Petsmag winter 2013 14

PETS, PEOPLE, PRODUCTS

the lifestyle magazine for pet owners Winter 2013 www.petsmag.co.uk

FACEBOOK FOR DOGS? The rise of pet social media

Dog-Friendly Devon...

LIGHTS, CAMERA? Top tips from our guest pet photographer

PLUS: ENTER OUR COMPETITION TO WIN A SUPERB Page PAINTING OF YOUR PET!

PETS, PEOPLE, PRODUCTS

CONTENTS COMPETITION Win a portrait of your pet .............................................. 4 THE NAME GAME Is your pet’s name on our list? ................................ 5 PET TALES: When handbags and poo bags meet! ............................... 6 HEALING TOUCH: The low down on canine remedial massage ........... 8 PET MAG’S PET HERO 2013 .............................................................. 10 HOLIDAYS: Dog-friendly Devon ........................................................... 12 THE PETOSPHERE: Facebook for dogs? ............................................ 15 PHOTO CALL: Tips from a professional pet photographer ................. 17 BREED PROFILE: The cute and cheeky chihuahua ............................ 21 INSIGHT: Nasty bugs we can catch from our pets .............................. 23

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Welcome to Pets Magazine!

Happy New Year and welcome to the second edition of Pets Magazine, the new online lifestyle magazine for pet owners.

We hope you enjoy our magazine. which is packed with exciting petrelated news and features, not to mention our fabulous competition!

In this issue, win a watercolour portrait of your pet by renowned pet artist Sarah Spofforth McQuat (see page 4.)

If your photography skills need a little improvement, our guest pet photographer Sue Lax, owner of Star Paws, reveals the tricks of her trade, illustrated by her own amazing work (see page 17.)

There’s much, much more inside!

If you would like to contribute to future issues, please email editor@petsmag.co.uk.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Marie Carter Editor

Clockwise from left: the healing touch, p8; dog-friendly Devon, p12; top photography tips, p17; Handbags & Poobags book review, p6; chihuahuas, p21; pet portrait comp, p4.

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PETS, PEOPLE, PRODUCTS

WIN a portrait of your pet by artist Sarah Spofforth McQuat Make a bold statement and hang a painting of your pet on your wall.

Textual artist Sarah Spofforth McOuat looks to portray an animal’s soul in her striking paintings.

Sarah, who lives on a 400 acre farm in Dunblane, Scotland, with her husband Tom and two sons is inspired by the animals on their farm – particularly a grumpy looking Highland Cow called Hamish.

Sarah also takes commissions across the UK for people's pets.

Sarah says: ‘You need to look into an animal’s eyes to see its soul and as soon as I make that connection I know I can recreate it on a canvas.’

For more information or to discuss a commission go to www.mcspoffart.com. Prices start from £130.

Sarah is offering one lucky Pets Mag reader the chance to win a pen and ink A4 watercolour of their pet. For your chance to win, email editor@petsmag.co.uk saying why you’d love to win the prize.

Please keep responses to around 150 words. The deadline for entries is Sunday March 31st, 2013.

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PETS, PEOPLE, PRODUCTS

Most popular PET NAMES of 2012 If your pooch is called Alfie or Molly, then you’re bang on trend. Similarly, if your feline best friend is named Charlie or Poppy, then you’re in with the ‘in crowd’, according to the latest survey revealing the top pet names in 2012.

Britain’s most popular dog names for last year are Alfie, Molly and Poppy, with Charlie and Max following, while the most popular cat names are Charlie, Molly and Poppy closely followed by Oscar and Alfie. The new stats show that Britain has done away with traditional pet names such as Rover and Whiskers, and have opted for far more popular human names.

Top 10 Dog Names 1 Alfie 2 Molly 3 Poppy 4 Charlie 5 Max 6 Bella 7 Daisy 8 Millie 9 Ruby 10 Oscar

The findings from Co-operative Pet Insurance follow recent research which revealed that 40% of couples would prefer a dog to a child*, and their naming process seems to run parallel with the top baby name choices.

Mat Ward, animal specialist from Pet Behaviour Sorted said this of a pets naming process: "It's no surprise that the top baby names in 2012 were similar to the top pet names.

“This reflects a continuation of the on-going change in the role pets play in our lives. Greater numbers of people view their pets as very important members of their family, and are therefore comfortable giving them human names.

He added: “The actual name itself is of little importance to a pet, it is how you use the name that is significant. If a pet's name is not followed by anything meaningful, it will not register as important to a pet, and if it's used only to berate them, it may develop negative connotations.

“The tone of voice used should be consistent, and it helps if only one name is used rather than a range of nicknames! In the early stages, a treat can be given to a pet after their name is spoken to help them recognise their name.”

Lee Mooney, Head of Pet Insurance at The Co-operative Insurance, said: “We’ve seen a trend in our customers’ choosing more humanised names for their pets. We also see on a day to day basis how passionate our customers are about their pets and we recognise that they are an important member of the family.”

Top 10 Cat Names 1 Charlie 2 Molly 3 Poppy 4 Oscar 5 Alfie 6 Daisy 7 Millie 8 Tilly 9 Bella 10 Tigger

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PETS, PEOPLE, PRODUCTS

Pet Tales book review Jessica Brown reviews ‘Handbags and Poobags: Tales of a Soho Boxer Dog’ by Alice Wright.

