Exercising Your Pets

Whether it's a dog, cat, turtle or bird, this guide to exercising your favourite companion has got you covered

YOU know it's good for you. You know that exercise can give you energy, help you maintain a healthy weight, keep your muscles and joints flexible, help you live longer, and above all, make you feel better. For all the same reasons, your pets need to get up and get moving. Not only can exercise extend your furry friends' lives; it may also expend some of their nervous energy and make them a little less likely to chew on the living room drapes.

The thing is, nobody's filled pets in on all of these benefits of pet exercise. Without someone to lead the way, they're not going to run laps or do leg lifts in their spare time. So as a wonderful pet parent, part of your job is ensuring your animal family members get safe, enjoyable exercise on a regular basis―whether they're cats, dogs, turtles, or ferrets! All pets need some physical activity to live a happy, healthy life.

Read more on how to exercise your pets.

10 Tips for Preventing Pet Behaviour Problems

Source: www.healthypets.com

Make your pet so well-behaved, people will think it went to a Swiss finishing school!

1. Set rules immediately and be consistent.

2. Avoid situations that promote inappropriate behavior.

3. Observe the pet and provide what it needs (food, care, attention and entertainment).

4. Supervise the new pet diligently through undivided individual attention and training, and restrict the pet's access to a limited area of the house until training is completed.

5. Set them up to succeed! Encourage good behavior with praise and attention.

6. Correct bad behaviors by providing positive alternatives (a toy for a slipper, scratching post for the sofa).

7. Never physically punish or force compliance to commands. This may lead to fear biting or aggression.

8. Don't play rough or encourage aggression or play biting.

9. Expose pets to lots of people, animals, and environments where you want them to live.

10. See your veterinarian if serious or unresolved behavior problems exist.

Read more pet stories and pet tips on 88DB Lifestyle.

Healing Pets With A Holistic Approach

With so many people using alternative medicine, the demand for products and information on holistic veterinarian medicine has increased. Pawsitive Sensations’ Zoe Gan tells us how it works

HOLISTIC medicine is a practice that involves all aspects of the patients’ life when diagnosing and treating a particular condition. It is not a method of treatment but rather an approach to how treatment should be applied.

Just as holistic medicine applies to humans, it can also be a tool to treat animals. With so many people using alternative medicine, the demand for products and information on holistic veterinarian medicine has increased.

Zoe Gan, 29, an Engineering graduate who holds a certificate on dog massage from the Ohio-based PetMassage Training and Research Institute, is the owner of Pawsitive Sensations (which dubs itself Singapore’s First Holistic Canine Care Centre).

Pawsitive Sensations was started in California, USA, in 2004 to provide professional and qualified canine massage techniques to the numerous dog lovers in Silicon Valley. Zoe says, “having moved back to Singapore, we hope to provide to Singaporeans what many dog loving owners in America have taken advantage of for so many years.”

She opened her shop near Turf City in September and now treats an average of 15 dogs a week - including her youngest client, a three-month-old puppy.

Read more about alternative medicine for pets.

Curing Your Dog’s Blues, Temper and Tantrums

It all comes down to love, actually.
by Stephanie Marilyn Martin

You return home from a hard day’s work to find that the house is in a chaotic mess. Torn newspaper strewn all over, the cushions in shreds and basically everything out of place. In the midst of it all, sits your proudly triumphant pooch.

Now you don’t want to find yourself in such a position because it could only mean an endless repetition of the same scenario for months to come. To save yourself the undeserved stress, learn to recognize early symptoms of stress and temper-related problems in your dog and nip it in the bud.

Like humans, dogs suffer from emotional trauma as well. There are many factors contributing to emotional trauma in dogs, most of them being reasons which stem from the canine’s growing years.

Read more on dog training and pet discipline.

Treat And Prevent Fish Tank Diseases

It’s important to observe your pet fish for signs of sickness if you don’t want them to die prematurely or infect other fishes
By Stephanie Marilyn Martin

WHILE it’s easier to identify health problems in pets like cats and dogs, this is not the case with fishes. For fish owners, it’s easy to fall into the trap of neglect. In some cases, a fish tank is there solely for decorational purposes. The fishes in it are not paid much attention, except for the occasional time when the fish tank is being cleaned.

Veterinians say it is important to observe your pet fish for signs of sickness if you don’t want them to die prematurely or infect other fishes in the fish tank.

Visit 88DB.com to read more about how to treat and prevent fish tank diseases.

Proper Care For Your Hamster

All ye owners of pet hamsters and all ye future owners, buckle up and learn the proper techniques, tricks and trades of proper care-giving
By Stephanie Marilyn Martin

THOSE adorable furry animals called hamsters belong to the rodent family and are the most widely kept of small pets in the world.

