Follow My Lead

27/10/2023

⭐️We are officially closed for the foreseeable! I hope to return some day but until then I will be on maternity leave! ⭐️

27/10/2023

This weeks final animals I have been looking after! Pip and Daffodil the guinea pigs and Buzz the cat 🐈‍⬛ 🐾 🐽

20/10/2023

Such a bittersweet day today! My last day for dog walking. I just want to say thank you so much to everyone for asking me to walk, pop in to their dogs, feed cats and small animals. I have absolutely enjoyed every single one. I will miss seeing all my regulars so much. It will be strange not seeing everyone each week that’s for sure!
Best of luck to these guys! Jett, Pablo, Ralph and Aoife 🐾

18/10/2023

❗️WARNING POTENTIALLY DISTRESSING INFORMATION ❗️

I have asked permission to share this information on behalf of Dexter’s owner as we both felt it could be life saving for someone to have this knowledge for their pup.

Recently big Deccy cancelled his walkies after he came down with gastrointestinal issues/symptoms at home to which turned out to be gastroenteritis. Sadly Dex went downhill very quickly and collapsed, he had developed AHDS (acute hemorrhagic diahrrea syndrome), picked up an infection and gone into shock. The vets very quickly managed to get the infection under control but sadly after his heart stopping multiple times, Dexter sustained some brain damage.

The most miraculous news is that Dexter is still fighting, here with us today 🫶💪. He’s got a long road ahead but is doing an amazing job with Mandy by his side - so proud of him and we’re routing for him every single day, sending all our love!❤️

If your dog exhibits any signs of gastroenteritis please get them to the vets as soon as possible, here is a link to some information on signs and symptoms of general gastroenteritis & AHDS:

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/hemorrhagic-gastroenteritis-in-dogs

https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dog/health-and-injuries/gastroenteritis-in-dogs?amp

18/10/2023

14/10/2023

Misty cat visits recently 🐾 🐈‍⬛

13/10/2023

This weeks walks with Jett, Pabs, Ralph, Raph and Aoife 🥰🥰🐾

12/10/2023

Last walk with Raph today. One of the absolute bestest dogs I’ve ever met. Such a perfectly behaved, well mannered, friendly, beautiful boy. I hope to get a Bernese just like Raph one day! 🥰 🐾

06/10/2023

This weeks walks 😍🐾

29/09/2023

This weeks dogs ❤️🐾💙🐾

26/09/2023

Some recent cat visits to see Misty 🐾🥰🐾

24/09/2023

🐾 Sad but happy at the same time!
I don’t know if I will be returning or not yet. I will be in touch on here if I ever do (hopefully) reopen! 🐾

22/09/2023

Had the best week with the best dogs 🐾🥰🐾

15/09/2023

This weeks lovely round up of dog walks 🐾 🌞

08/09/2023

A week worth of pops in due to the hot weather 🥵 and an early walk for Pablo 🐾

04/09/2023

Dachshunds! 🐾

I did a thing 🥰

In the thick of the summer holidays, sat on the girls bedroom floor surrounded by washing, I gave a telephone interview on Dachshunds……

The reporter from rover.com had been recommended to contact me, and I’ll be completely honest, I was so proud to have been asked to be involved.

If you fancy a read ….. here it is ……

https://www.rover.com/uk/blog/breeds/breed-dachshund/

🐶

01/09/2023

🤩 this is Basil! I’ve had the pleasure to walk over the last 2 weeks. The absolutely sweetest old man. He’s blind and deaf but never too old for a good roll! Absolutely love him! 😍🌟 🐾

30/08/2023

Last walk with Indy today 😭 Will miss her so much! 🐾🐾🐾
Great walk with Ralph, Raph and Alf 😆 and Penny 🐾

29/08/2023

Pablo, Ralph and Indy 🐾

28/08/2023

This!

This is something everyone should see. This xray is of a 2 week old puppy.

When you get your 8/10 week old puppies, please keep this image in mind. Their bones do not even touch yet. They plod around so cutely with big floppy paws and wobbly movement because their joints are entirely made up of muscle, tendons, ligaments with skin covering. Nothing is fitting tightly together or has a true socket yet.