Alice Wright’s debut book is a thoroughly enjoyable read and Basil the Boxer is a wonderful leading character.

This is an incredibly honest, genuine and captivating personal memoir about owing a dog in a busy, modern world.

Set in hustle and bustle of London’s busiest nightlife district Soho, Basil is soon the top dog about town, attending parties, driving around in a Porsche and having his poobags carried in a Marc Jacobs handbag.

It’s packed to the rafters with amusing anecdotes and heartwarming stories about owning a loveable, four legged friend.

Initially the tale focuses heavily on expensive designer handbags, posh members-only bars and pretentious London parties. However, it soon becomes a real page-turner, witty, sentimental and enjoyable for dog owners, or pet-less readers, alike.

These real life tales range from spraying him with bleach when his paws were covered in another dog’s poop, accidentally shoving her finger up his behind in a moment of madness and dressing him in a array of fancy dress outfits, most notoriously Dracula.

No stone is left unturned when it comes to the trials and tribulations of owning a dog.

Alice makes the mundane task of cleaning up her dog’s business hilarious, explaining it was something she took pride in. Even getting “turd envy” some days...

“I found myself looking at other dog’s droppings,” she writes. “Thinking ‘now that’s a good one, I wish Basil would do one like that.’”

She even admits to using the plastic bags filled with fresh poo as “hand warmers” on a cold, winters morning walk.

No secret is safe, no matter how silly.

Alice is refreshingly open and honest admitting she and her husband Patrick create flamboyant personalities for Basil, so he can “chat” to them in ridiculous voices.

Alice manages to capture your She admits, “Patrick and I used Basil attention immediately with her honest to talk to each other, both pretending writing even at times leaving you to be the dog,” thinking, ‘Poor Basil, why did he not run away?’

Despite attending puppy training school, there are few rules. Alice’s unconditional love for Basil means he sleeps pride of place in their bed, turning it into a pit of hair and saliva.

“It’s not enough that he sleeps on the bed,’ she claims. “He has to have his head on the pillow too.”

Some chapters of the book are enough to put wannabe dog owners off for life. Alice explains her life now consists of beds covered in hair and slobber, unthinkable brown gunge under her fingers nails, 5am woofing, soiled carpets, a sofa which has been chewed to bits and a slowly diminishing sex life, as Basil is the dominating third person in her relationship.

However, Alice easily portrays the absolute joy of owning a dog… the responsibility, the fun, and the neverending love. This is a real life take on modern day doggie living, it’s brutally honest yet heart-warmingly brilliant. A must for all animal fans!

Handbags and Poobags is available from www.amazon.co.uk.

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Gizmo the Yorkie has lucky escape Tiny Gizmo the Yorkshire Terrier bit off far more than he could chew this Christmas after devouring a nine centimetre long skewer which somehow left his stomach and got stuck in his rib cage - putting him at major risk of developing deadly peritonitis.

PDSA vets in Gillingham removed a 9cm wooden skewer that had migrated from his stomach to the muscles between his ribs after he swallowed it at a family gathering.

Mischievous Gizmo, 5, gobbled

Gizmo became unwell and developed a huge abscess on his side... up the stick along with some party food which he managed to pinch from the table while guests were enjoying themselves during the family gathering at owner Ruth Dalton’s home in Rochester, Kent.

Gizmo became unwell and developed a huge abscess on his side.

Ruth, 46, took her beloved pet to PDSA Gillingham PetAid hospital where vets took x-rays but could not find anything untoward as wooden skewers usually don’t show up on an x-ray. However, after carrying out exploratory surgery the team discovered the skewer lodged in the muscles around Gizmo’s rib cage and operated to remove it.

PDSA Head Nurse Jennie Keen said Gizmo had been extremely lucky.

“The stick was actually wedged in the muscles between the ribs but it could have easily have punctured a

PDSA vets remove 9cm wooden skewer from Yorkshire Terrier Gizmo lung, or led to him developing a life threatening peritonitis on its voyage from Gizmo’s stomach to his chest area,” she said.

“Once Gizmo was under an anaesthetic, we had the opportunity to thoroughly investigate the abscess on his chest and were amazed to find out what was the cause of the infection. Gizmo was a very lucky dog indeed, as the potential damage to Gizmo’s body from the skewer could have been much, much worse.

Thankfully Gizmo is now making a good recovery and he is due to have his stitches removed next week.

Ruth, who lives with Gizmo and her 14-year-old son Samuel, said she was now extra careful when having a barbecue.

She said: “I’d advise people to keep a close eye on their pets or put them in another room when you’re serving food.”

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The healing touch Here we meet Lizzie Harrison, owner of Healing Paws (www.healingpaws.co.uk.) She reveals why massage therapies can be of enormous benefit not just to you, but to your pooch as well!

Q What is canine remedial massage?

Canine remedial massage is the manipulation of muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissue. The therapy also aids the joints and bones in the dog's body and can improve range of movement in these areas.

combined with massage, will significantly improve the speed at which your dog recovers.

Q What are the benefits

of canine remedial massage?

