Pleasing 4 Pets

UK Veterinary Charity, The Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) issued a stark reminder to pet owners recently, warning them of the dangers of hypothermia and frostbite in pets during the winter months.

Despite often having thick coats of fur, the PDSA confirmed that any animal has the potential to develop frostbite after ongoing contact with any cold surface, although Hypothermia is more likely to be seen in small, aged or sick animals, particularly in breeds with thinner coats or naturally low body fat.

The PDSA advises owners of small furries, such as Guinea pigs and Rabbits to house them indoors during sever winter weather. Puppies and kittens experience particular difficulties controlling the temperature of their bodies and the PDSA recommends that they are kept indoors during spells of cold weather.

The charity also advises pet owners to dress smaller dogs particularly those with thinner fur, appropriately, and to remember to clean and dry body and paws thoroughly when they have been outside in cold or wet weather.

One senior veterinary surgeon, Sean Wensley revealed that shivering in an animal is the primary sign that an animal is cold, but that shivering stops when an animals body temperature becomes critically lowered after which animals appear subdued with cold paws and ears. He said:-

“Frostbite, which develops through prolonged contact with cold surfaces, can affect a pet’s ears, paws, tail, scrotum and mammary glands. Affected skin will at first appear white and will be itchy and painful.

In severe cases, the skin will turn black. Owners should check their pet over regularly as a pet’s fur can hide frostbite damage. The first thing you should do if you suspect your pet is suffering from hypothermia or frostbite is to make sure they are dry.

Then, gradually raise their body temperature by placing them next to a well-covered hot water bottle or use a hair dryer, on a low heat. It is very important to call or visit your vet for advice.

Don’t ignore the signs of possible hypothermia and don’t take any chances.

It’s easy for us to wrap up warm and add on layers to keep us snug, but it’s not that simple for our pets, That’s why, at PDSA, we are keen to give owners some important seasonal advice to help keep their pets safe and healthy as the cold winter weather sets in.”

Many hundreds of exotic animals were recently discovered by police officers who stormed two neighbouring houses in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

In addition to the animals, a hoard of drugs, various items of jewellery and a machete were unearthed at the houses located in the Fitton Hill area of Oldham.

Startled police officers stumbled on massive swarms of black beetles before confiscating hundred of other animals, including 14 Gecko lizards, 4 snakes, a number of snapping turtles and some chickens.

One of the officers involved in the raid carried out by Greater Manchester police revealed that the house was ‘like a zoo’.

Other animals removed from the properties included an 18ft boa constrictor, a number of Macaw parrots and hundreds of lizards, mice, beetles and various other insects.

Another of the officers involved said:-

“The boa constrictor was as thick as a rolled up carpet and there were thousands of insects, they were the worst.

All the insects were running around, large black beetles, big horrible things with antennas, two to three inches long. The noise was horrendous, swarms of them. It was like searching in jungle conditions”.

After the search Greater Manchester environmental health officers and a local vet were drafted in to look after the animals and began the mammoth task of attempting to re-house them.

At least 10% of individuals will experience an intense phobia during their lifetime, and one of the most common known phobias is a fear of animals - or Zoophobias.

By definition, a phobia is an illogical and irrepressible fear of a certain entity or circumstance. Some people suffer from such extreme phobias that will go to incredible lengths in their daily lives to avoid the subject of their phobia.

An illustration of this is an individual suffering from a phobia of birds - or ornithophobia may be too afraid to go outdoors in case they encounter one.

When confronted with the subject of their phobia, some suffers may even experience panic attacks.

Others become so stressed when they encounter the source of their phobia that they suffer from panic attacks.

Rather than a general fear of animals some phobics are affected by a fear of certain animals, for example common animal phobias include dogs, cats, mice and spiders.

Regrettably, most phobics never attempt to seek help, although the vast majority of sufferers who do undergo therapy for a phobia are cured.

Some common Zoophobias are:-

Alektorophobia Fear of Chickens
Cynophobia Fear of Dogs
Gatophobia Fear of Cats
Ichthyophobia Fear of Fish
Hippophobia Fear of Horses
Entomophobia Fear of Insects
Musophobia Fear of Mice
Batrachophobia Fear of Reptiles
Ophidiophobia Fear of Snakes

The number of pet owners choosing to travel with their pets is on the increase. Some airlines will allow passengers to travel with a small pet for a small fee as long as the pet will fit into an approved pet carrier which will fit under the aircrafts seats.

