A Word Of Warning - The Food That Harms Our Pets

When it comes to food, our pets love to get stuck in. However, there are plenty of human foods that can harm or even kill them, which worryingly some owners are not aware of. It's even more important to keep an eye on your pets during the festive season, as there will be plenty of food around which is hard to resist.

Over Christmas, I often decide to treat myself and have chocolate for breakfast. Let's be honest, it's the only couple of days when I can't feel guilty! While we all love a bit of chocolate as a treat, this is extremely harmful to dogs and can be fatal.

It contains the stimulant theobromine, which is a bit like caffeine, and affects the the heart, central nervous system and kidneys. Chocolate that is meant for humans can even cause death in serious cases.

Out of the different varieties, dark chocolate contains the most theobromine. If your dog has eaten any, the side effects will occur between four to 24 hours depending on the amount your dog has eaten. These include muscle tension, increased heart rate, seizures, diarrhoea, vomiting, restlessness and rapid breathing. 

Sadly, there is no antidote for chocolate poisoning and all vets can do is either make your dog vomit or wash out the stomach and feed them charcoal to absorb any theobromine left in the intestines. Depending on the signs your dog is showing, they may also put them on a drip or medication to help control the heart rate, seizures and blood pressure.

So this Christmas, if your dog is going to be tempted by your chocolate, why not buy him/her some doggy friendly chocolate instead? This way, you can both have a little treat and not have to worry.

Christmas pudding and mince pies are also a big no no when it comes to dogs. Most dog owners aren't aware of this danger, but foods that contain grapes, raisins and sultanas can give your dog kidney failure. And unlike chocolate, even small amounts can kill them.

It has similar side effects to chocolate, but because this causes kidney failure dogs will also want to drink a lot more water than normal. Why not give them a toy instead, so they can have fun while you finish Christmas off with a festive treat?

The traditional turkey dinner is always one to watch out for too. While raw, uncooked bones are fine for your dog's health and teeth, cooked bones are another matter. These can easily splinter when your dog eats them, which can result in them choking. The skin should also be removed from the turkey if you feed it to your dog because it can be a source of fat. However, the white meat is very good because it is a great source of protein.

The above also applies to cats too and it is more likely they may be affected by these foods because they can jump on higher surfaces to get closer to these festive delights.

Most people believe that cats like diary products, especially milk, but this is not true in all cases. Some cats are lactose intolerant, because they lack the enzyme that helps to digest lactose - a sugar in milk. This can then result in them experiencing tummy problems and diarrhoea.

This can especially be fatal to kittens because they can become dehydrated a lot quicker than adult cats. This is because once they have been weaned, milk is no longer essential in their diet.

Don't forget about rabbits too! They enjoy a good selection of green plants and vegetables, as well as straw and hay. However, it's worth noting that although we also like a decent amount of vegetables in our Christmas/ Boxing day dinner, don't give your rabbit too many carrots.

Carrots are very high in sugar, which can not only cause problems for your bunny's waistline, but can cause them to develop dental problems in the future. Why not substitute this sugary food for the carrot tops, which are high in calcium, sprout tops, broccoli or cabbage? Of course, all this should be given in moderation, but it is much better for your rabbit and they will thank you for it in the future!

• Pets at Home have launched a 'Change their food, change their life' campaign in order to encourage and educate owners on the right food for their pet. This takes into consideration: size, breed and life stage. 
• In a recent survey questioning more than 3,000 pet owners, they found that 85 per cent of cat and dog owners fed their four-legged friends human food and treats on a daily basis. Cheese was the most popular, which can be harmful as some animals are lactose intolerant. 63 per cent of owners admitted to feeding this regularly to their pets. 
• Meanwhile, 31 per cent said they gave their cats/dogs fruit, which included raisins or grapes. 27 per cent fed their pets biscuits, which can lead to obesity, and 5 per cent fed their pets chocolate. 
• Other goods included bread, roast dinners and crisps, all of which can cause digestive problems for your pets.

So, make sure you feed your pets the food that is best for them. While they may not like it as much as your food, they'll certainly thank you for it later in life. 

On that note, I'll leave you with this picture of my rabbit Simba getting into the festive spirit. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Animal Odd Couples - Friends For Life

Animals. They're fascinating and always find a way to constantly amaze us. Take Animal Odd Couples. This two-part series aired on BBC One explores the relationships they hold for one another, even if they are both at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to their species.