Canine remedial massage and rehabilitation can help your dog in a As therapists we have a strong variety of ways: - Positively influences understanding of the muscular and skeletal systems in the dog's body, the dog's body to heal how these work and what they - Relaxes muscle Lizzie Harrison with a terrier should feel like when they are spasm and releases trigger functioning normally. This knowledge points (commonly known - Reduces adhesions, scarring as knots) allows us to assess your dog and and swelling discover if they are feeling any - Improves circulation - Helps with depression and discomfort, and then to manipulate - Relieves tension, soreness, anxiety the muscles and joints through stiffness and tightness massage and stretching to help ease - Helps to relieve pain and soreness any pain they might be experiencing Would you recommend and let your dog move more freely.

- Aids the removal of waste massage therapy for all dogs? products in the body, such as lactic Canine Remedial Massage can also acid which causes pain after exercise Yes. Unlike humans dogs can not tell help with post-operative - Myofascial release stretching you something is wrong until it is so techniques help to improve range of rehabilitation. After surgery involving bad that they are limping or crying in muscles, bones and joints it is movement and flexibility in both pain and discomfort. With a massage important to strengthen the problem muscles and joints treatment all the muscles and joints area to prevent further injury and - Increases ability to exercise are assessed and treated allowing for excessive strain, which could result in - Improves posture injuries or problems to be picked up - Improves gait and moving another problem, due to the dog over on early and therefore treated before compensating for this injury. Healing pattern they become worse. Having muscles Paws also tailors exercise - Reduces boisterous behaviour and joints working as well as possible programmes to help with - Promotes relaxation will also help prevent problems such rehabilitation from surgery and this, as arthritis and other muscular-

Q

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Q

What qualifications do you need to become a canine remedial massage therapist?

I went to ICAT, the Institute of Complementary Animal Therapies in Devon. I did a diploma in Canine Remedial Massage Therapy.

Q Can you tell us something about your business and the satisfaction you receive from making animals feel better?

Nothing can explain the way that you feel when an owner tells you that their dog (that was arthritic or in pain) has been running around on jumping on the sofa (something it previously hasn’t been able to do). Also, finding areas that are probably painful to the dog but have gone unnoticed, as they are not bad enough yet to show a change in behaviour. My very first client as a qualified therapist was an arthritic Rottweiler. She has chronic arthritis and couldn’t get up the stairs or jump onto anything, walking was difficult, as was getting in and out of the car. After her second treatment the owner called me a few days later and said she was a little bit annoyed.

My stomach turned with worry but she went on to say that she had come home from work to find her dog on the bed upstairs. She hadn’t needed a stair gate as the dog couldn’t make it upstairs and definitely couldn’t get on her bed.

From that moment I knew that this was going to be an amazingly rewarding job. It's lovely to make a difference in a dog’s life when they are such amazing animals that touch our lives in the most special ways.

Q Do you think the demand for your services is increasing and why do you think that is, if so?

Definitely. Firstly I think people and vets are starting to understand that

dog have joints and muscles the same as humans so why not treat the problems in the same way?

With more and more therapists becoming qualified in the UK it is starting to become better known and people are becoming educated to the fact that these services exist for their pets.

Secondly, I think that people don’t like the idea of treating their animals’ medical problems with drugs alone if possible. In a similar way to children, I think dog owners prefer to try a more natural way of healing rather than just drugs. Plus the understanding that drugs only masks the problem and don’t always cure the underlying issue.

Q What is the future for the industry, in your opinion?

With the results that are seen from Canine Remedial Massage it can only continue to grow. An increasing number of Insurance companies are starting to include alternative therapies on their policies due to the effect of the results and with more vets understanding the benefits of Canine Remedial Massage and the attitude of their patients I hope that we can work along side more vets to

Lizzie Harrison Healing Paws www.healingpaws.co.uk lizzie@healingpaws.co.uk 07590 316603

help give dogs the best possible care.

Q Do you see your business expanding and diversifying to include additional therapies?

Yes, I hope to learn more about other therapies and with additional knowledge be able to help more dogs by combining different therapies. This has already started by the launch of a new service this month. I have started working with Karl Curling from The Brook Hydrotherapy Centre to develop a dual product called 'HydroMassage' which combines the benefits of both Hydrotherapy and Canine Remedial Massage in a multimodal approach to canine rehabilitation.

Hydro-Massage will involve an initial assessment and movement evaluation, followed by a session of Hydrotherapy which will be tailored to the findings of the initial consultation.

However, as an innovative approach to the rehabilitation programme, Canine Remedial Massage will be performed in the water, allowing the dog to benefit from the therapeutic qualities of the water at the same time. Following the session your dog is washed and dried in preparation for any additional massage that may be required in the therapy room.

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PETS MAG’S PET HERO 2013!

The winner of Pet Mag’s Pet Hero 2013 goes to two-year old moggy Jessi-Cat, a beloved family cat that transformed the life of a boy with a severe anxiety disorder.

Jayne said the family decided to get a cat to help Lorcan communicate and cope with his Two-year-old Jessi-Cat, who was condition, which also crowned National Cat of the Year makes it hard for at Cats Protection's National Cat him to speak to Awards 2012, helped transform people and leaves seven-year-old Lorcan Dillon’s life, him feeling enabling him to cope with selective isolated and mutism, a condition which affects his lonely. ability to speak and express himself.

