Tag Archives: firework

Alabama Rot

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Alabama Rot

 

Alabama Rot is a disease that most dog owners are now aware of. It has gained media attention because it is hard to diagnose and can sometimes be fatal. Our Autumn News explains the signs to watch out for in your dog. Fortunately, it is still rare, but it is important to be aware of the signs.

 

 

To neuter is cuter! Benefits of pet neutering.

Neutering is an important family decision when caring for a new pet, it comes with a range of health and welfare benefits. Our Autumn Newsletter discusses how neutering could help keep your pet happy and healthy. If you need further information or would like to discuss neutering your pet, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly team for further information.

 

 

If you are considering neutering your pet, we are now able to offer Keyhole Surgery for neutering female dogs, and removal of retained testicles in male dogs. To discuss this option for your pet please do mention it at your pets next appointment, to understand more about Laparoscopic surgery please click here.

 

 

We hope you enjoy reading our latest Petcare Newsletter, if you have a query on any of the articles mentioned please do not hesitate to get in contact for more information.

 

 

P.S. Did you know our website offers a free symptom checker for your pet? If your cat has gone a little quiet or your dog is not bouncing at the sight of their breakfast, visit our symptom checker to identify what could be wrong with your pet.

Autumn has arrived – are you and your pet prepared

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Autumn has arrived – are you and your pet prepared

 

Autumn has arrived – are you and your pet prepared

from fermenting fruit to antifreeze, are you aware of the toxins that could be lurking in your home at this time of year? Our Autumn News has some great advice on what to watch out for during the changing seasons and when symptoms could indicate a pet emergency. Read our Autumn News here.

 

 

Fleas & ticks

love the warm weather, and in addition to your home, they thrive outside in parks and gardens. Our Autumn News explains the signs to watch out for and how to prevent them coming home with your pet.

 

 

 

Firework Fright!

Whilst so much has changed over the past few months following Covid – 19, it is likely that fireworks will continue to plague the lives of many pets. With this in mind, our Autumn News gives some great advice on how to help keep your pet calm and safe at this time of year.

 

 

We hope you have enjoyed reading our Autumn News 2020, if you have a query on any of the articles mentioned do not hesitate to contact our friendly team for more advice.

 

 

 

 

Fireworks and your pets – helping them cope.

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Fireworks and your pets – helping them cope.

 

 

We want to work with pet owners to help make the fireworks season as stress free as possible for every pet. Each year clients contact us, worried about their pets reaction to the fireworks going off outside their homes. Both dogs and cats can suffer from noise related phobias, the most important advice is BE PREPARED before they start.

 

Preparation starts at home.

Purchase a fireworks soundtrack, ideally months before the first firework is set off. Play this daily at home, quietly to start with, gradually increase the soundtrack allowing your pet plenty of time to get used to the bangs.

 

Using pheromones,

can be beneficial for both cats and dogs. These naturally calm your pet and reduce anxious behaviour. Pheromones are produced by female cats and dogs to help comfort their young. These sprays mimic this effect helping to create a calm and relaxed environment. These should be started 2 weeks before fireworks season to give the best results. There are different options available to suit every household – A collar for dogs, a plug in (great for multi pet house holds) and spray to use as required.

 

 

Supplements

Nutracalm supplements are available at all of our surgeries, for both cats and dogs. Nutracalm has been specially formulated by vets to help naturally calm worried pets, reduce anxiety and unwanted behaviour.

 

Zylkene supplements are available for both cats and dogs, at all of our surgeries. This supplement is derived from milk proteins that can help your pet feel more relaxed. Zylkene is lactose and preservative free.

 

Supplements are easy to administer, by mixing into your pets usual food. Our team will be able to advise you of the dosage recommended for your pet. Supplements should be started at least 3 days before any fireworks start.

 

Please take care, pets that are suffering with anxiety can show signs of aggression.

 

For the more anxious dogs,

we have Prescription Only Medicine available. A fast acting gel can be prescribed by our vets for you to use in the comfort of your own home, allowing you to tailor the gel to the timing and duration of the noise outside. This gel can be used as part of an existing training programme. Our team will show you how to administer the gel, ensuring the correct dose for your dog is given.

How to help your pet

Act normal – pets will pick up on your anxiety.

Walk your dog as early as possible, if they are looking anxious it might be safer to keep them on a lead or long line.

Build a den – in a quiet corner of your home.

Lock your cat flap & shut all windows.

Check your pets ID tag & microchip information is up to date.

 

 

 

Don’t forget about your smaller pets – guinea pigs and rabbits can also become extremely anxious around fireworks season. To help reduce stress in your small furries consider moving their hutch temporarily into your garage or the coldest room in your house to help reduce the noise. If they are staying outside use an old rug or thick blanket over their cage to help minimize noise levels for them. Don’t forget to provide extra bedding, so they can snuggle up feeling safe and warm inside their hutch.