What's fantastic to see is they don't judge each other like humans do when it comes to size, colour, race or gender. They accept each other unequivocally and it's beautiful to watch how close a relationship they hold with one another. Whether it's friendship or maternal instinct, a different species or even a stuffed toy, sometimes these bonds can even help to save an animal's life.

For instance, take these guys. All three are animals you wouldn't expect to see this close to one another in a million years, yet here they are nuzzling each other and showing real affection towards each other.

Kept at Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary in America, Leo the lion, Baloo the Asiatic black bear and Shere Khan the Bengal tiger all share the same territory, but amazingly get on like a house on fire. While they would also share the same territory in the wild, it wouldn't be as on a small scale like this and one would end up either seriously injured or killed.

Their background is very sad, because as youngsters they were all kept illegally as pets. What makes it difficult to comprehend is that usually when they are kept as pets this young, they have been taken out of the wild and their mother has been killed in order for the poachers to seize the babies.

I don't understand why people would want these animals as pets. I know they're exotic and that no one else has a pet like this, but they are wild animals. They should be treated as such, because one day they may have a bad day and someone ends up hurt or killed.

However, back to Leo, Baloo and Shere Khan. As youngsters, they were kept in a basement before they made their way to the sanctuary. They had never been separated and when the sanctuary tried, they cried and refused to eat until they were reunited. In this case, their friendship helped them attempt to come to terms with their early childhood and reduce the stress they felt when they were not together.

Inter-species friendships can incredibly also help to save certain animals from extinction. Sadly last year in South Africa, 688 rhino were killed for their horn. This animal is usually killed simply because traditional Chinese medicine believes that the horn holds special powers and will help cure people from illnesses. When the adults are needlessly killed, many orphan calves are left behind.

Filming in a secret location at a safe haven for wild animals, the orphan calves are given a second chance of life, using an unconventional friend if another orphaned calf is unavailable. Baby rhinos, in particular, have a very close relationship with their mum and are actually dependent on their mothers for the first two years of their life. In fact, they are so reliant on a mother figure/companion, that it is likely that they will die without them due to stress.

When it comes to pairing up the calves, humans aren't the first choice because they are not able to stay with the babies 24/7. At the centre most of the young rhinos are actually paired up with a sheep or foal instead. As well as teaching the babies to graze properly, the sheep or foal help to make the rhino feel more secure in their environment when out and about in the safe haven. This is because rhinos, especially white rhinos, have very poor eyesight and without a companion they are very insecure and nervous.

In this case, the sheep or foal help the orphaned rhinos to continue with their day to day routine and offer a life-saving solution to the threat of their extinction.

Different species can also develop a maternal instinct towards other animals and even take them in as their own. In the case of Kate, a great dane, she took in Pippin a wild, black-tailed fawn when Kate's owner discovered Pippin in the woods as a baby.

Although she left her for a couple of days initially in case her mum came back, she heard Pippin crying and so took her in. With nowhere else to put her, she laid Pippin on Kate's dog bed. As soon as she did this, Kate looked up at her as if to say "I'll take over from here." This story is so heartwarming to hear because in any other circumstances, Kate would probably have killed Pippin as her other doggy instincts took over.

However, at two-weeks-old, Pippin insisted on sleeping outside in the woods on her own as her wild nature kicked in. She would continue to come back every day to visit Kate and soon their maternal relationship developed into friends. At this time, Kate would tone down her aggression in play and Pippin was rougher than what you would normally expect during play. Amazingly, they both comprised and altered their behaviour to prevent the other one from being hurt.

However, it's not just real life animals that can be friends and even save their lives. In the case of this tiny Dartmoor foal, a teddy bear helped to save his life.

At just a few hours old, this summer Blaze was found wandering around the Dartmoor National park without his mum and was suffering from shock and dehydration. Rescuers took him to the Mare and Foal sanctuary and because he was missing his mum, he was given a four foot bear to keep him company. At night he would cuddle up at night to this giant teddy and started to be much happier in himself.

It's heartwarming to see such a tiny animal curled up with a teddy bear and in this case, Blaze didn't need another animal to help him. He just needed a presence to help him remember his mum and a teddy bear was just the right man for the job.

