NEWSLETTER NO. 1, Dubai, June 2009
Dear Client,
I am extremely proud to be able to present to you our first newsletter. The aim of this letter is to bring you information with regards to your pets care, special promotions in our clinic, changes with regards to the UAE law in pet care and rules and regulations with regards to traveling in order for you to take your pet(s) anywhere in the world. This first newsletter will inform you on a new product launched by Royal Canine for our Pug-owners and for which Al Barsha Veterinary Clinic has a special launching promotion, BUY-1 get 1-FREE.
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Alison Gorton of the Doghouse has prepared special information for you on traveling with pets around the world.
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Hannah Moate (ABVC Veterinary Nurse) has written some articles on puppy care and training of which you will find the 1st article in this newsletter.
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Besides this there will be a short introduction to our 2 new joining veterinarians from New Zealand Dr. Shari Hoskins and Dr. Caroline Lamb.
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We launch our new scope system in order to provide you with even better care, and the tono-pen which enables us offer even better diagnostic assistance to you for your pet with eye problems.
Reminder for all our clients please check your pets vaccination dates and for those of you who have done a RANT test (Rabies Antibody Neutralization Titer Test) please make sure you vaccinate your pet before the expiry date of the rabies vaccination is due to keep this certificate valid.
At the beginning of October 2009 Al Barsha Veterinary Clinic will celebrate its fifth anniversary already, please check our website or our newsletter for more news on the celebrations planned for the 1st week of October with all sorts of activities for our clients and their furry friends.
In order to provide you with the best service we would like to receive your feedback to this newsletter, or on our service in general (abvc@eim.ae ).
Best regards,
Al Barsha Veterinary Clinic
Ellen Kruijning
Preparing your dog/cat for travel:
Rabies Vaccination
The international standard for pets [dogs & cats] is for a rabies vaccination to be given more than 30days prior to the expected travel/export date but not more than 12 months prior to export.
Many vaccinations administered around the world have a validity of 1 to 3 years. The Dubai Municipality has regulations stating that vaccination is a yearly requirement within Dubai for all cats & dogs, regardless of the manufacturers' product validity.
There are a few countries, which have strict quarantine requirements. These countries will accept animals with the vaccination having been given 14 days prior to the export date - Australia, South Africa, New Zealand & Singapore.
Other Vaccinations
Many countries have their own requirements for 'other vaccinations'.
Some countries require the Bordetella 'Kennel Cough' vaccination as an entry requirement. Singapore requires all cats to be vaccinated against Chlamydia.
For entry into Australia it is recommended that your dog is not given the yearly booster vaccination for Leptospirosis as this may cause a positive blood test result making your dog ineligible for entry into Australia - if outside of certain parameters.
Rabies Blood Testing
Rabies blood testing can be seen as an investment in your pet & peace of mind for you.
If you are planning at anytime to travel with your pet to the United Kingdom, it is recommended to Rabies Blood Test your pet to avoid the requirement of 6 months quarantine in the UK.
Blood testing for the UK can be a one off event - if you ensure the yearly rabies booster vaccinations are always given on time - not even one day over or it invalidates the process & blood test. The process is to Microchip, rabies vaccinate, wait 30days then Rabies blood tests. The result should be 0.5iu/l or above. Then a waiting period of 180days from the blood test date is required. After this waiting period you pet is qualified to travel into the UK without the Import permit or quarantine requirement. Keep the booster vaccination exactly up to date & the blood test will be valid for UK entry for the life time of your pet.*
*There are a few other health requirements immediately prior to travel but this can be arranged through a Pet Travel Consultant or your vet.
Pets travelling to Sweden have a different Blood testing process. They must be microchipped, then rabies vaccinated, followed by a waiting period of 120days before the Rabies blood test is taken. As soon as the test result is back from the Lab with a result of 0.5iu/l or above the pet can travel - Quarantine Free.
For travel to New Zealand, two Rabies blood tests are required. The first is taken at 6 to 12 months before travel and the second is taken 30days before travel along with many other required blood tests. The pet will then spend 30days in Quarantine. For New Zealand the blood test is only valid for 12 months.
For Australia one Rabies blood test is required a minimum of 60days before travel up to 12 months before travel. The shorter the time since blood testing, the longer the Quarantine time. So it is best to Rabies blood test at least 5 months before travel to ensure your pet qualifies for the minimum Quarantine period of 30days. For Australia the blood test is only valid for 12 months.
No rabies blood testing is required for pets travelling to USA, Canada, Singapore, & the GCC.
More information about pet travel requirements to specific countries can be obtained from Alison Gorton of 'The Doghouse FZE'. Alison works closely with the ABVC for all of their clients relocation needs. The import of family pets is also handled. No puppies or kittens are ever imported for sale or breeding.
Keep your pets documents safe & in a place that you remember easily - with your passport or personal travel documents is an ideal place.
Australian Quarantine fees are set to increase by up to 120% within the next 2 weeks - the proposed rate increase is being considered now by the Minister in charge of the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service [AQIS].
