BEING PREPARED FOR YOUR NEW PET

Have you recently gained, or are you considering  a new addition to your family? Maybe you have a new cat, or a new dog? A new bird or a guinea pig or rabbit? What are some important things you need to have ready for them when they arrive in your home to help them transition into your home easier? 

The first thing I would suggest is definitely to have some good probiotics or better still a probiotic that also contains a prebiotic. When pets move into a new home they often feel stressed and a bit of anxiety. This can result in runny or loose stools and upset tummies or a bit of vomiting and diarrhoea. That’s why having a good probiotic is highly effective in counteracting that stress result that can have on your pet.

I highly recommend the Vetafarm Synbiotic 180 S for using mixing within their food or water during the first month  at least while transitioning to their new lifestyle and home and longer if you are transitioning their food onto whatever food you’re going to start feeding them, regardless of whether the food your switching too is more premium then their previous food.

Remember to transition their food slowly regardless of the animal, for example mix in the original food that they are usually on with the new food for a few days following a 70 to 30% ratio, so 70% of the original food that they’ve been eating and 30% of the new, then after a few days you can then switch to a 50-50 ratio for another few days, then after those few days you can then go to a 70% of the new food and 30% of the original food, then by the end of the two weeks or 2 1/2 weeks you can transition fully over to the new food you plan to feed them providing they haven’t had negative results from it in that time.

You can expect little upset tummies while transitioning the food but that’s where the probiotics comes in, and by mixing and adding probiotics into their food daily while transitioning the food and even ongoing, this provides assistance to the gut and digestive system while also supporting the immune system.

 That’s why I highly recommend the Vetafarm Synbiotic 180 -S  because it’s not only a probiotic but it also contains prebiotics made from chicory root which is easily and readily absorbed into the body helping the rest of the immune system to be stronger and supported during this time. The Vetafarm Synbiotic 180 S can also be used for all animals, including birds rabbits, cats dogs guinea pigs it is completely safe for all animals. However if you were  using it for a bird you could also look at the Vetafarm probiotics or synbiotic for birds which may be more species specific. Synbiotic - Vetafarm

Not only does the probiotics help with the digestion and an immune support but it also provides a bit of stress relief to the body during this transition stage that your new pet may be feeling adjusting into your home and lifestyle. 

What are some other things you need when getting a new pet to be ready for them to help them ease into their new life comfortably? Consider using pet pheromone calming diffusers if you have a cat or a dog for example the brand Pet Relax is a new natural pet calming diffuser that contains pet safe essential oils with an attractive scent to pets and in particular cats and dogs it can be used to assist your pet to maintain normal composure by distracting them from environmental stresses. It’s suitable for all mammals and birds including ferrets, rodents horses, parrots, cats, dogs and rabbits it starts and works effective immediately while also providing distraction from the environmental stresses without sedating your Pet. Thus helping your Pet feel more relaxed and settled to adjust to their new lifestyle. Pet Relax is available from leading vet clinics such as Vet Call in West Footscray or from your local Petbarn store for example Petbarn Watergardens. The active ingredient is valerian oil, Vetiver oil, and sweet basil and Clary Sage. It is a low concentration formula and the diffuser delivers this consistently at a slow release which provides a gentle distraction. You can also buy the sprays which do you have an effective result, however with a new pet I would recommend using the diffuser.  Pet Relax | Natural Relax Products

Another brand of Pet pheromone calming products including diffuser, spray and soft collar that could be used for dogs is Adaptil Made by Ceva. 

The diffuser does up to 50 to 70 m² so should be placed in an area where your dog will be most present.

Simply plug the Adaptil diffuser in and allow time before preferably before your puppy comes home to settle and build up in the environment such as a week or two prior to them coming into your Home however can be used even afterwards.

Adaptil helps calm dogs anxiety such including anxiety such as separation anxiety from anxiety that could be triggered from loud noises such as  with Christmas time coming up and the people out there who have no respect for animals and decide to let off the illegal fireworks even the other fireworks that is considered legal and done by the council can be scary for your dogs.

