Pets

LOST AND FOUND AND REHOMING

Blandford & Sturminster Newton Branch Cats Protection

Cats looking for new homes: Milly (11) tabby/white timid fluffy girl looking for quiet home with no children Pepper (1) tortie sweet but very lively girl looking for home in safe location with no small children Arthur & Merlin (7mth) tabby brothers looking to home together

Our lost & found cats These are the most recent cats that have been lost or found please check out our Facebook page or give us a call. Lost Cats: Shaftesbury - Ginger tabby boy since 21/11 Found cats: If you are regularly seeing a cat in your garden or down your street that you don’t think has an owner please give us a call it might be a lost cat that could be reunited with its owner. Salisbury Rd / Damory Garage area of Blandford black unneutered boy.

We are still offering neutering and micro-chipping for £5 in postcode areas DT10, DT11, SP5, SP7, BH21 and now also in SP8 call 01258 268695

Milly Pepper Merlin & Arthur

Tel 01258 858644 blandford.cats.org.uk

BLANDFORD & STURMINSTER CATS PROTECTION

Loving homes needed for cats and kittens in our care.

For more details, please call our helpline 01258 858644 or visit our website: www.blandford.cats.org.uk

Sponsored by Longmead Veterinary Practice Ltd

Companions at Peace Pet Cremation

Independent family run business offering a very personal, caring pet cremation service to bereaved pet owners. Collection Service Farewell Room Out of Hours Service provided Located in a rural countryside setting on the Somerset Dorset border

Contact us on: 07900 654 440 www.companionsatpeace.co.uk

BEHAVIOUR TIPS

Tip#5 What’s in a name? Dogs have no concept of names. Just like any other word or cue we use with our dogs, to him a ‘name’ is just a sound that he has learned to recognise as having a specific meaning. What that meaning is, and whether it is positive or negative is entirely up to the owner. Your dog’s name is basically a means of getting his attention onto you briefly so you can then ask him to do something else (for which he may earn a possible reward). This is actually one of the easiest, but most important ‘cues’ we can teach our dogs. After all, if you can’t get his attention reliably when you call his name, you have little chance of him responding to more complex requests – not least because he may not even know you are talking to him! Practice calling your dog’s name in many different situations and - when he makes eye contact – throw him a low-value reward. Never, ever allow anyone to use his name as a reprimand or a nag, or to repeat it endlessly for no positive purpose – or your dog may quickly learn that his “name” is best ignored!.

Helen Taylor BSc(Hons) ADipCBM Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) Full Member APBC & APDT (881) 07951 985193 help@helentaylordorset.co.uk (incoming) or help@dorsetdogbehaviour.co.uk (outgoing) helentaylordorset.co.uk Helping your best friend to be even better...

Ask the vet... with Lynn Broom

Albi’s Poor Life Decision Albi had recently moved to his new house with his owners. Being an inquisitive three-month-old border collie puppy he thought he’d investigate his new garden. He found a length of knotted string and, in a moment of madness, he decided to swallow it. It was quite a long piece of string and... it had a long nail attached to the end of it. By late evening his owners realised that something was seriously wrong. Albi was normally the life and soul of the party and loved his food. But that night he was quiet, didn’t want to eat and was vomiting repeatedly. On presentation Albi still wagged his tail because of his friendly nature but it was clear that he was unwell. On palpation his stomach had a number of large hard lumps present. This turned out to be multiple knots of intestine which were being concertinaed by the string pulling tight. An X-ray revealed the abnormal gut and the nail. It was clear that he needed surgery right away. On anaesthetising him the string was found looped around the base of his tongue. This was effectively anchoring it and, as it was drawn through the gut by peristalsis, it was acting like a cheese cutter on the wall of the full length of his gut. This would rapidly destroy the gut wall and allow gut contents to leak in to his abdomen causing fatal peritonitis. The string was so knotted up it was stuck within the lining of the gut and could only be removed in short lengths. He needed seven incisions in to his gut from his stomach through to his colon. Luckily no leakage of gut contents had yet occurred and the intestines still looked healthy but gut surgery has a significant risk of complications. We kept a close eye on him all night and kept him topped up with lots of pain relief. Even after this all this he wagged his tail and enjoyed all the attention. He started eating the following day and went home shortly afterwards but became unwell again and we realised that he needed further surgery. A small area of his gut had died off and had to be removed. Incredibly he was eating well the day after his second surgery. He continued to make slow progress. Each day we worried that he was developing peritonitis because his damaged gut was very inflamed but his enthusiasm for life was evident in his fighting spirit and his love of food. He loved his regular cuddles with all the staff (vets, nurses and receptionists) Eventually 10 days after the original surgery and 5 days after his second surgery he was well enough to go home and went on to make a full recovery. Albi is now fully grown and still loves life. He is still adventurous and mischievous and still loves his food but (so far) has decided against eating anything as unsuitable as string ! Our patients and their owners often make a big impression on us and we can dwell on those who don’t make it despite our best efforts, but dogs like Albi and his lovely owners make it all worthwhile.

2 GREEN MALE BUDGIES. about 2 years old. Wanted female spangle budgie. 07902 815851

BLACK LAB BOY PUPPIES, 2 only. Kennel Club registered, parents working gun dog pedigrees, mother family pet, father Drakeshead stud dog. Both parents good hips, eyes, clear of hereditary conditions. Microchipped, 1st vaccination, health checked. Ready for new homes from Mon 13th December (8 weeks). YORKIEPOO PUPPIES for sale Tel 07734 447833 ready Christmas week, loving families only

BEAUTIFUL KC REG LABRADOR RETRIEVER PUPPIES. Good pedigree. 2 yellow boys, 1 black boy, 1 yellow girl. Microchipped, vaccinated, wormed and ready 20th December. Puppy pack, well socialised £1800 per puppy. Call 07717 216794. View with Mum in family home. KITTENS FOR SALE, very friendly, well handled £50 each & male guinea pigs at £10 & females at £20 Tel 01963 458199

DOBERMANN PUPPIES. 1 girl, 1 boy. 1st vaccination and microchipped, can be seen with mum at home. £1,300 each. 07896 173336

PUPPY CLASSES, beginners, home visits, behavioural consultations. Qualified, vetrecommended behaviourist, Helen Taylor, CCAB, Member APBC/APDT (881). helentaylordorset.co.uk 07951 985193. F1 COCKAPOO PUPPIES gold and blacks,dogs and bitches,ready from 4/1/2022. Phone 07976904175 KCREG BLACK LABRADOR PUPPIES. Ready 22nd December. Brought up in family home. Please call 07512 079972.

GORGEOUS COCKAPOO PUPPIES FOR SALE Ready 12/12/21 Please call for more details 07949 212210

LURCHER PUPS Smith coated both parents can be seen microchipped and fleaed Sturminster Newton £350 07710 795806.