Registering and microchipping your pet are two processes that every pet owner is legally obliged to complete. At the end of the day, doing so ultimately helps to keep your pet safe should they ever go missing. But how does registering and microchipping work? In today’s blog, our vet in Casey is giving you all the information you need to get started.

 

How to register your pet

The first thing that needs to be done in the registration process is actually microchipping – not registering. A microchip is about as small as a grain of rice and is implanted just under your pet’s skin. Your pet’s electronic number is stored within the microchip in case they get lost. A microchip can only be implanted by someone who is authorised, such as a vet or an animal welfare organisation.

After this, you simply register your pet with your local council. You will be required to provide your pet’s microchip number on the registration form. The council will then send you a unique identification tag within two weeks of completing the form. Your pet must wear this at all times.

 

Renewing your registration

In Melbourne, the date of registration renewal every year is the 10^th of April. That means you need to ensure your pet’s registration has been renewed before that date. Renewing after this date may incur an infringement.

 

Staying up-to-date with details

If any of your details happen to change after registering and microchipping your pet, you’ll need to do the following:

• Notify the microchip registration body that your pet was microchipped by originally
• Let your council

If you’ve moved councils, you’ll also need to provide a copy of your original registration certificate in order to transition your pet’s registration to the new council.

 

Book an appointment with a vet in Casey

Not sure about where to microchip your pet? Vets in Cranbourne is a vet in Casey that can provide all the information you’ll need about microchipping and registration. We also provide a range of other pet services, including general check-ups, dental care, de-sexing and other types of surgery too.

For any more questions you may have about caring for your pet, please get in touch with our vet in Casey on (03) 5995 3444 today, or book an appointment with us online.

In December, our Cranbourne vet sees a lot of patients with tummy upsets which can often be traced back to too many rich festive foods. Ideally, pets should not ever be fed processed foods as their stomachs have not evolved to digest them and so eating them often leads to diarrhoea and/or vomiting.

 

However, there are some festive ingredients (and inedible) which can cause more serious health issues including:

• Candy wrappers/toothpicks/skewers: If something smells good, your pet will eat it, even if it’s not edible. These are just some of the things that can get swallowed and stuck in your pet’s oesophagus or intestines.
• Poinsettias: These traditional flowers are toxic to dogs and cats, so keep them out of reach or out of the house altogether if your pet likes to nibble on plants.
• Raw or undercooked meats: The bacteria in raw or undercooked meat makes pets sick too! If you do give your pet some meat over the festive season, it should be boneless and without seasoning- lean cuts like chicken breast are ideal.
• Dough: Once ingested, the raw dough will continue to rise in your pet’s stomach and it can cause life-threatening bloat or alcohol poisoning (from the yeast).
• Alcohol, tea and coffee: Whilst tea leaves and coffee are only likely to cause a stomach upset, alcohol is toxic to pets and can be lethal even in small amounts.
• Sage: Toxic to cats, this herb can cause central nervous problems.

Has your pet consumed any of the above? We recommend you book an appointment with our Cranbourne vet clinic immediately.

During summer, most of our pet patients visit our Cranbourne veterinary clinic because they have been overexposed to the harsh sun. In this blog, we are explaining the different health consequences that this exposure can have on your pet. We’ve also put together a quick 5-step grooming guide for owners to care for their pets during summer.

Sunburn

Pets can get sunburnt too! Whilst any breed of animal can get sunburnt, pets with white or lightly pigmented hair are particularly susceptible. Sun damage usually occurs where your pet’s hair coat is at its thinnest. For cats and rabbits, sunburn is most common on the tips of the ears, eyelids and noses; for dogs, sunburn is most common on muzzles, armpits, abdomens and groins.

Like humans, sunburnt pets will have skin that looks red and flaky. Longer term sun damage shows up as thickened or scarred skin with ulceration and crusting. This skin is also susceptible to secondary bacterial infections and sun cancers may also develop.

 

How to protect your pet from the sun – slip, slop, shade

• If you have an all-white or light coloured dog, or they have a thin coat, invest in sun-protective clothing. (Yes, they make sun shirts for pets!) Just make sure they don’t overheat in them.
• Use a pet-specific sunscreen (available in our East Kew veterinary clinic) to ward off sunburn. Apply as directed to vulnerable areas twice a day.
• Try to keep your pets out of the sun between 10am and 4pm. UV rays are at their strongest between these times so keep them in a well-shaded area of your yard or inside under the air con.

 

Pad burn

Did you know: When the air temperature is 25°C, the temperature of asphalt in the sun is 51°C. You can fry an egg at 55°C so imagine what that feels like on your dog’s feet!

The pads of your dog’s feet are as thick as the skin on the soles of your own feet, so walking your dog on surfaces like asphalt, concrete and brick during the summer months can burn the skin in as little as 60 seconds.

The best way to test if the pavement is too hot for walking your dog is to press your own hand onto the surface for 7-8 seconds. If it’s uncomfortable for you, then it will be uncomfortable for your dog.

Other summer walking tips to keep in mind:

• Walk your dog in the morning rather than the evening, as asphalt retains heat.
• Walk on dirt or grass paths which don’t soak up the heat at the same rate.
• Consider investing in protective booties for your dog.

