Anything For Animals

posted by admin on Jul 7

Why should your car be just a boring run-around filled with dog hair?

I always thought that a car and a dog would equal: a hairy back seat - but in the past 10 years or so, cars and dogs are becoming more and more civilised!

Not only is there now doggy car etiquette to consider - there is a whole range of car accessories now available to make your hound safer, but more importantly there are ways to keep your car looking as good as new inside and out!

Inside The Car:
Firstly, there is a whole new emphasis on dog safety inside the car.  Not only are there now doggy seatbelts, car seat covers and booster seats - you can now buy a custom-made car crate to fit your exact car specifications, boot space and doggy needs!

Whether it’s a hatchback or an estate - there will be the specific sized and shaped crate to fit in your car - rather than having to sit an unsightly and slightly awkward standard dog crate on the back seat!  Perfect for you and your pets!

There are also a huge variety of seat covers, floor mats and cargo sheets to make sure that all the dog hairs stay off the seat fabric!  And of course, all the mud and grass from a great walk stay off too!

You can take your dirty wellies off before getting inside - but the dogs have no choice, so make it easy for them.

Outside The Car:
Getting your dog in and out of the car has never been easier, with new shape boots and sliding doors.  Plus the fact that you can now buy some amazing collapsible and sturdy ramps for those heavier dogs or those too old or ill to just ‘hop in’ as before.

And as your car probably takes a bit more external attention what with dogs running around it, rubbing against it - and not to mention humans leaning on it to get wellies on and off - why not make it easier to clean with chrome accessories all around - front back and sides!  Plastics can get scratched and bitten (!) depending on your hounds - so avoid it with a sturdy and stylish outside!

And talking of ‘hot’ - make sure that you keep your car cool in the summer when driving the dogs around!  Whether that means parking in the shade, carrying around umbrellas and sun shades or buying trendy sun shades for the inside windows. Dogs get really hot really quickly in cars - so be prepared for overheating pets!

And don’t forget the car either - keep water and oil on hand and make sure that you look after your car as much as your dogs!

You are now ready to give someone a lift in your car WITHOUT apologising for the mess! 

posted by admin on May 6

Welcome to Part II of this article discussing the reasons your pet may suffer from bad joints - and how to prevent this damage and discomfort.

Hopefully, the previous point all made sense to you, and have highlighted how easy it is too affect your pets life by simple decisions. Well, here are the final 2 to make sure you have the best partnership with your pet, for as long and as healthy as possible.

5) Excessive Weight:
This one is totally in your control - and there is no excuse for an overweight young animal!

With correct feeding and exercise, you pet should maintain a healthy weight for it’s breed - and your veterinary nurses and vets will be able to offer you all the advice and assistance you need. Nobody wants to see an animal in pain (which an overweight animal could well be) - so keep the weight off and you will extend it’s lifespan and make him a happier pet!

Some illnesses and medications can cause an animal to gain weight, but you can still make sure that it has a limited effect on it’s health. By offering controlled and low impact exercise you can reduce the strain on your pets body - rather than still taking it on day-long walks or running it along side you on a job or bicycle ride!

6) Age Related Problems:
Although you may think that it is inevitable that an elderly pet should get ‘a bit stiff’ it doesn’t have to be the end result for your pet.

If you are able to care for your pet from day one with alertness to their needs and great preventative care, you can reduce the chances of bad joints in old age.

For example, if you select a breed that doesn’t have hereditary joint problems, you are on your way to a healthy pet. Or if you select a breed that is known for joint problems but have had the parents and grandparents checked for low incidence, then again, you are reducing the risks.

And by the way - actions like this can help prevent all dogs and cats from having hereditary problems - as if you are not buying litters that are not guaranteed to be healthy - then they won’t breed them again, eradicating these potentially ‘bad’ genes. I mean who wants to buy a puppy or kitten that will be in pain for most of it’s potentially shortened life? Try to remember that nearly all puppies and kittens are ‘adorably cute’ - so don’t go on looks - go on health.

In terms of accidents - if you control your pet properly through it’s life - you will reduce injury through accidents, and if you control it’s food and exercise, again, you can reduce damage to joints in the same way.

Getting your pet insured from Day 1 can also work in your advantage. If you pet is born with a congenital defect (present from birth) then having them insured will guarantee that they have the best medical treatment available as all expenses will be paid for by the pet insurance company - not you. That way they can have all the scans and tests necessary to treat an improve their health.

Similarly if your pet gets an infection and you take it straight to the vets and they are not restricted by your wallet - they can deal with the problem asap and with the best available treatment, restricting it’s long term effect.

‘Aging’ is just the accumulation of all these effects. If you pet has had a healthy active life with little long-term illnesses it may well age very slowly - but if it is overweight and plagued by injury and illness, it will age quickly.

