Oday Vets

07/08/2024

Training your dog doesn't start and end at puppy school.

When people get a new pup, most understand the importance of puppy classes. These classes provide lots of opportunities to learn to communicate with your dog, teach good manners, positively socialise and help you navigate those early, difficult days.

However, once those classes are over, rarely do dog guardians continue with lessons. Yet, puppy school should be the start of a long journey of education for both human and dog.

Like with us, dogs are constantly growing and changing. Once puppyhood is over, those teenage months begin which presents a new set of challenges. Adulthood allows us an opportunity to explore hobbies or fun skills such as trick training. The Twilight years should be a time of enjoying your dog and exploring lower activity interests such as scentwork conditioning.

Training isn't just about obedience. Spending time with your dog and exploring interests will create a bonded, focused, happier dog.

Oday Vets

31/07/2024

Does a puppy suit your lifestyle?

When someone is considering adding a dog to the family, their first thought is to look for a puppy. Whilst puppies are fun and cute, they may not be suitable for your current lifestyle.

🐾 Puppies need training and time in those early months. Finding time for a puppy can be difficult for people who work long hours or have busy lives.
🐾 Many behaviour problems we see are often a result of boredom or frustration and many times we are asking owners to dedicate more time to their dogs.
🐾 All dogs need our time and attention but puppies are particularly reliant on our help in navigating this new world.

What are your options?
✔️ There are plenty of adult dogs looking for a home. This may be a better option for your family.
✔️ If you have a particular breed in mind, there are plenty of breed rescues around.
✔️ If you don't want a rescue, contact a good breeder. Ethical breeders have contracts that ask for their dogs to be returned to them if they are no longer wanted.
✔️Retired sports dogs, guide dogs and show dogs are other options.

31/07/2024

This little guy is still waiting for his forever home.
He's around 4 months old. A retriever cross.

He is full of life and lots of family. Will make an ideal family pet.

Via

29/07/2024

A RACE AGAINST TIME - 125 DAYS LEFT!
Humans, as you've seen from our posts over the last two weeks, we've been blessed with some solid adoption momentum. THANK YOU for caring, sharing and making it happen. We simply MUST retain this energy and magic as we are faced with a SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE over the next 4 and a half months. At the end of November, we must move out of the temporary boarding facility we are in. As of 1 December, WE WILL HAVE NOWHERE TO GO.

Regular followers will know our former landlady sold her land in April, and we moved out of Cadeau Kennels in Midrand. We have been at the BF KENNELS & CATTERY facility in the Riversands Farm since 6-7 April. This was meant to be a temporary measure while we look for a HOME. However, as of now, we still have nothing definite re a future location.

FINDING GOOD HOMES FOR OUR DOGS is PRIORITY #1! We must get our numbers down, and ensure that they are all safely placed.
We will post a weekly BAROMETER to show you how many dogs we have in our care, and how many days we have left to find MIRACLES AND MAGIC. We know times are tough, and there are so many who need networking - but please give our dogs a concerted PUSH over the next months? TOGETHER, the impossible becomes possible.

As of Monday 29 July, we have 125 days left to find homes for 114 dogs. .

MISSION: Please SHARE, SHARE, SHARE. If you can ADOPT or FOSTER, please consider a PAWS R US SA dog. They come in all shapes and sizes, and all ages, and all they ask for is a GOOD HOME. The link for our full adoptions album is here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.630199292464369&type=3

FOR ALL ENQUIRIES:
EMAIL: [email protected]
WHATS APP: 083 518 0447

THANK YOU for being in our corner.

*PAWS R US (SA) is a shelter for rescued, surrendered and abandoned dogs, and a registered Non-Profit Company. We've been saving and blessing lives for almost 14 years, and we're based in Riversands Farm, Fourways, Johannesburg.

