VIP Specials & Autumn tips ­ ABBA Newsletter

HELLO FROM ABBA

To all of our special friends (furry or otherwise).
Have a happy ‘tail waggin’ Autumn from the team at Abba Kennels and Cattery. 
We look forward to the fun we’ll have taking care of your furry friends whilst you’re away this season. The days will soon be getting shorter and cooler which can be lonely for your pets when you're at work. Your pets love to play outside and will get bored and into mischief if not occupied. Keep you and your pets happy this Autumn and drop 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 

CANINE DENTAL HYGIENE SERVICES ARE COMING TO ABBA ON APRIL 5th 

Canine Dental Hygiene Services are coming to ABBA Boarding Kennels! On Wednesday 5th of April, the team will be at ABBA to offer anaesthesia free teeth cleaning for dogs. They are the first in Australia to offer this service and have over 20 years experience in the field. Provide your loved pet with a natural, holistic alternative to having their teeth cleaned without any risks, pain or side effects. Check out the before and after shot to see the amazing results. Get in quick as spots will fill quickly. Call Melissa on 0433 348 639 to make your booking. 

AUTUMN VIP MEMBER SPECIAL 

When booking your pet in for a stay with us, don't forget to mention our newsletter and you'll receive a free gift for your dog or cat! 

AUTUMN FACEBOOK CELEBRITY 

And the winner is… Helen! 

Congratulations Helen! Our Autumn Facebook Celebrity prize is a FREE 2 night sleepover for Lester 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 your 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?
Lester.

Q2. How old are you and what is your breed?
I am 8 and a half. British bulldog.

Q3. What's your favourite food?
Everything ­ except vegetables.

Q4. What about treats? Any favourites?
I especially like liver treats, and anything that I can spend ages chewing on.

Q5. What's your favourite hobby/pastime?
I love the beach ­ I'm not a great swimmer but summer or winter I love playing in the shallow water.

Q6. Do you like to play? What are your favourite toys?
Games are an excellent thing to do in between eating and napping. Chewy toys and soft toys are my favourites as well as tug of war.

Q7. Do you have any friends or sworn enemies?
I like everyone who is interested in playing with me.

Q8. What's the naughtiest thing you've done?
I ate my Mum's prescription glasses ­ but that was when I was a puppy.

Q9. What's the funniest thing you've done?
When my mum was out one day, she left me inside the house. So I made a little bed with a blanket and 5 of my favourite toys up on the couch.

Q10. Do you do any tricks for your human? What are your best ones?
My best trick is just looking really cute so that my mum gives me treats, pats or trips to the beach. She can't resist my puppy­dog eyes.

Q. What's your favourite hobby/pastime?
A. We love going for walks and I love to chew things. Bella loves to sleep.

Q. Do you like to play? What are your favourite toys?
A. I like playing Tug o War with my soft toys and playing with tennis balls. Bella likes to sleep.

Q. Do you have any friends or sworn enemies?
A. My best friend I like to visit is another Golden Retriever named Boston.

Q. What's the naughtiest thing you've ever done?
A. The naughtiest thing I have done was chew all the outdoor chair cushions and several trees. Oh and I have chewed the corners off the coffee table. I can't help myself! Bella chewed a few things as a puppy but nothing since. She watches me get in trouble.

Q. What's the funniest thing you've ever done?
A. Last year I decided to open my Christmas present early when my friend Jax the Staffie was over.

Q. Do you do any tricks for your human? What are your best ones?
A. I can shake hands and I like to bring the paper in. Bella's trick is sleeping.

DOGGY DAYCARE AT ABBA

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

In the cooler Autumn 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!

REMINDER TO BOOK NOW FOR EASTER

Easter is a great time for the family to get away, but sometimes you can be restricted by where and even if you can travel because of your pets. Book your pet into ABBA these holidays for peace of mind that your beloved family member is having just as much fun as you. Don't forget to ensure that your pets vaccinations are up to date. If you're unsure, get in touch with your vet and they'll be able to help

DOGS WITH DIABETES

Diabetes: there is probably no other diagnosis in the companion animal world that requires so much of the pet parent. When I make a diagnosis of diabetes in a cat or a dog, the first thing I do is have a serious conversation with the owner to make sure that they are up to the challenge of taking care of a diabetic pet, because not everyone is. I tell pet parents that they must be capable of giving injections, monitoring blood and urine glucose levels, and making sure that they are home for their pet every 12 hours to feed and administer insulin. Diabetes is probably the most difficult chronic condition we manage in companion animals.

But having unregulated or poorly regulated diabetes subjects the animal to a host of complications, so if you’re going to accept the challenge, do so whole­heartedly. If you’re going to protect your pet against heartworm disease, you can’t give the preventive every other month. If you’re going to treat your pet’s diabetes, be ready to take all the steps your veterinarian recommends to do so.

Become a glucometer ninja
Glucometers that are specific for pets have revolutionized the management and monitoring of diabetic pets, because they allow us to obtain valuable information about how the patient reacts to diet and insulin dosing without bringing them into the veterinarian’s office for repeated testing. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of a stressful veterinary visit, and it’s quite common to see high blood glucose measurements in non­diabetic cats when a blood sample is obtained in the veterinarian’s office.

Glucometers have gotten really easy to use, and require no more than a tiny drop of blood to make an accurate measurement. Difficult­to­regulate feline diabetics can often benefit from a once­ or twice­daily glucose measurement, and it’s not hard to teach them to tolerate a quick prick to the ear margin or paw pad.

Use your senses
Sometimes despite all of the advanced laboratory testing and high tech gadgets we enlist in our fight to regulate diabetes in our pets, our best tools are our five senses. One of the most accurate signs that a diabetic pet is well­regulated is a lack of symptoms of diabetes – increased thirst, increased urination, and increased appetite (often with weight loss). Use your sense of sight and watch your pet closely for these signs.

