Prepare pitbull now for baby

QUESTION: We have a pitbull by the name of Sadie. She is three-years-old and has always been our “baby.”

I’m now 29 weeks pregnant and starting to mentally prepare myself for becoming a mom. Sadie has barely ever been with kids.

She is not an aggressive dog by any mean. However I don’t know how she will react to the real baby getting into our house and filling her shoes. How do I prepare her for a smooth transition with the upcoming changes in our family.

ANSWER: Congrats on your pregnancy. Having a baby, especially the first one, changes one’s life tremendously.

Many people adore their pets and are convinced that their feelings will never change even after having kids.

In reality, however, regardless on how much one loves their pets, a baby changes the priorities and the entire dynamics in the family.

I think that it’s smart of you to acknowledge that and preparing yourself and your dog to the upcoming changes well in in advance. Any dog can potentially bite and cause significant damage to a baby. With dogs like Sadie’s breed, an attack could be tragic. The earlier you start to prepare Sadie, the better transition you’re going to have once the baby arrives.

I recommend you to slowly and gradually start removing privileges that Sadie now has, but will stop once the baby is here.

A good example would be to not allowing her to sleep with you, or getting on the furniture, or whatever you think that you are going to deny her once the baby is here. The key is gradually. If your attitude and the house rules change suddenly when the baby arrives, the dog will attribute that to the baby and may hold it against the baby.

I also recommend you buy a doll in the shape of a real newborn baby, preferably those who make sounds of a crying baby.

Getting Sadie used to the noises that baby makes, and seeing you holding and cuddling somebody else but her, will also assist you.

I strongly recommend you hire a dog trainer. A professional dog trainer can come to your house, get to know the dog’s personality, see the current conditions and rules the dog abides by.

A trainer can help you sort out what would need to be changed in Sadie’s life to accommodate having a baby in the house.

It is crucial that the changes get done in a slow manner and that the dog will not feel rejected.

I’m a strong believer that kids and dog should live together under the same roof. I think that dogs can only contribute to children’s development, let alone the entertainment and pleasure they add to kids lives.

A dog behavioral specialist or a professional trainer can guide you through this sensitive process, making sure it is done while maintaining both the baby’s and the dog’s safety and well being.

QUESTION: My cat is too fat. He is not doing much during the day, just naps and eats. How can I put a cat on a diet when I can’t really work him out?

Getting cats to lose weight can be challenging. First step would be to put the cat on a commercial food designed for weight loss. These foods are only sold at vet offices. These diets are quite aggressive with the amount of fibre, that acts as a filler vs. the relatively low calories.

These specific foods are designed for a short-term use, to achieve weight loss. Once the cat has lost weight, it then needs to be fed by a less aggressive food that supplies enough nutrients and can be used as a long term, weight control maintenance.

It is crucial to make sure that a fat cat is eating sufficiently though, cutting the food amounts drastically can cause severe and irreversible changes to the liver and general health.

I encourage you to consult your vet, prior to starting the process, and get specific recommendations for type of food and feeding instructions of your cat.

Periodic weighing at your vet’s (that are typically done with no charge) can assist you with monitoring the success of the process.

Dr. Noa Oz is a veterinarian at Rose Valley Veterinary Hospital.