April 2009 Archives

Graeme and Jos have recently registered as volunteers for the Cats Protection joining 6800 others who work to help improve cat welfare.  The practice will help look after cats while they wait to be rehomed and we all look forward to contributing towards the excellent work of the Wootton Bassett Branch, the most proactive Branch we have ever worked with. Rachael, one of our veterinary nurses, has been a cats protection volunteer for a few years now and seems to

The number of animals abandoned in England and Wales in 2008 rose by 57% compared with the previous year, according to the RSPCA. The charity fears that pets are becoming the latest victims of the credit crunch as owners struggle to pay for food, vets' bills and insurance. The RSPCA's Tim Wass said: "It is an offence to abandon any animal and there is never any excuse for doing so." The increase in workload comes as the charity warns

PHILADELPHIA -- In a new, year-long University of Pennsylvania survey of dog owners who use confrontational or aversive methods to train aggressive pets, veterinary researchers have found that most of these animals will continue to be aggressive unless training techniques are modified. The study, published in the current issue of Applied Animal Behavior Science February 2009, Pages 47-54 also showed that using non-aversive or neutral training methods such as additional exercise or rewards elicited very few aggressive responses.February 17, 2009,

"Healthy pets make happy pets" is the theme for National Pet Month 2009.  How would you like to WIN the chance to visit the Brunel FM Radio Station (for two lucky winners) and tell their listeners just how much you care for your pet?  Harvey badges for the runners-up!  Harvey the lifestyle dog® has a selection of pictures for you to colour below.  All entries must be returned by the 6th of May. Open to under fives and five to

What makes Harvey a Lifestyle dog?' It's a long story and no doubt I will have many opportunities to tell about some of my outrageous adventures. Which, I must say, all began when I realised just how much we have in common with our owners - healthy eating and regular exercise is just the beginning.Our influence on human life is an education to them and it's very clear that emotions and affections form a large part of our shared relationships.

In 2004, there were 6.8 million dogs and 9.58 million cats in the UK. There are 6.1 million cat owning households, 5.2 million dog owning households, 4.1 million fish owning households, 1.96 million rodent owning households and 1.39 million bird owning households.Dogs are dichromats which means that their eye sight is equivalent to red-green colour blindness in humans.Dogs have nearly 220 million smell-sensitive cells, compared to 5 million in humans.Dogs detect sounds as low as 16 to 20 Hz frequency,

Don't Panic about lungworm! (there are reasons why lungworm is in the press lately) Recently we have had a few requests for information from clients about lungworm after they read about it on the internet or in the press.  I sense a degree of panic setting in and want to reassure you that the risk is lower than imagined.  There seems to be a concerted effort within the industry to increase worming frequencies to monthly and I think this is driven by drug companies rather than by