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Welcome to our Winter Newsletter

During the last few months, we have had several new staff members because vet nurse Sian has had to leave due to her fractured spine. She now needs spinal surgery to repair the fracture and will be gone for several months while it heals and strengthens. We wish her well. Jane has returned part-time to help out. While Jackie takes a much deserved holiday. So please make yourselves known to our new nurses.

This time of year as the weather cools our older pets seem to suffer more with arthritis so we have repeated an article on arthritis to help you identify if they need help to be more comfortable. During the cooler months we usually get a reprieve from fleas. Please remember to keep up your flea control through winter to avoid the summer plague.

As of 1 July, 2009 all older cats in Moreton Bay Regional council will need to be registered with council, however, there is still no information available about registration fees. We have a brief article here highlighting the changes that we do know about and endeavour to keep you informed of any further changes.

Many of you will be getting this newsletter via email but we still have print copies available for those who do not have internet access. Please let us know if you would like to make changes to your current newsletter delivery.

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Children & Dogs  By Jackie

We all know of the benefits a dog can bring to any family. There are certain responsibilities we have as dog owners and more so if we have children around our dogs. Every now and then, a story about the family dog mauling a child is seen in the press.

There are many more dog bites which never get reported. Remember dogs are pack animals. They have social standing and graces which we as humans do not always understand and children much less so.

Here are a few do and don'ts which children need to understand.

• All dogs can bite no matter how meek and mild they appear, or always have been with the children obviously the larger breeds of dog have a stronger bite and can cause more harm.
• Always ask before approaching a strange dog and never approach a strange dog if the owner is not present.
• If it is alright to pat the dog, instruct children NOT to lean forward over the dog as this can be taken as a challenge by the dog, it's better to turn side on and crouch down slightly if taller than the dog.
• If you need to restrain a dog never reach over the top of the dogs head to grasp the collar, give the dog a chance to sniff your hand and then reach gently forward and scratch the dogs chest. If you need to grab the collar do so from underneath.
• Tell children not to stare directly into the dog's eyes as this is seen as a big challenge!
• Never rush up to a dog, let them come to you.
• Teach children to stroke gently along the dog's side and not to pat hard
• Teach your children to play fetch and hide games rather than tug and chasing games.

• Blow in their faces.
• Tease them, smack or pat hard on the head or any other part of their body and never pull ears, skin or whiskers.
• Flap your arms and squeal - can excite dogs as thinks child is playing with them so best for child to stand up if sitting or stand still and fold arms and ignore dog and if that doesn't work then child should leave the room and not pay any attention to the dog.
• Hug around the neck.
• Run with them chasing you.
• Ever try to stop dogs fighting.
• Pat when dog is eating.
• Pat when he is sleeping.
• Pat when he has a bone.
• Pat when he is tied up.
• Pat when he is in a car or behind a fence.
• Pat when he has one of his toys.
• Pat when there are no adults around.

The most common form of arthritis in our pets is osteoarthritis a painful, degenerative disease that affects highly movable joints.

With the approaching cooler weather our senior pets can start to slow down especially in the mornings. Like us, dogs and cats can have problems like arthritis. Difficulty getting out of bed, stiff walking when first getting up, difficulty jumping up onto chairs, difficulty walking up stairs and whimpering or crying are all signs of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease causing pain and stiffness in our senior dogs, and to a lesser extent cats. Our pets seem to be more stoic than us and tend to suffer in silence.

That is why such problems can go unnoticed until they are quite advanced, which can make treatment more difficult. Arthritis is more evident in the cooler times of the year and especially after extensive exercise.

Joint problems are aggravated by excess weight, which can also affect the length of your pet's life and quality of life. So feeding a restricted diet may be necessary to reduce your pet's weight.

Often, regular gentle exercise helps to maintain mobility, as joints that do not have regular movement may stiffen up, making your pet less active. Exercises such as swimming are ideal for dogs.

Giving your pets comfortable bedding such as a hammock style away from cold draughts will aid to cushion affected joints.

The good news for you and your pet is that medical care for these problems has advanced rapidly in recent years. There are several supplements available over the counter which support the repair of degenerated joints and help to reduce the degenerative process. We sell Sasha's Blend® powder which contains shark cartilage, abalone and green-lipped mussels, a sea food delight, it provides glucosamine, chondroitin and omega 3. This supplement can be sprinkled on your pets' food once daily.

We have also been using a course of injections to treat arthritis. These injections are given regularly to maintain the health and repair of joints. They work very effectively if combined with Sasha's Blend®.

These supplements are our first choice in treatment. However, once the arthritis becomes more advanced, treatment with pain-killers becomes necessary. Drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents are used to reduce pain and inflammation in the joints so improving your pet's quality of life.

This article may not apply to your pet but if you know of a pet in this situation, please tell their owner they may not know that help for their pet is only a phone call away.

This information is available on the Moreton Bay Regional Council's website, www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au, we have reprinted the information here to inform you of the changes from 1 July, 2009.

Cats, aged 12 weeks or more must be registered with Moreton Bay Regional Council.

Compulsory registration of cats aims to:

• Make it easier for lost cats to be reunited with their owners.
• Reduce the numbers of unwanted cats at animal shelters.
• Reduce the negative impact of cats on the environment and native fauna.


Council is still working on a cat registration system that will outline:


• How to register your cat
• Registration fees and due dates
• Current council laws which require cats be kept confined to their owner's property at all times.

• Your cat is younger than 12 weeks from 1 July, 2009.
• The ownership of the cat changes after 1 July, 2009.