November 26th, 2009
Last night on RTE 1, Buyer Beware raised some concerns regarding the sales of puppies in Irish pet stores.
The programme highlighted the case of Charlie, a Prince Charles puppy that was bought from a pet store in Dublin. Four days after receiving the puppy, Charlie’s owner realised all was not well with the dog as he was very weak and unable to stand.
Charlie’s owner immediately brought him to the local vet where he was diagnosed with severe Gastroenteritis. The Vet was very concerned about the animal’s health and only gave him a 50/50 chance of survival.
What had also worried the vet was that he had recently treated a number of puppies who were bought in the same pet store who had also been suffering from Gastroenteritis. One of which died after 72 hours of treatment.
Michael McCahill of All Care Veterinary Clinic believes that one of the big concerns about the sale of puppies from retail outlets is that it poses health risks for the animals. “If you take a sick animal into, even a clean area, the sickness will spread amongst the animals in the same unit”.
Another worrying concern was raised about where the puppies were sourced from, as most pet stores would purchase the puppies from breeders. Orla Aungier from the DSPCA believes that “no reputable breeder would be happy just handing over pups for sale to members of the public without some form of checks and balances being put in place”.
It was good to see that Charlie had made a full recovery. His owner said she would “never buy a pup out of a pet store” again and that you should “never buy a pup unless you can see the animals’ mother and father”.
See here for more advice about buying a puppy.
By Juan. Posted in Animal Welfare, Dogs, Pet Care, Random
November 26th, 2009
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Novenber is Vaccination Awarness Month and so a nationwide drive has been launched to remind pet owners that vaccination must be boosted annually, in order to maintain adequate levels of immunity against deadly diseases such as parvovirus and leptospirosis.
Many people don’t realise that their pets need vaccination annually, instead wrongly believing that if their puppy or kitten got their jabs as a youngster they are protected for life or with already hectic lifestyles simply forget its due. Moreover, as the recession hits more and more households the funds for this years visit to the vets just may not have been there.
So if your pets vaccination has lapsed or if you’ve been putting it off till you ‘save up a few pound’ now is your chance to get it done at a reduced cost and be assured in the knowledge that your furry friend will be safe for the forthcoming year.
If the booster has been overdue for more than six months then he or she will need to start the vaccination course again to re-gain optimum protection. Participating veterinary clinics, in conjunction with pet vaccine manufactures Intervet Schering Plough, are offering owners the chance to get the second part of the re-vaccination program done free of charge. Similar offers are in place for rabbit and horse vaccination programs. All you have to do is ask your local vet for details, but hurry as this offer is for a limited period only.You can’t say better than that for a recession busting deal!
By Una. Posted in Animal Welfare, Cats, Dogs, News, Pet Care
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