Welcome to Paws & Claws e-news! Every bi-month we will bring up to date information on what is happening in the pet and animal world. Your news, thoughts, ideas and suggestions are always welcome. Our aim is to bring you the most informative and educational articles while promoting responsible pet ownership and care for our wildlife. To date, we have donated over $140,000 of advertising and article space in Paws & Claws Magazine to non-profit animal organisations. We donate a further 10% of our profits to the Animal Welfare League of Qld and the RSPCA Qld annually, so please support our advertisers.

Paws & Claws will be hosting this exclusive and stylish awards presentation, dinner, dance and show on Saturday the 16th of August at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa. Located in the heart of the Gold Coast, this elegant five-star resort offers award-winning service and makes this the perfect venue to host this year’s most prestigous awards ceremony in the pet and animal industry. Everyone can be part of the excitement and look forward to celebrating this annual charitable event. The aim of the awards is to recognize high achievers within the pet and animal industry to show our appreciation for their hard work, commitment and unrelenting passion. More info...

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PAWS & CLAWS MAGAZINE WINTER ISSUE #11: AVAILABLE NOW & FREE TO DOWNLOAD!

Feature Story: Crufts 2008
For all you dog lovers we bring you the world’s greatest dog show, Crufts 2008! As officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records, Crufts is the largest dog show in the world – read all about it on page 6!

Has your pet been recently diagnosed with kidney disease? Inside this issue we discuss with various local experts how the right diet can improve your pet’s renal health.

Breed in Focus:
The Boxer dog
The Russian Blue cat

Vet's advice on arthitis and dogs.

NEW Gold Coast Animal Emergency Centre!

Dog training tips with expert dog trainer, Scott Donald.

Stories from the Animal ER

Dreamworld Animal News
Check out the first birthday celebrations of Dreamworld's tiger twins, Indah and Rahni!

EXCLUSIVE: Inside the 2008 Paws & Claws Awards for Charity.

One of the biggest tourism players in Australia has sharpened its pencil on the issue of conservation and today launched a hands-on education program aimed at raising awareness about one of Australia’s most endangered animals, the bilby.

With a reported 600 of the tiny creatures remaining in the wild in Queensland, Dreamworld has teamed up with the Bilby Brothers, Frank Manthey and Peter McRae, to create a one hour on-site education program designed to encourage students from grades four to seven to help save the embattled marsupial.  Dreamworld hopes to attract at least 1000 students to the program in the first year of operation.

Launching the program before 26 students from St Francis Xavier Runaway Bay School, Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, said, “This is a case of conservation, education and tourism coming together to put one of our most endangered creatures at the forefront of young minds.”

“Dreamworld is one of the few wildlife parks in the state with bilbies on display and the only non-government institution with approval to breed the marsupials for release back into the wild. It’s heartening to see them working towards the conservation of this endangered animal.”

Kevin Bradley, COO of Dreamworld and WhiteWater World, added that, “Most people have visions of thrills and spills when they come to Dreamworld and White Water World. But behind the colourful rides there are two giant parks with big hearts actively committed to ‘conservation through education’.

“With more than 1.5 million visitors passing through the Dreamworld gates annually, including 60,000 school students on excursion, our aim is to take the conservation issue off the whiteboard and into an environment where both guests and children are relaxed and receptive to learning,” he added.

The bilby education program takes students on a journey through the changing world of the bilby beginning with an overview of the current situation and ending with simple tactics for action.

Students visit three stations: Dreamworld’s specially-built bilby enclosure and breeding centre; a food web activity that highlights the dramatic and devastating effect introduced species such as foxes and cats have on the bilbies’ natural environment; and a billboard of the two metre high 25 km2 fence that has been built at Currawinya National Park. The fence provides a safe haven for captive-bred bilbies – including those from Dreamworld -  to be released into the wild.

Students end their journey with the opportunity to see and touch a real Bilby.

Ms Dominique Burgess, Dreamworld’s Education Manager who trialled the program on June 10 before a class of 25 students from Kingston State School said the bilby education program is curriculum relevant and links to both the Study of Society and Environment and Science syllabi.
 
“This program uses a real conservation issue to push the awareness of a relatively gloomy environmental situation. Not many kids can get out to Currawinya National Park to see conservation in action, so this course is designed to bring it to them.”

Her comments were echoed by Kingston State School teacher, Matthew Knight who said his combined year 4 and 5 class enjoyed the experiential side of the program.

“It ties in really well with our units at school and reinforces the lifestyle and habitat studies in grade four and threats and adaptation in grade five,” he said.

“We have the future leaders of the country here. They are the ones to make a decision on conservation and unless they have awareness of the situation, there is no way they can make improvements for the future.

   Until today there was not a lot of understanding of the bilby. Most kids know about the (iconic) animals like the koala so it was good to have an animal that is less known. They enjoyed the hands-on aspect of the program.”