“Lorcan is Thanks to his pet cat, Lorcan has able to connect finally been able to say “I love you” love to Jessi-Cat, and has even learned ways to share something he his emotions when he finds it difficult can't do with to speak to people. people and she's been a great Judge Rick Wakeman, star of support to him BBC’s Grumpy Old Men and selfwhen things have confessed cat lover, said: “The bond been really hard. between Jessi-Cat and Lorcan is Lorcan with Jessi-Cat. incredible and it has clearly had a “He does not Photo copyright of Paul Maven Photography. hugely positive impact on Lorcan’s express his home and school life. emotions, he reads to one of the teachers now – would not say 'I love you Mummy', “Jessi-Cat helps Lorcan to he just doesn't do it. But with the cat something he’s never done before.”

Well done Jessi-cat for being a communicate and express emotions he can cuddle her, he can stroke her, true boy’s best friend! that ordinarily Lorcan wouldn’t be he can talk to her and he can say 'I able to do.”

Lorcan and his mum Jayne Dillon, 44, of Davyhulme, Greater Manchester, were at the awards ceremony to accept Jessi-Cat's prizes – a star shaped trophy, three months’ supply of cat food, a year's supply of Verdo Cat Litter and a framed photograph of Jessi-Cat.

love you Jessi-Cat.' “She is without a doubt the best friend a boy could have and has had a huge positive impact on his life.

We’ve had her for a couple of years and in the last year alone he seems to be making excellent progress at school. In the past two weeks he’s started communicating with people he doesn’t know very well and even

Cats Protection, the UK's leading feline welfare charity, has around 6,200 cats and kittens in its care at any one time and re-homes and reunites over 48,000 every year.

To find out more about the charity, or to adopt a cat, please visit www.cats.org.uk or call the charity's national helpline on 03000 12 12 12.

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PETS, PEOPLE, PRODUCTS

Oven boss comes to the rescue of hedgehogs A hedgehog rescue charity has received a cash boost thanks to an oven valeting business.

Ovenu, a Warrington based oven valeting business, has donated 5% of their fee from each oven clean carried out to the charity.

Warrington Hedgehog Rescue provides lifeline care and rehabilitation services to rescued hedgehogs in Warrington and surrounding areas. Ovenu business owner Paul Clarke is fundraising and aiming to boost awareness of the charity after learning that hedgehogs could be extinct in the UK by 2025.

The most recent data from the Mammals Trust UK has revealed that the number of hedgehogs in England and Wales declined by more than 20% between 2001 and 2004.

Paul Clark has helped raise vital funds for Warrington Hedgehog Rescue

frontline is so valuable to their survival. If we can raise awareness of things that people can do, such as being more vigilant when they are using lawn mowers or strimmers in their gardens, avoiding laying slug pellets and ensuring that garden fences have spaces for our native mammals to pass under safely, then will be helping to save the hedgehog.”

Virginia Jones, Manager at Warrington Hedgehog Rescue, explained: “The charity is totally selffunded, so fundraising efforts such as Paul Clark, 49, whose business provides an environmentally-friendly Paul’s are crucial to our survival. oven cleaning service to residential “Many people are still not aware that properties and businesses including letting agents, private landlords and if their current rate of decline local schools across Warrington, continues, hedgehogs will be extinct explained: “I am delighted to be in the UK by 2025. It is not an underestimation to say that, we have helping in some small way to make a big difference to the future of one of little over a decade to save the our most endangered native hedgehog.” mammals.

Virginia added: “The work we are doing to save the species on the

Aside from the money, which is vital to the work Virginia and her team are

doing, I hope that many more people will now be alerted to the plight of the hedgehog.”

He added: “The rescue centre is also appealing for urgent donations of cat and dog food, as this forms the staple diet of the rescued hedgehogs.”

For more information about Ovenu, or to make a booking with Paul, call: 01925 453377 or visit: www.ovenuwarrington.net.

For more information on how you can help save the hedgehog, visit the British Hedgehog Preservation Society at: www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk.

To donate cat or dog food to Warrington Hedgehog Rescue, please contact Virginia Jones on 01925 837 527.

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Dog-friendly Devon...

Planning your holidays but struggling to find the perfect dog friendly holiday?

Here we meet Isabelle Broom and her four-year old Bolognese dog Max who discovered that Devon could be the perfect bolthole for pooches and their human companions.

after typing "dog friendly cottages South Devon" into Google and being directed to Toad Hall Cottages. Snug without being cramped and decorated with a delightful jumble of crockery, paintings and ornaments, the twobedroomed cottage was clean, functional, comfortable and in the perfect location.

