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talk contents… Pet 4 specials & deals 5 Birds and bees, ticks and fleas! It's Springtime, so this season don't forget to treat and prevent those nasties that affect our pets. Tick prevention is paramount, especially during Spring and Summer when the adult paralysis tick numbers are at their highest. It is also a good time to make sure your flea treatment and prevention is up to date and on schedule as we head into the hotter months. Preventing a flea outbreak is less expensive and a lot less stressful than trying to get a flea outbreak under control. Spring brings with it new life and new growth of beautiful creatures and plants. With flowers, grass and trees all coming to life again there is plenty of seeds and pollens around. These seeds and pollens can aggravate and cause various allergies in pets, in particular skin allergies. Dogs suffering from skin allergies to pollens, seeds and grasses may present with itchy, red and inflamed skin. You are likely to see your dog biting, scratching and/or licking particularly on their stomachs, the pads of their feet, between the toes and their ears. This constant skin irritation can be quite distressing for both the pet and owner. If your dog seems to be suffering from a skin allergy you should visit your veterinarian who will be able to prescribe some antihistamines and/or oral or topical steroid treatments to reduce the irritation. If the irritation, biting and scratching is not controlled it could lead to further problems like secondary skin infections. Soothing shampoos and conditioners like Epi-Soothe or NutriDerm can also be of help to calm irritated skin. There are also a number of skin supplements that are helpful in supporting and maintaining healthy skin and reducing the severeness of the allergic reactions. Thankfully most skin allergies will settle when the source of the allergic reaction, being a pollen or seed, is no longer in the environment. Losing a pet is one of the most distressing times in a pet owner's life. The thought Enjoy the beautiful spring of your beloved animal being and not if they time weather and get outside lostsafe and knowinggut are well is a wrenching experience. If with your pets... you lose a pet the first thing you should do is search your neighbourhood. Check with neighbours to see if they have seen your pet around the street or perhaps have just been looking after them until you return home. Contact your local council to make sure they have had no reports of them being lost and check that your details are up to date with them in case someone contacts them with your pets tag number. Check with local veterinarians as they often keep lost and found records or in case your pet has been handed in. Also contact local pounds and shelters to see if they have your pet or have been contacted about a stray animal matching your pets description. If you still have no success there are a number of websites dedicated to reuniting pets and owners like http://www.lostandfoundpetsaustralia.com/ or http://www.lostpetfinders.com. au/. They are also full of great information and checklists on what to do and how to help find your pet. Most importantly never lose hope of finding your beloved pet, many owners and pets have been reunited after months apart. Make sure you enjoy the beautiful spring time weather and get outside with your pets, enjoying walks, playing and plenty of love and cuddles. Bec, Chief Blogger, Vet Nurse & owner of 2 dogs, 2 ducks & 10 horses cats 23 birds 31 19 dogs 17 horses & farm animals 27 small animals, fish & reptiles 3

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