Best Pals Pet/House/Kennel Sitter

15/09/2022

15/07/2022

Best advice!

02/07/2022

20/06/2022

I have a new puppy 😊

Sometimes new owners tell me getting a puppy was supposed to be fun, but all I feel is stress. Here's what new owners need to remember.

08/06/2022

People have a right to make choices based on robust scientific evidence. The opposite of science-based choice is anecdote-based myths. One of the most harmful anecdotal myths in veterinary medicine is the fallacy that puppies should exercise for no more than 5-minutes/day for every month of age. Here's an article addressing this pervasive myth which I wrote with my mentor, Professor Stuart Carmichael: https://indd.adobe.com/view/1aad4f26-c7c5-4895-a216-889447348bf2

26/05/2022

Interesting read.

‘Adopt not Shop’ is a phrase meant to encourage us to consider rehoming pets rather than purchasing them. However, Cat the Vet is becoming increasingly concerned that its meaning is being twisted...

25/05/2022

Inspired

24/05/2022

Just because you're okay with someone petting your dog, doesn't mean your dog is giving consent. Here's how and when to respectfully pet a dog.

21/05/2022

I saw this & it made me a bit sad. Firstly, I’m always deeply suspicious of people who don’t like dogs. You don’t have to share your life with one to appreciate how wonderful they are.

Secondly, we’ve been residential property landlords for 22 years & have always welcomed dogs, just as we welcome dogs to our holiday homes. It’s always made me so sad & frustrated when I hear how our tenants have struggled to find a home with their pets, not just dogs, before they found us. I had high hopes that this would change over the years but it seems that’s not the case.

Thirdly, give me dogs over people any day 🐾🐾 Present company excepted, of course 💙

01/05/2022

Most dogs don’t like to be pet on their head by strangers. Instead, if you want to say hello and you’ve asked their guardian, say hello verbally and allow the dog to choose if they want to be pet. If they come closer for a sniff, leave your hand at your side. Allow them to sniff and initiate a pet, then pet their side behind their shoulders and stop. If they want more, they’ll let you know. Consent is important for dogs, too.

27/04/2022

Imagine you have a cocktail stick strapped to the back of your teeth and every time you close your mouth it stabs your gums.

Now imagine you are just a baby, finding your way through the world, while also dealing with constant pain.

This is a reality for many puppies, and seems to be becoming more common.

I have seen, and surgically removed, more misaligned baby canine (fang) teeth in the last couple of years than ever before and many of my colleagues are reporting the same.

But the really upsetting thing is that because, even as youngsters, our dogs are brave and hide their pain and their mouths rarely bleed, it can be very difficult to persuade owners their pets are suffering and I have also heard several reports of breeders claiming vets are incorrect advising these teeth need to be removed and to simply wait until they fall out, but why would anyone leave a puppy in pain for up to 6 months?

Not to mention the long term behavioural impacts. If your mouth constantly hurt as a baby, how likely are you to let anyone touch it as an adult? Meaning home dental care, grooming or handling around their head, is unlikely to ever be well tolerated.

Also, these teeth can prevent the jaw from developing properly as the embedded tooth effectively puts the brakes on one side (jaws grow from the back), which can have lifelong consequences.

AND leaving them in place often means the adult tooth also erupts in the wrong position, giving us a bigger problem in the longer term.

I appreciate it is daunting to be told that your baby dog needs a surgery (and careful surgical removal is the only way to treat this, look how deep the roots go!). but it is absolutely vital to stop suffering, ensure their mouths develop properly and to give them the best chance of correctly aligned adult teeth.

To help us understand more about the numbers of pups suffering with this issue, please complete this survey; https://visiocareservices.co.uk/puppy-tooth-census/

This is an excellent summary of the condition from a Specialist Veterinary Dentist if you want to find out more ; https://bit.ly/3vJA0Op

23/04/2022