Trimmie the Poo

15/12/2023

Amen to this… a brush a day keeps the clippers away!! 🐾🐕‍🦺🥰

13/12/2023

Betty boo! ❤️🐾🎄

11/12/2023

12/10/2023

WORLD ARTHRITIS DAY!

While this is a day mostly aimed at human arthritis, we would like to acknowledge the millions of dogs around the world who also suffer with arthritis.

There is so much we can do to help them!

Head to our website where you will find loads of free guidance, support, and education - all aimed at how to get

https://caninearthritis.co.uk/

18/07/2023

Do the twist and shout - “tick is out”!

So many myths surround tick removal - burning, Vaseline, alcohol, and using tweezers. Just buy a £4 tick remover and do it the safe way! Tweezers crush the body and usually leave the head behind 🤦‍♀️.

Anticlockwise or clockwise, these forked tools can be twisted in either direction and usually come in a pack of 2 - one for the small and one for the big ni**le looking ones!

www.animallovepetfirstaid.co.uk
Unique courses taught by a vet ❤️

12/07/2023

11/07/2023

LETTING YOUR DOG STICK THEIR HEAD OUT THE CAR WINDOW IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.

I've seen this several times lately now the weather is warmer, but allowing your dog to stick their head out the window is so dangerous, as their eyes are exposed to dirt, dust, insects, leaves and debis.
Their noses can become inflamed and the constant flapping in the wind will cause trama to the ears.
They could be thrown from the car during a swerve or sharp turn, or going over a bump, or hit a lamppost, tree, or other objects whilst going past.

Your dog could jump out the open window whilst travelling at speed which will probably result in a painful death

Therefore. when in a vehicle your dog should be suitable restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving, or injure you or themselves if you stop quickly.

The best ways to secure your dog is seat belt harness, or secured in a crash tested crate that is bolted to the vehicles body

Driving with an unrestrained dog could land you a fine of up to £5000
Plus invalidate your car insurance.

Make sure your dog is always restrained securely.

09/07/2023

Undivided attention….! 😂🐾

08/07/2023

https://www.tiktok.com//video/7252822720117837082?lang=en&q=vet%20on%20the%20hill&t=1688807774745

13.2K likes, 156 comments. “Grass seeds are everywhere and coming to a pooch near you! Bertie is exactly the wrong colour, perfect to camouflage this scourge of Summer. Check your dog after every walk, that five minutes will save you time and money, and your canine companion a lot of discomfort. ....

02/07/2023

Dreaded grass seeds!

I ve just come back from a run (no animals - way too hot!) and thought between two fingers was scratchy - pulled out this grass seed already well embedded in my skin 😬

It’s peak grass seed season now in the UK.
And dogs in particular are very prone to picking these up on walks and then the seed burrowing between the hairs of the coat then into the skin. They re shaped like arrows and the barbed tail makes it almost impossible for them to move backwards - so they keep moving forward, further and further under the skin and into it between tissues.
This triggers an inflammatory response by the body and depending whether they took bacteria or other bugs in with them, an infection too.
They can be really painful and hard to find and remove.

Symptoms your dog may develop:

Sudden on set licking or chewing a foot or body part
Head shaking or sneezing if they get into the ear or nose.
Pain. This might be lameness / not using a foot or not wanting to be touched or even marked self defence when you approach or try to touch eg growling or snapping

How to prevent them:

Avoid longer grassy areas on every walk right now. Grass is going to seed and whilst not all grass seeds are barbed like this, there will be some lurking on there somewhere, and little seeds still get in ears and eyes and trigger inflammation and infection.

If your dog has any thing other than a very short, flat coat of hair, clip or trim the hair shorter as much as possible …. Particularly around the legs and paws. This makes it harder for the grass seed to get caught (but note I don’t have hairy fingers and yet I still got one!) … shorter hair is also easier to check after a walk

Check your dog thoroughly during and after every walk … check particularly but not only, between toes and foot pads, use a light brushing action with your fingers to make sure you dislodge any dirt or plant material away from the hair.

If possible, give them a good brush over their whole body after each walk where you passed near grass.

If you suspect your dog may have a grass seed, get them checked by a vet asap …. Don’t wait!!
The longer the seed is present the further they move into the body and the harder they are to find.
Be prepared that the vet may need to sedate your dog and use ultrasound to track the path of the seed and place local anaesthetic to numb skin and tissues to make cuts to try to fish the seed out.

This can be expensive as it’s a lot of time and effort on some cases. Prevention is way preferable to cure!

This time last year I remember a Saturday I worked where I had to admit 5 dogs to sedate and track seeds and surgically remove them - 5 on one day!! (Amongst a busy day of consulting too)

Make some plans, knows the risks and take action to lower those risks.

Stay safe and enjoy the summer 😊

28/06/2023

Anybody think I’d mentioned the word “bath” 😂

23/06/2023

My girl…. ❤️🐾🙏🏻

20/06/2023

There are a number of breeds/crossbreeds that will require regular trips to the groomer. For some every 6 weeks is haircut day!

We need to make the experience for them as pleasant as possible, some dogs love their salon days, others are not so keen.

To make their experience better start them young! Under 6 months is ideal before their weariness/anxiety kicks in.

Leaving it too long can result in a matted coat. This would make them feel extremely uncomfortable and make the first groom experience a more intense and possibly uncomfortable one. So again, start them young!

By starting them young you can also learn from your groomer how to maintain your dogs coat in between grooms.

www.animallovepetfirstaid.co.uk
Unique courses taught by a vet ❤️

07/06/2023

05/06/2023