Category Archives: The Pet Professionals

Dogs, The Pet Professionals

Firework Season

With the firework season fast approaching we’re getting excited about the festivities; however, many dogs are terrified of the zips, whizzes, bangs and other loud noises.
Noise phobia can manifest in different ways, and the signs usually progress over time unless action is taken. But how can you tell if your dog is stressed? As an owner and everyday companion, you’ll probably know even if you can’t explain precisely why.
For some dogs, it’s very easy to notice when they’re stressed as you’ll see them drooling, trembling, putting their tail between their legs, vocalising, pacing around, trying to hide, acting destructively (digging, chewing, breaking things) or attempting to escape. Other dogs show more subtle signs of stress such as panting and yawning that can sometimes be missed.
Even though they may be doing things that they shouldn’t like pawing at the doors or evacuating indoors, you should never reprimand your dogs for displaying fear, as this will cause them even more distress and have adverse long-term consequences.
With that in mind, we prepared this post with some tips to help you prepare for the upcoming days so you can try to minimise your dogs’ stress.
BEFORE THE EVENT
– Talk to your vet
There are medications and pheromone diffusers available that may help instil a feeling of calm for your dog. Your vet will be able to indicate what’s best suited to your dog’s case.
– Create a safe area for your dog
This should not be done on the day of the event. You can prepare a space for your dog in advance and let him or her get to know it before anything happens so that it feels familiar and safe when the fireworks start to pop. This can be in a separate, quiet room, or can just be a bed/crate, a place where you know your dog feels secure. Add some toys, a favourite blanket or even some of your clothes to reinforce this feeling and make it even cosier.
– Walk your dog earlier
Fireworks are usually let off in the evening or at night so make sure you’ve walked your dog earlier to avoid being outside when they start.
Also, a tired dog is a more relaxed dog, so make sure you allow lots of play time to get the desired effect!
Keep your dog on a lead while you’re walking and make sure the identification tag and microchip information are up to date in case he or she gets spooked and runs off.
– Bring your dog indoors before fireworks are let off
This will prevent your dog from escaping in fear and inadvertently getting lost.
The sounds produced by the fireworks will also be less audible inside. To further muffle the sounds or distract your dog from them, you can switch the tv/radio on. Closing the curtains can also block the flashing lights going on outside.
– Did someone say treats?
If your dog is food-motivated, having some treats to hand out before all the noise starts might be a good way to distract and keep your pet entertained throughout all of the commotion. Chews, activity feeders and toys stuffed with food make excellent, long-lasting treat options.
THROUGH THE EVENT
You should stay calm and act normally as dogs react strongly to our emotions and behaviours. If you are behaving differently, your dog will assume things are quite bad!
If your dog is relaxed, give lots of praise for calm behaviour. Petting and cuddling can be an option if you feel it might help your dog settle, but if he or she would rather hide in the safe area you prepared or under your bed, then let your dog do this instead and try to keep disturbances to a minimum.
It is very important that your dog has choices available during times of stress or fear as most dogs will naturally find their own safe place.
WELL IN ADVANCE
We’ve covered some short-term options for you to help your dog through the fireworks; however, prevention is always the best approach.
If you have a puppy, teach him or her to accept a wide range of noises from an early age. Just like socialisation, this will help your puppy grow into a balanced, happy, confident dog.
As for adult dogs, you can also train them to accept different noises, it will just take a bit more time and patience as they may already have fearful experiences associated with them. This type of training is known as desensitisation and counter-conditioning and should be done with the assistance of your vet or a qualified behaviourist. Just keep in mind that this is going to be a gradual process, so you should seek help at least 3 to 6 months in advance.
We hope you find this helpful and wish that you have a great time during the firework season!

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Horses, The Pet Professionals

Horses’ Digestive Process


Horses are herbivorous animals that have a very complex and sensitive digestive system. As with all animals, proper nutrition is vital for their wellness and health.

Let’s do a simple overview of the horses’ digestive process!

There are some things in common between horses’ and our digestion: it will start in the mouth, where food is grabbed, chewed and then off it goes into the stomach lubricated with salivary digestive enzymes to help the digestive process. In the stomach, the process continues with other enzymes, acid and lots of mixing so food can now reach the small intestine in bits tiny enough to be broken down into usable nutrients like fats, glucose and amino acids.

So far, so good! This process is familiar to all of us.

But it’s when the food particles reach the large intestine that things get a lot different. Horses, unlike us, have the ability to digest cellulose from plants. But actually, even though they get all the credit for it, they are not the ones doing it! Cellulose (fibre) is digested by microorganisms, bacteria and protozoa, present in the caecum, a 30 litre intestinal fermentation chamber, where all the magic happens. The fibre is then transformed into volatile fatty acids which are absorbed and provide an important source of energy for horses.