My four-year-old Bolognese Kingston itself is the dog Max is very clever in epitome of Devonshire lots of ways. He holds up charm, from the cows his paw for a treat, climbs peering over the garden trees, and manages to ‘low tides, rock-pool move his clusters and green banks at food bowl to a Wonwell make it a perfect different haven for a dog’ corner of the house wall in the morning to the every single day. But when thatched white-stone it came to choosing where houses lining the lane. to go on holiday, he had to leave that up to me. Luckily The village's crowning for Max, I decided on South glory, however, has to be Best of friends: Isabelle with Max, the Bolognese Devon as the destination for The Dolphin Inn, a 16thour very first trip away – and century-built traditional I don't think we would have pub where Max was not tempt you to overindulge, car, but it's much more fun had a better time anywhere only welcome to sit up at the local area provides the to trek there along the the table, but was also the else. perfect way of walking it all South West Coast Path – happy recipient of a number off again. Starting in the especially if you have a dog South Devon is famed for its of free dog treats from a jar centre of the village, there that's never encountered beautiful countryside, quaint behind the bar. The pub are six different walks you sheep before! – or through serves delicious, locallyvillages, wooded valleys can take, ranging in length the enchanting wilderness sourced food (the mussels and sandy beaches, and from just under one mile to of Wrinkle and Furzedown chowder is still making my when we arrived into the a thigh-burning nine miles, Woods. The low tides, rockmouth water even now) and and including coastal paths, pool clusters and green village of Kingston one offers good wine, beer, local woodland and every dog's afternoon in July, we found banks at Wonwell make it a ales and enough friendly all of those things right on paddling dream, Wonwell perfect haven for a dog, and banter to keep you propped Beach. the doorstep. The three of it was a very exhausted and up for the whole evening. us stayed in the adorably Situated on the east bank of blissed-out Max that cosy Emily Cottage, which I discovered quite by chance

While the local pub may

the River Erme and Estuary, Wonwell can be reached by

passed out on the cottage rug later that day.

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beach is dogfriendly all year long and the cafĂŠ serves the most delicious honeycomb icecream you'll ever taste.

After a few days of exploring Kingston, we headed out in the car and drove the short distance along the south coast to the town of Kingsbridge, where a pretty hillside highstreet offers a veritable feast of local vegetables, cheese, meat and even dog treats.

It's definitely worth setting aside a day to visit the village of Thurlstone, too, where the wide sandy

Be warned, though, the seaweed makes the rocks very slippery indeed. I'm very glad that Max can't laugh, because he definitely would have! You can save yourself a few pounds by parking at the locally run car park, which is a few hundred metres from the main entrance.

Unfortunately, we picked the one day that it piddled down to pop along the coast to the town of Salcombe, but even the dark clouds and lashing rain couldn't detract from the breathtaking views of the waterfront. Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Salcombe is a great

place for a stroll. Soak in the atmosphere, stop for a cream tea and then take friends of a four-legged variety down to the North Sands Beach for a paddle.

You'll find a whole host of towns and villages dotted along the south coast of Devon, each offering their

own unique selling point, so exploring is an absolute must. Some beaches, such as Bigbury-on-Sea and Salcombe South Sands, do not allow dogs from May to September, so it's always worth checking locally before you go bounding down to dig for shells.

Despite these very few restrictions, South Devon was wonderfully welcoming to both Max, and us, and whether your pet is small and dainty or long-legged and adventurous, they'll be guaranteed to have a fabulous time.

Further information: www.toadhallcottages.co.uk www.dolphin-inn.co.uk www.kingstonparishcouncil.co.uk.

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Canine VIP puts spotlight on responsible pet ownership A Stockton-on-Tees Housing Association welcomed a canine VIP to an event organised in partnership with the Dogs Trust as part of a campaign to promote responsible pet ownership.

Stockton’s Mayor, Councillor Lynne Apedaile, attended the dog welfare day and brought along her Border Collie, Sally.

The dog awareness event, organised

by Stockton Council's Animal Welfare Service in conjunction with the UK’s largest dog welfare charity and Tristar Homes, was held at Low Grange Community Centre, Billingham.

Access to vets, micro-chipping, flea treatment, parvo virus vaccinations and neutering were provided free at the sessions.

Councillor Apedaile, who has chosen the Dogs Trust as one of her Mayoral charities, said: “The work of the Council's Animal Welfare Service is second to none and they do a fantastic job in raising awareness of responsible dog ownership such as microchipping and neutering which is carried out partnership with the Dogs Trust.

Paul Noddings, Housing Operations Manager at Tristar Homes, said: “Taking a proactive approach to encouraging responsible pet ownership is a key element of Tristar Homes’ commitment to supporting

Stockton Mayor councillor Lynne Apedaile with her dog Sally and representatives of Tristar and the Dogs Trust.

and improving residents’ quality of life.

“Micro chipping is an effective way of permanently linking pets to their owners, increasing the chances of them being reunited if the animal is lost, stolen or strays.

then stored along with the owner’s contact details on a national database.

This information can be updated if an owner moves house or a pet’s ownership changes.

When a chip is implanted, it gives a pet a unique code number, which is

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Social ‘petworking’ on the rise We get the lowdown on the latest craze...

At the height of Olympic fever last summer, Andy Murray’s dog Maggie May posed with his owner’s gold medal on Twitter, and became a star in his own right, and Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette regularly gives fashion advice to her followers.

It’s 2013 and pets on the net are bigger, better and fluffier than ever; the nation’s obsession with their pets means we are increasingly likely to give pets their own social media status from sharing photos to tweeting their thoughts.

Research from Petplan, the UK’s largest pet insurer, reveals a 36% annual increase of pets with their own social media profile, as well as a 25% rise of pet owners sharing photos of their pets online.

Cats have traditionally dominated the World Wide Web but now it’s the socially savvy hounds who are the true social ‘petworkers’ as 7% of pooches have their own Facebook page, compared to only 4% of felines.

