Tags: Pet care and advice. Dogs. Tick Treatment. Ticks
SENIOR DOGS – PART ONE
The last few issues have been written about adolescent dogs. Congratulations you have survived! Then for the next few years, your dog is an adult and his behaviour is predictable and life is normal. The last stage is the senior years. This can be the best time of your life with them. A lot of dogs seem to be more loving and cuddly at this stage. When does old age start? It differs with the size of breeds – giant and large breeds can start from 7 years old whereas small and medium size breeds from 8 to 9 years old.
How do you know your dog is aging? It helps to identify the signs and this will help you to manage any health problems from an early stage. Some of the common signs are reluctant to go for walks, changes in their eating habits, consumption of water intake, even changes in their behaviour for eg starting to toilet in inappropriate places. The first call is to have a full vet check because if there are signs of illness or beginning of arthritis it can be treated. Your vet will be able to advise on treatment. They can also check to see if the dog has cataracts or loss of hearing.
Another and the most obvious sign is the loss of hair and the hair becoming grey and dull. Any behavioural changes as some dogs start to become upset about things that may have never worried them in the past, such as separation anxiety and noise phobias. I always suggest taking the dog to the vet first to make sure any changes are not caused by a health problem before seeing me or any dog behavioural trainer. Happy Training, Yvonne
Bu Yvonne Bishop
FINALLY, A GOOD TICK TREATMENT
With paralysis tick season upon us, please treat your dogs and cats preventatively. There is no excuse not to, as Bravecto is now available for cats as a dab-on giving paralysis tick and flea cover for 3 months, and also as a dab-on for dogs giving paralysis tick and flea cover for 6 months. One tick episode could cost as much as a lifetime’s worth of tick preventative for your pet if they survive.
Tick paralysis is a terrible way to die, causing heart failure and the breathing muscles to seize, leading to death by slow suffocation and drowning. Native animals are unaffected as they co-evolved with the Australian paralysis tick and have adapted accordingly. Phone, text or email DR JACKIE at Sandstone Point Vets for appointments 0400 699 704