13/07/2024

In the June Magazine The Spot Light fell on Sascha Odayar and Dr Lo-An from Oday Vets

Sascha writes the weekly Furry Files post for We Love Pets SA, sharing her valuable experience with pet parents. She started her career in 2003 at the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, a very well known rescue organisation in London. After finishing her degree in Human Psychology and Sociology she decided to change direction and became a veterinary nurse. Her time at the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home inspired her to complete her qualification as an Animal Behaviourist.

Dr Lo-An is an Ophthalmologist and started Vet Vision and she consults at Oday Vets on a weekly basis, while also consulting at Valley Farm Animal Hospital in Pretoria East. She also does work in the field of horses and wildlife.

Oday Vets is based in Centurion.
www.odayvets.co.za

10/07/2024

Why you should enroll in puppy school when you first get your pup 👩‍🏫
PART 3

Continuing our series, here's another reason why puppy school is important.

Often people mistakenly think puppy school involves letting your dogs play with other dogs for an hour to wear them out. This is far from the truth.

🎓🌟 A good puppy school will allow supervised, short play sessions with well matched pups.

When pups are left to play without intervention, it can lead to negative experiences for some pups or others learning bad habits.

This is, for most pups, their first interaction with another dog. So it is important that they build positive relationships and learn how to communicate appropriately with other dogs.

The majority of your time at puppy school should be learning how to remain calm on leash when surrounded by other dogs and activity.

Remember in a real life setting your dog will not be able to interact with most of the dogs they see. Teaching them to be calm in a distracting environment is a critical life skill.

Set your pup up for success for the future.
Enroll them in puppy school.
Oday Vets

27/06/2024

👩‍🎓 Why you should enroll in puppy school when you first get your pup.

There are a plethora of reasons why puppy school is important for pups.
Over the coming weeks, we will highlight some of their benefits.

Often people get a pup but don't join training classes until a problem behaviour arises. However, a good puppy school will not only help with training and socialisation, it will also help you prevent those unwanted behaviours occurring in the first place.

🤓 Forming good habits:
It is much easier to form a new habit than to try and undo a problematic one.
Recall for instance is so much easier to train in an 8-week-old pup. Puppy class will teach you a fun way to introduce recall to your dog. They will have fun returning to you and from a young age, it becomes an automatic behaviour.

Waiting until your dog is 5-6 months old where they have learnt to ignore you when you call because the external environment is much more fun, is much more difficult to overcome.

Puppy school is fun and most pups can join from around 8 weeks of age.
Set your pup up for success for the future.

For information on puppy classes in Centurion contact Sascha Oday Vets

24/06/2024

Multiple resources in different areas around the home can reduce conflict in multi-cat households 🐈‍🐈

Often conflict in multi-cat households can occur when a cat is trying to access resources. These resources can be:

🐱 Litter trays
🐱 Food and water stations
🐱 Scratching posts
🐱 Toys
🐱 Resting spots

Some cats can position themselves in front of a resource to prevent another cats access. This creates tension between the cats and can progress into a physical altercation.

To maintain harmony, ensure there is more than one of each resource.
✅ Have play areas with multiple toys.
✅ Different water and food areas, are kept apart.
✅ Litter trays in different areas of the home.
✅ More than one entrance/exit point to the outside.

As humans, we often like to keep our homes organized and have things in an aesthetically pleasing area or keep things minimalistic. However, it's important that if we are asking for cats to live in our home in close proximity to each other, that we provide an environment that is as calm and as safe as possible.

By Sascha Odayar from Oday Vets

14/06/2024

The new issue of magazine is out. Have you downloaded your copy yet?

We are talking about cat behaviour problems, in particular aggression towards humans. Plus we tell you a bit about how Oday Vets and Vet Vision came to be.

There are tons of other great articles. So jump over and download your free copy

https://bit.ly/EMAGSignUP2024

13/06/2024

Don’t Encourage your Kitten to Play with your Hands 🐈

Most cats will respond to fingers wriggled like fluttering birds. It can be fun to watch a kitten crouch and pounce on your hands. However, this sort of play should not be encouraged.

