JUNE, 2016
How To Care For Your Hunny Bunny!
BEST PET PRODUCTS!
A Vet’s Story: Saying Goodbye To A Beloved Pet Sophie’s choices: tOp product picks!
Vet
Pets Magazine
AND MUCH MORE INSIDE...
SOPHIE’S CHOICES Top product picks by our in-house reviewer Sophie, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Teddy Maximus pet accessories We adore these beautiful dog carriers, leads, beds & other accessories for the pampered pooch in your life! British-made and super chic, Teddy Maximus is a brand that’s definitely worth checking out. www.teddymaximus.com
Dog Treat Company: Joie de vivre We’re loving these scrumptious treats from the lovely people over at The Dog Treat Company! ‘Joie de Vivre’ is a liver treat with added beetroot, echinacea and an organic rooibos infusion to create a treat crammed full of antioxidants, high in vitamin C, a natural immunity booster and has both antiviral and antibacterial properties. Other treats include a special Corgi themed version. Tins are £5 each or £14 for three. www.thedogtreatcompany.co.uk.
More Sophie’s Choices on P14 - 15 !
PS! We adore Sophie’s beautiful pastel portrait above! It is by Amanda Stuart of Edie & Reggie. Thank you Amanda! x
Vet
Pets Magazine
Vet
Pets Magazine
Advertorial Dolly is an eight year old English Springer Spaniel, both further savings on her routine her and her brother Dave, also a treatment, check-ups and Springer, belong to Lynda Dunn vaccinations including Kennel
How the ‘Healthy Pet Club’ helped Dolly & Dave
Lynda explained: “We are now obviously very concerned about the risk of reinfection, and the peace of mind we gain from knowing that we are saving on regular flea and worming treatment and check-ups is priceless. Unfortunately, he has also been diagnosed with osteoarthritis so our medications will be increasing as a result.
“Being a member of the Healthy Pet Club is so and her husband, Roger. They Cough. have had Dolly since she was a Dave was re-homed with Mr and worthwhile, especially if you have a dog or cat with a puppy, but unfortunately in Mrs Dunn when he was chronic condition that needs 2011 she was diagnosed with approximately 4 years old. regular medication. osteoarthritis. About 6 weeks after he joined the family, he started to show “Knowing that we are saving Treating the condition involved signs of not being well and he on the various treatments and regular injections of Cartrophen lost a quarter of his body check-ups gives us peace of along with Cosequin tablets, weight. mind. I can’t even begin to which would have cost the estimate how much we have Dunns’ a fortune had they not Luckily, Dave had been signed saved, but needless to say, it’s a been members of the ‘Healthy up to the Healthy Pet Club as lot!” Pet Club’. soon as he was adopted. This was a good thing too as he was To find out more about the The couple have not only saved eventually diagnosed by their Healthy Pet Club, visit: money on Dolly’s injections and vet with whipworm and www.thehealthypetclub.co.uk/ daily medication, but they have successfully treated. also had the benefit of making
Vet
Pets Magazine
WWW.ARTYLOBSTER.COM Vet
Pets Magazine
Why You Should Find A Buddy For Your Bunny!
Vet
Pets Magazine
Rabbits are social creatures and also need space for a good quality of life.
We find out why social isolation is so damaging to rabbits and what owners can do about it. When David and Feona Bell set up their rabbit rescue charity five years ago, they assumed they’d be welcoming a handful of animals a year. But in the first week, they ended up with 10, and today they have more than 80 rabbits – and an evergrowing waiting list.
says David, who runs Fairly Beloved Rabbit Care with wife Feona from their home in Kirkintilloch, north east of Glasgow. “Most owners buy them on a whim and treat them like a throwaway household item, chucking them out when they’re fed up. They have no idea how complex a rabbit’s needs are.”