Boo, nicknamed ‘the world’s cutest dog’ started and still leads the online trend. Currently Facebook’s most popular pet, this adorable Pomeranian has

Well-connected: Facebook for dogs is not as far-fetched as it sounds...

more fans than the Dalai Lama. Along with Boo, four out of the top five most popular pets on Facebook are dogs including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s pooch Beast.

Since the explosion in popularity of Britain’s Got Talent winner Pudsey, dogs are now 12 times more talked about on Twitter than cats. Dogs also dominate YouTube with ‘the ultimate dog tease’ being the most

popular pet video with over 100 million views.

Despite dogs’ dominance online, cats are still strongly represented.

83% of cat owners who put their pets online also regularly share photos of their felines compared to 69% of dog owners.

Although it seems that pup parents demonstrate a greater sense of humour with 42% posting status

updates on behalf of their dog.

Francesca Keefe, Petplan Social Media Executive comments: “We’ve long known that animals are the stars of the internet, but in the last year since we started tracking pets’ presence online there has been an explosion in ‘pet pride.’

Increasingly pet owners are giving their pets a more active role in their life and

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Facebook and Twitter and over the last year we have seen a significant rise in the interaction with pets on social media. There are many social media profiles dedicated to pets, but at the top of our Facebook pages, in the animals category, are dogs with cats coming in fifth.”

Case Study: Denver the dog, owned by Morgan Taylor:

spreading the joy that owning a pet can bring.”

As well as the fun side of social media, we’re also seeing more and more pet owners take to Twitter as an effective way to look for lost pets.”

Jan Rezab CEO at Social Bakers comments: “As a global social media and digital analytics company we track online engagement levels across

Most ‘liked’ pets on Facebook Boo Beast Joe Mishka the talking husky Professor Meowingtons pHd solidly in motion. After that a number of people contacted Morgan asking if they could post his photos on their blogs, requests he always granted. Brekend.nl was one of these blogs, and he regularly sees traffic coming through from that post. Another surge in popularity occurred when a friend posted one of Denver's photos to reddit.com, resulting in 73,000 views to that photo in a single day and 147,000 total views to his Flickr stream.

5,014,674 880,336 310, 767 286, 450 101, 870 Mail posting an article on its website. Following this publication, The Huffington Post ran a similar piece, with further information about Denver; as a result Morgan received 248,000 page views of his Flickr page in a 24-hour period.

Someone who has Statistics from a survey experienced the conducted by Vision Critical phenomenon of social and the Petplan Pet petworking first hand is Census, both of which Morgan Taylor, owner of surveyed over 1,000 Denver, a Nova Scotia respondents.

Duck Tolling Retriever.

Morgan started taking photos of Denver because he was his first The most recent surge puppy, and he wanted came from the UK’s Daily to capture those moments before they disappeared into memories.

He added the photos to his Pick of the best pet social Flickr account under his media: "Littlest Duder" set.

There was an instant http://textfromdog.tumblr.com/ interest in Denver and a picture of him in the park http://maddieonthings.com/ made it to number 11 on http://dogswaiting.tumblr.com/ Flickr’s Explore page. As page views of Denver went http://foodonmydog.com/ up, new people added him to their contacts, and Denver's fame train was

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Capturing the heart and soul of your pet

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Sue Lax, owner of Star Paws (www.starpaws.co.uk), a photography business specialising in pets, uses her own photos to illustrate how you can take the best photos of your pet.

Our pets mean the world to us and keep us constantly entertained with their cute expressions and funny ways. I wasn't at all surprised when a nationwide survey revealed that we take more photos of our pets than we do of our children!

My mobile phone is full of snaps of my pets, and I'm sure yours is probably the same. These images, usually taken on the spur of the moment, are a great way to capture an expression, a funny moment or something that just simply makes us smile.

I hope these tips inspire you to take even more pictures of your pet, no matter what type of camera you have, because you really don't need

expensive equipment to take great pictures.

Capture your pet's personality Capturing a pet's personality in a photograph is the most rewarding aspect of my work.

It's a sad fact of life that our pets can't be with us forever, and the time will come when any images we have of them will be priceless.

Think about the sort of pictures that will best reflect your pet as you see them.

Are they a lazy bones whose favourite pastime is curling up in bed for a snooze, or a Tasmanian devil who never sits still?

Do they have favourite toys or places they love? You'll want to catch them at their happiest, so really give this some thought.

Take it easy Some pets are more camera shy than others, so let them get used to the camera. Point the camera away from them and fire the shutter a few times just so they get used to the sound and seeing you use the camera.

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PETS, PEOPLE, PRODUCTS

far more interesting than those taken from our usual view of the world.

As a pet photographer I spend an awful lot of time crawling around on the floor, lying face down in fields or sloshing about in water to get the best shots!

Outdoor photography

IIf they seem nervous, encourage them to come to you and check the camera out before you start pointing it at them, which can be quite intimidating to some pets.

Check the background Many otherwise great shots can be spoiled by distracting elements in the background – we've all seen pictures where people appear to have trees or lamp posts growing out of their heads, or general clutter in the background distracting the eye from what it should be focusing on.

If there are unwanted items in your view either move them or, if that's not possible, change your angle or position so they're out of shot.