Kittens grow and once bigger, this may be your cat's go to method of play. It can become very uncomfortable for you, especially if they start to bite or scratch to instigate a play session.

Whilst you may not mind your cat playing with your hands, they may expect the same interaction from other people or children visiting the home who may not like it.

Hands should be associated with calm handling. Teeth or claws on hands should mean you stop whatever you are doing and remove your hand. If it was to play, then find a toy and divert their attention there instead.

Sascha at Oday Vets wrote a full article on Cat Aggression directed at Humans in the June issue of the magazine.

Read it here: ➡️ bit.ly/EMAGSignUP2024

05/06/2024

Make a plan:

Things can be overwhelming when dealing with problem behaviours in your dog. Sometimes it feels like the issues are just too big to deal with and the task seems impossible.

🐶 Making a plan can help you to move forward in a positive direction.

Most behaviour modification begins with the management of the problem. This could be exposure to the trigger or environmental management. Start with management and then work on the problem in bite-sized pieces. You’ll be making small movements in the right direction.

Having a plan can allow you to see how far you’ve come and the small setbacks you encounter won’t seem so bad.

By Sascha Odayar from Oday Vets

02/06/2024

Enrichment for your dog during exercise restriction.

01/06/2024

Anyone got room for one more?

29/05/2024

🐾 Displacement behaviours

Sometimes our dogs can display behaviours that seem really out of context.
You might ask them to lie down, but first, they have a big scratch. Or another dog is approaching to say hi and your dog all of a sudden finds a really interesting spot to sniff.

These are actually displacement behaviours. The dog is feeling conflicted, frustrated or unsure. Rather than perform the behaviour we are expecting, the dog performs behaviour to delay something they are unsure about or avoid doing it altogether.

Pay attention to these cues. You can identify when your dog is feeling unease and intervene. This will prevent a problem from occurring.

28/05/2024

Lower your expectations when giving a home to a dog that was born or has spent most of their life in a kennel.

Kennel life doesn't normally provide the opportunity for regular breaks outside to toilet.

So against their natural instincts, dogs adapt and p**p where they lay.

They can be taught to go outside. Just have a little patience and a schedule planned out. Give an adult dog as much grace as you would a young pup.

Reach out if you are experiencing any issues with your new rescue dog.

These gorgeous pups are Blade and Gino from

They've spent most of their life in a kennel and it's about time someone offered them place called home 🏡

24/05/2024

When visiting a shelter environment, most dogs will be barking and jumping up at the fence. This is not a true representation of the type of dog they are. Even the most placid pet dog can become loud in a kennel.
Barrier frustration, over excitement, over arousal, lack of stimulation all contribute to the energy you see when walking past a line of kennels.

That first few minutes when they come out of their kennel are filled with excitement and you'll be met with a ball of energy.

Spend sometime with your chosen dog. Take them away from the kennel area.

Plan to visit more than once to get to know them properly.

The staff who spend all day with these dogs will know all their quirks and good points, so make sure you chat with them.

This gorgeous chap pictured is Blade, a fun, young pup waiting to be adopted at

23/05/2024

We are going to dedicate a series of posts to rescue or shelter dogs.

Sadly, here in South Africa our shelters are bursting with unwanted dogs.
We aim to dispell some myths and give some guidance on how to find your perfect dog. Also why you should consider visiting your local rescue when looking for your next pet.

p.s. the gorgeous girl pictured is Xena who is currently looking for a home. Xena is a young, ball obsessed crossbreed that was found wandering along a busy road with another dog. If you'd like to meet her, give a call.

02/05/2024

Toilet training your nervous puppy 💕🐶
by Sascha Odayar Oday Vets

Some pups really struggle with toilet training.
Guardians become exasperated as the door is always open to the garden or they just took the pup outside and still there is urine and p**p in the house. It feels like the pup isn't learning or being defiant, but it is often due to fear or underconfidence to toilet outside.