CATS (were 13.55 per day) AUD$29.00 per day
DOGS (were 17.55 per day) AUD$39.00 per day
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Diet and Feeding
It is vital that your puppy receives adequate vitamins and minerals for growth and development, and the best way to ensure this is by choosing a complete food designed especially for puppies. Some puppies come with a breeder's diet sheet, which may or may not be complete or balanced.
It is your personal choice whether to feed your puppy tinned food with a mixer, or a complete dried food.
If you need to change your puppy's diet, do so slowly over 5-7 days to reduce the risk of stomach upset.
Handling and Grooming
It is very important to get your puppy used to being handled from an early age. Try to make it a fun and pleasant experience for your puppy, by using food rewards or a toy as a reward. Pay attention to feet and tails, as these are areas that many puppies are sensitive about. Time spent now getting your puppy to enjoy being handled will pay later, when your puppy may have to go to the vets, or groomers, or you have to dry wet paws after a run on the beach!
Introduce soft brushes at a young age, and again make grooming time a happy time for your puppy. This will be especially important if you have a long coated breed that will need a lot of brushing as an adult.
Nipping and Bite Inhibition
Most puppies nip! They are born with razor sharp needle teeth, which they love to try out on anything and everything. Puppies have sharp teeth for the simple reason that when they bite, it hurts, and this helps them know what is alive and what is not.
Puppy biting is a perfectly normal part of development and it does not mean that the puppy is 'aggressive'. However it is very important to teach your puppy that biting is unacceptable, and this needs to be done before the puppy loses those baby teeth (normally around 18 weeks of age).
Socialisation
It is hugely important that your puppy gets out and about and is introduced to as many new experiences as you can manage, particularly between 5 and 12 weeks. Puppies need to see the world around them, and meet as many new things as you can think of, in order to grow up as confident adults. Take time to introduce your puppy to as many people (of all types) that you possibly can. You should try to ensure your puppy meets a range of men, women and children of all ages. Allow your puppy to meet as many other dogs as you can, after the vaccinations of course (although avoid dogs that are aggressive towards other dogs). Ensure your puppy goes to lots of different places, such as shops, the vet surgery, busy roads, the beach, and parks and wherever else you can think of (as long as dogs are accepted in the area). Try to take your puppy to two new places every week. If your puppy is anxious, be careful not to reward this behaviour accidently, but adopt a jolly approach and reward brave behaviour instead.
Remember that how you react will determine how your puppy behaves for the rest of their lives.
Taking your Puppy Home
Before collecting your new addition to the family, make sure you are fully prepared. You will need water bowls, food bowls, a bed, lots of toys and treats for training. You will also need a puppy collar and lead (these will need changing as they are grow).
It is a good idea to buy a crate, which may not seem very appealing but can help with house training and also provide your puppy with a safe comfortable bed to sleep in. This will also ensure that if the dog ever has to be confined for a long period of time (such as a flight) they will accept it quite happily.
Ensure that anything they can hurt themselves on is removed/covered or placed out of reach, such as breakable items, plug sockets and wires.
It is a good idea to show your puppy where they will be going to the toilet first as they will have to get used to this straight away, and you will be doing lots of these little trips!
After hopefully going to the toilet the puppy will really want to investigate everything in your home, this is fine, they need this time to discover their new home and become comfortable in it. And this will take time so don't be surprised if your puppy takes time to adjust to their new home. If they are slightly nervous you may want to encourage them to investigate by placing small treats around the house to find.
Make sure they know where their water and food bowl is and ensure it is in a place which is always available to them.
Introducing Puppies to Adult Dogs
Puppies usually pester adult dogs, trying to get them to play. Before the age of 4 months, puppies may not recognise subtle body postures from adult dogs signaling they have had enough. Well socialised adult dogs with good temperaments may set limits with puppies with a warning snarl or growl. This behaviour can be normal but should be monitored. The puppy should not be left alone with the adult dog until you are confident the puppy is not in any danger. Always try to reassure your adult dog and make time for extra individual attention so the adult dog does not feel threatened or pushed out. Try and feed the adult dog first and in front of the puppy so the puppy is aware the adult dog is the boss.
It is wise to make sure your adult dog is vaccinated before introducing your new puppy.
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New joining veterinarians
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| Dr Shari Hoskins |
Dr. Shari hails from New Zealand, where she started out her career working with Dairy Cows in the Waikato. Since then she has acquired international experience working with companion animals in Australia and then the last 4 years in London.
She is a recent import to Dubai, arriving at the end of 2008 with her husband, daughter and the obligatory labrador retreiver.
Her interests are anything involving sport, especially squash, water sports and watching the "All Blacks".
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| Dr. Caroline Lamb |
Born and bred in New Zealand, Dr. Caroline graduated from Massey University in 1992 and began work in a mixed practice in sunny Southland. She continued in a mixed practice, both in the Falkland Islands and Great Britain, until the cold drove her indoors to a solely small animal clinic in 2002. She has always had an interest in surgery and orthopaedics and enjoys being able to pursue those interests. Besides this she has experience with acupuncture to have another option to offer the 'creaky gates'. Her increasing aversion to cold has resulted in a move to Dubai and her addition to the ABVC team.
Al Barsha Veterinary Clinic is very happy with the additional new veterinarians who have proven themselves already very skilled, caring and compassionate team players.