I would not consider using anyone other than Absolutely Precious Paws to care for Jazz when we are away. The family go out of their way to attend to her every need. Special mention must go to Kerry who sits with Jazz through Thunder, Lightning and Fireworks. Absolutely Precious Paws is Jazz's second home and she is always relaxed whenever Lisa picks her up for another holiday. Delwyn Weatherly

" Absolutely Precious Paws is a perfect option for me as my dog doesn't like to be alone for very long. I feel assured that he's in great hands when I go away especially given Lisa's qualifications. My dog is always very excited when we arrive at Lisa's and very content when we pick him up again. Thanks Lisa :-)
Alice McConnochie

" Absolutely Precious Paws is such a great service. I was very nervous leaving my 4 month old kitten at home for the first time while I went away for a week. I returned to a really happy wee girl who now answered to her name! I've used them loads since then and they really go the extra mile. Special thanks to Jenny & Lisa for the fantastic work they do - its great to have peace of mind when I'm away”
Nikki Limond


“I would personally highly recommend the services provided by Lisa and her staff at Absolutely Precious Paws to anyone who wants the absolute best care for their loved pet while they have to go away. We have been using Lisa since we moved through from Christchurch last year and I can’t speak more highly of a more perfect place for our precious dog to go when we have to go away for a weekend, a week or just a day. The ease of being able to drop her off at a flexible time and knowing that she will be well looked after with lots of cuddles and not being put in a cage. They have long walks if you choose and are able to play with other dogs as well. It is a great feeling when your dog jumps out of the car to Lisa with tail wagging and wanting to play.”
Lucy Brooking

Toilet training a puppy

What goes in must come out…so the next important thing when you have a new puppy is dealing with when and where it comes out.
The idea is to set them up for success by making sure you minimize the opportunity for failure. The use of a crate is highly recommended unless you have the time to constantly supervise the puppy. This is where your puppy can sleep at night and is easy to clean if there if there are accidents at night.
First thing in the morning take the puppy out for a pee. Take him to the spot and give the command. Some common commands people use are “do wees” “be quick”,”pee”, “ go potty”, ” poop”, “pee”, “peepee”, “poopie”, “potty”,” hurry up”
Some less common phrases which you might prefer are “ go-go”, “go tee-tee”,” go tootie”, “number 1”,” number 2”, or the phrase "go number one" or "go number two",
“get busy."
And even some unusual phrases that I have heard of people using like “ make dumplins”"go tinkle binkle." "go hoohoo, BooBoo." "empty!" "tinkle" , "duty". "go mind your Ps and Qs".

Whatever command you choose think about who will be giving the command. Some husbands may not be happy using some of the above.
When there is success give a big fuss and pat and some treats, and then a bit of play time. Some dogs can get smart and realise once they go, they lose your undivided attention. By spending some time afterwards having a play, they learn that as soon as they do the business, they get the treat or play time. If nothing is happening, a drink and a short time back in the cage should work. Take them out for another try after 10 mins or so.
Commonly puppies will want to go after waking, after eating, and when they haven’t gone for a period of time. That period is about 1 hour per month of age, so if it’s 2 months it will need to go every 2 hours, 3 months every 3 hours. You will need to watch for the signs if the puppy is unsupervised inside and these include sniffing the ground or walking round in circles. They may also bark or whine to let you know they need to go. Every dog has different signs, so it pays to watch what they do when outside and then watch out for those signs inside.
There will be accidents, don’t make a fuss, just clean it up and make sure you are more attentive next time. To clean up wee simply dilute with water or water and a carpet shampoo and blot with a towel. I have found a carpet shampooer is great to suck up the excess water before blotting.
Praise the good, ignore the bad…..

