Anything For Animals

posted by admin on Jan 1

Unfortunately, Pet Insurance is individual, so you need to find the best one for you and your pet.

Whether you have a dog, cat, parrot, snake, gerbil or horse - you need to know that your pet’s health is covered - whatever happens.

However, there are different types of pet insurance available and so you need to search around for the best one to cover you and your pets - and this isn’t necessarily the most expensive or the cheapest options.

If we use dog insurance as an example; you need to check your insurance covers all the things relevant to your lifestyle and everything relevant to your dogs ongoing needs.

For example, some insurance policies won’t cover your dog if you take it to work with you.  Some insurance policies won’t cover certain dog breeds or certain dog ages. 

And some will only pay out a certain amount of money for each individual illness.  So, if your dog has an eye problem when they are 2 years old and you use up the alloted amount of cover treating it; if the same eye then gets sore again at any time - the insurance company won’t be obliged to pay any more for it.  You will have to pay it all yourself. 

Things like this could be a problem with certain dog breeds which may have hereditary eye problems like entropian, retinal dysplasia or other more general problems like elbow or hip dysplasia.

And obviously it’s not just dogs with these insurance issues - as there are certain things that will be specific to other species - like eventing horses, working ferrets, hunting owls, female anythings used for breeding, show animals, and so much more.

That is why the best thing you can do when insuring your pets is to ask an expert.  Insurance companies offer a variety of levels of cover depending on what you need and what you are willing to pay for it.

However, as they offer different things - it is up to you to make sure you are happy with what you are paying for - and you have checked that it covers ALL that you need AND want.  For example if you want all conditions to be covered for everything, then you need to make sure that you find the exact policy which does that.  You can’t just sign up to what looks ok and than get angry when you aren’t covered.

It’s that same as buying a house - you can’t pay for a one-bedroom flat and then start complaining that they won’t add a second bedroom onto it 2 years later.

There are even different policy clauses for different countries (as they all have slightly different animal control laws), so if you live in Australia; then get pet insurance Australia specific.

The ‘best’ insurance is the one that suits your needs and your budget - there is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach to pet insurance.

So speak to an expert about your policy requirements and they will get you covered for everything you need - or want.  

posted by admin on Jul 9

Everyone loves a Donkey - and this registered charity is the best place to see dozens of them!

After becoming a charity in 1973 with 38 donkeys in the care; and then they acquired an extra 204 extra donkeys from another Donkey Rescue Sanctuary that could no longer care for them.

Needless to say, from that point on, there was no turning back - and land was brought to house this growing family of rescue donkeys.  Since their humble beginnings, they have had over 14 and a half thousands donkeys pass through the shelter!

Their main rescue shelter is Slade Farm near Sidmouth in Devon, and is home to around 200 donkeys as well as a great shop, restaurant and plaques of all the doners over the years.   It is also the site of their excellent Training Centre, offering free courses on Donkey care and other equine needs and requirements.

 They also have 7 other sites, covering over 1000 arces and housing more than 500 more donkeys - but these are not open to the public - just for the Donkeys to enjoy!

What They Do:

They don’t just collect old and retired Donkeys from across the UK and leave them in fields - they have a stream of other activities, responsibilities and events to co-ordinate across not just the UK, but they have projects across the entire globe!

You can find them working hard in Cyprus, Egypt, Italy and Spain, as well as Etheopia, Kenya, India and Mexico, as well as smaller projects across those continents too.

As well as offering training and advice to Donkey owners abroad, they also have a host of courses for potential and extisiting Donkey owners in the UK.  So, whether you are in the ‘thinking or owning’ stage or have a small number of resident Donkeys - there will be something for you to learn from the experts.

What You Can Do:

The objects of The Donkey Sanctuary are the provision of care, protection and or permanent security anywhere in the world for donkeys and mules which are in need of attention by reason of sickness, maltreatment, poor circumstances, ill-usage or other like causes and the prevention of cruelty and suffering among donkeys and mules.

And you can help them to achieve that without ever having even stroked a rescue Donkey!

Without money and time - these targets just cannot be achieved in the time scales needed or over such a wide area.  Every voluntary fund-raiser or helping hand at Open Days, Events and on the farms is making sure that valuable funds are being spent where they are most needed - as well as making sure that every Donkey in the UK is still getting the best care and attention.

If the Donkey Sanctuary had to pay all of it’s volunteers - they wouldn’t be able to spend any money on the Donkeys themselves!

And you don’t need to live within a short distance of any of the farms either - you can hold a fund-raising event anywhere in the UK to rasie money and awareness for Donkeys; and you could even nominate this Charity as your own when you take part in a Charity Challenge like ‘Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro’ or ‘Trekking the Inca Trail’ - raising thousands of pounds in one go!

