A Day in the Life of WADARS (Worthing and District Animal Rescue Service)

Last week, I was delighted to be able to ‘shadow’ Vikki Turner, Animal Welfare Officer for Worthing and District Animal Rescue Service. Grove Lodge works very closely with WADARS, examining and treating the majority of the wild and domestic animals they pick up.

First call of the day was to Trisha, who fosters numerous cats while they are awaiting new homes. It is cat heaven in Trisha’s house, with purpose built pens full of many toys, beds and anything else a moggy could want. Lucy (above left) is just one of the many unwanted puss cats needing a home. She is a red point Persian who is not happy being in kennels and can only go to someone who has had Persians before. Shadow (above right) is a striking black domestic short hair who has to be on a special diet for life. Arnie is a stunning white Persian who, like Lucy, can only go to an experienced Persian owner. Check out WADARS website for more details: www.wadars.co.uk.

Next call was from a member of the public reporting a sheep with her head caught in the fence in Borstal Road – she obviously thought the grass was greener on the other side! When we arrived, the sheep was firmly stuck between the wires of the fence with her fleece caught on the barbed wire. She was becoming increasingly distressed at her predicament so Vikki very quickly and skilfully untangled her and the sheep was soon munching on the grass in the field like nothing had happened!

Next up was a quick stop at the office to check for messages and to email pictures and descriptions to the Worthing Herald of many of the animals in WADARS care who need new homes – check out this week’s Worthing Herald for the full story.

A home check to a potential new home for two cats was next on the agenda. All fosterers and adopters have to undergo a home check and short discussion to ascertain their suitability to take on an animal. This takes place to ensure the animal is going to the right home and the potential new owner understands the responsibility of pet ownership. On this occasion, the home was ideal and two lucky cats will soon be joining this family!

While we were there, a call came through about an injured pigeon at Thomas a Becket First School. The staff had put it in a box to keep it safe, however ten minutes later as we were pulling up at the gates another call came in to say the pigeon had flown away!

WADARS are often asked to collect feral cats and kittens and on some occasions they need to be rehomed. The next call was to collect a crate from a gentleman who had rehomed two feral cats and had needed the crate to secure the cats until they were rehabilitated. I think these two were feeling completely at home – they were sunbathing in the back garden!

The next call was a sad one. A member of the public had found a dead cat in their garden and called WADARS to see if they could help. This is not a service WADARS usually provides, however we were in the area and so collected and scanned the cat for a microchip, which fortunately this one had. We were then able to call the owner and give them the sad news, which is obviously very distressing but at least the owner knew what happened rather than him disappearng one day and forever wondering where he went. Microchips cost a one off charge of only £16.05 and can save so much heartache.

After that was another catch the pigeon incident! A lady had found an injured racing pigeon in her garden and asked if we could call to collect it. However, on arrival the pigeon was sitting observing us – from the roof of the house! Unfortunately, we were unable to catch this one and had to leave.

The last call of the day was to a local vets to collect an elderly cat called Twiggy whose owner was unfortunately without transport that day. Twiggy was originally brought to Grove Lodge as a stray and is now approximately 17 years old! She had been undergoing tests for thyroid problems, a common condition in older cats. Elderly cats make lovely pets and WADARS are always needing homes that can offer a peaceful place for them to live out their days. WADARS will assist with the vets bills for these older cats, contact the office on 01903 217788 for more details of them and all the other animals who need loving homes.

A huge thank you to Vikki for a great day and for being so patient with me – even when the cat scratched her! Don’t forget to check out the WADARS website on www.wadars.co.uk if you think you can give an animal a new home.

National Hedgehog Week 4-10 May 2008

Hedgehogs are a lovely part of our countryside and gardens. Sadly, they are often the victims of horrible accidents and illnesses that can be avoided if we all take a few minutes to consider the following safety tips:

If you have a pond or pool, put a ramp at the side to enable Spiky to climb out if he tumbles in.

Make sure all drains have a cover.

Sheds and greenhouses must be kept locked and if you have to have poisons, keep them securely on top shelves.

If you have a compost heap, be careful when digging in it – Spiky might be rummaging in there looking for tasty slugs and worms!

If you use netting in your garden, make sure it is a foot above the ground so Spiky doesn’t get tangled up.

