Q:  Can I give my Puppy Rawhide?
A:  No.  The reason being is that rawhide is not easily digested and could possibly cause a blockage in the intestines in puppies younger than about 7 months.  As they get older they are better able to handle the digestion of rawhide.   Our Paradise staff can help you in choosing safe chew toys for your puppy.

Q:  What kind of treats are safe for my Puppy?
A:  Soft treats and biscuits are ideal.  The size of the biscuit is based on the size of the puppy.  Be aware though that if you introduce a treat this can upset the digestive system of the puppy and possible cause diarrhea and/or vomiting.  They should be introduced in small amounts over a period of time.

Q: My Dog has bad breath.  Is there anything I can do about it?
A: There are several products that can help with this.  A chew treat called Greenies given at least once a week can help.  Dog biscuits made with mint or charcoal as well as breath sprays and tablets.  The health of the teeth and gums can make a huge difference in a dog’s breath.  There are special finger brushes, regular type dog toothbrushes and dog flavored toothpaste to keep the teeth and gums healthy.  Starting a regime of brushing your dog’s teeth as a puppy is good practice all around as it can also help prevent costly visits to the dentist for plaque removal as well as other gum diseases which can lead to tooth loss down the road.  One last thing that could be causing the breath issue is a digestion problem.  The quality or type of food could play a part in this.  Our knowledgeable staff can help educate you on this.  If you’re finding your dog’s breath extremely obnoxious, it would be wise to speak to your Veterinarian as there may be a more serious underlying problem.

Q: How long do I feed Puppy food to my Puppy?
A: When a Puppy is going through development, they require additional fat and nutrients which is found in the Puppy formulas. Small to Medium breed Puppies require Puppy food up until the age of One Year. Large breed Puppies may require Puppy food up until the age of 18 months, but minimum one year. If you notice your Puppy getting fat, it’s not “cute”, but may endanger the dog’s health.  Get advice from your Vet if you’re not sure if your dog’s weight is proper for the size and breed of the dog.

Q:  When can I take my new Puppy for a walk or to Paradise Pet Centre?
A: You should wait at least 2 weeks after your Puppy’s second set of shots from the Vet to be more certain of immunity to disease.  To be on the safe side, our Veterinarian recommend waiting until after their third set of shots.  Puppy’s immune systems, like babies, are not that strong therefore they will be more susceptible to the normal Viruses and Bacteria’s that are out there. It’s up to you, the pet owner, to take care of your new addition to the family as much as you’d love to show him/her off.

Q:  When the weather gets cold my dog doesn’t want to go out for walks or to the bathroom.  What can I do?
A:  The easiest fix to that would be to get some booties for your dog as well as a coat.  Some dogs are just more sensitive to the cold than others.  Paw wax applied to their paws can also protect the bare skin from cold as well as salts, etc. applied to walkways in the winter.  Both the booties and/or Paw Wax are good protection for your dog’s health in general as they tend to like to lick the salt off their feet that they’ve tred on during their walks.  Depending on the chemical make-up what anyone is using, it can make your dog ill.  Some dogs will also get into the bad habit of licking their feet raw.

Q: Can I return dog clothing or attire if it doesn’t fit?
A:  Yes, as long as it’s in new condition and returned within 90 days of purchase with the original receipt.  The only exceptions are holiday specific attire at Halloween and Christmas.  These may only be exchanged for a different size before the holiday occurs and there are no refunds on these items at all.

Q: How can I stop my dog from consuming his or other dog’s feces?
A: There are many reasons a dog will do this.  Sometimes it is when they are lacking something in their diet and a simple change to a better quality premium food will do.  There are also products that you can put in your dog’s food to make the feces more unappealing to their taste buds.  Some dog people think that it’s a natural protection of the species whereas they do not leave traces of themselves behind making it harder for their natural predators to find them.  Either way, for our enjoyment of our pets in our homes, and to protect them from getting some disease from other animal’s feces, it is in our best interest to deter them from this practice.

Q:  My dog has diarrhea.  What should I do?
A:  First, analyze the dog’s environment for any possible products the dog may have gotten into.  Some of these my include plants, chocolate, garbage, other pet’s food etc.  If your pet seems “normal” and active despite the diarrhea you can try feeding them a half a cup of rice with their food to harden their stool.  Have you changed their food suddenly?  Dogs need to be “transitioned” from one food to another.  If it is changed abruptly it is very upsetting to a dog’s digestive system.  Try replacing a little bit of food every day to his old food until over the period of several days he is eating just the new food.  This should help prevent diarrhea.  Do they have mucous or blood in their stool?  This is a cause for concern.  You need to get your dog into the Vet as soon as possible.  These are symptoms to something more serious and your dog may need medication.

Q:  When is your next dog training? 
A:  The next sessions of Paradise Dog Training are in January, 2008.   They take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at either 6:30 – 7:30 pm, or 7:45 – 8:45 pm starting on January 14, 16, and 17.  Call the store for more information or check out www.paradisedogtraining.com

Q:  Should I be using a collar or a harness to walk my small dog?
A:  A harness is a lot safer on the dog because it doesn’t put any pressure on the neck when he/she pulls.

Q:  How many treats a day can I give my pet?
A:  Treats should be included in your pet’s daily food intake.  Ideally, you should choose only healthy treats, but the occasional pet “candy” is ok.  As a general rule, treats should be limited to 5% of your pet’s total daily diet.

Q:  I phoned a Pet Store because my Puppy (Pet) is very sick.  They told me I should see a Veterinarian.  If the people at the store are “Pet Experts” why won’t they help me?
A:  A pet store “Pet Expert” can help you with many things.  However, they are not medically trained.  Advice can be given on very mild ailments such as skin irritations or minor digestive upsets but anything that persists or seems serious calls for a Pet Health Professional such as your Veterinarian. 

