Spring Edition Paws, Claws and More!

Download the full version Spring 2023

Puppy Preschool is a great way to start your puppy learning important socialization skills and introduces the basic
manners such as ‘Sit’, ‘Drop’, ‘Roll Over’, ‘Come’ and ‘Stand’ to name a few. We also go through Puppy Care such
Flea Control, Worming and Tick treatments. Your trainer will also discuss Nutrition, Grooming, Enrichment and
Toilet Training and much more. Classes are held in a safe, comfortable and controlled environment, right in here at the clinic. If your puppy is between 8 weeks and 14 weeks of age and you are interested bookings are essential so please contact us on
Ph: 4947 1311 or Email: Reception@mthuttonvet.com.au.

Spring is here! Along with spring you may find there are a lot more baby birds around.

What do you do if you find a Baby Bird?

The best chance for a baby bird is to leave it with its parents. Spring is the time for baby birds and many fledglings leave the nest to tryout their new wings only to find themselves on the ground. They just need a few days to exercise those muscles before they are as free as a bird.

Birds don’t just need feeding to survive they also need their parents to teach them how to find foo d and survive after they have stopped feeding them. If you remove a baby bird from it parents you may be condemning it to a miserable death from starvation or it may be attacked by other birds as it has not learn survival skills.

How can I find out if the fledgling is an orphan? If you place the fledgling in a box and it does a poo – it is not an orphan, as the parents are feeding it – PUT IT BACK!

There is one thing you can do to protect it from attack from other birds and exposure to the weather & cold. For diurnal (day time) birds – If you want to help take the fledgling in and keep it warm and dry of a night – put it back first thing in the morning so its parents can keep raising it.

For nocturnal (night time) birds – like tawny frogmouths – do the reverse. Take them in during the day and put them back at last light. These fledglings need protecting from the diurnal (day time) birds during the day while the parents are asleep.

Does it have most of its feathers? If it has most its feathers, and is not injured, put it in a nearby bush or in the garden under some plants. It does not have to go high up into a tree. Wait quietly and out of sight, watch to see if the parent birds come back to it before removing it from the area.

Is it injured? If it is in imminent danger or injured (droopy wing, open wound, limping etc), then call the Hunter Wildlife Rescue helpline on 0418 628 483 or 0418 NATIVE. You can also call us on 4947 1311 and we can advise you on what steps to take.

You can help reunite a baby bird with its parents For young chicks, see how to reunite them with their parents using an artificial nest – see information below.

Unless sick or injured

Step 1: Pick up the bird and put it as high as possible in a nearby tree for safety. The parents are nearby and will find it.

Step 2: Keep an eye on the young bird and if it flutters to the ground again, repeat Step 1. It is always best for a bird to be raised by its natural parents, rather than a human carer.

Nestlings

These are Nestlings, baby birds that still live in the nest. They may be covered in down, have few or no feathers and are totally reliant on their parents for all aspects of survival.

It may be possible to put a Nestling back in a tree in a substitute nest but please check with Hunter Wildlife Rescue Helpline before taking this action. If found on the ground, they need your help immediately.

Chicks

Precocial Birds These are chicks, born on the ground, with downy feathers, eyes open, able to stand and follow their parents. They can feed themselves. e.g. ducklings, plovers but are reliant on their parents for warmth and protection. If the parents are nearby and they are safe from predators, (cats & dogs) not on the road, or in drains, then leave them alone.

If they are abandoned or in danger, they need your help immediately.

Fledglings

These are fledglings, baby birds with some developed feathers that have left the nest but are still fed and protected by their parents. They are learning to fly and sometimes their parents leave them alone while collecting food.

If found hoping on the ground, the parents are nearby, if they are safe from predators (cats/dogs), and they are not on the road or in the way of traffic leave them alone.

If the bird is in danger, or parents do not return after a few hours and the bird is still on the ground, it needs your help immediately.

Fledglings – Night (Nocturnal) Birds If you find them on the ground in the day, they will need your help to be kept safe.

Place them in a box somewhere in your house and at dusk, return them to a tree branch where you found them as this is the time their parents will return to feed

them. If the parents do not return within a couple of hours, put the bird back into the warmth of the box and call the Rescue Helpline.

IMPORTANT DETAILS

When reporting rescues to the Hunter Wildlife and your local vet please confirm the EXACT location where the animal was found. Many young animals can possibly be reunited with their parents, if we know the exact location the animal was found. Many native animals are also very territorial, and it is critical that we release them where they were found, when they are ready to release, to ensure their best chance of survival.

With Babies Chicks about there is also a rise in different native and non native animals it is important you DO NOT APPROACH snakes, monitor lizards (goannas), bats (flyingfoxes or microbats), large macropods (kangaroos or wallabies), koalas or raptors (eagles, falcons or hawks).

These animals require specialist handling and MUST be rescued by trained wildlife rescuers. Please monitor the animal from a safe distance and call us or the Hunter Wildlife rescue for help.

TICK WARNING

Warmer weather means unfortunately the return of Paralysis ticks. Paralysis ticks are among the most dangerous parasites in our area for our pets. The reason they are so harmful is because they produce a toxin in their salivary glands which they inject when they attach to the skin. They are light grey in colour, especially when fully engorged and often felt as a small bump on the skin.

Common clinical signs include weakness in the hind legs, vomiting, poor appetite, wobbliness or difficulty breathing. Ticks are more commonly found around the face (commonly in the ears), under their collar, feet, tail and arm pits where it’s dark and warm. However they can be found all over a pets’ body. If you find a tick and are unsure on how to remove it or your pet is showing signs of tick paralysis please call us straight away and our nurses will guide you.

Never place any chemical on the tick as a form of removing it because it will send the tick into shock and it will produce more toxins to be injected into your pet faster. Prevention is crucial to prevent your pet becoming ill – there are many different types available now, from oral monthly chews to topical applications that last much longer. If you are ever unsure about what prevention you should be on please ask our friendly nurses and they will be more than happy to help you.

Although preventions reduce the risk, nothing is 100% effective therefore checking your pet over every day is still required. Remember while ticks do appear more often in warmer weather, year round prevention is necessary as ticks don’t take holidays.

Last year we saw over 70 animals with tick paralysis.

Did you know when Platypus was first discovered they were believed to be a hoax? The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it. In 1799, the first scientists to examine a preserved platypus body judged it a fake, made of several animals sewn together. The platypus, sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Like other monotremes, it senses prey through electrolocation. It is one of the few species of venomous mammals, as the male platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom, capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology, and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia. It is culturally significant to several Aboriginal peoples of Australia, who also used to hunt the animal for food. It has appeared as a mascot at national events and features on the reverse of the Australian twenty-cent coin, and the platypus is the animal emblem of the state of New South Wales. Until the early 20th century, humans hunted the platypus for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. As of 2020, the platypus is a legally protected species in all state of New South Wales. Until the early 20th century, humans hunted the platypus for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. As of 2020, the platypus is a legally protected species in all states where it occurs. It is listed as an endangered species in South Australia and vulnerable in Victoria.