Pet Life Magazine, New Zealand Pet Life Magazine Issue 3 Winter 2017 | Page 3

tor i d E e h t m Letter fro It’s been a couple of months of doggy trials in my household. There’s nothing worse than when your beloved pet is going through a really bad patch and you have to juggle masses of work commitments with giving her the love, support and after-surgery care that she needs. Poor old Roxy “Foxtrot” (one of her many pet names)! My Little Doggy – who is not so little being a Rhodesian Ridgeback and not so old having just turned 1 – got spayed, had an unfortunate incident during surgery which meant another month of veterinary care and “quiet time”, and then underwent more surgery to remove a couple of salivary glands that mysteriously ruptured. The latest surgery happened in the week that I started a new “office” job, an hour’s drive from home – and my Bald Pommy Bloke is conveniently in the UK visiting family so I’m a temporary solo mother! Usually I’m a stay-at-home dog mum banging away at the keyboard in my own office with three dogs at my feet (OK, maybe on the beds) so nothing about my pack is ever a problem. I have the time to invest in their doggy needs. All of sudden, leaving home in the dark and coming home in the dark three times a week offered up all sorts of complications, the smallest being no time to walk the dogs or pick up dog poo in daylight hours. Not to mention that they’re not used to Mum not being around. The biggest headache has been what to do with Fox Dog, who came home from the vet with a long list of must-nots and must-dos. If only taking her to work was an option! She’d happily lie on the floor nearby while I worked and not be a bother. How great are companies who let their employees take their dogs to the office? In this issue, we talk to an Auckland tech company about why having dogs in the office is good for business. And it’s not just good for the business owner – it also relieves any stress that dog owners may feel having to leave their pets alone all day, even when they are fit and healthy. In my case, I could keep an eye on Roxy Roo to make sure she’s not clawing out her stitches, crashing about the house in her Elizabeth collar, or weeing on the carpet because I have to keep her inside, away from temptation to playfight with her big sister or have a sneaky swim in the harbour – big must-nots! Being in an office would be good for her socialisation, too. As this issue’s tips on raising puppies says – introducing your young pet to strangers and all sorts of different experiences is key to raising a happy, calm and confident dog. And, in my experience, extremely important when it comes to trips to the vets! Every visit with Roxy has been a struggle, and at this stage I shall be attempting to take out her stitches by myself at home. The last thing I need is for her to jerk her head at the last minute while the vet has a scalpel close to her neck – to then fork out yet more money for more medical care. Yup, vet care sure does snowball! About $4000 later I sure am kicking myself for not getting the pet insurance I had said I would get for my next dog! inger THE TEAM MANAGING DIRECTOR & ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Amy Scott-Thomas 020 4088 3559 [email protected] EDITOR Inger Vos [email protected] WRITER Morgan Healey [email protected] CREATIVE Designer: Paula Scott [email protected] Print & Distribution: GriffinPress CONTRIBUTORS Jo Clough - Pet First Aid & Training [email protected] Liza Schneider - Dr Liza Holistic Vet hello@drliza. co.nz CONTACT DETAILS Red Swamp Road, RD1, Kaikoura 020 4088 3559 www.petlife.co.nz facebook.com/PetLifeNZ instagram.com/PetLifeNZ pinterest.com/PetLifeNZ DISCLAIMER Pet Life magazine is subject to copyright in its whole entirety. No part of the contents within are to be reproduced in any form, either whole or in part, without prior consent from Pet Life Ltd. Pet Life Ltd reserves the right to accept, reject or modify editorial and advertising material. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of Pet Life Ltd, their contributors, associated businesses or any related entities. Pet Life Ltd makes every effort to ensure that all information is true and correct from experts within their field. However, Pet Life Ltd or any persons involved with this publication does not accept any liability for the magazine’s content. The inclusion of any product, service or business within this publication should not be interpreted as ratification by Pet Life Ltd. Copyright © 2016. ISSN 2537-7140 (Print) ISSN 2537-7183 (Online) Photo credit: KAT CLO - LUSH LAGOON PHOTOGRAPHY facebook.com/Lushlagoonphotography Cat: Dances Owned by: Sam Wallace