<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/petscentral_ATV_catkidney-01.jpg" alt="petscentral_ATV_catkidney-01.jpg (4.06 MB)" width="851" height="851" /> It is estimated that 30-40% of cats over 10 years, and as high as 81% of cats over 15 years, have chronic kidney disease. Only 10% of cats less than 3 years old have kidney disease, making it almost an exclusive disease for older cats.
 
There are different types of kidney diseases,&nbsp; and the most common one is chronic kidney disease. This can be caused by age, genetic factors such as breeds- Persian and Abyssinians are more susceptible. Other underlying conditions such as hypertension, hyperthyroidism and diabetes or chronic infections and less commonly, toxins, can also cause kidney injury.
 
How do I know if my cat may have kidney diseases?
 
Some of the earlier symptoms may include increased water consumption, urinating more and weight loss. Later systems may include decreased appetite, lethargy, vomiting, bad breath etc, and ultimately, they may become anorexic, dehydrated and can be very critically ill.
 
Vets can confirm whether your animals have kidney diseases by performing a blood test and urinalysis. An elevated Urea and Creatinine level or a diluted urine sample may indicate renal disease but may not provide a confirmed diagnosis.&nbsp;
 
Chronic kidney disease is typically classified into different stages: stage 1-4, and they describe the severely of the condition and prognosis.
 
As owners, there are a few things we can do to help maintain their quality of life and prolonging their lifespan. These may include giving medications, administering subcutaneous fluid and making dietary change, but most importantly, is the love and care we offer them and regular monitoring their condition.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/petscentral_ATV_catkidney-01.jpg" alt="petscentral_ATV_catkidney-01.jpg (4.06 MB)" width="851" height="851" /> 据估计，10岁以上的猫咪有30-40% 患有慢性肾病，去到15岁以上的猫咪，比例更高达 81%。而3岁以下的猫咪只有 10%患有肾病，显示肾病几乎是老年猫的专有疾病。
 
肾病有不同的类型，其中最常见的是慢性肾病。导致肾病的原因包括年龄及遗传因素，例如波斯猫和阿比西尼亚猫等唔种较易患病。其他潜在疾病，例如高血压、甲状腺功能亢进和糖尿病，和慢性感染或较少见由毒素的引起肾脏受损也有机会导致肾病。
 
我如何知道我的猫咪是否患有肾病？
 
一些较早期的症状可能包括饮水量增加、排尿增多和体重减轻。后期症状可能包括食欲下降、嗜睡、呕吐、口臭等，最终可能演变为厌食、脱水，甚至非常危急的状况。
 
兽医可以通过血液检查和尿液分析来确认你的猫咪是否患有肾病。如果猫咪的尿素和肌酐水平升高或尿液样本稀释可能代表有肾病，但单靠这些结果还不足以确诊。
 
慢性肾病可分为不同阶段：第 1 至 4 阶段，用作评估病情的严重程度和预后。
 
作为猫咪主人，我们可以透过不同方法来维持牠们的生活品质并延长寿命，包括药物、注射皮下液体和改变饮食等，但最重要的还是我们给予毛孩的爱与关怀，以及定期监测牠们的状况。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/petscentral_ATV_catkidney-01.jpg" alt="petscentral_ATV_catkidney-01.jpg (4.06 MB)" width="851" height="851" /> 據估計，10歲以上的貓咪有30-40% 患有慢性腎病，去到15歲以上的貓咪，比例更高達 81%。而3歲以下的貓咪只有 10%患有腎病，顯示腎病幾乎是老年貓的專有疾病。
 
腎病有不同的類型，其中最常見的是慢性腎病。導致腎病的原因包括年齡及遺傳因素，例如波斯貓和阿比西尼亞貓等唔種較易患病。其他潛在疾病，例如高血壓、甲狀腺功能亢進和糖尿病，和慢性感染或較少見由毒素的引起腎臟受損也有機會導致腎病。
 
我如何知道我的貓咪是否患有腎病？
 
一些較早期的症狀可能包括飲水量增加、排尿增多和體重減輕。後期症狀可能包括食慾下降、嗜睡、嘔吐、口臭等，最終可能演變為厭食、脫水，甚至非常危急的狀況。
 
獸醫可以通過血液檢查和尿液分析來確認你的貓咪是否患有腎病。如果貓咪的尿素和肌酐水平升高或尿液樣本稀釋可能代表有腎病，但單靠這些結果還不足以確診。
 
慢性腎病可分為不同階段：第 1 至 4 階段，用作評估病情的嚴重程度和預後。
 
作為貓咪主人，我們可以透過不同方法來維持牠們的生活品質並延長壽命，包括藥物、注射皮下液體和改變飲食等，但最重要的還是我們給予毛孩的愛與關懷，以及定期監測牠們的狀況。

Cat Chronic Kidney Disease

猫咪慢性肾病

貓咪慢性腎病

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/Petscentral_dogexercise.jpg" alt="Petscentral_dogexercise.jpg (2.59 MB)" width="520" /> Physical and Mental exercises for dogs
 
National Walking the Dog Day takes place on February 22nd every year, it is a special occasion dedicated to celebrating one of the most cherished activities shared between humans and their canine companions. While it may appear simple at first glance, this event highlights the importance of responsible pet ownership and the need for providing dogs with regular exercise.
 
Many unwanted canine behaviours can result from a lack of exercise, making it essential for pet owners to understand and meet their dog's needs to foster a happy and healthy bond between them. Exercise is divided into two categories: physical and mental. Both are necessary to ensure a dog's overall well-being and happiness.
 
Physical exercise encompasses any activity that encourages movement, burns energy, and contributes to maintaining fitness and overall health. Here are some examples of physical exercises for dogs:
<ul>
<li> Walking: Allows dogs to explore the world using their senses, improves physical fitness, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, enhances mental health, and alleviates stress.</li>
<li> Frisbee: A highly aerobic activity that provides an excellent workout in a short time, increases engagement with the handler, and promotes agility.</li>
<li> Fetch: Strengthens the bond between dog and handler, enhances the dog&rsquo;s interest in toys, and serves as an excellent interactive game.</li>
<li> Swimming: A low-impact exercise that is gentle on joints, helps build stamina, and improves overall fitness.</li>
<li> Free Running: Builds muscle strength, especially when running uphill, and allows the dog to explore its environment. Free running should only be done in safe areas, and the dog has reliable recall.</li>
</ul>
 
While physical exercise is important, it&rsquo;s not enough to meet a dog&rsquo;s needs. Mental exercise is equally, if not more, vital&mdash;especially for city dogs. Mental exercises involve activities that stimulate the brain and challenge a dog&rsquo;s problem-solving abilities. Here are a few examples:
<ul>
<li> Structured Obedience Training: Provides guidance, strengthens the bond between dog and handler, and builds trust.</li>
<li> Puzzle Toys: Keeps dogs mentally stimulated, prevents boredom, and encourages them to use their senses.</li>
<li> Hide-and-Seek with Humans: A fun, interactive game that&rsquo;s perfect for rainy days and builds engagement between dog and owner.</li>
<li> &ldquo;Find It&rdquo; Game with Treats or Toys: Encourages dogs to rely on their superior sense of smell to locate hidden items, making it both mentally stimulating and rewarding.</li>
<li> Scatter Feeding: Instead of serving meals in a food bowl, scatter food around the house. This encourages dogs to forage, keeping them engaged and mentally fulfilled.</li>
</ul>
It&rsquo;s essential to ensure that exercises&mdash;both physical and mental&mdash;are enjoyable for both the dog and the owner, fostering a healthy and positive relationship.
For any questions, please contact Pets Central North Point at 2811 8907. <img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/PetsCentralPuppyClass.jpg" alt="PetsCentralPuppyClass.jpg (2.53 MB)" width="520" height="520" caption="false" /> 

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<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/Petscentral_dogexercise.jpg" alt="Petscentral_dogexercise.jpg (2.59 MB)" width="520" /> 狗狗的身心运动
 
每年的2月22日是国际狗狗散步日，是庆祝人类和狗狗之间共享美好时光的特别日子。虽然这个活动看来简单，但这强调了当个负责任的宠物主人和让狗狗规律运动的重要性。
 
狗狗很多不良行为可能源于缺乏运动，因此了解并满足狗狗的需要对于培养快乐健康的关系非常重要。运动分为两类：身体运动和脑力运动，两者均对狗的整体健康和幸福至关重要。
 
身体运动包括所有鼓励律动、消耗能量并有助于维持健康的活动。以下是一些狗狗的身体运动例子：
 
<ul>
<li> 散步：让狗狗透过感官探索世界，提升体能，减少心血管疾病风险，促进心理健康及减轻压力。</li>
<li> 飞盘游戏：一种高强度带氧运动，是在短时间内锻炼狗狗的好方法，亦会增加狗狗与主人的互动并提升狗狗的敏捷度。</li>
<li> 抛球游戏：加强狗狗和主人之间的联系，提高狗狗对玩具的兴趣，是很好的互动游戏。</li>
<li> 游泳：不伤关节的低冲击运动，有助于提升耐力和改善整体体能。</li>
<li> 自由奔跑：增强肌力，狗狗向上跑时效果尤其明显，亦能让狗狗探索环境。自由奔跑需在安全的区域，而且主人有能力召回狗狗的情况下进行。</li>
</ul>
 
虽然身体运动非常重要，但仍不足以满足狗狗的全面需要。脑力运动同样重要，对于城市狗狗来说甚至更为重要。脑力运动涉及一些能激发狗狗大脑及解决问题能力的活动。例子包括：
 
<ul>
<li> 有系统的服从训练：提供指导，加强狗狗与主人之间的联系，并建立信任。</li>
<li> 益智玩具：保持狗狗心理上的刺激，避免牠们感到无聊，并鼓励牠们使用不同感官。</li>
<li> 捉迷藏游戏：非常适合雨天进行的互动游戏，可以增加狗狗与主人的互动。</li>
<li> 寻宝游戏：鼓励狗狗用其强大的嗅觉寻找藏起的零食或玩具，让牠们产生心理刺激之余又能享受奖励。</li>
<li> 分散喂食：不以食物碗喂食，转为将食物放在家里不同位置。这种方法可以鼓励狗狗主动去寻找食物，让牠们投入其中，心灵感到满足。</li>
</ul>
 
确保无论在进行身体还是脑力的运动时，令狗狗和主人觉得这些运动有趣味性非常重要，可促进彼此健康又积极的关系。
 如有任何问题，欢迎致电2811 8907联络北角Pets Central。 
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<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/Petscentral_dogexercise.jpg" alt="Petscentral_dogexercise.jpg (2.59 MB)" width="520" /> 狗狗的身心運動
 
每年的2月22日是國際狗狗散步日，是慶祝人類和狗狗之間共享美好時光的特別日子。雖然這個活動看來簡單，但這強調了當個負責任的寵物主人和讓狗狗規律運動的重要性。
 
狗狗很多不良行為可能源於缺乏運動，因此了解並滿足狗狗的需要對於培養快樂健康的關係非常重要。運動分為兩類：身體運動和腦力運動，兩者均對狗的整體健康和幸福至關重要。
 
身體運動包括所有鼓勵律動、消耗能量並有助於維持健康的活動。以下是一些狗狗的身體運動例子：
 
<ul>
<li> 散步：讓狗狗透過感官探索世界，提升體能，減少心血管疾病風險，促進心理健康及減輕壓力。</li>
<li> 飛碟遊戲：一種高強度帶氧運動，是在短時間內鍛鍊狗狗的好方法，亦會增加狗狗與主人的互動並提升狗狗的敏捷度。</li>
<li> 拋波遊戲：加強狗狗和主人之間的聯繫，提高狗狗對玩具的興趣，是很好的互動遊戲。</li>
<li> 游泳：不傷關節的低衝擊運動，有助於提升耐力和改善整體體能。</li>
<li> 自由奔跑：增強肌力，狗狗向上跑時效果尤其明顯，亦能讓狗狗探索環境。自由奔跑需在安全的區域，而且主人有能力召回狗狗的情況下進行。</li>
</ul>
 
雖然身體運動非常重要，但仍不足以滿足狗狗的全面需要。腦力運動同樣重要，對於城市狗狗來說甚至更為重要。腦力運動涉及一些能激發狗狗大腦及解決問題能力的活動。例子包括：
 
<ul>
<li> 有系統的服從訓練：提供指導，加強狗狗與主人之間的聯繫，並建立信任。</li>
<li> 益智玩具：保持狗狗心理上的刺激，避免牠們感到無聊，並鼓勵牠們使用不同感官。</li>
<li> 捉迷藏遊戲：非常適合雨天進行的互動遊戲，可以增加狗狗與主人的互動。</li>
<li> 尋寶遊戲：鼓勵狗狗用其強大的嗅覺尋找藏起的零食或玩具，讓牠們產生心理刺激之餘又能享受獎勵。</li>
<li> 分散餵食：不以食物碗餵食，轉為將食物放在家裏不同位置。這種方法可以鼓勵狗狗主動去尋找食物，讓牠們投入其中，心靈感到滿足。</li>
</ul>
 
確保無論在進行身體還是腦力的運動時，令狗狗和主人覺得這些運動有趣味性非常重要，可促進彼此健康又積極的關係。
 
如有任何問題，歡迎致電2811 8907聯絡北角Pets Central。
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Physical and Mental exercises for dogs

狗狗的身心运动

狗狗的身心運動

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/Petscentral_FIV_.jpg" alt="Petscentral_FIV_.jpg (3.63 MB)" width="862" height="862" /> 
One of my clients was going to abandon her cat because the cat was diagnosed with FIV. The reason she gave was that she heard FIV is like human HIV and was worried it might cause serious diseases. Of course, after some long discussions, the client decided to keep the cat.
 
There are some misconceptions about FIV, but what the owner said was partly true. FIV is similar to HIV in that it compromises the immune system and makes the cat more susceptible to infections and diseases. However, unlike HIV, the transmission of FIV mainly occurs through bite wounds and is more common in outdoor cats. It can also be transmitted from mother to kittens, but this is less common.
 
How do we recognize cats with FIV? Well, most cats are asymptomatic, which means they don&rsquo;t show any clinical signs. When they have clinical signs, these may include weight loss, fever, gum disease- mainly inflammation, and sometimes more susceptible to infection. Diagnosis is made through blood tests that detect antibodies to the virus.
 
So, what should we do if our cats are confirmed to carry FIV?
 
There is no cure for FIV, but infected cats can live long, healthy and happy lives. Management may include regular health checks, adequate nutrition, and isolating the cat from other cats. Prevention is difficult, neutering can reduce aggressive behavior and prevent fighting.
 
FIV can be a serious condition, but with proper management and care, infected cats can live just like normal cats. If you are worried and want to know whether your cat(s) or when you are adopting a cat from stray and want to prevent your existing cats from getting infected, the easiest way is to bring your cat for a health check with your local vets.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/Petscentral_FIV_.jpg" alt="Petscentral_FIV_.jpg (3.63 MB)" width="862" height="862" /> 我曾看见有主人想要遗弃她的猫，因为这只猫感染了猫免疫缺陷病毒（FIV），俗称猫爱滋病。她担心这病毒会像人类的HIV一样，导致猫猫出现严重疾病。经过我们跟主人的多番讨论后，客户最终决定继续饲养这只猫。
 
大众对FIV常有误解，主人所说的部分正确，虽然FIV和HIV病毒相似，都会破坏免疫系统，增加感染和出现疾病的风险，但FIV主要通过咬伤传播，较常出现于户外猫，也有机会由母猫传染给幼猫，但相对较少。
 
大多数FIV感染的猫并无症状，当牠们出现症状时，可能包括体重减轻、发烧、牙龈发炎，以及容易感染疾病。FIV诊断需通过血液测试来检测病毒抗体。
 
如果猫猫感染了FIV，该怎么办呢？
 
虽然目前未有治愈FIV的方法，但受到感染的猫仍可以继续健康、长寿和快乐地生活。我们可以通过定期健康检查、提供充足营养，并将患病的猫与其他猫隔离，来进行控制情况。预防FIV虽然困难，但可以透过绝育减少猫只的攻击行为，降低打架风险。
 
虽然FIV可以引起严重疾病，但通过适当的管理和护理，感染了FIV的猫只依然可以像其他健康的猫一样生活。如果你担心猫只可能感染了FIV或打算收养流浪猫时，想避免家中其他猫只受到感染，最简单的方法是带猫去找兽医进行检查。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/Petscentral_FIV_.jpg" alt="Petscentral_FIV_.jpg (3.63 MB)" width="862" height="862" /> 我曾看見有主人想要遺棄她的貓，因為這隻貓感染了貓免疫缺陷病毒（FIV），俗稱貓愛滋病。她擔心這病毒會像人類的HIV一樣，導致貓貓出現嚴重疾病。經過我們跟主人的多番討論後，客戶最終決定繼續飼養這隻貓。
 
大眾對FIV常有誤解，主人所說的部分正確，雖然FIV和HIV病毒相似，都會破壞免疫系統，增加感染和出現疾病的風險，但FIV主要通過咬傷傳播，較常出現於戶外貓，也有機會由母貓傳染給幼貓，但相對較少。
 
大多數FIV感染的貓並無症狀，當牠們出現症狀時，可能包括體重減輕、發燒、牙齦發炎，以及容易感染疾病。FIV診斷需通過血液測試來檢測病毒抗體。
 
如果貓貓感染了FIV，該怎麼辦呢？
 
雖然目前未有治癒FIV的方法，但受到感染的貓仍可以繼續健康、長壽和快樂地生活。我們可以通過定期健康檢查、提供充足營養，並將患病的貓與其他貓隔離，來進行控制情況。預防FIV雖然困難，但可以透過絕育減少貓隻的攻擊行為，降低打架風險。
 
雖然FIV可以引起嚴重疾病，但通過適當的管理和護理，感染了FIV的貓隻依然可以像其他健康的貓一樣生活。如果你擔心貓隻可能感染了FIV或打算收養流浪貓時，想避免家中其他貓隻受到感染，最簡單的方法是帶貓去找獸醫進行檢查。

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus（FIV）

猫免疫缺陷病毒（FIV）

貓免疫缺陷病毒（FIV）

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_skin%20problem-01.jpg" alt="ATV_skin problem-01.jpg (3.99 MB)" width="650" height="650" /> Skin conditions are very common in both cats and dogs and can cause intense discomfort. They can present as wounds, hair loss or dandruff, and they can be painful or itchy. Sometimes, they can be infectious and spread to other animals. As a pet owner, it is important to recognise the signs of a possible skin condition and to seek veterinary treatment as soon as possible.
&nbsp;
There are many causes of skin conditions, some of them can be controlled with regular ectoparasiticides. For example, parasitic infestation with fleas can be prevented by over-the-counter spot-on products. Others, such as allergy and atopy, may require food trial, allergen testing, desensitisation, or symptomatic control. Sometimes, a skin condition can be secondary to other illnesses such as hormonal issue or cancer.&nbsp;
 
Skin condition can be frustrating to manage, and in many cases, long-term management is required.&nbsp;
 
It is hard for the vet to diagnose by just looking at your pet, and in most cases, investigations such as taking some skin samples have to be performed. Occasionally, additional tests such as blood sampling or a biopsy may be required if the vet thinks the skin condition is unusual and could be caused by other illnesses.&nbsp;
 
As with all diseases, early diagnosis and treatment is essential. Regular combing and grooming is a great way to keep track of your pet&rsquo;s skin condition as it allows you to spot anything unusual. It is also a good time to spend time and bond with your pets.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_skin%20problem-01.jpg" alt="ATV_skin problem-01.jpg (3.99 MB)" width="650" height="650" /> 
猫狗经常遇到不同皮肤问题，有机会令牠们感到极度不适。常见的情况有皮肤损伤、脱毛或掉皮屑，有时还会引致疼痛或痕痒。其中一些皮肤问题可能具有传染性，有机会传染给其他动物。作为毛孩主人，及早识别这些皮肤问题并尽快寻求兽医的帮助非常重要。
 
引起皮肤问题的原因有很多。一些情况可以通过定期使用体外寄生虫药物来预防，例如使用无需处方的杀虫滴剂来预防跳蚤。至于其他原因如过敏或异位性皮肤炎，可能需要通过食物测试、过敏原检测、脱敏治疗或症状控制等方式来处理。有时候，皮肤问题可能是由荷尔蒙失调或癌症等其他疾病所引起的。
 
出现皮肤问题可能会让主人和毛孩感到挫败，在许多情况下，皮肤问题需要长期的治疗和管理。
 
当毛孩出现皮肤问题时，兽医难以光靠肉眼观察作出诊断，大多数情况下也需要进行皮肤样本检查。如果兽医怀疑皮肤问题是由其他疾病引起的，则可能需要进一步的检测，例如抽血或者抽取皮肤活组织切片检查。
 
和其他疾病一样，早期诊断发现皮肤问题并进行治疗十分重要。定期为宠物梳毛可以让你及时发现异常状况，是一个很好的检查方法，也是与宠物增进感情的绝佳机会。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_skin%20problem-01.jpg" alt="ATV_skin problem-01.jpg (3.99 MB)" width="650" height="650" /> 
 貓狗經常遇到不同皮膚問題，有機會令牠們感到極度不舒服。常見的情況有皮膚損傷、脫毛或掉皮屑，有時還會引致疼痛或痕癢。其中一些皮膚問題可能具有傳染性，有機會傳染給其他動物。作為毛孩主人，及早識別這些皮膚問題並盡快尋求獸醫的幫助非常重要。
 
引起皮膚問題的原因有很多。一些情況可以通過定期使用體外寄生蟲藥物來預防，例如使用無需處方的殺蟲滴劑來預防跳蚤。至於其他原因如過敏或異位性皮膚炎，可能需要通過食物測試、過敏原檢測、脫敏治療或症狀控制等方式來處理。有時候，皮膚問題可能是由荷爾蒙失調或癌症等其他疾病所引起的。
 
出現皮膚問題可能會讓主人和毛孩感到挫敗，在許多情況下，皮膚問題需要長期的治療和管理。
 
當毛孩出現皮膚問題時，獸醫難以光靠肉眼觀察作出診斷，大多數情況下也需要進行皮膚樣本檢查。如果獸醫懷疑皮膚問題是由其他疾病引起的，則可能需要進一步的檢測，例如抽血或者抽取皮膚活組織切片檢查。
 
和其他疾病一樣，早期診斷發現皮膚問題並進行治療十分重要。定期為寵物梳毛可以讓你及時發現異常狀況，是一個很好的檢查方法，也是與寵物增進感情的絕佳機會。

Skin condition in cats and dogs    

猫狗皮肤问题

貓狗皮膚問題

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/1a.png" alt="1a.png (1.18 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> How to Build Relationships Between Dogs
Building a friendship between two dogs requires patience, careful management, and an understanding of canine behaviours. As pack animals, dogs are naturally capable of forming strong bonds with one another—provided their introductions and interactions are handled properly.
 
First Impressions Matter
When introducing two dogs for the first time, it’s important to do so in a neutral location to avoid territorial behaviours. Ideally, both dogs should be on leashes and kept at a safe distance from each other. Handlers should observe the dogs’ body language and wait for calm, desired behaviours before allowing them to meet.
 
Avoid letting the dogs greet one another if they are displaying unwanted behaviours such as barking, lunging, or pulling on the leash. These behaviours can escalate tensions, make the introduction more challenging and possibly causing the dogs to fight.
 
The Initial Greeting
When it’s time for the dogs to greet one another, ensure their leashes remain loose to avoid creating tension. Dogs should meet by sniffing each other's rear ends, as this is polite behaviours in the canine world. Face-to-face greetings, on the other hand, are often considered rude and can lead to discomfort or conflict.
 
Keep the initial greeting short—less than 3 seconds is ideal. After this brief interaction, calmly call the dogs apart to prevent over-arousal. Repeat this process 2–3 times, allowing the dogs to gradually become comfortable and calm in each other’s presence.
 
Take It Slow
Just like humans, dogs take time to build relationships. It’s important not to rush the process or force the dogs to play together immediately. One effective method for fostering a bond is by walking the dogs parallel with each other, at a comfortable distance.
Throughout the walk, handlers should reward calm, desirable behaviours and address any problematic behaviours such asstaring, humping, nose nudging, or standing over the other dog. These dominant or bullying behaviours can disrupt with the bonding process and should be firmly corrected.
 
The Risks of Dog Parks
Ever heard of a place called the disease infested canine fight club? Also known as, the dog park. While dog parks might seem like an ideal place for dogs to socialise and burn off energy, they often present serious risks. Many dog fights occur in these environments due to poor handler management, over-arousal, lack of proper socialisation, and pack-mentality behaviours.
 
Patience Is Key
Building a lasting bond between dogs takes time and effort. Whether it takes one day or one year, the results are worth it. By fostering a positive, gradual relationship, owners can enjoy the reward of seeing their dogs develop a strong, long-lasting friendship.
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our trainer for further information. 
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<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/1a.png" alt="1a.png (1.18 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 如何建立狗之间的关系
 
建立两只狗之间的友谊需要耐心、细心管理和对犬类行为的了解。作为群居动物，狗能够自然地与彼此形成强烈的联系——前提是主人有好好地介绍牠们和妥善处理牠们之间的互动。
 
第一印象很重要
 
当两只狗首次见面时，需要选择一个中立的地方，以避免牠们出现领域行为。最理想的情况是两只狗也系上牵绳并保持一个安全的距离。牵绳的人应观察狗的肢体语言，等待牠们出现平静、理想的行为后再允许牠们互动。
 
如果狗只表现出不理想的行为，例如吠叫、冲撞或拉牵绳等，请避免让牠们继续打招呼。这些行为可能会令气氛更加紧张，令牠们难以好好认识，甚至引致牠们打架。
 
初次见面
 
当狗狗们可以见面时，请确保牵绳处于放松状态，以免令到狗狗紧张。狗狗应通过闻对方的屁股来互相认识，因为在狗狗的世界里，这是有礼貌的打招呼方法。反而正面的眼神交流，在牠们的世界中经常被认为是粗鲁的行为，可能令牠们感到不安或引起冲突。
 
狗狗初次见面的时间要短——最好不要超过3秒。进行简短的互动后，主人应平静地将狗分开，避免牠们变得过度兴奋。接着重覆这个过程2至3次，让狗狗逐渐适应彼此，相处时感到舒服和平静。
 
慢慢来，不要急
 
就像人类一样，狗狗也需要时间来建立关系，不要急于求成或强迫狗狗立即一起玩耍非常重要。让狗狗保持舒适的距离并排行走，是有效促进关系的方法。
 
在整个散步过程中，主人应该奖励冷静、合意的行为，并处理任何问题行为，如盯视、骑跨、用鼻子推挤或站在另一只狗身上。这些支配或霸凌行为会打断狗狗们正在建立的联系，主人需要肯定地纠正此类行为。
 
狗公园的风险
 
你知道哪里是狗狗斗兽场吗？就是狗公园。虽然狗公园看似是狗狗社交和消耗精力的理想场所，但实际上经常存在严重的风险。许多狗狗在狗公园打架，原因包括管理不善、过度兴奋、缺乏适当的社会化以及群体心理行为。
 
耐心是关键
 
建立狗狗之间持久的关系需要时间和努力。无论是花一天还是一年的时间，结果都是值得的。通过积极及循序渐进地促进狗狗的关系，主人可以看到牠们建立坚实及持久的友谊。
 
如果你有任何问题，欢迎随时联系我们的犬只训练员了解更多。
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<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/1a.png" alt="1a.png (1.18 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 如何建立狗之間的關係
 
建立兩隻狗之間的友誼需要耐心、細心管理和對犬類行為的了解。作為群居動物，狗能夠自然地與彼此形成強烈的聯繫——前提是主人有好好地介紹牠們和妥善處理牠們之間的互動。
 
第一印象很重要
 
當兩隻狗首次見面時，需要選擇一個中立的地方，以避免牠們出現領域行為。最理想的情況是兩隻狗也繫上牽繩並保持一個安全的距離。牽繩的人應觀察狗的肢體語言，等待牠們出現平靜、理想的行為後再允許牠們互動。
 
如果狗隻表現出不理想的行為，例如吠叫、衝撞或拉牽繩等，請避免讓牠們繼續打招呼。這些行為可能會令氣氛更加緊張，令牠們難以好好認識，甚至引致牠們打架。
 
初次見面
 
當狗狗們可以見面時，請確保牽繩處於放鬆狀態，以免令到狗狗緊張。狗狗應通過聞對方的屁股來互相認識，因為在狗狗的世界裏，這是有禮貌的打招呼方法。反而正面的眼神交流，在牠們的世界中經常被認為是粗魯的行為，可能令牠們感到不安或引起衝突。
 
狗狗初次見面的時間要短——最好不要超過3秒。進行簡短的互動後，主人應平靜地將狗分開，避免牠們變得過度興奮。接着重覆這個過程2至3次，讓狗狗逐漸適應彼此，相處時感到舒服和平靜。
 
慢慢來，不要急
 
就像人類一樣，狗狗也需要時間來建立關係，不要急於求成或強迫狗狗立即一起玩耍非常重要。讓狗狗保持舒適的距離並排行走，是有效促進關係的方法。
 
在整個散步過程中，主人應該獎勵冷靜、合意的行為，並處理任何問題行為，如盯視、騎跨、用鼻子推擠或站在另一隻狗身上。這些支配或霸凌行為會打斷狗狗們正在建立的聯繫，主人需要肯定地糾正此類行為。
 
狗公園的風險
 
你知道哪裏是狗狗鬥獸場嗎？就是狗公園。雖然狗公園看似是狗狗社交和消耗精力的理想場所，但實際上經常存在嚴重的風險。許多狗狗在狗公園打架，原因包括管理不善、過度興奮、缺乏適當的社會化以及群體心理行為。
 
耐心是關鍵
 
建立狗狗之間持久的關係需要時間和努力。無論是花一天還是一年的時間，結果都是值得的。通過積極及循序漸進地促進狗狗的關係，主人可以看到牠們建立堅實及持久的友誼。
 
如果你有任何問題，歡迎隨時聯繫我們的犬隻訓練員了解更多。
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How to Build Relationships Between Dogs

如何建立狗之间的关系

如何建立狗之間的關係

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_oncept.jpg" alt="ATV_oncept.jpg (2.45 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> Oncept has transformed the treatment of malignant melanomas. Melanomas are the most common tumours that we see in the mouths of dogs, and they can also arise on foot pads, toes, and skin. At least 90% of oral melanomas have metastasised in a microscopic way by the time they are diagnosed. This means that surgery alone isn&rsquo;t enough to treat melanomas&mdash;another treatment is needed to address the microscopic metastases and stop them from becoming a threat to health.
 
