I was contacted by Vets Now over the summer and they
told me all about a massive campaign they were running to help pet owners enjoy
the summer months safe in the knowledge that they felt prepared to deal with a
pet emergency if one should occur. This came from some research that discovered
that 85 per cent of pet owners don’t know what to do in an emergency, which is worryingly
high. So I wanted to help them raise awareness on ways we can keep our pets
safe during the summer months and beyond.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you
will probably know that my pets are a big part of my family’s lives and mine.
We have two cats, Jaffa and Xena, and two dogs, Alfie and Freddie. They really
are a part of the family. I’ve had animals in my life from a young age, as I
got my first hamster, Ginger, when I was about seven. Since then, we’ve had a
few more hamsters, guinea pigs and then the pets we have today. Their health
and wellbeing is always top priority and we make regular use of our local vets.
But what happens when the local vets is closed? I don’t know if it’s just our
cats and dogs, but if they’re going to get ill or have an accident, they
usually do it either on a weekend, evening or a Bank Holiday! And this is where
Vets Now comes to the rescue. Their practices are open to look after our
animals whenever regular vet practices are closed. And because they only work
out of hours, their vets and nurses are experts in dealing with critical and
emergency cases.
We’ve had first hand experience of using our
local Vets Now practice in Farnham over the years. My cat, Jaffa, was quite
poorly when he was a kitten, so he’s stayed at the Vets Now clinic a number of
times overnight. We have also had to use them with our Golden Retriever, Alfie,
who was attacked by another dog on a Bank Holiday Monday. It was an incredibly
distressing experience, but the staff at Vets Now were so kind and helpful putting
us at ease and patching Alfie up. They really are lifesavers, so if you have
pets, it’s really worth knowing where your closest clinic is.
As I said, Vets Now ran a campaign over the
summer to raise awareness of how to keep your dog safe during the warmer
months. They put together this info graphic document, which lists 15 summer
dangers that could make your dog ill. But these aren’t necessarily limited to
just over the summer. We took Alfie and Freddie to a local country park
recently for a walk around the lake, and the following dangers from the
document came to mind that we needed to be aware of. The informative piece also
includes useful tips for how to avoid these dangers because often, prevention
is better than cure.
Blue-Green Algae
Danger: A bacteria forms on top of
lakes and ponds but often can’t be seen with the naked eye. Although this
particular bacterium is most common during warm, dry spells, there are plenty
of other things in lakes that would be dangerous for dogs. Swallowing even a
few mouthfuls of blue-green algae can be fatal for our furry friends.
How to avoid: Don’t
let your dog near water that may contain blue-green algae as the wind often
blows blooms to the edges. You can often find out if there are any dangers in
local lakes and rivers by checking the website of the organisation who
maintains it.
Toads
Danger: Dogs who come across toads
will often try to lick, bite or pick them up. Toads respond by releasing
poisonous venom from glands on their skin. This can be lethal if not treated
immediately. Toads aren’t the only problem – other animals can be found wherever
you might walk your dogs, including snakes, deer, rabbits, mice and even other
dogs. Although not necessarily poisonous, these animals can still cause
problems for dogs that may try to chase them or play with them. As you read
above, even other people’s dogs can cause injury to your own dog.
How to avoid: If you live in an area where
toads are common, keep a close eye on potential water sources for your dog as
there may be toads living in them. Also, unless your dog has an impeccable
recall, keep them on a lead so you can quickly pull them away and keep them
close if you spot another animal. You could use a long line so they can still
have a run around but be easy to bring back if need be.
Sand
Danger: Dogs often ingest sand by
accident through digging or repeatedly picking up sandy balls and toys. You
don’t necessarily need to be at the beach for sand to be a problem, as you can
also find it around lakes or on sandy paths in woodland. It can cause a
blockage in the intestine, which is called sand impaction.
How to avoid: Limit
games of fetch on sandy terrains and make sure you have plenty of fresh water
on hand to keep your dog hydrated.
Fish Hooks
Danger: Dogs are often tempted to
swallow the shiny lure and tasty bait that’s attached to fishhooks. Where I
live there are a lot of fishing lakes, so we need to be really careful when
walking near water. Fishhooks can cause nasty injuries if embedded in the
mouth, stomach or paws.
How to avoid: Fishhooks are often
discarded by fisherman so be on your guard in areas where fishing is popular.
Plants and flowers
Danger: Several flowers and plants are
potentially toxic to dogs, so this is a danger that you should check even your
back garden for. Flowers including poppies, clematis, peonies, foxgloves,
geraniums and yews are just a few of the plants that can harm dogs.
How to avoid: If you’re not sure whether
your plants are safe, keep a close eye on your dog around them. You can always
Google the plant to double check.
As well as putting together this document, Vets
Now also scoured the country to put together a comprehensive guide of dog-friendly days
out on the coast. We’re lucky to have a lot of beautiful countryside walks on
our doorstep, so we don’t often take the dogs further afield, but it’s really
good to know that there are plenty of dog-friendly beaches we could visit if we
wanted to. From vast expanses of sand in northern Scotland to picturesque
pebble shores on the south coast of England, the pages in the guide contain 50
amazing places for you, your family and your dog to visit. It also includes
insider tips on where you can enjoy a drink, some food and even a short break
in places where your dog will be as welcome as you are. And to put your mind at
ease, they have only chosen beaches:
·
Within an hour’s drive of a
Vets Now pet emergency clinic or hospital
·
Where parking and access is
good
·
Where a daytime vet is based
nearby
·
Where the water quality has
been deemed high
There are so many more dangers around the home,
garden and further afield, but this post would end up very long if I tried to
list all of them! And even without any physical dangers, of course, our pets
can still become unwell on their own. So the most important thing is to have a
good understanding of some of the most common dangers, to be able to recognise
when your pet is unwell or hurt and to have the contact details of your nearest
emergency vet on your mobile, so you know exactly what to do should your dog
(or any other animal) have an accident or become unwell when your regular vet
is closed.
Do you know what to do if your pet has an emergency?
Do you feel reassured knowing there are emergency clinics all over the country?
And will you be visiting any of the beaches in the guide?!
