VIP Specials & Spring tips - ABBA Newsletter

HELLO FROM ABBA

To all of our wonderful customers and furry clients!

We at Abba Kennels and Cattery would like to say a great big welcome to Spring! We hope your four legged friends are enjoying running around outside and you're enjoying not having to mop up muddy paw prints around the home. We look forward to the fun we’ll have taking care of your furry friends whilst you’re away this Spring. It can be lonely and boring (and sometimes too hot) being a pet at home while you're at work. Take away the worry and keep your pets happy this Spring by dropping them off at ABBA during work hours. They can socialise with other dogs, exercise and have fun with their friends at daycare.

From the team at ABBA

SPRING VIP OFFER

Our Spring offer is exciting and no doubt your dog or cat will be smiling just like the fellow on the right here!
Mention this VIP offer and you receive:

• Dog - 1 free doggy day care
• Cats - 1 free playtime with a booking

*One VIP offer per person through Spring.

BAYSIDE PET EXPO

We're very excited to be attending the Bayside Pet Expo this year. On Sunday 12 November 2017 in Royal Avenue Park, Sandringham, you will have the best day out with your pets and family. Here you can talk to local vets and pet experts (Including our team at ABBA) as well as access pet products and services. There will be special offers, food stalls and many free activities for children including pony rides and face painting.  Bring your pet along to join in the fun. Please ensure they are secured on a leash or in a cage.

The expo will feature:

• An animal farm
• Reptiles and insects on show
• Pony rides
• Face painting
• Plaster painting
• Food stalls
• Free tag engravings
• Free children’s book to educate children on responsible pet ownership
• Demonstrations and giveaways

More info can be found here.
See you there!

WOULD YOU CONSIDER FOSTERING?

We at ABBA Kennels help and support Greyhound Safety Net and they are in need of Foster Carers and also potential homes for Greyhounds. Greyhounds make the most incredible loving pets. Some members of the ABBA team own them too!  GSN are currently having to turn away greyhounds despite knowing their certain fate. So if you have a cat-free and loving home, please consider fostering to save a greyhound’s life.

Despite assumptions that greys require a lot of exercise, they're actually couch potatoes who sleep up to 20 hours a day! Greyhounds are gentle giants who will fill your lives with laughs at all their little quirks. If you have a loving home, please do give Greyhound Safety Net a call to see if you could save a greyhound. Fostering is a vital link to the rescue chain. 
GSN have also put together an stunning 2018 calendar with all proceeds going directly to supporting the rescue of more greyhounds. Click here to purchase.

ABBA FACEBOOK CELEBRITY

And the winner is… Rachael and her dog Stella!

Congratulations Rachael! Our Spring Facebook Celebrity prize is a FREE 2 night sleepover for Stella at a time of your choosing. Please contact us within the next two weeks to claim your prize!

Do you want to be a winner?
We love reading the feedback and comments on our Facebook page. To say thank you for your valued contribution to our online community we will be choosing one loyal follower each season as the winner of our Facebook celebrity award.

Q1. What is your name? Stella

Q2. How old are you and what is your breed? I am 20 months old and I am a red English Staffordshire Bullterrier

Q3. What's your favourite food? Everything, I am a little obsessed with food.  If I had to pick one, I make funny noises when Mum is tearing leftover roast chicken off the carcass for me.  I made a mistake of eating rat poison a few months ago, thanks to the quick thinking of Mum, I had a lucky escape.

Q4. What about treats? Any favourites? Fresh carrots.

Q5. What's your favourite hobby/pastime? Sleeping in front of the fire, chasing waves at the beach, going to the horses and cuddling on the couch with Mum and my human sister.

Q6. Do you like to play? What are your favourite toys? I do but I am a pretty relaxed Staffy (unusual I know).  My favourite is chasing my frisbee and performing a somersault over it where it lands. 

Q7. Do you have any friends or sworn enemies? No I am really friendly until another dog in the park takes my toy then I may get a little territorial. 

Q8. What's the naughtiest thing you've done? It would have to be eating the heel of my Grandma's Christian Dior high heels....oops....haven’t been invited back.  I was just a puppy and think I should be forgiven, don’t you?  I also have a naughty habit of weeing on the spare bed if anyone comes to stay.  Just trying to mark my turf! 

Q9. What's the funniest thing you've done? Hmm, I am a Staffy, I think everything I do is funny.  Mum would probably say my second visit to the beach I chased the waves so hard I swallowed so much salt water that it projectiled out my rear end all over Mum's leg and shoe, that was funny and a little uncomfortable and awkward.  I would say when I ate the packet of Ural left in the car and my mouth started foaming when it was mixed with my saliva.  It wasn’t harmful but Mum and my human sister found it very funny.

Q10. Do you do any tricks for your human? What are your best ones?  My human sister is trying to teach me the tango and to dance on my back legs.  It is a work in progress.

DOGGY DAYCARE AT ABBA

Did you know that your furry friend(s) could have fun every week at ABBA?

In these warmer months, many dog owners want to catch up with friends and have some much needed “time out”. Our pets also want to have fun, enjoy doggie company and play outside. Your friends at ABBA love spending time with your pet and will make sure they are happy and fully occupied.

