Does your dog behave strangely during a thunderstorm, perhaps start shaking, barking, become hyperactive or seem terrified?  Thunderstorms are a very common phobia in dogs which often develops early in life and worsens as the dogs get older.

The origin of this behavior is fear towards the noise made by the thunder (we see a similar condition with fireworks).  Lightening will not initially cause any response, however in time many dogs associate the crack of thunder with the preceding flash of lightening and even the associated pre storm weather conditions as they seem to sense the changes in atmospheric pressure leading up to a storm.

This means a storm phobic dog will be anxious, restless and distressed, hours before a storm begins.

This can be a serious problem if your dogs howls constantly or panics and escapes from the yard and disappears, often at risk of being hit by a car or becoming lost. (What about a microchip?)

There are several ways of helping your dog adapt to its fear.

Feline Aids is a viral infection, commonly known as FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), and is spread by cats fighting. FIV in cats is similar to that of the human variety (although not contagious to humans), being a viral disease that interferes with the immune system of the cat. Just like the human HIV (AIDS), cats infected with FIV have a reduced ability to fight off even the simpliest of infections.

Cats are mostly infected through fighting and biting, as the virus is present in the saliva. This means that older male outdoor cats are most at risk but often new cats to an area are simply attacked by territorial neighbouring cats thus potentially infecting them.

The scratching dog is a complicated problem that involves many factors, but the starting point is almost always an allergy.

What are allergies?

An allergy is an abnormal reaction to common substances such as dust, pollens, fleas, grasses or certain foods.  The allergic reation in dogs is triggered by exposure to these agents through inhalation. contact with the skin or via ingestion.  After becoming sensitized to an offending allergen, the dog is likely to remain so for the rest of its life.  Thus allergy control is the answer rather than cure.

Do all dogs develop allergies?

It is possible for all dogs to exhibit allergies.  Statistics show that 15-20% of dogs experience allergy disorders.  Certain breeds however have been reported to be more likely to develop them.

What are the signs?

Dogs rarely experience the sneezing and watery eyes associated with allergies in humans.  Instead the most common allergic signs in dogs include repetitive scratching, licking or biting of a localized area of the body.  This may lead to hair loss, scaly skin and even open sores. 

What types of treatment are available?

An Oversease adventure with your best friend?

Taking your Pet Overseas with You ?

We provide a full range of export services. Complete pre export assessment to allow an easier export procedure. Moving house can be a major disruption,packing and unpacking and organizing removalists. Often the thought of moving the family pet is deemed too difficult. The excuse for rehousing many pets is "moving interstate or overseas". Moving home is no reason to give up ownership of a loyal companion. Pets are very adaptable (probably a lot more than we ever give them credit for), they are happy to live wherever their owners are, and moving them is relatively simple. Pets are best tranported interstate by air. It is quick and probably the least stressful method. Airlines area able to give advice on how to arrange transportation.

Thousands of pets are destroyed each year simply because they lack identification. This is why we recommend microchipping as part of our preventative healthcare campaign for all pets... and word is spreading fast.