I had a really exciting week this week. I went in to see the Vet. First thing I did was pee on her floor..she didn’t mind too much though. She gave me a good check over, she looked in my ears and checked my teeth. She talked to my human about the food I eat. She also talked to my human about whether I get a vaccination and they decided I should, but I won’t need another one for 3 years after that one. The Vet was nice and she gave me treats without me having to sit.
I have been going for walks on the lead around my section. I am learning how to heel, which means I walk right beside the person taking me for a walk. Sometimes I go too slow and I am encouraged forward with treat. Sometimes I go too quickly and the collar around my neck pulls, so I slow down. I need to concentrate all the time to get it just right. That’s quite hard for me to do, but I’ll do a bit more practice each day and I’ll get it right. My human says its important I learn to walk nicely, so I get to go out on lots of fun walks.
And at the end of the week I did get to go out on a fun walk with a group of dogs from Animates. Once a month, on the last Saturday of the month, there are people that meet at the pet shop and walk down to Memorial park. I went with 2 other dogs from home, that were staying with us. It was too far for me, so my human ended up carrying me much of the way back, but it was great to meet other dogs and have a good time.
There’s so much to learn and experience when you are a puppy

What do I feed my Puppy?

Earlier this month our family decided the time was right to get a new puppy to be a friend for the children and a playmate for the dogs that stay with us. We chose Millie from the SPCA, breed unknown..the card says Collie X but who knows. I see you can now do DNA testing on dogs to determine their exact breed. Perhaps we’ll have a think about that.
The first stop was to get some food for her. I remember a little girl asking me once when I was at a Veterinary Clinic..”What’s the best thing to feed a cat?...I suspect she wanted me to say a particular brand of cat food. I replied “The best thing to feed a cat is a bird, or a mouse or a rat, as that is what they’d eat if they were in the wild. If they were supposed to eat out of a can, they’d be born with a can opener around their neck.” There was stunned silence from the little city kid..obviously this was a completely foreign concept to her. I don’t know if she got a second opinion from someone else to do her school project , perhaps my answer wouldn’t have given her a great mark, but it’s still the truth.
So what should you feed a puppy . If Millie was in the wild her mum would eat and regurgitate the food so the puppies could eat a mince like consistency. So Mum would scavenge and forage on whatever was available in the environment at the time. If she came across a dead carcass or killed something the first thing she’d eat would be the stomach contents, and so get a good variety of pre-digested veges. She’d have a munch on a bit of the liver and get some A and D vitamins, she’d crunch on some of the leg bones and get some calcium and give her teeth a good clean in the process, she’d eat a bit of eyes, a bit of kidney, a bit of brain and get a good array of Vitamins, Minerals and essential fatty acids. This raw mince up food would be what the puppy ate and then as it got older it would head out and eat the same things Mum was eating.
So as her new Mum I needed to find something similar. I headed along to Pet Essentials and bought her a bag of the bickies she was eating at the SPCA so I could gradually introduce the new diet. I also got some puppy mince which has lamb, chicken, tripe and heart and chicken necks to introduce her to the joys of chewing on raw bones. She took to her new diet ravenously and since then has eaten, in addition, green tripe, whole chicken carcasses( from the Aussie butcher), chicken wings, chicken drumsticks, fish and salmon heads,( from Sanfords) big lumps of kidney, heart, a little liver, beef and lamb brisket, whole eggs, Tukkathyme, blended veges and left over veges and fruit. She has had a sprinkle of spirulina and occasional LSA mix also. There are a few different people recommending raw food diets and they vary slightly as the amounts of bones and whether to feed grains or not. Certainly any version with fresh raw ingredients, that actually have some life in them, and are free of colourings, flavours,preservatives,tons of bad fats and salt, will significantly increase your pet’s health and lead to a longer and happier life.
Millie certainly agrees with me.