So, whether you are thinking of buying a new pet, or you have just acquired one - I hope this has given you a few things to think about and plan for in the future with regards to the health of your new pet.

posted by admin on May 1

There are many pets out there who have stiff joints, impaired movement or a mild limp - and many could be avoided.

With 6 main factors involved in the cause it can be easy to identify the main reason for the disability and discomfort.  And at least 3 (possibly 5) that are totally avoidable reasons - ways in which you can not only help your pet not to suffer, but to protect future generations.

I know this sounds a bit far reaching, but once you have read the information below and in Part II, you will no doubt agree.

1) Due To An Accident:
This is the most unavoidable of the reasons for bad joints - although it affect can be limited by your actions. By allowing an animal to get hit by a car for example with inadequate garden security, could seriously affect it’s joints in old age - even if the animal recovered well from the original incident.

And in the same light - by restricting over-enthusiastic activity of young animals - particularly in the larger dog breeds for example - you can limit the ‘accidents’ they are exposed to and so help make sure they grow up without a predisposition to problems.

2) Your Choice Of Breed:
One way to make sure that your pet doesn’t suffer from bad joints during it’s life, is to avoid selecting for breeds that a known or associated with joint problems, like German Shepherds.

Reading about breed specific problems is essential before selecting a specific breed anyway, but more so with reference to known medical traits. That way, if you still wish for that breed, you can make sure that your puppy or kitten’s parents have been checked for all associated hereditary diseases or conditions - therefore reducing the likelihood of your pet getting painful joints when older.

3) Unforeseen Circumstances:
However there are some conditions that are not present in the parents or grandparents and are just found in the individual and become noticeable in the first few months or years of it’s life. 

So you could always be unlucky enough to purchase one of these unfortunate individuals - all the more reason to always get pet insurance for the first year of your pets life (from the minute you pick it up) - this way you will find out if there is anything that is going to affect your pet long term - and then you can keep it covered and the insurance pay for it! 

4) Getting An Infection:
Another one that you might not be able to avoid, but that you can treat with differing degrees of attention - depending on the infection your pet has.

For example, if you are quick to spot a problem in your pet and get it seen by a vet as soon as possible, then a small infection might have no lasting effect on your pet.  However, if you let things drag on - or don’t apply all possible treatments due to cost or the time it takes, then it could spiral into something more long term. 

Now read Why Does Your Pets Have Bad Joints? - Part II, for the final 2 points to help your pet avoid bad joints.

posted by admin on Apr 26

There are dozens of veterinary surgeries in your area - but how do you choose the best one for your needs?

All vets have to be fully qualified to run a surgery, and all nurses have to be in training or fully qualified, but receptionist don’t have to have any training or qualifications at all - but then neither do ‘dog trainers’, ‘dog walkers’ or ‘dog sitters’.

So it is important to make sure that you are happy with everyone in the veterinary team.  But what else should you consider?

Price:
I put this first - although many would say that it was the least important.  If you have pet insurance, then cost of treatment is virtually irrelevant as all costs - bar your excess - will be covered by the insurance company.  So no need to worry about anything other than getting your pet the best available medications and treatments.

However, it is always worth knowing the cost of the basic routine things as these may be too low for the insurance to cover - or not covered at all, like vaccinations, neutering, nail clipping, tail docking and wormers etc.

Location:
Proximity to your vet is very helpful in case of emergencies or if you just want to nip to the vets in your lunch break for a routine appointment - but you need to think about what that surgery can offer.

For example, not all surgeries offer overnight care or specialist care, and some don’t invest in larger machinery - so if you take you injured puppy to your nearest vet, they may then need to send you to a more distant vets to get the work done - and this may be a different company too.  Therefore, if might be wise to register with a vets that has everything onsite in the first place.

24-hour treatment isn’t offered by all surgeries either - they sometimes share with other vets.  So you could call your normal surgery (5 min drive) at 2 am and they recommend their emergency surgery which happens to be a 45 minute drive away - when if you had checked a vets that is 10 minutes from your house may have their own 24 hour emergency vet!   

Your Pet:
The above 2 examples are more likely to affect you if you have a dog or a cat, but if you have an exotic pet like a skunk, snake, parrot or tortoise, then you may be best to find a vet that specialises in that species rather than take you chances with a ‘normal vet’.

Although a ‘normal’ vet is qualified to medicate and treat all animals, they may not have the continued training in exotics that a specialist has, so might not be able to offer the best solution to your problem - no matter how close they are to your house!

And, they may not have the equipment necessary to deal with it anyway - for example - a boa constrictor wouldn’t last too long in a dog pen, and I know for a fact that most vets do not keep glass tanks and humidistats in their back rooms!

