Selwyn Veterinary Centre
Autumn Newsletter
March 2016
Welcome to the autumn edition of our newsletter. We would like to take this opportunity to
introduce our new nurse Kaitlin. Kaitlin is a 2014 S.I.T graduate, joined us in January and
makes a wonderful addition to our team.
Easter is only a few weeks away and we will be closed for Good Friday and Easter Monday
but open on Saturday the 26th from 9am-1pm as per usual. We will also close on Monday
the 25th of April for ANZAC day but will not close the Saturday.
Also in this newsletter we have pet insurance information, dog training tips and an update
on our upcoming puppy preschool classes.
Happy Reading!
Puppy Preschool
Puppy preschool is designed for puppies aged between 8 and 16 weeks old who have
started their vaccination programme. These classes aim to provide owners with the basic
skills to train their puppy and provides puppies with the
opportunity to socialise while learning how to behave with
other dogs.
We highly recommend these classes even if you have had a
dog previously.
Puppy preschool runs once a week for three weeks from
6.30pm to around 7.30pm.
Our next classes will begin Monday 7th March, Tuesday 15th
March, Tuesday 12th April and Tuesday 10th May.
If you are interested in attending a puppy preschool class please call us on 03 347 7419 as
classes fill up very quickly and spaces are limited.
Pet Insurance – Yes, it is worth
it!
policies may include day-to-day care such
as neutering, health checks, vaccinations
and dental procedures etc.
Pet insurance has gained huge popularity
overseas in the last decade and it is
starting to increase in popularity here in
New Zealand with an increasing number
of insurance firms offering policies. The
benefits for pet owners are huge and it
certainly provides peace of mind.
Always read the fine print. As an example
make sure you know whether they cover
any pre-existing conditions. Also whether
the company places age limits on cover
and any other exclusions might be
important points to check. Some
companies may charge more for certain
breeds or if you live in certain areas of the
country. And make sure it offers you
coverage for any specialty care such as
referral to a dermatologist, advance
imaging or ophthalmologist.
Routine veterinary care is affordable and
most people can budget for this. However
injuries and illnesses may result in
unforeseen medical expenses. Pet
insurance can help you budget for these
unexpected medical expenses. It is
prudent to look at your budget and work
out what you need in an insurance policy.
There are several companies offering pet
insurance policies in New Zealand, sorting
through the various plan choices and
options can be daunting. Asking your vet
is a good start. Below are some tips to
help you through the process.
It is all about you! Are you worried about
being able to afford emergency care for
accidents or sudden illnesses? Are you
worried about paying for medications and
tests for ongoing conditions? Some of
these may be costly, and this is where pet
insurance may help you. Each insurance
company has different benefit packages, it
is good to do a little research into them
until you find one that best matches what
you want. Standard plans typically offer
cover for illnesses and emergencies - for
example treatment for toxin ingestion or
car accidents. More comprehensive
Avoid surprises! Ask for a breakdown of
your premium or quote. Premiums may
increase with the age of the pet. Some
companies increase you premiums as you
submit claims and some companies may
have a high excess per claim. Check and
compare these costs and find one that
suits you. A good insurer should be
‘transparent’ about what they will pay for
and how much they will cover.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, ask your
vet for recommendations and ask the
insurers themselves. Find out how long
the insurance company has been in
business and how stable it is. Find out
what the company’s claim submission
process is, it should be easy to use for you
and your vet. Does the prospective insurer
offer multi-pet discounts? Does the policy
cover your pet whilst travelling or in the
care of a pet sitter or boarding facility?
Pet insurance is well worth it, happy
investigating.
My dog pulls really hard on the
lead, what do I do?
It is a common headache for dog owners
that their dog pulls too hard whilst on a
walk. This makes for an unpleasant
walking experience and may even
discourage owners from taking their dogs
for regular walks.
There are many products on the market
that may help reduce your dog’s pulling
but none of them are cures, they are all
just Band-Aids to a problem.
The only way to solve the issue is to train
your dog to walk nicely on a loose lead.
This is important because it makes going
for walks a fun and pleasant experience
and it means you are in full control of your
dog whilst out and about.
This is something every dog owner should
do, however it is easiest to achieve whilst
they are still young. The same principles
apply for older dogs but it may just take a
little longer.
One important aspect of any training is
that you’ll need everyone who takes the
dog for walks to agree to do the same
thing. If one person follows the rules and
another allows the dog to pull, your dog
will get confused and the process will take
a very long time, or the dog may never
learn how to walk nicely.
To start, try and pick a time when your
dog is calm for training,
use a collar and lead
(preferably not a
retractable lead). Have one
hand holding the end of
the lead and the other
hand on the same side as
your dog holding the lead only a small
distance from your dog so they can’t pull
too far forwards.
Start walking, as soon as your dog pulls,
stop walking. Get your dog to come back
level and beside you facing forwards and
then start walking again. As soon as your
dog pulls, stop walking. Repeat this
process.
You may start training in the garden or
just down your driveway with as few
distractions as possible. You probably
wouldn’t get very far to start with but it
will improve with time.
Reward them with treats and praise when
they achieve a few or several steps
without pulling. Set them up to succeed!
You will have to do this over and over and
over again. Your dog will soon learn that
he or she will not get anywhere if they
pull on the lead and that is no fun. They
also learn that if he or she walks nicely
and the lead is loose they get to go on fun
walks.
Some people like myself teach dogs to
heel and walk alongside you on command.
Most obedience classes will teach this and
the principles are the same, you just have
to incorporate the word ‘heel’ whilst they
are walking nicely and reward them as
above.
There are lots of methods on teaching
your dog to walk nicely on a loose lead.
This is one of them and please remember
you should NOT need to use
force or fear for any training at
all. Training with rewards works
better and you are likely to
have a happy good canine
citizen for life.