Sadly, it’s not an isolated story. According to Burgess Pet Care, the pet care specialists behind “I’m still surprised by the sheer Rabbit Awareness Week number that need our help,” (RAW), which runs June
Vet
Pets Magazine
18-26, rabbits are the UK’s third most popular pet after cats and dogs, but they’re also in the unenviable position of being top of the league when it comes to abandonment and neglect – thanks in part to the disregard for their complicated day-to-day needs. Mistakenly placed in the same ‘easier to care’ for category as small animals like guinea pigs, hamsters and gerbils, many of them suffer solitude and isolation by living alone in small hutches. Indeed, such is the cost of isolation, this year’s RAW campaign is encouraging
with their single rabbits for at least 2 to 3 hours per day, playing games (they love knocking down plastic bowling pins), stroking them on the forehead and back (rather than the tummy, tail or ears) and having quality time after David & Feona Bell from Fairly Beloved Rabbit Care lunch when rabbits are at the 57 per cent of rabbit owners – but it’s a different story for their most relaxed. who own single rabbits to find their domesticated cousins. #BuddiesForBunnies at local If you see hyperactivity and rescue centres. A 2014 study by The British aggression in your rabbit, it’s Veterinary Association, showed definitely a signal that it could “They actually have more in that hutch rabbits living on be unhappy, but other rabbits common with larger animals their own exhibit “boredom, may vent their frustration by in terms of everyday care,” frustration, fear and misery”, becoming withdrawn. says David, who relies on an with many owners unwittingly army of 40 volunteer fosterkeeping them alongside guinea Nevertheless, regardless of how carers to house the relentless pigs in an effort to socialise much time you spend with your flow of rabbits. them without realising these rabbit, no person can replace are unsuitable companions. the companionship of a real “They’re as complex as dogs or rabbit. cats and surprisingly For David and Feona, good emotional creatures, grieving rabbit care comes down to a “The best method is to re-home for companions who pass simple acronym – SHEDS i.e. a companion rabbit from a away and pining for company shed loads of ‘Space, Health, rescue centre and try when left alone.” Exercise, Diet and Stimulation’. bonding,” says Suzanne Moyes, vet and Technical Director at In the wild, rabbits live in large, So as well as a varied diet and Burgess Pet Care. sociable communities and have permanent access to a secure daily contact with other rabbits run, owners should interact
Vet
Pets Magazine
Dr Moyes adds: “Try to choose a rabbit that complements your own rabbit’s personality, of a similar age and of the opposite sex, but ensure both are neutered for obvious reasons”.
“When the rabbits are happy to groom each other and lie together than you can leave them unsupervised. This can take hours to months depending on the personality of your rabbits, and local rescue centres will be able to offer support and Introduce advice during Dr Suzanne Moyes rabbits to this process,” each other gradually - putting says Suzanne. them in nearby enclosures so they can sniff each other and become used to each other’s smells. To help them bond more, you can change the litter trays as this will also help the rabbits get used to each other’s smells.
“The best method is to re-home a companion rabbit from a rescue centre and try bonding (with the resident rabbit) .”
After a while, short meetings should be arranged between the bunnies so they can become more comfortable with each other but be ready to separate them if there seems to be any tension. Repeat this until the bunnies are relaxed around each other, you can even feed them at the same time to foster that bond.
Vet
At Fairly Beloved Rabbit Care, David and Feona have a good method for checking whether people are serious about taking on a new rabbit. “We tell them, ‘if you’re going to look after a rabbit properly, with all the right food, equipment and medical care, Pets Magazine
it’s going to cost you up to £1,000 a year’,” says David. “That’s about the same price as a car over its lifetime.” It might seem a harsh lesson – especially as the couple has such a long waiting list – but they’re passionate about finding the right home and the right companions for their beloved bunnies. “If anyone is wavering, this usually stops them in their tracks,” says David. “And ultimately, it means we have one less rabbit that needs rescuing.”
For more information about David and Feona’s work, and for lots of useful advice and information, visit fairlybelovedrabbitcare. org. Rabbit Awareness Week runs from June 18th-26th. To find out more, visit rabbitawarenessweek.co .uk.
I’m Missing My Mutt!
