Pittwater Life September 2020 Issue

commence in late September
or early October.
Palm Beach
Probus Club
Members are looking
forward to getting together
on Wednesday September
16 with guest speaker
Val de Rome, a former
solicitor in civil, criminal
and family law, who was
brought up in Avalon and is
a volunteer with Surfrider
Foundation Australia. Val
sees at first-hand the damage
plastic waste does to our
waterways and wants to
share alternative ways to
shop and live to reduce our
use of plastic. As numbers
are restricted by social
distancing requirements,
non-members who would like
to attend are asked to book
ahead with the secretary
on 9973 1247. Palm Beach
Probus meetings are held
on the third Wednesday
morning of the month
at Club Palm Beach and
membership enquiries from
retired men and women are
welcome. The club has plenty
of off-street parking and the
Manly-Palm Beach bus stop is
at the door.
And, talking about
Penguin Bloom. . .
Sam and her family’s
remarkable story has now
been turned into a major
motion picture that will
have its world premiere
at the prestigious Toronto
International Film Festival
this month. With an awardwinning
production team
of Naomi Watts, Bruna
Papandrea and Emma
Cooper, the cast includes
Watts as Sam, Andrew
Lincoln, Jacki Weaver and
Rachel House. Directed by
Glendyn Ivin, the movie was
filmed in the Bloom house
in August last year. The
movie is set to be released in
Australia on New Year’s Day.
Meanwhile, a second book
Sam Bloom: Heartache &
Birdsong will be released the
month, picking up the story
where Penguin Bloom ended,
sharing Sam’s own story for
the first time.
The Local Voice Since 1991
Vet on call
Crucial health measures
for new puppies & kittens
During the COVID pandemic, many people
have chosen to take on a new puppy or
kitten. Owning a new pet can be a very exciting
(and busy!) time for pet owners. There are some
crucial health care measures that need to be
taken to ensure your new fur bundle gets the
best start in life.
Moving to a new home can be a stressful time
for a puppy or kitten. This stress combined
with their immature immune system can make
them prone to illness and disease. New puppies
and kittens should visit one of our hospitals to
see one of our vets for a free health checkup to
ensure they have the best chance of settling into
their new home smoothly. Our vets will conduct
a full physical examination, check for common
congenital problems and discuss important
health care measures to keep your new puppy
or kitten healthy and happy. Our staff will also
provide your new puppy or kitten with one
month of free pet insurance just in case any
accidents or illness occur.
Puppies and kittens need a balanced, premium
quality pet food. Puppies and kittens grow
and develop rapidly and have very different
nutritional requirements to adults. For example,
puppies and kittens require additional calcium
and energy to facilitate proper growth of bones
and muscles. It’s essential that you discuss
the best nutritional plan for your puppy with
a trained veterinary professional. Our vets
will make sure your new pet receives the right
nutritional advice and a free trial of premium
puppy or kitten food.
Parasite control is also very important for
puppies and kittens as they are more likely to be
carrying gastrointestinal worms at this stage in
their life. A worming tablet should be given every
with
Dr Ben Brown
two weeks until 12 weeks of age, every month
until six months of age and then every three
months for life.
Heartworm prevention for dogs is even more
important – the best way to prevent heartworm
is with injectable medication administered
by your vet, this removes the possibility of
forgetting to give a dose as one missed monthly
heartworm dose can result in heartworm
infection. Puppies need to start this heartworm
prevention medication at 12 weeks of age, they
will then need a booster at six months of age
and then need repeat injections every year at the
same time as their annual vaccinations.
Tick and flea prevention is also a must. The
newer oral and topical flea and tick preventatives
and tick collars are highly effective and very safe
even in puppies and kittens. These products
prevent these parasites for extended periods.
Paralysis ticks can be rapidly fatal for dogs and
cats, and are especially prevalent on the Beaches.
Vaccinations are also imperative to prevent
deadly infectious diseases. During the
vaccination consultation, the veterinarian will
also complete a full physical examination to
ensure your puppy or kitten is healthy and
fit for vaccination. Puppies and kittens need
vaccinations at 6-8 weeks of age, 10-12 weeks
of age and 14-16 weeks of age. After these
vaccinations are completed your puppy or kitten
will then be able to safely mix with older animals
without the risk of acquiring these infectious
diseases.
*If you have a new puppy or kitten contact us
at Avalon Vet 9918 0833 or Newport Vet 9997
4609 for a free health check by a Vet, four
weeks’ free pet insurance and a free trial of
premium puppy or kitten food.
SEPTEMBER 2020 35
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