Chemotherapy isn&rsquo;t very effective against melanomas&mdash;only one in three respond. Then along came Oncept, an immunotherapy that targets melanoma specifically. Oncept trains the immune system to recognise a marker on the surface of melanoma cells and to kill the cells that carry this marker. Within four months or so, Oncept is fully effective. Since we started using Oncept, we regularly see long-term survivors of malignant melanoma. Oncept is given as a primary course of one injection every two weeks, followed by a booster once every six months. Oncept takes around four months to be effective, during which time we are vigilant for tumour progression. We might manage progressing tumours with surgery, or we might use drugs that slow tumour growth to buy time for Oncept to become fully effective. Oncept is a vaccine, not chemotherapy, and it is very rare to see any side effects. There is a brief sting at the time of injection.
 
Occasionally, the response to Oncept makes foot pads and noses lose their black colour&mdash;this is a transient reaction that causes no other problems. We have been using Oncept since 2010, shortly after it became available outside North America. It has transformed outcomes for dogs with this tumour from universally poor before Oncept, to now very hopeful with Oncept and appropriate surgical care.
 
Lymphoma, another canine cancer, can be a very satisfying disease to treat when dogs go into remission in a few days and look obviously brighter and healthier. It can also be a disease that creates deep disappointment &ndash; when remissions don&rsquo;t happen at all or are much shorter than we had hoped. When remissions are short, we&nbsp;need new drugs to rescue the situation. Rescue chemotherapy was a disappointing venture &ndash; rescued remissions were hard to get and often quite short&nbsp;25 years ago.
 
Then came Tanovea. Tanovea is a new drug in a new class that specifically targets lymphoma. Tanovea was specifically developed for dogs rather than being a repurposed human drug. More dogs respond to Tanovea than to other drugs in a rescue setting, and in my experience the remissions tend to be much longer. Since I started using Tanovea, I have for the first time started seeing second remissions that are longer than first remissions. Tanovea is given as an infusion over 30 minutes once every 3 weeks.&nbsp;
 
What about side effects? Tanovea is similar to other chemotherapy drugs. Around one in four dogs will exhibit gut-related adverse effects including loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea. These typically resolve within a few days with minimal treatment. Fewer dogs will experience bone marrow suppression
or fever. Fewer still will have other side effects involving the kidney or lungs. Overall, my experience is that Tanovea is well tolerated by most dogs, especially when compared with the alternative &ndash; progression of lymphoma.&nbsp;
 
I&rsquo;ve been very happy to have access to Tanovea nearly continuously since it was licensed for use. We always maintain stock because it is a very useful drug and my patients need it.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_oncept.jpg" alt="ATV_oncept.jpg (2.45 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> Oncept 疫苗已经彻底改变了治疗恶性黑色素瘤的方法。黑色素瘤是犬类最常见出现于口腔的肿瘤，也可能出现在脚掌、脚趾头和皮肤上。在诊断时，至少 90% 的口腔黑色素瘤已经以微观方式转移，这意味着仅靠手术不足以治疗黑色素瘤&mdash;&mdash;还需要其他治疗来应对微观转移并阻止其威胁狗狗的健康。
 
然而，化疗对黑色素瘤的效果有限&mdash;&mdash;只有三分之一的患病毛孩会有反应。于是，一种专门针对黑色素瘤的免疫治疗Oncept出现了。Oncept 训练免疫系统识别黑色素瘤细胞表面的标记，并攻击含有此标记的细胞。大约四个月后，Oncept 便能完全发挥功效。自从我们开始使用 Oncept 治疗后，经常看到患有恶性黑色素瘤的毛孩存活下来。以Oncept 作为主要疗程，需要每两周注射一次，之后每六个月注射一剂加强针。Oncept 大约需要四个月的时间才能有效，在此期间我们需要密切留意肿瘤的状况。如果肿瘤继续生长，我们可能会通过手术或药物来减慢肿瘤生长的速度，争取时间让 Oncept 完全发挥作用。Oncept 是疫苗而不是化疗，极少出现副作用，只是注射时会有短暂的刺痛感。
 
Oncept 偶尔会使毛孩的脚掌肉球和鼻子的黑色减淡，但只属短期反应，不会造成其他问题。我们自 2010 年开始使用 Oncept，那时它才刚在北美以外地区上市。Oncept令患有恶性黑色素瘤的毛孩，从最初情况欠佳，变得充满希望，尤其是配合适当手术治疗的患者。&nbsp;
 
而淋巴瘤是另一种犬类常见癌症，能够看见患病犬只能在数天内情况好转，展现神采，令人非常欣慰，但同时淋巴癌也有机会令人感到失望，特别是当情况未有好转或缓解期只有很短的时候，此时我们需要探索新的药物来改变这种状况。
 
25年前用化疗治疗淋巴瘤时，救援性化疗的效果往往令人沮丧&mdash;&mdash;要达到纾缓病情的效果非常困难，且通常持续时间相当短。然而，如今有了Tanovea这种革命性的新药物，这种药物专为狗类设计，不是简单地将人类药物转用。在救援性治疗中，更多的狗只对Tanovea产生反应，且根据我的经验，缓解期往往更长。自从我使用Tanovea以来，第一次看到第二次缓解期较初次缓解期长。Tanovea每三周注射一次，每次注射持续约30分钟。
 
Tanovea的副作用与其他化疗药物类似。约四分之一的狗只可能出现肠胃不适，如食欲不振、呕吐和腹泻等，这些问题通常能在几天内通过简单治疗得到纾缓。一小部分狗只可能经历骨髓抑制或发烧，极少情况下会出现涉及肾脏或肺部的副作用。总体来说，根据我的经验，Tanovea对大多数狗只而言耐受性良好，尤其是考虑到若不治疗，淋巴瘤将进一步恶化。
 
Tanovea对于患癌毛孩来说，是必要和非常宝贵的药物，很高兴自这种药物获批准使用以来，我们一直能够获得足够货源。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_oncept.jpg" alt="ATV_oncept.jpg (2.45 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> Oncept 疫苗已經徹底改變了治療惡性黑色素瘤的方法。黑色素瘤是犬類最常見出現於口腔的腫瘤，也可能出現在腳掌、腳趾頭和皮膚上。在診斷時，至少 90% 的口腔黑色素瘤已經以微觀方式轉移，這意味著僅靠手術不足以治療黑色素瘤&mdash;&mdash;還需要其他治療來應對微觀轉移並阻止其威脅狗狗的健康。
 
然而，化療對黑色素瘤的效果有限&mdash;&mdash;只有三分之一的患病毛孩會有反應。於是，一種專門針對黑色素瘤的免疫治療Oncept出現了。Oncept 訓練免疫系統識別黑色素瘤細胞表面的標記，並攻擊含有此標記的細胞。大約四個月後，Oncept 便能完全發揮功效。自從我們開始使用 Oncept 治療後，經常看到患有惡性黑色素瘤的毛孩存活下來。以Oncept 作為主要療程，需要每兩週注射一次，之後每六個月注射一劑加強針。Oncept 大約需要四個月的時間才能有效，在此期間我們需要密切留意腫瘤的狀況。如果腫瘤繼續生長，我們可能會通過手術或藥物來減慢腫瘤生長的速度，爭取時間讓 Oncept 完全發揮作用。Oncept 是疫苗而不是化療，極少出現副作用，只是注射時會有短暫的刺痛感。
 
Oncept 偶爾會使毛孩的腳掌肉球和鼻子的黑色減淡，但只屬短期反應，不會造成其他問題。我們自 2010 年開始使用 Oncept，那時它才剛在北美以外地區上市。Oncept令患有惡性黑色素瘤的毛孩，從最初情況欠佳，變得充滿希望，尤其是配合適當手術治療的患者。&nbsp;
 
而淋巴瘤是另一種犬類常見癌症，能夠看見患病犬隻能在數天內情況好轉，展現神采，令人非常欣慰，但同時淋巴癌也有機會令人感到失望，特別是當情況未有好轉或緩解期只有很短的時候，此時我們需要探索新的藥物來改變這種狀況。
 
25年前用化療治療淋巴瘤時，救援性化療的效果往往令人沮喪&mdash;&mdash;要達到紓緩病情的效果非常困難，且通常持續時間相當短。然而，如今有了Tanovea這種革命性的新藥物，這種藥物專為狗類設計，不是簡單地將人類藥物轉用。在救援性治療中，更多的狗隻對Tanovea產生反應，且根據我的經驗，緩解期往往更長。自從我使用Tanovea以來，第一次看到第二次緩解期較初次緩解期長。Tanovea每三週注射一次，每次注射持續約30分鐘。
 
Tanovea的副作用與其他化療藥物類似。約四分之一的狗隻可能出現腸胃不適，如食欲不振、嘔吐和腹瀉等，這些問題通常能在幾天內通過簡單治療得到紓緩。一小部分狗隻可能經歷骨髓抑制或發燒，極少情況下會出現涉及腎臟或肺部的副作用。總體來說，根據我的經驗，Tanovea對大多數狗隻而言耐受性良好，尤其是考慮到若不治療，淋巴瘤將進一步惡化。
 
Tanovea對於患癌毛孩來說，是必要和非常寶貴的藥物，很高興自這種藥物獲批准使用以來，我們一直能夠獲得足夠貨源。

Pet Malignant Melanomas and Lymphoma

宠物恶性黑色素瘤和淋巴瘤

寵物惡性黑色素瘤和淋巴瘤

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Puppies and kittens are gradually weaned from their mother’s milk onto solid food between 1-2 months old. 
 
When selecting a new diet, it is important to look at the information provided on the packaging, making sure the diet is intended for growth and for the right species. Different species of animals and life-stages have different nutritional needs. Commercial diets are generally fully balanced – there is usually no need to add extra calcium or vitamins unless instructed by the veterinarian. Adding more supplements may cause sometimes more harm than good.
 
If a home-cooked diet is preferred, the advice is to consult a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to formulate a balanced diet to prevent chronic malnutrition. 
 
During any dietary transition, a gradual approach should be taken. The new diet should be introduced slowly over approximately one week by adding small amount of new food to the old one, and at the same time, reducing the amount of old food given. This kind of diet transition will help to minimize stomach upset and improve diet acceptance.  
 
The amount to be fed varies according to the energy density of the food, the animal’s weight and activity level. A cup of one brand of kibble is not the same as another brand’s. It is therefore advised to refer to the chart printed on the food bags for guidance. Feeding amounts should be adjusted as needed for growth and to maintain ideal body weight.
 
In general, it is recommended to feed puppies up to 4 meals daily until they are 6 months old, then it can be reduced to twice a day feeding. Whereas in kittens, a free-choice feeding is generally recommended. It can be changed to a meal-based feeding regime after 6 months old, though some cats may prefer to graze throughout the day. 
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幼犬和幼猫通常在1-2个月大时逐渐从母乳过渡到进食固体食物。
 
选择新粮食时查看包装上的信息，确保 适合毛孩的品种及符合牠们的营养需要非常重要。不同年龄和品种的毛孩有着不同的营养需要。市场上买到的宠物粮食一般是营养完全均衡的——通常不需要额外添加钙或维生素，除非兽医有特别指示。添加过多的补充剂有时可能对毛孩是弊多于利。
 
若倾向自制食物，建议谘询经专业委员会认证的兽医营养师，以制定一个均衡饮食餐单，防止毛孩出现慢性营养不良。
 
在改变任何饮食期间，应采用循序渐进的方法。新的饮食餐单应该在大约一周的时间内慢慢过渡，方法是将少量新食物添加到原有食物中，并减少原有食物份量。这种饮食过渡将有助于减少毛孩肠胃不适，更加容易适应。
 
食物份量会因食物的热量、动物的体重和活动水平而异。即使同样是一杯的份量，不同品牌的干粮亦有所不同。因此，建议参考食物袋上的图表，并因应情况调整食物份量，确保无限饮食能够符合成长需要和维持理想体重。
 
一般而言，在幼犬6个月大之前，建议每日喂养最多4餐，然后可以减少到每日两餐。至于幼猫，通常建议让牠们自由进食，6个月大后可以转为以餐为基础的喂食方式。但一些猫可能喜欢整天慢慢享用食物。
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幼犬和幼貓通常在1-2個月大時逐漸從母乳過渡到進食固體食物。
 
選擇新糧食時查看包裝上的信息，確保 適合毛孩的品種及符合牠們的營養需要非常重要。不同年齡和品種的毛孩有著不同的營養需要。市場上買到的寵物糧食一般是營養完全均衡的——通常不需要額外添加鈣或維他命，除非獸醫有特別指示。添加過多的補充劑有時可能對毛孩是弊多於利。
 
若傾向自製食物，建議諮詢經專業委員會認證的獸醫營養師，以制定一個均衡飲食餐單，防止毛孩出現慢性營養不良。
 
在改變任何飲食期間，應採用循序漸進的方法。新的飲食餐單應該在大約一週的時間內慢慢過渡，方法是將少量新食物添加到原有食物中，並減少原有食物份量。這種飲食過渡將有助於減少毛孩腸胃不適，更加容易適應。
 
食物份量會因食物的熱量、動物的體重和活動水平而異。即使同樣是一杯的份量，不同品牌的乾糧亦有所不同。因此，建議參考食物袋上的圖表，並因應情況調整食物份量，確保無限飲食能夠符合成長需要和維持理想體重。
 
一般而言，在幼犬6個月大之前，建議每日餵養最多4餐，然後可以減少到每日兩餐。至於幼貓，通常建議讓牠們自由進食，6個月大後可以轉為以餐為基礎的餵食方式。但一些貓可能喜歡整天慢慢享用食物。 <img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/puppy%20class%20leaflet_bi_square%20(3).jpg" alt="puppy class leaflet_bi_square (3).jpg (2.49 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 
 

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Puppies and kittens nutrition

幼犬和和幼猫的营养需要

幼犬和幼貓的營養需要

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&nbsp;
This is easier said than done for our pets. Most dogs don&rsquo;t like having their teeth brushed, and it is almost impossible for us to do anything with cats&rsquo; teeth. Dental disease is one of the most common health issues in pets.&nbsp;
 
Plaque and tartar accumulate over time, and then cause the inflammation and infection of the gums- periodontal diseases. Without proper dental care, this will lead to infection of the tooth root, causing the teeth to become rotten and loosen, resulting in pain. Pets react to dental pain differently, some may have excessive drooling and paw at their mouth, and sometimes may encounter difficulties in eating.
 
Dental diseases are best addressed early. Although veterinary dental procedures require general anesthesia, with the right precautions, they are still relatively low risk procedures. There are places where they offer anesthesia-free dentistry; however, these practices are now considered unacceptable and below the standard of care.
 
There are about 42 teeth in dogs and 30 teeth in cats. Very often when owners come to us and schedule a dental procedure, they worry about how many teeth need to be extracted and their pets&rsquo; ability to eat after extractions. Although extraction can be painful and unpleasant at first, it carries greater benefits. Not only does it alleviate discomfort from infected teeth and reduce the spread of bacteria to the surrounding tissues and other parts of the body, but it also improves pets&rsquo; ability to chew and eat.
 
The best way to deal with pets&rsquo; dental health is prevention and regular checks whenever possible. For more details on how YOU can help your pets&rsquo; dental health, you should book a dental check with your vet and get advice from them.

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<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_dental-01.jpg" alt="ATV_dental-01.jpg (4.78 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 应该刷哪颗牙呢？简单来说，就是你想要保留的牙齿。
 
对于我们的宠物来说，刷牙可不是一件容易的事。大多数狗狗不喜欢刷牙。而对于猫咪来说，想帮牠们刷牙几乎是不可能的任务。牙龈疾病是宠物最常见的健康问题之一。
 
随着时间推移，牙菌斑和牙结石会逐渐积累，然后引起牙龈的炎症和感染，也就是牙周病。如果没有适当的牙齿护理，这可能导致牙根感染，使牙齿腐烂和松动，引起疼痛。不同宠物对牙痛的反应各不相同，有些可能会过度流口水和抓嘴巴，有时还可能会出现进食困难。
 
若患上牙齿疾病，最好尽早处理。虽然兽医的牙科手术需要全身麻醉，但在正确的准备功夫下，这些手术的风险相对较低。有些地方提供无麻醉的牙科服务，但这些做法现在被认为是不可接受的，并不符合护理标准。
 
狗狗大约有42颗牙齿，而猫咪大约有30颗。当主人来找我们安排牙科手术时，他们经常担心需要拔除多少颗牙齿以及宠物在拔牙后是否仍能正常进食。尽管拔牙起初可能会疼痛和不愉快，但其带来的益处更多。拔牙不仅能减轻因感染引起的不适，减少细菌向周围组织和其他部位扩散，同时改善宠物的咀嚼和进食能力。
 
预防和定期检查是解决宠物牙齿健康问题的最佳方法。想知道更多有关如何保护宠物牙齿健康？请与您的兽医预约牙科检查，并谘询他们的意见。
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<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_dental-01.jpg" alt="ATV_dental-01.jpg (4.78 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 應該刷哪顆牙呢？簡單來說，就是你想要保留的牙齒。
 
對於我們的寵物來說，刷牙可不是一件容易的事。大多數狗狗不喜歡刷牙。而對於貓咪來說，想幫牠們刷牙幾乎是不可能的任務。牙齦疾病是寵物最常見的健康問題之一。
 
隨着時間推移，牙菌斑和牙結石會逐漸積累，然後引起牙齦的炎症和感染，也就是牙周病。如果沒有適當的牙齒護理，這可能導致牙根感染，使牙齒腐爛和鬆動，引起疼痛。不同寵物對牙痛的反應各不相同，有些可能會過度流口水和抓嘴巴，有時還可能會出現進食困難。
 
若患上牙齒疾病，最好盡早處理。雖然獸醫的牙科手術需要全身麻醉，但在正確的準備功夫下，這些手術的風險相對較低。有些地方提供無麻醉的牙科服務，但這些做法現在被認為是不可接受的，並不符合護理標準。
 
狗狗大約有42顆牙齒，而貓咪大約有30顆。當主人來找我們安排牙科手術時，他們經常擔心需要拔除多少顆牙齒以及寵物在拔牙後是否仍能正常進食。儘管拔牙起初可能會疼痛和不愉快，但其帶來的益處更多。拔牙不僅能減輕因感染引起的不適，減少細菌向周圍組織和其他部位擴散，同時改善寵物的咀嚼和進食能力。
 
預防和定期檢查是解決寵物牙齒健康問題的最佳方法。想知道更多有關如何保護寵物牙齒健康？請與您的獸醫預約牙科檢查，並諮詢他們的意見。
 

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Pets’ dental health

宠物牙齿健康

寵物牙齒口腔健康

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Feeding tubes&nbsp;
 
Good nutrition is vital to health. When your pet is sick or injured, their voluntary intake may not be adequate. Inadequate food and water intake, as little as a few days, can lead to serious health complications, such as fatty liver disease.&nbsp;
 
This is when placing a feeding tube can be very useful in ensuring your pet has enough calorie intake and nutritional support. It may sound scary to have a tube hanging from your pet&rsquo;s nose or from the side of their neck, but more than often, once pet owners started using a tube (temporarily or permanently), we heard comments such as &lsquo;it takes so much pressure off me tempting my dog to eat/ worrying that my dog has not had enough,&rsquo;or &lsquo; giving medication now is so much easier.&rsquo;.
A feeding tube is a hollow, flexible tube fitted to allow your pet to receive food (and water) without them having to chew and swallow. The placement of a feeding tube and ensuring adequate nutritional support can result in a more rapid recovery and allow pets to be discharged earlier from the hospital, with the tube remaining in place. In addition, it can reduce the stress of medicating your pet or tempting your pet to eat when unwell. It does not affect your pet&rsquo;s ability to eat by themselves if they wish to.
 
There are a few types of feeding tubes, and the most commonly used ones are the nasogastric tube and the oesophageal tube. &nbsp;
 
The nasogastric tube is a small tube that is inserted through the nose down to the oesophagus/stomach. The tube can be placed with little or no sedation at all. Water, liquid food, and some liquid medications can be passed through the tube. It is a good choice for short-term use (usually a few days) in stabilizing a debilitated patient until a more permanent tube can be placed or the patient recovers and eats voluntarily.
 
The oesophageal tube, on the other hand, can be used and left in place for weeks to months. The patient has to be anaesthetized for placement, and the tube is inserted from the side of the neck down to the oesophagus. The tube is larger than that of nasogastric tube, allowing thicker food to be blended and passed down the tube. The tube can be used safely at home when the patient is fit to be discharged.
 
If you have any concerns about your pet&rsquo;s appetite, or the use of a feeding tube, please do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian for advice.

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喂食管
 
摄取充足营养对宠物健康至关重要。当您的宠物生病或受伤时，他们自愿进食的份量可能不足。短短几天的食物摄取和饮水量不足可能会导致严重的健康问题，例如脂肪肝等。
 
此时，放置喂食管可帮助确保您的宠物摄入足够的热量和营养。虽然一根管子从宠物的鼻子或颈侧悬垂下来听起来较可怕，但通常一旦宠物主人开始使用喂食管后（临时或永久），我们常听到的反应包括：「这减少了我劝诱狗狗吃东西／担心狗狗没有吃够的压力」或者「现在给药简单多了」。喂食管是一条空心的软管，方便让宠物在不需咀嚼和吞咽的情况下摄取食物（和水）。放置喂食管和确保宠物有足够的营养支持，可以加快牠们恢复的速度，使牠们可以在插在喂食管的情况下提前出院。此外，这样可以减少给宠物药物或在宠物不适时劝诱牠们进食的压力。只要牠们愿意进食的话，喂食管不会影响牠们自行进食的能力。
 
喂食管有不同类型，最常用的是鼻胃管和食道管。
 
鼻胃管是一根小管，通过鼻子插入至食道／胃。放置管子时通常不需要或只需轻微镇静。水、液态食物和一些液态药物可以通过管子传递。鼻胃管是用作短期稳定衰弱个案（通常几天），直到可以放置更长期的喂食管或病人恢复并自愿进食的良好选择。
 
食道管可以放置在宠物身上数周至数月。个案需要麻醉后才放置管子，管子从颈部侧面插入至食道。此管子的直径比鼻胃管更大，更浓稠的食物混合物可以通过该管子。当毛孩健康状况适合出院时，在家中也可安全使用喂食管。
 
如果你对你的宠物食欲或使用喂食管有任何疑虑，请联系你的兽医以获取建议。

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餵食管
 
攝取充足營養對寵物健康至關重要。當您的寵物生病或受傷時，他們自願進食的份量可能不足。短短幾天的食物攝取和飲水量不足可能會導致嚴重的健康問題，例如脂肪肝等。
 
此時，放置餵食管可幫助確保您的寵物攝入足夠的熱量和營養。雖然一根管子從寵物的鼻子或頸側懸垂下來聽起來較可怕，但通常一旦寵物主人開始使用餵食管後（臨時或永久），我們常聽到的反應包括：「這減少了我勸誘狗狗吃東西／擔心狗狗沒有吃夠的壓力」或者「現在給藥簡單多了」。餵食管是一條空心的軟管，方便讓寵物在不需咀嚼和吞嚥的情況下攝取食物（和水）。放置餵食管和確保寵物有足夠的營養支持，可以加快牠們恢復的速度，使牠們可以在插在餵食管的情況下提前出院。此外，這樣可以減少給寵物藥物或在寵物不適時勸誘牠們進食的壓力。只要牠們願意進食的話，餵食管不會影響牠們自行進食的能力。
 
餵食管有不同類型，最常用的是鼻胃管和食道管。
 
鼻胃管是一根小管，通過鼻子插入至食道／胃。放置管子時通常不需要或只需輕微鎮靜。水、液態食物和一些液態藥物可以通過管子傳遞。鼻胃管是用作短期穩定衰弱個案（通常幾天），直到可以放置更長期的餵食管或病人恢復並自願進食的良好選擇。
 
食道管可以放置在寵物身上數周至數月。個案需要麻醉後才放置管子，管子從頸部側面插入至食道。此管子的直徑比鼻胃管更大，更濃稠的食物混合物可以通過該管子。當毛孩健康狀況適合出院時，在家中也可安全使用餵食管。
 
