animalwisdom
betterpets
Australia’s favourite vet, Dr Harry, shares his expert tips
and advice on selecting and caring for your pets
COMPACT
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CRITTERS
Dog washing made easy
When you're short on time, w ashing your dog can seem like a drag. Rather than
doing it at home (although you can easily get the job done with a large laundry tub,
dog - not human - shampoo, a sponge, conditioner if your dog is long haired, and
a towel or hair dryer), you can now also go to a ‘dog wash cafe' to make things
even easier. These one-stop shops, where your dog can be expertly washed and
pampered, are popping up everywhere. If you prefer to do it yourself, try some
of the new coin-operated dog w ashes located at many vets, car w ashes and pet
shops. Visit www.dogwashcafe.com.au or www.trubludogwash.com.au
g o to b h g . C O IT 1 . a u for D r H a rry ’s fa m o u s h o u se calls
A s we becom e more pushed for time and space,
there has been a rise in the popularity of small, more
unusual pets like frogs, scorpions (my least favourite)
and hermit crabs. A s with all pets, it's important to
know how to care for these little fellas correctly.
Keep your frog in a terrarium - if you'd like a green
tree frog, you may need to have a licence.
Best in tw os or threes, frogs need
moisture (as they absorb fluid
through their skins). Don't
handle frogs too often and
keep their 'hom es' clean.
The easiest scorpions to
keep are the forest species.
H ouse them in a tank with a suitable substrate and
feed them with forceps. For hermit crabs, you need a
glass tank with a deep substrate for burrowing, fresh
and salt water, fruit and fish flakes, and a never-ending
supply of spare shells - they sw ap these as they
grow. For more info, visit www.kellyvillepets.com.au
Angora goats
There are lots of different types of goats,
all bred for
different purposes. Angora goats are raised for their fleece,
which is called mohair (not Angora fleece as you would
expect — this actually comes from rabbits!). Angoras are
medium-sized, easy-to-handle goats and make great pets
- and as they’re herd animals, you need at least two. To
keep up to three goats, you’ll need at least half a hectare so
they have room to graze and browse — they love to stand
up on their hind legs and eat shrubs! On top of grass and
shrubbery, they relish a little lucerne hay and milled grains.
Annual vaccinations and regular worming are essential,
and they will need to be shorn twice yearly. Their fleece
grows at over 2cm per month and hangs down in ringlets
- it’s highly sought after and valuable, too, fetching about
three times the price as the same weight of run-of-the-mill
wool. For more information, visit www.mohair.org.au
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BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, APRIL 2011 bhg.com.au
Photography iStockphoto
