🐾 Following our earlier World Diabetes Day post, here is a repost from our TikTok about the adorable Milo who visited us often for blood glucose curve to monitor his diabetes 🎅
Happy Halloween!!👻🎃
Spooky season means ‘Trick for a Treat’ is back and we have some seriously talented pups amongst us!
(Psssst.. all dogs get a treat when they visit us regardless of tricks 😉🤪)
These two little beauties, Gizmo & Mogwai, visited us for their first vaccinations! This duo certainly had fun exploring the toys in our cat friendly consult room 😸💞
Happy International Rabbit Day! 🐰✨
Here are 5 top tips about rabbit care!
#InternationalRabbitDay
With firework season right around the corner, the best time to start prepping is right now! 🎆
The key to reducing anxiety in fearful pets is to start prepping early and there are several ways to do this:
- Desensitising: This is the process of reducing a response by presenting the trigger in its least intense form and gradually building up the intensity over time. So they only ever experience the trigger at a level they cope with and gradually reach the point where they are no longer sensitive to it.
Desensitisation programmes are often used to treat firework phobia in dogs and a free download of ‘Sounds scary’ for distressing noises such as fireworks (with full instructions for use) is available from:
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/understanding-your-dog/sound-therapy-for-pets © (Copyright Sarah Heath and Jon Bowen 2015, distributed under license by Dogs Trust)
- Counter conditioning: This changes the emotion/ behaviour by associating the trigger with something positive (eg. food, toys etc.) This works well alongside desensitising!
- Supplements: You can start over the counter supplements which will help calm your pet, however these must usually be started around a month or so beforehand to take effect.
- Medication: If your pet is fearful to the point where medical intervention is needed, you can contact your vet for a sedative. However in order to prescribe this, they must come in for a vet examination first.
Other ways to help reduce anxiety during firework season:
- Stay with them, don’t leave them on their own and offer them comfort.
- Have an early walk to ensure opportunity for toileting.
- Make sure curtains and blinds are closed.
- Switch on the TV or play music (with a drum beat).
- Create a comfortable safe space in their crate or build a ‘den' to help them feel safe (It’s important that it remains open and unlocked so they can go in and out as they wish).
If you need further advice, feel free to contact us on 02920 869
A reminder of the special offer we currently have on nail clips! 💅🏼✨
For a limited time this can be booked in with one of our nurses for just £15! 🤩
(This applies to dogs, cats and also rabbits!)
So give us a call on 02920 869 928 if you would like to book in ☎️
Happy 1 year anniversary of our Puppy Parties!! 🐾🥳
We can’t quite believe it has been a year already as it’s flown by!
It’s so lovely and rewarding when we get to see our past puppy graduates for revisits and they’re just as excited to see us as we are them! (And oh how big they’ve grown!)
Positive experiences as pups really do help them with future vet visits 🥰
It’s been a wonderful crazy year full of puppy socialsing, treats and fun.. and we’re ready for the next!
If you’d like to book your pup in, please give us a call on 02920 869 928 📞
Over the next couple of months we have some special deals on!✨
One of which is £20 microchipping!
As many of you will know, it’s a legal requirement for all dogs over 8 weeks old to be microchipped.
It’s also now a legal requirement for cats in England only. However we still highly advise you microchip your feline friends too!
We’ve had countless lost cats and dogs brought in to us that we’ve successfully been able to reunite with their owners, all thanks to the little chip.
It’s a quick and easy procedure as you can see in our video! If you’d like to book in with one of our nurses, please give us a call on 02920 869 928 📞
🐾 Canine Behaviour: True or False? 🐾
🐶 "Wait until they're 6 months old before leaving a puppy alone." 🚫
🌟 Fact Check: Early independence training is key! Here's the scoop..
1️⃣ Start Young, Start Gradual: Waiting until 6 months can make this training more difficult. Begin teaching your puppy to stay alone early to prevent separation anxiety down the road. Gradually build up the time.
2️⃣ Short and Sweet Sessions: Leave them alone for short periods initially. It can be as simple as stepping into another room for a few minutes. Gradual exposure is the key.
3️⃣ Chews and Comfort: Provide distractions like chews or toys to keep your pup occupied. Make the experience positive, associating alone time with enjoyable activities.
4️⃣ Listen to Cues: If your puppy is distressed, start with very short intervals, even as brief as 10 seconds. Gradually increase as they become more comfortable.
5️⃣ Seek Professional Help: If leaving your puppy is a challenge, don't hesitate to reach out to an accredited dog trainer or behaviourist for personalised guidance.
🐾 Building independence early fosters a confident, well-adjusted pup!
🐾 Canine Behaviour: True or False?🐾
🐶 "That guilty dog look means my pup knows they did something wrong!" 🚫
🌟 Fact Check: The 'guilty dog look' is often misunderstood! It's not guilt; it's stress signals. Here's the scoop..
1️⃣ Dogs are master readers of body language. They pick up on cues that signal our reactions. That 'guilty look' may just be their way of anticipating our response and trying to avoid a strong reaction.
2️⃣ Dogs don't experience guilt; it's a higher-order emotion. They can't discern right from wrong. Instead, they've learned that certain behaviours lead to a less severe response when they display stress signals.
3️⃣ When your dog counter surfs, it's not thievery but a natural scavenging instinct. Understanding their behaviour helps foster a positive relationship.
🐾 Let's replace guilt with understanding and build a positive connection with our furry friends!
The vet clinic shouldn’t be such a scary place!🫣
Which is why our vet nurses offer free clinics that can help your pet’s confidence when visiting us. Buddy is a prime example of how dogs can benefit from these!
They can help nervous or fearful dogs build their trust in us and makes visits much less stressful for you as an owner.
Nurses gradually introduce new experiences to each session, to be able to eventually conduct a full physical examination stress free. Clinics are tailored to your individual pet to ensure progression is made at a pace that suits them.
We use evidence based methods to help your pet overcome their fear of the vets and to encourage their cooperation in veterinary care.
These methods include..
Gradual Desensitisation:
This is the process of reducing a response to a situation by introducing it in the least intense form and gradually building up the intensity.
Counter Conditioning:
This changes an emotion or behaviour by associating the situation with something good, such as verbal praise, fuss or treats.
Cooperative Care Training:
Teaching your dog skills that aid in routine care.
The end goal of desensitising and counter conditioning programme is to change the underlying emotion, which in turn, reduce the outward signs of that emotion expressed in the behaviour we see 💖
** If a patient requires a higher level of behavioural management, we can offer a referral to a qualified, certified behaviourist or trainer **
The lovely Elmo during his Physiotherapy / Pain Clinic session! 🥰✨