如果你對你的寵物食慾或使用餵食管有任何疑慮，請聯繫你的獸醫以獲取建議。

Placing a feeding tube

放置喂食管

放置餵食管

<h2><img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_dog%20train%201.jpg" alt="ATV_dog train 1.jpg (3.30 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> How to apply reinforcement and punishment</h2>
In dog training, there are two main learning methods: operant conditioning and Pavlovian (classical) conditioning. Today, we&rsquo;ll focus on operant conditioning, exploring what it is, how it works, and when to apply it. Let&rsquo;s break it down.
<h4>What is operant conditioning?</h4>
Operant conditioning, a learning theory developed by B.F. Skinner, uses reinforcement and punishment to modify behaviours by applying appropriate consequences.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Reinforcement strengthens a behaviour, making it more likely to occur.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Punishment weakens a behaviour, making it less likely to occur.</li>
</ul>
Operant conditioning is further divided into four categories:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Positive reinforcement: Adding something desirable (a reward) to strengthen a behaviour.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Negative reinforcement: Removing something aversive to strengthen a behaviour.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Positive punishment: Adding something aversive (a correction) to weaken a behaviour.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Negative punishment: Removing something desirable to weaken a behaviour.</li>
</ol>
In this context, "positive" means adding something, while "negative" means removing something. Let&rsquo;s take a closer look at how these concepts can be applied in dog training.
<h4>Examples of operant conditioning in dog training</h4>
Here&rsquo;s how a handler might use operant conditioning to teach a dog to sit when greeting other people:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Positive Reinforcement Example: When the dog sits in front of people during a greeting, the handler gives the dog a treat, reinforcing the sitting behaviour.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Negative Reinforcement Example: If the dog jumps on people during a greeting, the handler applies pressure on the leash. The pressure is released only when the dog sits, reinforcing the sitting behaviour.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Positive Punishment Example: If the dog jumps on people, the handler firmly says "No," weakening the jumping behaviour.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Negative Punishment Example: If the dog jumps on people, the handler removes the dog from the situation by placing it in a crate or a separate room, weakening the jumping behaviour.</li>
</ol>
<h4>Understanding rewards and corrections</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A rewarding stimulus (or reward) is anything the dog wants at that moment. This could include treats, praise, affection, toys, or play.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">An aversive stimulus (or correction) is anything the dog does not want at that moment. Examples include a firm "No," a leash pop, time-out, or removing attention or treats.</li>
</ul>
It&rsquo;s important to note that physical abuse (e.g., kicking, smacking, or hitting the dog) is not acceptable and is considered abuse&mdash;not punishment.
Timing Is Key
During the training phase of dog training, timing is critical. Whether you&rsquo;re applying a reward or a correction, it must occur within one second of the dog&rsquo;s behaviour. This ensures the dog can clearly associate its action with the consequence, making the learning process more effective.
By understanding and properly applying these principles of operant conditioning, you can successfully shape and modify your dog&rsquo;s behaviours.&nbsp;
<div></div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Pets Central Veterinary Academy Puppy Class&nbsp;&nbsp;</h1>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">Trainer&nbsp;Introduction&nbsp;&ndash; Vienn</h3>
Vienn is the founder of a successful dog training school in Australia, recently returned to Hong Kong, and&nbsp;aims to educate pet owners on canine behaviours and broaden her knowledge of&nbsp;dogs further.&nbsp;As a qualified dog trainer through NDTF (National Dog Trainers Federation) and a&nbsp;certified puppy instructor, Vienn has worked with and been&nbsp;mentored by world-class trainers, such as Boyd Hooper and Steve Mcloche.&nbsp;Vienn specializes in modifying canine behaviours and puppy development, as well as scent detection training. She also has years of experience with tactical working dogs, decoy work, civil training and drive development. <img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/1%20(7).png" alt="1 (7).png (200 KB)" width="500" height="500" /><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/2%20(7).png" alt="2 (7).png (79 KB)" width="500" height="500" />
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<div style="text-align: center;">5 weeks block</div>
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如何应用增强和惩罚？
犬只训练主要有两种学习方法：操作制约和巴夫洛夫（古典）制约。今次我们主要谈及操作制约，探讨什么是操作制约、如何运作，以及该何时应用，接下来将逐一拆解。
&nbsp;
什么是操作制约？
操作制约是由斯金纳（B.F. Skinner）提出的一种学习理论，透过增强和惩罚所带来的后果修正行为。
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">增强会强化行为，增加其出现的可能性</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">惩罚则会减弱行为，减少其出现的可能性</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
操作制约分为四类：
&nbsp;
<ol>
<li> 正向增强：透过提供想要的东西（奖励）来强化行为。</li>
<li> 负向增强：透过移除不想要的东西来强化行为。</li>
<li> 正向惩罚：透过提供不想要的东西（矫正）来减少行为。</li>
<li> 负向惩罚：透过移除想要的东西来减少行为。</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
在这个分类下，「正向」意味着加入某些东西，而「负向」意味着移除某些东西。现在让我们更深入地了解这些概念如何应用于犬只训练中。
&nbsp;
在犬只训练中使用操作制约的例子
&nbsp;
以下是训练师透过操作制约教导狗狗在与他人打招呼时坐下的方法：
<ol>
<li> 正向增强</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;例子：当狗狗在打招呼时坐下，训练员给予狗狗零食奖励，以加强坐下的行为
<ol start="2">
<li> 负向增强</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;例子：如果狗狗在打招呼时跳到人身上，训练员会透过牵绳向狗狗施加一定的压力。只有当狗坐下时，才可消除压力，以加强坐下的行为。
<ol start="3">
<li> 正向惩罚</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;例子：如果狗跳到人身上，训练员会严厉地说「不」，以减弱跳跃的行为。
<ol start="4">
<li> 负向惩罚</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;例子：如果狗跳到人身上，训练员会将狗狗带离该场合，将牠带进笼子或单独的房间里，以减弱跳跃的行为。
&nbsp;
理解奖励与修正
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">奖励性刺激（或奖励）是指狗在当下想要的任何东西。这可以包括零食、赞美、爱抚、玩具或游戏。</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">厌恶性刺激（或修正）是指狗在当下不想要的任何东西。例子包括严厉的「不」、拉扯牵绳、暂停游戏时间或收回注意力或零食。</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
要注意的是，身体虐待（例如踢、掌掴或拍打狗狗）是不可接受的，这被视为虐待行为，而非惩罚。
 
时机是关键
&nbsp;
在犬只训练的过程中，把机时机非常重要。无论你是给予奖励还是进行修正，都必须在狗狗行为发生后的一秒内进行。这样可以确保狗狗能清楚将其行为与后果联系起来，令学习过程更加有效。
&nbsp;
通过理解并正确应用这些操作制约的原则，你可以成功地塑造和改变狗狗的行为。
<div></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">PCVA兽医学院幼犬训练班 </h1>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">導師介紹 &ndash; Vienn</h3>
Vienn是一位成功的狗狗训练学校短片人，最近回到香港，目标是教育宠物主人了解犬类行为并进一步拓宽她对狗狗的认识。 作为一名通过NDTF（国家犬类联盟）认证的狗狗训练师及认证幼犬导师，Vienn曾与世界级师如Boyd Hooper和Steve Mcloche合作并指导。Vienn专精于修改犬类行为、幼犬发展以及嗅觉训练检测。她还有多年的犬类工作、诱饵工作、民用训练及驱动发展的经验。 <img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/1%20(7).png" alt="1 (7).png (200 KB)" width="500" height="500" /><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/2%20(7).png" alt="2 (7).png (79 KB)" width="500" height="500" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">课程架构</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">5周课程 每周1堂 每堂1小时 每堂最多8只幼犬，接受任何品种</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
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<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_dog%20train%201.jpg" alt="ATV_dog train 1.jpg (3.30 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> 如何應用增強和懲罰？
犬隻訓練主要有兩種學習方法：操作制約和巴夫洛夫（古典）制約。今次我們主要談及操作制約，探討甚麼是操作制約、如何運作，以及該何時應用，接下來將逐一拆解。
 
甚麼是操作制約？
操作制約是由斯金納（B.F. Skinner）提出的一種學習理論，透過增強和懲罰所帶來的後果修正行為。
 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">增強會強化行為，增加其出現的可能性</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">懲罰則會減弱行為，減少其出現的可能性</li>
</ul>
 
操作制約分為四類：
 
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">正向增強：透過提供想要的東西（獎勵）來強化行為。</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">負向增強：透過移除不想要的東西來強化行為。</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">正向懲罰：透過提供不想要的東西（矯正）來減少行為。</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">負向懲罰：透過移除想要的東西來減少行為。</li>
</ol>
 
在這個分類下，「正向」意味著加入某些東西，而「負向」意味著移除某些東西。現在讓我們更深入地了解這些概念如何應用於犬隻訓練中。
 
在犬隻訓練中使用操作制約的例子
 
以下是訓練師透過操作制約教導狗狗在與他人打招呼時坐下的方法：
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">正向增強&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
例子：當狗狗在打招呼時坐下，訓練員給予狗狗零食獎勵，以加強坐下的行為
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">負向增強</li>
</ol>
例子：如果狗狗在打招呼時跳到人身上，訓練員會透過牽繩向狗狗施加一定的壓力。只有當狗坐下時，才可消除壓力，以加強坐下的行為。
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">正向懲罰</li>
</ol>
例子：如果狗跳到人身上，訓練員會嚴厲地說「不」，以減弱跳躍的行為。
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">負向懲罰</li>
</ol>
例子：如果狗跳到人身上，訓練員會將狗狗帶離該場合，將牠帶進籠子或單獨的房間裏，以減弱跳躍的行為。
 
理解獎勵與修正
 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">獎勵性刺激（或獎勵）是指狗在當下想要的任何東西。這可以包括零食、讚美、愛撫、玩具或遊戲。</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">厭惡性刺激（或修正）是指狗在當下不想要的任何東西。例子包括嚴厲的「不」、拉扯牽繩、暫停遊戲時間或收回注意力或零食。</li>
</ul>
 
要注意的是，身體虐待（例如踢、掌摑或拍打狗狗）是不可接受的，這被視為虐待行為，而非懲罰。
 
時機是關鍵
 
在犬隻訓練的過程中，把機時機非常重要。無論你是給予獎勵還是進行修正，都必須在狗狗行為發生後的一秒內進行。這樣可以確保狗狗能清楚將其行為與後果聯繫起來，令學習過程更加有效。
 
通過理解並正確應用這些操作制約的原則，你可以成功地塑造和改變狗狗的行為。 
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">PCVA獸醫學院幼犬訓練班&nbsp;</h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="314" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NyRaXSpQcSc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe> </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">導師介紹 &ndash; Vienn</h3>
Vienn是一位成功的狗狗訓練學校創辦人，最近回到香港，目標是教育寵物主人瞭解犬類行為並進一步拓寬她對狗狗的認識。作為一位通過NDTF（國家犬類訓練聯盟）認證的狗狗訓練師及認證幼犬導師，Vienn曾與世界級訓練師如Boyd Hooper和Steve Mcloche合作並得到指導。Vienn專精於修改犬類行為、幼犬發展以及嗅覺檢測訓練。她還有多年的戰術工作犬、誘餌工作、民用訓練及驅動發展的經驗。 <img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/1%20(7).png" alt="1 (7).png (200 KB)" width="500" height="500" /><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/2%20(7).png" alt="2 (7).png (79 KB)" width="500" height="500" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">課程架構</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">5週課程&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每週1堂&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每堂1小時&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每堂最多8隻幼犬，接受任何品種 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/puppy%20class%20leaflet_bi_square%20(2).jpg" alt="puppy class leaflet_bi_square (2).jpg (1.34 MB)" width="670" height="670" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> 
<h4 style="text-align: center;">如有查詢，請致電&nbsp;<a>+852 2811 8907</a> </h4>
</div>
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How to apply reinforcement and punishment in dog training

如何应用增强和惩罚训练犬只

如何應用增強和懲罰訓練犬隻

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_christmas%20globe-01.jpg" alt="ATV_christmas globe-01.jpg (3.11 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> Christmas is upon us. When thinking about Christmas, my immediate thoughts are the food, the parties, the fireplace, and of course, the decorations. Christmas is a fun time for us, but can also be fun for our pets. They can also enjoy the company, the parties and gatherings. Some owners prepare pet-friendly food and cakes for them. These are the usual concerns that vets will warn owners about during this season: overweight, diarrhea, upset stomach, and pancreatitis, etc. The innocent-looking decorations are never talked about. Interestingly, there are some decorations can be very harmful when broken or eaten. Simple ones are things like glass or thin plastic wrapping or Christmas tree decorations that can be chewed or swallowed, potentially causing intestinal obstructions which may require surgery. Decoration like snow globes sometimes contain antifreeze, which is harmful to dogs and cats when ingested. Antifreeze is apparently sweet in taste, which may attract pets to lick or eat it. Early signs of intoxication include vomiting, excessive drinking and urination, and lethargy; this may progress to acute kidney failure, ataxia (lack of coordination), seizures and coma. If this happens to your pet, you have to bring them to a vet clinic, and they will likely need to have vomiting induced to remove any undigested substances and receive appropriate treatment, which may require they to stay in the hospital for a few days. Christmas is a season of love and joy. We wish you a Merry Christmas.&nbsp;

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_christmas%20globe-01.jpg" alt="ATV_christmas globe-01.jpg (3.11 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> 圣诞节即将到来，每次想到圣诞节时，也少不免想起圣诞食物、派对、炉火，当然还有装饰品。 圣诞节对我们来说，是一个很欢乐的节日，对宠物来说也是。牠们也可以享受聚会和派对。一些主人会为牠们准备宠物友好的食物和蛋糕。兽医在这个节目也会提醒主人们关注的常见问题，包括超重、腹泻、胃部不适和胰脏炎等。 而圣诞装饰品看起来毫无杀伤力，很少受到大家的关注。但其实有些装饰品一旦碎裂后或被毛孩吞下，可能造成严重的伤害。简单的小物件，例如玻璃、薄塑料包装或圣诞树装饰等若被毛孩咀嚼或吞下，或会引起肠道阻塞，有机会需要进行手术处理。 雪花球等装饰物有时含有防冻剂，一旦猫狗摄入了，将会对牠们的身体有害。防冻剂明显含有甜味，可能会吸引宠物舔食。中毒的早期症状包括呕吐、过度饮水和排尿、倦怠；这可能恶化成急性肾衰竭、运动失调（协调能力缺失）、癫痫和昏迷。如果您的宠物出现这种情况，请必须将牠带到兽医诊所，他们可能需要接受催吐以排出任何未消化的物质，并接受适当的治疗，可能需要住院数天。 圣诞是一个充满爱与喜悦的节日。祝您圣诞快乐。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_christmas%20globe-01.jpg" alt="ATV_christmas globe-01.jpg (3.11 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> 聖誕節即將到來，每次想到聖誕節時，也少不免想起聖誕食物、派對、爐火，當然還有裝飾品。 聖誕節對我們來說，是一個很歡樂的節日，對寵物來說也是。牠們也可以享受聚會和派對。一些主人會為牠們準備寵物友好的食物和蛋糕。獸醫在這個節目也會提醒主人們關注的常見問題，包括超重、腹瀉、胃部不適和胰臟炎等。 而聖誕裝飾品看起來毫無殺傷力，很少受到大家的關注。但其實有些裝飾品一旦碎裂後或被毛孩吞下，可能造成嚴重的傷害。簡單的小物件，例如玻璃、薄塑料包裝或聖誕樹裝飾等若被毛孩咀嚼或吞下，或會引起腸道阻塞，有機會需要進行手術處理。 雪花球等裝飾物有時含有防凍劑，一旦貓狗攝入了，將會對牠們的身體有害。防凍劑明顯含有甜味，可能會吸引寵物舔食。中毒的早期症狀包括嘔吐、過度飲水和排尿、倦怠；這可能惡化成急性腎衰竭、運動失調（協調能力缺失）、癲癇和昏迷。如果你的寵物出現這種情況，請必須將牠帶到獸醫診所，他們可能需要接受催吐以排出任何未消化的物質，並接受適當的治療，可能需要住院數天。 聖誕是一個充滿愛與喜悅的節日。祝你聖誕快樂。&nbsp;

Christmas decorations that are harmful to pets

对宠物有害的圣诞装饰品

對寵物有害的聖誕裝飾品

Hyperthyroidism
<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_Hyperthyroidism-01.jpg" alt="ATV_Hyperthyroidism-01.jpg (1.71 MB)" width="670" height="670" />
It is a disorder characterized by an overproduction of thyroid hormones. This condition mainly affacts cats, and very rarely dogs.
 
The most common cause is benign tumors in the thyroid glands which are located in the neck adjacent to the trachea in the throat area. Sometimes when the glands are prominent, they become quite easy to palpate. This disorder is also most common in older cats, typically those over 10 years old.
 
The most noticeable symptom is weight loss despite having a good appetite. A stereotype is a skinny cat that has a very good appetite, is hyperactive, can be easily irritable and sometimes shows behavior changes and may become more aggressive. Some may have a poor coat condition and may have increased thirst and urination.
 
Diagnosing hyperthyroidism is fairly straightforward. Most of the time, a blood test can confirm the condition. There are a few treatment options including medications. Sometimes, surgery can be indicated, and radioactive iodine therapy sometimes maybe feasible. In some cases, a low iodine diet maybe adequate temporarily, but diet is mostly used in conjunction with other treatments.
 
Medicating cats, especially old and grumpy ones, can be difficult. Nowadays, instead of having to dose the cat orally, there are now options where the treatment can be applied to the skin and absorbed through it, making treatment a lot easier.
 
Like any endocrine disease, hyperthyroidism affects many systems. Most importantly, hyperthyroidism affects the cardiovascular system and can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease. Hyperthyroidism can also uncover underlying kidney disease- this is not caused by hyperthyroidism, but an UNMASKING of underlying disease.
 
Most hyperthyroidism conditions are relatively easy to treat if recognized and diagnosed early. However, if left untreated, there can be detrimental consequences.&nbsp;
 
If you suspect that your cat (or dog) has hyperthyroidism, you should consult your vet for more information.
&nbsp;&nbsp;

甲状腺机能亢进
<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_Hyperthyroidism-01.jpg" alt="ATV_Hyperthyroidism-01.jpg (1.71 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 
甲状腺机能亢进是指一种甲状腺激素过度分泌的疾病。这种情况主要影响猫，较少在狗的身上出现。
 
最常见的原因是位于颈部靠近喉部气管的甲状腺腺体中出现了良性肿瘤。有时，当这些腺体突出时，它们变得相当容易摸得出。这种疾病在年老的猫中也最常见，尤其是超过10岁的猫。
 
最明显的症状是即使胃口很好也出现的体重下降。典型的状态是一只体态瘦削但胃口很好的猫，它们活跃，容易烦躁，有时出现行为改变，可能变得更具攻击性。有些个案可能出现毛发状况不佳、口渴和尿尿次数增加的情况。
 
诊断甲状腺机能亢进的方法相当简单。大多数情况下，可透过血液检测确认状况。有数种治疗方法，包括药物治疗。有时可能需要手术治疗，有时也可能需震进行放射性碘疗法。在某些情况下，低碘饮食可能暂时足够控制病情，但一般而言饮食控制需要配合其他治疗一同进行。
 
喂猫食药，尤其是年老且易怒的猫，可能是一件难度很高的事。其实不一定需要服用口服药物，现在有经皮肤吸收的药物，只需要涂在皮肤上便可，令治疗变得容易得多。
 
与任何内分泌疾病一样，甲状腺机能亢进影响着身体不同系统。最重要的是，甲状腺机能亢进影响心血管系统，可能导致高血压和心脏疾病。甲状腺机能亢进还可能揭示潜在的肾脏疾病-这些疾病不是由甲状腺机能亢进引起，但因甲状腺机能亢进而显现。
 
患上甲状腺机能亢进的宠物，如果及早获得诊断，治疗大多数较容易。然而，如果一直不接受治疗，可能会产生不良后果。
 
如果您怀疑您的猫（或狗）患有甲状腺机能亢进，应谘询您的兽医以了解更多。

甲狀腺機能亢進
<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_Hyperthyroidism-01.jpg" alt="ATV_Hyperthyroidism-01.jpg (1.71 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 
甲狀腺機能亢進是指一種甲狀腺激素過度分泌的疾病。這種情況主要影響貓，較少在狗的身上出現。
 
最常見的原因是位於頸部靠近喉部氣管的甲狀腺腺體中出現了良性腫瘤。有時，當這些腺體突出時，它們變得相當容易摸得出。這種疾病在年老的貓中也最常見，尤其是超過10歲的貓。
 
最明顯的症狀是即使胃口很好也出現的體重下降。典型的狀態是一隻體態瘦削但胃口很好的貓，它們活躍，容易煩躁，有時出現行為改變，可能變得更具攻擊性。有些個案可能出現毛髮狀況不佳、口渴和尿尿次數增加的情況。
 
診斷甲狀腺機能亢進的方法相當簡單。大多數情況下，可透過血液檢測確認狀況。有數種治療方法，包括藥物治療。有時可能需要手術治療，有時也可能需震進行放射性碘療法。在某些情況下，低碘飲食可能暫時足夠控制病情，但一般而言飲食控制需要配合其他治療一同進行。
 
餵貓食藥，尤其是年老且易怒的貓，可能是一件難度很高的事。其實不一定需要服用口服藥物，現在有經皮膚吸收的藥物，只需要塗在皮膚上便可，令治療變得容易得多。
 
與任何內分泌疾病一樣，甲狀腺機能亢進影響著身體不同系統。最重要的是，甲狀腺機能亢進影響心血管系統，可能導致高血壓和心臟疾病。甲狀腺機能亢進還可能揭示潛在的腎臟疾病-這些疾病不是由甲狀腺機能亢進引起，但因甲狀腺機能亢進而顯現。
 
患上甲狀腺機能亢進的寵物，如果及早獲得診斷，治療大多數較容易。然而，如果一直不接受治療的話，可能會產生不良後果。
 
如果您懷疑您的貓（或狗）患有甲狀腺機能亢進，應諮詢您的獸醫以了解更多。

Hyperthyroidism

甲状腺机能亢进

甲狀腺機能亢進

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_poo.jpg" alt="ATV_poo.jpg (2.21 MB)" width="600" height="600" caption="false" /> Why does my vet always ask about how my pet is doing with eating, drinking, defecating and urinating?&nbsp;
 
These questions serve as the foundation of the medical history &ndash; the background of&nbsp;your pet&rsquo;s status. One area that receive the least attention from the above is defecation.
 
When we talk about defecation, it can be about consistency, which is what most owners are concerned about, especially when their pets have diarrhea or constipation. Most of the time, the vet will ask further questions like &ldquo;Is it soft?&rdquo; &ldquo;Is it formed?&rdquo; &ldquo;Is it watery?&rdquo;. These can determine the severity of the problem or its cause, and the vet may formulate a diagnostic plan or treatment plan accordingly.
 
Sometimes it is useful to be aware of the colour. It can vary from brown, which is normal, to green, yellow, black, red or a combination. While yellow may indicate liver disease or bile issues, black may indicate bleeding of the upper digestive tract, whereas red and blood-tinged usually mean there is bleeding or inflammation in the lower digestive tract. There may also be the presence of mucus, which may also indicate inflammation, irritation or infection in the intestines.
 
The presence of undigested food can indicate that there is malabsorption- the digestive tract is not functioning normally; whereas the presence of hair and foreign bodies may indicate that your pets have some grooming behavior or have been ingesting something they should not. Sometimes we may see parasites in the feces and may indicate that there is a parasitic infection and requires deworming.
 
NOT all diarrhea needs immediate attention, but if you are in doubt, you can always ask your vet and they will give you the appropriate advice.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_poo.jpg" alt="ATV_poo.jpg (2.21 MB)" width="600" height="600" caption="false" /> 为什么兽医总是问我的宠物在饮食、饮水、排便和排尿方面的情况？
 
这些问题是了解宠物病历的关键&mdash;&mdash;透露你的宠物为何出现这种状态，当中最少被主人注意到的问题便是排便。
 
当我们谈及排便时，大部分主人会关心宠物排便的规律，尤其是在他们的宠物有腹泻或便秘时。大多数情况下，兽医会进一步了解状况，例如「粪便是软的吗？」、「成形吗？」、「水状的吗？」这些问题可以帮助确定问题的严重程度或原因，协助兽医进行诊断或制定治疗计划。
 
有时留意粪便的颜色也很有用。粪便的颜色由正常的啡色，至不正常的绿色、黄色、黑色、红色或混合多种颜色不等。黄色可能代表出现肝脏疾病或胆汁问题；而黑色可能代表消化道出血；红色和带血通常意味着下消化道出现出血或炎症。粪便可能还会伴随着粘液出现，这可能表示出现肠道炎症、刺激或感染。
 
粪便残存未消化的食物代表消化不良&mdash;&mdash;消化道功能异常；而出现毛发和异物可能代表你的宠物有某些梳理毛发的行为或进食了不该进食的东西。有时我们可能会在粪便中看到寄生虫，这可能代表出现了寄生虫感染，需要进行驱虫。
 
不是所有腹泻也需要即时处理，但如果你有疑问，可以谘询你的兽医，他们会给予你适当的建议。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_poo.jpg" alt="ATV_poo.jpg (2.21 MB)" width="600" height="600" caption="false" /> 為甚麼獸醫總是問我的寵物在飲食、飲水、排便和排尿方面的情況？
 
這些問題是了解寵物病歷的關鍵&mdash;&mdash;透露你的寵物為何出現這種狀態，當中最少被主人注意到的問題便是排便。
 
當我們談及排便時，大部分主人會關心寵物排便的規律，尤其是在他們的寵物有腹瀉或便秘時。大多數情況下，獸醫會進一步了解狀況，例如「糞便是軟的嗎？」、「成形嗎？」、「水狀的嗎？」這些問題可以幫助確定問題的嚴重程度或原因，協助獸醫進行診斷或制定治療計畫。
 
有時留意糞便的顏色也很有用。糞便的顏色由正常的啡色，至不正常的綠色、黃色、黑色、紅色或混合多種顏色不等。黃色可能代表出現肝臟疾病或膽汁問題；而黑色可能代表消化道出血；紅色和帶血通常意味著下消化道出現出血或炎症。糞便可能還會伴隨著粘液出現，這可能表示出現腸道炎症、刺激或感染。
 
糞便殘存未消化的食物代表消化不良&mdash;&mdash;消化道功能異常；而出現毛髮和異物可能代表你的寵物有某些梳理毛髮的行為或進食了不該進食的東西。有時我們可能會在糞便中看到寄生蟲，這可能代表出現了寄生蟲感染，需要進行驅蟲。
 
不是所有腹瀉也需要即時處理，但如果你有疑問，可以諮詢你的獸醫，他們會給予你適當的建議。

Why does my vet always ask about how my pet is doing with eating, drinking, defecating and urinating? 

为什么兽医总是问我的宠物在饮食、饮水、排便和排尿方面的情况？

為甚麼獸醫總是問我的寵物在飲食、飲水、排便和排尿方面的情況？

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_Patella%20luxation-01.jpg" alt="ATV_Patella luxation-01.jpg (1.51 MB)" width="350" height="350" caption="false" /> Patella luxation
Toy poodles, Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas and Pomeranians are some of the most common breeds of dogs in Hong Kong. They are cute, active, affectionate and intelligent.&nbsp;
They are also the most common breeds that have a congenital condition called patella luxation, where the kneecap slips outside its normal position in the groove of the femur. Roughly 80% of patella luxation cases are congenital but can also occur due to trauma or muscle and ligament weaknesses related other conditions.
 
Generally, vets categorise patella luxation into 4 grades. Grade 1 is when the patella can be luxated manually, but will not luxate during normal exercise. Grade 2 is when patella can be luxated during exercise, but will spontaneously relocated and is most of the time in the normal position. Grade 3 is when the patella will luxate during exercise and can be manually reduced, but stays in the luxated position most of the time. Grade 4 is when the patella is luxated permanently and cannot be reduced.
 
Since patella luxation is a structural problem, there isn&rsquo;t any medication treatment that will resolve this condition, and therefore resolving the condition can only be achieved through surgery. NOT every patella luxation requires surgery, usually we only consider grades 3 and 4 surgical candidates. However, some grade 2 cases that show signs of lameness and reduced mobility should also be considered surgical candidates.&nbsp;
 
A typical patella luxation surgery involves deepening the groove of the femur and repositioning the tibial tuberosity in order to realign the patella within the femoral groove, which is then fixed with pins and wires. Most cases recover within 4-6 weeks.
Grade 4/4 patella luxation is more complicated, involving corrective osteotomy, which includes cutting and repositioning either/or femur and tibia to correct the alignment that contributes to luxation. Careful surgical planning and post-operative care are needed.
 