When a pup is new to our environment, there are lots of new sounds and smells to experience many of which they have never seen before.

A pup may be looking for a spot to toilet, when a neighbour coughs or a car backfires causing them to startle. If they are scared, they won't be comfortable to toilet and quickly retreat to the safety of inside the home. It's usually where they can relax and then eliminate.

What you can do to reduce these types of accidents is ensure you accompany your pup on their toilet breaks. Rather than open the door for them, go outside and stand where they normally eliminate.

Going with them will increase their confidence outside and as they grow and have fewer scares or startles you will see them going outside themselves and needing you less and less.

17/04/2024

✨ Why is it so important to manage relationships when your female dog is in season?
BY SASCHA ODAYAR of Oday Vets

From when the season begins and for 60 days afterwards, the female dog experiences a huge surge in the hormone progesterone. This can result in some significant behaviour changes.

During this time, some dogs can become very protective of themselves, locations, loved ones or objects. Similar behaviour to a dog who is actually pregnant.
Whilst this behaviour should return to normal after the 60 days, if they have a negative experience during this time, this can cause ongoing behaviour issues and permanently broken relationships.

It is much easier to prevent problems occurring than to try and repair broken relationships.

Read more about this in this months welovepetssa magazine.
LINK for Magazine: bit.ly/EMAGSignUP2024

11/04/2024

Could your female dog be coming into season soon?
by Sascha Odayar from Oday Vets

➡ If so, some pre-planning could really help keep harmony in the household.

Hormonal changes can last up to 60 days.
During this time your dog's behaviour may change.

✅ In multi-dog households, ensure the female in season has safe spaces away from the other dogs.
✅ Feed separately and don't leave toys or chews laying around during this time, she may not want to share.
✅ Walk in quite areas away from other dogs. Even neutered dogs find an in-season dog very interesting and she may find this extra attention too much.
✅ Ensure the human to dog interactions are also positive.
✅ If your dog has something in their bed or mouth, call them away and exchange it for a tasty treat.

For more on this topic, Check out the April Issue of the Pet Magazine.
➡️ www.welovepetssa.co.za/magazine

09/04/2024

Have you downloaded your free copy of magazine this month?

We write about behaviour changes you may experience when your female dog comes into season.
As with most things, knowing what to expects means you can be prepared and limited the possibility of negative experiences and maintain harmony at home.

As usual, the rest of the magazine if full of awesome articles.

What are you waiting for?

Download here https://www.welovepetssa.co.za/

04/04/2024

Adopting an adult rescue dog? Routine is key to a successful rehoming.

In South Africa, there are many dogs that spend a long time in the shelter before they find their forever family. These dogs spend months, if not years, living the shelter life.

Life in kennels involves scheduled walks, feeding, play and sleep time.
When adopting a dog that has spent the majority of their time in a kennel, we often want to change their life immediately by giving them the best and showing them the world. However, their transition from shelter dog into loved pet dog can be more successful if we slow down and introduce them to our world gradually.

New environments and new people can be overwhelming for a dog that has become habituated to kennel life.

✔ Give them safe spaces at home where they can retreat if things get too busy.

✔ Try and keep feeding times and sleep times the same until they are more settled. Then slowly transition to your preferred schedule.

✔ Find out what food they were being fed in the shelter. A sudden change from (for example) supermarket kibble to the finest raw, along with the stress of a new home is likely to cause gastric upset.

✔ Allow them to spend a week at home with you before trips out to new places, so they can become familiar with your routine and get to know their new family.

Sascha is a COAPE Behaviourist based at Oday Vets

28/03/2024

Is your daily dog walk causing them health problems? 🐕‍🦺🚶‍♀️

Some dogs find their regular neighbourhood dog walks very stressful.

These dogs can normally be seen scanning the environment for a potential trigger and responding to movement or noise with an explosion of emotions. They may not even see a trigger on every walk, but the possibility means they are over-aroused before the walk has really started.