Millies 3rd week

I am really good at doing sit now..and now I am learning “down” , which is lie down. When I do sit my human then puts the treat on the ground in front of me and I put my nose down and she moves it away .If I keep my bottom on the ground I have to go down to get the treat. Sometimes I forget to keep my bottom on the ground and my human reminds me by putting her hand over it to keep it there. She says Millie ..down at the same time..more pats..more good girls, more treats.
My family is a mum, a dad and 2 children. All the family help with my training by all doing and saying the same thing. The children have learnt how to ask me to sit and down too..and that’s really helpful that they all do and say the same thing..otherwise I could be a confused puppy. I get visitors come and meet me and they are asked to make sure I sit when I greet them..my human has to train them too…
My human children love to play and pat and cuddle me. I play with balls and in the paddling pool at my house. I have a big section and I am so lucky that my human has a Doggy Day Care and Pet Home Stay at their house. This means I get lots of other dogs to play with and learn things from. My human says dogs are pack animals and so need to meet and interact with other dogs and all the dogs that come and stay here have lots of time to do that. I feel sorry for dogs that are at home alone all day. I hear that solitary confinement is a punishment for humans…how do they think their dogs feel being in solitary confinement???
This week my human bought me some green tripe to eat as well…she says it smells awful but I love the smell and the taste..yum yum.
It’s great fun being a healthy puppy..

I’m having a great time and my human thinks I’m the perfect puppy. And I’ve got a name…it’s Millie.
Soon after I arrived I started to learn some commands. My human had a handful of tasty food called Ziwipeak..man are they yummy. She held one just above my nose, let me have a sniff and then moved it back towards my tail and at the same time said “sit”. I kept my eye on the treat and my head went back and my bottom went onto the ground. It was easy and then I got to eat the treat and a pat and was told I was a “good girl”. We do this a number of times through the day and also just before I get my food to eat. The other time I’m asked to sit is when I say hi to my human or anyone else. My owner thinks it’s really important that I don’t jump up to say “hi”. It’s what we do in the dog world so it’s natural for me to do that, but I live with humans and they don’t really like that, so ..when in Rome…
The other think I learnt was to come when called. My human says “Millie ..come”..in a really exciting voice and I run over and get some more treats. Then she asks me to sit..and I do that..and more pats, more treats …more “good girls”
I’m growing fast and loving my new food. I get lots of interesting things to eat. This week I’ve had raw chicken wings, raw brisket bones, raw salmon head, chicken carcasses, heart, liver, eggs as well as my puppy mince and veges. My human sprinkles some other bits and pieces as well like spirillina, kelp, brewers yeast and some oils or seed mix. I love chewing on the bones or the big chunks of meat, just like I would if I was in the wild.
It’s great fun being a puppy….

Millies Blog

You’re going to love reading about my busy week . Monday I was with my brother and sister at a place called the SPCA. It’s a temporary place we go if our mothers humans can’t / can’t be bothered or won’t find us new home. It’s ok there, we are fed and kept clean and have shelter and people play with us but I’d rather be in a real home..just like many of the animals there. The next day my new human came into the SPCA, chose me and took me home. I have the coolest home but more about that later.
First stop was to the food shop to get me some food. We bought some of the food I was already eating as it’s not good for me to have a sudden change of diet, and some of the food that I will be eating. It’s a yummy puppy mince with lamb, chicken, tripe and heart, something called Tukkathyme and also some chicken necks which I love to chew on and they keep my teeth clean.
Next stop was to say Hi to my vet quickly, and see how one of my brothers was doing, as he was staying there. He was a bit sick. I hadn’t shown and sign of illness but my human will keep a close eye on me.
Then home..and first job was a bath. My human washed me with a natural dog shampoo , which she assured me after the bath I would smell lovely. I rather preferred the way I smelt but I guess I need to follow her rules now…and I’ll probably get lots of cuddles if I smell like they want me too, so that’s got to be a good thing.
I was put out to do wees..my human spends a lot of time putting me out to do wees..when I do it outside she says “Good Girl” in a higher happy voice. Sometimes I go inside and if my human sees me she says “Ahh” in a growly voice and I’m put outside. I guess that’s not the thing to do. I get put out after I wake up, after I eat, when I haven’t been out for a while and when I start sniffing round inside. If my human isn’t around I am sometimes put in a crate. I get to do wees just before I am put in the crate and straight after coming out too. I don’t like to dirty in my crate so that helps with my training. I’ll get it sussed soon
My humans have an important job now…it’s to decide what I should be called. I wonder what my name will be?