Tag Archives: training

Covid – 19 The Pandemic And Your Pet

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Covid – 19 The Pandemic And Your Pet

 

Covid – 19 The Pandemic And Your Pet 

Unfortunately due to the current pandemic, the socialising of a lot of young pets has been effected. Our Spring News Blog, discusses the issues that can raise from poor socialisation. When considering a new pet, its really important to understand what socialisation your pet has received from the rescue centre or breeder prior to coming home with you. Socialisation can have massive effects on your pets behaviour and personality later in life.

 

 

Lungworm awareness!

The warmer weather provides the perfect opportunity for parasites to climb on to your pet and into your home. Our Spring News Blog, discusses the potentially fatal parasite – Lungworm. It is easy to pick up this nasty parasite but even easier to prevent with appropriate parasite protection. The good news is that prevention is automatically included in our Pet Healthcare Club, why not join today and spread the cost of your dogs healthcare today.

 

 

How does my pets heart work?

Our Spring News Blog discusses how a healthy heart works. Whilst most of us take a healthy heart for granted, heart disease is nevertheless surprisingly common in both cats and dogs. Our Spring Blog also discusses the signs of heart disease to watch out for in your pet, the good news is both our Ealing and Hounslow surgeries have ultrasound facilities to offer your pet a heart scan should it be required to help diagnose an illness.

 

The Pandemic And Your Pet

 

We hope you have enjoyed reading Our Spring News Blog, if you have a question on any of the articles mentioned please do not hesitate to discuss your concerns with one of our vets at your pets next appointment or contact us for more advice.

 

Are you and your pet new to the West London area? Why not register with a vet who is passionate about your pet. We have been treating pets from all over West London for over 50 years and we have a wide range of facilities to help you care for your pet.

 

What to do if your pet goes missing.

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What to do if your pet goes missing.

 

  Did you know

It is a legal requirement for all dogs over the age of 8 weeks old to be micro-chipped. Here at Young Vets we always recommend micro-chipping your cat too, as it is the most reliable form of identification and cannot be lost unlike a collar or harness. Should your dog disappear whilst out on a walk or your cat hasn’t turned up at breakfast time, firstly don’t panic, have a read through our vets advice below. Hopefully you will never need it but its good to know.

 

Missing cats.

The first thing to do if your cat is missing is triple check your home. Cats are extremely good at hide and seek so make sure you search all areas, If you are sure your feline is not at home we recommend knocking on your neighbours doors and posting flyers in letterboxes. Curious cats often get shut in garages and sheds by accident so ask around where you live.

 

Missing dogs.

If your dog has left the park without you or sneaked out of your front door, walk an extra lap of the park, or around the area where you live calling their name and rustling a treat packet. If you have a usual ‘toilet spot’ area check there. If you are at the park use your mobile to call home, your dog may of taken himself home and be waiting on the doorstep.

 

Remember do not panic. Contact all local vets, dog wardens and animal charities in the area. They will ask you for additional including:

A description of your pet – colour, sex, breed, age.

Their microchip number.

What area they are all missing from.

Your contact information. 

 

Contact your pets microchip company.

Inform them of your missing pet and ensure they have your up to date contact details – You may even want to do this today so should the event ever happen, you pet will be reunited quicker if your details are correct.

 

Pet Insurance.

Your insurance company may be able to help you with the search of your pet. The small print of your policy may also require the company to be notified of lost pets in-case it results in a claim.

 

Social media.

Like it or hate it – In the event of a missing pet the power of social media can be very handy. In a matter of hours hundreds of people can be aware of your missing pet and help spread the word.

 

Social media can be a useful tool when you’ve lost a pet.

 

Everyone loves a selfie! Take lots of pictures of your pet so in the event of an emergency you have recent pictures to use on a missing poster or social media post.

 

Neutering your pet.

This can reduce your cats need to stray too far from home and will minimise your cat wanting to fight with others. Castrating your male dog will reduce testosterone levels and a need to mate. In females, neutering can reduce unwanted male dog attention which can panic your dog causing them to bolt.

 

Some Top Tips :

If your dog or puppy has unreliable recall – work with a dog trainer to improve this but if you have to let your dog off lead for exercise ensure they are in an enclosed area. Attach a long line to their harness, this will make catching them a lot easier.

Top Vet Tip : When practicing recall no matter how long it takes, when your dog comes back to you make a big fuss and give them a treat. If you tell them off they are even less likely to come back next time!

 

Microchip your pet and ensure that your details are up to date.

 

When letting your cat or kitten out either for the first time or if you move house, try to keep them in for around 2 weeks.  Following this period they should be feel settled and understand where home is. When you let them out, do it when you are not in a rush and before you feed them so they are hungry so they are less likely to stray.