You can buy a gift membership from the Centre, or Adopt a Donkey for a friend or relatives birthday - where they will receive information about their chosen Donkey and other relevant updates.

Go to their Website to find out more about what they do and how you can help.

posted by admin on Jun 2

There are many types of roundworms that could infect mammals; but the 2 most common types found in domestic cats are:

Toxicara felis:
Kittens can be infected after birth by their mothers milk. Towards the end of her pregnancy, hormones trigger any dormant larvae in her muscles to pass into the mammary glands. These larvae migrate through the milk glands and straight into the stomachs of the newborn kittens.

Once ingested, these larvae grow inside the kitten and can become adult worms while the kitten is still young - obviously they will use the nutrition from the milk instead of the kitten itself.

The kittens can also ingest futher larvae from infective eggs in the environment (on their bedding, etc) or more commonly, through the bitches milk until they are weaned. 

Kittens with a heavy burden of worms will have their growth stunted, and very likely have distended, swollen bellies and will often vomit and have diarrhoea.  Severe infections of worms have been known to totally block the intestines.

However, kittens should have naturally expelled all their adult worms by 7 months of age. Any eggs or larvae ingested after this time won’t become adult worms in the gut, but will pass through the intestine wall into the body of the kitten (now an adult cat) and settle as their resting state (as cysts) in the muscle tissues.

Any eggs that were ‘passed’ by these kittens or the queen onto the ground or bedding, usually in faeces, have very protective cases and can survive outside for up to 2 years waiting to be eaten or licked up by an animal or human (not washing their hands before eating).

If these eggs are ingested by any animal other than a dog (their specific host) they will not become adult worms in the body - it is host specific to only cats.

However instead, they will travel through the body to the muscle tissue and remain temporarily inactive in a ‘cyst’. This animal (or person) then becomes their temporary host as the worm larvae are hoping that one day, when this ‘animal’ dies, it will be eaten by a cat (or other animal that is then eaten by a cat) and they can complete their lifecycle.

Basically this worms job is to live in the female cats muscle tissue until she becomes pregnant so it can infect her kittens.

Toxicara leonina:
This roundworm will infect both cats and dogs as part of it’s life cycle, but it is not a zoonosis - it has not been known to pass to humans in it’s live state.

There is no infection before birth from the mother to her unborn young, or through the mothers milk - infection is commonly seen in young adolescent animals as they begin to explore their enviroment and ingest eggs or temporary hosts containing inactive larvae (i.e; a cat eating an infected mouse or beetle, or a dog eating undercooked offal and game).

There are normally no outward clinical signs of light or heavy infestation with this worm, as they are well tolerated by both cats and dogs, so you wouldn’t know that your pet even had them!

A good a reason as any to regularly worm your cats!!!

posted by admin on May 18

Here is another dose of healthy tips for horses and ponies - and for your peace of mind too!

No time to waste - let’s get stuck in with a great tip for everyday smooth running: 

1) Keep a bin for baler twine and string near the haynets and bales for storage and use.  You don’t want small pieces of twine getting mixed up with the feed or bedding and you never know when you will need a piece of twine for something!

2) Massage your horse back firmly for a short while after long rides to help it relax and recover from the pressures of you in the saddle!

3) To prevent horses sqabbling in the fiield, always try to put out several piles of hay so that they don’t need to fight for who eats first - and the losers don’t have to wait to eat anything that’s left over!

4) As with humans, if you are intrioducing a new activity to a horse, make sure you prepare them for it and take thing slowly.  Just as we ache after that one-off game of tennis or trampolining - so will an unfit horse if asked to suddenly go out for a 4 hour hack!

5) Equally, get them used to wearing certain equipment too, like over-reach boots, a crupper and even a saddle if it has been a while.  Make sure that there is plenty of movement, and no chaffing at all. 

6) And check that everything still fits!  After a winter out of the saddle - the horse could have gained weight, or if young or old your horse could have even changed shape - so make sure everything still fits perfectly before heading off out for a hack.

7) Wire or electric fencing can be more easily seen by your horse if you attach bits of ribbon to it that flutter in the wind.  This will help to prevent them (and you) from running into it by accident.

8.) Always remove your gloves when picking out your horses feet after activity as it will give you a chance to feel for any heat or small bumps that you wouldn’t notice otherwise.

9) If you find yourself pestered by flies out on a hack, then grab some elder slalks and slide into your brow bad as the smell of crushed stalks is a mild insect repellant!