Here's a video of Blaze with his teddy.

Lest We Forget - Animals In War

Last week millions of people across the world held a two minute silence on Remembrance Day to remember the soldiers who died to give us the freedom we have today. Both wars were extremely horrific and saw severe loss of life. In World War One, an estimated 10 million people died in military action. During World War Two there were a lot more civilian fatalities, with an estimated 40 million civilian deaths and 20 million military deaths.

However, it wasn't just people who served their country during the war. Often the forgotten army of war, thousands of animals have also been at the forefront of the action, putting their lives at risk to save ours. The purple poppy represents their sacrifice, while the red poppy represents the sacrifice by our soldiers.

As dependable as soldiers, dogs played a crucial role in sniffing out enemies, carrying supplies, finding the wounded, delivering messages, ratters and most importantly companionship. The idea to use them first came from the Red Cross, who wanted to use ambulance dogs on the front line and by 1918 Britain had employed more than 20,000 dogs in war.

Messenger dogs were vital to the service because they could overcome the difficulties that soldiers and vehicles faced in the heart of battle. They were able to run a lot faster, could travel over any terrain and were less likely to be shot at by a sniper. The trenches were a complex system to navigate and messages could easily be lost, running the risk that an important letter would not make it to the front line or headquarters. Soldiers were an obvious target and vehicles were likely to break down or get stuck in the deep mud that savaged the battlefield.

Casualty dogs were also known as "mercy dogs" and were trained to find those who were wounded or dying on the battlefield. They were even equipped with medicine, so that the soldiers could tend to their wounds while they waited to be found. Sadly, in the case of those who were too far gone, the dogs simply sat and comforted them until they passed away.

Dobermans were particularly used as sentry dogs and tended to patrol the military bases with a handler, warning them with a bark when someone approached. On the other hand, scout dogs had to be very quiet and worked with soldiers by patrolling the area in front of them. As a dog's nose is so sensitive, they were able to detect an enemy scent up to 1,000 yards away and quicker than a soldier ever could. If they found someone, they would simply stiffen and point their tails to indicate that the enemy was approaching. That way the soldiers could prepare themselves and hopefully take the other side by surprise.

Dogs were not just used on the front line though. Animal Rescue Squads were set up during World War Two, when the Blitz began to terrorise London, to try and save the numerous people who were trapped under bombed out buildings. One Alsatian, Irma, saved hundreds of people and memorably two young girls who were trapped under a house. She sniffed them out and refused to move until rescuers had moved in to release the girls from the rubble.

However, it wasn't just man's best friend who helped with the war effort. Pigeons were used extensively to deliver messages during both World Wars, with 250,000 used in World War Two alone. As a result, racing with these birds was stopped and many birds of prey were killed along the coasts of Britain, so that pigeons would not be attacked while delivering an important message.

One pigeon, named Mary, delivered an important message despite being attacked by a hawk in France and returned with injuries to her neck and breast. On a different occasion, she returned with a wing tip shot off. Another pigeon called Royal Blue flew an astonishing 120 miles in 4 hours and and 10 minutes after the aircraft he was in was forced to land. He was able to pass on a message containing the location of the rest of the crew.

Horses were also used extensively during both World Wars as modes of transport, as well as pulling the heavy artillery the forces used at this time. Sadly, at the beginning of World War One, many horses were employed for use in the cavalry. Many died due to trench warfare, barbed wire (which was found across No Man's Land) and machine guns, so the forces stopped using horses in the cavalry section.

Recorded figures show that more than 8 million horses died during these wars and one factor was because once the fighting was over, there was no way to bring them home. Only 62,000 actually made it back to England, which is a devastating thought. These horses had carried soldiers through the heart of battle, often coming across weapons that were miles more advanced that what Britain used and then at the end of this, they were simply discarded.

At the time, there was a shortage of horses going into the war and so many were forced to give up their farm horses for the war effort. This is highlighted in the theatre production "War Horse", which has been given excellent reviews worldwide. Based on the book by Michael Morpurgo, the play centres around a young man Albert, whose horse Joey is taken away to fight in the war.

Albert follows him out there and every move he makes is in the hope that eventually he will find Joey again. I won't tell you the ending of this story, but I can assure you that I shed many tears throughout as the plight of Joey and the millions of horses used in the war is told.