 

We hope that you and your pet enjoy the fireworks season this year but if you are concerned your pet is showing signs of anxiety please do not hesitate to contact our friendly team for help and advice.

Troublesome ticks and tick borne disease

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Our Autumn Newsletter has arrived – We hope you enjoy reading it.

    Below is a snippet of just some of the articles included to help keep your pet happy and healthy in the lead up to winter 2018.

 

A picture of a Tick.

 

Troublesome ticks and Tick borne disease

Ticks love the autumn weather! They can cause all sorts of problems in pets and even spread Lyme disease to people. No tick product is 100% effective, so we recommend checking your dog all over following each walk particularly if you have walked in wooded areas or long grass.

To understand more about ticks and the trouble they cause click here.

 

Fireworks can cause your pet to be extremely anxious.

 

Firework Alert! 

Fireworks night is fast approaching, so it is time to prepare your pets – the earlier the better! Our Autumn News has some top tips on what to do in the run up to the main event and how to keep your pet safe whilst the fireworks are going off.

 

Bee and wasp stings can be extremely painful for your pet.

 

Wasps and bees

are coming to the end of their summer lives and are often pretty slow, which makes they prime targets for playful dogs and cats. They may be slow but they can still sting! Our 10 minute read explains the other Autumn alerts to watch out for with your pets.

 

We hope you enjoy reading our Autumn Newsletter. If you have any queries on any of the articles mentioned, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team for more advice.

Don’t forget if you want more free pet health top tips give us a ‘Like’ on Facebook and a follow us on Twitter . Subscribe for free to our You Tube channel it’s crammed with 2 minute pet health videos for you to watch.

 

Firework related pet anxiety

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Image courtesy of Bill Longshaw; freeigitalphotos.net

More than 80% of owners say their pet is afraid of firework noises. Signs of stress in dogs include trembling, shaking, hiding behind furniture, barking excessively, and trying to run away. Cats are much better at hiding their anxiety, but symptoms may include excessive meowing, refusal to eat, hiding, or vertical scratching and spraying.

Often mild reactions to fireworks can be managed with a pheromone (scent) spray; called Feliway in cats and Adaptil in dogs. These products can be purchased from our surgeries.

More severe reactions in dogs may be managed with a combination of sound desensitisation, using CD’s such as Soundsscary, and Adaptil.  Occasionally tranquilizers may be prescribed after consultation with your vet, but these are generally used as a last resort.

Further tips for reducing firework anxiety include:
i. Provide a den or hiding place; this works best if it is a place previously chosen by your pet when they have been frightened before.

ii. Plug a Feliway diffuser or Adaptil diffuser close to the den at least a few days before the fireworks start.

iii. Try to ignore behaviour such as whining and crying, panting or pacing.   Pets can pick up on their owner’s anxiety, and if you try to soothe them it can reinforce the belief that fireworks are something to be afraid of.  It is also important not to scold them.

iv. Close doors and windows, close curtains and turn on music or the TV to mask some of the noises.

v. Keep cats indoors and have them microchipped in case they escape.

Please contact any of our surgeries in West London for further information or a consultation.  Please see www.youngvets.co.uk for contact details.

Firework noise phobias in dogs

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Bonfire night is fast approaching with the associated fireworks and this is the time of year that we get lots of enquiries about how to manage dogs that are fearful of fireworks.

My tips are

  • Give your dog a safe area to go to such as a crate or cupboard under the stairs, and provide plenty of bedding to allow him to burrow in.
  • Leaving a loud radio or turn the television up  can help also, or play classical music.
  • Use dog pheromones – a spray , plug in diffuser or collar are available which emit a scent that reassures and calms the dog. This is called DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) and can be purchased at the veterinary surgery. The plug in diffuser should be placed near the safe area.  Your dog can also wear a DAP collar, so that the calming scent accompanies him if he moves around.

  • Dog appeasing pheromone

  • Ensure that your dog does not get extra attention when acting in a frightened manner. This can make the problem worse in that he may think that by acting frightened he will get more attention. You should continue with your normal routine, and only give him reward with attention after he has calmed down.
  • Provide toys or chews as a distraction.
  • Take your dog out early to toilet before the fireworks begin.
  • Close the curtains, and put on lights to reduce flashes from the fireworks.
  • Finally it is possible to try to desensitize your pet to noises, by using various CD’s such as Sounds Scary, or soundtherapy4pets.com, which start off by playing noises at low volume and gradually increasing the volume. This can take many weeks or months and is best started early in the year well before bonfire night.
  • For contact details of your local surgery see www.youngvets.co.uk