Patella luxation can affect the mobility of your furry friends. It increases the risk for cruciate ligament ruptures and may impact their quality of life. If your pets have this condition, make sure you seek veterinary attention before it is too late.
&nbsp;

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_Patella%20luxation-01.jpg" alt="ATV_Patella luxation-01.jpg (1.51 MB)" width="350" height="350" caption="false" /> 
膝头盖移位
玩具贵妇犬、约瑟爹利、芝娃娃及松鼠狗是香港常见的犬种。牠们可爱、活跃、具吸引力及聪明。同时他们也是最常出现膝头盖移位这种先天疾病的犬种，此疾病导致膝头盖滑出正常的股骨沟槽位置。大约80%的膝头盖移位案例属先天性，但也可能因创伤或与其他疾病相关的肌肉和韧带软弱而发生。
 
一般来说，兽医将膝头盖移位分为四个级别。第一级是指膝头盖可以手动移位，但在正常运动时不会移位。第二级是指膝头盖在运动中可以移位，但会自动返回原位，并大部分时间保持在正常位置。第三级是指膝头盖在运动中会移位，并且可以手动复位，但大部分时间均移位。第四级是长期移位，而且无法返回原位。
 
由于膝头盖移位是一种骨架问题，因此没有药物能够治疗此疾病，只能通过手术治疗。并不是所有膝头盖移位个案也需要进行手术，通常我们只考虑为第三级和第四级的个案进行手术。然而，也会考虑为某些有跛行和活动力减退迹象的第二级个案进行手术。
 
典型的膝头盖移位手术涉及加深股骨的沟槽并重新定位胫骨粗隆，以使膝头盖重新对齐股骨沟槽，然后使用钉子和钢丝固定。大多数病例在4至6周内恢复。第四级的膝头盖移位较为复杂，涉及脊骨矫正手术，包括切割和重新定位股骨和/或胫骨，以纠正导致移位的对齐问题，需要仔细的手术规划和术后护理。
 
膝盖骨移位会影响毛孩的活动能力，增加十字韧带断裂的风险及影响生活质素。如果你的毛孩有此问题，请在情况恶化前寻求兽医帮助。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_Patella%20luxation-01.jpg" alt="ATV_Patella luxation-01.jpg (1.51 MB)" width="350" height="350" caption="false" /> 膝頭蓋移位
玩具貴婦犬、約瑟爹利、芝娃娃及松鼠狗是香港常見的犬種。牠們可愛、活躍、具吸引力及聰明。同時他們也是最常出現膝頭蓋移位這種先天疾病的犬種，此疾病導致膝頭蓋滑出正常的股骨溝槽位置。大約80%的膝頭蓋移位案例屬先天性，但也可能因創傷或與其他疾病相關的肌肉和韌帶軟弱而發生。
 
一般來說，獸醫將膝頭蓋移位分為四個級別。第一級是指膝頭蓋可以手動移位，但在正常運動時不會移位。第二級是指膝頭蓋在運動中可以移位，但會自動返回原位，並大部分時間保持在正常位置。第三級是指膝頭蓋在運動中會移位，並且可以手動復位，但大部分時間均移位。第四級是長期移位，而且無法返回原位。
 
由於膝頭蓋移位是一種骨架問題，因此沒有藥物能夠治療此疾病，只能通過手術治療。並不是所有膝頭蓋移位個案也需要進行手術，通常我們只考慮為第三級和第四級的個案進行手術。然而，也會考慮為某些有跛行和活動力減退跡象的第二級個案進行手術。
 
典型的膝頭蓋移位手術涉及加深股骨的溝槽並重新定位脛骨粗隆，以使膝頭蓋重新對齊股骨溝槽，然後使用釘子和鋼絲固定。大多數病例在4至6週內恢復。第四級的膝頭蓋移位較為複雜，涉及脊骨矯正手術，包括切割和重新定位股骨和/或脛骨，以糾正導致移位的對齊問題，需要仔細的手術規劃和術後護理。
 
膝蓋骨移位會影響毛孩的活動能力，增加十字韌帶斷裂的風險及影響生活質素。如果你的毛孩有此問題，請在情況惡化前尋求獸醫幫助。

Patella luxation

膝头盖移位

膝頭蓋移位

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/celebrate%20talent-01.jpg" alt="celebrate talent-01.jpg (1.97 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> Do you have any food allergies? Are you sensitive toward certain ingredients? Your dog may be able to help!
Food allergies occur when the immune system wrongly perceives certain foods as threats, causing an allergic reaction. Common food allergens include peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish, which are responsible for most allergic reactions. Symptoms can vary from mild, like hives or stomach upset, to severe cases like anaphylaxis, which is life-threatening and demands urgent medical care.
Allergy detection dogs are trained to inspect food for possible allergens and alert their owners to avoid food allergy reactions. Humans have 6 million olfactory receptors in our noses, while dogs have up to 300 million in theirs; these receptors detect microscopic scent particles. In addition, the part of a dog's brain devoted to analysing odours is about 40 times greater than that of a human. This means that a dog&rsquo;s sense of smell is about 10,000 to 100,000 times more powerful than a human&rsquo;s!
With their powerful sense of smell, any breed of dog can become an allergy detection dog with proper training. The development process involves 3 main phases: detection, discrimination, and interpretation. First, we teach the dog to detect the specific odour of an allergen, such as peanuts or gluten, and pair the odour with a reward. Followed by teaching the dog to discriminate between different odours including target odour (the allergen) and non-targets (any other allergens that the human is not allergic to). Lastly, ensure the dog has a clear interpretation of the odour by randomizing the odour concentration and variants.&nbsp;
A well-trained allergy detection dog requires consistent training, a lot of experience and real-world scenarios to help reinforce the dog's ability to identify allergens accurately, ensuring they can effectively assist in preventing allergic reactions.
&nbsp;
<div> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Pets Central Veterinary Academy Puppy Class&nbsp;&nbsp;</h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="314" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NyRaXSpQcSc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe> </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Trainer&nbsp;Introduction&nbsp;&ndash; Vienn</h3>
Vienn is the founder of a successful dog training school in Australia, recently returned to Hong Kong, and&nbsp;aims to educate pet owners on canine behaviours and broaden her knowledge of&nbsp;dogs further.&nbsp;As a qualified dog trainer through NDTF (National Dog Trainers Federation) and a&nbsp;certified puppy instructor, Vienn has worked with and been&nbsp;mentored by world-class trainers, such as Boyd Hooper and Steve Mcloche.&nbsp;Vienn specializes in modifying canine behaviours and puppy development, as well as scent detection training. She also has years of experience with tactical working dogs, decoy work, civil training and drive development. <img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/1%20(7).png" alt="1 (7).png (200 KB)" width="500" height="500" /><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/2%20(7).png" alt="2 (7).png (79 KB)" width="500" height="500" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Class structure</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">5 weeks block</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">1 class per week</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">1 hour per class</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">8 puppies max per class, any breed is acceptable </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/puppy%20class%20leaflet_bi_square%20(2).jpg" alt="puppy class leaflet_bi_square (2).jpg (1.34 MB)" width="670" height="670" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> 
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a>&nbsp;</a>Please contact us at&nbsp;<a>+852 2811 8907&nbsp;</a>for any inquiries </h4>
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<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/celebrate%20talent-01.jpg" alt="celebrate talent-01.jpg (1.97 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 你是否有任何食物过敏？对某些食物敏感？你的狗或许可以帮忙！
 
食物过敏源于免疫系统错误地将某些食物视为威胁，引发过敏反应。常见的食物过敏原包括花生、树果、牛奶、蛋、小麦、大豆、鱼和贝类，这些是引起大多数过敏反应的食物。可引发的症状包括轻微的荨麻疹或肠胃不适等，甚至严重过敏反应，例如过敏性休克等，可能造成生命危险，需要立即送院。
 
经过训练的过敏检测犬可以检查食物中可能存在的过敏原，并提醒主人避开，以免出现食物过敏反应。人类的鼻子中有600万个嗅觉受体，而狗的鼻子中有高达3亿个；这些受体可以检测微小的气味粒子。此外，狗的大脑专门用于分析气味的区域约比人类的大脑大40倍。这意味着狗的嗅觉约比人类强大10,000到100,000倍！
 
凭着其强大的嗅觉，任何品种的狗在接受适当培训后都可以成为过敏检测犬。训练过程包括三个主要阶段：检测、辨识和解读。首先，我们教导狗检测过敏原的特定气味，如花生或麸质，并将气味与奖励配对。然后教导狗区分不同的气味，包括目标气味（过敏原）和非目标气味（人体对其不过敏的其他任何过敏原）。最后，通过随机化气味浓度和增加气味变化，确保狗对气味有清晰的解读。
 
一只训练有素的过敏检测犬需要持续的训练、丰富的经验和现实情境来帮助加强狗辨识过敏原的能力，确保牠们能有效地帮助避开过敏源。
<div> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">PCVA獸醫學院幼犬訓練班&nbsp;</h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="314" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NyRaXSpQcSc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe> </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">導師介紹 &ndash; Vienn</h3>
Vienn是一位成功的狗狗訓練學校創辦人，最近回到香港，目標是教育寵物主人瞭解犬類行為並進一步拓寬她對狗狗的認識。作為一位通過NDTF（國家犬類訓練聯盟）認證的狗狗訓練師及認證幼犬導師，Vienn曾與世界級訓練師如Boyd Hooper和Steve Mcloche合作並得到指導。Vienn專精於修改犬類行為、幼犬發展以及嗅覺檢測訓練。她還有多年的戰術工作犬、誘餌工作、民用訓練及驅動發展的經驗。 <img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/1%20(7).png" alt="1 (7).png (200 KB)" width="500" height="500" /><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/2%20(7).png" alt="2 (7).png (79 KB)" width="500" height="500" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">課程架構</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">5週課程&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每週1堂&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每堂1小時&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每堂最多8隻幼犬，接受任何品種 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/puppy%20class%20leaflet_bi_square%20(2).jpg" alt="puppy class leaflet_bi_square (2).jpg (1.34 MB)" width="670" height="670" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> 
<h4 style="text-align: center;">如有查詢，請致電&nbsp;<a>+852 2811 8907</a> </h4>
</div>
<div class="btnWrap text-center" style="text-align: center;"><button class="btn-primary btn btn-lg" onclick="location.href='https://forms.gle/cBLCF4ip2WLGNgrBA'">立即申請</button></div>
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<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/celebrate%20talent-01.jpg" alt="celebrate talent-01.jpg (1.97 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 你是否有任何食物過敏？對某些食物敏感？你的狗或許可以幫忙！
 
食物過敏源於免疫系統錯誤地將某些食物視為威脅，引發過敏反應。常見的食物過敏原包括花生、樹果、牛奶、蛋、小麥、大豆、魚和貝類，這些是引起大多數過敏反應的食物。可引發的症狀包括輕微的蕁麻疹或腸胃不適等，甚至嚴重過敏反應，例如過敏性休克等，可能造成生命危險，需要立即送院。
 
經過訓練的過敏檢測犬可以檢查食物中可能存在的過敏原，並提醒主人避開，以免出現食物過敏反應。人類的鼻子中有600萬個嗅覺受體，而狗的鼻子中有高達3億個；這些受體可以檢測微小的氣味粒子。此外，狗的大腦專門用於分析氣味的區域約比人類的大腦大40倍。這意味著狗的嗅覺約比人類強大10,000到100,000倍！
 
憑着其強大的嗅覺，任何品種的狗在接受適當培訓後都可以成為過敏檢測犬。訓練過程包括三個主要階段：檢測、辨識和解讀。首先，我們教導狗檢測過敏原的特定氣味，如花生或麩質，並將氣味與獎勵配對。然後教導狗區分不同的氣味，包括目標氣味（過敏原）和非目標氣味（人體對其不過敏的其他任何過敏原）。最後，通過隨機化氣味濃度和增加氣味變化，確保狗對氣味有清晰的解讀。
 
一隻訓練有素的過敏檢測犬需要持續的訓練、豐富的經驗和現實情境來幫助加強狗辨識過敏原的能力，確保牠們能有效地幫助避開過敏源。
<div> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">PCVA獸醫學院幼犬訓練班&nbsp;</h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="314" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NyRaXSpQcSc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe> </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">導師介紹 &ndash; Vienn</h3>
Vienn是一位成功的狗狗訓練學校創辦人，最近回到香港，目標是教育寵物主人瞭解犬類行為並進一步拓寬她對狗狗的認識。作為一位通過NDTF（國家犬類訓練聯盟）認證的狗狗訓練師及認證幼犬導師，Vienn曾與世界級訓練師如Boyd Hooper和Steve Mcloche合作並得到指導。Vienn專精於修改犬類行為、幼犬發展以及嗅覺檢測訓練。她還有多年的戰術工作犬、誘餌工作、民用訓練及驅動發展的經驗。 <img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/1%20(7).png" alt="1 (7).png (200 KB)" width="500" height="500" /><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/2%20(7).png" alt="2 (7).png (79 KB)" width="500" height="500" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">課程架構</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">5週課程&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每週1堂&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每堂1小時&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每堂最多8隻幼犬，接受任何品種 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/puppy%20class%20leaflet_bi_square%20(2).jpg" alt="puppy class leaflet_bi_square (2).jpg (1.34 MB)" width="670" height="670" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> 
<h4 style="text-align: center;">如有查詢，請致電&nbsp;<a>+852 2811 8907</a> </h4>
</div>
<div class="btnWrap text-center" style="text-align: center;"><button class="btn-primary btn btn-lg" onclick="location.href='https://forms.gle/cBLCF4ip2WLGNgrBA'">立即申請</button></div>
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Food allergen detection dog

食物过敏检测犬

食物過敏檢測犬

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_diabetes.jpg" alt="ATV_diabetes.jpg (2.94 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> Diabetes is an endocrine disorder in both dogs and cats. It is characterized by high blood glucose levels. If left untreated, the consequences can be severe and directly affect the quality of life and the life span of the pets.
 
How can we tell when our pet might have diabetes? Some of the earliest and more obvious signs include weight loss, increased drinking, and increased urinating (not just more frequently, but also in greater volume). In a later stage, we may see the animals become more lethargic, have a poor coat condition and at worst, they can become ketoacidic and anorexic.
 
When you bring the pets to the vet, you will expect that the vet may recommend some blood and urine tests. The blood test will reveal that there is an extremely high blood glucose, which may come along with other abnormalities and electrolytes disturbances. Similar to the blood test, the urinalysis will show us that there is a very high amount of glucose in the urine, and some vets may also test for the presence of ketones in the urine.&nbsp;
 
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, vets will formulate a treatment plan, which will involve giving insulin injection twice a day and may also involve diet change and other lifestyle adjustments. Both of these measures are aimed at regulating the blood glucose level. The blood glucose level will need very close monitoring initially when the treatment is started, and treatment and condition may take weeks of adjustment to stabilize. The key to managing a diabetic animal is to be CONSISTENT.
 
Diabetes is a serious disease, and thorough communication is needed between owner and the vet. Good communication and being compliant to treatment are important for the longevity of the animals.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_diabetes.jpg" alt="ATV_diabetes.jpg (2.94 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 糖尿病是猫狗都有机会患上的内分泌失调疾病。患有糖尿病的猫狗会出现高血糖水平，若不加以治疗，后果可以很严重，将直接影响牠们的生活品质和寿命。
 
我们怎样知道宠物可能患有糖尿病？早期较明显的征状包括体重减轻、饮水和排尿增加（不仅频繁排尿，而且量也较多）。后期宠物可能会变得没精打采、毛发状况不佳，最差可能出现酮酸中毒和厌食症。
 
当您带宠物去看兽医时，兽医一般会建议进行血液和尿液检验。血液检验可以显示出极高的血糖水平，这可能伴随着其他异常和电解质紊乱。与血液检验类似，尿液分析将显示尿液中有非常高的葡萄糖含量，有些兽医可能还会检测尿液中的酮体含量。
 
一旦确诊，兽医将制定治疗计划，包括每天两次注射胰岛素，还可能需要改变饮食和其他生活习惯，以调节血糖水平。在治疗开始时，需要密切监控血糖水平，可能需要几周的时间调整，才可以制定长期治疗计划和稳定状况，照顾患有糖尿病的宠物，最关键的是持续性。
 
糖尿病是一种严重疾病，主人和兽医之间需要进行全面的沟通。良好的沟通和遵循医嘱治疗是确保宠物长寿的重要因素。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_diabetes.jpg" alt="ATV_diabetes.jpg (2.94 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 糖尿病是貓狗都有機會患上的內分泌失調疾病。患有糖尿病的貓狗會出現高血糖水平，若不加以治療，後果可以很嚴重，將直接影響牠們的生活品質和壽命。
 
我們怎樣知道寵物可能患有糖尿病？早期較明顯的徵狀包括體重減輕、飲水和排尿增加（不僅頻繁排尿，而且量也較多）。後期寵物可能會變得沒精打采、毛髮狀況不佳，最差可能出現酮酸中毒和厭食症。
 
當您帶寵物去看獸醫時，獸醫一般會建議進行血液和尿液檢驗。血液檢驗可以顯示出極高的血糖水平，這可能伴隨著其他異常和電解質紊亂。與血液檢驗類似，尿液分析將顯示尿液中有非常高的葡萄糖含量，有些獸醫可能還會檢測尿液中的酮體含量。
 
一旦確診，獸醫將制定治療計劃，包括每天兩次注射胰島素，還可能需要改變飲食和其他生活習慣，以調節血糖水平。在治療開始時，需要密切監控血糖水平，可能需要幾周的時間調整，才可以制定長期治療計劃和穩定狀況，照顧患有糖尿病的寵物，最關鍵的是持續性。
 
糖尿病是一種嚴重疾病，主人和獸醫之間需要進行全面的溝通。良好的溝通和遵循醫囑治療是確保寵物長壽的重要因素。

Diabetic

糖尿病

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_pup%20kitten-01.jpg" alt="ATV_pup kitten-01.jpg (4.37 MB)" width="600" height="600" />
&nbsp;
We all love puppies and kittens. They are so cute, nice to cuddle, and most are adventurous, curious and playful.&nbsp;
Most owners want to train their pets,especially for puppies. The ideal time to start training and encourage early socialisation is when they are about 7-8 weeks old. Owners can start from simple command like &ldquo;sit&rdquo;, &ldquo;come&rdquo; and &ldquo;stay&rdquo; during this time. This is a critical period for socialization and expose them to different people, animals, sounds and environments. The same applies to kittens, if you want to train your kittens, this should start as soon as you bring them home, and initially training session time can be 5-10 minutes to match the attention span of kittens.
Form a health perspective, it is ideal to take your puppy or kitten to the vet for a check up a few days after bring them home. It is important to let the vet know the status of the pet, e.g. how they are doing at home, whether they are eating well, any problems like diarrhea, sneezing etc., have they been vaccinated and the last time they were given any parasite control etc..These are important information for the vet to give appropriate advice.
 
The feeding routine depends on the age of the puppy and kitten, but generally, we would like to feed them high quality diet with good nutritional value and support. In the first 3 month, puppies and kittens are generally fed 4-6 meals a day, which can then be reduced to around 3-4 meals after they turn 3 months old.
 
Having a new puppy and kitten is exciting but it is also a critical time for owners to bond with them and help them settle into their new home.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_pup%20kitten-01.jpg" alt="ATV_pup kitten-01.jpg (4.37 MB)" width="600" height="600" />
 
我们都爱幼犬和幼猫。牠们非常可爱，令人忍不住想抱住牠们。大多数幼犬和幼猫都富有冒险精神、好奇心和非常活泼好动。
 
大部分主人都希望训练自己的宠物，特别是幼犬。开始训练及社交化的黄金时间是牠们约7至8周大的时候。此时主人可以从简单的指令开始，如「坐下」、「过来」和「等待」。这是牠们社交化、接触不同的人、动物、声音和环境的关键时期。这同样适用于幼猫，如果你想训练你的幼猫，应该在刚养牠们时便立即开始，最初的训练时间可以为5至10分钟，以保持牠们的专注力。
 
在健康方面，最好在幼犬或幼猫刚回家的数天内便带牠们去看兽医进行检查。对于兽医来说，了解宠物的状况非常重要，例如牠们在家中的情况、是否正常进食、是否出现任何问题如腹泻、打喷嚏等、是否接种了疫苗，以及上一次进行防虫是什么时候等等。兽医需要掌握这些重要资讯，才可以作出适当建议。
 
该如何喂饲幼犬和幼猫，取决于牠们的年龄，但通常我们希望喂食高品质、营养价值丰富的菜单。在最初的三个月里，一般会每天喂食幼犬和幼猫4至6餐，然后在牠们满三个月大后可以减少至每天约3至4餐。
 
养一只幼犬或幼猫是一件令人兴奋的事，但也是主人与牠们建立联系并帮助牠们适应新家的关键时期。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_pup%20kitten-01.jpg" alt="ATV_pup kitten-01.jpg (4.37 MB)" width="600" height="600" />
 
我們都愛幼犬和幼貓。牠們非常可愛，令人忍不住想抱住牠們。大多數幼犬和幼貓都富有冒險精神、好奇心和非常活潑好動。
 
大部分主人都希望訓練自己的寵物，特別是幼犬。開始訓練及社交化的黃金時間是牠們約7至8週大的時候。此時主人可以從簡單的指令開始，如「坐下」、「過來」和「等待」。這是牠們社交化、接觸不同的人、動物、聲音和環境的關鍵時期。這同樣適用於幼貓，如果你想訓練你的幼貓，應該在剛養牠們時便立即開始，最初的訓練時間可以為5至10分鐘，以保持牠們的專注力。
 
在健康方面，最好在幼犬或幼貓剛回家的數天內便帶牠們去看獸醫進行檢查。對於獸醫來說，了解寵物的狀況非常重要，例如牠們在家中的情況、是否正常進食、是否出現任何問題如腹瀉、打乞嚏等、是否接種了疫苗，以及上一次進行防蟲是甚麼時候等等。獸醫需要掌握這些重要資訊，才可以作出適當建議。
 
該如何餵飼幼犬和幼貓，取決於牠們的年齡，但通常我們希望餵食高品質、營養價值豐富的菜單。在最初的三個月裡，一般會每天餵食幼犬和幼貓4至6餐，然後在牠們滿三個月大後可以減少至每天約3至4餐。
 
養一隻幼犬或幼貓是一件令人興奮的事，但也是主人與牠們建立聯繫並幫助牠們適應新家的關鍵時期。

Puppies and Kittens

幼犬和小猫

幼犬和小貓

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_puppy%20class%202.jpg" alt="ATV_puppy class 2.jpg (3.46 MB)" width="600" height="600" caption="false" /> What comes to mind when people mention dogs&rsquo; socialization? Most people would think of dogs playing with other dogs or with humans. Let&rsquo;s take a deeper look at one of the most important factors that affect a dog&rsquo;s life: socialization.
 
There is a lot more to socialization than just dogs and humans; it also includes meeting new objects, different experiences, sounds, smells, touch, and much more. Dogs have been brought to live in our human world, thus it is our job to introduce the human world to them. All socialization should be conducted in a controlled environment; we should never force the dog into a situation but instead guide and help the dog through every situation. The ultimate goal of socialization is to have a confident dog that is neutral to most, if not all, environments and situations.
 
So when is the best time to socialize a dog? The critical socialization period occurs between around 4 weeks to around 16 weeks of age, with about 80% of the dog&rsquo;s social learning taking place between these 3 months. Yes, it is that short, that&rsquo;s why it is called the critical period. This short 3-month period will have an impactful effect on the rest of the dog&rsquo;s life.
 
Then what should we do during the critical period? Owners should take the puppies out as often as possible without overworking them, as rest is also a super important learning factor. This is the time to introduce the world to the puppy; everything that is usual to humans is unusual to a puppy. It might be your puppy&rsquo;s first time hearing thunder or a doorbell, touching grass or metal surfaces, smelling your family, food being prepared, or walking past a jackhammer due to road construction. The first introduction is the time to guide your dog&rsquo;s behavior and teach your dog that the world is not so scary; first impressions matter. Remember, our goal is to nurture a confident dog that is neutral to almost everything.
 
That all sounds amazing, so how do owners achieve the socialization goal? It is unavoidable that puppies will be fearful or overly excited about certain situations, how humans handle the puppy&rsquo;s reaction will affect the puppy&rsquo;s behavior. Pets Central North Point is introducing a brand-new puppy class, come learn about dogs with us!&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/cBLCF4ip2WLGNgrBA"><a href="https://forms.gle/cBLCF4ip2WLGNgrBA">Sign Up Now!</a></a> <img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/puppy%202.jpg" alt="puppy 2.jpg (3.32 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> 
<div> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Pets Central Veterinary Academy Puppy Class&nbsp;&nbsp;</h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="314" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NyRaXSpQcSc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe> </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Trainer&nbsp;Introduction&nbsp;&ndash; Vienn</h3>
Vienn is the founder of a successful dog training school in Australia, recently returned to Hong Kong, and&nbsp;aims to educate pet owners on canine behaviours and broaden her knowledge of&nbsp;dogs further.&nbsp;As a qualified dog trainer through NDTF (National Dog Trainers Federation) and a&nbsp;certified puppy instructor, Vienn has worked with and been&nbsp;mentored by world-class trainers, such as Boyd Hooper and Steve Mcloche.&nbsp;Vienn specializes in modifying canine behaviours and puppy development, as well as scent detection training. She also has years of experience with tactical working dogs, decoy work, civil training and drive development. <img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/1%20(7).png" alt="1 (7).png (200 KB)" width="500" height="500" /><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/2%20(7).png" alt="2 (7).png (79 KB)" width="500" height="500" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Class structure</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">5 weeks block</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">1 class per week</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">1 hour per class</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">8 puppies max per class, any breed is acceptable </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/puppy%20class%20leaflet_bi_square%20(2).jpg" alt="puppy class leaflet_bi_square (2).jpg (1.34 MB)" width="670" height="670" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> 
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a>&nbsp;</a>Please contact us at&nbsp;<a>+852 2811 8907&nbsp;</a>for any inquiries </h4>
</div>
<div class="btnWrap text-center" style="text-align: center;"><button class="btn-primary btn btn-lg" onclick="location.href='https://forms.gle/cBLCF4ip2WLGNgrBA'">Apply Now</button></div>
<div class="btnWrap text-center" style="text-align: center;"><button class="btn-primary btn btn-lg" onclick="location.href='https://pets-central.com/en/LoveAPet/PetCareTips/27'">Learn More</button></div>

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_puppy%20class%202.jpg" alt="ATV_puppy class 2.jpg (3.46 MB)" width="600" height="600" caption="false" /> 当谈及狗狗社会化时，你会想到什么？大部分人会想起牠们与其他狗狗或人类一起玩耍。现在让我们深入探讨影响狗狗生活最重要的因素之一：社会化。
 
狗狗社会化不仅仅与同类和人类有关，还与接触新物体、不同经历、声音、气味、触觉等相关。狗狗被我们带到人类世界生活，因此我们有责任向牠们介绍这个世界。所有的社会化应该在可控制的环境中进行；我们不应强迫狗狗，而应引导并帮助牠们应对每种情况。社会化的最终目标是培养一只自信、在大多数环境和情况下保持冷静的狗狗。
 
何时是狗狗社会化的最佳时机？最关键的社会化时期发生在牠们约4周至约16周大之间，大约有80%的狗只社会化学习发生在这3个月内。这段时间确实很短，这就是为什么这被称为关键期。这短暂的3个月将对狗狗的一生产生重要影响。
 
在关键时期我们应该做什么呢？主人应尽可能带幼犬外出，但不要让牠们过度劳累，因为休息也是学习社会化中非常重要的一环，这是向幼犬介绍世界的时候；对人类来说平常的事物，对幼犬来说是不寻常的。这可能是你的幼犬第一次听到雷声或门铃声，第一次触摸草地或金属表面，闻到你的家人、食物准备的味道，或者因为道路施工而经过重型电钻。当狗狗初次接触某些事物时，是最佳时机来引导牠们的作出适当行为，并让牠们明白世界并不可怕；第一印象非常重要。记住我们的目标是培养一只对几乎对所有事物也能保持冷静的自信狗狗。
 