Being in this heightened, stress filled state regularly can effect both physical and mental health in dogs.

A dog who is enjoying a walk should be exploring their environment, by sniffing and investigating.

Watch your dog's body language on their next walk.
Are they whale-eyed, tense-bodied and hyper vigilant?
Other signs include being unable to take treats or respond to their owner and of course barking and lunging.

If they are displaying these signs, it may be time to find a quieter dog walking route or find a private dog park to take them to.

Sascha is a Qualified COAPE Animal Behaviourist at Oday Vets

22/03/2024

This quote resonated with me this morning.

21/03/2024

Pain in cats 🐱

Sudden behaviour change in your cat can be pain related.

Behaviours such as:
▪️ Lack of or intolerance towards grooming
▪️ Aggression towards people or other pets in the home
▪️ Urinating in places other than the litter box
▪️ Vocalisation
▪️ Hiding away
▪️ Staying away from home

Before trying to change these 'problem' behaviours, go for a check-up at the vet to ensure your cat is in good health and underlying pain is not the cause of these changes.

Sascha is a qualified COAPE Animal Behaviourist at

14/03/2024

Who can help?

DEVASTATED: A CRITICAL CROSSROADS FOR OUR TEAM
Humans, I'm afraid we don't have good news tonight. Our dream was within reach - we were already colouring it in. A new shelter site. A new start. However, it has SHATTERED around us today. We're going to need you now. More than ever in our 13 years of existence. Please take a few moments to read the write-up below.

Regular followers of our page will know that the property on which our site is based, is being sold. It's a cash buyer, and a few days ago we heard that zoning permissions had been given for the buyer to demolish everything on site and build a restaurant / venue. We're trying to get clarity, but payment may be concluded by month-end. We're doing our best to negotiate staying on the site until the end of April as it takes time to find a suitable property for 130 dogs, collapse infrastructure in the old space, and build infrastructure in a new space. That is, IF we are able to get hold of the new buyer. To date, we have not succeeded.

We had identified a wonderful new space to move to. It literally came like a heaven-sent blessing. However, timing would be crucial for it all to work out. The existing people / animals on the new property would need to move out in time for us to move in. And of course, it would need to sync with the timing of our exodus from our current site. Just like the ripple of a set of dominoes. We've held our breath, said our prayers, and rooted for the outcome we need.

Unfortunately, we heard today that the timing is not going to flow. The prospect of the new home is not going to be ready in time for us to move in. And, as such, we have nowhere to go. Even if we can negotiate our moving-out date to the end of April, we are stranded.

This is a heavy, heavy blow when we are so mindful of the lives in our care - both our shelter dogs, and our staff.

We are going to dig deep, and we're going to hold onto our faith that a solution will present itself. As big an ask, as it is. We've seen miracles play itself out too many times over the last 13 years, not to believe it can happen again.

PLEASE, PLEASE HELP US IN THE SEARCH FOR A NEW HOME. We have to start from scratch. We include specifications below:

1. Ideally, we'd like to stay in the Bluehills /Sun Valley / Kyalami/Midrand area (JHB). Our staff live in the area and would need to still get to work each day. However, if we need to look further afield, we will.
2. Building an entirely new shelter site is exceptionally expensive. We don't have that kind of funding. So, we cannot go to a property that has nothing on it. We're pushing hard to source fencing, gum-poles, cement, and other key materials to put up runs for the dogs, but we must have access to water, electricity or solar, security etc.
3. We're trying to avoid standard kennels for the long-term wellbeing of our dogs - however, at this stage, we will take any and every offer into consideration as we don't have time. As a contingency measure, if we temporarily move into a kennel facility, it will allow us time to scout for other options.
4. We have 130 dogs in our care, and would need at least 70 kennels, or runs for our dogs.