10) Adding garlic to your feed has multiple benefits - and smells lovely at the same time.  It helps repel insects, keep on top of (but not get rid of) worm infestations and is great for the skin and breathing!

Anyway - get back out there in the summer sun and have some summer fun! 

posted by admin on Apr 27

Would you know what to do if an animal in your care collapsed?  Or a member of staff was seriously injured?

We all hope that these things will never happen to us - but they may well do and it is best to be prepared.  If you run a business that leaves animals in your care and you employ staff, work with volunteers or come into contact with the public - you should really get yourself trained up in case of emergencies.

And it isn’t just for work that you should get qualified either - it is for your own friends, family and pets.  Imagine being able to save a life in exchange for 1 day a year taking a First Aid course.

Animals First:
If you are a dog walker, groomer, sitter, owner or work in an animal shelter - you should really know the basics for animal health and safety.  Yes - the trained or experienced staff aren’t that far away and can come to the rescue - but sometimes it is the first few minutes that are the most important - so need you to act fast.

Sometimes - seeing that something is going to happen in advance is even better!  But you can only do this if you know what you are looking out for.

So, find a local course with a veterinary or animal care college and sign up!  You won’t ever regret going on a course - only not going!  And imagine the way you will feel if an animal dies in your care - then the course fee won’t seem that much in exchange for an animals life.

People Too:
It isn’t just your animal customers that might benefit from your help - while out walking or driving or when visiting a clients home - you could find a human in need of emergency assistance.

If you have taken an Emergency First Aid course you will know how to assess the situation in an instant and make sure that that person gets the best first aid that you can offer - and the basic checks only take about 15 seconds.

Such a short amount of your time could actually have saved their life.

Don’t Be A Stranger:
Why do you have to take this for work anyway - you might not even meet any humans in your day to day working hours?  Well, think of your family and friends.  People you know can have accidents too you know - so take the course for them if anything.

You can never know too much about emergency first aid!

posted by admin on Mar 26

Losing your pet must be one of the most dreaded experiences for a pet owner.

But you don’t have to face it alone - you just need to plan ahead.  Or get someone else to do it all for you!

Now, you may be wondering how can someone else reunite you with your lost pet - but finding your pet can be achieved with just one simple step.

Bearing in mind that there are a number of ways that you can make sure that your pet is reported to you as ’safe’ before you even lose them - you need to understand hoe the whole process works.

For example - nothing can make your pet be found any faster than it could be found in the first place.  You can have a collar, tag, microchip, tattoo, name tag in the coat or a giant flag with your details on it hanging off your dog or cat - but it still won’t be found until it is found!

What you can do though is make sure that the moment it is found - is one minute before you get the call!

Check, Plan and Prepare:
It’s all right having a microchip or a tag on your pets collar - but if your contact details aren’t correct or the best number to contact you on - then there will be an inevitable delay in you finding out your pet is safe and well.

For example, if a vets scan your chip to find you details and you have since moved - they will be ringing a wrong number until they either give up or someone else answers and tells them you have moved.  And if the number you have given on your dogs collar is your home number - you won’t hear them call you as you will be out and about local parks looking for your dog - and so will miss the call.  Lost cats are found during the day too - so make sure your work number is on there instead of your home number if you are a 9-5 commuter!

Silly little things could make all the difference in the rush to find your pet again.

Ask Others:
Asking all your neighbours is a great way to find a lost cat - but you will ultimately be calling up all your local vets, pet stores and rescue centres to ask around.

But - if your pet is chipped, then as soon as it is found by any of these or are taken to a vet at any time, they will call you.

However, if you want to call all these people up you are wasting a lot of time and effort for them as well as you!  They have to listen to all your details and write them all down in a folder - and sometimes these are volunteers doing this - so why not find a company that will contact them all for you in 1 go.

People like PetAmberAlert will fax or text your pets details to everyone on their books in your area in an instant - solving all your worries in one call!  Especially if you have lost your pet while travelling or on holiday - as you won’t know all the local vets and centres to call?

Or, just make sure you never lose you pet in the first place!

posted by admin on Jan 5

Could you be risking an animals life with your careless parking?

When you pull up to your local vets for an appointment - do you think of just your pet - or the effects of your parking on others?  I’m sure not many people think about the health of the other animals at the vets - but maybe it could help you out one day if everyone made this a priority.

For example - what if your pet was really ill and unable to walk far - but all the spaces close to the vets front door were filled by other patients?  What can you do to get your pet inside for urgent treatment?

And how annoyed would you be if you found out that the owners of those cars were just here for routine vaccinations, could have parked further away from the entrance and walked in, or caught the bus even! 