When using a strimmer, check any overgrown areas very carefully or Spiky could be severely injured or killed.

Keep all rubbish safely shut in the bin – do not leave plastic sacks where Spiky, or other animals, could get trapped in them.

If you have a pile of wood or leaves in your garden ready for a bonfire always make sure Spiky is not having a snooze in there.

Never feed Spiky bread and milk – it is extremely indigestible for hedgehogs and can give them enteritis. If you want to give him a treat and encourage him to return to your garden, leave a little cat food out on a saucer.

If you want to attract Spiky to your garden, he will prefer it if it’s a little overgrown and wild!

Remember, Spiky’s favourite foods are slugs and worms and he is therefore a great, organic alternative to using dangerous slug pellets, which can be fatal for your pets and other garden visitors.

Grove Lodge has a dedicated Wildlife Unit where we treat, amongst others, sick or injured hedgehogs. A day in the life of the Wildlife Unit will be appearing soon on this blog!

If you find a sick or injured hedgehog, contact us on 01903 234866 or Worthing and District Animal Rescue Service on 01903 217788. For further information regarding hedgehogs, you can contact the British Hedgehog Society on 01584 890801 or visit their website at www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk.

Vaccine Amnesty

Good news! We are running a Vaccine Amnesty during April and May 2008 for all dogs and cats who are overdue their annual boosters.

We are offering you the special price of a full course of injections for the price of an annual booster, representing a saving up approximately £25.

Vaccinations can help protect dogs and cats against many potentially fatal contagious diseases. In dogs these include canine parvovirus, canine distemper and infectious canine hepatitis. In cats, these are feline enteritis, feline influenza and feline leukaemia. We therefore highly recommend your cats and dogs are vaccinated. Also, if you are thinking of putting your pet into boarding kennels this summer you will find that most kennels require animals to be up to date with their vaccinations.

If you would like to take advantage of this great offer, please phone us on 01903 234866 to make an appointment.

We look forward to seeing you and your pet soon.

Thank you!

We were all delighted to receive this delicious chocolate cake today.

A very kind and generous client baked it for us as a thank you for caring for her cat who was an in patient at the Hospital. There was more than enough to go round and some of us even had seconds! None for the animals though as chocolate is very bad for pets - all the more for us!

WELCOME!

Welcome to our blog!

We are delighted to welcome you to our exciting new blog! Log in regularly to see items such as details of our promotions, points to consider before a new puppy or kitten joins your family, in depth information about every day pet healthcare such as the importance of regular vaccinations and preventing fleas and worms. In addition, there will be features on travelling abroad with your pet, a day in the life of our wildlife unit, how to care for your older pet and much, much more!

We do hope you find this blog interesting and useful. Please feel free to send us comments and ideas for items you would like to see.

Planning for your new pet

Responsible pet ownership

How exciting! You’ve decided to bring home a cute little bundle of fluff to join your family! You’ve bought matching shiny collar and lead, colour coordinated bowls, bed and blankets and the most interesting looking toys - everything’s ready for your new arrival to live happily ever after with you. Or is it?

All too often, preparation for a new addition to the family stops there. People have not considered initial and ongoing vets’ bills, training, daily exercise and the constant responsibility of ensuring their pet remains happy and healthy. When they realise the costs of owning a pet, both to their wallet and their lifestyle, essential health checks can become neglected and Fluffy the Cute has suddenly become Fluffy the Expensive and Unwanted. If he’s lucky, he ends up at one of the already overstretched rescue centres or, if not, neglected, abandoned by the side of the road or even worse.

So what are the basics you must consider before getting your kitten/puppy?

The first step is vaccination. All puppies and kittens must be vaccinated against a number of potentially fatal illnesses and the initial cost of this is approximately £50 for dogs and £60 for cats. Thereafter, yearly boosters are essential to keep your pet protected and will cost approximately £35 for dogs and £40 for cats.

Microchipping is strongly advised for both kittens and puppies. This is a one off cost in the region of £16 and can avoid the heartache of permanently losing your pet in the event of straying.

Phew. So what else? Worming is a vital part of healthcare for both puppies and kittens and costs approximately £3 for each tablet; the total cost is dependent on weight. In the first year, puppies must be wormed for the first time at approximately 8 or 9 weeks at the same time as their first vaccination. Then, every month up until 6 months, then every 3 months thereafter for life. Kittens must be wormed at approximately 8 or 9 weeks when they visit for their first vaccination then every 3 months thereafter for life. Both dogs and cats must be wormed more often if you have young children.