Q:  My dog barks and/or howls when no one is home.  How can I stop this behavior?
A:  Bark collars and table devices are a couple of ways to help prevent your pet from barking.  There are a couple of different collars available:  one is a citronella one that will give a shot of spray with each bark, the other is a shock collar that will give a random shock while the dog is barking.  These collars have different strengths for training.  If you are concerned that this is cruel to the dog it helps to know that a dogs nervous system is different from that of a human and they do not feel the shock the same way we would.  The vibration of the dog’s barking is what makes them work and once the dog stops barking the spray or shock will stop.  You do need to do training with the device and ultimately as the dog makes the connection, you will be able to wean him off the collar.  This is not something that trains the dog to stop barking by itself when you are not home.  The table top device is generally used in one room with a 12 foot diameter and it gives off high pitched sounds when the dog barks that only the dog can hear.  Note:  Barking collars/devices are not guaranteed to work on all dogs and success will vary from dog to dog.

Q:  My Cat is gaining weight.  Is there a diet food that will help?
A:  Yes, there is a Cat/Kitten food made by Orijen.  It’s a high quality food that does not contain grains and also had the lowest levels of carbohydrates on the market.  Dogs and Cats have a problem processing carbohydrates therefore less carb’s will help control weight gain.

Q:  How long do I feed Kitten food to my Kitten?
A:  Kittens need the nutrients in kitten food up until One Year of age for healthy growth.

Q: What type of bird should I get?
A:  If you want to enjoy singing and don’t want to handle the bird, a Canary is a good choice.  If a relatively quiet bird is a priority, a couple of finches would be the way to go.  Budgies are easily handled.  For more interaction and talking, Cockatiels and larger hook billed birds such as Parrots or Conures are fun.  Some of these birds, though, can live for many years, so a true commitment is required, but can be very rewarding.

Q: I wanted to buy a Budgie, (or any other bird), but the people in the Pet Store said all their birds had “clipped wings”.  Isn’t that a cruel thing to do?
A:  No.  When done properly, wing clipping is safe and painless.  It doesn’t prevent flight, only limits it. There are two main reasons for doing this.  One is for the birds safety.  A bird which panics could injure itself by flying into walls, mirrors, or even out the door.  The other reason is that it makes it easier for you to handle a new pet.  The bird will realize it cannot escape and be more calm.

Q: Should I worry if our domesticated rodent (Hamster, Guinea Pig, Gerbil, Degu, etc.) bites my child?
A: If you have purchased your small animal from a reputable source (such as Paradise Pet Centre) you can be sure that  it does not carry any diseases that will harm your child.  As with any skin puncture, normal disinfection/cleaning procedures should be followed and the bite wound monitored for infection.

Q: Can I put two hamsters together in one cage?
A:  No.  Hamsters are normally territorial.   We recommend only one per cage.  In the normal course of development, baby hamsters will start out by play fighting and as they get older it usually escalates until one may kill the other.

Q: Can I litter train my rabbit?
A: Yes, you can. Most times all you have to do is put a litter box inside their cage. It helps if you put some of their droppings and urine soaked shavings into the litter box.  It may take a few days to a few weeks depending on the animal.

 Q: Does my small animal need vitamins?
A: Yes.  Vitamins are a daily requirement for all small animals, such as rabbits, degus, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, sugar gliders, etc.  Their regular diet does not supply all the necessary and essential requirements.

Q: How many fish can I put in my aquarium?
A:  Once the aquarium you have set up has cycled and is established at around 2 months we recommend having one inch of fish per gallon of water in the tank.  To start out sooner make sure you don’t over crowd your tank and go with about 1/3 of this amount.

Q: What kind of cleaner fish can I put in my Fish Bowl?
A: Proper maintenance of your Fish Bowl includes frequent water changes and therefore “Cleaner fish” are not needed nor will they survive. Catfish, which are what most people think of as cleaner fish, are tropical they will just not survive in a Fish Bowl.

Q: If I go away for Christmas, or any holiday, what do I do with my fish?
A: If your fish are in a bowl, you need to have someone feed them twice a week. If you’re gone for longer than a week, we suggest adding a live plant.  For water changes, have the caretaker follow the same schedule as you normally do, which is usually once a week.
If your fish are in an aquarium, get a feeding block of appropriate size to the time you’ll be away.  There is also the option of a battery operated feeder.  If you’re going to be away for an extended time, have someone who can monitor the tank on a regular basis. (At least once a week or more)

Q: My pond froze over with my fish in it.  What do I do?
A:  You can punch a hole in the ice and check the pond heater/de-icer and pump and make sure they are fully operational. 

Q: How often  should I get my aquarium water tested?
A: A new tank, under eight weeks, should be tested weekly for ammonia, nitrite, and ph. An established tank should be tested monthly for the same things.

Q:  What is Ich and how do I treat it?
A:  Ich is a parasite that exists in everyone’s aquarium which attacks the fins and body of the fish.  It can be diagnosed by little white specks that look like salt grains.  These are actually pustules created by the parasite.  The parasite lives in the sand and treatment is a must or your whole tank can be infected and die.  There are medications available for the treatment of Ich, one of which is Nox-ich .  When you commence treatment you must remove the Carbon from your filter as the Carbon will remove the medication.  Replace the Carbon once the treatment is done.  Treatment is normally 3-5 days, but your tank should be consistently monitored for signs of spots. 

Q: What is a good reptile for someone who has never had one before?
A:  If you want to handle the reptile,  Bearded Dragons, Leopard Geckos and Fat-Tailed Gecko’s are good ones.  When set up with the proper equipment, they are a hardy and fun choice of reptile which can easily be cared for by their owner.

If handling isn’t important, Anole Lizards are hardy and less expensive.