pets
Ask a vet... Dr. Pauline Pets Central veterinarian Dr. Pauline Taylor answers your questions. We are preparing to relocate our dog. What can I do to help prepare him for a long-haul flight? I’m sorry to hear you are leaving this wonderful city and wish you well in your travels. First make sure your dog is healthy and fit to travel. A once over by your vet, maybe some tests, depending on his age and some routine preventive care for external and internal parasites. Vaccinations must be up to date and satisfactory for the country of import. Countries differ and change their rules so be sure you get the most up to date regulations. Prepare your dog by getting him used to his travel crate and drinking from a bottle. If your dog is small you may be allowed to take him as hand luggage so contact the airline to see if they allow this. With the recent cold snap, what can I do to keep my cat warm? Normal healthy adult cats thermoregulate: this means they have the ability to maintain their temperature within certain boundaries between 37.7-39.1C (100-102.5F). Most mammals can do this. If cats feel cold they will move to a warmer spot. If that isn’t enough, their internal physiology kicks in; vasoconstriction helps to reduce heat loss via the skin, hairs will stand on end to trap air which further insulates and shivering helps to generate heat from muscle contractions. You can help by leaving a nice enclosed bed or box with blankets and window seats provide the opportunity to lie in the sunshine. Be aware that kittens under four weeks have difficulty controlling their body temperature because their metabolic activity isn’t yet developed. As such, it is important to keep them in warmer environments. I’ve just adopted a new puppy. What are some non-harmful ways to teach him correct behaviour? It sounds like you are looking for tips on positive reinforcement training. It can be done easily so long as ALL family members are consistent and you start as young as possible is best. The main things to remember are: 1. No punishment 2. Avoid putting your pup in a situation where it could do something wrong and 3. Reward good behaviour. I’d introduce one word into his vocabulary that gently means “no”. I used “Uh Uh” with my new pup and when he stopped chewing I rewarded him with a treat or toy - even a cuddle may suffice. He soon got to learn that he gets rewarded for being good. Don’t forget however that at a young age most pups don’t know right from wrong so they need to be trained in order to recognise boundaries.
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