Animal Senses Behaviour Solutions

27/12/2023

Training Dora (my dog) to like the pram is going well!

09/08/2023

For the love of dogs, please sign & send the letter x

Don’t let the UK Government back out of banning shock collars. Help us increase the pressure and contact your local MP today.

09/08/2023

Twinkle & I missed International Cat Day yesterday (she just wasn't feeling photogenic) so here she is, being the perfect office companion!

07/08/2023

Spot the difference! 🤔 Two rats arrived with us in the cage on the left. It might look like good housing but rats are very social and need LOTS of space and enrichment. The duo are now happily roaming in their new home while waiting for a loving owner.

👉 https://bit.ly/3rKhfMt

05/08/2023

Handsome Frank learning that calm behaviour is rewarded! He can be rather too enthusiastic about kisses but has excellent self control when given time.

02/08/2023

Vet surgery waiting room goals - separate cat waiting room.

11/07/2023

Twinkle demonstrating 'the prawn' position. What is your cat's favourite?

09/05/2023

My office buddy. I've been rewarding her with the occasional dreamie for sitting nicely on a cushion to avoid her joining my client video calls.

05/05/2023

Smorgasbord. My cat, Twinkle, has been diagnosed with spondylodis, a painful spinal condition. Here you can see her making a choice of special treat for her pain medication to be hidden in.

16/03/2023

Dora loves a full on snuggle (although I never cut off her means of escape or smother her). How do your pets choose to relax?

19/02/2023

How does your cat score?

🔬 🐱 Can cat caregivers reliably assess acute pain in cats using the Feline Grimace Scale? Short answer – yes, they can!

🐈 Being able to tell when a cat is in pain is extremely important for their health and welfare, but caregivers and veterinarians alike agree that it isn’t always easy.

🩺 As a result, scientifically validated assessment tools are now used by veterinarians to reliably assess acute pain in cats. One of these is the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) which uses five key facial expressions; ear position, eye tightening, muzzle tension, whiskers change and head position.

🌎 In a recent study, over 1,500 cat caregivers from 66 countries used the FGS to score ten images of cats in varying degrees of pain. The results were then compared to the scores assigned by experienced veterinary surgeons.

😻 Total FGS and individual facial expression (called ‘action unit’) scores were not significantly different between caregivers and veterinarians, except for muzzle tension.

🌟 The FGS could be a useful tool to help cat caregivers monitor for signs of acute pain (eg after surgery, such as neutering), and contact their veterinary team if they’re concerned.

📖 Find out more about this study here ➡️ https://icatcare.org/sos-acutepain-fgs/

The Feline Grimace Scale is available here https://www.felinegrimacescale.com/ and as an app 📱

Reference: Monteiro BP, Lee NHY and Steagall PV. Can cat caregivers reliably assess acute pain in cats using the Feline Grimace Scale? A large bilingual global study. J Feline Med Surg, 2023; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10.1177/1098612X221145499

18/02/2023

Twinkle is doing very well at settling in & is a real cuddle monster. Cats vary widely in their petting preferences. Twinkle likes to sit on my lap and have occasional head/shoulder rubs. Like all cats, she needs to feel in control of her own body and therefore I never hold her* or stop her from leaving when she has had enough. *except in situations where this is necessary e.g. during medical exams.

14/02/2023

Please welcome Twinkle to the Animal Senses household. She is currently being fostered with a view to adopt, providing I can integrate her with the dogs. Watch this space for some dog-cat integration tips! #

15/12/2022

This is the delightful Sparky, who is getting help with self control and frustration! He is an exceedingly clever boy (N.B. he is wearing a tracking collar!).

14/12/2022

Dora 💜

08/12/2022

New blog about Christmas written - https://www.animalsenses.co.uk/post/helping-to-prepare-your-pets-for-christmas-and-other-winter-celebrations

03/12/2022

Did you know that leaving puppies to 'cry it out' is no longer recommended? Puppies, much like babies, need to feel safe and have their needs met. If your puppy needs to learn to sleep alone, transition them gradually.

For puppy behaviour advice and training please contact me on [email protected] or book a Zoom at www.animalsenses.co.uk

01/12/2022

Hello all!

We have an exciting opportunity coming up at Staverton Veterinary Surgery for you!

I am visiting Staverton Vets in January (date TBC) to talk about behaviour in both dogs and cats.

There will be limited availability, so please get in contact on [email protected] so they can provide more details and get you booked in. Attendance is free!

https://www.stavertonvets.com/

Animal Senses Behaviour Solutions offers cat and dog behaviour consultations and training support in Northamptonshire.

01/12/2022

This is the lovely Willow. We are helping him with reactivity in the garden and self control. He is a star and so is his mum for making such quick progress. Keep up the good work Team Willow!

26/11/2022

Animal Senses Behaviour Solutions offers cat and dog behaviour consultations and training support in Northamptonshire.

25/11/2022

Bert and Ernie are part of a growing trend in hairless pets. 😕 As cute as this pair are, hairless pets come with many health issues such as respiratory problems, skin injuries and a shortened life span. 💔 Due to their complex needs, please consider this before welcoming any hairless pet to their home.

27/08/2022

Dora helping to demonstrate the benefits of using a long line on dog walks, especially when training a recall.
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