If your pet isn’t yet micro-chipped, don’t delay, contact one of our 4 West London surgeries to arrange this for your pet. Microchips can be implanted in a routine consultation with one of our experienced veterinary surgeons.

 

Are you anxious about a trip to the vets?

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We want your pet to be as happy to see us as we are to see them!

 

One of the first things we would recommend as soon as you bring your new pet home, once they have settled drop in and see us. The more you and your pet drop in the less anxious you both will be. Why not take advantage of our free weight checks? Regular weight checks ensure that your puppy or kitten is growing at a healthy rate. Perhaps you’ve adopted a dog from a re homing center – drop in and say hi to the team we love meeting your pets.

 

If you or your pet are nervous, don’t be! Our staff are here to help you and we have seen and heard it all before. No question is too silly, if it is concerning you. We understand that you know your pet better than anyone else. Remain calm and ‘normal’ your pet can easily pick up on your anxiety.

 

When visiting with cats we strongly recommend travelling your cat in a secure carrier not in your arms, even the calmest of cats can get stressed. If you have time, leave your carrier out a few days before your appointment, so your cat can climb in without being rushed. Try leaving a few treats and toys inside to tempt an investigation! Placing a towel over your carrier in the waiting room can help anxious cats if you need one just ask us.

Visit a vet

 

When travelling with dogs Invest in a doggie ‘seat belt’ or secure caged area of your car. If your dog suffers car sickness travel them on an empty stomach. Allow plenty of travel time so you are not rushed or late. Please keep your dog by your side in the waiting room. A vet practice can be a stressful place for pets and your laid back family dog could become stressed and snappy towards other dogs.

 

So you’ve done ‘Puppy School’ but have you ever though about practicing ‘Vet Checks’ on your dog or cat. Your pet is never to old to start this type of training: Gently look inside your pets eyes and ears, teeth and mouth, practice lifting each paw in turn. Feel your pet all over from toe to tail. Spend 5 minutes a day practicing the ‘all over’ handling and your pet will find an examination ‘normal’, when they come to us.

Passionate about pets

If you are coming in for a specific problem i.e. behaviour or tummy troubles write a diary of events and problems. Try to include; Anything they’ve eaten, where they have been and times of day all of these things may be useful when finding a diagnosis.

If you are nervous or worried, please ask our vet to write notes for you to take home and help you understand anything that was mentioned. Alternatively bring a friend or family member along for support.

In practice emergencies can and do sometimes happen, we will do our best to see you at your appointment time but please bear with us if we are running a few minutes late. Our reception team will keep you as updated as possible.

We understand that each pet is an individual and that owners know their pets better than anyone else, we will listen to your concerns and worries that you may have. You are welcome to visit any of our surgeries and meet our friendly, knowledgeable teams.

 We look forward to meeting you and your pet soon.

 

 

Kittens.

How to train your kitten to play without biting

Kitten.

Kittens and adult cats are much less likely to bite and scratch us if they have been socialised and handled well when young. When you bring your kitten home from the start make sure you and your family handle the kitten on a regular basis, so he or she gets used to being held and handled by  a variety of people. To help with the handling process gently run through touching your kittens feet and claws (encase you need to clip their nails in the future) looking at their eyes and into their ears and generally feeling them all over.

Socialisation:

Kittens have two very important periods of socialisation when they learn normal behaviour, towards other cats and people. The first period is 2-7 weeks of age when handling by various people in a positive manner will increase the likelyhood of them having a friendly approach in future interactions with people. Always make sure you are gentle with your kitten and that any young children at supervised when they are around your kitten.

Kittens continue to learn by social play  from the age of 7 weeks, and this peaks at around 9-14 weeks of age,  and so when most people first take home their new kitten around 8 weeks of age, they are still in this important socialization period.

The Do’s and Don’ts:

You should not play with your kitten using your hands or feet, and you should not use rough play, whatever the age of the kitten. Instead we recommend the use of a “fishing rod” toy or something similar that induces chasing behaviour e.g. a ping-pong ball. If  your kitten displays pouncing, chasing or biting of human fingers and toes, then they should be ignored.  Kittens like attention so will realise they have done something wrong if you ignore them.  If you are holding your kitten when they bite  or scratch you, then put them down immediately and ignore them.  A few moments later a toy can be provided.  Once your kitten has finished playing and is tired out, you can then stroke and make a fuss of them.

Kitten litter training

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Kitten litter training should  start as soon as you get them home, usually at 6-8 weeks old.