To avoid Fluffy carrying little passengers, flea treatment is the next consideration. It costs in the region of £24 for puppies and £19 for kittens for a 3-month course and must be done monthly to maintain protection against fleas and ticks.

As finance is often a major consideration for owners, insurance can be a wise investment. If an unexpected illness or accident occurs, the vet’s bills can be high - remember, with animals it’s always wise to expect the unexpected!

Do you have enough time and energy to give your puppy/kitten? Bear in mind, they will not be allowed out of the house for at least the first 4 weeks of their new life with you. Vaccinations are done in 2 stages, 2 weeks apart. A further 2 weeks after that your pet will be allowed out of the house. This can seem like a long time as little Fluffy is a lively, inquisitive youngster and needs plenty of attention and stimulation to keep him busy and avoid him exploring the sharpness of his teeth/claws on you, the other members of your family and your home!

It is also very important to remember that your pet will probably not come to you house trained and will need gently and consistently teaching where it is acceptable for him to go to the toilet. This can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating, especially in winter, but with kindness and patience, Fluffy will learn.

Unless you plan to breed from your puppy/kitten, spaying/neutering is the next thing for a responsible owner to think about. This avoids not only unwanted litters, but also potentially fatal illnesses in later life: testicular cancer in male dogs, womb infections and cancer of the mammary glands in female dogs. Also, spaying/neutering reduces the chance of your pet straying whilst looking for a mate. Spaying costs approximately £185 for dogs and £58 for cats. Neutering costs approximately £135 for dogs and £44 for cats.

It is very important for Fluffy the puppy to have socialisation with other dogs and people to ensure he is a well-rounded and confident individual and a pleasant member of society. Puppy parties are a lovely way to introduce your puppy to his new friends and their owners and can be attended after the first vaccination. Once he’s completed his course of vaccinations, training classes are the next important step. It is your responsibility both to him and those around you to ensure he is obedient and well trained and not antisocial and out of control.

If Fluffy is a puppy, he will need regular daily exercise, not too much at first for a young puppy, but when he’s older a good daily walk is essential, preferably mostly off the lead, to keep his mind and body happy and healthy.

Fluffy the cat might need a cat flap if he is to be allowed outdoors and it’s worth remembering that he might bring in gifts for you. Birds, mice and sometimes the odd toad might be among the unexpected presents that make their way into your home, either dead, alive or perhaps a piece at a time.

So that’s the first year taken care of! Barring accidents and incidents, this is a rough estimate of the cost of initial basic, routine health care for your new kitten/puppy. If you think very carefully before committing yourself to a puppy/kitten, you and your pet could have years of joy together. With just a little thought and planning ahead, fewer dogs and cats would end up unwanted and homeless.

Grove Lodge Puppy Parties

Here at Grove Lodge we are very aware of how important early socialisation is. It is for this reason that we offer our clients and their puppies the opportunity to attend our ‘Puppy Parties’.

These are run by Sarah Wilkey, Grove Lodge receptionist and experienced Puppy School tutor and assisted by Hayley King, Grove Lodge receptionist.

The parties are free of charge to all clients who have their puppy vaccinated with us and they are held on a Thursday evening at the main hospital.

At the parties you and your puppy will enjoy:

• A controlled, off lead puppy play session - giving your puppy the chance to interact with other puppies in a controlled manner and build up vital social skills.

• A pleasant experience on the vet’s examination table and the weighing scales to help him/her get used to these for the future.

• Demonstrations on how to give a worming tablet and how to brush your dog’s teeth effectively.

• A talk on all routine puppy care including neutering, feeding, worming, microchipping, oral care, fleas etc.

• The opportunity to take a tour of our state of the art hospital and see behind the scenes (out of hours emergencies permitting)

• Your puppy will receive a care pack covering all of the evening’s topics and a ‘doggy bag’ containing a toy and puppy treats!

If you and your puppy would like to join us at a puppy party please call the main hospital on 01903 234866 and leave your name with reception - you will be contacted in due course with the next available date.

We look forward to seeing you and your puppy there!