GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR KEEPING PETS
No matter what type of pets you are looking after there are some general needs that must be fulfilled. These include:
Food
All animals will require sufficient food, of the right type/s, and at the right intervals. This will obviously vary considerably between species. For instance, dogs usually have diets with a high meat component, some birds will have diets high in seeds, some birds may require invertebrates, rabbits and guinea pigs will be fed on grasses and greens, while some reptiles may be fed with live food, although this too is actually illegal in some countries.
Understanding what types of food your animals require is very important and it is imperative that you understand differing food requirements at different stages of their life, e.g. young versus mature animals, when pregnant or feeding young. To ensure the best health of your animals, only use good quality food that has been properly stored, i.e. not perished, mouldy, or infested with pests.
Discuss with your vet to ensure your animals are receiving adequate nutrition from their diet, and to determine ways in which you might need to modify it to improve their all-round nutrient intake. Before owning a pet, it is always advisable to undertake research into the diet and natural feeding habits of the animal.
Although it can seem nice to treat pets to human foods and sweets, or to leave food constantly available to your pet, it can be very detrimental to their health. Certain foods that are fit for human consumption can in fact be toxic to pets. Allowing your pet to eat constantly, or providing them with a poorly balanced diet can lead to obesity.
This is an increasing problem and has serious physical and health complications for the animals. They are unable to move as freely and become sedentary, and they can develop joint problems such as arthritis, as well as injuries related to the stress on their spines from the additional weight. Their risk of heart disease will increase along with complications such as obesity related diabetes.
Watering
Nearly all animals will require regular watering, and some having higher water requirements than others. Water should be of high quality, clean and readily available. Restrictions on drinking water, perhaps when an animal has a health issue, should only be in place when under veterinary advice or control.
The types of water containers provided should be suitable to the types of animals you are watering.
For example deep, steep-sided containers may pose a drowning risk to small animals, including birds, while containers or troughs used by multiple numbers of a particular pet should provide sufficient access so that there is not any great degree of competition between the animals for the water. This is particularly important on days of high water need, i.e. very hot days, or with more aggressive animals.
Water containers/sources should also be placed in a suitable position; where they are stable so they are not easily dislodged or knocked over, where they will not be contaminated by debris or animal droppings falling into them, where the are easily accessed by both your pets to drink and you to fill them. For some animals the containers may need to be placed in a position that provides some degree of shelter and/or protection from other animals.
Placing water in a position sheltered from the sun will also reduce evaporation rates. Ideally at least two, and depending on the space available and animals you are watering, possibly more separate containers should be available, in case one becomes fouled, or is knocked over.
Animals can quickly suffer or die if sufficient water is not available on a hot day. Containers should be regularly inspected for damage, and regularly and thoroughly cleaned to minimise pest and diseases. Any automatic watering systems should be regularly maintained and regularly checked to ensure they are operating properly.
Shelter/Containment/Protection
Caging and fencing can serve a number of functions. These include:
- Containment – ensuring your pet/s don’t escape.
- Shelter – providing protection against the elements.
- Protection – providing protection against other animals, i.e. predators, and also to protect other animals and people from your pet/s. For example, snakes,
aggressive dogs, etc.
Any caging or fenced area should have the following features:
- Size – sufficient to cater for the animal’s needs.
- Strength – sufficient to contain the animal, to keep other animals out and to withstand the local weather conditions.
- Safe – no sharp edges, or protruding parts, ensure materials aren’t toxic to the animal, e.g. treated timbers, rusted metals, asbestos sheeting, etc.
- Position – providing shelter for the animal and being securely fixed into place.
- Access – for cleaning, providing food and water. Access should be secured to prevent escape.
It is crucial that any containment area is regularly checked over and maintained properly.
Maintaining Health
Good hygiene is critical. This includes; maintaining food and water quality, cleaning out wasted food regularly, cleaning any faeces or urinations, and controlling pests and diseases. Regular preventative measures for controlling pests and diseases are vital. Examples include; spraying cages/shelters, regular worming treatments, vaccinations, flea and tick treatments, regular inspections for signs of problems in the animals yard as well as on the animal itself, regular grooming and dental care, and quarantining animals that are suspected, or known to have, parasitic or disease problems can significantly reduce the likelihood of problems occurring, and minimise the outbreak when they do occur.
Regular veterinary check-ups are important to detect any conditions that may otherwise go unnoticed. Likewise, it is useful to provide routine nose to tail health checks to ensure early detection of any health issue.
It is important that animals receive adequate opportunity for exercise to avoid them becoming overweight and unhealthy. Many smaller pets thrive on human contact and it is necessary to spend time interacting with them, and this can be achieved through appropriate playtime, training and grooming.
PERMANENT IDENTIFICATION OF COMPANION ANIMALS
Microchipping is a popular form of identifying pets in many countries and is currently the most effective form of permanent identification. Microchips have been used for cats, dogs, horses and other animals. A microchip implant is an integrated circuit which is based on passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to help identify a pet via a unique number. The process of microchipping involves inserting a small glassine capsule which is the size of a grain of rice under the skin between the pet’s shoulder blades via a hypodermic needle.
When the microchip is read, the unique microchip number is matched with those held in a permanent registry database. This database holds information about the animal including its owner and their contact details. In countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, it is becoming mandatory that pet owners, especially of dogs, have their pet microchipped and registered to enable them to be identified quickly.
