puppy farm dogs and shelter cats
TRANSCRIPT
Where do puppies come from?
Internet sites - (classifieds, trading post, backyard breeders)
Pet shops - promotes impulse buying (no application processes in place)
Breeders - 'pedigree' types (lucrative business designed to meet society's demands)
The puppy farm industry has no regard for the dog's:
psychological welfare
behavioural development
general health
well-being
.
Earlier this year I was involved in aiding the rehabilitation of 5 of the 11 rescued dogs from the Meredith Puppy Farm.
2 of the 11 dogs rescued unfortunately had to be euthanised.
Reactive to new environmentshadowswindgrasspoor judgment of heights and disstance open spacesmovement like carssounds (general everyday home living noises)plastic bagscutlery paperdraws and cupboards being open and closedmajor guarding of their new resources intrigued by the TV
Shilo's Case Study
Behavioural:
Poor judgement of heightsHypersensitivity to touch/being handledShowing avoidance to unfamiliar stimuliSuspicious and highly strung Obsessive compulsive disorder (Pacing)
Medical:
16 mammary tumors Grade 3 heart murmurDental diseaseBacterial skin infection
Bert's Case Study
Behavioural:
Resource guarding Pacing/ circling (OCD)Poor judgment of heightsPoor focusNo reaction to new stimuli
Medical:Evidence of previous trauma to the faceRespiratory problemsDental diseaseNeurological disorderBlocked tear duct
Maggie's case study
Behavioural
CoprophagicExtremely timidNervousShowed avoidance to grassPoor judgment of heights
MedicalGrade 4 PatellaConjunctivitisGum diseaseUrine burns Inflamed feet
Lance's case study
Behavioural:No response to play Repetitive pattern behavioursExtremely depressedShaking Freeze when picked up
Medical
Muscle wastage (could not jump up)Testicular tumor
Claude's case study Behaviour No will to moveReactive to touch Soiling of beddingCoprophagicDrink own urinePoor judgment of heightsWould bite when picked upNo response to play, toys, patting
Gum diseaseMuscle wastageUrine burns to skinInfected feet
Behaviour modification of Claude
Started him in a confined space
Mimicked previous the environment Adapted to new environment by using bathroom for three days.
Every time I walked into the bath room I simply did repetitive actions. This is to create a predictable environment.
Behaviour modification of Claude
Small exercises of touching under the chin. To help with the hypersensitivity.
Gave him a bed as a new safety zone rather than standing into a corner
This is crucial for rehab any fear related behaviours.
Behaviour modification
After 3 days I wanted his new safety zone to be me. This was done by standing next to him
Placed lots of beds in the room in close proximity this time in a larger space.
When Claude would lean into me I would slowly take a step away.
His new coping strategy to moving off the bed was walking in a backward motion
Getting Claude to walk foward
Tried Luring (food) and guiding with no success
Attached a ribbon to his collar to condition him to the idea of lead been attached to him for 2 days
Applied a small amount of pressure on his lead
Tapped his foot to move forward
Then released the pressure
Subtle Stress Related Behaviours
lip lickingdilated eyescurled tailbody postureswithdrawnclosed mouth / clenched jawears tucked close to head
Neurological
Obsessive compulsive disorderCompulsive pattern behaviours Circling Pacing Monotonous jumping up cages (conflict)Excessive licking Flank biting Tail chasingExcessive barking
Neurological
Obsessive compulsive disorderCompulsive pattern behaviours Circling Pacing Monotonous jumping up cages Excessive lickingFlank biting Tail chasingExcessive barking
Shutdown BehavioursNot movingSoiling in beddingLack of appetiteFly catching (also can be genetic)Learnt helplessnessNo response to Stimuli - no interest insmells, patting, toys, playDisplacement (a sub- conscious defense mechanism)e.g. abnormal response to stimuli
Extreme resource guarding like water
Walking in backward motion
Highly sensitive to touch as a pain response
Also known as reactive to touch as a defense response
Fear related behaviours
Nature vs Nurture Bitches that are kept in poorly confine conditions are not free to move about
This deprives them of their freedom which causes the mother to release high levels of stress hormones to her young. this is due to the lack of...exercisehandling pattingmental stimulation poor dietpoor hygiene
Lack of early socialisation and handling in the critical period affect the behaviour of these pups for the rest of their lives.
