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 26

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

Toxicara canis:
Puppies can be infected before birth by their mothers (bitches). Towards the end of her pregnancy, hormones trigger any dormant larvae in her muscles to pass into the uterus. These larvae migrate through the flesh of the unborn puppies into their liver and lungs.

Once born and breathing, the puppies will cough these larvae up and normally swallow them stright back into their own intestines where they become adult worms.

The puppies can also ingest futher larvae from infective eggs in the environment (on their bedding, etc) or more commonly, through the bitches milk (dormant roundworms would have migrated to the mammary tissues and were also triggered by the bitches hormones).

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

However, puppies will 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, but will pass through the intestine wall and settle into their resting state (as cysts) in the muscle tissues.

Any eggs that were ‘passed’ by these puppies or the bitch onto the ground with 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 stay in the gut to become adult worms.

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

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

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 dog!!!

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 Apr 9

Do you have a rabbit? And want to know more about their needs and requirements?

Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) is just what you are after.  No longer are we happy to leave bunnies in tiny hutches out in the garden with nothing but the odd carrot top to entertain them.

Studies have shown that rabbits are very intelligent animals that thrive on stimulation and enjoy playing games.  We also know a lot more about their dietary requirements and what other rabbits and pets they are most likely to get on with.

However, their behaviour is an area that is only just beginning to be explored by owners.  Apart from the odd foot thumps, digging in the garden and their habit of eating every cable in the house, many rabbit owners know little more.

So, RAW are hoping to shed some light on their peculiar habits and help you see your pets in a new and interesting light!

Housing Requirements:
Rabbits are very social animals - as you can tell from the number of rabbit holes over nearby fields and farmland - so why keep just 1 on it’s own? 

I know that certain breeds of rabbit require very large hutches and runs, so having 2 in there might make a ’small animal’ into a very large pet responsibility - but think of the scale.

If you look at how long an average pet-shop hutch is in ‘rabbits’ (in length) they are around 4 rabbits long and just over 1 rabbit wide - now lay that out for a cat, dog or horse!  It would just be unacceptable.

So why do we think that it is OK for a rabbit to live alone in such a small space?  And to only be handled a few times a week in summer and hardly at all in winter?

Also, rabbits talk ‘rabbit’ not ‘guinea pig’ - so why we ever thought that these 2 animals should live together in a confined space is quite strange?  And with rabbits being so much bigger and having giant thumpy feet - that poor guinea pig could get quite squashed! 

Free Health Checks:
Also as part of the RAW drive - vets across the country are opening their appointment schedule up for free bunny check-ups where you can discuss all sorts of lagomorphic queries (thats things relating to bunnies to you and me!).

Whether you are concerned over their fussy eating, worried about vaccinations or just think your bunny could lose a few pounds - take a few minutes to talk to your local vets and vet nurses about it for not a single penny!

You can also talk about housing requirements, handling, teeth checking, nail clipping and neutering at the same time.

Hop on over to their website for more great tips, a chance to enter your bunny pictures and to find the dates of rabbit-related events in your area.

Happy Bunny Week!

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 Feb 8

We all know that rabbits love dandilion leaves - but what about other plants?

There are many plants that your pet rabbit or guinea pig would just love you to bring home from a walk in the countryside - or for you to grow in the garden where their run is - but do you know which plants are actually toxic to your pet?

Yes, they grow in the wild and wild rabbits don’t get sick all the time - but they have had certain knowledge or experiences passed down to them through their parents. 

Your pet has no idea what is safe to eat - and they will give anything a try.

How you know this is true is the fact that a rabbit or guinea pig left to run free in your home would no doubt chew through your electricity cables - a very dangerous thing to do!  But they just don’t know the danger.

You have to do the thinking for them to make sure that they are safe - I mean even the common buttercup can upset their tiny tummies!

So before you let them loose on your lawn or givet hem a handful of plants as a treat - take a look at the following list of toxic plants:

Wild Plants:
Here are some wild growing plants that you may find in woodlands, footpaths and open coutryside.