Airlines which will allow pets to travel inthe aircraft cabin with their passengers include KLM and Lufthansa, whilst British Airways World Cargo and Virgin Atlantic airlines will only permit pets to travel in the cargo hold. Virgin Atlantic even operate a ‘Flying Paws’ frequent-flyer scheme which enables animals to claim gifts for themselves in addition to banking air miles for their owners.

If you choose to take a flight accompanied by a domestic pet it would be prudent to make reservations for the both of you with the airline as far in advance as is possible, as most airlines will only permit limited numbers of animals on each flight.

The department for environment, food and rural affairs, more commonly known as DEFRA operates a pet travel scheme, which incorporates a ‘pet passport’.

This will enable you to travel with your pet to and from the UK to certain other countries without the necessity of enduring a 6 month quarantine.

To be eligible for a pet passport your pet must be micro-chipped and have been immunised against rabies 6 months prior to departure. Your pet must then pass a blood test which proves that the vaccination was successful.

Domestic cats, dogs and even ferrets are all eligible for the scheme, as well as rodents, rabbits, birds and fish, although the micro-chip / rabies rule don’t apply to these pets.

A recent report has revealed that there are almost twice as many domestic pet insurance policies held in the UK as there are private health insurance policies, with 23% of our pet population insured in comparison to only 12% of us being covered by private medical policies.

The report confirms UK pet owners as being amongst the most considerate and caring across the globe, surpassed only by Swedish pet owners, who lay claim to the largest populace of insured pets in the entire world.

Ewan McNeil, a former leader of the British Society of Practicing Veterinary Surgeons, went on record as saying:-

“We are a nation of animal lovers, and many of us regard our pet as part of the family; I’m not surprised that pet insurance is becoming so popular - people will do everything they can to ensure the best for their pets. Veterinary healthcare has made great strides in the last few years offering highly sophisticated treatment for a huge range of animal ailments. Pet insurance helps owners choose the best treatment for their pets without worrying about costs.”

In addition to this the report revealed a 41% increase in the demand for the insurance of smaller pedigree dogs – or ‘handbag’ dogs which are often more costly to insure than other types of dogs

As a growing number of people decide to treat themselves using holistic or alternative methods, it seems that an increasing number of caring pet owners are calling for their vets to treat their beloved pets using natural alternatives and organic forms of healing as a replacement for conventional medicines.

Holistic remedies can be explained as a philosophy that envisions the patient, whether that patient is human or indeed animal as a complete unit encompassing the mind, body and spirit.

The impetus of holistic pet care is on evading ailments with a combination of a healthy existence including the benefits of a decent diet and the effects of exercise to keep your pet stable and in optimum health.

While some pet owners research the benefits of holistic treatment in a last ditch attempt to relieve painful or complicated animal illnesses there are a wide range of other possible uses for these unconventional remedies, from acupuncture to deep tissue massage.

Other complimentary treatments include the use of herbal remedies to manage a variety of animal behavioural issues such as separation anxiety or uncontrollable obsessive behaviours, and all holistic remedies can be used in conjunction with traditional or conventional medicines prescribed by your vet.

If you are considering treating your pet using any form of holistic therapy you should ensure that any alternative treatments are issued under the close direction of a holistic specialist or under the supervision of a vet.

There has been a spate of articles in the news recently reporting an increase in the number of people keeping reptiles and amphibians as pets from lizards and snakes to salamanders and newts.

Reptiles and amphibians are both intriguing and enchanting animals and are amazingly diverse when it comes to adapting to new environments. Subsequently they have demanding and precise guardianship requirements too, which when they are adopted as pets without due care and consideration, often on impulse can unfortunately result in suffering and distress for such animals.

The vast majority of reptiles and amphibians are quite often inhibited and will be apprehensive around strangers, mainly due to the fact that in their natural habitat they can be vulnerable to attack from predators. For this reason excessive and unnecessary human contact can have a negative impact on a reptile’s wellbeing.

A lot of reptiles depend on external sources of heat and will also necessitate access to UV-B light in order to manage their intake of vitamin D, ensuring strong bones and good overall health. This is not always recognised, particularly in inexpert reptile owners and unfortunately as a result skeletal disorders are frequent amongst captive reptiles and amphibians.

Before taking a reptile or amphibian as a pet you should consider your decision thoroughly, bearing in mind that in order to care for such a pet appropriately you will likely have to do a vast amount of study into the supervision and care of your chosen pet, in addition to acquiring and maintaining any equipment essential to keep it happy and healthy.

You should also take into account that your local veterinary surgery may not have a comprehensive understanding of reptile or amphibian health and wellbeing, so you should endeavour to locate a specialist veterinary surgery before reaching your final decision.