Common medical conditions found
muscle wastageUrine burns to skin Skin infections bacterial and fugalMammary tumors Infected pads from walking in raised mess cages and wet areasDental and gum disease from poor diet and stressEmaciation from poor feeding regimesDehydration and illness from poor water supplies Parvovirus GiardiaGastroenteritis Coporaphagic (medical mineral deficient / behavioural)
Common medical conditions found
muscle wastageUrine burns to skin Skin infections bacterial and fugalMammary tumors Infected pads from walking in raised mess cages and wet areasDental and gum disease from poor diet and stressEmaciation from poor feeding regimesDehydration and illness from poor water supplies Parvovirus GiardiaGastroenteritis Coporaphagic (medical mineral deficient / behavioural)Server matting
Eutanasisa rates from the main shelters in Melbourne
Lost dogs home took in 11,541 Killed 88%Cat protection society took in 12,491 Killed 91% RSPCA took in 17,265 Killed 57%
The good old Reasons for euthaniasiaFeralTemperament or behaviouralOver populationLack of cage spaceCat fluFailure to re-home
The Cats resources in Home Environment:
waterfoodbedding scent owners scentfamiliar smellsfreedom to move aroundsleeping regimes eliminating areashiding spots
Shelter AdmissionWhen a cat is found or owner wants to surrender their cat
Placed in a cage, transported to a shelter.
Cat is removed from the carry cage being the only thing that is familiar to the cat.
Placed in a cage by a stranger.
Cat is now exposed to stress pheromones from previous and surrounding cats.
Smells, sounds and visuals are all foreign and confronting.
The Resources in a ShelterCats live and in a three dimension world unlike dogs.
Most shelter cages have minimal size requirements that are less than 1 square meter in height and depth. This does not allow the cat hide and perch.
All its resources are shrunk into a extremely confined space, which causes stress levels to increase dramatically.
Types of body postures cats present when in stress.Vocal stress related tonesDilated eyesEars folded backPantingHissingTail curled underBody curled up Contraction of the muscular system
StressIts not natural for cats to become stressed for long periods of time. When cats experience stress their digestive system stops processing food. This can cause:
Lack of appetite
Immunity becomes low opening to illness
Toxins build up in the body
Excretion of stress pheromones
Cat Flu in Shelters
The average amount of cats entering shelters get flu from stress and poor ventilation are around 95%.
Cat can appear healthy on admission to a shelter prior to an 8 day quarantine period.
The incubation period for cat flu is approx. 8 days, therefore flu symptoms can present themselves within the quarantine period.
This can result in euthanasia if the shelter does not have the finances to treat the virus.
Types of Cats flu
Herpes virus - ulceration of the tongue & nose
Feline Calicivirus - there are several types of strains
Chlamydia - mainly causes conjunctivitis
Other illnesses
Cystitis - blockage of the urinary tract
Ring worm - fungal skin lesions
Body curled up facing into corners
An instinct behaviour to hide away Common for them not to groom, eat, drink
Tearing up news paper
Linked to escaping instinct when in danger
Creating their own scent
After toileting in a litter tray that is in close proximity to their other resources
Hiding under bedding or news paper
Instinct to hide when in danger
To create a new safety zone
Create warmth
Inappropriate urinating and defecating
We usually see this on bedding or in their food bowl
Related to over crowded conditions
Resources are in close proxcimerty
Depression
Shut down or depression state
Excessive sleeping
Not responding to any stimuli
Failure to groom
Over grooming (OCD)
Stealth Position
Instinct behaviour when in danger Hunching down not moving
These cats tend not to lunge at you Mostly hiss when approached
Stress lick excessively
Dilated eyes
Ears folded back
DefenseSwiping Spitting Lunging Screaming Hissing All warning sings to warn the threat to stay away in order to keep from harm.