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The Pets Hotel along with many awesome pet businesses are joining in with Phivo from ‘Augustine Approved’ are bringing out the best in pet health and nutrition!
Here’s a little about what it all entails
MasterChops is a forum dedicated to connecting the world-wide canine community, all in the spirit of learning. The unique event promises to challenge existing notions and philosophies about animal health and to start a conversation about the role that food plays in preventing and treating disease.
To be held in the heart of Victoria, Australia at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, MasterChops will also be available worldwide via live online pay-per-view. Your host Phivo Christodoulou (The Dog Health Guy and director of Augustine Approved) invites some of the brightest minds in canine health to the stage to share their collective experience and wealth of knowledge with you!
The keynote speakers are international canine experts Rodney Habib (Canada) and Dr Karen Becker (USA). The supporting panel includes Dr Bruce Syme of Vets All Natural (VIC) and Dr Ian Billinghurst - the grandfather of raw feeding and creator of the B.A.R.F. diet (NSW).
MasterChops is all about putting the power into your hands and helping you make informed and educated decisions when considering care and nutrition for your best friend.
Over time, environmental, lifestyle and nutrition shortfalls can lead to a range of health concerns, some chronic which require ongoing expensive treatment and care; others can be terminal which is devastating for both you and your animal companion.
What you may not know is that there are a wide range of preventative measures and healing alternatives for you to explore. MasterChops will be filled with lots of simple and practical tips and protocols for both veterinarians and
canine parents to take away.
The panel will discuss methods to address the root of problems rather than managing symptoms. Topics include canine cancer, skin problems, worming, vaccines, arthritis, IBD, pancreatitis and digestive upsets.
See you at MasterChops on 14th November!
Visit the website for more information and to book tickets! - http://www.masterchops.com.au/
The Newfoundland breed has a water resistant coat and webbed feet. This dog was originally bred to help haul nets for fishermen and rescuing people at risk of drowning.
Melbourne may host an array of high-profile sporting events, but it somehow has never previously managed to cajole a group of sausage-shaped dogs in fancy dress down a 15 metre-long racetrack.
This glaring oversight was mercifully remedied by the inaugural Running of the Wieners, an auspicious event conducted on a wedge of concrete beside the Yarra River on Saturday.
A total of 54 dachshunds competed in a series of heats, grouped by age and disability, for the Oktoberfest-related races. A further 100 sausage dogs, including my own, had attempted to enter but were politely turned away due to the demand.
It’s clear many sausage dog owners in Melbourne are not messing around in devotion to their pets. Many of the elongated canines were dressed in intricately crafted costumes, with their owners hovering around them proudly, struggling to maintain the air of urbane insouciance this city excels in.
“I really do think this will be the new spring racing carnival, I really do,” Maz Violi tells me.
I really do think this will be the new spring racing carnival.
Dachshund owner, Maz Violi
Violi’s dog, Sassy, is a diminutive puppy about to take part in her first heat. Rather than a regimen of hamstring stretches and lunges, Sassy is having her neckerchief altered as she attempts to sniff the undercarriage of my dog, Otis.
“She does normally have the neckerchief on, yes,” Violi says. Will she race in that? Violi looks at me. “No. She’ll be dressed as a Ninja Turtle. Donatello. I’ll just have to take the bandana off.”
Sassy has a full wardrobe of denim jackets, dresses and hats, her gleeful owner tells me. She even has her own Instagram account. I ponder my place in a world where a dog in a cocktail dress has an Instagram account but I don’t. What does this mean? Does it mean anything? I feel slightly bereft in my confusion.
I survey the field of sausage dogs, some clearly honed athletes and others merely here for the “best dressed” competition that will provide a horse racing-style accompaniment to proceedings. A small podium has been erected for the winners next to a white picket fenced area where the dogs will run or parade, depending on their inclinations.
There’s a dog dressed as a shark, another as a crocodile. One dog is a beach lifeguard, complete with hat, while there is a hot dog bun encasing another. Some owners opt for transport themes – a Melbourne tram encases one sausage dog while, ominously, another is placed inside a Soviet tank, seemingly ready for a cold war-era military parade.
Steve McInnes’s dog Snausage is dressed as a taco. McInnes himself is wearing a poncho and sombrero to round out the Mexican theme. “We were going to come as Germans,” McInnes says, carefully eying the crowd. “But we were concerned there will be too many Germans here so we needed to do something different.”
This isn’t Snausage’s first rodeo. He’s competed in Geelong and Port Fairy, ably assisted by legs much longer than your standard sausage dog.
“He’s pretty fast,” McInnes says. “They are cute dogs, very cuddly. They are good companions.”
In a cruel twist for Snausage, it’s a dog dressed in lederhosen that wins the best dressed competition. An entrant that one might call the crowd’s favourite, Chilli, comes in third. Chilli is dressed as a biker, complete with leather jacket and goggles.
Chilli’s owner, Hayley, trained her by riding a motorcycle around a farm for Chilli to chase.
The races are watched by a clamouring, claustrophobic crowd, huddled together in the spring sunshine. One heat has a false start but otherwise it goes smoothly, despite the occasional entrant running back to the starting line rather than to their owner at the finish.
