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 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 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?

posted by admin on Oct 13

Its getting cold out there now - so make sure you are well prepared for these cold, dark months!

Here are a selection of great tips for your horse’s health - just incase he gets poorly over the winter!  There is nothing worse than getting to the yard to see your horse in the dark after a long day at work to find something wrong.  And worse still - having to deal with it when you aren’t prepared.

So, by following a few of these tips BEFORE anything goes wrong might well save you a lot of time and money over the next 6 months or more.  Be like a Scout and ‘Be Prepared’!

1) As you might be working in the dark for a while - make sure that you have torches on the yard - and spare batteries!

2) Also, make sure that you check everything when you get a ‘light’ moment.  So fix that loose fence post or door lock while you have the chance in the daylight.

3) Plan ahead and order any medicines, supplements or specialist items well in advance of the winter - and definitely make sure you order supplies before the seasonal rush - and before the postal service stops at the end of the year!

4) Check your vets opening hours over the winter before anything happens as well as checking how vets can get to your yard in bad weather - do you need extra lighting, fix those pot holes or lay down grit, etc.  Also check that your insurance is paid up to date incase of getting hit by an extra ’seasonal’ call out fee!

5) To prevent sores and galls from tack, make sure that it is all kept as clean as possible, protected by sheepskin or replaced.  Also make sure your horse is clean too and you should reduce problems.

6) Use a bed of peat if your horse suffer from brittle feet as this can help the condition improve and not makes things worse.

7) Keep a record of your horse pulse, temperature before and after work, and in summer and winter, etc, so you know what his normal boundaries are.  That way, if you are ever concerned about anything, you can check against the normal chart and know whether to call a vet of not!

If your horse is off his food, try adding some molasses to it for extra ‘yum’ factor.  And as it has a strong smell, you can even smuggle in some wormers or medicines without him noticing when you need to!

9) If your horse gets really cold in the winter - why not stitch in an extra blanket to the inside of your New Zealand rug until it warms up again - then just unstitch.

10) If your naughty pony kicks at the stable door, attach a piece or thick carpet or sacking to the inside to stop him hurting himself and to muffle the sound! And also stop your horse chewing on the stable door by fixing a piece of drainpipe over the top as the curved surface will prevent them from being able to grab it - and they can’t hurt themselves on it!

Hope all goes well this winter for you and your pony!

posted by admin on Aug 20

Back again with some more easy to achieve tips for getting ready for your horse shows.  And this collection are all about your horses appearance - and planning ahead for the show.

You may well already use some of these - or you could add yours to the comments below to help others.  Either way, here they are:

1) Create your own great quarter-marks with a snapped up set of teethed combs. Practice with both fine and wide toothed combs to find the best effect and then design your patterns in advance!

2) To hold your quarter-marks in place for longer - use a little hairspray - as long as it doesn’t spook your horse!

3) To make a white tail look really white - try washing it in a tiny amount of biological soap powder - but be careful not to get it on your horses skin!

4) When trying out new styles of plaiting, quarter-marks or your own clothes, make sure you take pictures from both close up and farther away (like the judges will see). This way you can find out in advance which looks better for the show.

5) Plan to space you plaits evenly by using a plastic comb or other small item as a measuring stick. Planning it’s length in advance will let you know how many plaits you will need for the complete look.

6) When plaiting up before the show - make sure you have threaded up all the needles you think you will use and stick them in the front of your jumper - rather than using the 1 needle and wasting a lot of time inbetween each plait!

7) Also, the types of plait you use can help improve the appearance of your horse. For example lots of smaller plaits can make a short neck look better proportioned, and larger raised plaits can make a thin or long neck a bit more chunky looking!

8.) To keep plaits in place during a show - why not use a setting lotion instead of water while plaiting.  This should stop wispy bits from coming loose during the day.

9) If cutting your horses tail for the show, get someone to put their arm under his tail to raise it slightly to the height he carries it when moving - otherwise you may cut it too short!

10) And if not cutting the tail then plait your horses tail tip when still wet and leave to dry. When ready, brush out the plait with your fingers with the result that the tail tip will look wavy and fuller in time for the ring!

Fantastic Stuff! Your horse should look beautiful by now!

posted by admin on Jul 30

This article lists some great tips for making a trip to a show easier and hopefully better than before!

By finding the little things that work better, faster or more cheaply can really make the difference to a day at a show - allowing you time to think about the more important things - like winning!!!!