 You can also apply the spray but the spray only lasts two hours and should not be sprayed directly on your dog but onto surfaces such as blankets or for example when you need to take Puppy to the vet for their vaccinations or checkups you can spray the car 15 to 20 minutes prior to going in in it. Adaptil spray can also be used for older dogs with car anxiety as well and the same method applies applying 15 to 20 minutes onto the surface in your car and blanket for your dog to sit on 15 to 20 minutes before taking off. Please never apply directly to your dog and always follow the safety instructions on the back.

The collar option in Adaptil is great for puppies. In particular the Adaptil Junior Collar. It’s excellent for boosting and giving your dog confidence during the stage that they need it most helping them to be able to adjust to being home alone, adjust to the loud noises and adjust all the training that you may be doing with your puppy and also improve their socialisation with other puppies during this stage which can really assist at Puppy School and other social encounters.

How does it work? It replicates the mother dogs release of a natural appeasing message for puppies which is calming this appeasing pheromone which is released by the mother while she’s lactating, it helps puppies and even adult and senior dogs feel more secure and supports them to bond and get along with their new family while giving them confidence to explore and learn the world around them, including different sounds and objects that may otherwise be scary. ADAPTIL and ThunderShirt - Experts in Dog Well-being

Have you got a new cat? Well Ceva have also made the exact same product for cats called Feliway and comes in the diffuser and spray. Feliway spray works the same as the dog adaptil spray and only last for a couple of hours before needing to be repeated and better suited for transportation in cars for when you have to take your cat to the vet and so forth or other trips in the car however you can also apply to a blanket or a soft area where your cat may be resting during stressful period such as storms, fireworks and other things like that new homes and that helps to build up in the environment disappears in pheromone. The diffuser works the same way again 50 to 70 m² and should be placed in an area where your cat will be mostly. Feliway has been proven  to reduce signs of stress that include urine spraying, scratching, hiding and reactions to new people furniture and the new settings around them. How does it work? It releases a pheromone similar  to the facial pheromone that cats naturally produce when they rub up their cheek against you, so  that’s the same happy message that gets delivered from the diffuser to your cats helping them feel safe and secure in their home. FELIWAY AUSTRALIA

Another essential product I would have ready to use, if I was planning on getting a new bird into my household would be Poly Aid Plys made by Vetafarm. Poly aid a great support powder that can be mixed up into a thick slurry and fed two birds to provide supplemental energy electrolytes, vitamins, probiotics and support birds during stress or sick periods and help them recover and gain optimum health.

Playing relaxing and soothing music regularly for your new pet is another great way to ensure them comfort and appears any stress they may be feeling with the new adjustment into your life.

Be sure regardless of the pet you choose to provide adequate comfortable bedding and include many options in the house where they can feel safe and secure including at least 1 place if not 2 of their very own. Where your pet knows they can retreat you at any time to rest and feel safe and uninterrupted from either visitors or other people our pets in the household. 

You also want to make sure that you’re feeding your pet a Premium food as talked about at the start. This may involve transitioning your Pet to a different brand and remember to use an excellent brand of probiotics and probiotics especially noted the Vetafarm symbiotic S1 80 during this period, but what are Premium cat and dog foods? How do you define to ensure that the right food is being meant for your Pet and catering to their needs pets like humans have different taste preferences and finding out what your pet prefers taste bud wise can take a little bit of time. If you’re looking for a premium food you would be looking at the key active ingredients to support your pet. You would want food that is made up of high protein for example for dogs and cats and calcium during this period to help thus improve their bone growth and development, so avoid foods that contain sugary fillers and cheap inferior ingredients in them, or foods that are unregulated properly cheap supermarket foods often are filled with colours numbers and other fillers or lack the density nutritional density that other Premium foods have and could supply your pet with what are some good brands of premium food for your puppy or your cat? These brands would include brands that are properly regulated to ensure the protein and mineral and vitamin content is balance per bag brand such as Royal Canin and Hills, which have stricter regulations in place to ensure the nutritional balance in each bag of dry food for example. 

