Innehållsförteckning för July 2022 från Your Dog

The Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) is running the first Grass Seed Awareness Week this month to highlight the effects grass seeds can have on our pets. SAVSNET, based at the University of Liverpool, has undertaken a study to raise awareness of the risks and signs of grass seed foreign bodies (GSFBs) in dogs. Researchers analysed millions of health records submitted by 245 veterinary practices across the country between March 2014 and September 2020, and discovered that although cases of GSFBs were recorded all-year-round, 90.6 per cent occurred between June and September, with July being the worst month (176 times more likely than January). The Dogs Trust-funded study ‘Seasonality and risk factors for grass seed foreign bodies in dogs’ revealed that spaniel breed types have a greater chance (7.7…

Animal welfare and veterinary groups have joined forces to urge owners not to walk their dogs in the heat. Alongside their annual campaign warning of the risks of leaving dogs in hot cars and conservatories, the British Veterinary Association and other organisations, including the RSPCA and PDSA, want to raise awareness of the dangers of exercising canine companions in high temperatures. The ‘Dogs Die in Hot Cars’ coalition is highlighting heat-related illness, and advising owners how they can prevent their dogs suffering from sunstroke, overheating, or burnt pads from scorching pavements. “Heat-related illness can lead to organ failure, brain damage, and ultimately death,” explained the Royal Veterinary College’s associate professor in companion animal epidemiology, Dr Dan O’Neil. “The reality is that more than 10 times as many dogs need veterinary…

There are advantages to having two puppies in that they will play together and keep each other company, but there can be big downsides as well. While every puppy demands serious commitment from his or her owner, the truth is that having two pups together — especially littermates — is a huge undertaking that poses multiple challenges. Fiona Whelan, a behaviour consultant at the Company of Animals, has seen the potential pitfalls of having two puppies at the same time, and she recommends an age gap. “Personally, I think four years is a good gap between dogs, but certainly an absolute minimum of a year,” she said. There is a phenomenon referred to as littermate syndrome, where puppies from the same litter who remain together do not progress as well…

“A healthy skin is free from sores, wounds, or injury…” Your dog’s skin is an amazing feat of biology. In fact, did you know that your dog’s skin is his largest organ? Skin forms a first line of defence for our dogs, by providing protection from injury, disease, and ultraviolet (UV) light. It also helps to limit the impact of weather and environmental extremes on our dogs, minimises their risk of dehydration, allows them to sense the environment, and is critical in helping to regulate our dogs’ body temperatures. Let’s get under our dogs’ skin and find out more. THE SCIENCE OF SKIN Skin is made up of different layers. The skin changes in form and texture over a dog’s body surface — think about the differences between their body,…

“Stroking your dog may be pleasurable for you but not necessarily for him.” We touch our dogs frequently each day; it’s an important part of daily life, whether we’re doing health checks, drying muddy paws, putting on a collar or harness, grooming, or showing affection. But it’s also often habitual, casually stroking and petting without realising we’re doing it, and frequently without being invited. When our canine companion comes close to us, it can be easily misinterpreted as a request for body contact, and we may automatically reach out to reassure or acknowledge him, or to let him know how much we value him being in our life. We can, inadvertently, take liberties with our dogs, encroaching on their personal space and engaging in vigorous or repetitive contact we wouldn’t…

“For me, the welfare of the dog is always paramount.” For award-winning specialist pet photographer Maria Michael one of the greatest joys of working with dogs is being able to step into their world. “To be in the moment, and see the world as they do, and to celebrate all that being a dog really means,” she explained. “I always aim to create not just stunning images but images that capture the very essence of who the dogs are. And when I see the instant connection my clients have with those images, that is definitely one of my greatest rewards.” Maria founded Detheo Photography, based in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, more than 12 years ago, and has worked hard mastering her photography skills and gaining a deeper understanding of the animals…

“Most three-legged dogs end up missing a limb due to an accident or illness…” Recently, I travelled to Brighton to watch Jeff Wayne’s musical version of ‘War of the Worlds’ on stage. I’ve seen every tour since 2007, and I don’t mind ‘showing my geek’. I bring this up because the Martians get around in huge, three-legged fighting machines. The original album artwork brought these mighty metal warlords to life in a way that gave me nightmares for most of my childhood, but when it came to animating them, the designers had something of a challenge because there are no naturally three-legged animals to base the movement on, which brings me to this month’s topic… three-legged dogs. It is rare for a dog to be born with a limb deficiency,…