So, lets get started with some quick and easy top tips:

1) The day before the show - wash your horse: not the day of the show.  This way it allows the coat to settle back down and it will be more ‘controllable’ when you are getting him ready in the morning! 

2) And a mane will be virtually impossible to plait when it has just been washed!

3) For yourself - use only a discreet rosebud and small flower head for your show classes - otherwise it will be a distraction for the judges - and could fall out in the ring if too large!

4) And choose dark gloves for dressage and show classes as they attract less attention than white ones - although white gloves may seem the right choice, you want the judges to be watching your horse - not your hands!

5) Keep some thick sticky tape to hand to get fluff and hay off of your clothes before you enter the ring. Roll a full look around your hand - sticky side out - and pat or roll on the offending bits of fluff! Repeat as necessary when all the ’sticky has gone!

6)Keep a list of all important friends and supplier phone numbers with your show equipment, just incase you need something short notice - like a new jacket, hat silk or to borrow a trailer. You can’t waste time looking for a number when you are in the ring in less than an hour!

7) To produce a good shine on your rubber boots - use a little spray from some spray-can furniture polish!

8.)And for your horse: use boot polish instead of hoof oil if showing in an indoor arena - as the shavings wil not stick to the polish!

9) Use a thread the same colour as your jacket when attaching your show number so it looks more natural from a distance.

10) And if you are allowed: trim off the corners of you number at the show as this will make the number look smaller and much neater - it will also help to prevent the number from curling up and looking tatty in the ring!

Hope these helped!

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 Jun 20

Why not take on board some of these tips for some great time saving ideas - more time left for riding!

Some of them are so obvious that you might not have even thought of them as time-saving - but add up all those minutes spent looking for something, fixing something that’s broken or shopping for something you could have made yourself!

So, lets get started:

1) Let’s start with an easy one - tie some bright material or a pink shoelace to your hoof pick to make it easy to find if you drop it in your bedding or if you can’t see it in the boot of your car!

2) Adding to this - why not make sure that whenever you are buying some new equipment - lead ropes, brushes or hat silks - buy them as bright as you can so you can save time looking for them all the time!

3) Save more time around the yard by using baler twine to hang scissors next to your hay supply, or any other piece of equipment you always seem to need when haven’t got it to hand!

4) Stop struggling to use that last tiny bit of saddle soap in your tin - save up all your left-over bits in one tin - then when you have enough leave the tin in your baking hot car until it all melts into one lump, and use it like new!

5) Always choose dark coloured jodhpurs to wear around the yard to save on washing time.  If you wear pale colours, you will no doubt end up washing them after every wash!  What a waste of water too!

6) If your whip seems to slide out of your hand when riding - why not fix a rubber martingale to the handle where appropriate and keep it in place!

7) Clean your grooming kit at the same time as washing your horse - which basically keeps you horse cleaner for longer.  Why would you want to brush old hair back onto your clean pony?

8.) Get yourself a boot-jack.  The time wasted getting a friend to pull of your long boots may be fun once or twice - but when you need to get home or back to work, it;s just annoying. 

9) Keep some rubber gloves with you at the yard - as mucking out that one dropping by hands is much quicker than finding the shovel and wheelbarrow!

10) And during that quick clean up - you don’t want your horse to keep trying to get out as you struggle to open and close the stable door every-time - why not fix a simple breast bar across the door, allowing you to scuttle in and out in a second while keeping your horse in place!

Well,  What do you think of those?  Have you got any yourself?  If so, let us know right here.

For some more great tips - try Money Saving Top Tips or Top Tips For Your Horses Health & Wellbeing.

posted by admin on Jun 4

It’s not a case of whether you lose your pet - it’s more about getting it back!

Many pet owners don’t seem to realise how terrible it is to lose a pet, and just because their little pet seems to always be at home or is rarely off the lead - they assume it can never get lost.

It can - and many many many pets every year get lost - and only a few ever make it back home.

The Problem:
Well, I have worked for animal rescue centres and veterinary surgeries and the number of times we get a phone call to say that someone has lost their black cat, or their pedigree dog.

Now, I don’t know if you know this but there are about a million black cats that all look - well, black.  And let’s be honest, there really isn’t much difference to the layman’s eye between 1 Yorkshire Terrier and the next - I mean they are bred to all look roughly the same, aren’t they?