Same goes for horses and goats - I can’t imagine you can just walk into your local surgery with one of those!

posted by admin on Apr 10

The weather is getting warmer - so you might as well go out and enjoy it!

So why not consider re-homing a dog or puppy over the next few weeks so that you have got a friend to take with you!

There are thousands of dogs out there that just need a loving home.  You don’t need to go to the ‘big’ rescue centres to find them, there are plenty of private or small scale re-homing centres that have a few pets out there for you to choose from.

There are a few things you need to do before they will consider you, but all their ‘adoption rules’ are there for a reason - they follow their own principals.  So some centres will want you to just be a stable home for their dogs, others will want you to prove that you are right for the dog (including no kids if the dog doesn’t like kids, no cats if it doesn’t like cats, and so on) and yet others want you to fence in your entire garden, not be too old and sometimes to never have a job again so you can be at home with it for ever!

Obviously, you need to do your research to find out which policies suit your needs - and of course to find a dog that you actually like in the first place! However - if you are re-homing a dog for the ‘good deed’ of finding a dog a home, then shouldn’t you take the one that noone else wants?

If you only want the cute pretty little ones that everyone else wants, then who is going to love the old or ugly looking ones?

Things To Consider Before Starting Out:
So, if you are considering re-homing a new pet, then just check out the following list to make sure you have everything covered:

1) If you want a specific pedigree dog breed, then be prepared to wait.  Hoping that someone wants to give up their Rhodesian Ridgeback or Japanese Akita is a long shot, so do you want a dog now, or do you just want that breed and you will wait up to 5 years or more until it arrives?

2) If you want a pretty, cute or young dog, then join the queue!  Most people want their dog to look a certain way, and for it to be young, so you will be added to a long list of people who are already waiting!  If you want to give an older or less fluffy dog a home, then you could well get your new pet a lot quicker!

3) If you want to use the ‘big charities’ then be prepared to make some changes to your home or lifestyle.  They will require proper fencing in your yard, several meetings and ‘checks’ before you even choose a dog, and there could be ongoing visits after you have taken your new dog home.

4) If you have young children, other dogs or cats, a full time job, or live in a flat - you could well not get the dog you choose anyway!  Many re-homing centers these days find the right home for the dog’s needs - not yours.  So if that cute dog you like has been deemed ‘unsuitable for families’ or that giant mastiff ‘chases cats’, then you won’t even get a look in!  They might offer you a tiny teacup dog instead!

5) If you want your dog quick - then start now!  Even with the simplest procedures, there could still be a few checks and changes to be made to your home!  The sooner you get going - the sooner you can be out there enjoying the sunshine with your new ‘Fido’!

posted by admin on Aug 11

Don’t neglect your dogs teeth.

They need to be looked after just as much as a humans - especially if you are feeding moist foods - or you have a breed prone to dental problems like sight hounds or toy dogs.

Dental problem can cost a lot of money at the vets - and can be really painful for your pet. And it is all virtually avoidable. Don’t wait until your dog gets into trouble - and never assume your dog is too old to make a difference!

What Is The Problem?
Most dog food and treats contain sugar - need I explain!

I can virtually guarantee that if you are feeding a moist or dry commercial pet food - one that is available in your local food store - it contains sugar (or sometimes listed in the ingredients as caramel, glucose).

These sticky, moist food might taste nice with all it’s additives, but it will stick to the teeth and do damage.

As it is wet - it also has no abrasive action so there is no general scraping of the teeth during eating. Some people sometimes add biscuits to the wet food - but this can only do so much!

What’s The Solution?
Well, dry food can help to increase the abrasion of teeth while eating and therefore keep your dogs teeth free of dental build-up - however, do make sure that your dry food doesn’t contain colors or sugars - other wise you may as well be cleaning their teeth with icing!

Dogs teeth are natually strong and they can eat most whole animals products (like actual animal flesh, jerky and bones) without too much trouble - but as with humans, if you add sugars or highly-processed foods to your diet - you are asking for dental decay!

Therefore you have one of 2 solutions that are very easy to add to your pets routine:

1) Feed your dog anything you want to but clean it’s teeth regularly with pet-friendly toothpaste, or;
2) Feed your dog premium dry foods (that don’t contain sugars) and only feed healthy treats and let the teeth keep themselves clean.

There are, of course, breeds of dog like Yorkshire Terriers and many sight hounds that are genetically prone to ‘bad teeth’, so these dogs may need extra attention which ever method you choose.

posted by admin on Jul 1

Do you want your cute puppy to be the star of the show?

Now you have the chance! You could have your little pooch seen around the world in National Geographic’s photographic competition in just a few seconds. Just upload your best shots and see your pet on the Internet!