Following the program, students are offered the chance to tour through other endangered species located at Dreamworld including the Tasmanian Devil, the Cassowary and the exotic Sumatran Tiger.

Mr Knight said the students were also looking forward to an afternoon on the rides.

“We’ve broken the day up. We’ve done the education program and now we’ll explore one of the animals which the class studied. Then we’ll hit the rides this afternoon. You can’t walk through Dreamworld and say ‘no’ to the rides.”

• Satin Cavy: any cavy that has the ability to reflect the light; these come in a variety of colours
• Self cavy: all one colour
• Marked Cavy: a set pattern; these include Dutch, Dalmatian, Himalayan, Roans and numerous other marked cavies
• Crested: a rosette located on the head. ,
• Ticked: a salt and pepper effect
• Rex: coarse coat; feels like a scrubbing brush; often referred to as ‘teddies’
• Abyssinian: rosettes all over its body in a set pattern
• Longhair: hair grows an inch a month and comes in different varieties, depending on whether the hair is straight or curly
• Un-standardised: new breeds recognised with the ANCC.   

 I will write a full    article on the breeds in further issues.
   All these pedigree cavies should come with their own pedigree papers, which include the stud’s name, breeder, registration number issued by the ANCC, and a full family tree of the cavy. It will also include date of birth, gender, registered name, colour, and breed. If it does not have these elements, it is not a pedigree animal. Adoption papers are not a recognised pedigree.
   When choosing a cavy as a pet, it is sometimes  great   to go to a show and talk to a few breeders about the pros and cons of each

breed. You can also buy direct from the breeder and thereby find out about correct care of the cavy.
   We often get queries as to which make the better pet: males (boars) or females (sows). Both! Any cavy that is handled with love and care can make a good pet. Good animal husbandry brings out the best in any animal.
    You can keep two boars in a cage as long as there is no scent of a sow. Once a boar reaches sexual maturity, if a sow is near by, a boar may kill its roommate to become the dominant boar.
   If you plan to keep one of each, you need to house them separately. A boar can get an adult sow pregnant at three weeks of age but it shortens the life of the cavy. Once a boar has bred, it must be housed separately from all other cavies. Sometimes a boar may become frustrated and bite once it has bred, as it constantly wants to get to a sow.
   A sow’s gestation is 63-72 days and she can become pregnant again within one hour of giving birth. Continual breeding of a sow in this manner will eventually kill the sow. Seeing a sow give birth is unlikely because most sows give birth at night or as soon as you’re out of sight - it’s Murphy’s Law!. In the 10 years we have been breeding, we have witnessed very few births and normally only see the sow cleaning up the babies.
   Then there is the important issue of finding new homes for the babies. These are often added to the unwanted cavies that are sent to pet shops. Hopefully most go to a good home, but the fact is that some end up at rescue shelters. As with all pets, owning a cavy is for the life of the cavy, not just for a fad. Cavies live between 4-5 years on average, but can live longer; our average is 6-8 years of age.
   We recommend that you keep the cavies in same sex pairs for pets. Cavies are a social animal and prefer constant companionship. They also help each other to keep warm on cool nights.

   Housing:
   Cavies require at least a 2ft x 2ft area per cavy. There are many different types of housing, ranging from the simple to the extravagant. The basic rule is that you ensure that it is cat and dog-proof; dogs can tip over lawn cages and chew through bird and chicken wire. The box should not have harsh wire on the bottom, as it will cut the pads on the cavy’s feet. The sleeping quarters should be slightly raised off the ground, and make sure the box is waterproof.
   Your cavy hutch should have good ventilation and, if it is an outdoor hutch, be

protected from the sun. Cavies cannot tolerate temperatures over 28 degrees without relief.
   The hutch will require bedding; most breeders use wood shavings or straw. Use several layers of newspaper on the base, then straw or shavings on top. Avoid using hard bedding straw or Lucerne-type hay, as it can poke the cavy in the eye, or lead to mouth abscesses.

   Feeding:
   Most people think that you can put it out on the grass and that’s it! Cavies on total diets like grass may suffer obesity, digestive upsets, and many other problems.
   Cavies, like most animals require roughage; this means a varied diet that supplies a variety of vitamins and minerals. Most commercial mixes supply a basic diet but they lose their goodness if they have been packaged for too long. We recommend extra fruit and vegetables as part of their diet. Cavies should not be given lettuce more than once a month as it leads to digestive upsets; we recommend cabbage or wombok (Chinese cabbage), but this should not be given more than twice a week.
   You should also avoid potatoes, rhubarb, onions or onion grass, deadly nightshade, oxalis and certain garden shrubs such as Oleander, Privot etc. as any of these can kill a cavy. When placing your cavies out on the lawn, you should also avoid any grass that could have faecal matter of dogs or cats, as this will also kill them.
   Cavies also need a constant supply of fresh, clean drinking water. Most pet stores sell enclosed bottles, which hang off the side of the enclosure. These are easy to maintain and are less likely to get soiled.