Ivy: Very common throughout the year - but very toxic to nearly every living creature.
Holly: This winter fruiting evergreen will upset anyone’s tummy - unless you are a bird!
Ragwort: This plant is even an irritant if you hand pick it - so no eating…..
Yew: And most evergreen trees - highly toxic and can cause death in large doses!

Wild Flowers:
They might look pretty in the woods - but can cause you to itch or your pets to get sick.  Leave these plants where you find them!

Bluebells: Cover the woodland floor in Spring - but look and don’t touch!
Foxglove: Grow tall in the grasses - but can damage your pet’s heart muscles.
Poppies: Can cause many problems in a small pet - so leave in the fields please.
Daffodils: The flowers, leaves, or bulbs can kill a human in just hours……..

Garden Flowers:
You may be growing these in your own garden - so make sure you use a run for your pets or fence off the flower beds instead…..

Tulips:  A definate no-no for tiny tummies - and they look better in a vase anyway!
Rhodedendron:  Always a problem for pets - and will cause stomach problems too.
Lobelia: Highly toxic to small mammals and can cause your pet to salivate.
Dahlias: These pretty flowers could give you a trip to the vets if you aren’t careful!

Other Considerations:
It is also worth thinking about where you pick your plants from in the first place - as you have to think ahead.

For example, dandilion leaves picked from along the pavement would almost certainly be covered in layers of dog urine from all the dog walkers using the same route - and all the dogs scent-marking the same spot.

Leaves picked from the side of a busy road or car park could well have been exposed to all the exhaust fumes from passing traffic as well as the potential for having been sprayed with weedkiller by the council or car park owners.

Neither of which would do your bunny any good!

So, either stick to plants, treats and nibbles from a reputble pet store - or do a bit of forward thinking before you start feeding your pet unknown plants as treats.

It won’t be very much of a treat if it makes your pet poorly! 

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 Dec 12

It’s getting cold out there - and your four-legged friends need all the care and attention you can offer them to get through the winter.

But of course - it’s not just in the winter they need you to think 2 steps ahead for them - so take a look at these top 10 tips for their health and well-being: 

1) Don’t leave your horse or pony in a stable without any bedding as they don’t like splashes!  Needless to say, this could mean that they will ’hold it in’ for hours to avoid the mess - and of course that could make them quite ill!

2) If your horse needs to be fed wet hay instead of dry - then make sure you leave it to soak in a dustbin of water for at least 2 hours before feeding for best effect.

3) Returning from a ride with a wet horse?  Put his rug on inside out and stuff full the underneath with straw.  The straw allows the air to dry him, the coat stays dry as the waterproof side is on the inside - and your horse stays warm underneath it all!

4) Thinking in advance - Make sure you choose a vet that can offer you the best emergency care - and find out things way before you need them.  There’s no point having a great vet close by for all the routine things - as anyone can do that - You need to know you will get the best response when you really need it!

5) It goes without saying really that in an emergency - time is everything!  So make sure that you keep your vets number in your mobile or right next to your yard phone! And have the numbers of other people at your yard to hand incase you can’t get there one morning or evening and something important needs to be done for your horse that can’t wait! Offer the same service in exchange.

6) If your horses roller or surcingle slides back or rolls around it will become very uncomfortable until you get back to fix it - so have yourself a breast band made that slides through the rug and hold it in place safely.

7) Prevent your horse eating too fast by putting a large piece of rock salt in his bowl - that will slow him down and give him a chance to add minerals to his diet along the way!

If you have to bandage an injured leg on your horse or pony; then make sure that you also support the opposite leg too - as it will now be subject to more strain until the other one has healed!

9) If you have to clip your horse in their stable rather than a yard, then make sure that you remove all the bedding after you have finished. This way you won’t have left any shorn hair or clipper oil on the bedding which could be eaten by mistake overnight! 

10) Make sure you build the bedding in the stable right up to the door in winter to prevent draughts - and if the bottom of the door has a noticeable gap then consider adding a rubber edge to it to reach the floor.

Knowing that they spend a lot of the time out of your sight should be your reason for making sure that you can prevent any problems in advance - and these tips should help to start you off on the right foot.

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?