We may need to split our dogs across 3-4 different boarding facilities or sites as a temporary measure while we continue the hunt for a suitable property - and if that is what it takes, we'll do it, But it will be a logistical nightmare in terms of our operations.

Depending on how things unfold in the next few weeks, it may also be the deciding factor on whether PAWS R US (SA) will continue beyond this year.

WE NEED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. We need you to spread the word, hunt high and low, keep your eyes peeled, contact every journalist, celebrity, DJ, philanthropist, property company, hardware company, building company, and boarding space that you know of. Maybe, maybe, with that kind of collective energy, we can find the MIRACLE we need.

ALL ENQUIRIES:
Email: [email protected]
Whats App Line: 083 518 0447 (*messaging line only).

THANK YOU for your ongoing love, care and support.

*PAWS R US (SA) is a shelter for surrendered, abandoned and unwanted dogs and a registered Non-Profit Company. We've been saving and blessing lives for 13 years, and we're currently based in Midrand, Johannesburg.

06/03/2024

LITTER TRAYS FOR OUTDOOR CATS 🐈‍

Even if your cat spends the majority of their day outside, you should still always have a litter tray inside the home.

There may be many reasons a cat is unable to toilet outside:

🐱 Harassment from neighbourhood dogs or cats.
🐱 Weather conditions.
🐱 Negative experience outside.
🐱 Fireworks
🐱 Pain, reducing the ability to jump and climb.

Having a tray inside, just in case, reduces the chances of them urinating in the house inappropriately. Holding urine for too long can also lead to medical issues, especially in male cats.

Sascha is a COAPE Animal Behaviourist based in Centurion.
Oday Vets

23/02/2024

Fun morning with the vets of tomorrow 👩‍⚕🐾

19/02/2024

Today we are continuing our series on ideas for enrichment during exercise restrictions. We will focus on things we can teach our dogs during this time.

Most dogs love to train. Teaching them new behaviours can really strengthen the bond between dog and human, as well as provide mental stimulation.

Here is a list of behaviours that can be taught and do not require much movement.

💚 Chin Rest:
A dog resting their chin onto a towel, chair, hand, etc.

💚 Eye contact:
Asking a dog to look at you on cue.

💚 Nose touch to hand:
Your dog pushes their nose into the palm of your hand.

💚 Learning names of toy:
Teach your dog individual names for their toys, so they can select whichever one you ask for.

💚 Stick out your tongue:
A fun party trick. A great trick for funny photos.

💚 Take a breath:
Dogs can be taught to take a breath. This is a great trick that can benefit your dog as it can prove calming.

Engaging with your dog and providing ways to stimulate their brain will aid in their recovery and reduce the likelihood of problematic behaviour caused by confinement.

Sascha is a COAPE Animal behaviourist based in Centurion
Follow her for more Oday Vets

09/02/2024

📣 In this month's edition of the magazine,Oday Vets discussed ways of helping dogs that have to be confined due to injury or ill health. Providing sniffing opportunities is vitally important.

Dogs gain so much information from sniffing their environment. The scent is continually changing, whether that is being moved around by the wind or picking up the scent of people or animals walking by. Sniffing and processing the information is mentally stimulating for all dogs.

When dogs are confined to a place to recuperate, they lose the ability to explore. We need to provide an outlet for this behaviour. If they can't go out to explore, we must bring the outside in.

Soil, grass cuttings, leaves and pieces of bark can easily be found on a walk in your neighbourhood. Make the effort to go to your dog's favourite places to roam and bring home some souvenirs.

Social dogs, who have dog companions outside of their household, may find the separation difficult. Ask your friend for a used blanket, a favourite toy or some things from their garden. The familiarity will provide some comfort for your dog.

Dogs who would normally be out exercising and exploring everyday may find it difficult to cope if that is suddenly taken away. As a result they may develop low mood or frustration. Ensuring your dog is content and happy will aid in their healing and getting them back to their normal activities.

Read the full article: www.welovepetssa.co.za/magazine