What this means is, when we’re feeding our horses we have to make the horses happy and the fermenting microorganisms happy as well! Otherwise, we will start seeing problems like poor performance and even severe health issues, such as weight loss or obesity, colic, founder, osteoarticular issues, gastrointestinal ulcers, among others.

Here is an example: before domestication, horses pretty much spent their whole day eating the same thing. It would be either that or roaming to find a new place to eat! So over time, their digestive systems evolved to perfectly deal with the naturally available food. With domestication, horses are usually enclosed in pastures, paddocks and barns which keeps them from roaming and grazing. Also, their caloric needs are different. Some days horses will need more calories as they spend more because they are working or performing; other days they’ll need less as they’re stabled and won’t burn as many. As a result, concentrate feed has been introduced in horses’ diets to meet their daily caloric intake requirements. However, as concentrate is not a natural food for horses, sometimes gastrointestinal problems may occur.

As you’ve figured out by now, the number of things that influence the horses’ digestive process is pretty big and finding the correct nutritional balance to keep your horses happy and healthy is not easy.

If you need help or if you’d like to know more about equine nutrition, please talk to us!

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Cats, Dogs, The Pet Professionals

Happy Easter!

We wish all our members and pets a very Happy Easter and we hope it is a very joyful time for you all!

But please don’t forget:

  • Chocolate is best out of reach of any pets as it contains theobromine which is toxic, particularly to dogs;

 

  • Sweets and cakes with raisins, sultanas, currants like hot cross buns or grapes can cause severe kidney damage in dogs if they are ingested;

 

  • Some beverages, sweets and even some brands of peanut butter have xylitol, a common sweetener that can be deadly to dogs;

 

With everyone having fun it is very easy to lose track of things that might be accidentally left at pet level. If you suspect your pet has eaten something that he or she shouldn’t have, or you realize something might be wrong, please don’t hesitate to take them to the vet!

Have a safe Easter!

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The Pet Professionals

Gasterophilus Infection in Horses

We bring you the curious case of the stomach botfly in horses which is caused by several species of the Gasterophilus genus.

This disease is called a myiasis, which is the medical term for issues caused by the larvae of several species of flies. These flies lay eggs on the horse’s coat and as they hatch into larvae they migrate to several tissues. Fortunately, these eggs can be spotted with the naked eye, especially around the forelimbs and shoulders of the horse so keep an eye out for odd white spots that may be lingering on their fur.

Some of the big spots of infection are mouth, throat and stomach. Different species have different site preferences but they all have larvae which attach to the cardiac or pyloric regions of the stomach. Their development is quite long, of around 8 to 10 months and at the end of all this nasty business, they pass out via faeces and will turn into adults on the soil.

Clinical signs are fairly nonspecific and because these larvae will attach to the lining of the stomach, symptoms might include:

  • Ulcerations
  • Obstructions
  • Anaemia
  • Diarrhoea

However, sometimes a great deal of these larvae might be attached to this organ and not have any significant clinical signs.

There are several things you can do to reduce the prevalence of botfly larvae infection but it will depend a lot on your region, frequency of travel and where your horses are kept. Don’t forget, always keep a good track of deworming treatments and seasons, and ask your vet what you can do to best prevent or treat your fabulous equine friends that might be afflicted with this disease.

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Cats, Dogs, Horses, The Pet Professionals

Why Pet Owners Should Ensure Their Pet Care Professionals Have Adequate Insurance Cover

Blog post - The Pet Professionals - Why Pet Owners Should Ensure

An increase in pet ownership combined with longer working hours, means more and more people are relying on pet care professionals to help look after their beloved four legged friends. And when leaving your pet in the care of another you want to be sure they are trustworthy, reliable and ultimately covered should anything go wrong. Therefore, it is important when vetting any potential pet care service professional that you check they have adequate insurance cover in place. You wouldn’t leave a child with someone who wasn’t properly insured to do so and the same can be said for the pet care world.

Whether it be dog walking, pet sitting, pet grooming, dog training or another pet care service, each business should have a pet business insurance policy in place. In short, this will ensure they are covered should injury or damage occur which is deemed to be their fault whilst your pet is in their care. Having this insurance in place gives owners the peace of mind that their pet is going to get the best care whilst with the pet professional. The danger of leaving your pet with someone who does not have adequate pet business insurance is that if something was to go wrong, and your pet was injured or hurt, you may not be able to get the compensation you deserve.

Having specialist pet business insurance cover also shows that the business is professional and values its customers. Most pet businesses will display a badge on their website to show that they are fully covered. Pet business insurance companies including Protectivity Insurance will often include these badges as standard, as part of their pet business insurance policy. This means the pet service professionals customers are able to click on this badge and view the insurance certificate. If you cannot find anything like this on a pet business’s website, then ask! If they are covered they will be more than happy to show you their insurance certificate.