这听起来很棒，那么主人该如何帮助狗狗社会化呢？幼犬无法避免会在某些情况下感到害怕或过于兴奋，人类如何应对幼犬的反应将影响牠们的行为。北角Pets Central推出全新的幼犬班，快与我们一起学习有关狗狗的知识！<a href="https://forms.gle/cBLCF4ip2WLGNgrBA">报名连结</a> <img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/puppy%202.jpg" alt="puppy 2.jpg (3.32 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> 
<div> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">PCVA兽医学院幼犬训练班 </h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="314" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NyRaXSpQcSc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe> </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">導師介紹 &ndash; Vienn</h3>
Vienn是一位成功的狗狗训练学校短片人，最近回到香港，目标是教育宠物主人了解犬类行为并进一步拓宽她对狗狗的认识。 作为一名通过NDTF（国家犬类联盟）认证的狗狗训练师及认证幼犬导师，Vienn曾与世界级师如Boyd Hooper和Steve Mcloche合作并指导。Vienn专精于修改犬类行为、幼犬发展以及嗅觉训练检测。她还有多年的犬类工作、诱饵工作、民用训练及驱动发展的经验。 <img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/1%20(7).png" alt="1 (7).png (200 KB)" width="500" height="500" /><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/2%20(7).png" alt="2 (7).png (79 KB)" width="500" height="500" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">课程架构</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">5周课程 每周1堂 每堂1小时 每堂最多8只幼犬，接受任何品种</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/puppy%20class%20leaflet_bi_square%20(2).jpg" alt="puppy class leaflet_bi_square (2).jpg (1.34 MB)" width="670" height="670" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> 
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a>如有查询，请致电+852 2811 8907 </a> </h4>
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<div class="btnWrap text-center" style="text-align: center;"><button class="btn-primary btn btn-lg" onclick="location.href='https://forms.gle/cBLCF4ip2WLGNgrBA'">立即申请</button></div>
<div class="btnWrap text-center" style="text-align: center;"><button class="btn-primary btn btn-lg" onclick="location.href='https://pets-central.com/sc/LoveAPet/PetCareTips/27'">了解更多</button></div>

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_puppy%20class%202.jpg" alt="ATV_puppy class 2.jpg (3.46 MB)" width="600" height="600" caption="false" /> 當談及狗狗社會化時，你會想到甚麼？大部分人會想起牠們與其他狗狗或人類一起玩耍。現在讓我們深入探討影響狗狗生活最重要的因素之一：社會化。
 
狗狗社會化不僅僅與同類和人類有關，還與接觸新物體、不同經歷、聲音、氣味、觸覺等相關。狗狗被我們帶到人類世界生活，因此我們有責任向牠們介紹這個世界。所有的社會化應該在可控制的環境中進行；我們不應強迫狗狗，而應引導並幫助牠們應對每種情況。社會化的最終目標是培養一隻自信、在大多數環境和情況下保持冷靜的狗狗。
 
何時是狗狗社會化的最佳時機？最關鍵的社會化時期發生在牠們約4週至約16週大之間，大約有80%的狗隻社會化學習發生在這3個月內。這段時間確實很短，這就是為甚麼這被稱為關鍵期。這短暫的3個月將對狗狗的一生產生重要影響。
 
在關鍵時期我們應該做甚麼呢？主人應盡可能帶幼犬外出，但不要讓牠們過度勞累，因為休息也是學習社會化中非常重要的一環，這是向幼犬介紹世界的時候；對人類來說平常的事物，對幼犬來說是不尋常的。這可能是你的幼犬第一次聽到雷聲或門鈴聲，第一次觸摸草地或金屬表面，聞到你的家人、食物準備的味道，或者因為道路施工而經過重型電鑽。當狗狗初次接觸某些事物時，是最佳時機來引導牠們的作出適當行為，並讓牠們明白世界並不可怕；第一印象非常重要。記住我們的目標是培養一隻對幾乎對所有事物也能保持冷靜的自信狗狗。
 
這聽起來很棒，那麼主人該如何幫助狗狗社會化呢？幼犬無法避免會在某些情況下感到害怕或過於興奮，人類如何應對幼犬的反應將影響牠們的行為。北角Pets Central推出全新的幼犬班，快與我們一起學習有關狗狗的知識！<a href="https://forms.gle/cBLCF4ip2WLGNgrBA"><a href="https://forms.gle/cBLCF4ip2WLGNgrBA">報名連結</a></a> <img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/puppy%202.jpg" alt="puppy 2.jpg (3.32 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> 
<div> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">PCVA獸醫學院幼犬訓練班&nbsp;</h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="314" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NyRaXSpQcSc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe> </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">導師介紹 &ndash; Vienn</h3>
Vienn是一位成功的狗狗訓練學校創辦人，最近回到香港，目標是教育寵物主人瞭解犬類行為並進一步拓寬她對狗狗的認識。作為一位通過NDTF（國家犬類訓練聯盟）認證的狗狗訓練師及認證幼犬導師，Vienn曾與世界級訓練師如Boyd Hooper和Steve Mcloche合作並得到指導。Vienn專精於修改犬類行為、幼犬發展以及嗅覺檢測訓練。她還有多年的戰術工作犬、誘餌工作、民用訓練及驅動發展的經驗。 <img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/1%20(7).png" alt="1 (7).png (200 KB)" width="500" height="500" /><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/2%20(7).png" alt="2 (7).png (79 KB)" width="500" height="500" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">課程架構</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">5週課程&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每週1堂&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每堂1小時&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">每堂最多8隻幼犬，接受任何品種 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.pcvetacademy.com/assets/files/Puppy/puppy%20class%20leaflet_bi_square%20(2).jpg" alt="puppy class leaflet_bi_square (2).jpg (1.34 MB)" width="670" height="670" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> 
<h4 style="text-align: center;">如有查詢，請致電&nbsp;<a>+852 2811 8907</a> </h4>
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Dogs’ socialization

狗狗社会化

狗狗社會化

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_fat-01.jpg" alt="ATV_fat-01.jpg (5.09 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> Pet obesity
 
Sharing is caring. It is not uncommon for us to share our food with our pets. This can be rice, chicken, BBQ pork, carrots, veggies and any table scraps. Obviously, there is a risk for them to get gastroenteritis- which can range from mild diarrhea to more severe and serious pancreatitis may require hospitalization for treatment. Also, some human food is not suitable for pets like onions, grapes and chocolate etc.
This may also make our pets more prone to obesity.
Obesity is a significant health concern, not only in human but also in our pets. Apart from overfeeding, the lack of exercise, poor diet, age and other medical conditions also play an important role in obesity,
The consequences of obesity include various health issues, such as the risk of diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, mobility issues and respiratory disease. Obesity is also linked to shorter lifespan in dogs and cats. (eg. Obese dogs has a life expectancy of 11.7 years to ideal body condition dogs of 13.18 years.) Currently between 22% to 44% pets are obese. Obesity can lead to difficulties in mobility, exercise intolerance, and overall reduced quality of life.
The first thing for us to do is to recognize whether our pets are obese. This can be sort out with your regular vet. Then we can start thinking about ways to prevent obesity and manage their weight.
This may involve a balanced diet comprising high-quality and age-appropriate foods. Your vet can help you to calculate the calorie needed and provide any specific dietary recommendations. We should try to engage our pet to exercise regularly, e.g. walks or playtime, aiming at least 30 minutes a day. Try switching from use food as a reward to offering attention or affection, limiting treats and opting for healthier options.
Pet obesity is a preventable condition that requires proactive management with proper diet and regular exercise. Recognizing that our pets go through different life stages may help them keep in shape.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_fat-01.jpg" alt="ATV_fat-01.jpg (5.09 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> 宠物肥胖
 
有美食便要分甘同味！与宠物分享食物并不是罕有的事。我们可能分享的食物包括饭、鸡肉、烤肉、胡萝卜、蔬菜和任何剩菜剩饭。明显地，这会增加宠物患上胃肠炎的风险，从轻微的腹泻到更严重甚至需要住院治疗的胰脏炎。此外，有些人类食物并不适合宠物进食，如洋葱、葡萄和巧克力等。
 
这也可能使我们的宠物更容易变得肥胖。
 肥胖对人类或宠物而言，也是一个重大的健康问题。除了过度喂食外，缺乏运动、营养不良、年龄和其他身体问题，也有机会导致肥胖。
 
肥胖可导致各种健康问题，例如糖尿病、心脏疾病、关节问题、灵活度和呼吸系统疾病。猫狗的寿命与肥胖也有关联（例如，肥胖的狗预期寿命为11.7年，而体态理想的狗预期寿命为13.18年）。目前有22% 到 44% 的宠物患有肥胖问题。肥胖可能导致运动能力和耐力下降，降低整体生活质素。
 
首先我们应该了解自己的宠物是否有肥胖问题。主人可以透过定期带宠物看兽医，了解牠们是否过胖。然后我们可以考虑帮助牠们预防肥胖和控制体重，可能采用的方法有均衡饮食，包括高品质和适合牠们年龄的食物。您的兽医可以帮助你计算所需的热量并提供具体的饮食建议。我们应该尽量让宠物定期运动，例如每天至少散步或玩耍30分钟。尝试不再使用食物作为奖励，转而提供关注或爱，限制零食数量，改为更健康的选择。
 
只要透过适当的饮食和定期运动来积极管理，宠物肥胖是能够预防的。了解我们的宠物会经历不同的生命阶段或有助于帮助牠们保持健康体态。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_fat-01.jpg" alt="ATV_fat-01.jpg (5.09 MB)" width="600" height="600" /> 寵物肥胖
 
有美食便要分甘同味！與寵物分享食物並不是罕有的事。我們可能分享的食物包括飯、雞肉、烤肉、紅蘿蔔、蔬菜和任何剩菜剩飯。明顯地，這會增加寵物患上胃腸炎的風險，從輕微的腹瀉到更嚴重甚至需要住院治療的胰臟炎。此外，有些人類食物並不適合寵物進食，如洋蔥、葡萄和巧克力等。
 
這也可能使我們的寵物更容易變得肥胖。
 肥胖對人類或寵物而言，也是一個重大的健康問題。除了過度餵食外，缺乏運動、營養不良、年齡和其他身體問題，也有機會導致肥胖。
 
肥胖可導致各種健康問題，例如糖尿病、心臟疾病、關節問題、靈活度和呼吸系統疾病。貓狗的壽命與肥胖也有關（例如，肥胖的狗預期壽命為11.7年，而體態理想的狗預期壽命為13.18年）。目前有22% 到 44% 的寵物患有肥胖問題。肥胖可能導致運動能力和耐力下降，降低整體生活質素。
 
首先我們應該了解自己的寵物是否有肥胖問題。主人可以透過定期帶寵物見獸醫，了解牠們是否過胖。然後我們可以考慮幫助牠們預防肥胖和控制體重，可能採用的方法有均衡飲食，包括高品質和適合牠們年齡的食物。您的獸醫可以幫助你計算所需的熱量並提供具體的飲食建議。我們應該盡量讓寵物定期運動，例如每天至少散步或玩耍30分鐘。嘗試不再使用食物作為獎勵，轉而提供關注或愛，限制零食數量，改為更健康的選擇。
 
只要透過適當的飲食和定期運動來積極管理，寵物肥胖是能夠預防的。了解我們的寵物會經歷不同的生命階段或有助於幫助牠們保持健康體態。

Let's Talk Pet Health: How to Keep Your Furry Friends Fit, Not Fat!

来聊聊宠物健康：如何保持你的毛小孩健康不肥胖！

來聊聊寵物健康：如何保持你的毛小孩健康不肥胖！

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_grief.jpg" alt="ATV_grief.jpg (3.19 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> Our pets are members of our family. Losing them can be an incredibly traumatic experience, whether our pets&rsquo; death is a natural course due to diseases, accident, or even when they go missing and run away.
 
Grief is a normal and healthy response to loss. We may feel sad, anger, guilt and loneliness. Everyone grief differently, and there is no right and wrong way to feel. The process may vary among different people in terms of in duration and intensity. An important factor to cope with grief is to acknowledge your feelings, allowing yourself to feel and express your emotions without judgement, and talk to friends and family, especially to people who understand pet loss. Creating tribute like a scrapbook or a memorial space may help capture happy memories, which can help us in moving forward.&nbsp;
 
If you are the friend or family member helping someone deal with grief, the key is not to forget but to move forward with the feelings and loss. You can help them keep a collar, a paw print, or a photo as a tangible memory of the pet, encourage them to give themselves time to grieve. Organizing a small gathering with friends and family to share stories and memories helps. We can also use candles or ballons to symbolize the pet and let them live in another dimension. Compiling photos, mementos and stories about the pet can serve as a time to let the sad news sink in and also divert energy into something constructive.
 
When we are ready, we can think about adopting another pet and creating new happy memories.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_grief.jpg" alt="ATV_grief.jpg (3.19 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 宠物是我们的家人，无论牠们因为疾病、意外，甚至走失或跑走了而离开我们，牠们的离去可能为我们带来难以承受的悲伤。
 
为宠物的离去感到悲伤是一种正常和健康的反应。我们可能感到悲伤、愤怒、内疚和孤独。每个人悲伤的方式、持续时间和强度都不同，没有对错之分。处理悲伤的一个重要因素是承认自己的感受，允许自己不加批判地感受并表达情绪，也可以与朋友和家人交谈，特别是理解失去宠物的人。制作相簿、画簿或创造悼念空间可能有助主人留住与宠物的回忆，重拾力量向前走。
 
如果你希望帮助朋友或家人处理悲伤，记得关键不是忘记，而是带着感受和失去向前走。你可以帮助他们保留宠物的项圈、掌印或照片作为与宠物的实体回忆，并请他们给自己时间悲伤。与朋友和家人相聚分享与宠物的故事和回忆也有帮助，我们还可以用蜡烛或气球来代表宠物，让牠们在另一个世界中生活。我们也可以整理宠物的照片、纪念品和故事，让悲伤的感觉沉淀下来，同时将我们的能量转化为具建设性的行动。
 
当我们准备好时，我们可以考虑领养另一只宠物，创造新的快乐回忆。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_grief.jpg" alt="ATV_grief.jpg (3.19 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 寵物是我們的家人，無論牠們因為疾病、意外，甚至走失或跑走了而離開我們，牠們的離去可能為我們帶來難以承受的悲傷。
 
為寵物的離去感到悲傷是一種正常和健康的反應。我們可能感到悲傷、憤怒、內疚和孤獨。每個人悲傷的方式、持續時間和強度都不同，沒有對錯之分。處理悲傷的一個重要因素是承認自己的感受，允許自己不加批判地感受並表達情緒，也可以與朋友和家人交談，特別是理解失去寵物的人。製作相簿、畫簿或創造悼念空間可能有助主人留住與寵物的回憶，重拾力量向前走。
 
如果你希望幫助朋友或家人處理悲傷，記得關鍵不是忘記，而是帶著感受和失去向前走。你可以幫助他們保留寵物的項圈、掌印或照片作為與寵物的實體回憶，並請他們給自己時間悲傷。與朋友和家人相聚分享與寵物的故事和回憶也有幫助，我們還可以用蠟燭或氣球來代表寵物，讓牠們在另一個世界中生活。我們也可以整理寵物的照片、紀念品和故事，讓悲傷的感覺沉澱下來，同時將我們的能量轉化為具建設性的行動。
 
當我們準備好時，我們可以考慮領養另一隻寵物，創造新的快樂回憶。

Navigating the Waters of Pet Loss: Understanding and Coping with Grief

宠物离世的悲伤处理：理解与应对丧失之痛

寵物離世的悲傷處理：理解與應對喪失之痛

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_ageing-01.jpg" alt="ATV_ageing-01.jpg (1.11 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 
Many elderly people these days choose to be cared in a nursing home. They feel happier in a place where they can interact with others of a similar age, life pace, and experiences. They are also cared by professionals who understand their needs and have the knowledge take care of them.
 
For pets, there are very limited facilities that offer caring for geriatric pets. Older pets may have varied diseases, some can be easily managed with medications like joint disease, chronic skin diseases, while some affect their daily lives like blindness, deafness and immobility. Some diseases are more serious like diabetes, renal disease and heart disease that may need regular medications to manage their condition, and some pets are at the end of their life and require palliative care for their conditions.
 
Senior pets may need more frequent and regular check-up with the vets to monitor their health changes. They may need to change their diet since the nutritional requirements have changed, often lower in calories and higher in fiber. This is also part of monitoring their weight and avoid obesity. Apart from diet, they may also need a regular exercise schedule. As they grow older, we may have to encourage them to engage more with their surroundings more and encourage them to exercise more to avoid muscle wasting. Low-impact exercise can help maintain joint flexibility and muscle mass. Activities like short walks, swimming or play session that tailored to their energy and mobility level can be beneficial.
 
Creating or providing comfortable living environment with soft bedding non-slippery floors will prevent them from falls and injuries or pressure sores in bigger dogs. It is importantly to ensure easy access to food, water and litter boxes, making sure they can reach them without much challenge or obstacles.
 
In term of health, older patients may face dental problems frequently. Regular cleaning and brushing can help minimize the need for dental check-up and dental procedures. However, when there is a dental problem, it is best to address them sooner better than later. The older they gets, the anesthetic risk maybe higher, and more importantly, the longer we hold off procedures, the worse their dental health becomes- meaning more teeth extractions.
 
Pets&rsquo; mind age just like humans do. Engaging them with puzzle toys, training exercises, and interactive play can help prevent cognitive decline. Be aware of signs of cognitive dysfunction, such as disorientation or changes in behavior.
 
Lastly, monitor for signs of discomfort such as limping, reluctant to move and changes in behavior- &ldquo;my cats doesn&rsquo;t like jumping up on shelf anymore&rdquo; may be a sign of degenerative joint disease and decrease in mobility. In such case, you should discuss pain management options with your vet that may involve medications, supplements, acupuncture, physiotherapy etc.
 
Caring for senior pets involves a holistic approach that address their physical, emotional, and social needs. If you are unsure, you should consult with your regular vet and ask for help.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_ageing-01.jpg" alt="ATV_ageing-01.jpg (1.11 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 
如今，许多长者选择入住养老院让专人照顾。他们在养老院感到更快乐，因为可以与相近年龄、相似生活节奏和经历的人互动。他们也得到专业人士的照顾，这些人了解他们的需求并具备照顾他们的知识。
 
对于宠物来说，提供照顾年老宠物的地方并不多。年老宠物可能患有各种疾病，一些疾病可以通过药物轻易管理，例如关节疾病、慢性皮肤疾病，而一些疾病会影响牠们的日常生活，如失明、聋哑和行动不便。 一些疾病更为严重，如糖尿病、肾脏疾病和心脏病，可能需要定期服药来控制病情；有些宠物已经走到生命的尽头，需要进行舒缓治疗。
 
年老宠物可能需要更频繁和定期地进行检查，以监测其健康变化。因营养需求已经改变，牠们可能需要调整饮食，通常改为热量较低、纤维含量较高的餐单。这可以监控体重并避免肥胖。除了饮食外，牠们可能还需要制定日常运动计划。随着年龄增长，我们可能需要鼓励牠们多与周围环境连系和运动，以避免肌肉流失。低冲击运动有助于保持关节灵活性和肌肉量。按照年老宠物的能量和活动水平而定的短途步行、游泳或游戏都可能对牠们有帮助。
 
提供舒适的生活环境，包括软垫和防滑地板，可以防止大型狗跌倒、受伤或出现压力疮。将食物、水和猫砂盆放用易于取用的地方，确保他们可以轻松接触，避免日常生活出现困难。
 
在健康方面，年老宠物可能经常面临牙齿问题。 定期清洁和刷牙有助于减少牙齿检查和牙齿程序的需求。 然而，一旦出现牙齿问题，最好尽早处理，而不是拖延。 随着年龄增长，麻醉风险可能会增加，更重要的是，越迟做手术，牠们的牙齿健康状况可能越来越糟-这意味着更有可能需要拔牙。
 
宠物的心智老化与人类相似。通过益智玩具、训练运动和互动游戏来与他们互动，可以帮助防止认知功能下降。要注意认知功能障碍的征兆，如迷失方向或行为变化。
 
最后，要注意宠物不适的迹象，例如跛行、不愿移动和行为改变&mdash;&mdash;例如「我的猫不再喜欢跳上架子」可能表明它们可能患有退化性关节疾病和运动能力下降。 在这种情况下，你应该与兽医讨论如何管理疼痛，可行的方法包括药物、补充品、针灸、物理治疗等。
 
年老宠物需要全方位照顾，包括满足牠们的身体、情感和社交需求。如果你不肯定该用什么方法协助牠们，请谘询你的兽医并寻求帮助。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_ageing-01.jpg" alt="ATV_ageing-01.jpg (1.11 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 
如今，許多長者選擇入住養老院讓專人照顧。他們在養老院感到更快樂，因為可以與相近年齡、相似生活節奏和經歷的人互動。他們也得到專業人士的照顧，這些人了解他們的需求並具備照顧他們的知識。
 
對於寵物來說，提供照顧年老寵物的地方並不多。年老寵物可能患有各種疾病，一些疾病可以通過藥物輕易管理，例如關節疾病、慢性皮膚疾病，而一些疾病會影響牠們的日常生活，如失明、聾啞和行動不便。 一些疾病更為嚴重，如糖尿病、腎臟疾病和心臟病，可能需要定期服藥來控制病情；有些寵物已經走到生命的盡頭，需要進行舒緩治療。
 
年老寵物可能需要更頻繁和定期地進行檢查，以監測其健康變化。因營養需求已經改變，牠們可能需要調整飲食，通常改為熱量較低、纖維含量較高的餐單。這可以監控體重並避免肥胖。除了飲食外，牠們可能還需要制定日常運動計劃。隨著年齡增長，我們可能需要鼓勵牠們多與周圍環境連繫和運動，以避免肌肉流失。低衝擊運動有助於保持關節靈活性和肌肉量。按照年老寵物的能量和活動水平而定的散步、游泳或遊戲都可能對牠們有幫助。
 
提供舒適的生活環境，包括軟墊和防滑地板，可以防止大型狗跌倒、受傷或出現壓力瘡。將食物、水和貓砂盆放用易於取用的地方，確保他們可以輕鬆接觸，避免日常生活出現困難。
 
在健康方面，年老寵物可能經常面臨牙齒問題。 定期清潔和刷牙有助於減少牙齒檢查和牙齒程序的需求。 然而，一旦出現牙齒問題，最好盡早處理，而不是拖延。 隨著年齡增長，麻醉風險可能會增加，更重要的是，越遲做手術，牠們的牙齒健康狀況可能越來越糟-這意味著更有可能需要拔牙。
 
寵物的心智老化與人類相似。通過益智玩具、訓練運動和互動遊戲來與他們互動，可以幫助防止認知功能下降。要注意認知功能障礙的徵兆，如迷失方向或行為變化。
 
最後，要注意寵物不適的跡象，例如跛行、不願移動和行為改變&mdash;&mdash;例如「我的貓不再喜歡跳上架子」可能表明它們可能患有退化性關節疾病和運動能力下降。 在這種情況下，你應該與獸醫討論如何管理疼痛，可行的方法包括藥物、補充品、針灸、物理治療等。
 
年老寵物需要全方位照顧，包括滿足牠們的身體、情感和社交需求。如果你不肯定該用甚麼方法協助牠們，請諮詢你的獸醫並尋求幫助。

Cherish Every Moment: Caring for Senior Pets

珍惜每一刻：呵护年老宠物

珍惜每一刻：呵護年老寵物

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_blindness-01.jpg" alt="ATV_blindness-01.jpg (2.17 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 
Many people have misconceptions about dogs and cats&rsquo; vision. Most people think that being animals must have better vision than us as many movies indicate. In reality, human actually have better acuity and allow us to see things at a distance, whereas up to 25% of dogs and cats are nearsighted, causing distant objects to appear blurrier to them. Comparing dogs and cats, dogs are slightly better at distinguishing objects; on the other hand, cats are much better in low-light conditions. In simpler term, human can recognize faces and colors much better, cats are much better at adapting night vision, and dogs are better at detecting motion and enhancing their hunting ability.
&nbsp;
So now imagine we lose this valuable sensing asset when either we or the animals lose their eyesight. A few reasons that can cause this in dogs and cats, most commonly we seen aretrauma or age-related conditions like cataract, glaucoma and retinal degenerations. Some conditions can be genetic such as progressive retinal atrophy in dogs, which is observed in Poodles, Labrador, Golden Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels etc.
&nbsp;
How do we know if our pets are blind?
&nbsp;
The first signs you may notice are your dog or cat may bump into objects or hesitate to explore. However, sometimes it is less obvious. You may see them walk very close to the wall/door before they turn around, you may see them lean on the walls when they are walking, and they may bump into furniture that may have moved from their original places. Cats may spend less time off the ground, and they may not jumponto places where they usually do. Once you see these signs and behaviors, it is advisable to take your pet to the veterinarian for a check up. In some cases, you may be referto consult with an ophthalmologist, a vet who specialized in treating eye conditions.
 
How do we make their lives more comfortable?
 
Apart from the necessary medical treatment, there are a few things we can do at home to help them. First and foremost, it is important to keep the home environment consistent to help them from navigating safely, we may also use non-slip mats, carpets or rugs to provide some tactile senses. We can try using verbal commands to guide and communicate with them, some trainer will recommend using a clicker to facilitate this training process. Part of maintaining consistency in the surroundings extends to routine and socialization, keeping them engaged and encourage them to positive interaction with family members. Consider using gates and barriers to prevent them from falls and injury and be careful with doorways, door stopper and cushions may help in avoiding accidents.
 
The most important for us is to provide them with plenty of love and reassurance as they adjust to their conditions.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_blindness-01.jpg" alt="ATV_blindness-01.jpg (2.17 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 
很多人对于猫狗的视觉存在着误解。受到不同电影影响，大多数人认为，动物的视力应该比我们更好。实际上，人类的视力更加好，能看到远处的事物，而高达25% 的猫狗是近视的，令牠们看远处的物体会显得模糊。狗和猫相比，狗略微更擅于分辨不同物品；而猫在暗黑环境下视力较好。简而言之，人类可以更好地识别面孔和颜色，猫在适应夜视方面更出色，而狗更擅长侦测动态影像，有助提高牠们的狩猎能力。
&nbsp;
现在想像一下，当我们或动物失去视力时，等同失去宝贵的感知能力。导致猫狗失去视力原因有数个，最常见的是创伤或与老化相关的情况，如白内障、青光眼和视网膜退化。有些状况可能是遗传性的渐进性视网膜萎缩症，这有可能在贵妇狗、拉布拉多、金毛寻回犬、曲架犬等品种出现。
&nbsp;
如何知道宠物是否失明？
 
一开始你的猫狗可能会撞到物体或在四处探索时感到迟疑。然而，有时候这种情况并不那么明显。你可能会看到他们在转身之前非常靠近墙壁或门，你可能会看到他们在行走时靠在墙上，他们可能会撞到一些从原来位置移动了的家具。猫可能会较少跳到高处，也不会跳到牠们以前经常跳到的地方。一旦你看到这些迹象和行为，建议带你的宠物去兽医那里检查。在某些情况下，你可能需要谘询一位专门治疗眼部疾病的兽医。
 
如何令牠们的生活更舒适？
 
除了必要的医疗治疗外，在家中也有其他方法可以帮助牠们。最重要的是保持家居环境的一致性，让牠们能安全地寻找方向，我们也可以增设防滑垫、地毯或地毯，让牠们透过触觉辨别方向。我们可以尝试使用口头命令来引导和与牠们沟通，一些宠物训练师会建议使用响片来辅助。除了维持周围环境不变，稳定的日程和社交圈子也非常重要，能鼓励牠们积极与家庭成员进行互动。主人可以考虑用围栏和门，防止牠们走到危险的地方，同时要小心门口、门挡和软垫，避免牠们跌倒和受伤。
 
最重要的是，在宠物适应身体状况时，给予牠们充足的爱和支持。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_blindness-01.jpg" alt="ATV_blindness-01.jpg (2.17 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 
很多人對於貓狗的視覺存在著誤解。受到不同電影影響，大多數人認為，動物的視力應該比我們更好。實際上，人類的視力更加好，能看到遠處的事物，而高達25% 的貓狗是近視的，令牠們看遠處的物體會顯得模糊。狗和貓相比，狗略微更擅於分辨不同物品；而貓在暗黑環境下視力較好。簡而言之，人類可以更好地識別面孔和顏色，貓在適應夜視方面更出色，而狗更擅長偵測動態影像，有助提高牠們的狩獵能力。
&nbsp;
現在想像一下，當我們或動物失去視力時，等同失去寶貴的感知能力。導致貓狗失去視力原因有數個，最常見的是創傷或與老化相關的情況，如白內障、青光眼和視網膜退化。有些狀況可能是遺傳性的漸進性視網膜萎縮症，這有可能在貴婦狗、拉布拉多、金毛尋回犬、曲架犬等品種出現。
&nbsp;
如何知道寵物是否失明？
 
一開始你的貓狗可能會撞到物體或在四處探索時感到遲疑。然而，有時候這種情況並不那麼明顯。你可能會看到他們在轉身之前非常靠近牆壁或門，你可能會看到他們在行走時靠在牆上，他們可能會撞到一些從原來位置移動了的家具。貓可能會較少跳到高處，也不會跳到牠們以前經常跳到的地方。一旦你看到這些跡象和行為，建議帶你的寵物去獸醫那裡檢查。在某些情況下，你可能需要諮詢一位專門治療眼部疾病的獸醫。
 
如何令牠們的生活更舒適？
 
除了必要的醫療治療外，在家中也有其他方法可以幫助牠們。最重要的是保持家居環境的一致性，讓牠們能安全地尋找方向，我們也可以增設防滑墊、地毯或地毯，讓牠們透過觸覺辨別方向。我們可以嘗試使用口頭命令來引導和與牠們溝通，一些寵物訓練師會建議使用響片來輔助。除了維持周圍環境不變，穩定的日程和社交圈子也非常重要，能鼓勵牠們積極與家庭成員進行互動。主人可以考慮用圍欄和門，防止牠們走到危險的地方，同時要小心門口、門擋和軟墊，避免牠們跌倒和受傷。
 
最重要的是，在寵物適應身體狀況時，給予牠們充足的愛和支持。

How do we know if our pets are blind?