Get down - and possibly dirty!

Bright sunshine often doesn't make for the best photos – dark shadows and squinting pets aren't a great combination!

Be prepared to get down to Bright but slightly overcast your pet's level and see the days are far preferable, as the light is softer. If it is sunny, try shooting early in the morning or late afternoon, avoiding the midday sun, or just move your pet to a shady area.

Keep the sun behind you but off to one side so your pet doesn't have to squint when they look at you.

world from their perspective. Take photos from different levels and angles – they'll probably be

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Indoor photography Try to void using the flash it can be scary for some pets, but it's also a harsh light and can give your pet those spooky looking eyes, similar to the red-eye effect in humans.

You'll need to use natural light to get the best indoor shots, so use a room with large windows and/or open a door to let more light in, if it's safe to do so. you'll know what's likely to succeed with your pet. Some become so treat obsessed that you end up with the glazed "Gimme the treat!

Gimme the treat!" expression – which is fine if that's the look you're going for, but may not be ideal in all cases!

Focus Get to know your camera Familiarise yourself with your camera's settings.

Even the camera on your mobile is likely to have settings you can change according to the type of picture you want to take: Portrait, Sports/Action, Indoor and so on.

Read the manual, or just experiment a little - you might be surprised by the results!

Get your pet’s attention There are several ways to get a pet's attention focused on you for the shot - commands, treats, squeaky toys and funny noises can all work, and

You'll usually want to focus on your pet's eyes and get them really sharp in a portrait style shot.

noses, whiskers, ears, fur, feathers or whatever they may be!

Take lots of pictures Remember to experiment and take lots of different pictures, but make sure your pet is happy and comfortable at all times while you're doing so.

Never, ever get cross with them if they don't do what you want today - you can always try again tomorrow.

Most importantly of all, be patient and have fun with your pet!

However, you can also get some great images by Reader Offer getting in £10 off the standard shoot fee, plus 10% close or off any canvas, framed or acrylic products. zooming in (Additional mileage fees may apply for on some locations outside a 25 mile radius of details Consett.) Quote PMG12. Offer valid until paws, March 31st 2013.

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BREED PROFILE

The cheeky but lovable chihuahua

By Rachel Baker Rachel is the proud owner of chihuahuas Romeo and Paco.

She tells us what life is like with this small in size but big in personality breed.

There is nothing more fun than seeing a couple of hyperactive chihuahuas sprinting around your living room or garden at 100mph!

But they are hard work, they want to be the boss, they can be grumpy, irritable, naughty, cheeky, funny, loving, loyal, intelligent and the most wonderful pet you could ever wish for.

Rachel with Romeo the chihuahua

They are year old addictive – you ‘Chihuahuas are addictive - you can’t and can’t stop at Romeo stop at one....they are the most one and if beautiful, kind and trustworthy dogs’ was six you’re prepared months. to put in the hard work, you will have the most A recipe for disaster people said, but beautiful, kind and trustworthy friend they get on brilliantly. Romeo was for life. Just make sure you ignore the incredibly accepting and Paco settled fashionable media stereotypes of a in quickly. fluffy, little quiet dog that likes to be dressed up, never needs to wee or They have completely different poop and is quite happily carried personalities which makes a happy around in a handbag! and chaotic home. Romeo isn’t a I have two Chihuahuas, Romeo has just turned one and I bought him from the breeder when he was nine weeks old. It is said that you don’t choose a puppy, but that the puppy chooses you and my little Romeo stole my heart from the first second I met him.

My other Chihuahua, Paco came to live with us when he was already a

cuddler, he’s independent, feisty and always into mischief – he likes to receive affection through play.

I can be dozing on the sofa in the evening and all of a sudden, he’ll jump up on his hind legs and his little head will poke up with a sock in his mouth which means it’s play time. He

is totally loyal to me, but still loves the attention he gets from my friends.

When he’s tired he will have a little knap across my neck or snuggle up on my lap with a real urgency and promptly fall asleep. But his personality is spritely and always on the go!

Paco is a big Chihuahua and a total lap dog; even though he’s the biggest and the oldest, he’s the baby. He’s a lot more streetwise when we’re out but he needs ‘big boy cuddles’ regularly.

Chihuahuas have a reputation of being stubborn and difficult to train, but in my experience they love to please as they crave praise and attention. Romeo learned to use puppy pads quickly with lots of over the top praise, cuddles and rewards, however it did take him longer to

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learn how to, “sit”. He and I both knew that he knew it, but he’s an arrogant little chap and didn’t see why he should have to sit on demand!

When Paco came to me at a year, he didn’t seem to know “sit”. But as he’ll do anything for a cuddle, he soon picked it up and now likes to sit in front of people randomly, looking them eagerly in the eye waiting to be told he’s a good boy.

Romeo became much less of a baby when Paco came to live with us. At six months Romeo refused to eat unless I hand fed him – but after watching

Paco’s first meal, he’s eaten off his own plate ever since.

I was very fortunate to be able to adopt Paco. Romeo is such a character that I hoped if another Chihuahua came to live with us, I

It’s a dog’s life: Paco and Romeo

may not need to crawl along the floor, pushing a ball along with my nose at 11 o’clock at night! However as Paco takes himself off up to bed at about 9pm, I’m still left entertaining hyperactive Romeo.

