Dogs      Cats      Hamsters

CARE FOR YOUR DOG OR PUPPY

PUPPIES - Vaccinations
Some puppies adopted from the SPCA have not been vaccinated. It is recommended that you let the puppy settle into your home for 1-2 weeks then, it if appears healthy, take it to your Veterinarian for vaccination It is important to protect your puppy from diseases, i.e. distemper, leptospirosis, hepatitis and parvovirus. These can be given in one 'shot'.

Worming
All puppies have worms, either roundworms, pin worms, hook worms or tape worms. Worms can kill, and puppies should be de-wormed once every 3 weeks, until all the primary puppy shots are given, then every three months is adequate. Your vet will advise you when you take your puppy to him for vaccination.

Water
Always have a bowl of clean water available.

Feeding
Puppies aged 6-10 weeks require 4 meals a day (little and often). From 3-5 months, three meals a day, then by six months two meals a day. By 9 months - 1 year your puppy will be fully grown and can either be given one meal a day or the same amount split into a morning and every meal.

Very young puppies can be given Nestum, cereals, milk - but not too much - mincemeat, mashed tinned meat, mashed boneless fish or scrambled eggs. Veterinarians recommend getting puppies onto the dry biscuit dog food as soon as possible. The dry biscuit contain all the nutrients necessary for a dog. Some brand names to look for are "Science Diet", "Friskies", "Cycle", "Gravy Train", "Purina", etc. Veterinarians do not recommend giving rice to animals. Occasionally is alright, ,but not as a regular diet. Rice can cause malnutration and a poor coat condition. We recommend owners to give vitamin drops to puppies.

Comfort
Have somewhere warm for your puppy to sleep. Puppies are vulnerable and can catch cold even in the Tropics. Never chain a puppy up. It should be free to run and play in the garden, so fences should be made escape-proof and gates kept shut. If you have the room and can afford it, it is usually easier and more fun for the puppy to have a companion to romp and play with. Never disturb puppy while it is sleeping.

Houstraining
To house-train a puppy, when you first take it home take it to a spot in the garden of your choice where you would like it to perform its toilet business. Usually as soon as puppies or dogs find some grass they like to 'put their mark' on it. After 1 hour, take puppy back to the same spot to repeat the performance. He will soon get the hang of what he is supposed to do. After a meal, after waking from sleep or after running around, it is usual for puppy to pass water or defecate.

Rush him to the chosen spot. If he makes a mistake, just say loudly, 'no', 'no', then show him where he went before. If he does it in the right place, praise and make a big fuss, "What a good boy/girl". Never smack or rub their noses in it as not only its cruel, but they will not understand why you have done that to them.

DOGS - Vaccinations
Adult dogs from SPCA will have received a vaccination, but depending upon the time spent here, will depend upon when the next one is due. Vaccinations should be repeated annually.

Feeding
Adult dogs can receive one meal a day, or the same amount given twice a day which is probably kinder to the dog and easier on the digestion. Specially prepared dog biscuit type food should be given, i.e, Science Diet Carnation's "Friskies", Getz's "Cycle", "Gravy Train". Meat or milk can be added to the dry food and a table spoon of cooking oil. This should provide your dog with all the nutrients it will need for a healthy condition. Veterinarians advise AGAINST giving rice to dogs on a regular basis as there is no goodness in ice and it can cause malnutration and poor coat conditions. Avoid giving small bones, i.e. chicken, pork, lamb or fish bones. The big bones are O.K. Small bones can choke a dog or puncture its inside. Regular vitamin pills will help to keep your dog in good condition.

Worming
De-worm your dog every 3 months.

Heartworm
It is possible to give daily pills to prevent heartworm or a monthly prevention programme. Your vet can advise on this matter.

The first day or two
It is advisable to keep your dog on a chain in your compound for the the first and and night so that it learns that this is his home from now on. Some dogs as soon as let off the chain have immediately escaped through unknown holes in fences or through drains. Give the dog plenty of love and walks around the garden to make him feel wanted and at home. Being on the end of a chain all day is no life for a dog, and if you plan to do this, we would prefer you did not take a dog, at all. Occasionally when workmen come or friends, it is unavoidable for a short while, but generally, the dog should be free to explore and enjoy the garden. Keep your gates closed. Any dogs roaming outside the compound are classed as strays by the Bandar Raya (licence or no licence) and will be taken away.

Water
Always have a bowl of fresh water available.

Ticks
It ticks are a problem in your neighbourhood, there are many preparations which kill ticks and protect the dog against the for awhile. These are available fro chemists, supermarkets or veterinarians. Never pour solution into the ears, and avoid contact with the eyes.