This was also made into a film by Steven Spielberg and I would recommend both the the play and the film because they are both individual interpretations in their own right. While Spielberg's film is magnificent and features beautiful scenery, the play is also special because as it continues, you forget that there are people operating the puppets and the horses aren't real.

As a result of the bravery shown by all the animals who served in war and just after World War Two, the PDSA's founder Maria Dickin introduced a medal especially for animals. The Dickin Medal is essentially the animals' Victoria Cross and is awarded to those animals who are devoted to duty while serving or who are associated with the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units. This is the highest honour any animal can receive while serving in war.

Since 1943, this medal has been awarded 64 times to a grand total of 32 pigeons, 28 dogs, three horses and one cat. And what a fitting tribute it is to all those animals who have contributed to the war effort both her and abroad.

Orangutans - Now I'm The King Of The Swingers

Orangutans are considered to be one of the most majestic great apes and this week the Orangutan Foundation is trying to raise awareness about this beautiful animal by holding Orangutan Awareness Week.

From Monday 11- Sunday 17 November, charities, zoos and organisations up and down the country are bringing the plight of orangutans and the loss of their rainforest habitat to the forefront of an international campaign. This movement hopes to prevent the extinction of the orangutan and raise money to fund more conservation projects in order to learn more about and try to save these amazing animals.

Poignantly, the name orangutan in Malay language means "person of the forest".

The world's largest tree-dwelling mammals, orangutans can only be found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia, hence why the two species are named the Bornean and the Sumatran. While other apes such as gorillas and chimpanzees sleep in the trees and move around on the ground, orangutans spend almost all their time in the rainforest canopy and will only go down to the forest floor to eat.

They depend on rain in order to find food, because the tropical variety enables the forest trees that they eat from to produce flowers and fruit. Interestingly, orangutans find food by partly remembering where they found it last and 90% of their diet is made up of fruit. However, they will also eat nectar, bark, insects and even small mammals such as mice. Some days they will spend up to six hours simply feeding or looking for food.

When it comes to babies, you can't get much cuter than this! Seriously, it took me much longer to write this post than most of my others because I couldn't stop looking at the baby orangutans. However on another note, these great apes will usually give birth to one baby after an 8-9 month pregnancy. Very rarely, will a female give birth to twins - can you imagine, twice the cuteness!

What is so lovely about orangutans is that for the first two years of its life, a baby will be in constant physical contact with its mother. The females will do anything for their young and carry their child for the first year of its life. She will hold her baby to her chest as she moves through the rainforest searching for food and at times the youngster will be clinging onto her up to 30m above the ground! Their eyes are open at birth and the baby orangutan learns very quickly how to use its fingers to grip onto things.

After three to four months, the baby will begin to eat soft fruit, but will continue to drink its mother's milk until it is at least four years old. Now it is classed as a juvenile. However, it is not until they are five years old that they will begin to spend more time away from their mother and finally by the age of seven, the orangutan is a sub-adult and fully independent.

The real problem with orangutans is that they have such a slow breeding rate, which constantly puts their status into jeopardy. While the female can have babies at around seven years old, they will normally have their first young at around nine or ten and after that they only give birth every four to five years.

Interestingly, when it comes to the males being able to breed, they are not fully mature until they are at least ten years old. Consequently, the males' advance will always be rejected by a female if he is younger than this and because the females are so much lighter than the males, they can flee by moving into the higher, smaller branches of the trees in the rainforest.

As illustrated by the above picture, this male has developed cheek pads. This only occurs when the male has established his own territory and is able to breed. This development may also allow him to make his loud, booming calls.

Adult males can reach 1.5m in height and weigh as much as 100kg (15 stone). On the other hand, the females are only 1m tall and weigh up to 45kg (7 stone). They can also live for more than 50 years, which I believe is a major achievement.

Sadly, it is estimated that just 50,000-60,000 orangutans are left in the wild and this is due to threats such as deforestation, mining and the palm oil industry. In 1997, huge fires were started in the orangutan's forests because people wanted to use the land for farming. However, the fires got out of control and spread rapidly. In the end the fires burnt for more than a month and destroyed more than 1,000 square km of forest.

It's important that organisations continue to raise awareness about the orangutans' plight. This is because if habitat loss continues at the rate it is, experts estimate that by 2022 98% of Indonesia's rainforest will be destroyed. Sadly, this would cause the numbers of orangutans to fall dramatically and could result in their extinction.