And how much more annoyed would you be if the owners of those cars had already had their vaccines and were leaving their car there while they went for walk to the local park!

Plan Ahead:
Of course, there are many people who do only think of themselves - but if patients all start to adopt a sort of ‘unwritten rule’ about parking, then patients would get a much better deal when they arrived.

I always wanted to park out of the sun as my dog had a bad heart and she would overheat easily - but other people would park there as they didn’t want to get a hot steering wheel and dashboard instead!  Leaving my dog to suffer on the way home…..

Elderly animals and pets should be able to park closer to the entrance than others just out of basic courtesy - and able-bodied owners and pets should feel happy to park further away and walk in - just because they can!

I would have walk her in if I could!  Instead I had to always book the first appointment of the morning so that the sun wasn’t at it’s hottest if I had to park out of the shade.

Other Considerations:
Added to the normal parking available - make sure that you don’t park in a restrictive location either!

For example, no matter how late you are for an appointment - you should never block an entrance or park on clearly marked ‘No Parking’ areas - even if they are big enough for a car!

Sometimes these spaces are essential for staff, pet ambulances or turning vehicles - and you could be stopping all those activities, sometimes to the detriment of someones pet.

You may think that it is quite simple for someone to come and get you from the waiting room if necessary and you can move your car then - but imagine if your pet had been involved in an accident, was bleeding and was going into shock - but you couldn’t get into the carpark as someone had parked there ‘just for a few minutes’.

Those vital minutes could help save your pet - but you have to leave your pet unattended in the car to run to the reception to find out who owns the car, there will be some more wasted  time discussing why they have to move it, then another few minutes for them to get someone else to hold their pet while they run to the car, then they have to find another place to move their car to before you can get yours up to the entrance - all the while your pet is bleeding out.

Would you think that leaving your car there for a few minutes was such a harmless action now?

posted by admin on Dec 31

Have you ever needed a vets appointment at a certain time - and there isn’t one!

It’s probably because there are some people in the world who think that if they don’t turn up to an appointment - it doesn’t matter; they won’t get charged for it.

Well, of course it matters!

Even though your kind vets have not set a charge for missed appointments - it doesn’t mean that they are free by any means.

Your Vet:
Not surprisingly - your vet still gets paid whether you attend your appointment or not - as do the receptionists and the many other nurses and staff at the practice.

You just don’t directly get to pay for that time you just wasted.  It comes off in little pieces all around the surgery - including the service you can be offered, the equipment you can use and of course the cost of medication and treatments in general.

The money you would pay for your appointment is only a small part of the surgery as a whole and if you don’t turn up without having called in advance - you set off a chain of events.

However, don’t just think that your actions have caused this alone - but you can guarantee that around 30 people a month don’t cancel their booked appointments - and this all adds up.

Start The Ball Rolling:
I am going to use arbitrary figures here that add up simply and they do not in anyway represent true costs and figures.

So your appointment may have cost £20, and with your vaccination or treatment for £20 on top of that.  However, if you don’t turn up - they can’t fill that appointment at the last minute - so they lose that £40.  And let’s say that those 30 people all do the same as you leaving the vets £1200 a month - that’s £14,400 a year - basically a whole member of staff.

So now imagine your vets needs to either get rid of a receptionist or trainee nurse to cover that loss.  This means that they may well take longer to answer your original phone call as there are less people on the desk, or they may have to reduce the number of operations they can do a week as they have less nurses to care for the animals afterwards.

Alternatively, they could try to get that money back by charging more for their appointments and treatments so that they can keep a full team. 

Neither of which would make them the vet of choice - yet you may have left them no choice.

The Results:
It might cost you 10 pence and 2 minutes of your time to ring ahead and warn them that you can’t attend - and so they could fill that ‘empty’ appointment and keep their money coming in, but without that call - you could be costing them a lot more.

I know it all sounds a bit of a huge fuss to just you as an individual - but it is never just you - it is always multiplied up to a grander scale.

And, think of those sick pets and owners who have difficulty getting their animals to the vets - the appointment you are not going to turn up to could have been perfect for them - but now they are going to have to wait until next week to see a vet when they needn’t have to.

Even calling to tell your vets on the morning of your appointment that you can’t make it could create an opportunity for another person to fill that gap and keep everything running smoothly.

If too many people just don’t bother - then maybe your vets won’t be so cheap, friendly, or as customer-focused when you next call for an appointment!

posted by admin on Nov 30

I work at a local dog shelter - and really wish more people would rehome the lovely Staffies we have here.

They are dogs with huge hearts, full of life and easy to train - but they have a stigma it would seem.  And that is where you come in.

