Are you finding it hard to get out of bed on these cold winter mornings? Have you thought about how your pet is feeling?

Our pets suffer more from arthritis during the colder weather so now is a great time for an arthritis check with us. Most of the signs of arthritis are subtle and can sneak up on your pet over many years.

Signs might include but are not limited to:

Dogs:

• difficulty jumping in to the car or up on furniture 
• stiffness especially in the morning
• difficulty getting up or lying down

Cats:

• hesitant to jump up or down from your lap or from the furniture
• ungraceful landing when jumping down
• reluctant to climb the back fence or climb trees
• Scruffy coat - no longer able to groom comfortably

PLEASE don't put arthritis down to 'he's just getting old' as there is is plenty we can do to slow the progression of the disease and help your pet live a pain free life!

It is important we rule out any other problems first so a consultation with us is essential. We can then discuss a suitable treatment plan for your furry friend so you have many more happy and active years together.

Book an appointment today and we'll establish whether your pet has arthritis.

It may be tempting to feed your pet human food but keep these figures in mind when you think you can't say to those adorable eyes

1. A piece of cheese

A 30gm piece of cheese is equivalent to 1 and 1/2 chocolate bars for a human! A 30gm slice of cheese constitutes about a third of a 10kg dog’s daily required calories

2. A hot dog

One hot dog for is the caloric equivalent of three hamburgers for a person. That single hot dog may not look like much but it has around 175 calories, which is about a third of what a 10kg dog should be consuming

3. A cookie 

One small cookie for a 10kg dog is the caloric equivalent of an entire hamburger for a person - chocolate chip cookies are a definite no-no since chocolate is harmful, and even toxic, to dogs.

4. Peanut Butter

A tablespoon of peanut butter is equivalent to cheese in calories, packing around 94 calories. A 10kg dog would only have to eat three tablespoons to reach half his daily calorie requirements

5. A cup of milk

One cup of milk for a cat is the caloric equivalent of five chocolate bars for a person. AND neither dogs nor cats should drink milk because it they can't digest lactose so it may cause an upset stomach

Drop in at any time and we'll weigh your pet.

Here's a dog that will do anything for a snack....

We received a wonderful story from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) this month. It takes us to Tanzania where WSPA is working with local people to protect communities and live in harmony with elephants. 

In Tanzania, people have been taking over land once only inhabited by animals and conflict has arisen when elephants have raided their farms and destroyed their tasty crops.

One large elephant is capable of quickly destroying a whole field and villagers have been forced to take drastic action, including setting painful snares and hunting and killing elephants.

Amazingly, with their long and sensitive noses, these giant creatures despise the smell and sensation of chilli! So an ingenious solution has been devised to develop and install chilli fences. These fences safely, humanely and effectively deter elephants. 

Villagers are trained to construct and maintain sustainable fences as well as harvest and sell surplus chilli powder.

Since the chilli fences have been installed, villagers have seen a significant decrease in the incidents of elephants wreaking havoc on the already fragile livelihood of farmers in Tanzania.

Helping the elephants has helped local people too, as many farmers have been able to expand their farms and produce good crops, earning more income to support their families. This is a great example of how a little bit of thought enables people and animals to exist in harmony. Find out more information here.