  • Place the litter tray away from the feeding area, in a quiet area, away from busy passageways.
  • Place the kitten on the litter tray immediately after each feed, and reward them with praise if they perform their toilet.
  • Clean the litter tray out daily (scooping out soiled areas and replacing with fresh litter), and completely wash the tray out once weekly.
  • Different types of litter are available,  but some cats may have a preference for a certain type.  I would suggest avoiding types with citrus fragrances. Clumping type sand like clay based litters are usually very well accepted.
  • Clean up any “accidents” with enzymatic washing powder and warm water. Do not use ammonia or hypochlorite containing bleach based disinfectants as they can smell to the kitten like another cats urine, and so encourage them to go toilet again in the same area.
  • You should have one litter tray per cat in the house plus one extra tray, in different locations.

Puppy toilet training tips

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Puppy toilet training should begin as soon as you get them home.

Newspaper training

  • Place  newspaper on the kitchen floor, and after each meal pick him/her up and put them on the newspaper. If he urinates or defaecates on the paper reward him with attention such as “good boy!” and give him a little treat with one of his puppy biscuits.  Do this after each meal and he will soon learn that he is praised and receives a treat each time he does this.
  • If you come in and find that he hasn’t used the newspaper, do not tell him off, just ignore him for a few minutes. Being ignored is the best way of disciplining a puppy, as he really wants your attention.
  • Once he starts using the newspaper regularly, reduce the amount of paper put down and move it near to the back door.
  • When he is using this newspaper regularly, put some lightly soiled newspaper outside the back door and start placing him on this after each meal.
  • Once he has the hang of this remove the newspaper and start placing him further into the garden after each meal. It can help to put him on different surfaces so that he doesn’t develop a preference for doing it only on one surface. try concrete surfaces, grassed areas, areas with and without trees.
  • Finally you can start to vary the routines and vocal cues, so that he doesn’t become too habitual. This can help avoid problems in the future if his circumstances are changed, such as if an unfamiliar person is caring for them.

Crate training

Your puppy is introduced to a plastic crate or cage, by being fed in it, having toys thrown into it and eventually being closed in for short periods.

  • The crate should be large enough to turn around in, but should not be too large or your puppy may rest at one end and toilet in the other end.
  • After a few days you should be able to keep your puppy in the crate for a few hours.
  • You can work out the length of time between toileting for your puppy by using the number of months age, plus one if a small breed, or plus 2 if a large breed. Thus a 2 month old labrador can wait 4 hrs, but a 2 month old pekinese 3 hours.
  • The puppy should be taken outside to eliminate  and should be praised and then given a treat if it does so. It should also be taken outside after each play session and meal, but should be kept in the crate at all other times.

Puppy training tips

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Puppy training is  essential for all, and time taken early on with the basics will go a long way to prevent behavioural problems developing later in adulthood.

Rottweiler puppy

  • Remember that there are only two basic training techniques-
  1. reward  for good behaviour, and
  2. being ignored if badly behaved.
  • Always reward your puppy/ dog with verbal praise FIRST and a small treat such as a dog biscuit SECOND, for any good behaviour. It is important that you consistently keep this order so that the dog can learn that verbal praise is likely to be immediately followed with a treat.  Treats should ONLY be given as rewards for good behaviour not just for being “cute and cuddly.”
  • Over time you should start rewarding good behaviour with praise only sometimes, and do not give a  treat every time, but this will only work if you have followed the guidance above regarding the order of rewards.
  • You should still follow praise with treats often enough to make the good behaviour for praise only, worthwhile to your dog. The combination of praise plus treat , and praise only, for good behaviour is more effective as a training method than giving a treat every time.
  • DO NOT shout or try to tell your dog off if badly behaved. They will think the attention they are getting is a reward, so your effort will be counter-productive.
  • If your puppy or dog is badly behaved, they should be ignored, and you may want to put them out of the room, or if using a crate you could put them in the crate.
  • Dogs behave like pack animals, and in any pack there will be a leader. The leader receives the most attention.
  • As your puppy grows into adulthood, sometimes they may try to become higher up your “family pack” and become dominant over one or more people in the house.
  • Male dogs can be prone to this type of behaviour. To prevent this happening it is important not to give immediate attention when they want it particularly when returning to the house or first thing in the morning.  I would suggest you make a drink and wait a few minutes for your dog to calm down and THEN turn around and greet the dog.
  • In this way attention is always given on your terms, and this reinforces the fact that your dog is the lowest member of your family pack. It is important that ALL family members follow this advice.
  • Finally puppy classes are excellent and important ways to socialise your puppy with other dogs and people and are best done at 10-16weeks of age.