July 5 marks Pet Remembrance Day when people across the country will be paying tribute to beloved pets who have passed over the Rainbow Bridge. Retired vet and author of Pets Aplenty MALCOLM D. WELSHMAN writes poignantly about his own personal experience of losing a special companion animal. It’s a beautiful June morning. The sun shines. But as I sit on the patio having my customary eleven o clock mug of coffee, a tear runs down Malcolm and new dog Dora my cheek. My hand slides down the side of the chair, to where our little terrier would normally be stretched out basking in the warmth of that sunshine, his lips curled back in
Vet
a contented smile. But no longer. Arthur-Rex (pictured left above with Pip) is dead. Cruelly taken from us three summers ago.
day of a week's stay in Tobago. We were lying on sun loungers on Rex Turtle beach when a commotion down on the shore line made me sit up. Squinting against the sun, I could just see a tiny young dog being chased Snatched after eight by a pack of mangy brown years of delightful hounds. companionship. And The terrier hurtled up across my heart is still heavy the beach and dived under with grief. When we first met, Rebecca's lounger, turning to we were on a family holiday yap at the strays which stopped together - my wife, Maxeen, to circle round before leaping and daughter Rebecca who was away as Rebecca sat up and 27 at the time. It was the last shooed them off. Pets Magazine
National day: Pet Remembrance Day takes place on Tuesday July 5
To my horror, she then leaned under the lounger and scooped the little terrier up, making reassuring noises as she did so. All I could think of was Rabies. Fleas. Lice. Mange.
We reckoned he was about eight months old and was apprehensive as to what our 10 year old Jack Russell would make of him. We needn't have worried. After the initial wary sniff they gave each other, they But when the young dog looked immediately became close up at Rebecca and licked her buddies. The beanbag in front face, his destiny was sealed. of the Aga was shared. Mock A call through to the local dog fights each morning, rescue society established that chasing each other round the it would be no problem kitchen table, pinning each shipping the dog back to the other down by the ear or UK for us. locking jaws; and king-of-thecastle leaps on and off the And within seven months, to settee of an evening. Joyful include six months in a local entertainment for everyone. quarantine kennels, Arthur-Rex When Pip passed away two arrived at our home in West years' later, Arthur-Rex became Sussex. even more special and
Vet
Pets Magazine
commanded an even greater place in our hearts. He was a smart looking dog. We guessed half Chihuahua, half Tobagian feral hound. He had a domed head, pointed ears, slightly bulging brown eyes, and perfectly symmetrical facial markings in tan and black. As he matured he developed a thick tan mane and his curled tail became a plume of fur. Extremely photogenic. And indeed, his pictures sported many of the features I had begun to write: and when my first novel, Pets in a Pickle, was published, Arthur-Rex appeared on the back cover. His own dog blog soon
followed; and on Twitter he built up several hundred followers who were greeted on first contact with a high five paw.
'Look,' said Cesar with a smile as Arthur-Rex turned to look up at me and gave me a reassuring lick of my hand.
He went on to make an appearance on Channel 5 news as part of a healthy heart campaign to show that having to walk a dog Gone but not forgotten: Arthur-Rex is good exercise for 'I can see you two are great you. Newscaster, John buddies.' Suchet remarked, 'What a splendid little dog.'
Newscaster, John Suchet remarked, 'What a splendid little dog.'
And Arthur-Rex's stoicism and his gentlemanly behaviour impressed Cesar Millan, the international dog whisperer, when they were first introduced to each other after our terrier had been flown out to Madrid to appear in a new TV series called Leader of the Pack. I was nervous at meeting such a famous man with his wealth of knowledge of dog behaviour.
Vet
He was right. Oh so right. And during the three days of filming for the show, ArthurRex won over everyone's hearts. On being introduced to Dora, the little Yorkiecross terrier that was up for adoption, he soon demonstrated who was top dog. Dora bounced up to him in a frenzy of tail Pets Magazine
wagging. He gave a perfunctory gruff 'woof' which clearly stated he was having none of it and then trotted off round the pen to mark out his territory leaving little Dora clearly bemused by the distain he was exhibiting. 'Perfect,' cried Cesar Millan. 'Just the sort of companion Dora needs. A mature dog who'll stand for no nonsense. Keep her in her place without being aggressive.' That certainly summed up dear Arthur-Rex. So very stoical. Nothing fazed him. There was once an overnight stay at a five star country hotel, voted the best pet friendly hotel in the UK by AA members. Arthur-Rex was given five star treatment with a tray of treats and black poo bags tied with gold
ribbon. He took his opulent surroundings in his stride majestic, sparkling chandeliers, heavy velvet drapes and a quilt-covered bed, onto which he immediately sprang to settle down between the tasselled cushions.
to hot for him on the open lawn.
back in a broad, delightful grin.
