Ark Veterinary Group

For the final week of 'National Dog Training month' have a little watch of our Head Nurse Beckys final muzzle training video! 🐾 Muzzle training is an essential tool for your dog and teaching them this skill can help them feel more confident and safe if they are ever in a position where they are required to wear one. We hope you have fun teaching this, if not for a reason, simply to add to your dogs toolbox 🛠

Today is 'change a pets life day' 💛 We would absolutely love to hear some of your stories of how you changed your pets life. Where they from a rescue? Did you support them with training? Did you adapt your home to cater for their needs? We would love to hear some happy stories 💛 This video here shows Holly who belongs to our Head Veterinary Nurse Becky. Holly had a challenging first couple of years at life which included her badly injuring her leg and requiring orthopaedic surgery. She was later put up for adoption with a knocked confidence and a big phobia of cars. Becky worked incredibly hard to slowly and steadily build her confidence and get her used to new sounds and experiences. This included working alongside a Veterinary Behaviourist to ensure that all help was readily available for Holly. Following on from months of confidence building, Becky then took on the challenge of getting her to feel settled in a car. Whilst this was a very long journey, and still somewhat ongoing, Holly is now an unrecognisable dog. She hops in and out of the car with a spring in her step and is quite happy embracing new challenges in life. 💛

Here is part 2 of Beckys Muzzle Training series! 🐾🐶 In this clip she speaks about how to start off training your dog to comfortably offer their nose to objects, into objects and then into your chosen muzzle.

January is National Dog Training Month! 🐕 In aid of this, our Head Nurse Becky has put together a little series talking about muzzle training with some top tips and tricks. This is to ensure that your dog feels safe, secure and comfortable when wearing a muzzle. This is a really important tool for our dogs, as there are a range of reasons as to why all dogs may require a muzzle at some point in their life. This doesn't necessarily mean they have aggressive tendencies, it could be for dogs that scavenge on walks, that play in a boisterous manner, that are required to wear one for legal reasons, or if they are ever in pain, stressed or anxious when visiting the vets. Here is Becky doing part 1 of this series, talking about what muzzles are appropriate for your dog. 🐶

Following the closure of our Hassocks branch and also a little clear out of some items from our Burgess Hill Clinic, we chose to donate to a wonderful charity who deliver Veterinary items to Ukraine. Today we recieved this video showing the arrival of our old preparation table from Hassocks. 💛

🎁🐾Happy Boxing Day from all of us at The Ark! 🐾🎁 We hope you and your pets are enjoying the festive season and taking time to relax after the Christmas excitement! Whether its extra cuddles, a winter walk or snoozing by the fire we hope today is filled with joy and warmth. 🐱🐶❤️

We cannot believe how many lovely donations we have had for the wonderful RSPCA in Brighton. 💚 Our final day to take in these generous donations will be Monday the 16th of December as they will be delivered on Tuesday the 17th! Thank you again for all your support in giving these rescue animals the Christmas treat they so much deserve 💚 Here is a video showing off just some of the wonderful gifts so far! 🎁

With firework season around the corner, check out our top tips on keeping your pet safe, happy and calm. 🐾🎆 For more support and advice: vetcollection.co.uk/health/pets-and-fireworks

Did you know that 11 human years is equivalent to 60 cat years? 🐱🐾🐱 If your cat is over 7 years old, call us so we can get your cat’s blood pressure checked. 🩺

Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day! Today we are celebrating all our black feline friends - but how good is your black cat knowledge? Make sure to show us how your black cats are celebrating their day in the comments below.

Why are grass seeds aka Foxtails so dangerous?! In this video our head nurse Becky shows us how quickly this type of grass seed can move through swabs. 🌾 Foxtails are a type of wild barley that can grow anywhere including cracks in concrete. We are increasingly seeing large clumps pop up in urban areas. Grass seeds have a pointed end that grips into swabs and then burrows through the layers as the swabs are moved back and forth. This mimics what can happen in our pets when they pick up a grass seed and the continue to walk - typically dogs will pick these up in between their toes or in their ears. The barbed 'wings' of the grass grip onto the fur and the seed can quickly enter the skin and become invisible as it burrows deeper. In rare but serious cases, grass seeds have been known to travel into the abdominal cavity when entering the skin or even travelled through the lungs having been inhaled! So what can we do to protect our pets? Avoid walking where there are clumps of foxtails or long grasses. If you do see them on the street, move to one side to ensure your dog doesn't stick their head in to sniff or walk directly over them. During the summer months, check your dogs paws carefully after each walk. Some people find that getting long hair groomed back can make this easier. Watch out for any signs of discomfort such as head shaking (ears), weepy/itchy eyes or excessive licking (paws/body). If you see any of these signs, call and book an appointment. Most grass seeds can be removed under sedation before they cause much damage and we often catch them before they embed too deeply.

Why does your dog eat grass? 🌿 It is a common misconception that dogs eat grass to make themselves sick. There is in fact lots of reasons why your dog maybe munching on the lawn. Some dogs simply like the taste and texture of grass, whereas others maybe bored and simply be looking for something to do. Some research supports that dogs seek out additional fibre in grass if their body needs more than their diet provides. A survey of over 1500 dogs held in 2008 actually showed that as little as 1 in 10 dogs who consume grass have any ill health. Although some dogs where sick after eating it, it was very uncommon. Also, a huge amount of pet owners (70%) said their pets eat grass on a daily basis or at least once a week. We would advise that if your dog eats grass but not their usual diet, eats excessive amounts of grass, is frequently vomitting, or appears unwell then you should see a vet to raise concerns. We also advise to ensure the grass that is being consumed has NOT been treated with any chemicals (fertilisers, pesticides etc) as these can be toxic. Finally we would advise you ensure your pets flea and worming treatment is kept up to date, as lungworm is passed on through slugs and snails. Here is a video of Nova who belongs to our Lead Nurse Jenny having a good graze on some fresh grass like a little sheep 🐑 😅