By not being a ‘typical’ Staffordshire bull terrier owner - the fact that you have one (or 2) would go to making them not a cliche.  I mean if there are Staffies out there with pink collars and cow-print coats on, then they won’t look quite so ‘hard’ for their more typical owners and be trussed up in the largest black leather harness and 2-stone chain lead.

Staffies: The Breed:
Staffordshire bull terriers were originally bred as a dog to catch vermin - and some of the best ‘ratters’ of medieval Briton were bull terriers, however the breed was also used for fighting, bear-baiting and other such activities.

As a result of this type of breeding, the have a very muscular appearance and a great big head and mouth!  Needless to say that this translates into ‘looking mean’.

However, you should also be aware that Westies were bred to kill foxes (!) but we seem to think they are cute now!

Staffies are however, very reliable dogs and respond very well to training and absolutely love agility!  You won’t have a quite moment with one of these terriers in your home - but that’s what makes them fun.

There are 2 body types for the Staffies: the short-legged and the long-legged; as well as a whole range of colours from all white through tans, brindle, browns with white faces, chests and feet to all black.  So, something for everyone.

Staffies: The Problem:
Well, the problem is that due to the ’status symbol’ of the perfect Staffie - irresponsible people are breeding and breeding and breeding them until they get the right ‘look’ that they are after - and they are dumping all those along the way that don’t quite meet that look.

Regardless of age or sex - they are all ending up at rescue centres or are dumped - and needless to say; these people don’t have their pets micro-chipped either, so the problem becomes someone else’s.

Unfortunately, many rescue centres have the hope of rehoming as many homeless dogs as possible - so they cannot take more than 1 or 2 Staffies at a time - otherwise there would be no room for all the other breeds that have been abandoned!

As a result, many of the people who genuinely call rescue centres with a Staffie that they can no longer have (for financial or marital reasons) cannot find a reputable centre to care for it!  They have to resort to giving it to anyone who will take it after calling all the best centres and getting turned down - while those who don’t care for their pets just dump them regardless!

Staffies: The Solution:

Firstly - try not to see Staffies as a fighting dog - see them as a dag which has been used needlessly for a fashion statement.

By assuming that all Staffies are ‘bad’ you are making sure that these dogs remain homeless and also that the breed in general is persecuted wherever it goes.

Obviously - it goes without saying that you shouldn’t ever buy a Staffie puppy (or Staffie cross puppy either) as this will help not only to stem the breeding pattern - well if their owners don’t get money for their pups and have to feed them themselves they might have less litters - and then you still have a home ready for one of the abandoned dogs instead!

Love Staffies - Rehome Staffies!

posted by admin on Oct 26

Should You Buy Products Online - Or Through Your Vets?

You mights be saving some money by buying your wormers and flea products online - but could a visit to your vet spot a health problem in your pet that you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise?

Sometimes doing something from home saves you a lot of time - as long as you don’t have to be in for the postman - but does it really save you anything in the long run?

Your Vet:
We all know that a trip to the vets can cost a fair bit of money - but they do more for you than you might think.

When you pet has it’s annual check up or a booster, the vet will also be looking for signs of other illness or aging that you might think is just ‘normal’ as you only have that 1 dog and you see it every day, so can’t always spot changes.

It is possible that you vet could spot something that needs a closer look, or can identify some problems that can be easily rectified to make you pet healthy again.

If you have pet insurance anyway - then a trip to the vets shouldn’t be a worry!  Yes, you have to pay the first so much for the consult - but any problems they find will no could be claimed on your policy - so shouldn’t be a worry - and means that you can make sure your pet gets the best treatment without worrying about the cost!

And this means that you can spot things early and get them treated, rather than catching them when it’s too late and having to try much more aggressive or expensive treatments at the last minute!

Why They Cost More:
And don’t forget that the vets have overheads!  I mean - how will they see you for a vaccination appointment if they don’t have a surgery building? 

How will they treat your pet in an emergency if they haven’t got staff on site overnight or the latest equipment?

Just in the same way you need to pay a bit more in a local store than supermarket prices to keep your local store open - you really need to buy your pet products from your vets if you want to keep that open too?

It’s almost like a membership fee.  You pay that little bit more for basics to make sure that your vets has enough money in the kitty to keep trading.

And just in the same way that only the strong survive on the high street - only the vets that make enough money will be able to stay open and treating your pets.

So, if you value your vet surgery and want it to stay just around the corner and taking care of your pets every needs - then isn’t it worth that little bit extra on a packet of Drontal or Frontline?  They need you and you need them!

I mean what good is a local pharmacy or a giant Tesco going to do for you when your dog becomes ill or needs an x-ray?