• For more information about the campaign, visit: www.orangutancaringweek.org or www.orangutan.org.uk 

Fireworks - Protecting Your Pets

Fireworks: we all know how pretty they can be and people flock every year to the various displays put on, both in your local area or by a family member or friend.

While some animals seem to cope quite well with the bangs and bright flashes of light - my friend's lurcher Penny loves watching them go up - numerous pet owners struggle to reassure their pets. Sadly, it's not just the one night that these go on for either, many are put on well before Firework's Night right up until the New Year celebrations.

Animals have much better hearing than us and so you can imagine that a firework we think is pretty loud, must be extremely frightening to our dog, cat, rabbit, horse or any other pet you have. There are a number of ways that we can prepare them for this period and help keep them feeling safe and calm.

To prepare your dog for a night of fireworks, take him/her for a walk first, long before any fireworks are due to go off. Your dog will not want to go outside when the fireworks are taking place and this way they can unwind and go to the bathroom too.

Most dogs like to have a safe place where they can go when something frightens them. It could be a quiet room, behind the sofa or even in the wardrobe! This is a place where it can feel in control and you can help them learn to associate this place with positively. For example, leave a variety of toys there to keep them entertained, offer treats or praise them while they are there. It's also worth putting some of your old clothes in this area, because they can feel safer if they have your scent nearby. They should also have access to this place whenever you leave the house. This can work with cats too, especially when it comes to a hiding place!

If a family member or friend's dog isn't worried about the fireworks, it could be an idea to have this dog over when the fireworks go off. That way your dog will see that there is nothing to worry about and have a friend to comfort them at the same time.

When the fireworks do go off, make sure all your windows and doors are shut to prevent your pet from getting out. There is nothing worse than losing your pet at night, especially when fireworks are exploding, and they are at their most stressed and vulnerable. Your pet should be microchipped or carry ID tags because at least if they do get out you have a better chance of being reunited with them, should someone find them and hand them in to a local rescue or vets.

If your pet wants to hide away in a corner, pace or make noises, the best thing to do is to let them. This is their way of dealing with the fireworks and shouting at a frightened animal will only make them more stressed. It's easy to say this, but try not to let your anxiety about your pet show either. This is confirming to your pet that there is something to be scared about. Attempt to stay calm and praise their behaviour when they are calm too.

Birds get frightened by fireworks too! This will work with all animals, but playing music or turning the TV up slightly is a good way of distracting your pet bird. This way it will block out some of the noise of the fireworks and will reassure them, especially if they are used to some music or the TV on in the background.

With birds, it's particularly worth covering up exposed windows to prevent them from being disturbed by the bright flashes. A night light can also be useful because if your bird becomes distressed and starts flying around, at least they can see where they are going.

If your neighbours are going to set off fireworks, it can be worth speaking to them and explaining your concerns. If they know that your pet does not react well to fireworks, they could help to control this by setting them off well away from your house or choosing some fireworks that won't be as noisy. It's always worth a try because some people may not realise the impact this can have on your pet.

If small animals, such as rabbits and guinea-pigs, can't be brought inside, it's best to make sure they are covered up with blankets to reduce the noise. I can't bring in my rabbit Simba because his hutch is too big, but when the fireworks start I make sure he has plenty of food (as you can see he also has a teddy bear for company), place two blankets over his hutch as well as a plastic sheet and put his run lid and food bin in front of this. Hopefully, this reduces the noise for him and makes him feel safe. He also has plenty of bedding to burrow into too.

For horse owners, it's essential that you tell neighbours and firework display organisers that horses are kept nearby. That way, they should be diverted away from fields and stables. It's also vital to keep them in their usual routine to help them feel secure. Therefore, if they are normally out in a field, keep them in the field, but if they are used to being in the stable, keep them there. However, only do this if they are well away from any firework displays and the field or stable is secure.

Stay with them where possible so that you can keep an eye on their reactions. If they start to get panicked, then respond as appropriate. Horses are also very sensitive, so its important to keep calm. If you begin to get anxious, they will too and this could get much worse once the firework display is well underway.

Read up what numerous pet charities, such as the Guide Dogs for the blind, the Blue Cross, PDSA and RSPCA have to say too when it comes to protecting your pet from fireworks.

