Pawz For Thought

14/06/2024

Warning! Positive cases of Leptospirosis in our local animals.

What is Leptospirosis?
It is a bacterial disease that can be found in water, soil and even damp grass. It can be spread when a dogs mouth, nose or eyes come in contact with urine infected soil or water. It can also be contracted by eating a diseased animals carcase.
Leptospirosis can cause Liver or kidney failure and lung disease.

Symptoms and Prevention:
Unfortunately, most symptoms are non specific and wide ranging but some signs can be dull, vomiting, diarrhoea, jaundice, high temperature and increased thirst. Some dogs may not show any symptoms at all and if they do show any symptoms they will only arise 2 weeks after the exposure to the disease.
Prevention is the best cure!
We can provide a vaccine once a year to help protect your Dog.

If you suspect your dog has strange symptoms or has been in contact with any of the items mentioned, call 6543 1888, our team are there to help.

08/06/2024

For the people who have been hesitant to try Lyka because of the cost, here is a fantastic, limited time opportunity to try at half price. Use https://lyka.com.au/join/PAWZFORTHOUGHT to access this deal.

29/05/2024

It is important to ensure your animals are vaccinated, especially now Parvo is everywhere in the Hunter. If you are on a pension, have a health care card or are receiving jobseeker and struggling to afford to vaccinate look for options like the RSPCA outreach days for Cessnock residents who are pensioners, HCC holders or on Jobseeker in June, call 0429 080132 for details or talk to vets and rescue organisations about any options available for low cost vaccination.

Send a message to learn more

20/04/2024

This research on dog health is very interesting, it is important to keep in mind that when they refer to purebred dogs, they are referring to those which have been responsibly bred, meaning that for many generations thorough health testing has been conducted on every dog before contemplating breeding from the dog.

There has long been debate about which dogs are healthier, pure breeds or mixed breeds, but science is shedding light on anecdotal evidence that has created much misinformation. Recently, a huge 15-year study at University of California-Davis was concluded. The researchers studied 27,254 dogs with inherited disorders to find some answers.

Unfortunately, many people misunderstand the term 'hybrid vigor'. They believe this means that mixing breeds creates healthier pets. But they are incorrect.

Hybrid vigor is created when you cross two different species. Take the mule for example. A cross of two different species, the horse and the donkey. However, designer/mixed breeds are not a cross of different species. In fact, when you cross two breeds, you can double up on health issues. This is especially likely when you have the same disease tendency in both breeds.

Anita Oberhauer PhD was on the UC-Davis research team. Here’s what she says about the labradoodle, for example …

…“It’s a Lab and a Poodle crossed. A Labrador has the same likelihood of having epilepsy, hip dysplasia, Addison’s disease as a Poodle. So if the sire has the ‘disease liability genes’ for any of those conditions … and the mother has the liability genes for Addison’s, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, you breed them together and the offspring will have it.”

Study Results?
The theory that purebred dogs are more prone to disease doesn’t really hold up.

Of 24 disorders the researchers monitored, more than half (13) were about the same in purebred vs mixed breed dogs. Ten disorders were more prevalent in purebred dogs than in mixed breed dogs. Every disorder was seen in the mixed-breed population...every...single...one.

But in this study … only one disorder was more likely in mixed-breed dogs than purebred. That one disorder was cranial cruciate ligament rupture. And it was significantly higher … 30%. The researchers didn’t really know why this might happen. It’s possible combining different physical conformations reduces the resilience of the ligaments.

Learn more here > https://bit.ly/AVMApurebreedsVSmixedbreeds

17/04/2024

It is very helpful to going about day to day life if we have trained our dogs to wait at “thresholds” when they are with us. Whether this is a doorway, a gate, crate or a vehicle it is important for our dogs to wait to be invited through instead of charging through. Despite the excitement of getting out for the dogs, we need to prioritise safety and take the time to train them to wait.

17/04/2024

If you need dog washing/ grooming around Maitland, Cessnock or Singleton give David a call. I can verify he does a great job and he helps out multiple rescue groups in our area. 🥰

06/04/2024

ADOLESCENCE:
As dogs go through adolescence, it’s safe to say things turn a little topsy-turvy! 🙃

If you’re currently at this stage and feeling like you’ve taken one step forward and two steps back, don’t panic! During this stage of life, there’s a lot going on in their busy little brains.