You could use an Australian Made local brand that are Derrimut based and that’s  Prime 100. Prime 100 they are made from human grade ingredients and contain a diet that is single protein. That’s right the prime 100 SPD range is made up of single protein ingredients thus catering for dogs with allergies, food allergies and otherwise.

What does single protein actually mean? That means when you select an air dried, slow cooked or wet roll that says beef and carrot the protein in that is solely beef, and not mixed with any other protein. That’s why a lot of vets will recommend the prime 100 SPD brand with their food for pets that have allergies or special dietary requirements. They even have a tasty prime cut treat range made from single proteins that are also available on our website. www.connectiveinstincts.com.au

Prime 100 also make the range prime pantry which is available at a lower price point for the customer and the food is still made from prime  cut meats,  however it may be mixed protein and it does have a little bit of extra carbohydrates in it compared to the SPD formula. But still a great range of food.

Other premium foods include Lyka, which bring pre prepared meals nutritionally balanced and available in different varieties to cater for your pets taste. 

If you are considering to feed your pet a Raw diet then please remember that not all raw brand foods and also feeding  raw mince from the butcher grocery store or even pet mince from your pet store are still not nutritionally balanced enough for your pet in particular during the growth stages but even after. If using basic mince or raw food like this then ensure to supplement balance it with key products such as Predamax  made by Vetafarm which add the missing essential nutrients and minerals that would otherwise be lacking from just feeding basic raw. Predamax - Vetafarm

Or use a Premium raw pet food such as the brands  Big Dog pet food or Prime 100. Big Dog pet foods do also do a range of raw food for cats all with nutritional balanced proteins. Big Dog Pet Foods | Raw Pet Food for Dogs & Cats | Australian Made

Getting a new pet means you will also want to ensure you have an excellent Vet that you and your pet feel comfortable with. We recommend Vetcall where they they genuinelly care about your pets and provide premium pet care including stressfree housecall vet visits from Dr Rebecca Bugg and Dr Gloria Perkovic, VetCall | Combining quality old fashioned service with modern professional veterinary care

With any pet that you bring into your home some training and adjustment is going to be required. Please remember to ensure to make yourself a reliable consistent person to your pet. Someone that they can trust at all times that would mean that the method of training used would be positive reward and fear free based, thus avoiding and not using any evasive training equipment or methods. By always making sure that the training you give is using positive reward and fear free base techniques this will help you develop a deeper close connection with your pet where they will learn to trust you and you trust them. This will be a relationship that will be built on love and trust and will truly bring great rewards to you and your pet. So if you are considering to get a trainer please remember it is not only scientifically proven but also ethically proving the best way to train a pet is by using positive reward and fear free techniques so therefore only use a trainer applying such methods and avoid anybody else who tells you different as other cruel and evasive techniques or punishment techniques would only damage your relationship and trust level with you and your pet and damage that bond, and they don't actually train your pet at all anyway.

Our mission at Connective Instincts (inspired by Coco) is to help deepen the connection between animals and humans and mother Earth. We do this by offering a range of holistic ethical fear free services including Vet Nurse services, Pet training services Reiki and Crystal healing, red light therapy and by providing a range of multipurpose eco friendly products such as blankets, cushions, fabric bags and also ethically sourced gemstones and gemstone bracelets for humans. 

Be sure to check out our range of products and services listed on our website and contact us for further assistance. We proudly stock Vetafarm products including the Synbiotic S 180 and we also proudly stock Prime 100 pet food available on our website our by contacting us.

Belinda Roxy Guarnaccia

Connective Instincts Inspired By Coco

www.connectiveinstincts.com.au

0447 277 088

•Fear Free Certified • Registered & Qualified Vet Nurse • Ethical Dog & Animal Training• Qualified Reiki & Crystal Practitioner • Animal Communicator