Acquiring a pet needs careful consideration

Press, 21 January 1982, Page 19

Acquiring a pet needs careful consideration

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

Hundreds of domestic pets have died of neglect over the long summer vacation, many because their owners went off and simply left them unattended. Yet pets have probably never been as important to people before as today. Many feel a family is not complete without a pet while others feel, now that families are smaller and scattered, that pets can answer a need for companionship. The Health Department has been looking at the wider implications of pets and people living together. A pet is a companion, a living creature which can give affection and loyalty. Among the people who benefit most from having a pet are the very young, the old, and the lonely. Animals often show preference for the smallest human available, and in return a young child can learn to accept the responsibility for feeding and protection.

Caring for a pet can teach a child about important matters such as cruelty, neglect, loyalty, obedience, and patience. For a lonely child or a child who has lost a parent, a pet can be particularly important. It can be a substitute to love and be loved by, as well as another playmate; caring for it can create a much-needed relationshop of mutual trust and confidence.

However, parents choosing a pet for the first time need to take care. The family needs to be able to look after it properly. During adolescence when family relationships can be strained, a pet can bond the family.

Pets can be of benefit to adults, too. Many elderly and lonely people have a need for someone to love, someone who will be home when they have been out visting or shopping, or someone to feel responsible for. A pet can also help a middle-aged couple whose family may have left home.

People who are thinking of buying a pet need to ask themselves a number of questions about what sort of animal is suited to them. The Health Department has compiled a list of appropriate questions for intending ■-pet owners:—

• Why do you want a pet? • How much time do you have to spend with a pet —

to play with it. exercise it. train it. groom it? • What size pet do you want?

• How big an area do you have to keep it in? • Can you afford it? Besides the'cost of buying it there will be food, housing, vet’s bills, etc.

• How will your neighbours react?

• Can you get someone to look after it when you go away on holiday, or can you take it with you? • How long will it live?

• How much do you know about the animal and how to look after it?

• If the pet is intended for your children, are they old enough to care for it? • Do you want to breed from it? A careful choice is needed. Everyone can love and care for a new fluffy little bundle, but what will happen when the novelty wears off and it grows and/or produces a new family within two or three months? About 20,000 dogs and 40,000 cats are destroyed in New Zealand each year because they are unwanted.

Choosing the right individual is as important as choosing the right type of pet. The one chosen should appear quite healthy, bright, and alert. Runny eyes, ears or nose, or a dull coat, are bag signs. Also, make sure the new pet is not too aggressive, scared, or overfriendly, as these can all cause problems. If in doubt, take the prospective pet to someone who knows about the type of animal you want to help you to choose.

Any animals taken to the S.P.C'A. will have been checked by a vet and given any treatment necessary, But an animal from the S.P.C.A. will require agreement from the purchaser that it be spayed if. a bitch and neutered if a cat. In case of doubt over the animal’s health, take it to a vet, where any vaccinations needed or treatment or care can be discussed.

Simple things such as proper housing, care, food, water, exercise, and hygiene will help prevent disease. Keep proper control of the pet so it does not come in touch with diseased animals. Some animals need to be vaccinated against common diseases; remember to vaccinate again at the appropriate

time so the vaccination does not wear off. Know your pet and its normal behaviour well: then you will soon know if it is not well. Almost any kind of animal which can be kept as a pet can transmit some disease to humans. Often the pet itself does not suffer from the disease, but merely carries and spreads it. Providing sensible hygiene measures are followed, however, the risk of infection is usually small. The two most serious diseases, luckily now rare, are hydatids and visceral larva migrans. The key to the control of hydatids (which is caused by a dog tapeworm) is proper control and feeding of dogs; they must never be fed raw meat or offal from sheep or goats, and must have regular dosing by local hydatid control authorities. The incidence of hydatids has fallen dramatically in recent years and, as long as dog owners continue to co-operate, the department expects it to remain rare.

Visceral larva migrans is caused by a roundworm. Most puppies have these when they are born, and the worms can also be spread by adult dogs and cats. The most important measure, apart from the usual hygiene precautions, is to worm puppies regularly — first at about 10 days old and then two or three more times at two-week intervals. Do not allow children to handle them until this has been done.

The most common things passed on to humans by pets are luckily also the least serious — fleas and ringworm. Some people can be allergic to these above a normal reaction. Ringworm is more common than many people realise, particularly among children, who usually catch it from animals. Animal bites and scratches should never be taken lightly — they can so easily become infected. Dogs and cats are the most likely animals to cause human ill health, partly because they are such common pets, but also because of the tendency to fondle them and to allow them close contact with the family. Of the less frequently kept pets, hedgehogs and opossums are both very likely to carry disease.

Whatever the disease, chil-

dren are the most likely to be affected, mainly because of inadequate personal hygiene. To keep the family healthy, the department gives guidelines for strict hygiene:— ® KCep the pet clean. • Never kiss an animal or let it lick your face. • Wash your hands after handling your pet. • Provide your pet with its own bed — not yours—and wash or change the bedding frequently. • Feed your pet from its own dishes, and not from your plates or fingers. ® Train your pet not to dirty lawns, sand pits, or children s play areas. Cover sand pits when not in use.

• House-training can never start too soon. When accidents happen, burn or bury the mess, disinfect the area well, burn swabs, and wash vour hands.

© If possible, feed animals only cooked meat. Remember. it is illegal to feed dogs uncooked sheep or goat meat or raw offal, as hydatids may be spread this way.

® Take your pet to the vet if it is sick, and also to get its vaccinations.

© Worm dogs and cats regularly.

Owning a pet brings some responsibilities — not just to the pet but also to other people in the community. Roaming dogs can bite people, cause traffic accidents, rip open rubbish bags, and foul footpaths, lawns, and gardens. People who want to have a dog need to train it and keep it under proper control.

When pet owners do not fulfil their responsibilities, governments and local authorities make laws to enforce them. Britain now has a law forbidding animal waste in public places. Even more extreme measures have been taken in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, where residents do not have the freedom to choose a dog as a pet.