Here are three facts about the adolescent brain 🧠👇

1. The inhibitory neurons of the amygdala that help to dampen down emotional responses don’t fully mature until the END of adolescence.

2. Communication between the frontal cortex and amygdala, which is essential for skills training, decreases during adolescence.

3. Extinction memory is impaired during adolescence, so if your dog has a bad experience it’s much more likely to lead to a ‘hard wired’ fear memory.

Have patience and compassion as you support and guide your dog through this vulnerable period of brain development.

06/04/2024

So many people struggle with adolescent dogs. Please try to remember what a difficult time this is for them!

Ever wondered why a puppy's behavior seems erratic during adolescence, which occurs between six months and 18 months of age?

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, s*x hormones are changing which effects the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to modulate sensory processing and subsequent behavior.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control.

So what does this mean? This could mean that your dog, who used to come when called, suddenly cannot. This could mean that your dog, who didn't jump up on guests, suddenly does. Your dog that walked nicely on leash is now pulling. Or perhaps it seems like some days your dog responds to behaviors you ask of them, and some days they don't, without any rhyme or reason.

We also see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, frustration and impatience sometimes cause us to act unpredictably.

This adds to your puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for puppies to adjust.

By understanding this we can gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we can help create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best selves.

13/03/2024

Whenever we have a new animal it is important to allow it time to adjust to the new environment. We must take care introducing them to all the new items and especially other animals, slowly.
Whether we have a young dog or an older dog from a different home, whether the dog is fearful, reactive or friendly, the best thing we can do for the dog is to have them sit and watch what is going on without being involved. This allows the fearful dog to gain some confidence that bad things aren’t necessarily going to happen, the reactive dog can discover that barking and lunging are not required and the friendly dog can learn the vitally important lesson that it is not necessary to run up to everyone they see.

23/02/2024

Our relationship with our animals is very important, for both humans and the other animals. To have a good relationship it is necessary to be aware of what your companion is doing, watch them, listen to the noises they make and gently touch them. Know what they like to eat, and how they like to play and interact with you and others. This way you can work on improving their lives and be aware as soon as they are off-colour, which allows us to react before they become very sick, potentially avoiding costly vet bills. The benefits to humans from watching our animals move, sleep and play are many, most importantly to both our physical and mental health and our companions' physical and mental health.

29/01/2024

Bridie and Mae absolutely love Lyka meals.
Anyone looking to try Lyka, use code PAWZFORTHOUGHT to save 30%.

17/01/2024

07/12/2023

Most of Australia is currently suffering through a heatwave, with worse to come. Please take extra care of your animals in this terrible heat. If at all possible bring them into air-conditioning. If this is not possible; provide extra bowls of water in case one is accidentally knocked over; provide paddling pools for dogs large enough to be safe in them (small dogs can drown in paddling pools); add ice to water bowls and paddling pools; provide extra shade with shade cloth or whatever else you have available; leave sprinklers on; use outdoor fans, with ice placed in front of them if possible; don’t exercise animals in extreme heat.

30/11/2023

Especially coming up to the holidays we need to be very mindful and always watch children when they interact with animals. Children can have the most amazing bonds with pets but supervision is important.

26/11/2023

Yesterday was Maes' first competition for a couple of months. She competed in Rally Masters at Newcastle, had a wonderful time (as usual) came third, and earned her Rally Masters title.

16/11/2023

22/10/2023

I keep hearing people say pups will “grow out of” unwanted behaviours. Please do not expect you can let a pup, or dog practise behaviours you don’t want, in the belief that these behaviours will magically disappear as they mature. Set their environment up to prevent the behaviour from occurring. You will not have to spend time and effort training to remove a behaviour that has essentially become a habit.

If you cannot see how to prevent the behaviour, please contact a positive reinforcement trainer to help you set up for success.

04/10/2023

Congratulations Mel and Skye! So great to see your hard work paying off.

18/09/2023

I think we are all guilty at some point of not going through the “baby steps” our dogs need for them to behave the way we would like them to. There are very few dogs who have the temperament to be able to cope with transitioning from the known environment of home to all of the other unknown, busy environments we expect them to cope in, without a sudden behaviour change. The majority of dogs find the change either frightening or exciting, but definitely stressful. For this reason, wherever it is possible we should organise to have visits to the vets (after checking it is ok with the vets) which do not involve anything scary or painful. Drive into the parking area, hop out, walk around, give pats and back into the car, or into the waiting area, sit at the seats, pats and back out, or onto the scales and out. In the same way, we should allow our dogs' chances to be exposed to people, other dogs, bicycles and whatever else from a safe distance, where they can see these things, without becoming overwhelmed by being too close, if all these introductions are kept low key and at a distance, it helps the dogs accept that they are nothing to worry about or become excited about. It is of even greater benefit if we can have these practice runs after the dog has been exercised.