The wonderful thing about adopting a dog is learning about their personality.

Paco loves to dance, and must have enjoyed music in his previous home.

When a dance song comes on the radio, he jumps up on his hind legs and leaps about to the music and I join in whilst Romeo watches looking confused.

Paco also grooms Romeo which is the cutest thing ever, as I love to watch them bonding without being involved.

Chihuahuas need regular exercise and stimulation and I’m a great believer that a tired dog is a good dog. Mine enjoy being out in all weather, especially chasing leaves in autumn. They both love summer but neither of them like the driving rain they dig their little claws into the ground and refuse to move so I have to carry them home, one under each arm.

Chihuahuas are wonderful dogs and don’t need to be restricted by having limitations imposed on them. Of course, take into consideration that they are smaller, but anything a big dog can do, Chihuahuas can do in miniature!

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INSIGHT

Zoonosis: Diseases You Can Get From Your Pet

By Mark Hedberg, DrMedVet MRCVS Mark Hedberg is an experienced veterinary surgeon who's worked in the UK and the Middle East. Having treated a wide variety of animals large and small, he currently works for The College of Animal Welfare, a non-profit animal care and veterinary nurse college in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.

If you are reading this article, chances are you are one of the estimated 13 million households in the UK that own at least one pet.

(PFMA 2012). And if you’ve ever owned a pet, chances are someone’s told you stories about all the nasty bugs and diseases you can get from your animal friends.

The scientific word for a disease you can get from an animal is “zoonosis”. (plural: zoonoses.)

It’s true: there are over a hundred diseases humans can get from animals. The good news is that if you live in the United Kingdom, you’re probably only going to meet with three or four of them.

In this article we’ll cover the three most frequent zoonoses in the UK, and one very famous disease. All of them are treatable, and all of them are preventable.

Gastrointestinal disease

Skin disease One of the most common things people pick up from stray animals is ringworm. No, it’s not a worm.

Ringworm is a skin fungus; you first notice it when you get a ring-shaped itchy bad spot on your skin. It’s easily treatable with anti-fungal skin creams

Gastrointestinal disease is what we call a ‘tummy bug’ or ‘food poisoning’. It happens when bacteria or viruses get into our food or into our mouth.

Most commonly this occurs when you forget to wash your Flea faeces is clearly visibly in this pet’s fur. hands before eating, from your chemist. Stubborn cases especially after playing with animals. should be seen by your GP. Reptiles are often accused of carrying salmonella, but the truth is, dogs and cats can carry it too. The prevention: never let your pets eat off your plate, and always wash your hands after playing or working with your pets. Always wash your hands before eating, no matter what.

Fleas and mites can also pass from a pet to a human; this usually only happens when your pet has a severe flea or mite infestation.

Treatment with an anti-flea spot-on solution can help control this. In case of severe infestation, you may need to get a prescription-strength product from your vet. (Always read the instructions before using any medicine on your pet! Dog flea

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Bites and Scratches The mouth of a dog is full of germs – they’re constantly sniffing, licking, digging and chewing their way through their daily walk. Cats can scratch and dig with the best of them, as well as catching mice and birds. Is it any wonder that many bites and scratches become infected?

Untreated bite and scratch wounds can cause severe discomfort, and in extreme cases may require hospitalization. Yes, this is a zoonosis too – you’ve gotten this disease from an animal!

As long as we spend time with animals, there is the risk of catching a disease from them. Don’t panic common sense precautions and good hygiene are your best ally to prevent catching most diseases from pets!

Exotic animals are frequent culprits too – the NHS estimates that bites and injuries from reptiles caused 760 consultations, 709 hospital stays, and 2121 days in hospital for patients between 2004 and 2012!

The Truth about Toxoplasma No article on zoonosis would be complete without a mention of toxoplasma. This disease is responsible for a huge number of wrongly re-homed cats. I’ve heard people believe all kinds of things about toxoplasma. Some people think toxoplasma can cause harm to women and children. One gentleman informed me that he wanted to re-

home his cat, as a cat would cause his pregnant wife to die. (This is absolutely NOT true.)

eating them, and don’t drink unpasteurized milk.

Still worried? A blood test can Toxoplasma is a parasite – and check if you have ever been exposed cats can carry it. If a pregnant woman to toxoplasma.

Toxoplasma can be contracted from cat faeces

is infected with toxoplasma, her If you have, you’re safe – you unborn baby may suffer birth defects. can’t catch it twice.

Toxoplasma is transmitted through undercooked or contaminated meat, contaminated dirt, and cat faeces. Fortunately, the only way to catch toxoplasma is to eat it. You heard me – cook your meat thoroughly, and don’t eat cat poop!

Life, of course, isn’t risk free. As long as we spend time with animals, there is the risk of catching a disease from them.

Don’t panic - common sense precautions and good hygiene are your best ally to prevent catching most diseases from pets!

Handling your cat is perfectly safe. If you are pregnant – have someone else clean your cat’s litter tray; and have them wash their hands when they’re done. Dispose of the used litter and cat faeces promptly.

If you are pregnant and have to clean the litter tray, use gloves. Wash your fruit and veg thoroughly before

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PETS, PEOPLE, PRODUCTS

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