A bit of gossip from the blonde...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hopefully everyone had a happy and safe Christmas and New Year, and had a good break away from work for those who got to have a holiday!

As you may have noticed, we have changed the layout of our newsletter a bit.. I want to try and keep them as structured as possible as well as packing them full of useful information.

One important thing you need to know for 2012.  We are changing our opening hours.  Our new hours from 9th January are as follows:

    Monday 9:30am - 2:00pm
    Tuesday 9:30am - 5:30pm
    Wednesday 9:30am - 2:00pm
    Thursday 9:30am - 5:30pm
    Friday 9:30am - 2:00pm
    Saturday 9:30am - 2:00pm

We get a lot of people coming in to the shop who want to "try this raw feeding thing" but don't know where to start.

Here is a really basic, getting started guide.

Firstly - know how much your cat or dog weighs (We have scales here that you can use to weigh them).  This will give you an indication of how much food they will require.  As a general rule, an adult dog will eat 2-3% of their body weight per day.  If the dog is overweight, you will want to cut that back to about 1% until they have lost a bit of weight, and then you can adjust it until they are maintaining a good weight.  Likewise if they are underweight, you will need to give thema a bit more.

Puppies and Kittens, while they are growing can eat up to 10% of their body weight if they are in a growth phase.  Again you will want to just keep an eye on the animals condition - if they are starting to put on too much weight (other than a BIT of puppy fat), you will want to cut them back a bit - Looking like a coffee table does not constitute carrying a bit of puppy fat.

For the first couple of weeks, it’s a good idea to weigh out your animals food, this way you will get a feel for how much you are feeding, but with time, it will just become second nature, and you don’t need to be precise.  As long as your pets are getting roughly the right amount you will be fine... if they have a big breakfast, give them a bit less for dinner.  We are also happy to put together a week, two weeks, a months worth of meals for you, so all you have to do is pull a bag our of the freezer and thaw it... coudn’t be easier.

To ensure your cat or dog is getting everything they require, you should be feeding about 80% meat, 10% edible bone and 10% organ.

That’s actually about all there is to it... STOP the kibble, STOP the canned food, STOP the dog roll... STOP thinking your dog needs more food when they look at you with big brown eyes... and START caring about your cats and dogs... we are always available for help and advice, and will assist you in any way we can to make moving over to Raw Feeding an easy and enjoyable experience.

I would like to introduce myself.  I am Letitia Morrison, a qualified ConTact C.A.R.E practitioner.  I have trained extensively for 4 years under Dale Speedy the founder of Flinch Lock Release Therapy.  I live in Waiuku and have a love for animals - having 2 horses and a beautiful German Shepherd of my own, along with a couple of moggies.

Over the past few months I have had numerous success in unravelling injuries affecting both people and animals.

Just to name a couple:

• I have worked on a lame dog, which due to her injury became timid and withdrawn, after 2 sessions she is now back successfully competing in agility;
• Rehabilitation of a dog after a cruciate ligiment operation, the owner is happy to report she is bouncy and happy again and enjoying walks in the park;
• I also had a client a few weeks ago who was having trouble with migraines, after 2 sessions her life has now returned to a normal state without being ruled by migraines which stopped her from going to work, socialising and enjoying her youth.

Over the next few months I will update you on how ConTact C.A.R.E is helping clients - dogs, horses or people. 

You can find me at Woofles on a Thursday for a chat or for a therapy session.

If you would like to contact me or make an appointment you can call me on 027 434 6899 or email letitia_morrison@yahoo.com.au

 

Perfect Partners is a Charitable Trust based in the Greater Auckland Region that was established to train Disability Assist Dogs for people not currently supported by existing Disability Assist Dog organisations in New Zealand.  

They focus on people with neurological conditions including autism, alzheimers, acquired brain injury and certain psychiatric conditions but will also work with other individuals.

Woofles proudly supports Trudy - A border collie Disability Assist Dog who works with one of our customers.

Trudy works in a three-way partnership with Emma (her handler) and an additional adult handler.  Trudy helps Emma in class at school and around the house.  Things that are easy for most people and things we take for granted, like being able to pick up a dropped pen off the floor at school, Emma finds difficult - this is where Trudy helps out, making the little things in life more manageable for Emma.

Disability Assist Dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of their handler, and can be trained to perform a variety of specialised tasks.  Tasks may be simple or complex, depending on the individual needs of their handlers.  Disability Assist Dogs can:

• Provide balance support for people with neurological or psychiatric conditions
• Interrupt stimming behaviours in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Act as a social bridge between the person with a disability and their community
• Open and close doors, cupboards and fridges
• Turn light switches on and off
• Load and unload clothing from a washing machine or drier
• Retrieve medication, a phone, or other items on command
• Lead the handler to a safe location during an attack to prior to a seizure
• Lead a disoriented person to a named location or person
• Bark on command to summon assistance

Woofles would like to ask you to help us help them, by making a small donation next time you are in-store.  We have a collection box on the counter at all times.  A little goes a long way and you never know when you or someone you know may need help one day.