An 11-month-old dog called Cooper ultimately wins first place. Cooper’s owner, Georgia Anile, is presented with a plate of sausages – naturally – to mark this achievement.
By this time some dogs were getting a little fed up. Dachshunds are wonderful dogs but are prone to recalcitrance, which can only be exacerbated when your human companion forces you to wear fairy wings, or a tiny jockey on your back.
It was time to move on to a sausage eating competition (no dogs involved, thankfully) and ponder the lessons learned.
Scott Highfield, manager of Hophaus, the German-themed restaurant that organised the race, predicts the event will return next year at a larger venue.
“This should be pretty good for business,” Highfield, decked out in lederhosen, tells me, . “Unfortunately, as a licensed restaurant, we can’t have the dachshunds come back and eat with us. But it’s all good fun. This is Melbourne. Anything goes, really.”
(source: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/sep/21/short-odds-on-dogs-in-a-race-to-rival-melbournes-spring-carnival )
IPSWICH dog owners are being encouraged to remain vigilant when it comes to fleas and ticks this season.
Andrew Ferguson from Ipswich Family Veterinary Clinic said pets were most at risk from September to March and a lack of flea and tick protection during this time could have potentially deadly consequences.
"Prevention of paralysis tick infestation is definitely better than a cure," he said.
"It is a big problem for Ipswich residents because of all the bush land and the river.
"However ticks and fleas can affect any dogs, anywhere, even in suburbia. It's a problem for everyone."
The North Ipswich veterinarian said he had seen the impacts paralysis tick and flea cases had first-hand.
"I have seen the devastating outcome for dogs and their owners when preventative paralysis tick or flea treatments are not administered," he said.
"If you are overwhelmed by the options available please talk to your local vet who can guide you."
Ipswich Family Veterinary Clinic recently partnered with media veterinarian Dr Katrina Warren to urge pet owners to inspect their dogs daily and seek advice from their local vet.
"I have seen first-hand the reality of not protecting dogs against paralysis ticks and fleas," Dr Warren said.
"Over the past twenty years I have seen many heart breaking situations where people have lost their beloved dogs to tick paralysis or spent thousands of dollars in vet bills. These ticks can be lethal and preventative treatment, coupled with daily searching for ticks on your dog, is absolutely essential.
"Talk to your vet and be prepared this tick and flea season with the right plan for long-lasting protection."
Signs to look for:
• Trouble walking or getting up
• Difficulty breathing
• Problems eating or drinking
• Change in bark
(source: http://www.qt.com.au/news/prepare-for-flea-and-tick-season/2788348/ )
Recently, I overheard someone in a cat adoption area say, “I don’t know about cats. I mean, how can you tell if they like you?”
Immediately, I knew the person probably never grew up around cats, and that he was either looking to adopt a cat and didn’t know what criteria to use to make a decision, or he was accompanying his friend on her adoption search and questioning her choice of pet.
Either way, opportunities to educate someone on cat behaviour excites me and probably excites any cat lover who has ever adopted and enjoyed life with a feline.
Turns out, they didn’t need my input. The friend had plenty to say to her friend about cat affection and companionship. If her enthusiasm for felines didn’t win her friend over, then the cat she adopted (yes, it was the friend who was adopting) would likely open up his world to the joy of cat friendship.
While cats may be shrouded in mystery, they really aren’t too difficult to understand. Here are 10 ways cats show humans affection.
They make eye contact with you. Just like meeting a stranger’s eye across a crowded room, a cat will lock on and make eye contact with someone they know or want to know better.
They let you pet them. Some cats love to be touched; others may only tolerate affection from the one they love.
They won’t let you pet them. Some stray and feral cats love their friends from afar. They may hang out close to your house or just out of arm’s reach.
They head butt you. Officially called head bunting, cats’ rub scent glands on you for bonding, comforting and friendly purposes.
They sit/sleep on you. They might curl up in the crook of your arm or sit on your head. Cats don’t confine themselves to just laps.
They follow you around the house. Cats that follow you from room to room want your companionship.
They meow at you. Cats don’t meow at other cats; they only meow at people. If they are meowing, listen because they are trying to tell you something, like “where’s dinner” or “who said you could go to work today.”
They greet you. Many cats will run from their favourite sleeping spots to greet you when you get home.
They bring you things. Outdoor cats will sometimes bring birds or small mammals to the door.
They show you their belly. Cats that present themselves belly up are showing they trust you. Be careful though. When they want you to stop touching though, they may grab your arm with all four paws and bite.
(source: http://www.expressnews.com/life/life_columnists/cathy_m_rosenthal/article/Cats-show-affection-in-many-ways-6534318.php )
Dagwood the dog with owners Amelia White and Owen Edwards. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen.Source: News Corp Australia
Sightings of “fur babies” in apartment lobbies are becoming more common as developers, communities and urban planners come under pressure to cater for cats and dogs. A Melbourne high-rise with pooch-friendly grounds is the latest development to entice pet owners into apartments, and NSW is expected to overturn laws banning pets in strata complexes.