如何知道宠物是否失明？

如何知道寵物是否失明？

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_lump-01.jpg" alt="ATV_lump-01.jpg (1.46 MB)" width="600" height="600" caption="false" /> So you&rsquo;ve found a lump &ndash; is it important? Is it benign or malignant? What should you do?
&nbsp;
Finding a lump can be scary &ndash; all sorts of questions come up. Might it be malignant? Might it spread? Will it need surgery to remove it? What if my dog or cat is old &ndash; can it still be treated safely?
&nbsp;
As a veterinarian focused on oncology care, I regularly see cats and dogs with new lumps. Many of these lumps need no treatment because they will never cause any harm within the dog&rsquo;s or cat&rsquo;s lifetime. Many can be cured through straightforward removal. A few need more complicated care &ndash; larger surgery or adjunctive medical treatment with chemotherapy or targeted growth inhibitors. How to tell which lumps to leave alone, and which ones to treat?
&nbsp;
There are two keys to deciding: First is to identify the type of lump, second is to understand its current behaviour.&nbsp;
 
Identify the type of lump predicts its future course. Will it invade locally? Or grow to a very large size? Or cause sickness? Or spread to other areas? Most of these questions can be answered by knowing the identity and the grade of the tumour. Typically, we find out the identity of the tumour through a biopsy. The simplest, quickest, and safest kind of biopsy is a fine needle aspirate followed by cytology. This usually gives me a result within 10 minutes because I conduct the cytology myself in the clinic. If the result is still unclear, we might proceed to more extensive biopsy.&nbsp;
 
The other key piece of information is what the mass is doing right now? Has it sat there quietly for a long time? Or has it grown very quickly? Is it ulcerated or painful? I&rsquo;m much more likely to recommend treatment of lumps that are causing problems (or might cause problems in future).&nbsp;
 
Whenever we consider the treatment of tumours, we need to balance the risks (of anaesthesia and surgery) against the risks of not doing treatment (the risk of the tumour causing problems as it progresses). This discussion is in the context of the dog or cat&rsquo;s current wellness and quality of life, and the family&rsquo;s aims.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_lump-01.jpg" alt="ATV_lump-01.jpg (1.46 MB)" width="600" height="600" caption="false" /> 当发现宠物有肿块 - 这有多严重？肿块是良性还是恶性？我们应该怎么办？
 
发现肿块可能让人感到害怕 - 脑海里浮现各种问题：肿块有可能是恶性的吗？会扩散吗？需要手术切除吗？如果我的狗或猫年纪大了，还能安全地接受治疗吗？
 
作为专注肿瘤护理的兽医，我经常看到出现肿块的猫狗。在许多个案中，肿块在猫狗的一生中，不会对牠们的身体造成任何伤害，因此毋须进行治疗。许多个案可以通过简单的手术切除肿块。少数个案需要更复杂的治疗 - 较大型的手术或辅助医疗治疗，如化疗或靶向生长抑制剂。如何判断哪些肿块需要治疗，哪些不用？
 
有两个关键的决定因素：第一是分辨肿块的类型，第二是了解肿块的发展方向。
 
分辨肿块的类型有助预测其发展。肿块会在原位侵入吗？或者会生长得非常大吗？或者会导致疾病吗？或者会扩散到其他部位吗？这些问题的大多数可以通过了解肿瘤的种类和等级来回答。通常我们通过活检了解肿瘤的种类。最简单、最迅速、最安全的活检方法是细针穿刺，随后进行细胞检查。由于细胞检查是由我在诊所裹进行，通常在10分钟内给出结果。如果结果仍不清晰，我们可能会进行范围更大的切片检查。
 
另一个关键资讯是肿瘤对宠物身体的影响。那个肿瘤是冷静地停留在原位，还是说生长得很快？ 造成了溃疡还是疼痛？我倾向建议治疗正在为宠物身体带来问题，或将来可能造成问题的肿块。
 
当我们在考虑要用哪一种方法治疗肿瘤时，需要平衡麻醉和手术的风险，以及不治疗的风险（肿瘤随着时间增长的风险）。这样的讨论是考虑到猫狗当前的健康、生活质量以及家庭意愿而进行。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_lump-01.jpg" alt="ATV_lump-01.jpg (1.46 MB)" width="600" height="600" caption="false" /> 當發現寵物有腫塊 - 這有多嚴重？腫塊是良性還是惡性？我們應該怎麼辦？
 
發現腫塊可能讓人感到害怕 - 腦海裏浮現各種問題：腫塊有可能是惡性的嗎？會擴散嗎？需要手術切除嗎？如果我的狗或貓年紀大了，還能安全地接受治療嗎？
 
作為專注腫瘤護理的獸醫，我經常看到出現腫塊的貓狗。在許多個案中，腫塊在貓狗的一生中，不會對牠們的身體造成任何傷害，因此毋須進行治療。許多個案可以通過簡單的手術切除腫塊。少數個案需要更複雜的治療 - 較大型的手術或輔助醫療治療，如化療或靶向生長抑制劑。如何判斷哪些腫塊需要治療，哪些不用？
 
有兩個關鍵的決定因素：第一是分辨腫塊的類型，第二是了解腫塊的發展方向。
 
分辨腫塊的類型有助預測其發展。腫塊會在原位侵入嗎？或者會生長得非常大嗎？或者會導致疾病嗎？或者會擴散到其他部位嗎？這些問題的大多數可以通過了解腫瘤的種類和等級來回答。通常我們通過切片檢查了解腫瘤的種類。最簡單、最迅速、最安全的切片檢查方法是細針穿刺，隨後進行細胞檢查。由於細胞檢查是由我在診所裹進行，通常在10分鐘內給出結果。如果結果仍不清晰，我們可能會進行範圍更大的切片檢查。
 
另一個關鍵資訊是腫瘤對寵物身體的影響。那個腫瘤是冷靜地停留在原位，還是說生長得很快？ 造成了潰瘍還是疼痛？我傾向建議治療正在為寵物身體帶來問題，或將來可能造成問題的腫塊。
 
當我們在考慮要用哪一種方法治療腫瘤時，需要平衡麻醉和手術的風險，以及不治療的風險（腫瘤隨着時間增長的風險）。這樣的討論是考慮到貓狗當前的健康、生活質量以及家庭意願而進行。

So you’ve found a lump – is it important?

当发现宠物有肿块 - 这有多严重？

當發現寵物有腫塊 - 這有多嚴重？

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_deaf-01.jpg" alt="ATV_deaf-01.jpg (5.21 MB)" width="900" height="900" caption="false" /> We often see dogs and cats react to doorbell more intensely than us, sometimes even as if they can predict the doorbell will ring before it did. Many people believe that they have superpowers and psychics. There is a more scientific explanation to this.
&nbsp;
Dogs and cats have much more powerful senses than us in many aspects and hearing is one of them. Dogs and cats are more sensitive to higher frequency sounds, and there are a vast range of sounds that are beyond human hearing. Now imagine your pets lost this ability to hear and become deaf, meaning your pets now have to rely on other senses to compensate.
&nbsp;
Deafness in dogs and cats can be a challenging condition for both pets and their owners, it can be caused by genetic factors- e.g.: Dalmatian, Australian Shepard and white cat breeds are more prone; it can also be age related or caused by infections, trauma, toxins and disease such as tumors and neurological diseases.
 
How do we know if they are deaf?
Lack of response to sounds, things like commands, doorbells and other noises, especially notes that normally triggers starts to diminish or become absent; sudden movement may trigger them to jump or appear startled; they may have behavioral changes like increased in vocalization, disorientation or anxiety, and may rely on visual cues.
&nbsp;
Some causes of deafness can be treated like an obstruction of the ear canal, minor damage to the eardrum, or infection of the middle ear, with appropriate treatment, hearing can be restored. However, other causes may not be as fortunate.&nbsp;
 
Most dogs and cats cope well with deafness. There are also things we can help your pets through hearing loss. Your communication style may have to change to a more visual-based approach. There might be a learning curve to this, and we need to be patient. Stomping your feet when approaching them may be helpful, allowing them to feel the vibrations and preventing them from being frightened when they see you. They do not sense the world like other normal hearing pets, they might benefit from having a more indoor-focused lifestyle.
 
Hearing loss is not inherently painful, deaf dogs and cats can live a very happy life with some lifestyle modifications and training in communication. The more love you give, the more joyful the companionship will be.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_deaf-01.jpg" alt="ATV_deaf-01.jpg (5.21 MB)" width="900" height="900" caption="false" /> 猫狗对门铃的反应比我们更强烈，有时甚至好像牠们可以预测门铃什么时候会响。许多人相信牠们拥有超能力和懂得心灵感应。这一切其实有一个更科学的解释。
 
猫狗许多感官比我们强大，听觉就是其中之一。猫狗对较高频率的声音更为敏感，很多声音是人类听不见的。现在想像一下，如果你的宠物失去了听力，这意味着你的宠物现在必须依赖其他感官来弥补失去的听觉功能。
 
猫狗失去听觉对牠们本身和主人都是一个挑战。听觉丧失可能是由遗传因素引起的，例如：在斑点狗、澳洲牧羊犬和白猫身上较容易出现；也可能与老化有关，或者是由感染、受伤、毒素以及肿瘤和神经疾病等疾病引起。
 
如何知道牠们听力出现问题？
 
对指令、门铃和其他噪音等声音缺乏反应；即使出现一些通常会刺激到牠们的声音，牠们也没有反应或反应开始减弱；突然的动作可能会吓到牠们或使牠们跳起；牠们的行为可能出现变化，如更常吠叫、失去方向感或焦虑，也可能会依赖视觉指示。
 
部分失聪情况是可以治疗的，例如耳道阻塞、耳膜轻微损伤或中耳感染，透过适当的治疗，可以恢复听力。然而，因其他原因失聪的猫狗可能就没那么幸运了。
 
大多数的猫狗也可以很好地适应失去听力的生活，我们也有一些方法能帮助到失聪的宠物。你和牠们的沟通方式可能需要变得以视觉为主。这可能需要一段时间的适应，我们需要耐心帮助牠们。接近宠物时轻轻踏步，让牠们感受到振动，避免牠们在看到您时受到惊吓。牠们无法像正常听力的宠物那样感知世界，所以室内生活对牠们可能更好。
 
丧失听力本身不会令猫狗感到疼痛，失聪的猫狗可以透过调整生活方式和沟通训练过上非常快乐的生活。你给予的爱越多，与宠物的关系也会变得更美好。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/ATV_deaf-01.jpg" alt="ATV_deaf-01.jpg (5.21 MB)" width="900" height="900" caption="false" /> 貓狗對門鈴的反應比我們更強烈，有時甚至好像牠們可以預測門鈴甚麼時候會響。許多人相信牠們擁有超能力和懂得心靈感應。這一切其實有一個更科學的解釋。
 
貓狗許多感官比我們強大，聽覺就是其中之一。貓狗對較高頻率的聲音更為敏感，很多聲音是人類聽不見的。現在想像一下，如果你的寵物失去了聽力，這意味著你的寵物現在必須依賴其他感官來彌補失去的聽覺功能。
 
貓狗失去聽覺對牠們本身和主人都是一個挑戰。聽覺喪失可能是由遺傳因素引起的，例如：在斑點狗、澳洲牧羊犬和白貓身上較容易出現；也可能與老化有關，或者是由感染、受傷、毒素以及腫瘤和神經疾病等疾病引起。
 
如何知道牠們聽力出現問題？
 
對指令、門鈴和其他噪音等聲音缺乏反應；即使出現一些通常會刺激到牠們的聲音，牠們也沒有反應或反應開始減弱；突然的動作可能會嚇到牠們或使牠們跳起；牠們的行為可能出現變化，如更常吠叫、失去方向感或焦慮，也可能會依賴視覺指示。
 
部分失聰情況是可以治療的，例如耳道阻塞、耳膜輕微損傷或中耳感染，透過適當的治療，可以恢復聽力。然而，因其他原因失聰的貓狗可能就沒那麼幸運了。
 
大多數的貓狗也可以很好地適應失去聽力的生活，我們也有一些方法能幫助到失聰的寵物。你和牠們的溝通方式可能需要變得以視覺為主。這可能需要一段時間的適應，我們需要耐心幫助牠們。接近寵物時輕輕踏步，讓牠們感受到振動，避免牠們在看到您時受到驚嚇。牠們無法像正常聽力的寵物那樣感知世界，所以室內生活對牠們可能更好。
 
喪失聽力本身不會令貓狗感到疼痛，失聰的貓狗可以透過調整生活方式和溝通訓練過上非常快樂的生活。你給予的愛越多，與寵物的關係也會變得更美好。

Decoding Deafness: The Hidden Challenges for Dogs and Cats

解码失聪：猫狗面临的隐藏挑战

解碼失聰：貓狗面臨的隱藏挑戰

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/storm.jpg" alt="storm.jpg (2.84 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> Summer is the rainy season here in Hong kong, also storms, thunders and the occasional typhoons. While we are well-protected staying indoors, our furry friends may not feel as secure as we do.
&nbsp;
Anxiety and fear of storms are common in dogs and cats, and it is not hard to understand why. Like children, dogs and cats do not understand these natural phenomena. The noises of the thunder, the wind, the rain hitting the windows and the flashes of lightning at the windows can be overwhelming for them. Apart from things we can observe, dogs and cats are much more sensitive in other factors like the barometric pressure, the build up of static electricity before the storm comes, these changes may cause them being more agitated and restless. Over time, this preemptive feeling may make them feel uncomfortable and build up anxiety.
 
Storm phobia may build up over time or may be associated with other anxieties. For example, an outdoor dog or cat may be kept indoor during bad weather may experience anxiety because they were not allowed outside, associating this anxiety with storms and bad weather, thus developing their storm phobias.
 
Some of the signs you may see when your dog is anxious during bad weather includes increased panting, pacing, excessive lip licking, hiding, excessive vocalization, attempt to escape etc.
&nbsp;
So what do we do?
Bringing your pets into a darkened and enclosed room without any ties and leads have shown to help alleviate their phobias, some medications can help with anxiety, and it is important to ensure your pets are prepared for the bad weather coming ahead.
 
If your pets have anxiety problems, a plan can be designed with your vet or an animal behavioralist. This may likely involve creating a place where your pets feel safe so that they can better cope with the anxiety. Dogs and cats may seek comfort in these places where they feel most secure, they may also cuddle up next to you. A comfortable bed and toys that your pets particularly enjoy can also enhance this experience. There are also items that may help with anxiety such as weighted jacket- a constant light pressure that mimics the feeling of a hug and release chemicals in the brain that help them feel less anxious and have shown to help with many dogs. DAP- Dog Appeasing Pheromones, which is a natural chemical that calms puppies and promote a sense of safety can also be effective for anxious dog in stressful events and not limited to storms.
&nbsp;
We ALL have our fears. It is important to support each other to endure the event together.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/storm.jpg" alt="storm.jpg (2.84 MB)" width="670" height="670" /> 夏天是香港的雨季，经常出现狂风暴雨、行雷闪电，偶尔还会有台风。虽然我们的居所都很安全，但毛孩可能不这样认为。
 
暴风雨引起猫狗的焦虑和恐惧是很常见的事，这并不难理解。猫狗就像小朋友一样，不理解这些自然现象。雷声、风声、雨点打在窗户上的声音，以及闪电在窗户上闪烁，对牠们来说可能是很可怕的。猫狗可以感受到一些我们无法看见的事物，例如气压、风暴来临前的静电积聚等，一旦佢地感受到变化，可能会变得更加烦躁和不安。这种预感随着时间慢慢累积，可能会导致毛孩不适及焦虑。
 
长期下来，有机会令毛孩产生暴风雨恐惧症，亦有毛孩的暴风雨恐惧症与其他焦虑有关。例如，一只喜欢在户外的猫狗在恶劣天气被困在室内，可能会因为无法出去而感到焦虑，令他们将暴风雨和恶劣天气与焦虑情绪联系在一起，形成对暴风雨的恐惧。
 
当毛孩因恶劣天气感到焦虑时，您可能会看到的征兆包括喘气频率增加、来回踱步、过度舔嘴唇、躲藏、发出过多声音、试图逃跑等。
 
所以我们该怎样做呢？
 
带你的宠物带到一个黑暗且封闭的房间，不要为牠们系上任何牵绳，这有助缓解牠们的恐惧，也有一些药物可以帮助牠们缓解焦虑。另外确保你的宠物准备好应对即将到来的恶劣天气也非常重要。
 
若你的宠物有焦虑问题，你可以与你的兽医或动物行为专家一起制定应对计划，这可能包括打造一个让毛孩感到安全的地方，让牠们更好地应对焦虑。毛孩喜欢待在牠们认为最安全的地方，牠们也有可能会依偎在你身旁。一张舒适的床和毛孩特别喜欢的玩具可以令整个体验更加舒适。还可以使用一些有助缓解焦虑的物品，如加重外套&mdash;&mdash;令牠们持续地感受到轻度压力，模拟拥抱的感觉，促进大脑释放能舒缓压力的化学物质。DAP-狗狗安抚费洛蒙，是一种天然化学物质，可以使幼犬平静下来并增加牠们安全感，亦有助舒缓狗狗因不同原因产生的焦虑。
 
我们都有自己恐惧的事，最重要的是在面对恐惧时，有大家互相支持，一起面对。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/storm.jpg" alt="storm.jpg (2.84 MB)" width="670" height="670" caption="false" /> 夏天是香港的雨季，經常出現狂風暴雨、行雷閃電，偶爾還會有颱風。雖然我們的居所都很安全，但毛孩可能不這樣認為。
 
暴風雨引起貓狗的焦慮和恐懼是很常見的事，這並不難理解。貓狗就像小朋友一樣，不理解這些自然現象。雷聲、風聲、雨點打在窗戶上的聲音，以及閃電在窗戶上閃爍，對牠們來說可能是很可怕的。貓狗可以感受到一些我們無法看見的事物，例如氣壓、風暴來臨前的靜電積聚等，一旦佢地感受到變化，可能會變得更加煩躁和不安。這種預感隨着時間慢慢累積，可能會導致毛孩不適及焦慮。
 
長期下來，有機會令毛孩產生暴風雨恐懼症，亦有毛孩的暴風雨恐懼症與其他焦慮有關。例如，一隻喜歡在戶外的貓狗在惡劣天氣被困在室內，可能會因為無法出去而感到焦慮，令他們將暴風雨和惡劣天氣與焦慮情緒聯繫在一起，形成對暴風雨的恐懼。
 
當毛孩因惡劣天氣感到焦慮時，您可能會看到的徵兆包括喘氣頻率增加、來回踱步、過度舔嘴唇、躲藏、發出過多聲音、試圖逃跑等。
 
所以我們該怎樣做呢？
 
帶你的寵物帶到一個黑暗且封閉的房間，不要為牠們繫上任何牽繩，這有助緩解牠們的恐懼，也有一些藥物可以幫助牠們緩解焦慮。另外確保你的寵物準備好應對即將到來的惡劣天氣也非常重要。
 
若你的寵物有焦慮問題，你可以與你的獸醫或動物行為專家一起制定應對計畫，這可能包括打造一個讓毛孩感到安全的地方，讓牠們更好地應對焦慮。毛孩喜歡待在牠們認為最安全的地方，牠們也有可能會依偎在你身旁。一張舒適的床和毛孩特別喜歡的玩具可以令整個體驗更加舒適。還可以使用一些有助緩解焦慮的物品，如加重外套&mdash;&mdash;令牠們持續地感受到輕度壓力，模擬擁抱的感覺，促進大腦釋放能舒緩壓力的化學物質。DAP-狗狗安撫費洛蒙，是一種天然化學物質，可以使幼犬平靜下來並增加牠們安全感，亦有助舒緩狗狗因不同原因產生的焦慮。
 
我們都有自己恐懼的事，最重要的是在面對恐懼時，有大家互相支持，一起面對。

Calm the Storm: How to Help Your Pets Overcome Weather-Related Anxiety

风雨无惧：陪伴宠物度过天气焦虑

風雨無懼：陪伴寵物度過天氣焦慮

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/choco.jpg" alt="choco.jpg (2.67 MB)" width="624" height="624" /> What should you do if your pets accidentally ingest chocolate?&nbsp;
We love our Chocolate. Fun fact about chocolate: the scent of chocolate can help relax and reduce stress in humans. This effect is completely opposite in our companion dogs and cats.
Chocolate contains two stimulants- theobromine and caffeine, both of which are toxic to dogs and cats. The darker and bitter the chocolate, the higher the concentration of these toxins. When ingested, dogs and cats may have varying degrees of symptoms depending on how much they have eaten. Some common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate and even abnormal heart rhythm. However, these symptoms may worsen and in severe cases can be life-threatening.
When you realize that your pets have ingested chocolate, you should take them to the vet ASAP, DO NOT WAIT for symptoms to appear. Like any poison, addressing it earlier is the most effective and less invasive treatment approach, leading to a better prognosis and outcome.&nbsp;
It is important to take the chocolate packaging or specify the type of chocolate ingested and have an idea of roughly how much is ingested, e.g.: ingested half a pack of milk chocolate etc.Providing the ingredients and the cocoa percentage of the chocolate will be the most helpful for the vet to assess the situation and formulate an appropriate treatment plan for your pets.&nbsp;
Most of the time, the vet will try to induce vomiting to clear out the chocolate that has not been absorbed and reduce exposure. This can be achieved through oral medication or injections. Pets often need to be hospitalized to monitor their condition and whether further clinical signs will manifest. They may be given activated charcoal to bind with the toxins and be put on IV fluids for supportive care. Symptoms usually appear within 6-12 hours but can take up to 24 hours in some cases, therefore it is critical to keep animals in hospital to monitor their cardiac functions.
REMEMBER, be careful where you leave your sweets!

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/choco.jpg" alt="choco.jpg (2.67 MB)" width="624" height="624" /> 
如果宠物误食巧克力该怎么办？
我们都热爱巧克力。有关巧克力的冷知识：巧克力的香气有助人类放松身心、减轻压力，但在猫狗身上的效果则完全相反。
巧克力含有两种兴奋剂&mdash;&mdash;可可碱和咖啡因，都是对猫狗有毒的成份。巧克力的颜色越深、味道越苦，这些毒素的浓度就越高。一旦狗和猫进食巧克力后，牠们可能因应进食份量不同，出现不同程度的症状。一些常见症状包括呕吐、腹泻、心跳加快，甚至心律不整。然而，这些症状有机会恶化，严重的话可能危及生命。
当你得知你的宠物吃了巧克力时，应该立即带牠们去看兽医，不要等待症状出现才行动。像任何毒物一样，越早处理的话，治疗越有效且更少入侵性，效果更理想。
看兽医时记得带上巧克力包装或明确指出牠们吃下的巧克力种类，并大致了解牠们吃掉的份量，例如吃掉了半包牛奶巧克力等。如果你能告知兽医巧克力的成分和可可含量，对兽医评估情况并制定适当的治疗计划非常有帮助。
大多数情况下，兽医会试图催呕，让宠物吐掉未被吸收的巧克力，减少吸收毒素。催吐的方法包抬口服药物和注射药物。宠物通常需要留院观察，以确定是否会出现进一步的临床症状。兽医有可能给牠们服用活性炭来吸附体内毒素，并接受静脉输液作辅助。症状通常在6-12小时内出现，但在某些情况下可能需要长达24小时，因此持续监测动物的心脏功能非常重要。 &nbsp;
记住要小心放好你们的零食！&nbsp;

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/pet-care-tips/choco.jpg" alt="choco.jpg (2.67 MB)" width="624" height="624" /> 
如果寵物誤食朱古力該怎麼辦？
我們都熱愛朱古力。有關朱古力的冷知識：朱古力的香氣有助人類放鬆身心、減輕壓力，但在貓狗身上的效果則完全相反。
朱古力含有兩種興奮劑&mdash;&mdash;可可鹼和咖啡因，都是對貓狗有毒的成份。朱古力的顏色越深、味道越苦，這些毒素的濃度就越高。一旦狗和貓進食朱古力後，牠們可能因應進食份量不同，出現不同程度的症狀。一些常見症狀包括嘔吐、腹瀉、心跳加快，甚至心律不整。然而，這些症狀有機會惡化，嚴重的話可能危及生命。
當你得知你的寵物吃了朱古力時，應該立即帶牠們去看獸醫，不要等待症狀出現才行動。像任何毒物一樣，越早處理的話，治療越有效且更少入侵性，效果更理想。
看獸醫時記得帶上朱古力包裝或明確指出牠們吃下的朱古力種類，並大致了解牠們吃掉的份量，例如吃掉了半包牛奶朱古力等。如果你能告知獸醫朱古力的成分和可可含量，對獸醫評估情況並制定適當的治療計劃非常有幫助。
大多數情況下，獸醫會試圖催嘔，讓寵物吐掉未被吸收的朱古力，減少吸收毒素。催吐的方法包抬口服藥物和注射藥物。寵物通常需要留院觀察，以確定是否會出現進一步的臨床症狀。獸醫有可能給牠們服用活性炭來吸附體內毒素，並接受靜脈輸液作輔助。症狀通常在6-12小時內出現，但在某些情況下可能需要長達24小時，因此持續監測動物的心臟功能非常重要。 &nbsp;
記住要小心放好你們的零食！&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Did Your Pet Sneak Some Chocolate? Act Fast—Here’s What You Need to Do!

如果宠物误食巧克力该怎么办？

如果寵物誤食朱古力該怎麼辦？

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/heatstroke.jpg" alt="heatstroke.jpg (8.99 MB)" width="800" height="542" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> Summer time is well underway, and it is getting quite hot, most days we are above 30C. lucky for us, most of us are sitting in air conditioned rooms, enjoying our cold drinks.
The hot weather doesn&rsquo;t stop our enthusiastic furry friends wanting to go out to have a walk, run, play with others and definitely some dogs need to go out for their toilet breaks. A few things we need to be careful when bring them out in this hot weather to prevent heat stroke,
Number one is trying to avoid bring them when the sun is right up on top of our heads, much preferred to walk your dogs in the early morning and late evening. However, sometimes is still quite hot in these times and some dogs still suffer heat stroke walking at these times.
If we are going out with our dogs, make sure there are plenty of shades, and have access to water throughout the walk, and do not leave dogs (cats) unattended in venhicles, and be sure to know the signs of heat stroke,
When your pets suffer heat stroke, early signs like rapid and heavy panting, lethargy, weakness, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea can be some of the early symptoms. If your dog is unconscious and have a seizure, then things are very serious, and need to have immediate veterinary attention. When you recognize these symptoms, you should provide water source immediately, try to cool them as much as possible- running water on their body, wiping they foot and belly with cold towels, and if available check their temperature. Dog&rsquo;s normal temperature is 38-39.6C. Be sure to make this temperature available to your vets when you arrive to the clinic.
Heat stroke can be life threatening, and some may require days of hospitalization.