Get right up in your pet’s face and smell its breath. An animal in diabetic ketoacidosis, a life­threatening complication of unregulated diabetes, has breath that smells like acetone, which is the main component in most nail polish removers. Using your sense of touch to hold a urine test strip under your pet’s urine stream will also help you detect ketoacidosis, since most test strips measure urine ketones, and their presence in the urine is one of the first signs that your pet is on its way to a crisis. If you hear your diabetic dog bumping into the furniture or walls, it’s likely an indication that it’s developing cataracts, which are a common follow­on condition to canine diabetes.

Dogs with cataracts need to be closely monitored for development of glaucoma, a painful condition involving high pressure inside the eye. And just to round out this discussion of the 5 senses, I’ll remind you that “diabetes mellitus” means essentially “honey sweet urine” in Greek, so somebody at some point in time had to make the ultimate sacrifice and taste diabetic urine to give the disease its name.

Don’t skip the rechecks
Even if you’re closely monitoring your pet at home, and feel that things are going well with respect to keeping diabetes at bay, you still need to take your pet to your veterinarian for routine recheck appointments. Why? Because your veterinarian is trained to pick up on subtle clues that you can miss, such as a tooth root infection that will ultimately complicate blood glucose regulation. Even if you’re monitoring blood glucose at home with a glucometer, there are some important lab tests that should be routinely scheduled.

Measuring fructosamine levels routinely is key to understanding glucose regulation over a longer period of time – 2 to 3 weeks – in diabetic cats, since their blood glucose levels tend to measure a bit high even with good regulation. And all diabetics should have routine urine cultures performed, since urinary tract infections are extremely common, but the signs don’t always look remarkably different from the routine signs of diabetes.

Learn to brush your pet’s teeth
Wait, what??? What does teeth brushing have to do with diabetes? We’re starting to understand that chronic infection complicates regulation of diabetes, and one of the most common sources of infection in dogs and cats is dental disease – specifically, tooth root abscesses. Regular brushing will keep the bacteria­laden plaque film at bay in your pet’s mouth, and lessen the chances of infection.

Keep great records
Embrace your inner nerd! Especially if you’re monitoring glucose at home, make a spreadsheet and track glucose measurements, and share this information regularly with your veterinarian. In difficult to regulate diabetics, knowledge of this up­to­the­minute information can prove extremely valuable to your veterinarian as he or she seeks to get your pet as stable as possible. It’s also helpful to track food consumption as well, particularly if your pet’s appetite waxes and wanes.

Become an insulin handling pro
Insulin is an extremely unique drug, and using it properly and to its full efficacy absolutely depends on handling it properly. It has to be stored in the refrigerator, but it should be brought to room temperature once in the syringe before it’s injected. Some insulins should be rolled gently between the palms until thoroughly mixed, and others should be shaken. Your veterinarian will help you understand which kind your pet is receiving. Compared to most drugs, insulin is very unstable, and dosing must be exact.

A few trips through an airport surveillance machine may lessen its efficacy, so never take your pet’s insulin in a carry­on bag. Always inspect your pet’s insulin before you give it, to be sure there is no abnormal color or particles. Even a few bubbles in the syringe can make dosing inaccurate, so be observant. And always use the appropriate syringes for the type of insulin your pet is receiving. If you have any doubts, call your veterinarian.

DOG FRIENDLY EASTER EGGS 

You Will Need:

● Five – seven packets of dog chocolate drops or carob drops (dependent on the size of egg)
● Light vegetable oil spray
● Easter egg mould or plastic casing from an Easter egg
● Pyrex bowl
● Plastic spatula or Wooden Spoon
● Cup of water
● Saucepan
● Pastry brush (paint brush will do)
● Your dog’s favourite meaty treats

Step 1: Dog Chocolate vs. Carob
You can use either doggy chocolate treats (available from all good pet stores) or carob drops. Carob is used as an alternative to chocolate, is 100% safe for dogs to eat and available from health food shops.

Step 2: Melt Away!
Pour your cup of water into your saucepan and bring to a boil on a medium heat. Place your drops of choice in your pyrex bowl and lower this onto your saucepan. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the boiling water. Turn the heat down immediately and slowly stir your melting drops with your spatula or spoon.

Step 3: Spread the Love!
Once all of your drops are melted, lightly spray a layer of vegetable oil over the insides of your moulds. Pour half of your mixture into one half of your egg mould and the other half into the remaining half of your egg mould (reserve a teaspoon’s worth of the melted goodness in the bowl). Spread the mixture evenly using your spatula or wooden spoon and put aside to set. If you can’t get your paws on an Easter egg mould or are on a budget, you can use the plastic casing of an old chocolate Easter egg (it’s a shame you’ll have to eat the egg!

Step 4: Fill Her Up!
Once your egg halves have set, pour your doggie’s favourite treats into one half of your egg only. Melt your drops again in your pyrex bowl and gently pop out the empty half of your egg to rest on a worktop. Using the pastry brush, gently brush the melted drops around the edge. You will need to work fairly quickly so it doesn’t set. Place the empty egg half on top of the melted edge to seal in the doggy treats. Hold the egg gently for 30 seconds for the seal to set.

Step 5: Enjoy!
You can now decorate your creation! get creative and try wrapping in foil or a ribbon! Enjoy watching your four­legged friend enjoy all in the comfort of knowing he’ll be free from the dangers of chocolate poisoning. Of course, even with doggy drops and carob, your dog friendly Easter egg should be consumed in moderation.

JUST FOR A GIGGLE