Book your dog in to spend a day or two a week at ABBA - drop your pet off before 9 and pickup at 5 (or arrange pickups), your dog will thank you for the playtimes and extra attention during the day. Call us to book!

SNAKE BITES AND YOUR PET

Most snakes will try to avoid you and your pets but while you may simply walk away when you encounter a snake, dogs and cats will often harass the snake and get bitten as a result. While hiking, stay on open paths. Keep your dog on leash and away from high grass and rocks where snakes like to rest. Do not let the dog explore holes or dig under rocks or logs. If you see a snake that sees you, remember that a snake can strike only a distance of half its body length. Give the snake time to just go away and slowly walk back the way you came. Snakes are not looking to interact with people or pets. Do not let your pet examine dead snakes. They still have venomous fangs. Identification of a snake can assist in appropriate treatment for your pet but never handle a live snake. 

If collecting a dead snake always have appropriate gloves. Do not attempt to kill or capture the snake; this is not only dangerous to you, but snakes are a protected species by law. If your pet is bitten by a snake, seek veterinary attention immediately. It is better to see a vet and be checked out rather than wait and be sorry. How do I identify a snake and what should I do? Snakes are prevalent in the warmer months (typically October until April). They are frequently seen in areas near a fresh water source such as a creek or dam. The most common snakes in Victoria and South Australia are tiger, brown, black, red-bellied black and copperhead. In the south-eastern area of Queensland, brown and red-bellied black snakes, and occasionally the death adder and small eyed snake, are encountered. 

Remain calm if your pet is bitten by a snake. If your pet has been bitten on the neck remove its collar. Keeping your pet as still as possible until reaching a veterinarian is critical to help reduce the movement of the venom from the bite site. Try to keep the bite site below the level of the heart. Treatment options such as cold packs, ice, tourniquets, alcohol, bleeding the wound and trying to suck out venom should not be attempted in place of getting your pet to the vet — they just waste precious time. What might happen if a snake bites my pet? Signs of snake envenomation are seen within 1 to 24 hours after the pet is bitten. 

Different snake venom can have a variety of effects ranging from bleeding to neurological effects. In many cases, the animal collapses or vomits shortly after being bitten. The animal may appear to recover but then signs gradually get worse. Dilated (enlarged) pupils are a common early sign, followed by hind leg weakness that may cause the animal to stagger. Eventually the weakness becomes paralysis and the animal cannot walk or even hold its head up. Breathing becomes rapid and shallow then increasingly difficult and this can lead to coma and death, especially if not treated. 

Other signs that can be seen include trembling, drooling, depression, bleeding from wounds, blood in the urine or vomit, and pale gums. What will the vet do when they treat my pet? When you arrive at the vet with a pet that may have been bitten by a snake, a series of tests may be recommended including a snake venom detection kit. After positive identification the vet will administer anti-venom under close observation. Your pet will then be hospitalised for intensive monitoring and supportive care such as intravenous fluids and pain relief via a drip. 

What is the prognosis for my pet? Prognosis can range from extremely guarded to good depending on the speed of treatment being started and the amount of venom injected. Quick action on the owner’s part improves the prognosis. A venomous snake bite is a life-threatening emergency. Close to 6,500 pets are bitten by snakes each year in Australia. Approximately two thirds of these animals received antivenom. With antivenom treatment 91% of cats and 75% of dogs survived, whereas 66% of cats and only 31% of dogs survived without antivenom. 

Severely envenomated animals may still take weeks to return to full health, because of the widespread effects of the venom (particularly muscle damage). With prompt treatment many animals recover within 1-2 days, however hospital treatment may be as long as a week in severe cases with a further 2-3 weeks of rest at home to recuperate. 

How can I repel snakes from my property? To reduce the risk of snakes gathering on your property: Dig your fence a foot into the ground. Keep your yard tidy by clearing undergrowth, filling holes in the ground, mowing the lawn, and clearing away toys and tools which make great hiding places for snakes. Keep walkways clear of brush, flowers and shrubs. Clean up any spilled food, fruit or bird seed, which can attract rodents, and therefore snakes. Store firewood away from the house. Always seek professional help in removal of a snake from your property. 

REMEMBER: Remain calm 
Do not try to catch the snake 
Keep your pet as still as possible – carry it to your car if possible 
Go directly to the nearest veterinary clinic, even if your pet appears to have recovered Prognosis is good with timely antivenom treatment

RECIPES

Doggy Strawberry Banana Smoothy

Smoothies are supposed to be healthy right? I don’t know if you could really call these Strawberry Banana Smoothie Dog biscuits healthy … but the only thing that matters is what you tell yourself right??

Ingredients
1/2 cup Strawberries, pureed
1 medium Banana, mashed
1/4 cup Milk
1 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a large bowl mix all ingredients one at a time, kneading well after each addition.
3. Roll out dough on heavily  floured surface (the dough is very sticky) 1/4 inch thick.
4. Cut into shapes with the cutter of your choice.
5. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet and poke with a fork to prevent air bubbles.
6. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool and refrigerate.

JUST FOR A GIGGLE