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/heatstroke.jpg" alt="heatstroke.jpg (8.99 MB)" width="800" height="542" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> 踏入夏天，天气越来越炎热，温度平均达30度以上。我们很幸运，大部分人都可以安坐空调房间内享受冰冷的饮料。不过对毛孩而言，不论天气多炎热，也无减他们对外出散步、奔跑、和其他狗狗玩耍的热情，有些狗狗也需要外出解决如厕需要。为避免牠们中暑，在这种炎热天气下带牠们外出时，有数点我们需要注意。
首先要避免在烈日当空时遛狗，最好在清晨和傍晚才带牠们出去。然而，有时即使在这些时间，天气仍然相当炎热，一些狗狗仍可能在散步时中暑。
如果我们和狗狗外出，需要确保有足够的阴凉处，在整个散步过程中让牠们喝水，不要独留狗狗（或猫咪）在车内。
主人也需要了解中暑的症状，急促而沉重的喘息、倦怠无力、呕吐或腹泻都可能是中暑的早期症状。如果你的狗狗失去知觉并出现癫痫，情况则非常严重，需要立即就医。当你察觉到这些症状时，应立即尽可能用水为牠们降温&mdash;&mdash;用流水冲洗身体，用冷毛巾擦拭牠们的脚和腹部，并在可行的情况下检查牠们的体温。狗狗的正常体温为摄氏 38-39.6 度。当你抵达诊所时，务必告知兽医宠物的情况，包括牠们的体温。
中暑可能危及生命，有些情况可能需要住院数天。

<img src="https://backend.pets-central.com/assets/images/heatstroke.jpg" alt="heatstroke.jpg (8.99 MB)" width="800" height="542" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> 踏入夏天，天氣越來越炎熱，溫度平均達30度以上。我們很幸運，大部分人都可以安坐冷氣房內享受凍飲。不過對毛孩而言，不論天氣多炎熱，也無減他們對外出散步、奔跑、和其他狗狗玩耍的熱情，有些狗狗也需要外出解決如廁需要。為避免牠們中暑，在這種炎熱天氣下帶牠們外出時，有數點我們需要注意。
首先要避免在烈日當空時遛狗，最好在清晨和傍晚才帶牠們出去。然而，有時即使在這些時間，天氣仍然相當炎熱，一些狗狗仍可能在散步時中暑。
如果我們和狗狗外出，需要確保有足夠的陰涼處，在整個散步過程中讓牠們喝水，不要獨留狗狗（或貓咪）在車內。
主人也需要了解中暑的症狀，急促而沉重的喘息、倦怠無力、嘔吐或腹瀉都可能是中暑的早期症狀。如果你的狗狗失去知覺並出現癲癇，情況則非常嚴重，需要立即就醫。當你察覺到這些症狀時，應立即盡可能用水為牠們降溫&mdash;&mdash;用流水沖洗身體，用冷毛巾擦拭牠們的腳和腹部，並在可行的情況下檢查牠們的體溫。狗狗的正常體溫為攝氏 38-39.6 度。當你抵達診所時，務必告知獸醫寵物的情況，包括牠們的體溫。
中暑可能危及生命，有些情況可能需要住院數天。

Pets Care Tips - Heatstroke

宠物中暑护理小贴士

寵物中暑護理小貼士

<img class="img-fluid" src="https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C622&amp;ssl=1" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=400%2C249&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=500%2C311&amp;ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=768%2C478&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=100%2C62&amp;ssl=1 100w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=24%2C15&amp;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=36%2C22&amp;ssl=1 36w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=48%2C30&amp;ssl=1 48w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> There has been a lot of misinformation shared online about Covid-19, how it affects humans and pets. A small number of pets worldwide have been found carrying the virus. This is likely due to very close contact with their owners who have already contracted Covid-19. Experts are studying whether pets can infect their &ldquo;pet parents,&rdquo; but so far there&rsquo;s no evidence that kind of transmission is helping spread the disease. In a LABORATORY setting, cats have proved the most susceptible species for SARS-CoV-2. They can get sick with Covid-19, and they can spread the virus to other cats. Virtually all cats carry some kind of coronavirus, though not necessarily Covid-19. In fact, species-specific coronaviruses are quite common. But canine and feline coronaviruses do not infect humans. LABORATORY tests have also shown that ferrets and golden Syrian hamsters can be infected with Covid-19 in the LABORATORY. They can transmit the infection to other ferrets and hamsters. Dogs can get infected in the LABORATORY, but they don&rsquo;t typically get sick. They also don&rsquo;t easily spread the SARS-CoV-2 virus to other dogs. A few species of primate &ndash; macaques and marmosets, for instance &ndash; have also been infected with Covid-19 in the LABORATORY, and can get sick from it. Even when deliberately tested in the LABORATORY, mice, pigs, chickens and ducks do not seem to get infected, or spread the infection. You may have heard that in April, a Malayan tiger tested positive for Covid-19 at the Bronx Zoo in New York City. It turned out that three other tigers as well as three African lions at the zoo also had the virus. The big cats were infected by a staff member caring for them, the zoo says, before that human showed any signs of the disease. They have all since recovered. Mink (closely related to ferrets) were found to be infected with Covid-19 on several mink farms in the Netherlands. Farm workers tested positive for the virus, and it is likely they infected the mink. Some cats on the farms developed antibodies to the virus, suggesting they had been exposed to it. In the United States, where 5.5 million people have so far contracted Covid-19, the government has recorded 14 dogs with the virus, 13 cats, 4 tigers, 3 lions and 2 mink. So suffice to say, it is highly unusual for pets to get infected with Covid-19 in the first place. The United States is home to 76.8 million dogs, and 58.4 million horses, and another 51.3 million other pets from reptiles to horses. Yet there have been 36 Covid-19 cases, 7 of which were in a zoo. It&rsquo;s a miniscule percentage. If you yourself get Covid-19, it is best to arrange for another person or a vet to care for your animal. At Pets Central, we offer a cleaning, grooming and boarding programme for pets from quarantine households. Of course, it is likely that Covid-19 spread to humans from an animal source. SARS in 2003 is likely to have made the species leap from bats and then to civet cats to humans in Guangdong wet markets. MERS in 2012 was traced dromedary camels in Saudi Arabia, which were then in close contact with their handlers. It&rsquo;s likely MERS made the species jump from bats to dromedaries &ldquo;sometime in the distant past,&rdquo; according to the WHO. Why are bats so often the source of viruses? They may also &ldquo;store&rdquo; Ebola, Marburg, Nipah and Hendra viruses, which have all led to deadly outbreaks. As the only flying mammal, bats have special adaptations that allow their cells to break down and release DNA, which floats around inside their body. This would cause inflammation in other mammals, but they&rsquo;ve learnt to withstand it. This immune response also allows them to withstand many viruses without feeling any effects, viruses that would make many other mammals sick. The SARS-CoV-2virus is closest in type to one found in horseshoe bats. The virus may then have leapt to another animal host, then to humans. This chain has not been established, though, so what species linked the disease in bats to humans remains a mystery.

<img class="img-fluid" src="https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C622&amp;ssl=1" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=400%2C249&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=500%2C311&amp;ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=768%2C478&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=100%2C62&amp;ssl=1 100w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=24%2C15&amp;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=36%2C22&amp;ssl=1 36w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=48%2C30&amp;ssl=1 48w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> 网上有很多关于 Covid-19 的错误信息，以及它如何影响人类和宠物。 全世界有少数宠物被发现携带病毒。这可能是由于与已经感染 Covid-19 的所有者进行了非常密切的接触。专家们正在研究宠物是否会感染他们的&ldquo;宠物父母&rdquo;，但到目前为止，还没有证据表明这种传播方式有助于传播这种疾病。 在实验室环境中，猫已被证明是最容易感染 SARS-CoV-2 的物种。它们可能会感染 Covid-19，并将病毒传播给其他猫。 几乎所有的猫都携带某种冠状病毒，但不一定是 Covid-19。事实上，物种特异性冠状病毒很常见。但犬科和猫科冠状病毒不会感染人类。 实验室测试还表明，雪貂和金色叙利亚仓鼠可以在实验室中感染 Covid-19。它们可以将感染传播给其他雪貂和仓鼠。 狗可以在实验室被感染，但它们通常不会生病。它们也不容易将 SARS-CoV-2 病毒传播给其他狗。 一些灵长类动物&mdash;&mdash;例如猕猴和狨猴&mdash;&mdash;也在实验室中感染了 Covid-19，并可能因此而生病。 即使故意在实验室进行测试，老鼠、猪、鸡和鸭似乎也不会被感染或传播感染。 您可能听说过 4 月份，纽约市布朗克斯动物园的一只马来亚虎的 Covid-19 检测呈阳性。原来，动物园里的另外三只老虎和三只非洲狮也感染了这种病毒。 动物园说，这些大型猫科动物是被一名照顾它们的工作人员感染的，当时那个人没有出现任何疾病迹象。他们都已经康复了。 在荷兰的几个水貂养殖场发现水貂（与雪貂密切相关）感染了 Covid-19。农场工人的病毒检测呈阳性，很可能他们感染了水貂。农场里的一些猫对这种病毒产生了抗体，这表明它们曾接触过这种病毒。 在美国，迄今为止已有 550 万人感染了 Covid-19，政府记录了 14 只狗感染了该病毒、13 只猫、4 只老虎、3 只狮子和 2 只貂。 可以这么说，宠物首先感染 Covid-19 是非常不寻常的。美国有 7680 万只狗和 5840 万匹马，还有 5130 万只从爬行动物到马的其他宠物。然而，已经有 36 起 Covid-19 病例，其中 7 起在动物园里。这是一个微不足道的百分比。 如果您自己感染了 Covid-19，最好安排其他人或兽医照顾您的动物。在 Pets Central，我们为隔离家庭的宠物提供清洁、美容和寄宿计划。 当然，Covid-19 很可能是从动物来源传播给人类的。 2003 年的 SARS 很可能使该物种从蝙蝠跃升到果子狸，再到广东湿货市场的人类。 2012 年 MERS 在沙特阿拉伯被追踪到了单峰骆驼，这些骆驼当时与它们的饲养员密切接触。根据世界卫生组织的说法，MERS 很可能使该物种&ldquo;在遥远的过去的某个时候&rdquo;从蝙蝠跃升为单峰骆驼。 为什么蝙蝠经常成为病毒的来源？它们还可能&ldquo;储存&rdquo;埃博拉病毒、马尔堡病毒、尼帕病毒和亨德拉病毒，这些病毒都导致了致命的爆发。 作为唯一会飞的哺乳动物，蝙蝠具有特殊的适应性，可以让它们的细胞分解并释放 DNA，这些 DNA 在它们的体内漂浮。这会导致其他哺乳动物发炎，但它们已经学会了忍受它。这种免疫反应还使它们能够抵抗许多病毒而不会受到任何影响，这些病毒会使许多其他哺乳动物生病。 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的类型与马蹄蝠中发现的病毒最接近。然后病毒可能已经转移到另一个动物宿主，然后转移到人类身上。然而，这个链条还没有建立，所以是什么物种将蝙蝠的疾病与人类联系起来仍然是个谜。

<img class="img-fluid" src="https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C622&amp;ssl=1" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=400%2C249&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=500%2C311&amp;ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=768%2C478&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=100%2C62&amp;ssl=1 100w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=24%2C15&amp;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=36%2C22&amp;ssl=1 36w, https://i0.wp.com/pets-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/covidpet-1.jpg?resize=48%2C30&amp;ssl=1 48w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> 網上有很多關於 Covid-19 的錯誤信息，以及它如何影響人類和寵物。 全世界有少數寵物被發現攜帶病毒。這可能是由於與已經感染 Covid-19 的所有者進行了非常密切的接觸。專家們正在研究寵物是否會感染他們的&ldquo;寵物父母&rdquo;，但到目前為止，還沒有證據表明這種傳播方式有助於傳播這種疾病。 在實驗室環境中，貓已被證明是最容易感染 SARS-CoV-2 的物種。它們可能會感染 Covid-19，並將病毒傳播給其他貓。 幾乎所有的貓都攜帶某種冠狀病毒，但不一定是 Covid-19。事實上，物種特異性冠狀病毒很常見。但犬科和貓科冠狀病毒不會感染人類。 實驗室測試還表明，雪貂和金色敘利亞倉鼠可以在實驗室中感染 Covid-19。它們可以將感染傳播給其他雪貂和倉鼠。 狗可以在實驗室被感染，但它們通常不會生病。它們也不容易將 SARS-CoV-2 病毒傳播給其他狗。 一些靈長類動物&mdash;&mdash;例如獼猴和狨猴&mdash;&mdash;也在實驗室中感染了 Covid-19，並可能因此而生病。 即使故意在實驗室進行測試，老鼠、豬、雞和鴨似乎也不會被感染或傳播感染。 您可能聽說過 4 月份，紐約市布朗克斯動物園的一隻馬來亞虎的 Covid-19 檢測呈陽性。原來，動物園裡的另外三隻老虎和三隻非洲獅也感染了這種病毒。 動物園說，這些大型貓科動物是被一名照顧它們的工作人員感染的，當時那個人沒有出現任何疾病跡象。他們都已經康復了。 在荷蘭的幾個水貂養殖場發現水貂（與雪貂密切相關）感染了 Covid-19。農場工人的病毒檢測呈陽性，很可能他們感染了水貂。農場裡的一些貓對這種病毒產生了抗體，這表明它們曾接觸過這種病毒。 在美國，迄今為止已有 550 萬人感染了 Covid-19，政府記錄了 14 隻狗感染了該病毒、13 隻貓、4 隻老虎、3 只獅子和 2 只貂。 可以這麼說，寵物首先感染 Covid-19 是非常不尋常的。美國有 7680 萬隻狗和 5840 萬匹馬，還有 5130 萬隻從爬行動物到馬的其他寵物。然而，已經有 36 起 Covid-19 病例，其中 7 起在動物園裡。這是一個微不足道的百分比。 如果您自己感染了 Covid-19，最好安排其他人或獸醫照顧您的動物。在 Pets Central，我們為隔離家庭的寵物提供清潔、美容和寄宿計劃。 當然，Covid-19 很可能是從動物來源傳播給人類的。 2003 年的 SARS 很可能使該物種從蝙蝠躍升到果子狸，再到廣東濕貨市場的人類。 2012 年 MERS 在沙特阿拉伯被追踪到了單峰駱駝，這些駱駝當時與它們的飼養員密切接觸。根據世界衛生組織的說法，MERS 很可能使該物種&ldquo;在遙遠的過去的某個時候&rdquo;從蝙蝠躍升為單峰駱駝。 為什麼蝙蝠經常成為病毒的來源？它們還可能&ldquo;儲存&rdquo;埃博拉病毒、馬爾堡病毒、尼帕病毒和亨德拉病毒，這些病毒都導致了致命的爆發。 作為唯一會飛的哺乳動物，蝙蝠具有特殊的適應性，可以讓它們的細胞分解並釋放 DNA，這些 DNA 在它們的體內漂浮。這會導致其他哺乳動物發炎，但它們已經學會了忍受它。這種免疫反應還使它們能夠抵抗許多病毒而不會受到任何影響，這些病毒會使許多其他哺乳動物生病。 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的類型與馬蹄蝠中發現的病毒最接近。然後病毒可能已經轉移到另一個動物宿主，然後轉移到人類身上。然而，這個鏈條還沒有建立，所以是什麼物種將蝙蝠的疾病與人類聯繫起來仍然是個謎。

Can animals contract Covid-19?

动物会感染 Covid-19 吗？

動物會感染 Covid-19 嗎？

Pet Boarding Guide: Be A Smart Pet Parent
Planning your next trip? Don&rsquo;t worry if you don&rsquo;t have anyone to take care of your pet. Check &nbsp;it in to a pet hotel for a happy paw-liday. At Pet Planet in Sai Kung we offer day care and boarding services, as well as 24 hour nursing care.
&nbsp;
Here are some pet boarding tips from our experts at Pets Central.
Check the pet hotel&rsquo;s license and accommodation terms
Make sure the pet hotel has a valid Boarding Establishment License, and review the accommodation terms carefully.
&nbsp;
Keep your pet&rsquo;s vaccinations up to date
Since pet hotels board many animals at the same time, ensure your pet has all the necessary vaccinations to avoid getting infected with a communicable disease.
&nbsp;
Familiarize your pet with the environment in advance
Ideally, choose the same hotel every time for your pet, so it can stay in a familiar environment. For your pet&rsquo;s first boarding experience, we recommend visiting the hotel together in advance to help reduce stress during its stay.
&nbsp;
Let the staff know your pet&rsquo;s character and habits
Every pet&rsquo;s personality, habits and daily needs are different. &nbsp;Give the hotel staff the information they need to ensure your pet can be cared for properly.
&nbsp;
Surround your pet with familiar things
Bring all your pet&rsquo;s daily necessities, such as bowls and toys. We recommend bringing a few items with your scent as well to help reassure your pet and make it feel at ease during boarding.
&nbsp;
Haven&rsquo;t got a boarding hotel in mind? Surrounded by a tranquil and relaxing environment, Pet Planet is an ideal holiday destination for your pet. Day care and boarding services are now available at the pet hotel in Sai Kung. You can rest assured that your pet will receive 24-hour care and veterinary supervision, and all indoor suites are air-conditioned.
&nbsp;
All enquiries welcome. Call us at 2792 0833 or 2415 1600.

宠物寄宿须知 &ndash; 做个精明主人 您是否正在准备旅行计划，同时，又担心家里的宠物没人照顾? 不如带它们到宠物酒店渡假，让它们享受属于自己的假期！西贡Pet Planet设有日间托管及寄宿服务，可以为您的宠物提供24小时专业护理。 
Pets Central為大家準備了以下寵物寄宿小貼士：
<ul>
<li>留意寵物酒店牌照和住宿條款</li>
</ul>
選擇酒店前，記得看清楚該酒店是否持有有效動物寄養所牌照，並細心閱讀住宿條款。
<ul>
<li>檢查寵物的疫苗注射記錄</li>
</ul>
因為寵物酒店同時照顧許多動物，為免自己的寵物從其他寵物身上感染疾病，將寵物送到酒店前，記得要接種所有相關疫苗，保障寵物健康。
<ul>
<li>事先帶寵物熟習環境</li>
</ul>
理想的話，最好為寵物選擇固定的酒店，因為熟悉的環境會令寵物安心。若然是第一次到該酒店寄宿，最好事先帶寵物到訪，視察環境，住宿期間就沒那麼容易感到焦慮。
<ul>
<li>與寵物酒店職員多作溝通，分享寵物性格和習慣</li>
</ul>
每隻寵物都有各自的性格和習慣，起居飲食的需要亦會有所不同。主人應盡量提供更多資訊予寵物職員，有助確保寵物得到妥善照顧。
<ul>
<li>帶備寵物日常物品，營造熟悉環境</li>
</ul>
帶齊寵物習慣使用的物品，例如碗和玩具等，尤其是有主人氣味的物品，有助寵物在住宿期間感到放鬆又安心。
還未想好帶寵物去哪一家酒店嗎? 環境優美、悠閒舒適的Pet Planet 絕對是您的理想選擇。位於西貢的Pet Planet現正提供寵物日間托管及寄宿服務。所有室內寵物房均提供空調設備，更有專業獸醫團隊24小時全天候照顧您的寵物。
&nbsp;
歡迎致電2415 1600查詢，了解更多。

寵物寄宿須知 &ndash; 做個精明主人
您是否正在準備旅行計劃，同時，又擔心家裏的寵物沒人照顧? 不如帶牠們到寵物酒店渡假，讓牠們享受屬於自己的假期！西貢Pet Planet設有日間托管及寄宿服務，可以為您的寵物提供24小時專業護理。
&nbsp;
Pets Central為大家準備了以下寵物寄宿小貼士：
<ul>
<li>留意寵物酒店牌照和住宿條款</li>
</ul>
選擇酒店前，記得看清楚該酒店是否持有有效動物寄養所牌照，並細心閱讀住宿條款。
<ul>
<li>檢查寵物的疫苗注射記錄</li>
</ul>
因為寵物酒店同時照顧許多動物，為免自己的寵物從其他寵物身上感染疾病，將寵物送到酒店前，記得要接種所有相關疫苗，保障寵物健康。
<ul>
<li>事先帶寵物熟習環境</li>
</ul>
理想的話，最好為寵物選擇固定的酒店，因為熟悉的環境會令寵物安心。若然是第一次到該酒店寄宿，最好事先帶寵物到訪，視察環境，住宿期間就沒那麼容易感到焦慮。
<ul>
<li>與寵物酒店職員多作溝通，分享寵物性格和習慣</li>
</ul>
每隻寵物都有各自的性格和習慣，起居飲食的需要亦會有所不同。主人應盡量提供更多資訊予寵物職員，有助確保寵物得到妥善照顧。
<ul>
<li>帶備寵物日常物品，營造熟悉環境</li>
</ul>
帶齊寵物習慣使用的物品，例如碗和玩具等，尤其是有主人氣味的物品，有助寵物在住宿期間感到放鬆又安心。
還未想好帶寵物去哪一家酒店嗎? 環境優美、悠閒舒適的Pet Planet 絕對是您的理想選擇。位於西貢的Pet Planet現正提供寵物日間托管及寄宿服務。所有室內寵物房均提供空調設備，更有專業獸醫團隊24小時全天候照顧您的寵物。
&nbsp;
歡迎致電2415 1600查詢，了解更多。

Pet Boarding Guide: Be A Smart Pet Parent

宠物寄宿须知 – 做个精明主人

寵物寄宿須知 – 做個精明主人

Seeing the vet can be terrifying for pets. Dr. Kersti Seksel, a veterinarian surgeon and animal behavior expert from Australia, recently shared ways to relieve their anxiety, or even prevent it: &nbsp; Help your pet be mentally prepared Familiarize your pet from an early age with how they&rsquo;ll be handled when they&rsquo;re at the vet, such as giving a pill and touching their toes, ears and nose. This helps reassure them that the whole experience of coming to the vet can be fun. Make sure your pet gets enough sleep Dogs, for example, need as many as 16 hours of sleep every day. Ensuring pets are well rested can help reduce anxiety. Lots of treats Make the experience positive throughout by rewarding your pet with treats starting when it enters the clinic, not just when they leave. &nbsp; Dr Seksel spoke at an event organized by the Hong Kong Veterinary Association, sponsored by Pets Central and Antinol. We were honored to have Dr.Seksel host a staff training workshop at Pets Central Mong Kok hospital, sharing her valuable experience with the team.

幫助毛孩克服「獸醫恐懼症」 相信看獸醫是不少毛孩的一大噩夢！主人可以怎樣幫助毛孩紓緩甚至預防焦慮問題？來自澳洲的專業獸醫及動物行為學家Dr. Kersti Seksel分享了她的心得： &nbsp; 幫助毛孩做好心理準備 主人應從毛孩的幼年時期開始，就訓練牠們習慣獸醫的動作，例如餵藥及檢查腳掌、耳朵和鼻子。這樣有助使毛孩感到安心，明白看獸醫亦都可以是輕鬆愉快的經歷！ 確保毛孩有充足睡眠 以狗狗為例，毛孩每天大約需要16小時的睡眠時間。主人若能確保毛孩有充足及恆常的作息，有助減少焦慮情緒。 多給毛孩吃零食 要令睇獸醫的過程不再可怕，主人可以由踏入診所開始，就不時給毛孩零食，而非離開時才以食物作獎勵。 Dr. Kersti Seksel近日了由香港獸醫學會舉辦的講座，此活動並由Pets Central及Antinol提供贊助。我們亦很榮幸邀請到Dr.Seksel到旺角診所主持工作坊，與Pets Central團隊分享寶貴經驗。

Help Your Pet Stress Less

幫助毛孩克服「獸醫恐懼症」

However well you take care of your pet, there&rsquo;s always a chance that it will have unpredicted health problems. When an emergency strikes, what first-aid care should pet parents give their pet before visiting a clinic? Check out the professional advice from our vet below. Seizures Seizure causes of can be complicated and varied. One-off or rare occurrences should not be worrying, but periodic or frequent seizure is life threatening. Symptoms include drastic muscle twitching, loss of consciousness, drooling and weakness. Some pets might also show anxiety beforehand. What to do: Keep your pet away from hard or sharp items and edges to prevent potential harm if it thrashes around or struggles wildly Do not put any object in your pet&rsquo;s mouth when in seizure Try to video seizures to help your vet give the most accurate diagnosis When seizure is over, visit a vet as soon as possible &nbsp; Tear Gas <img src="http://petscentral-back.onesolution.hk/assets/images/pet-care-tips/2019-11-08-1-1.webp" alt="" width="80%" /> Pet parents need to be concerned about tear gas. It irritates mucous membranes and the lungs. Contact with tear gas may cause pets to rub their eyes, and show signs of watery eyes, coughing, difficulty in breathing, severe retching or vomiting. If you&rsquo;re outside, get your pet away from the source as soon as possible. When handling your pet, use a wrap or gloves to protect your hands. If you are indoors and tear gas wafts in, act swiftly to: &ndash; Close windows and turn off all fans &ndash; Turn on extractor fans and air conditioners for ventilation &ndash; Wash your pet with water; use saline to flush eyes and areas involving mucous membranes &ndash; Seek help from your vet immediately if your pet shows severe signs (e.g. heavy breathing) For more information, pet parents can contact their vet or refer to guidelines from The Hong Kong Veterinary Association：&nbsp;http://www.hkva.org/teargas.asp Food poisoning <img src="http://petscentral-back.onesolution.hk/assets/images/pet-care-tips/2019-11-08-1.webp" alt="2019-11-08-1.webp (46 KB)" width="80%" /> Pets are like greedy children who scavenge any food they can find, so they are often at the risk of food poisoning. Tremors, lack of coordination, vomiting, lethargy or even seizure are some of the indicators. Chocolate, onions, grapes and other food products toxic to pets are common sources of sickness. What to do: &ndash; Carefully check out the type of food readily consumed by your pet &ndash; Flush your pet&rsquo;s mouth with clean water &ndash; Do not attempt to induce vomiting &ndash; Record the type and amount of food &ndash; Bring the food packaging with you when visiting an animal clinic to help the vet make a better assessment &nbsp; Since the condition and reactions of pets may vary, if there is an emergency, call your veterinary clinic for a quick inquiry to confirm what first-aid actions may be suitable. If a visit to the clinic is needed, the call will also help veterinarians prepare for the treatment in advance. &nbsp; Any first-aid treatment should be followed by immediate veterinary care. Pet parents are advised to visit a vet professional for a further medical check-up. Together we safeguard our pets&rsquo; health.