Arthur-Rex was laid to rest there, wrapped in his favourite tartan blanket
I'm crying now as I recall those mornings. Such sweet memories of our dear little terrier. But I'm sure Arthur-Rex is still the stoical little chap he always was as he now stretches out on a pillow of cloud in doggy heaven, broadly grinning from ear to ear.
I pause as I write this and sigh, picturing him that day. He was 'King Arthur', clearly relishing his status. What a far cry from his beach-bum days in Tobago. When dear Arthur-Rex succumbed to a acute respiratory condition on his return from Madrid it killed him within 48 hours despite intensive care treatment and hospitalisation in an oxygen tent - there was no question of where he was to be buried. Across the lawn from our back kitchen window is an immature oak tree. A favourite spot of ArthurRex's. He used to enjoy basking in the sun near this tree, reminiscing of his days on a Caribbean beach perhaps? He'd move into its dappled shade should it get
Vet
He’s forever in my heart. Bless him.
Malcolm D. Welshman is author of Pets Aplenty published by Austin Macauley under which he used to Publishers 0207 038 snuggle in front of the Aga. A 8312 at £7.99 Kindle heap of blanket would greet version £0.97 me every morning. I'd gently www.malcolmwelshma ease it away to reveal Arthur-Rex, sprawled on his n.co.uk. back, legs in the air. I'd tickle his tummy saying, 'Morning Arthur-Rex.' He'd gaze up at me with those warm brown eyes of his and his lips would curl Pets Magazine
SOPHIE’S CHOICES More top product picks by our in-house reviewer Sophie, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Rugs & Mats by Howler & Scratch A great selection of rugs, runners and mats including this cute ‘Hungry 2 Mat’, which measures 40x60cm, priced £9.99. www.howlerscratch.co.uk
Tickpick by Longpaws Tickpick is a key sized device that any dog walker can clip to their key-ring that helps remove ticks from the dog’s coat following a walk. This simple but effective device was developed in conjunction with the Worldwide Veterinary Service and a portion of sales go to this charity. £3.75. www.longpaws.co.uk
Wellybix dog treats We’re loving these hand-baked dog treats from Wellybix based in beautiful Teesdale. They are full of natural, wholesome goodness and packed with garden herbs. No artificial preservatives, colours, artificial flavour enhancers, added sugar or salt and are analytically tested and approved by a veterinary laboratory. They come in a variety of flavours from peanut butter to chicken. £3.25. www.wellybix.co.uk
Vet
Pets Magazine
The Healthy Dog Cookbook At a time when people are questioning the ingredients in many commercially made dog foods, here’s one solution: serve up dinners for your pooch that you’ve lovingly cooked yourself! Recipes range from Western Stew to Turkey Dinner. Includes nutrition panels with calorie information & other advice from a canine nutritionist. Published this month at £7.99 & available from all good bookstores.
Animals of the First World War This moving book is filled with stories of how animals played a pivotal role in the war, including, not least, cats and their importance in many aspects of wartime life, from being mascots to offering comfort 'back home'. The book also goes beyond the battlefield and explores the role pets played in the war, and the plight of animals on farms, zoos and in the street. The result is a wonderful collection of stories that will shock, delight and move you in equal measure. ‘Animals in the First World War’, by Peter Street, is available from The Royal British Legion’s online store, The Poppy Shop, at www.poppyshop.org.uk for £6. All proceeds raised from the sale of products on The Poppy Shop go directly to The Royal British Legion.
Vet
Pets Magazine