13/09/2023

Mae had a busy day travelling to Tamworth, qualifying in her two Rally Masters trials and placing third. Luckily she could sleep on the drive home.

08/09/2023

Enrichment we provide is very important to the lives of all non-wild animals. It covers a wide variety of strategies to ensure the animal's needs are being met. A problem often encountered with providing enrichment is that we cannot be sure what will work as enrichment for any individual animal. People assume that enrichment that works for one dog (or whichever species they are dealing with) will work for all dogs, despite the obvious parallel that humans do not all enjoy the same activities or relax in the same way. We can only offer activities to the particular animal and see if each activity is actually enrichment for the individual by observing their behaviour during and after the session. I encourage people to try scatter feeding for dogs (and other animals) but if a dog becomes preoccupied with the smells left on the ground after scatter feeding and can’t relax but returns to the area constantly, in some cases to dig to check there is nothing buried, then scatter feeding is not enrichment for these dogs. Many dogs are very dog social, many other dogs are definitely not dog social, it does not work to assume that daycare, play dates or the dog park will provide enrichment for all dogs, it is only a portion of the dog population who will have their lives improved by these experiences. Kongs, licky mats, Toppls and food puzzles can all be enrichment for your dog but even if they do end up providing enrichment, it is very possible that initially they need to be shown how to use them.

25/07/2023

Bridie had a good weekend competing at Maitland Dog Obedience Club, she qualified in both her Rally classes, placing third on Saturday, which means she now has her Rally Novice title.

16/07/2023

Sniffing is an activity dogs love, it is a wonderful form of enrichment, which has been shown to help calm them and to make them more optimistic. It is important to allow dogs time for sniffing on walks or in their yards (while ensuring they won’t encounter any dangerous plants, insects, arachnids or reptiles) or if they are confined to a crate after injury, or indoors due to inclement weather, provide snuffle mats and other sniff intensive games to help tire and relax them without injury.

12/07/2023

All dogs should be muzzle trained. Unfortunately, it may become necessary to muzzle a dog because of pain from an injury or something else at a vets and it is terrible to add to the dog’s stress by putting a muzzle on them for the first time when it is so easy to acclimatise them to it without stress at home before it is a necessity.

For most humans, seeing a muzzle on a dog makes them think the dog is somehow “bad” but there are so many positive reasons to ensure that your dog is correctly trained to be happy and comfortable wearing a muzzle.

I have in the past week suggested to three dog owners that they muzzle train their dogs. None of these are “bad” dogs, but all could potentially have their lives and relationships with their families improved by this training. Muzzles can be used to prevent dogs from eating or chewing up things they shouldn’t, which can obviously be life-saving. Muzzles can be used to help keep others at a distance from reactive dogs, no matter how much information is put out there about yellow ribbons or leashes the majority of people don’t take any notice, however, most people choose to give the space needed to a muzzled dog. Muzzles can help a handler feel more confident and relaxed with a dog who has had a difficult time or is going through a behaviour modification plan. There are so many reasons to muzzle train.

If anyone wants information on muzzle training, there is a lot out there, the best I can recommend is

Muzzled dogs aren't bad dogs. Muzzles are a fantastic tool to help keep dogs and people safe. The Muzzle Up! Project is here to help teach you all about muzzles and their proper use. Did you know that dogs wear muzzles for all sorts of reasons? Dogs might wear muzzles because: He eats rocks, socks,....

08/07/2023

Crate training is helpful for most dogs, whether they will need to be crated for travel, or at the vet it is of great benefit if they are comfortable with the concept before it has to happen. The main problem people have with the process of crate training is trying to do too much too quickly. Allow the dog to just look at the crate initially, then just go in briefly and come straight out, let them have a chew or Kong in the crate, without shutting them in. Once they are comfortable being in the crate shut the door, provide a treat, then open the door, only gradually increasing the time they are closed in. This way they are happy and relaxed in the crate and choose to go in, rather than being forced in.