Pet hamsters are interesting creatures that hibernate in low temperatures to preserve energy (often portraying the false notion of being dead). They are also creatures with ever-growing teeth, making gnawing a necessity to prevent overgrowing. Like most small animals such as rabbits, turtles, and fishes, pet hamsters require careful pet care and a proper environment to live in.

Read more about Proper Care For Your Hamster.

Exercise Your Dog In S’pore? Can!

Most take their dogs for a walk when what’s really needed is a workout
By Mavis Ang

EVEN if your pet dog is not obese, exercise should still be an essential routine for him or her. Most owners like taking their dogs for walks when what they really need is the right amount of workout.

According to veterinarians, besides the benefit to their mental and physical health, regular exercise makes sure that dogs don’t develop destructive habits like ripping up sofas and chewing shoes.

The reason behind these frustrating actions is the same for most children: they simply have too much energy.

To read more about dog exercises, visit 88DB Lifestyle now!

[88DB Picks] Pet Cafés

Pets Welcome - With these unique eateries, there’s no reason to get bummed out by the “No Pets Allowed” law

1. Pawtobello

Address: No 33 Mohd Sultan Road #01-04
Contact: 6887 4806
Website: www.pawtobello.com

Besides distinguishing themselves with their Doggie party packages and birthday cakes, Pawtobello Pet Café also takes pride in their elaborate medieval French décor. With doggie meals costing about $12 and $6 for large and small portions respectively, you can amuse yourself at this pet café without spending a bomb on an exceptional dish your pooch is not capable of appreciating. Pawtobello Pet Café also has human menus, with main dishes priced below $20.

2. Urban Pooch

Address: 530 Balestier Road #01-07 Monville Mansion
Contact: 6252-5046
Website: www.urbanpooch.com.sg

Urban Pooch is a pet café that offers a place for dog owners to chill and unwind with their beloved canines. Both you and your pet would be given equal amount of attention at this pet boutique. Judging by its looks, we can hardly tell the difference between the dog and human dishes! So do make sure you make a double check with the waiter lest he serves you your pooch’s main course.

3. Dogoholics

Address: 519 Serangoon Road
Contact: 63966641
Website: www.gggrrr.com/viewforum.php?f=114

Although items on their menu like Curry Poodle, Beagle Burger and Sweet & Sour Spitz can be alarming, the friendly staff of Dogoholics Pet Café would be sure to comfort you. It’s a place that caters to dog-related functions like club meet-ups and pet birthday bashes. Their specialty Dogo cookies cost between $4 and $7, and are a unique touch to an already extensive menu.

4. US Doggie Bakery

Address: 355 East Coast Road
Contact: 6346 7168
Website: www.usdb.com.sg

Being the only dog bakery on this island to be approved by Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), creating dog food is serious business for US Doggie Bakery. They stock muffins, pies, and over a hundred different types of cookies (which are sold for $7 to $8.50 per 200g). Consultant veterinarians and nutritionists have vetted all their dog recipes, so you can be ensured that your pooch is enjoying healthy dog treats there.

Is Your Pet Obese?

It's hard to say no to the pleading eyes of a pet, but someone's got to do it.
By Stephanie Marilyn Martin

JUST how much pet food should you be serving your pet dog or pet cat? As pet owners, we tend to make the mistake of overfeeding our furry friends because we feel guilty for not being able to spend a lot of time with them. Such practice is definitely not healthy.

Why? Because overfeeding your pet poses health risks — including arthritis, respiratory problems, heart complications and a greatly shortened life span. As with human beings, obesity leads to illnesses that don’t manifest until the later years.

Since you see your pet everyday, it can be hard to tell the difference if he’s already putting on extra flab. A simple test for obesity would be for you to lightly run your hands over your pet. If you can’t feel his ribs or backbone when you do this, it’s highly likely that your pet is overweight.

It’s hard to say no to the pleading eyes of an adoring pet begging for more pet food. When this happens, keep in mind the suffering you and your pet will have endure when he falls prey to obesity-related illnesses.

Here are a few tips to avoid obesity in your pets:

Do not feed your dog the “free-food” way. Leaving pet food out for your pet all day long is one of the surest ways to over-eating.

Don’t always follow feeding guides. When feeding your pet, always use your better judgment. The guidelines written behind your pet’s food packaging may not always be appropriate. Amount to feed depends on each individual pet’s age, size, and activity level.

Exercise your pet. Make sure to fit a slot in your busy schedule to play with your pet. Train your pet to have a daily run or you can even hire a pet sitter to exercise your pet for you. Not only will this shed the extra kilos, it will also keep your pet energetic and in better spirits all day long. Every effort counts.

Take him to the vet. Severe or sudden weight gain (even weight loss, for that matter), should always be checked by the veterinarian. Your veterinarian will also be able to prescribe your pet with a better diet and nutrition plan.

Age equals slower metabolism. For the older Joes, slower metabolism could be triggering the weight gain. There are various low-calorie, high-quality pet food available in the market. To know what’s best for your pet, ask a professional.