On another note, this week I was sent some Pet Remedy plug-in diffusers and calming sprays, which I have given to my riding instructor and a work colleague of my sister. Both these people have problems with their dogs when it comes to fireworks and they find it hard to keep them calm. Check out my next post after Fireworks Night to see how this natural remedy has helped and the differences they have seen in their pets.

How Clean Is Your Pet (And Its House)?

I love looking after my rabbits Simba (top) and Nala (bottom) and an important part of their care is making sure both them and their environment are kept unsoiled.

Some pet owners dislike this part of keeping an animal, but if you don't ensure that they are kept clean and in sanitary conditions, this could result in your pet getting ill or in the worst case scenario, passing away. I clean out my rabbits every day before I leave for work because animals that live outside face the constant danger of flies, which could result in flystrike.

While flystrike mainly occurs in warm weather, it can happen at any time. As well as affecting rabbits, it can also harm guinea pigs, cats or dogs and is a very painful condition. Certain types of flies will lay eggs on an animal and these then hatch into maggots, which sadly begin to eat the animal's flesh. This can be fatal if it is not caught in time, and even then there is a risk that the animal will not survive.

The flies are attracted by wet or soiled fur, often around the rear end. A few years ago we had a rabbit called Millie, who developed fly strike. We were always very vigilant with keeping her clean, because she had a large ruff of fur under her head, which always made it difficult for her to clean herself. One day, I just had a feeling that I should check her before I went to work and spotted a maggot on her rear end. Thankfully, we rushed her to the vets and they managed to get all of them off her. They told us that if we had found her an hour later that it would have been too late.

I was recently sent some Zoflora concentrated disinfectant, which I tried out on Simba's hutch, in order to see if it would make his house more sanitary. Killing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, Zoflora also eliminates bad odours caused by your pets and ensures that hard surface pet areas are kept fresh all day long.

I chose the Apple Orchard disinfectant and diluted it to use as a spray. A disinfectant spray is much easier for me to use on a rabbit hutch and also stops the area from becoming saturated with fluid. Obviously, I would not want this to happen because the area needs to be dry before Simba could be returned to his hutch.

I followed the instructions, but adapted them slightly to make 200ml of disinfectant. This was because I already had an empty spray bottle, which could only hold this amount of fluid. Therefore I only added half a capful of the disinfectant to 200ml of water, instead of a whole capful to 400ml of water. This disinfectant must be diluted before being used on an area where pets are kept. However, it cannot be used in areas for fish and reptiles.













                                                                 



Once I had made up the solution, I then poured this into the empty spray bottle and I was ready to go. I tend to use a liberal amount of disinfectant when spraying Simba or Nala's hutch, because the British weather can be warm one minute and raining the next! I also move all of Simba or Nala's bedding away from the area I am disinfecting because it could be harmful to them if they then ate a piece of straw or hay, which had accidently been sprayed while I was cleaning them out. After this I, left Simba's hutch floor to dry for a couple of hours.
















I'm quite lucky because both Simba and Nala are pretty clean rabbits. Nala always goes to the toilet in the litter tray and while Simba has a litter tray, he likes to go to the toilet just beside it at the front of the hutch. Cheeky monkey!

Once the hutch was dry, I put all the bedding down and then put Simba to bed in his hutch. I definitely noticed a nice scent of apple and I think Simba appreciated this too! The hutch didn't take too long to dry once it had been sprayed and it was nice to mix my own disinfectant, so I could dilute it appropriately depending on how much I needed to use.

Remember a clean home means a happy pet!

Factfile:

• To help prevent flystrike, owners should thoroughly check their pets for open wounds, illness or strange behaviour every day. Your pets' fur and skin on its rear end should also be checked at least twice a day, especially in warm weather
• If your pet is dirty, clean it with warm water to help remove all traces. Toilet areas should also be cleaned out every day to prevent flies around their house. 
• In warm weather, it is also worth putting netting (or something along those lines) in front of your rabbit's hutch. This will still enable them to see outside, but will help insect proof the hutch too.
• If you think your rabbit has flystrike, see a vet immediately!