When you run them excessively or don't restrict their exercise to stop them from overdoing it during this period you don't give them a chance to grow properly. Every big jump or excited bouncing run causes impacts between the bones. In reasonable amounts this is not problematic and is the normal wear and tear that every animal will engage in.

But when you're letting puppy jump up and down off the lounge or bed, take them for long walks/hikes, you are damaging that forming joint. When you let the puppy scramble on tile with no traction you are damaging the joint.

You only get the chance to grow them once. A well built body is something that comes from excellent breeding and a great upbringing-BOTH, not just one.

Once grown - around 12-18 months depending on their breed, you will have the rest of their life to spend playing and engaging in higher impact exercise. So keep it calm while they're still little baby puppies and give the gift that can only be given once.

28/08/2023

Bank hols with Max 🐽 and Misty 🐈‍⬛ 🐾

25/08/2023

Todays variety of pets! 😍🐾
I am currently closed for dog walking but open for cat and small animal feeding 🐾

24/08/2023

Todays dogs and Max the Guinea pig with his carrot🥕 🥰🥰🐾

23/08/2023

Todays woodland walks as it’s was very warm for these dogs 🐶 🐾

22/08/2023

Ralph and the sausages 💙🩵💚

21/08/2023

Something different, other than dogs! I have a keen interest in other species such as tortoises! Mines called Taylor. Here’s an interesting read 🐢

This is a real interesting read for all our members, give it a go, you’ll be surprised at what you can learn. Lin

To all tortoise keepers:

Having seen many posts on many groups in relation to Mediterranean tortoises being fed fruit I felt a thorough post was needed.

I have been in liaison with Andy/The Tortoise Trust who has given me permission to cite his response to others in relation to feeding fruit to non fruit eating species. I followed the comments made and collated The Tortoise Trust’s responses in order to put this detailed post together, therefore credit goes to The Tortoise Trust for the contents of this post. Apologies for the length of this post but needs to be said:

It is important to know that sugar-rich fruits can cause real problems to arid-habitat tortoises (some tropical species are different, and can handle it).

Carbohydrates represent the prime energy source in herbivorous reptile diets. Excess intake can be stored either as glycogen in the liver, or as fat (reserves of these substances are critical in those species that hibernate). Excess intake of readily fermentable carbohydrates and sugars in species ill-adapted for such diets can, however, result in profound disturbance to the animal's entire metabolism. In cattle ruminal acidosis is a well-known phenomenon (Nocek, 1991, Stock and Britton, 1991). Specific pathologies associated with this condition include:
Clostridial infections
Laminitis
Liver abscesses
Malabsorbtion syndrome resulting from ruminal wall tissue damage Sudden death syndrome
Diarrhea and dehydration
It should be noted that the digestive mechanism of tortoises and herbivorous lizards is functionally identical to those of commercial ruminants. The etiology of the condition is that starch-rich foods (cereal grains, corn, for example) are broken down into sugars (glucose) in the digestive tract.

Alternatively, sugar-rich foods are metabolized directly and very rapidly (quantities of fresh, sweet grass or fruit, for example). In the hind-gut, symbiotic bacteria ferment the carbohydrates to form volatile fatty acids (VFA's) which are absorbed and are an important source of energy, representing, on average, between 30-40% of total requirements in some herbivorous reptiles studied (McBee and McBee, 1982, Troyer, 1984b). Very high intakes of carbohydrates such as starches and sugars can overwhelm the system, however, and ferment much more quickly than the fiber contained in dry grasses and hays. The result is a massive increase in acids produced by bacterial action. These acids are primarily acetic, propionic and butyric acid with lower levels of lactic acid and VFA's (McBee and McBee, 1982). Following over-consumption of starches and sugars the pH of the gut shifts to become highly acidic initiating a chain of serious consequences (typical gut pH ranges of herbivorous reptiles are in the order of 6.8-7.0).

One particularly serious effect is the generation of high levels of endotoxins produced as the normal symbiotic and commensal gut bacteria begin to die in the out-of-range acidic environment created (approximately pH

17/08/2023

Todays wooded walk as was hot hot hot 🥵 🌞 🐾

16/08/2023

Love these guys 🥰🐾

15/08/2023

🐾 🐾🐾