   Health:
   The cavy is quite a clean animal when kept in the correct conditions. This means regular cleaning of hutches, removal of old food scraps, and regular bathing and dipping. A cavy that is exposed to draughts and damp conditions can easily catch pneumonia, while extreme heat can lead to heat exhaustion.
   Failure to give basic care such as clipping their toenails can lead to serious deformities and inflammation of the feet. Not bathing or dipping your cavy on a regular basis may cause mite and lice infestations, or sarcoptic mite.
   If you wish to breed your cavies, there are a multitude of illnesses that can occur which is another article in itself.
   The cavy is a loveable animal that will give the owner many wonderful moments: they are intelligent and easy to manage, make excellent first pets for all ages, come in a large variety, and are fairly low maintenance. When you join a cavy society, you are not only with people who share your hobby, but you will also make great friends.
   If you have any problems with your cavy, just email Paws & Claws and your information will be passed on to Cavy Owners and Breeders Society members for instant help.

If you want to come to one of our meetings, they are held on the 4th Sunday of each month except Jan, June, Nov and Dec.
The show starts 9.30am in the Main Hall of the Beenleigh Showgrounds, James Street, Beenleigh.

For more info call Joan 07 55 436 295.

   Survivors in Sichuan’s earthquake-hit region of Dujiangyiang are lining up to hand over their pet dogs to Animals Asia for safe-keeping until they are back on their feet. The Hong Kong-headquartered charity has set up a receiving station at a local vet clinic and a hotline for pet owners to call.

   Animals Asia, which has a sanctuary in Chengdu for moon bears rescued from cruel bile farms, decided to act when it heard the authorities in Dujiangyiang were implementing a cull of all dogs because of fears they would spread disease. To date, the Animals Asia team has rescued 68 dogs and two cats, bringing them to Chengdu, some to an animal shelter, others to it’s rescue centre for urgent medical attention.

   Animals Asia’s China Relations Director, Christie Yang said that this was one small way of helping the survivors of the earthquake. "These poor people have lost everything, family members, their homes, their livelihoods and now they are faced with losing their much loved pets in the most cruel way, so if we can help them, we will." Full story here.

   The rescue team was alerted about the distressed whale by Sea World Whale Watch’s vessel, out on their early morning whale watching tour. Captain Richard Orchard said that they were cruising off Southport when they spotted a Humpback Whale towing rope.

   “We immediately called the Sea World team and informed them of the distressed animal’s location. They arrived very quickly and the guests on the boat were able to view part of the rescue” he said.

   The Sea World team caught up with the whale 4 nautical miles off Southport.  The team used rescue boat Sea World 2 to attach several large orange floats to the whale, to slow it down and make it easier to follow.

   Sea World Director of Marine Sciences Trevor Long said that the whale was obviously in distress as it was covered in sea lice and spending large amounts of time on the surface.

   “Our initial aim was to slow it down with the floats so we could make a close inspection of the fishing gear and determine the best way to free the entangled whale”, he said.

   Unfortunately the whale had other ideas and dove deeply, bending and breaking the metal carabineer which attached the floats.

   “We were able to reattach the floats and after a close inspection of the whale it was determined that there was a rope wrapped

around the whale’s tail lobe, which had also been partially severed”, Mr Long said.

   The Sea World team used a large extension pole with a specially designed blade to cut the rope free. The whale remained on the surface for a few minutes and then dived under the boat.

   Mr Long said that it is quite possible that this whale had towed the rope all the way from Victoria.

   The Sea World rescue team has seen many seriously injured Humpback Whales over the years and is hopeful this whale will be able to make a full recovery.

IT’S A GIRRL . . . Feisty boy turns out to be fiery girl

   In the wee hours of Monday June 9, three tiny cubs were born at Dreamworld’s Tiger Island; two little girls and their feisty baby brother.  But during routine health checks last week, Dreamworld veterinarian Vere Nicholson and Tiger Island Manager Patrick Martin-Vegue stumbled across something very interesting; our feisty little guy is actually a fiery little girl.

   “At the time, our main focus was to check the health of the cubs and get them back to Soraya as quickly as possible. Determining the sex was a bonus,” said Vere, before adding that, “It’s a bit difficult to differentiate the sex of tiger cubs when they are small as there is literally a millimetre of difference.”

   “The three girls have helped redress an imbalance towards males in the Australasian region.  From a genetic management perspective it’s good to have an equal breakdown for regional planning of the captive breeding population.”

   Said Martin-Vegue, “At least now that we know there are three confirmed girls, we can have our Dreamworld team give one an appropriate female style name.”

Congratulations to Rhett, winner of the $2,500 full aquarium setup plus $500 worth of accessories thanks to our friends at the Coomera Pet Barn, Oxenford!