 

Our summer grooming guide

1. Get your dog a summer cut but make sure they are not shaved all the way down to the skin as this makes them susceptible to sunburn.
2. Cats typically do not need to be shaved unless they are unable to groom themselves.
3. Bathe your dog once every few weeks using pet-friendly shampoo. Bathing more often or with products meant for humans can cause irritation.
4. Check in between your dog’s paw pads after they have been playing outdoors – burrs and grass seeds can work their way into the skin and cause irritation or infection.
5. Summer is flea and tick season! Make sure your pet is up to date with their parasite control and chat with your vet if you’re planning on taking your pet to the beach (other parts of Victoria and Australia are home to different kinds of parasites).

Vets in Cranbourne is a Cranbourne veterinary clinic that is dedicated to supporting our community with helpful veterinary advice and services. Please don’t hesitate to book an appointment at our clinic today!

Whether you have a cat or a dog, you’ll want to know about both dry and canned pet food, simply because of the dizzying number of choices available. Today, we have put together a quick guide weighing up the key benefits and downsides to both, and which you should choose.

 

About dry pet food

Pet owners of both cats and dogs often opt for dry pet food for a few different reasons, such as:

• It is less expensive when compared to canned food
• It has a long shelf life and can be bought and stored in larger quantities, making it far more convenient
• It can be left out for your pet to eat as they please
• Because it is hard and dry, it scrapes tartar and plaque, which is better for dental health.

 

About canned pet food

Canned pet food is beneficial because it contains a lot more water than dry food; hence, it is often referred to as ‘wet food’. The hydration helps to alleviate dehydration as well as kidney or urinary problems in both cats and dogs. Therefore, wet food is often recommended for pets with these issues.

There are, however, some cons to canned pet food:

• It must be refrigerated and can be stored for no more than a week, which can be inconvenient
• It is more expensive than dry food
• Wet food leads to more gastrointestinal disturbances, such as diarrhea
• Pets predisposed to dental issues will need more attentive dental care, as wet food is sticky and does not fight plaque or tartar.

 

So: dry food or wet food?

After weighing up these pros and cons, it is clear to see that dry pet food holds more benefits than wet food. Not only is it easier to store and more affordable to purchase, but the health and dental benefits outnumber those of wet food.

While research is essential, each pet is different. Therefore, it is also a good idea to ask your vet what kind of food your pet should be eating. Looking for a vet in Cranbourne? Our veterinary clinic is fully equipped with the medical equipment and skills necessary to treat your pet. Just give us a call today on (03) 5995 3444 to schedule an appointment with a vet in Cranbourne.

As pet owners, it is our duty to take extra care to ensure our pets don’t come into contact with poisons – especially if those toxins are perfectly harmless to humans. Today we’ve compiled a list of toxins commonly found in the household that can be deadly for pets. Is there anything on the list in your home?

 

Plants

The best way to avoid having your pets coming into contact with harmful plants is to keep the houseplants in a separate – or better yet, inaccessible – area to your pets.

Here are just a few common houseplants that can be deadly news for your pet:

• Lilies
• Aloe Vera
• Bird of Paradise
• Florida Beauty
• Devil’s Ivy
• Yucca

Before purchasing a new plant, you should consider whether it affects cats or dogs. The few plants mentioned above are only a handful from the list; therefore, it’s important to conduct your research on the other kinds of plants that are toxic to your pets.

 

Food

Again, you should be consulting your vet or conducting research to find out a full list of harmful human foods for cats and dogs.

However, the most common toxic foods include:

• Chocolate
• Grapes
• Salt
• Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Avocadoes

You should also beware of unnatural ingredients found in human foods. For example, Xylitol (found in sugar-free gum) is another common and harmful toxin.

 

Human medication

As with plants, the best way to guarantee your pet doesn’t come into contact with your medication is to keep it hidden or inaccessible, preferably in high cupboards. Medication suitable for humans can cause severe health issues for pets. For example, medicines like Advil are actually a common cause of gastrointestinal ulcers in cats, dogs, birds, hamsters and ferrets.

Other common medications to keep out of reach include:

• Antidepressants
• Paracetamol
• Cold medicines
• Muscle relaxants

 

Rodenticides

 Rodenticides include rat and mouse bait. But they don’t just attract rodent pests; they can smell appealing to your pets, too. Even if your pet doesn’t directly consume a rodenticide, they can still be affected. If your cat eats a poisoned rat, for example, your pet can indirectly ingest the rodenticide.

You should take extreme caution and care when placing baits. Set the traps in spots your pets can’t access or perhaps get your pest problem professionally treated to avoid impacting your pet.

 

What do I do if my pet has ingested a toxin?

 There are a few steps you should take as soon as you notice your pet has ingested or chewed anything harmful:

• Collect labels and packaging in a zip-lock bag. This will help your vet identify the toxin involved.
• Collect remnants of the poisonous substance, even if it has been chewed or vomited. Again, this helps with identification, especially if there’s no packaging.
• Contact a vet as soon as possible. This is extremely important, as symptoms of poisoning may not show until hours or days later.

At Vets in Cranbourne, we pride ourselves on our friendliness, expert advice and professional treatment. If you are concerned about your pet, do not hesitate to call us today on (03) 5995 3444.