【寵物緊急護理小知識】 每位主人都希望寵物健健康康，但往往難免出現突發的健康問題。緊急情況下，主人可以採取甚麼措施幫助寵物？Pets Central獸醫與大家分享了一些基本的護理知識，助您提前做好準備，應付突發事件。 癲癇 癲癇發作或抽筋的成因複雜，可能性很多。一次或偶發的癲癇大多沒有大礙，但週期性或頻繁的發作則可能威脅性命。常見徵狀包括劇烈的肌肉抽搐、失去意識、流口水和表現虛弱等等。部分寵物可能會在癲癇發作前表現焦慮。 建議措施： &ndash; 移走寵物周圍鋒利或堅硬的物品，確保遠離家具邊緣，防止寵物掙扎時受傷 &ndash; 不要在寵物病發時將任何物品放進牠們嘴裏 &ndash; 盡量以影片記錄病發過程，以便獸醫作出準確診斷 &ndash; 癲癇結束後，盡快到獸醫診所進行檢查 接觸催淚煙 <img src="http://petscentral-back.onesolution.hk/assets/images/pet-care-tips/2019-11-08-1-1.webp" alt="2019-11-08-1-1.webp (24 KB)" width="80%" /> 催淚煙會刺激寵物的黏膜及肺部，因此主人必需留心。當寵物受到催淚煙影響，可能會揉眼、流眼淚、咳嗽、呼吸困難、嚴重作嘔或嘔吐。如果身處室外，請盡快帶寵物遠離受影響範圍。移動寵物時，主人可使用保鮮紙或手套保護雙手。如果身處室內，並發現催淚煙入屋，立即採取以下行動： &ndash; 立即關上所有窗戶、風扇 &ndash; 打開抽氣扇和冷氣機來保持空氣循環 &ndash; 用清水為寵物徹底沖身，最好用生理鹽水沖洗眼睛及其他黏膜位置 &ndash; 若寵物出現嚴重徵狀，例如大口喘氣，便應盡快尋求獸醫協助 有關詳細應對措施，歡迎諮詢獸醫意見，或參閱香港獸醫學會的相關指引：&nbsp;http://www.hkva.org/teargas.asp 食物中毒 <img src="http://petscentral-back.onesolution.hk/assets/images/pet-care-tips/2019-11-08-1.webp" alt="2019-11-08-1.webp (46 KB)" width="80%" /> 大部份寵物都很喜歡吃東西，不願放過任何食物，所以經常有食物中毒的風險。顫抖、缺乏協調能力、嘔吐、嗜睡，甚至癲癇發作等等，都是食物中毒的典型徵狀。誤食巧克力、洋蔥和葡萄或其他對寵物來說有毒的食物，是引致中毒的常見原因。 建議措施： &ndash; 細心觀察，找出寵物囫圇吞下的食物種類 &ndash; 用清水為寵物漱口 &ndash; 不要嘗試催吐 &ndash; 記錄食物的數量和種類 &ndash; 到寵物診所求診時，帶同食物包裝，以幫助獸醫評估情況 由於個別寵物的情況和反應可能有所不同，主人一旦發現寵物不適，最好先行致電獸醫診所快速查詢，了解有關緊急護理措施是否適合您的寵物；如有需要到診所求診，也能讓獸醫盡早做好治療的準備。 謹記進行任何緊急護理之後，主人都應盡快帶寵物到獸醫診所，進行專業檢查和治療。讓我們一起守護寵物健康！

A Pocket Guide To First Aid Care

寵物緊急護理小知識

As autumn nears, there&rsquo;s no better way to spend quality time with your dog than to take them out on an excursion. Whether it&rsquo;s a hike up the mountains, a visit to the dog park or a trip to an outlying island, both you and your pet will benefit from the fresh air and time away from the bustling city. Before you set off, make sure you have packed the essentials. Here are some important items to bring along: Collar and leash Drinking water and bowl Poop bags and dispenser Towels Toys Treats &nbsp; Apart from the above essentials, there are a few handy items you might want to bring along to keep you and your pet safe. These include: Doggy raincoat and umbrella Living in Hong Kong, it&rsquo;s common to see the weather change in an instant. When outdoors with your dog, consider bringing a lightweight pet raincoat so you can keep your furry friend dry and warm is it rains. Our Pets Central 3-fold umbrella is portable, durable and sturdy to keep you dry too. Life vest For swimming, take your dog to the beach, but avoid streams, which be home to fatal viruses. Bring a doggy life vest with you to keep your pet from tiring out too quickly when swimming, especially in areas with currents or strong waves. It&rsquo;ll also help keep their heads above water and reduce the chance of them swallowing unsanitary water. Outdoor first-aid kitWalking outdoor on rough road and mountain trails, can hurt your dog&rsquo;s paws. If they ever get a scratch, cut or other minor injuries, a first aid kit will come in handy. Ideally, a well-equipped kit should contain: Wrap bandages Tape Safety pins Scissors Foil blanket Adhesive plasters Alcohol prep pads BZK antiseptic wipes Disposable gloves Pocket first-aid guide We offer an all-inclusive first-aid kit that can keep your best furry friend safe in times of emergency. Clip-on bell and lamp When the weather turns bad, it can get dark quickly. To keep track of your dogs, attach a bell and a lamp to your dog&rsquo;s collar. This is also handy should your off-leash dog like to run ahead of you during a hike. Going on hikes and excursions are great ways to have fun and strengthen the bond with your dog. Keep this checklist handy so you can have peace of mind on your next trip out with your furry pal. <img src="http://petscentral-back.onesolution.hk/assets/images/pet-care-tips/2019-09-30-1.webp" alt="2019-09-30-1.webp (25 KB)" width="80%" />

準備帶狗狗一起出遊嗎？那麼您便會需要以下的裝備清單。 戶外一日遊絕對是各位主人和狗狗增進感情的好方式。無論是到郊外遠足，到狗公園散步，還是來個離島遊，人和寵物都能遠離煩囂鬧市，放鬆身心之餘，亦可享受清新的空氣。 不過，出發之前，首先檢查是否帶齊基本用品，包括： 頸圈和狗帶 飲用水和狗碗 撿便袋 毛巾 玩具 零食 除了這些必備物品，主人不妨打包以下實用工具，確保狗狗有一個愉快又安全的旅程！ 寵物雨衣和雨傘 香港的天氣陰晴不定，變化迅速。帶狗狗到戶外活動時，最好帶上輕量的寵物雨衣，以備不時之需，下雨時就能讓狗狗保持溫暖乾爽。Pets Central的自家雨傘則有三摺疊設計，易於攜帶，堅固耐用，可為主人遮風擋雨。 救生衣 帶狗狗去游泳時，不妨前往水清沙幼的海灘，但記得遠離溪澗，因為溪澗對狗狗來說，往往是許多致命病毒的溫床。另外，各位主人記得帶備專為狗隻而設的救生衣，幫助狗狗游泳時減慢體力消耗，尤其是考慮到某些區域可能有突然而來的涌流或大浪。救生衣亦有助狗狗抬頭到水面上呼吸，以免喝到不乾淨的水。 急救包 狗狗走在凹凸不平的路面上，尤其是崎嶇的山徑時，有可能會弄傷腳掌，例如磨損、刮傷或其他輕傷。當小意外發生時，戶外急救包便能派上用場。齊全的急救包應配備以下工具： 繃帶 膠紙 安全扣針 剪刀 鋁箔毯 膠布 酒精消毒片 BZK 消毒片 即棄手套 隨身急救指南 Pets Central的戶外急救包配備齊全，幫助各位主人在突發情況下能及時為寵物急救。 夾戴式鈴噹和小燈 當天氣突然轉壞，太陽可能轉眼間便消失不見。為免狗狗走失，主人可以在頸圈 夾上鈴噹和小燈。如果您的狗狗總愛跑在您的前方，又時常有脫繩情況， 那麼鈴噹和小燈對您來說就大有用處了。 帶狗狗出遊，不但能增進主人和毛孩之間的感情，又能放鬆身心，盡情玩樂。每次出遊前，記得查看以上裝備清單的內容。祝各位主人和毛孩一起度過愉快又安心的時光！ <img src="http://petscentral-back.onesolution.hk/assets/images/pet-care-tips/2019-09-30.webp" alt="2019-09-30.webp (213 KB)" width="80%" />

A checklist for outings with your pet

寵物出遊裝備清單

Festive seasons are meant to be fun and joyous, yet we often see an increase in visits to our clinics. Pets Central&rsquo;s veterinarians are here to offer some tips on keeping your pets safe and sound this Mid-Autumn Festival. 1. Mooncake dos and don&rsquo;ts Many owners make pet-friendly mooncakes to celebrate with their four-legged companions. Whether you&rsquo;re planning to buy them or make your own, it&rsquo;s important to make sure the ingredients are all-natural and organic. It&rsquo;s best to use gluten-free flour instead of glutinous rice flour, as it&rsquo;s easier on animal digestive systems.&nbsp;Customisethe recipe with your pet&rsquo;s favorite food. You may consider chicken breast, pumpkin, unsalted cheese, carrots or sweet potatoes, which are suitable for both cats and dogs. Cat owners can even add catnip. Be mindful when selecting ingredients and consult a vet if you have any questions. Mooncakes may be a tasty treat, but make sure you feed your pet only a little at a time. 2. Use festive items safely The use of plastic glow sticks has become a common sight at Mid-Autumn Festival in recent years, but not only do they create unnecessary waste, they can pose a safety hazard for your pets. If they bite into them, the chemicals within can cause adverse reactions, including eye and skin irritations, vomiting or drooling. Also refrain from putting pomelo hats on your pets, cute as they may be. The citrus may irritate your pet&rsquo;s respiratory system and the acidity may cause skin irritations. It is especially dangerous for cats. 3. Beware of certain fruits Grapes and starfruit, popular fruits eaten during Mid-Autumn Festival, are unsuitable for pets. In fact, they can result in kidney failure if ingested. Feed them small amounts of bananas or apples instead, as long as seeds and peels are removed. The&nbsp;fibrein fruit is beneficial to your pet&rsquo;s health, but taking in too much sugar and starch may also lead to health problems. Let&rsquo;s keep our pets safe and sound this festive season. We wish all pet parents and our four-legged friends a happy and healthy Mid-Autumn Festival! <img src="http://petscentral-back.onesolution.hk/assets/images/pet-care-tips/2019-09-11-2.webp" alt="2019-09-11-2.webp (31 KB)" width="80%" />

中秋佳節，當然少不了與親朋好友一同賞月，享用美食佳餚。不過，節日前後，往往是主人帶寵物求診的高峰。慶祝人「寵」團圓的同時，主人可以如何保障愛貓愛狗的健康？以下是Pets Central的中秋小貼士： 1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;寵物月餅Dos &amp; Don&rsquo;ts 不少主人都會為貓貓狗狗準備寵物月餅應節，分享節日氣氛。無論是出外購買還是自製月餅，都要注意對寵物健康的影響，仔細選擇口味或食材，盡量確保天然健康。 相比糯米粉,無麩質麵粉會是更適合的材料，因為較易消化，對寵物消化系統造成的負擔較輕。配料方面，雞胸肉、南瓜、無鹽芝士、紅蘿蔔和紫薯適合貓狗食用，是寵物月餅的理想食材。 準備自製月餅的主人可因應寵物喜好調整食譜，但謹記小心選擇材料，不妨事先諮詢獸醫意見。如果有養貓貓，可在月餅中加入貓草。不過，寵物月餅畢竟是零食，主人應避免過量餵食。 2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;留心應節物品 相比傳統燈籠，現時中秋節更流行玩螢光棒，不但造成浪費，更對貓狗構成潛在危險。如果寵物不小心咬到螢光棒，攝入裏面的化學物質，有可能引致不適，出現流口水、嘔吐或刺激皮膚和眼睛等情況。 另外，不少主人會為寵物戴上可愛的柚子帽應節。不過，獸醫並不建議主人讓寵物接觸柚皮。柑橘的氣味會刺激寵物的呼吸系統，而柚皮內的檸檬酸，也可能刺激皮膚，尤其對貓貓而言，極可能引致不適。 3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;水果危機 提子和楊桃是中秋節最常見的應節佳品，但絕不適合給寵物食用。這兩種水果對貓狗而言帶有毒性，嚴重的話可能導致腎功能衰竭。如果真的很難忽略寵物期待的眼神，不妨給他們適量的香蕉或蘋果，只要去除種子和果皮即可。水果中的纖維有益寵物健康，但攝取大多糖份和澱粉質也有可能導致健康問題。 謹記以上小貼士，和寵物一起度過愉快又健康的中秋節吧！ <img src="http://petscentral-back.onesolution.hk/assets/images/pet-care-tips/2019-09-11-2.webp" alt="2019-09-11-2.webp (31 KB)" width="80%" />

Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival with your pets

與寵物一起歡度中秋

Nutritional needs pre-pregnancy It is vital to ensure that the breeding female is of a good body condition before mating. It will ensure a higher chance of conception as well as the ability to carry healthy puppies/kittens to full-term. A mom of poor body condition&mdash;underweight, overweight or nutritionally deficient&mdash;may give birth to puppies/kittens that are too small or too large, leading to difficult birth. Hence, it is important to get potential mothers checked by a veterinarian before mating to ensure a smoother pregnancy. Nutritional needs during pregnancy Carrying a baby to full-term demands a lot of energy and nutrients from the mother. Most of our non-human mothers carry not only one but several babies each time! Therefore, it is essential for owners to ensure that their soon-to-be-mothers are eating sufficiently. Moreover, it is important to feed a good quality diet that is easily digestible and utilised by the body. The amount that a pregnant dog/cat could eat late in pregnancy is very much reduced, due to the enlarged womb that is taking up space in the abdomen. Frequent small meals is recommended. You may have to tempt mothers to eat by heating up their meals, adding toppings like boiled chicken breast/anchovies or by adding some unsalted low-fat meat broth to their dry food. There is usually no need for supplements, such as Calcium, if you are feeding them a high quality balanced diet suited for pregnancy. If you are using a commercial dry food, please switch to one for pregnant animals or for puppies/kittens once pregnancy is confirmed. Omega 3, on the other hand, may be beneficial if added into the diet . Omega 3 degrades rapidly when exposed to air and most commercial food would have less omega 3 than the amount initially added into the diet. DOGS In bitches, there is no increase in energy requirement till 4&mdash;5 weeks after mating. The energy requirement may increase by 25% to 60%, depending on the weight of the mother. Energy required per day after taking into consideration undigestible materials and waste products(urine): Metabolizable energy (kcal/day)=130 x kgBW^0.75 + (26 x kgBW) CATS In queens, their energy requirements increase by about 40% during pregnancy. A 40&mdash;50% increase in body weight is encouraged. Energy required per day after taking into consideration undigestible materials and waste products(urine): Metabolizable energy (kcal/day)= 140 x kgBW^0.67 Energy Requirements for Lactation The high energy and nutritional expenditure does not end at parturition. Milk production to feed the newborns is equally demanding. It is important to continue with the diet for pregnancy up till the puppies/kittens are weaned. Here are some recipes for making delicious food toppings and broth: Liver P&acirc;t&eacute; Pork Liver 150g Parsley 20g Boil the ingredients in 2 cups of water for about 5 minutes. After which, blend them in a food processor. Refrigerate/freeze to keep fresh! You may heat up the P&acirc;t&eacute; before adding into meals. Seaweed topping Kombu 10g Wakame 10g Hijiki 10g Process the above ingredients in a food processor. Sprinkle on meals as required! Chicken soup stock Chicken thigh 150g Water 500ml Boil the above ingredients for 7&mdash;8 minutes. Shred the chicken meat into smaller pieces. Freeze the soup stock and shredded meat in ice cube trays. Defrost each ice cube as required. You may add the soup stock to meals to make them more appealing to picky eaters. Reference Fascetti, A. J. and Delaney, S. J. (eds) (2012) Front Matter, in Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition, John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd., West Sussex, UK. doi: 10.1002/9781118785669.fmatter

Nutritional needs of Pregnant Animals

Love a Pet - Pet Care Tips - Title

by Dr. Pauline Taylor BVM&amp;S MACVSc Pets Central About the author: Dr. Pauline Taylor&rsquo;s bold and inexhaustible passion for the health and welfare of animals and her experience in caring for animals spans more than 30 years, in various countries including the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Hong Kong. She began her practice in Scotland after graduating from Edinburgh University, working with farm animals (including horses) before moving to New Zealand where she established her own clinic to serve a wide range of farm and pet species. Today, she works in the field of small animal veterinary medicine in Hong Kong and continues to grow the Pets Central network focusing on the advancement of pet care. The way pets are raised and cared for today has changed drastically over the past 25-30 years. I remember as a child, as I am sure many of you in this room do as well, how the neighbourhood dogs would roam the streets to mingle and &lsquo;socialize&rsquo; themselves with each other, people, other animals and the sights and sounds of the neighbourhood. I also remember when I first started my veterinary career it was fairly common to be doing orthopaedic surgery in both dogs and cats as a result of them being hit by cars &ndash; something I&rsquo;m sure many of you have experienced &ndash; and still do. Nowadays, certainly in Western countries, rightly or wrongly, dogs and cats have been mainly curtailed into apartments or closed yards. In some countries pet cats are not allowed by law to roam outside the home while dogs must be on a leash at all times and muzzled. As a result cats and dogs lack natural lifestyle enrichment, become bored and veterinarians are seeing a rise in boredom and anxiety related behaviours, as well as dogs with poor social skills. Dogs are being kept within the confines of the garden area, backyard or apartment often on their own for many hours a day, some even for days at a time. Some may not even get a chance to go for walks. Frustration and boredom related behaviours such as barking, destroying furniture, digging up the carpet or garden and raiding garbage bins can be a common complaint from dog owners. The fact is that dogs are social animals and need contact with conspecifics and in the case of our pet dogs also humans. Regular and spur of the moment playtime, exercise, picking up olfactory &ldquo;messages&rdquo; and meeting other dogs is very important and necessary. In cats, frustration and boredom is shown by aggression, biting, rough play, as well as other problem behaviours. Cats are naturally predatory hunters. Some prefer to be solitary most of their lives, while others form &ldquo;in home&rdquo; social groups which may include non-cat species e.g. humans or dogs. Playtime, exercise and other forms of mental stimulation is important to cats too. Environmental enrichment contributes to lowering stress levels and depression in contained animals, or any animal not free to exhibit their normal behaviours be it in a pet selling store, zoological or safari park, laboratory, food production farm or feedlot, and also improves healthy mental activity. It is my experience after many years of veterinary practice, that the everyday pet parents, animal care staff in indoor and outdoor workplaces and also veterinary hospital staff do not really understand the concept of environmental enrichment, let alone the benefits of providing such enrichment for pets both sick and healthy. The Five Freedoms state the following for all animals (1) 1- Freedom from hunger and thirst 2- Freedom from discomfort 3- Freedom for pain, injury or disease 4- Freedom to express normal behaviour 5- Freedom from fear and distress Animal welfare guidelines (2) occur when all of an animal&rsquo;s needs including physical and mental wellbeing are met. These are 1- suitable water and food 2- comfortable and not in pain 3- able to behave normally and exercise 4- social animals able to be group housed or interact with conspecifics 5- not afraid or distressed Environmental enrichment is providing animals under managed care with environmental stimuli that seek to enhance the quality of captive animal care by identifying and providing the environmental stimuli necessary for optimal psychological and physiological well-being. In a hospital situation this also contributes to a better response to treatment by lowering stress levels, depression and improving mental activity. The goal of environmental enrichment is to improve or maintain an animal&rsquo;s physical and psychological health by increasing the range or number of species-specific behaviours, increasing positive utilization of the captive environment, preventing or reducing the frequency of abnormal behaviours such as stereotypy&rsquo;s, and increasing the individual&rsquo;s ability to cope with the challenges of captivity. Grooming, stroking and talking to animals are important for the animals&rsquo; well-being. If possible, male and female humans should interact with animals at different times as it has been shown that some animals respond different to the human sexes. Cage furniture should include different levels where animals can stand or look out, and hiding areas where they can escape to if desired. All animals require an environmental that is physically and mentally stimulating. Animals kept in a restricted environment may not have adequate opportunity to engage in their full behaviour repertoire. When insufficient space, inadequate stimulation and lack of other resources are unavailable, captive and pet animals may engage in behaviours undesirable to owners and develop health or stress related issues. Most common behaviour concerns of owners can be prevented or managed, even resolved by providing appropriate and stimulating outlets. Most enrichment stimuli (Ref 1, 2, 3) can be divided into seven groups: Sensory; stimulating animals&rsquo; senses: visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile and taste. Feeding; making feeding more challenging. Different methods of food presentation and feeding toys encourage animals to investigate, manipulate and work for their food as they would in non-captive environments. Waste product elimination places and the substrates used including number, size and type of boxes for cats, litter cleaning and location affect and enrich the environment. Manipulation; providing items that can be manipulated by the paws, feet, tail, horns, head, mouth, etc. This promotes investigatory behaviour and exploratory play. Environmental; enhancing the animals&rsquo; captive habitat with opportunities that change or add complexity to the environment. Use of furniture, aromatherapy, music therapy, animal TV, being able to check out the environment out of the captive area. Social; providing the opportunity to interact with other animals, either co-species or inter-species. These help maintain healthy social relationships. Prey type toys for cats attached to wands or rope stimulate hunting behaviours. Training; training animals with positive reinforcement or habituation. Humans can use toys, treats, catnip to train animals to cues for positive communication e.g. come, sit. Puzzles; requiring an animal to solve simple problems to access food or other rewards. Food!!! A much wasted opportunity for behavioural environmental enrichment is feeding time! (Ref 2) specially with young kittens and pups one of the easiest ways to start with behavioural enrichment is with feed time, although this often meets with the most resistance from owners. Veterinarians should keep in mind that puppies spend 12.5% of their day eating, 50% sleeping, 10% resting &hellip;.. The eating time is one area veterinarians can focus on and get our clients to do the same. Cats in contrast allocate 44% of their day to sleep, 22% to rest and 15% to grooming&hellip; in a feral state they eat little and often throughout their day, food they have caught. We have been indoctrinated for so many years to feed our pets from a bowl, once or twice a day at times that are convenient to humans. This may have worked well 25-30 years ago, when dogs and cats were roaming free and able to contribute scavenged food or prey to their diets, but now feeding time can very often be the only highlight of an animal&rsquo;s day. It therefore seems obvious that dog and cat boredom is manifested in eating, particularly those that have free access to food all day. That is one reason we may see so many fat dogs and cats today. When puppies and kittens come in for their vaccinations and/or puppy/kitten socialisation is an ideal time for veterinary staff to discuss feeding tips with clients and explain to them how to start implementing fun feeding habits for their pets. We can start by asking our clients to put the food bowl away for most of the week and try some new ways of feeding, including: make feed time more natural by creating foraging and hunting opportunities. This not only extends eating time, it also helps relieve boredom and makes feed time much more fun. For cats, this can be anything as simple as creating multiple feeding stations &ndash; with just a small amount of food at each station, but making sure the cat has to climb or get into tight (safe) spots to get to the food &ndash; and the need to travel far for it. I call it &ldquo;cat aerobics&rdquo;, making cats exercise for food. Cat owners can be very creative in making their own Food Dispensing Toys as well. Dogs can have food scattered all over the garden or home. Cardboard boxes can become creative food dispensing outlets. Toys are things that dogs can have food hidden in that are dispersed in spots around the house. They can also be set on a timer so food is dispensed at certain times. There are many products available to assist. Slow feeders also have the added bonus that they are excellent for mental stimulation in boarding facilities or for patients that require strict cage rest. 给猫犬及有蹄家畜的各种喂食器包括 (4)：Different food feeding products available for cats, dogs and some domestic hoof animals include (4): Porta Grazer、Trixie Range、Nina Ottossan 产品、Aikiou Stimulo Buster Food Maze; Food Dispensing Trays (FDT); Porta Grazer; Trixie Range; Nina Ottossan products; Aikiou Stimulo; Cat Senses Food Maze and others. These products have been designed to not only provide stimulation but to also slow animals down with eating. This can also help with issues such as regurgitation, overfeeding and overeating. They mainly cater for dry foods only however but wet foods can be used with the food mazes. They can also be used for a variety of species including birds. With cats instead of providing the dry food in one food bowl with free access, it is much better to either provide multiple food stations (not piled high) or place the food in a slow feed or FDT &ndash; encouraging the cat to be active and providing it with a more natural way of feeding as they are really hunting for their food. This is recommended for all overweight animals. When selecting an appropriate food dispensing toy, it is important to know the animal&rsquo;s PAWsonality. Often the key point many people also fail to appreciate is we have to teach our pets how to use the new games. It makes sense if we get a new board game, or anything new, like new software or mobile phone, we need to learn how to use it. SO DO OUR PETS! We need to teach our pets how to use a simple FDT until they are confident enough to use it. We need to teach our pets how to use something new. Some will catch on quicker than others. It is thought that the earlier you start animals off with different FDT&rsquo;s the easier it is for them to understand the concept of new ones. But this does not mean you cannot teach an old dog new tricks! If a pet is sufficiently food motivated they will work things out. It has been shown that geriatric humans and pets slowing up mentally respond well to &ldquo;brain games&rdquo;. In conclusion, we are seeing increasing numbers of clients struggling to deal with behavioural issues in their pets. Some are serious enough to have a major impact on the human&mdash;animal bond, even leading to the abandonment, rehoming or euthanasia of some pets. Environmental enrichment can make a real difference to the lives of pets and their parents. We should educate our veterinary staff and clients as to these benefits as well as how they can practically enrich the environment in which their pets live. The very best place to start educating our clients is at the first veterinary visit. References and Thanks Anderson David Animal Welfare Legislation in Europe 2013 Osaka Japan Shippen Gillian Environmental and behavioural enrichment for all types of captive animals Behaviour Chapter AVA Proceedings Science Week 2014 Overall KL(2013) Clinical Behavioural Medicine of Small Animals Mosby St Louis MO www.petsneedalifetoo.com&nbsp;online source of many food toys All enquiries welcome. Call us at 2792 0833 or 2415 1600.

Environmental and Behavioural Enrichment

Pet poisoning is an emergency situation that needs veterinary attention as soon as possible. Here is the top 10 list of most common poisoning seen among cats and dogs according to the America Pet Poison Helpline. America Pet Poison Helpline
Cats
Topical spot-on insecticides Household Cleaners Antidepressants Lilies Insoluble Oxalate Plants Human and Veterinary NSAIDs Cold and Flu Medication Glow Sticks ADD/ADHD Medications/Amphetamines Mouse and Rat Poison Dogs
Chocolate Mouse and Rat Poisons Vitamins and Mineral NSAIDs Cardiac Medications Cold and Allergy Medications Antidepressants Xylitol Acetaminophen Caffeine Pills If a pet is suspected to have ingested poison, here are the important steps that could save your pet&rsquo;s life:
1) Do not panic. It is never wise to consult Dr. Google before consulting a veterinarian as this may delay the time to seek proper veterinary care.
2) Note the symptom and time e.g. vomiting, seizure. Seek veterinarian care as soon as possible
3) Identify the possible toxin that your pet may ingested. Keep the package of the toxin for vet.
Although some pets who had ingested poison may still look normal but that does not mean that they are safe. It is crucial that veterinarian care is sought immediately. Lastly, prevention is better than cure. Thus it is best to prevent this from happening by knowing the types of poisoning that could be harmful to our pets and place it out of reach from them.

Pet poisoning is an emergency situation that needs veterinary attention as soon as possible. Here is the top 10 list of most common poisoning seen among cats and dogs according to the America Pet Poison Helpline. America Pet Poison Helpline Cats Topical spot-on insecticides Household Cleaners Antidepressants Lilies Insoluble Oxalate Plants Human and Veterinary NSAIDs Cold and Flu Medication Glow Sticks ADD/ADHD Medications/Amphetamines Mouse and Rat Poison Dogs Chocolate Mouse and Rat Poisons Vitamins and Mineral NSAIDs Cardiac Medications Cold and Allergy Medications Antidepressants Xylitol Acetaminophen Caffeine Pills If a pet is suspected to have ingested poison, here are the important steps that could save your pet&rsquo;s life: 1) Do not panic. It is never wise to consult Dr. Google before consulting a veterinarian as this may delay the time to seek proper veterinary care. 2) Note the symptom and time e.g. vomiting, seizure. Seek veterinarian care as soon as possible 3) Identify the possible toxin that your pet may ingested. Keep the package of the toxin for vet. Although some pets who had ingested poison may still look normal but that does not mean that they are safe. It is crucial that veterinarian care is sought immediately. Lastly, prevention is better than cure. Thus it is best to prevent this from happening by knowing the types of poisoning that could be harmful to our pets and place it out of reach from them.