In a nation with one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world — the RSPCA says almost two out of every three Australian households has a pet — and a growing percentage of us living in units, the rules are catching up with community expectations.
Brisbane couple Amelia White, 22, and Owen Edwards, 23, wanted a dog, and this was enough to entice them to move from their convenient but anti-dog unit in the city’s western suburbs to a more pet-friendly complex. A few months on in their new, bigger apartment at Ciana in suburban Indooroopilly, they are the proud owners of three-month-old miniature dachshund Dagwood.
“I’ve had pets my whole life and the only time I didn’t was when we were in the previous unit,” White says. “I was just absolutely miserable without a pet. We were both pretty down without a pet and we thought, we would do anything to make it happen.”
On-site manager Yolanda Revis says about 20 per cent of the residents at Ciana keep pets and there have been few problems. “When we advertise we say it is pet-friendly,” Revis says. “The owners are very accommodating that way.”
The assumption of pet-friendly complexes — as long as permission is sought and granted — is the norm across most of Australia.
In Victoria, pets are allowed unless the body corporate deems it is a nuisance or a danger. Permission from the strata corporation is required in South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory.
In Queensland, a rash of legal actions before the state’s Body Corporate and Community Management Commissioner during the past five years ushered in precedent-setting decisions that effectively overturned pet prohibition.
A decision this month overruled a Gold Coast body corporate’s desire to maintain an “animal-free” status to allow a man to keep his five-year-old lhoodle (lhasa apso-poodle cross) and six-year-old cavoodle (cavalier King Charles spaniel-poodle cross) in the complex.
“It is now accepted law that a body corporate does not have the authority under the act to pass a by-law that entirely prohibits an ordinary domestic activity such as keeping a pet,” adjudicator Ingrid Rosemann said in a decision in the tribunal last month.
In another decision, Scooby the staffordshire terrier has been conditionally allowed into a Noosa complex providing he doesn’t create noise, the owners clean up after him and they reimburse the body corporate for any possible damage.
In NSW, reforms to create pet-friendly model by-laws have been sent to government after a lengthy consultation process by the state’s Fair Trading Office. If the changes are adopted, reasonable requests to keep a pet legally cannot be refused. “Reforms would amend model by-laws to make it easier to keep pets as opposed to automatically prohibiting pet ownership in a scheme,” the proposal says.
Real Estate Institute of NSW president Malcolm Gunning says there are few negatives to allowing pets in complexes, but there can be upsides.
“It does add value to your property because it has a broader market appeal,” he says. “From a practical point of view, it tends to have a harmonising effect on the community. Most people are animal lovers.”
In Melbourne, Beulah International is planning an off-leash dog park at the base of its latest high-rise in Doncaster, following an overseas trend to create on-site specific services within developments.
Director Adelene Teh says there is a gap in the market for dog-friendly facilities.
“By offering our Gardenhill residents a designated place they can take their dogs for exercise, socialisation or even mental stimulation, we’re encouraging responsible pet ownership and hopefully paving the way for other developers to follow suit.”
Property giant Lend Lease says most of its apartment buildings are designed for pet-friendly living. Managing director of urban regeneration Jonathan Emery says pet ownership can increase quality of life so they are happy to offer additional services.
Planning Institute of Australia’s chief executive Kirsty Kelly says pet-friendly spaces across cities help to create healthy communities. “It means ensuring we have adequate space in our communities,” she says. “That doesn’t mean everyone having a back yard, that means having access to open spaces.”
She says managing competing land-use tensions — especially in inner-city areas — is one of the challenges facing local governments and communities but it is increasingly important.
RSPCA Queensland’s Michael Beatty says pets can be completely appropriate in apartments, as long as they are the right pets.
Cats make excellent companions, he says, and choosing a lower-activity or older dog is also appropriate. The choices may even surprise you.
“You can get larger dogs — say greyhounds, St Bernards or even Great Danes — that as long as they get a walk a day they’re fine,” he says. “They’re large but they’re not an active breed.
“On the other hand, you could get a smaller dog like a Jack Russell and they’re busy. They’re probably not as well suited.” He says the social benefits of pet ownership are huge, particularly for people who live alone or elderly people.
As for Dagwood, he is content in his two-bedroom unit in Brisbane, especially when he gets to loll about on the large balcony. “He loves sleeping in the sun,” White says. “He gets a lot of attention [from the other residents]. He loves it too because he loves people.”
(source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/home-design/pets-in-apartments-mood-swings-towards-animal-owners/story-fngmet9f-1227512802248)
'A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself’
- Josh Billings
“Yes, hello I will be checking myself in today thank-you… also don’t forget 10 treats per day”
After years of research in Australia and the USA, The Pets Hotel is custom designed for your pet’s health, safety and comfort, all in a fun-filled environment - which exceeds the industry Code of Practice.
Great place for your pets. Highly recommend it to anyone. Climate controlled. No windy,cold or boiling hot tin sheds. Fab facility.
Alma absolutely loved her day there she didn't want to leave. The staff are so lovely & friendly. Alma smelt so nice for days after her bath there.
Best pet boarding facility in Melbourne. Worth every cent. Exceptional customer service and care for your pet.
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