It’s Halloween tomorrow! This means it’s very nearly fireworks time with many official events planned for this and next weekend.
Fireworks displays can be a terrifying time for pets with unpredictable loud bangs and flashes. Here are a few tips to help our pets feel less anxious on the night:
Walk dogs early and time evening toilet trips carefully to avoid getting caught out. Before fireworks start, bring your dog into a room in the house which acts as a place of safety for them. Somewhere calm and nowhere too busy. Their bed should be there as a safe, familiar resting place and also provides comforting smells. Bring their toys and a chew or some treats for distraction. Make sure windows and curtains are closed to muffle sound and light and pop the tv or some music on too. Stay with your dog for reassuring company. You can offer them a toy to see if they will engage in play but don’t force them. Keep calm and avoid reacting to the fireworks as dogs can pick up on owner anxiety. It’s important to be patient if your dog exhibits unwanted behaviours such as whining or pacing. Telling them off will only add to their distress.
Cats:
Keep cats in on fireworks evening, make sure cat flaps are locked shut and that you have a couple of clean litter trays positioned by the cat flap or in their normal toileting area. Cats are very good at taking themselves off to hide when frightened so make sure they have open access to potential hiding spots like under the bed, behind the sofa or even in cupboards or under the duvet! Leave them be rather than trying to coax them out. They will come back out when they are ready.
Small furries:
If housing outdoors, can you bring your pets’ hutch into the garage or a outside shed to act as a natural barrier? Nowhere too warm though as this can be detrimental to their health when you return the hutch outside. Consider putting carpeting or blankets over the hutch, with a gap to see out, to muffle sound and light. Make sure bedding is extra deep so that your small furries can burrow down and hide. Providing distraction toys is also a great idea.
Please do give us a ring on 01922 411755 if in need of any further advice on minimising pet stress at this time.
Wishing you and your pets a safe bonfire and fireworks night
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 Halloween at the end of this month (and, dare we say it, shops getting ready for Christmas!), chocolates are currently on sale in even more abundance! If you are buying in for trick or treating, please be sure to keep chocolatey treats well away from inquisitive canines. Milk and dark chocolates are made with cocoa solids which contain theobromine, a substance toxic to dogs. And the darker the chocolate, the higher the concentration of theobromine. The severity of chocolate poisoning depends on how much chocolate your dog has eaten, how big your dog is and the concentration of cocoa solids.
We strongly advise contacting your vet for advice if you know your dog has eaten chocolate. It’s really helpful if you have the wrapper with the ingredients list to hand. Here are Rolo and Mars who were in to see us recently for this very reason. We were able to act quickly and make them sick to prevent the toxins from taking effect. Even though they are fabulously named, no chocolate-eating allowed!
Use our poisons checker on our 387 Vets’ Advice 24/7 page for guidance on chocolate poisoning and a whole range of other toxins too.
And don’t forget, registered clients can use our VidiVet service to touch base with a vet for free. Great for concerns out of hours if you are unsure whether your pet needs to be seen as an emergency.
We wish all pets a happy, healthy chocolate-free Halloween!
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.
Happy British Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Day to our amazing reception team! Here are Laura, Angie and Nikki, today’s front of house reception team superstars! A shout out to Clare too who is off today, and Beth who is on maternity leave. We love you all!
The recognition day was first championed by the British Veterinary Receptionist Association (BVRA) in 2019 to recognise the importance, diversity and challenge of the veterinary receptionist role. As well as being the first port of call for owners contacting the practice, booking pets in, dealing with owner queries and following up appointment reminders, receptionists liaise with our clinical teams to offer administrative support and update records when pets join us from other practices. They unpack orders, rotate stock, help with preparation of items (food and meds orders) for collection, help with managing clinicians’ diaries and so much more. It’s an incredibly rewarding job seeing pets at set intervals on their life journey and getting to know pet owners. As well as being here to celebrate pet highs, team are also here to offer support at sadder times.
Thank you to our fabulous team for all you do to help support pets and pet owners and the rest of our 387 team. We would be truly lost without you.
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.
Maggie came in to see us as her owner suspected she had eaten a plum that had fallen into the garden from the neighbour’s tree and was anxious about the plum stone. As Maggie had potentially ingested the plum the day before, we scanned her to see if there was any evidence of seasonal snacking. Sure enough, the plum stone showed up nice and clearly on the scan. We gave poor Maggie something to make her sick and out came a 3.5cm long plum stone! Even though she didn’t think it at the time, it was lucky for Maggie that the stone emerged so easily as, had it become lodged, she would have needed surgery.
Do watch out for windfalls in the garden as eating plums and greengages can lead to problems further down the line for pets. Wasps are also partial to over-ripe fruit, and now we’re also coming into apple season, there will be more about to catch out unsuspecting inquisitive noses and paws.
If your pet is stung on the face, and especially in the mouth, please ring for veterinary advice immediately as swelling can restrict breathing and be dangerous for our four legged friends.
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.
We hope you and your pets have a happy, healthy long weekend wherever you may be and whatever you may be planning.
Both 387 Vets and The West Midlands Cat Clinic will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday. If you need to see a vet urgently when we’re closed, please continue to phone the practice and follow the answer machine instructions.
If you have a non urgent query, check out the advice pages on our websites for lots of guidance and support. All our registered clients also have access to our complimentary VidiVet facility – a 24/7 vet-led triaging service. You should have a PetsApp message or e-mail from us detailing how to set this up if you haven’t already. Great for checking if your pet needs to see a vet and how urgently.
We’re open as normal on Tuesday morning. Have a great weekend and fingers crossed the sun shines!
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.