When searching for a pet care professional the more research you do the better prepared you will be to find the right one for you and your pet. There are many other factors to consider including how well they get on with your pet, location, price, recommendations, reviews and although pet business insurance is just one of these elements to tick off the list it is important to check to give you peace of mind when leaving your pet with them.

Author: Protectivity Insurance

http://www.protectivity.com/product/pet-business-insurance/
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Cats, Dogs, The Pet Professionals

Office pets: what you need to know

Office-pets-what-you-need-to-know

Whether it’s working alongside a resident pet or bringing in your own, a furry creature can be a welcome addition to an office. In Britain we love our pets and over half of us have said we’d happily take them into work if we could.

To find out what having an office pet entails, Lilli Hender from OfficeGenie.co.uk provides an insight into the trend and discusses the possible advantages and disadvantages.

Pets glorious pets

For some workplaces having an in-house pet is nothing new, but for the majority of people, sharing their office with an animal companion is yet to happen. The phenomenon has proved popular in the news and it seems more and more companies are wanting a slice of office-pet action.

Perhaps most notably the transport service Uber has provided deliveries of kittens and puppies to workplaces across America. HR firms have begun to introduce ‘peternity leave’: time to settle new pets; comfort sick pets; and bereave lost pets. In addition to this, another business recently made headlines for allowing every day to be a ‘bring your pet to work’ day.

Is it good news for employees and employers?

The answer, unsurprisingly, is yes. Pets have been shown to lower workplace stress and boost employee morale and productivity. They also improve bonding between staff members and clients by giving the place a family feel.

It’s worth noting that not everyone responds well to animals, some people have allergies and some people have phobias. Business owners should check all staff members would be on board before interviewing a prospective pup. It’s important to take into consideration the additional finances, such as food and veterinary bills, and what happens with the pet after office hours.

Is it good news for pets?

Almost all of the data and commentary on the phenomenon is from the perspective of the employees rather than the animals. However, there are more than a few factors that will affect how the pet takes to their new life in the office: including (but not limited to) their personality, their size, and their age.

Measures should be taken to ensure the move is as stress and danger free as possible. Uber, for example, had representatives from the cat shelters visit the offices before hand to check they were suitable for the kittens. Support is out there: Cesar’s Way has a guide to introducing a dog into the workplace and in the UK The Health Insurance Group have teamed up with clinical pet behaviourists to create a wellbeing programme for office pets.

Deciding upon your furry companion

When it comes to the best office pet, most business owners opt for a dog. Caring for a canine is usually familiar territory which makes for an easier adjustment period. Many breeds will be more than suitable but here are five of the best:

  • Poodles: intelligent, obedient, and kind to allergy sufferers because they don’t shed.
  • Bulldog: even-tempered, affectionate, lively but not loud.
  • Pug: playful, charismatic, friendly, and fun.
  • Beagle: social, happy, curious, and good around new people.
  • Bichon Frise: affectionate, easy to train, and fluffy.

It might be a while before pets in the workplace are the norm but it’s something to look forward to in the meantime. As long as both parties are happy, having an office pet can be a brilliant decision for all involved.

 

AUTHOR BIO

Lilli Hender works for Office Genie: a desk and office space marketplace. She writes about office life and the latest workplace trends.

References for dog breed characteristics:

http://www.pet360.com/slideshow/dog/lifestyle/8-best-dog-breeds-to-take-to-the-office/1/VLma3CdZOEmX1PpFXr-ipg?intcid=LINKART#/slideshow

http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/10-best-small-dog-breeds-for-therapy-work/
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Dogs, Horses, The Pet Professionals

Do you want to know more about your pet?

The Pet Professionals - Pete the Vet Endorsement

“Do you want to know more about your pet?

A new website, thepetprofessionals.co.uk, has been launched for owners who want to learn more about pet health care.” – An advice by Pete the Vet!

Pete is an experienced veterinary surgeon with an incredible passion for communication, who also has had pets for most of his life. From writing books, newspaper columns and working in radio, Pete uses the media to act as an advocate on behalf of animals.

In his most recent article in The Telegraph, Pete mentions The Pet Professional’s website as a go-to source for pet owners who are looking for the latest advice on pet health care and training on topics such as first aid, nutrition, behaviour, preventive care and looking after older pets.

We deeply appreciate Peter’s endorsement and we highly recommend his articles. Please have a look at his feature in The Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/petshealth/10974036/Pet-subjects-do-I-have-the-worlds-oldest-rabbit.html

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Dogs, Horses, The Pet Professionals

Join our club and help support Blue Cross

Basic RGBThe Pet Professionals are proud to support the Blue Cross. 10% of your club membership fee will be donated to the Blue Cross an animal charity with animal hospitals and animal adoption services to find homes for unwanted dogs, horses, cats and small animals across the UK.

Join the Club and be part of the UK’s fastest-growing pet community with access to a wealth of professionally-produced online courses aimed at educating responsible pet owners who demand the best for their companions.

Click here to join The Pet Professionals Club >