This is beautiful Kiko all grown up! The one and a half year old Shiba Inu was in see us earlier this month. Here are photos our Registered Veterinary Nurse Paige took of Kiko over a year apart! Kiko is still a cutie and still has the most beautiful coat!
With temperatures set to soar this week, it’s important to help our canine companions stay cool. As well as helping them feel more comfortable, keeping dogs cool is important for avoiding heatstroke. Heatstroke occurs when a dog cannot cope with their internal rise in temperature and are no longer able to cool themselves down. Triggers are a hot environment or where they generate too much heat from exercise or a combination of the two.
As well as initial illness, heatstroke can result in tissue and internal organ damage and in severe cases can be fatal.
Signs to look out for include excessive panting and breathing issues, lethargy, dribbling, confusion, collapse, vomiting, diarrhoea and fitting. It’s very important you seek veterinary help immediately should you suspect your dog has heat stroke as the condition is a medical emergency. The clinical team will advise you on how best to support your dog on route to the vets. Dogs that are more susceptible to heatstroke include those with longer or thicker coats, older dogs, flat-faced dogs, particularly active dogs, overweight dogs or dogs with health issues.
In warmer weather, walk dogs early in the morning or in the evening when it’s cooler, take a collapsible water bowl with you so your dog can hydrate on route and avoid over exertion. Pavements will be cooler at these times of day for protecting pet paws.
Ensure dogs have plenty of access to fresh water at all times. At home, why not add ice cubes to your dog’s water bowl to keep water cooler for longer. Cool mats are a great option for dogs to lie on, as are damp towels, should they choose. Ensure there are cool, shaded areas they can access both inside and out. You could even put up a doggy paddling pool in the garden.
If travelling with your dog, avoid hotter times of the day. Ensure the car is well ventilated or that the air conditioning is on and that dogs are shaded from the sun. It’s advisable to make frequent stops to check on your canine companion and to let them out to stretch their legs and rehydrate. Never leave your dog in a parked car, even with the windows open, as temperatures can soar scarily quickly.
We hope your canine companion has a happy healthy summer, but if you have any health concerns, please do give us a call.
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
Just as we have regular check ups at the dentist, it’s really important that pets’ teeth and gums are checked routinely to ensure our four legged companions are enjoying good periodontal health. We check pet oral health at annual vaccination appointments and at various other pet visits to the vets. However, as an owner, it’s worth knowing issues to look for that may require more of an impromptu trip to the vets!
Common signs that your pet may be suffering dental or mouth pain include rejecting dog biscuits or treats, chewing on only one side of the mouth, taking more time over food, increased drooling, pawing at the mouth and even a reluctance to play or increased grumpiness. You may notice your pet’s breath smells less than fresh, or if you can safely lift up their lip to inspect the gums, that they look red and angry or may even be bleeding. Teeth may exhibit discolouration. When plaque – a clear sticky film on the tooth that hangs on to bacteria – collects, this leads to gum disease and tooth decay. When left, plaque deposits calcify, becoming hard tartar as shown in the accompanying photo. This needs professional removal.
As we know, gum disease and tooth decay can be incredibly painful, so please do visit a vet if you’re concerned about your pet’s oral health in any way for the wellbeing of your pet. For dogs, we offer a scale and polishing service run by our qualified RVNs and use an ultrasonic scaler to clean teeth. We’ll also probe beneath the gum line whilst your dog is under anaesthesia to check for any hidden pockets that may harbour bacteria and cause subsequent problems. For any teeth that cause concern, we’ll x-ray as part of the service and advise on any further treatment as necessary.
It may, however, be that your pet needs veterinary dental care. We’re proud that our vet Selenia has a Postgraduate Qualification in Small Animal Dentistry and is brilliantly placed to carry out more complex dental procedures in practice.
As a preventative measure, regular tooth brushing using a pet friendly toothpaste will help reduce pet dental disease. Please ask us for advice on how best to encourage your pet to tolerate this. Check out the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s website for other strategies to help reduce periodontal disease in pets.
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
This is Staffie puppy Buster enjoying lovely impromptu cuddles with our Registered Veterinary Nurse Amy. Amy had been chatting to Buster’s mum a few weeks previously when mum had been in with her other dog Luna. At the mention of a new puppy addition to the family, Amy made sure she was available to pop out and say hello when baby Buster was due in for his vaccs. What an adorable snuggly cutie pup!
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
With the 10-day forecast showing lovely sunshine ahead, it’s a great opportunity for you and your pets to enjoy the great outdoors! Do, however, bear in mind that our furry friends may need a bit of extra consideration at this time to ensure they stay happy and healthy in this late-Spring warmth.
Even if it doesn’t feel truly summery yet, it’s important not to leave dogs unattended in cars in warm weather. A pleasant temperature outside can still create an oven environment in the car. Conservatories can be hot-house danger zones too. Give pets the opportunity to move away from sunshine and heat and to rest in a cooler environment should they choose. Cats will love shady spots in the garden which you can create simply by putting out a chair or your patio furniture, or by introducing pet-friendly shade-casting shrubs. If you have small furries in outdoor hutches, consider how the sun moves during the course of the day, so there’s no point at which they’ll be in full glare.
Hydration is important as the weather warms up. Putting out extra bowls with fresh water means your pets will never be too far from a hydration station at home.
And if you feel you need to apply suncream, consider whether your pets need protection too. Hairless breeds and white-furred dogs and cats are prime candidates for sunburn where there is exposed skin. Avoid by applying pet-friendly sunscreen appropriately, and remember the tips of the ears!
Hoping you and pets make the most of the wonderful May sunshine!
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
With today being the 80th anniversary of VE Day in Europe, many of us will be commemorating the date in some way, with VE Day events planned locally, nationally and internationally.
It’s a particularly significant day to champion the important role that dogs and cats played in World War II in serving and protecting their nation. Whilst cats were often used for pest control, dogs were employed as guards of posts and supplies, to act as messengers, to transport medications to injured soldiers and to undertake search and rescue activity. Some dogs were even trained to jump out of planes alongside their platoon! All animals played an important role in boosting general morale.
As part of their schools education programme, the Dogs Trust tells the remarkable story of Sarge the dog and his role in WWII. Determined to find care for him after their house was badly damaged in a bomb blast in 1941, Sarge’s family offered their dog to the Civil Defence Service as a way of ensuring he would be looked after. The Civil Defence Service pledged to return dogs to their owners after the war.
Sarge went from domestic pet to search and rescue hero in the Blitz. When he alerted his handler to an unexploded bomb, Sarge then went on to international acclaim, being sent to France to clear the area for the D-day landings in 1944 and remaining abroad, saved countless human and doggy colleagues overseas with his keen instinct and heroics. When he eventually returned to Britain, Sarge was reunited with his family who couldn’t believe the activity their family pet had undertaken. A true doggy hero. Click here to read about Sarge’s story in more detail.
Pets continue to play a hugely significant role in our lives today as companions who have the ability to make life feel better all round. Many have more formal roles in supporting the wider community.
Do give a special hug to your pet today to thank them for their companionship, and also in remembrance of the valiant efforts of their ancestors in helping to shape the lives we lead today.
Photo of dog sniffing out Blitz survivors: Imperial War Museum
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
