Meadows Vet News
On 1st July the new dog and cat laws for owners will come into effect. The laws and rules include:
- Mandatory microchipping of cats and dogs
- Desexing of dogs and cats born after the 1 July 2018
- New rules for breeders who sell dogs and cats
- Introduction of a state-wide database, called Dogs and Cats Online.
These new laws will simplify dog registration process, make it easier to reunite lost dogs and cats with their owners, help identify and put a stop to puppy farms and reduce euthanasia rates.
Senior Petizens
It is important to remember, pets age much faster than people do, and their rate of aging depends not only on the species type but also on the size of the breed. Cats are generally less than 10kg and are considered senior citizens after the age of 8. Dog breeds, however, display a wide variety of weights. The greater the weight of the breed, the sooner they reach their golden years. The table below gives a good indication of the human to pet age relationship as it has been proven that the old thought of one human year to seven pets’ years is not accurate when comparing physiological changes.
As dogs and cats age much faster than we do, health problems progress much more rapidly. Australian pets are living longer than ever, and are increasingly suffering from many of the same chronic diseases that affect humans such as:
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Kidney failure
- Dental disease
- Liver and intestinal disorders
- Behavioural issues relating to senility - yes dogs can get Alzheimers!
- Vision problems
Early detection is the key, and fortunately there are many ways we can diagnose and treat these conditions and improve the quality of your pet’s life.
Currently we are seeing a number of “Downer Cows” with severe weight loss and associated ketosis. At the moment there is a lack of good pasture and supplementary feeding needs to be increased to compensate for this! Any cow that goes down and can’t get up needs treatment sooner rather than later. The longer a cow is down the more unlikely it is she will get up. Please phone for advice if you have a cow that can’t get up! Yes we do have a sling that can be hired to help a cow stand again.
For further information or check out our website or call us on 08 8388 3455.