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A new study has shown that chocolate-coloured labradors has shorter lives compared to its yellow and black counterparts. It was found as well that skin diseases and ear infections were more common in chocolate labradors.
Click here to find more surprising results in this study!
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If you employ staff on weekends, you need to read this! A number of staff have taken pet businesses “to the cleaners”!
Two Boarding Kennels and a number of grooming members have accidentally fallen foul of the Fair Work laws in relation to penalty rates.
To stay out of trouble DO THIS:
1. Penalty rates ARE payable to staff on Minimum Wage or equivalent
2. You CANNOT get out of this by having an employment contract with the staff member stating that no penalty rates are payable, even if they sign the contract
3. You CANNOT get out of this by employing as casual, or part-time.
4. You GENERALLY can’t get out of this by employing staff as contractors. A contractor, by definition, can work for other people including grooming and boarding and other animal businesses, which results in a clear Biosecurity risk (and in some cases a risk of the staff member contacting your clients as well in a massive conflict of interest). You CANNOT require a “contractor” only to work in other-than-animal businesses, if you do so it’s “sham contracting”, which is illegal.
You CAN reduce your penalty rates by:
a) Blending penalty rates into your general pay rate. For example, if the general pay rate is $25 (example only!) and penalty rates would cost you an additional $10, it may be possible to make your general pay rate at $27 with weekends built in. THE TEST THAT FAIR WORK USES is that the employee should be NO WORSE OFF OVERALL– in other words, add up all the rates and all the hours and average it out so the employee is no worse off.
b) Staffing differently at weekends. Businesses have to pay higher rates at weekends because weekends are considered “special family time”. Do you like to work weekends? If not, then that’s the reason why weekends are considered “special family time”. One way to reduce penalty rates is to staff weekdays and work weekends yourself – BUT – you then MUST take two other days each week away from the business to avoid burnout.
c) Use your Juniors at weekends and your full-priced staff during normal business hours
d) Go on the attack – make your business really fly on weekends to make up the penalty rates. This may include higher prices on weekends to offset the client convenience of being able to have their dogs groomed without the diary difficulties that busy clients have during normal business hours.
Pets Australia is looking at the option of developing enterprise bargaining agreements. If you are interested in this option contact the office.
Only one food has been associated with megaoesophagus, and it has been recalled after the deaths of a number of dogs including Police Dogs. READ HERE and HERE
Interested in what megaoesophagus and what it means to a dog? READ HERE
Can pet retailers be sued for providing food that hurts pets? It’s the brand that is responsible for the safety of your pet food, not the retailer. If you are a small brand, you can be put out of business if you are sued. Talk to us about insurance options if you are making your own pet foods or treats.
Heat exhaustion, not just heat stress, is causing problems with the extended and very hot and dry weather in Qld, NSW, SA and Vic. While most trained pet people can identify heat stress (remember, NO TOWELS!), heat exhaustion can be harder to identify, but just as deadly. Different to heat exhaustion in humans, it happens when there have been multiple days of hot weather PLUS hot nights that do not allow the animal to recover. These animals are often only marginally dehydrated (and you may not notice), but become lethargic, depressed, off food. Often they are found in the morning “dead in their basket” and it’s a particular issue for very young, old, overweight and brachycephalic pets. It’s a particular problem for pet industry business, particularly for pet sitting/minding (where subtle changes may not be noticed if the animal is only seen for short periods daily, or cats held in hothouses for many days at a time; boarding businesses (where hot facilities may take a while to cool down at night) and grooming salons (where the heat inside the salon can tip an animal “over the edge).
Deal with it by working hard to allow the animal to cool down and sleep soundly overnight –eg by cooling gel bedding, air conditioning, low-energy foods. Minimise exercise in all forms, and keep the animal hydrated by “drink treats” (eg 25% lactose-free milk in water), or “icy poles” (frozen water or frozen “drink treats”. Be very aware of the association between heat exhaustion and lethargy or visible dehydration (gum assessment, for those who have done their Pet First Aid course) and get the animal to the vet as soon as possible if signs are seen – do not wait. Sometimes I/V fluids can be lifesaving, as can rest overnight in an air-conditioned surgery!
Winter is coming and therefore so is Canine Cough season. Remember that vaccines can only reliably provide 12 months protection; that the vaccine is only about 85% effective so all animals in the community must be vaccinated to protect non-responders; and that Bordetella is everywhere, not just in kennels. Dog parks, obedience clubs, off-leash beaches, grooming salons, pet minding, pet sitting and even pet shops that allow you to bring in your dog are risk areas.
NOW is the time to check vaccination certificates for all pets coming into your pet business, NOW is the time to remind clients that vaccination is needed. Being a responsible member of the pet industry also means educating your clients.
Remember, getting your dog boosted for Canine Cough can also improve the human’s immunity to Whooping Cough. There is an association between immunity to one and the other, so thank your dog for sneezing all over you on the way home from nasal vaccination at the vet’s!; so it’s not only going to protect the dogs but might also help the people, including your staff!
Just like humans, pets can get “dementia” (age related cognitive decline). This can be seen as behavioural and other changes including:
In one study, 28% of dogs 11 to 12 years of age and 68% of dogs 15 to 16 years of age had at least one sign of dementia, and 28% of cats 11 to 14 years of age and 50% of cats 15 years of age or older also exhibited at least one behavior change attributable to dementia.