Persie Distillery (dog-themed gins) Persie Gin is hand-crafted in a small, family owned stables-turned-distillery at the foot of Glenshee in Highland Perthshire. The award-winning gins are distilled in small batches, then bottled and labelled on site. Persie Gin has chosen PADS dog rescue as its dedicated charity partner and is committed to raising funds to rehome abandoned dogs through a series of ‘dog gins’ — where the breed is reflected in the gin! • Membership Offer 10% OFF. • Find out more www.yourdog.co.uk/persie The Bark Park Bicester (secure dog walking field) At The Bark Park they know what it’s like to have a dog you can’t trust in open spaces — your dog(s) may be nervous, anxious, reactive, or simply have poor recall. The field has 6ft high secure fencing…

“Sleep deprivation is devastating and dangerous for both humans and dogs…” As a behaviourist, I often get calls about disturbed sleep. Sleep deprivation is devastating and dangerous for both humans and dogs, but at least dogs can catch up on their much-needed ZZs during the day with no effects on health! For humans, daytime naps just aren’t as restorative, so it’s a concern when guardians are being disturbed. The problem is usually easy to fix but first you need to work out the root cause. There are many reasons why dogs wake us during the night; here are the most common ones. I’M YOUNG Puppies — very young puppies, just separated from their mothers and siblings — may never have been alone, not for a single second. At this age,…

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Play is something we may think of as a purely pleasurable, recreational activity, but for the wider animal kingdom it has a much more vital purpose — particularly for animals like dogs who have long owed their survival to their ability to work together as a social group or pack. Play is really part of the social glue that keeps them together, which is why you tend to see it so often in dogs who are related, live together, or have otherwise forged a close social bond when they were younger. Play is also the way a dog starts rehearsing for real life, starting from very early puppyhood. To the more casual observer, the umpteen games and tussles of a new litter of puppies may seem like ‘fun’, but the…

For Paul De Denis La Soie, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, having two dogs from the same litter — Pomeranians Kira and Michka — turned out very happily. “Originally, we were looking for one puppy,” Paul said. “But when we went to view the litter of three, one had already been chosen, and it seemed really unfair to leave the other one unwanted. “I was naive about the difference having two dogs would make. I thought it would be easier; that they would essentially have a playmate, a sibling to sleep with at night, and they’d be constant company for each other.” The pups adapted well to their new home, and settled easily in their crate at night in each other’s company. “However, toilet training was a challenge as it wasn’t…

Q Have you always been a dog lover? A“I grew up with a Dobermann called Pamsy, followed by Rottweilers, an American Bulldog X terrier, a Chow Chow, and Bull Mastiff Q Tell us about your current dogs. A“I bought German Shepherd Apollo for security and as a family dog for my daughter Ella’s fifth birthday. He’s very protective and particularly loves my dad and the gardener. “Claude is an eight-year-old French Bulldog, who we got as a puppy after Ella became obsessed with the film, ‘The Hangover’. He needed surgery a year ago to remove one eye but he has adapted well. Claude is toy and ball mad and wants to fetch a ball like his life depends on it. “Gigi was sold to me as a Cavapoo — but…

All dog owners know how important it is to look after their dogs’ figures. Most vet surgeries have a helpful wall chart that illustrates how dogs should ideally appear, and usually there will be access to a set of scales in the waiting area, where you can take your dog to be weighed and so keep an eye on his body condition that way. However, dog owners also know that most dogs can put on weight really easily, and often the owners don’t notice, or kid themselves that their dog is a chunky breed and ought to look like that! But slim means healthy, and is especially important as dogs get older, because you don’t want them to develop joint, organ, or breathing problems because of obesity. However, that doesn’t…

This may not be your first loss, but every bereavement is a new experience. Love doesn’t end just because your cherished companion is no longer physically present, but its shape may change for a period of time. Grief cannot be rushed or hurried; it can persist well beyond days and weeks, stretching out over months, sometimes years, affecting you physically as well as emotionally. • TAKE TIME OFF The loss of a cherished four-legged companion can be as painful and distressing as that of losing any human friend or relative, and is now recognised as a significant life event for owners. Some enlightened employers grant compassionate leave for bereaved pet owners, but even if they don’t, consider taking some time off work if you feel you need it, although some…