It really is that simple.

What Do I Do?
Well, all you need to do is register with National Geographic with their easy form and get up-loading. It really couldn’t be any simpler!

It’s easy to have a look at the current gallery of snaps to see what everyone else is adding - some are soo cute! - and maybe it can inspire you to take more shots yourself!  But if you can see their pictures - then everyone will be able to see yours!

International dog-loving viewers could be downloading a picture of your retriever swimming in a lake for their home laptop or a shot of your chihuahua sleeping on the couch for their computers wallpaper.

Your poodle sitting in a flower pot or your Great Dane squashing your uncle in the car could be turned into a puzzle that thousands of people can play each day!

There is every chance that your dog shots could inspire people to either take up photography or get themselves a life-long companion! Or just make them laugh.

So, Do You Want to be a part of it?

Then get snapping - and get snappy! The sooner you register, the sooner the world can get to meet your dog!

posted by admin on Jun 12

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Even though they may still look active and healthy - you must treat your elderly pets differently.

I don’t mean to ignore them or give them more treats - I mean an aging animal has very different requirements to a normal adult dog or cat, in terms of energy needs, general health, amount of exercise and heat tolerance to name a few.

Bearing in mind you may well have had them for 10 years or more since they were a kitten or puppy - surely you want to make the latter years of their life just as enjoyable but not quite so fast-paced or energetic.

What’s Different?
Well, commonly the whole body will be aging, so not only will the bones and joints be a bit worn out - but so could things on the inside.  And of course you can necessarily see these so think that they are ok.

As with humans, they need different levels of vitamins or minerals as they age - as their internal systems start reacting to changing hormones and a general slowing down.  Their mind should still be sharp but their body might not be doing to well to keep up!

The Signs Of Aging:
Dogs and cats don’t get wrinkles and sagging skin, but there are many signs that your beloved oldie needs some special attention.  These include:

Sore Or Damaged Teeth & Gums: This may show up as reduced interest in certain foods or ‘not eating’ their premium dry foods. 

Owners may think that he ‘doesn’t like the taste of them anymore’ and so fall into the trick of commercial wet foods - they don’t prefer the flavour of the wet foods - it’s just that they are soft and don’t hurt their teeth and gums!  Why not just soak his premium dry food in warm water and voila - wet (but good for you) food!

Painful Joints Or Arthritis:  This may show up as reluctance to go for long walks in dogs, not jumping up on the sofa or bed as often, not climbing the stairs or possibly not getting up to greet you in the morning after evening runs.

Basically the dog still wants to enjoy walks and playing with you but either gives up half way as it is too uncomfortable - or continues to chase ball after ball and walking for miles to be with you - but really suffering all night with the pain of it all.  Remember your aching limbs after that one-off mountain climbing session!

Lack of correct nutrients or organ failure: This may well start to show up as loose stools, poor coat or a change in character.  You may notice that your cat has started to soil closer to the house or not to cover it up.  Dogs may well lose weight or get dandruff or excessive molting.

Basically you could be feeding your dog the best food in the world, but if it isn’t scientifically designed for older animals or your pets internal digestive system or heart is not working properly these symptoms may be the first signs that you get to show that there could be something wrong.

Heart Disease:  This may show up as panting a lot, especially when hot.  Now I know that all dogs pant when they are very hot or after heavy exercise - but older dogs are more likely to suffer from some types of heart failure - and particularly certain breeds.

Many owners think that it is always best to take their dogs out with them wherever they go than to leave them at home, but that is not always so.  I would rather leave my dog at home on a sunny day than have her sit in a boiling hot car for the 30 minute journey to the park. 

Unless you have air-conditioning in your vehicle, it just gets too hot for elderly (or very young or hairy) animals to cool off.  Excess panting ensues because the heart cannot pump the blood around the body fast enough to cool it down.  The end result will only be making the heart worse, and we know where that leads!

Mental Boredom:  This may well show up a chewing their feet, over-grooming, destroying furniture or their beds and possibly soiling the house.

As you reduce their exercise due to age or injury they will need something to replace that stimulation - and it needs to be mental stimulation.  Rather than just throwing a ball around for less time or over shorter distances, you need to be stimulating their mind with tricks or new skills.

Why not invest in a Clicker (and a tiny torch for cats) and encourage them to learn a new skill that doesn’t involve too much strenuous activity. Maybe learning to turn in a circle or select a certain toy from the pile will keep them happy inside rather than let them waste away the rest of their lives.  Lack of mobility does not have to mean the end of their fun in life - or yours.

Treat them as you would elderly people.  Be patient, be encouraging and don’t expect them to do what they used to do.  Help them find new things to entertain and amuse them and keep your favorite pet happy!