Zoflora is available from all major supermarkets, as well as Savers and Wilkinson's, and comes in a number of different fragrances including Apple Orchard, Lavender and Rose. For more information, visit: www.zoflora.co.uk 

Be Tick Aware - Part Two

With Frontline launching their national campaign to raise awareness of ticks during September, what better man to support it than celebrity animal lover Bill Oddie.

Both his daughters own dogs and because he understands the dangers of ticks and fleas, he was willing to raise awareness of the campaign in order to help both them and the millions of dog owners out there. He has also been on the receiving end of ticks too, so knows how vital it is to seek help, both medically for humans and veterinary for dogs, as soon as possible.

During the evening in question, he was stretching out in front of the TV, when his wife spotted a tick under his arm. As anyone would do, he panicked because he had just finished reading an article on Lyme Disease and knew how dangerous it was. Luckily, the tick was removed and Bill suffered no further symptoms. However, he believes it's an issue that could be neglected if owners are unaware and recommends people get into the habit of checking their dogs everyday for these parasites after walking.

According to the NHS, the most common symptom of this disease in people is a pink or red circular rash, which develops around the area of the bite, between three to 30 days after being bitten. As well as this, people can also experience flu-like symptoms. If it is left untreated, further problems can occur months or years after, which include muscle pain, joint pain, or neurological symptoms such as temporarily paralysis of the the facial muscles. Cases in humans have increased by 300 per cent since 2000.

There is no vaccine for people who contract Lyme Disease and while America introduced one in 2002, it was later withdrawn due to concerns over side effects.

Ticks are also a problem when it comes to travelling abroad with your pet. The most updated Pet Travel Scheme rules were relaxed and so it is no longer mandatory for pets entering the UK to be treated for ticks. Therefore this could lead to an increase in tick-borne diseases, such as Babesiosis or Ehrlichiosis.

Babesiosis is more common in Europe, Africa and Asia and is a disease of the red blood cells, caused by infection. Meanwhile, Ehrlichiosis is found in Europe, the USA and Africa, and is disease of white blood cells, caused by infection. Consequently, it is vital that dogs who have travelled abroad to be treated for ticks before they return to the UK. This will then help to prevent the introduction of European tick species and the spread of the above diseases.

When travelling home from a holiday in Majorca yesterday, I was waiting at the check in desk with my sister and friend when two people took a dog out of a carry case and walk off through the airport. It certainly made the wait at the desk a bit more interesting!

My grandma has a Lhasa Apso called Daisy and so I asked her a few questions about ticks:

Are you aware of the dangers that ticks pose for both animals and people?
Yes, these parasites will suck the blood of animals and people and can carry infectious diseases. I check Daisy after I have taken her for a walk to make sure there are none on her. We tend to stick to main paths when we're out, but if I took her to areas of woodland or grassy areas, I think I would be more worried about ticks because there is probably a larger population there. We also have foxes and other wildlife in our one acre garden, so I always check her when Daisy comes in from there too.

How often do you apply Frontline to Daisy? 
I apply this to Daisy every three months, which is what my vet advised me to do. I have also used this product on other breeds of dog I have owned, including a Springer Spaniel, King Charles Cavalier and Shih Tzu. 

Have any of your dogs ever suffered from ticks?
I had a Springer Spaniel, Sherry who had a tick in the 1980s. We were in Norfolk for a weekend away, when I noticed something strange on Sherry. It looked like a growth, but we rushed her to the emergency vet in Norfolk to get it checked out. The vet immediately said that it was a tick and it lucky that we hadn't tried to pull it off ourselves because it would have left the mouth hooked into the skin, which could have become infected. The vet treated her and managed to extract the tick from between her ear and her neck. From then on, I have used Frontline to help protect my dogs, including Daisy. (Pictured below).

Frontline Spot On can help you prevent ticks because it is able to kill them through contact and not through your dog's bloodstream. From where you apply it, it spreads all over your pet's body and concentrates on the sebaceous glands of the skin (microscopic glands which are attached to the hair follicles). This helps to prolong its efficiency - even after bathing, swimming and grooming.

Ensure you read and follow the dosage instructions of Frontline and to ensure your dog is fully protected, it's best to apply every four weeks. Owners can even use this on puppies as long as they are more than eight weeks of age and weigh more than 2kg.

*Frontline Spot On are raising awareness this September to protect your dog against ticks. For more information on these parasites and how to prevent them, visit: uk.frontline.com or @BeTickAware on Twitter.