Housetraining
See 'House-training' for puppies which is the same principle for dogs.

Comfort
Have a special place for your dog to sleep at night, protected from the rain and wind. They love basket, box or blanket to sleep on, even an old chair. Even if you can only manage it once a week, dogs adore going for a walk with their master, on a chain, of course. Never let young children abuse or tease a dog. Even the best tempered dogs will eventually get fed up and bite the tormentor, and who could blame him?

CARE OF YOUR CAT OR KITTEN
It is not wise to acquire kitten younger than 6 weeks as a pet, as it will require considerable attention (bottle feeding and so on) and orphans have a high mortality rate at this age.

When adopting an adult cat, it is important to keep it inside the house for at least 3 days before allowing it access to the garden. By then it should know that your place is "home". Many people have released new cats immediately, only to have them run away.

Feeding
At about 8 weeks of age, a kitten will require 3 to 4 meals daily, consisting of finely chopped fish and/or minced meat. Its diet should be varied to include baby food or Nestum mixed with a little milk (soya bean milk is best as cow's milk can cause diarrhea), to a porridge-like consistency. Vitamin tablets can also be given. As the kitten grows, the amount of food should be gradually increased and the number of meals reduced until the kitten is about 5 moths old and can be treated as an adult.

A full grown cat requires 2 meals a day at regular times. These can consist of fish and/or meat (including offal), cooked and cut up in small pieces with the addition of small quantity of cereal food. A mixed diet should be given as fish and meat alone can result in skin disease. Tinned cat foods are convenient but should be varied with fresh food. Some dry cat food should be available at all times. It is very important that kittens and cats always have clean drinking water available.

On no account should the cat be given meat or fish with sharp bones inside, as these can be swallowed, puncturing the stomach or intestines causing an agonising death.

Health
The ears of the cat should be regularly inspected and clean with a cottonwool bud. At regular intervals, your cat or kitten will need to be dewormed. Your vet can check the faeces and advise you on this. Your cat should have access to some grass as they sometimes eat this as an emetic.

If ever the cat appears unwell, stop eating or gets thin, seems to be in pain or is generally unhappy, qualified veterinary attention should be sought.

Kittens should be innoculated at about 8 to 12 weeks for both feline infectious enteritus and feline influenza; the two serious cat diseases which can be fatal. These should be boost annually - your vet will advise you. A cat should be brushed daily, if possible, to remove excess hair which can be swallowed while washing and cause fur balls to accumulate in the stomach.

If the cat acquires fleas or ticks, these can be dealt with by using a special powder, available at supermarkets, and chemists, which should also be dusted over its bed and basket. The bedding should be thoroughly washed.

Accommodation
Cats and kitten should have the run of the house and access to the garden. Kittens should be carefully watched and only allowed outside under supervision, preferably after the meals to perform their toilet. If this is not possible or if the animal is to live in a flat, a dirt tray should be provided. This is ideally a plastic or metal container about 15' by 10' and 3' to 6' deep. It should be filled with sand, sawdust, or a similar commercially available grit for this purpose. If the cat or kitten is shown the tray, it will always use it provided it is cleaned daily.

The cat or kitten can be provided with a basket or box to sleep in. Newspaper or an old cloth, which can be discarded if necessary, are all that is required for bedding.

Spaying and Castrating
All pet cats and kittens should be spayed or castrated to prevent the thousands of unwanted kittens which are born every year. Kittens can be spayed or castrated at 4 to 5 months of age. A neutered cat makes a much better pet than a cat in its whole state, and will be more happy and contented animal. Neutered male cats will not roam at night, get into fights or call out after females. They will not spray around the house or have that typical "Tom Cat" smell. The female cat is capable of breeding from the age of about 6 months. All attempts at mating, are successful and result in average litters of 6 kittens. The gestation period is 9 weeks or 60-65 days. As the cat will come into season immediately after giving birth, she can have 3 litters a year. This means the average cat can be responsible for at least 18 unwanted kittens every year. Neutered females will not continually come into season., be bothered by the attention of male cats or call out for a male cat when in season.

Finally
Cats can live for 10 to 16 years and some much longer. Owning any animal is a big responsibility that cannot be taken lightly. The cat must be fed and watered every day and looked after. It must be taken to a vet for immunisation or if it gets sick. Arrangements must be made to board the cat if you go away (the SPCA has a boarding cattery) or re-homed if you leave the district. Do not leave it to roam the streets as a stray, living a miserable existance, eventually to get sick and die.