7 minute read
Pets Corner
from SE22 August 2021
by SE Magazines
Keeping pets safe in hot weather
Pets Corner with Leonie St Clair | www.londondogstraining.co.uk
It’s nearly holiday season and the thermometer mercury is rising. Many of us will be going away and a fair few will be taking their dogs. However, even for those set to enjoy the intermittent heat on home shores, please remember that our pets do not cope as well in the heat as do we. Pet thermoregulatory mechanisms only really include panting, some sweating from the paws and radiation heat loss from fur- these systems are not as efficient for bodily cooling as is as the human ability to sweat all over. Under conditions of intense heat it does not take that long for a cat or a dog to suffer heatstroke. Hyperthermia is a life threatening, medical emergency, where high temperatures and humidity cause the major internal organs, including the brain, to start to shut down, eventually leading to seizures, coma and death. Broadly, when temperatures exceed 39 degrees centigrade, steps should be taken to provide shade and cool the animal.
Quick guide to keeping pets happy and free from harm in the heat
• Never leave your dog or cat in a parked car, even with a window slightly open. Quite aside from the risk of theft, it takes only takes minutes for pets to become extremely distressed in the heat of the car, even in shade. If you are travelling have the windows down with good air flow or air conditioning. • Never leave your house on a hot day, whether for a walk or car journey with your pet, without a bottle of water and something to drink it out of. • If you are sitting or picnicking in the park on a very hot day, be aware that your dog may get overly hot much more quickly than you. Find shade or take a large umbrella and plenty of water. • Don’t play strenuous ball or running games with your dog in intense heat. • Be aware, brachycephalic breeds (cats or dogs with squashed or shortened noses) find it much harder to pant and breathe in the heat. • Very young, very old, obese and sick animals will find hot weather more difficult. • City walks on hot pavements can be taxing for all sorts of dogs. Try walking barefoot and see how you like it. Keep an eye on your pet and look for signs of discomfort, seeking shade and dispensing water as necessary. • On very hot days, cats should not be shut into areas like a conservatory or shed- either can heat up very quickly- check that your pet, especially cats, have not sneaked in. Ensure there are shaded, cool areas in the home your pet has easy access to. • A trip to the groomers can help long-coated breeds and don’t forget breeds with white coats, single coats or hairless types need sun protection for their skin. • A water-bottle partly filled with cool water or a dampened towel placed on the floor, make handy cooling mats which your pet can lie on. • Learn to recognise the signs of heatstroke; extreme panting, dark red or grey gums, drooling, anxiety, confusion/disorientation, lethargy, vomiting, even diarrhoea. • In cases of suspected heatstroke, seek shade and apply cool but not cold water to the pet’s underarms, groin and pads. Do not immerse or cover the pet with water as this will heat your pet up more. Fan the animal to increase cooling. If he can drink, give small amounts of water but do not force drinking or let him gulp it. Try to keep your pet moving slowly. Speak to a vet as soon as possible.
It’s mostly common sense but so easy to forget in the heat of the moment!
FAC OMNIA AD DEI GLORIAM
‘The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding’ Ofsted 2017
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Using Your Mind for a Change!
Health Matters With Becca Teers | www.healthy-habits.me | www.mindplus-experience.com
It can often feel difficult to make positive changes in our lives. You may want to develop a new habit, such as embark on an exercise routine or a healthy eating plan or maybe you’re trying to reduce alcohol or give up smoking. It could be that you want to feel more confident or calmer in certain situations. Feeling better means that you can change your actions or just feel more at ease when you’re at a social event or in your career or studies.
Why Is Making Change Tricky?
The main reason that creating and maintaining change can be hard is to do with our mindset. Often we let our minds run away with us and control us, but what we don’t realize is, we can actually use our minds to help, rather than hinder us. With some knowledge of how our mind works, we can train it to support us rather than letting it control us with our thoughts and beliefs. Here are some traits of the mind and ideas of how we can use it to work with us and NOT against us: • The mind loves what is familiar and doesn’t like the unfamiliar. We are creatures of habit and every habit of action is run by a habit of thought. To implement a new habit we have to make it familiar by practicing it as much as possible (whilst realizing that at first it will feel uncomfortable). As the habit becomes more familiar, the more comfortable it will get. • Emotions always win over logic! Have you noticed this? You logically know that you want to exercise, but the emotional side of you would rather sit and relax in the warm! To work with this rule of the mind, you need to link the positive emotions that you will feel by getting fit and healthy with the action of actually going for that run. Think about exercising and feeling proud of you, feeling empowered, strong and really good about taking care of yourself! Imagine yourself running and feeling all of these positive feelings and you’ve linked your positive emotions with exercising. This is collaborating with your mind in a great way. • The mind responds to the pictures you use internally and the words you say to yourself in your head. The good news is that you can change the pictures and you can change the words. Using the above example of going for a run, if you tell yourself “It’s going to be painful & difficult” and picture yourself running and feeling like this, of course you’re not going to want to run. However, if you change the words to “I’m choosing to do this. I’m choosing to like it. It’s going to get easier every time I go for a run. Running is good for me. It helps me and I enjoy it”. And if you imagine yourself running and saying these things to yourself, the whole idea of running changes, in your head. Try these tips and see if they help you to make a change!