And, obviously unless you call every vet, rescue centre, pet store or well being neighbour, you might not ever be matched up to your pet again.  Say for example your cat had been asleep in a car that drove off 20 miles before the cat jumped out - would you have called the vets that far from home?

What if your dog got lost while you were out in the local woods and ended up following another owner to the car.  They might not find you or want to leave your dog alone - so thinking they are helping might take your dog with them and report it to their own vet - which is completely on the other side of the woods to you! Or you are on holiday, miles from home?

And don’t think your pets collar will help either - many owners don’t put their full details on them anyway - and many tags - and collars - can (and do) fall off!

We know that animals get lost all the time whether you want to believe it or not - but what if there was a way to give you pet an unmistakable, unremovable id tag that will bring them home everytime?

That’s A MicroChip!
A tiny chip can easily and cheaply be implanted into your pet - from cat to rabbit, ferret to horse and dog to tortoise - and you need never worry about getting your pet returned to you when it is found.

They just need the one chip implanted and that is it for the animal!  There are no ongoing costs for the owner - but obviously you need to keep your contact details updated everytime they change so if they need to contact you, they have the best number!

Every veterinary surgery or rescue centre will ALWAYS scan a found animal looking for a microchip as this is the fastest and easiest way to find the owner.  So as long as your lost pet turns up in one of these places - you will be reunited.

They will also scan these animals if their owners are asking for it to be microchipped for them or when an abandoned animal arrives in a shelter.  This has lead to some amazing reunions!

A lost or seemingly abandoned animal may sometimes be adopted in by a new home, and when that new owner wants them ‘chipped or finally takes them to a rescue centre - your details will pop up as the rightful owner!

Also, if a pet is injured or killed on the road and taken to a veterinary surgery, it will also be scanned for a chip.

June 2010:
This month is national MicroChipping Week in the UK - so make sure you take advantage of surgeries and rescue centres offering reduced implantation - and plenty of them are!

I mean, it is to their advantage too. The sooner they can find out about any existing medical conditions an injured ‘lost’ pet has - the sooner they can offer the best treatment. And rescue centres don’t want to raise valuable donations looking after your dog for a week while you try to find it! They would rather it was home the same day, back with it’s owner rather than scared stiff in a noisy kennel!

Also, if your pets are already ‘chipped - take this as a gentle reminder to update your Chip Company with the correct contact details!

It will be the best thing you ever did for your pet!

posted by admin on May 10

Horses and Ponies are just as much part of the family as dogs and cats - so lets focus on them in this article.

I have put together 10 great tips for saving your horse or pony from discomfort or boredom, and made them into a nice easy-to-read little list:

1) Safety First - Tie a small knot in the end of your lead rope to prevent it slipping clean out of your hand if he is startled or puts the breaks on!  This way he can’t get loose in an unsuitable environment.

2) And if he does injure himself, use salty water for his wounds - a really effective and cheap antiseptic.  Disinfectants shouldn’t really be used as they slow the healing process.

3) And talking cheap - use vinegar as a fly repellent.  It is just as effective as store-brought preparations, and is completely natural when washed off in the rain (and onto the grass your horses eat!).

4) Stop your horses from refusing to eat worming tablets or creams by storing them in the fridge overnight - they lose their smell when chilled - so he might no notice them in his breakfast!

5) Reduce the amount of foot-scraping your horse does at the stable door by putting a rubber mat there.  This way he won’t wear his hooves out on the rough ground - and if it no longer makes a noise, he may stop doing it so often!

6) In really cold weather, remember to leave a decent sized plastic or rubber ball in the water trough to prevent if from freezing completely over so your horses can still drink through the night!

7) And in really warm weather, flies and midges are more attracted to sweaty or dirty horses, so make sure you rub him down regularly and/or wash often with a shampoo that contains a mild antiseptic to help deter bugs!

8.) Staying on the bug theme - when applying louse powder, make sure you start at the fetlock, and really work the powder into the hair roots all the way down the creast, along the spine and right to the roots of the tail.  There’s no point doing it unless you are going to do it properly the first time!

9) If you want to save yourself some trouble when shaving your horse’s whiskers - use a plastic safety razor instead of scissors - this way you can be a bit braver when making contact with his moving head!

10) And an obvious one to finish - but one that people seem to forget sometimes: Never tie your horse to a fixed object!  Always tie to a piece of breakable baler twine to prevent him from injuring himself if startled.

Go to 10 Top Time Saving Tips For Your Horses Maintenance  for more ideas.