Things you can do to help old pets and pets with cognitive decline (dementia)
1. Remember, old pets have pain. Osteoarthritis or nerve conditions limit activity. Tailor the environment to minimize pain and risk of injury. For example, provide nonslip surfaces (eg, rugs, mats) for secure footing and to encourage pets to be more active.
A series of steps or platforms may allow elderly cats access to their favourite, elevated resting areas they can no longer reach by jumping. For pets who find exercise difficult, focus should be on mental stimulation rather than physical activity.
2. Remember that old pets may be going blind or deaf. For these pets, training and communication may be modified by using visual (ie, hand) signals or by using verbal or tactile cues (eg, a light tap on the shoulder).
3. Remember that blind or deaf old pets, or pets with problems can get anxious or stressed. Sudden changes to environment or routine may stress older pets, particularly cats. Make changes slowly and limit them to one or 2 minor changes at a time. Once a pet is happy with these changes, additional activities or changes can be introduced.
4. Physical Exercise isn’t just important, it can slow mental decline. Exercise has been shown to improve memory in elderly beagles. Exercise should take each pet’s physical abilities and health into consideration (many old pets have heart disease). Slow, controlled leash walks, swimming, or hydrotherapy may be good options for dogs with joint disease or limited mobility. To increase activity, cats may be encouraged to chase toys or hunt for treats throughout the house.
5. Don’t forget the senses. New smells, sights and sounds can really help, especially for pets that are sick or can’t exercise. For example, dogs that cannot walk but enjoy being outdoors can be taken in carriers, in strollers, or on car rides. Cats may continue to have outdoor access under supervised conditions (eg, leash walks, secure outdoor enclosures). Control is important as old, sick or senile cats may simply disappear and you may never find them.
Try introducing new smells and unfamiliar items (eg, a shopping bag or cardboard box for cats, a family member’s shirt for dogs). BUT if the pet has a history of urine marking, new items or smells may be marked!
Pheromones (Adaptil, Feliway) can reduce anxiety, which often increases with age. In addition, approximately 68% of cats respond to catnip, which may produce a happy with characteristic sniffing, licking, rubbing, and rolling.
Classical music has been shown to increase resting behavior in some dogs, and studies have shown that some dogs and cats show interest in video images, particularly of other pets and moving objects. Various apps and channels exist to entertain pets, particularly cats, with cartoon mice or other moving images. Cats may also respond to a bird feeder outside a window or providing a covered fish tank in the house.
6. Don’t Give Up On Training! While they learn more slowly, teaching “old dogs new tricks” slows the progression of dementia. . You can also rotate toys weekly, housing with a kennelmate, and gentle walks. These activities have been shown to help old pets animals absorb new training, compared to pets that don’t get these additional stimulus.
7. Don’t forget that pets like to work! Puzzle toys, and actively teaching new behaviours can help your pet stay sharp with age. Food, treats, or toys can be hidden around the house for the pet to find, or hidden in boxes or under towels that the pet must remove to get to the treat. Commercial treat-dispensing puzzle and activity toys are also available, or you can cut small holes in a soft-drink bottle and put a handful of small treats inside so they fall out when the bottle is rolled.
For old pets with mobility issues, try teaching commands that don’t need too much movement, such as targeting (ie, touching a hand or object with the nose), giving a paw, lying down on their bed, and choosing a treat hidden in an owner’s right or left hand (eg, “right or left”).
8. Don’t forget that your old pet still loves and needs you. Daily positive attention, whether through playing, training, exercising, or sitting with the pet, should be an important part of your routine with your older pets. It’s easy to get caught up in the business if life, or a younger pet in the household who demands attention. Just because your old pet is quieter doesn’t mean he doesn’t need to spend quality time with the people he loves.
Source: Adapted from Clinicans Brief 01 Jan 2018
Take a moment to consider what happens to your business and your clients if you are suddenly taken to a hospital. If you are a pet sitter, do the dogs and cats in your care DIE? If you are a doggy daycare, do clients arrive to find the place unattended? If you are a grooming salon or pet store owner, do staff arrive to find that nobody can get in? This is a REAL issue. In addition to being in hospital you might find yourself charged with animal cruelty.
It might be a car accident, a stroke, a heart attack, even a hostage emergency. DO YOU have someone who will take over your role if you simply don’t appear? Is there a “second in command”? with all the necessary keys? Is there a “second in command” who will automatically check on animals in your care if you don’t contact them? Pet sitting is VERY vulnerable in this regard.
When you make your emergency plan, take just one additional minute to work out what happens if you are suddenly unable to work or communicate.
Read also this link for a publicly available bushfire plan template.
If a client can’t find you, you are out of business. Nobody uses the White or Yellow Pages now, it’s all search engines. For some reason, Boarding Kennels and Groomers often either don’t have a website, or think they can “do it on Facebook and local directories”. WRONG!
The Pet Industry has been slow to adopt good websites, and clients clearly have an association between good websites and “in business for real, not just a hobby” – which makes them far more likely to do business with you .
By following some key strategies to build and maintain an effective local business website, you can make meaningful connections with pet parents:
Behind the Scenes…..
The “backroom” of your website will also help attract and retain customers.
Adapted, from Pet Business 17 Oct 2017
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