another Pet Talk Radio chat! introduced by Dolly!

This is 'Dolly' Morris, a really cute 12 week old English Bull Terrier, who I met recently for her vaccination. She would like to introduce my new chat show for Pet Talk Radio..... just click here!

Urban the Weimeraner with a tail!

This beautiful boy is Urban Rowe! He is a young adult Weimeraner WITH A TAIL! Another one of my delightful patients!

Dogs with tails!!

Since the ban on tail docking I'm glad to say that we are starting to see traditionally docked breeds growing up WITH THEIR TAILS- yippee!!
Above is a picture of one of my patients, NELL SHAWCROSS- a beautiful young Boxer WITH A TAIL!! This picture was taken in my consult room, a place that Nell loves because she gets lots of cuddles and wags her tail non-stop!!





This is an excerpt from my ebook 'Puppy Power' concerning the docking of dogs' tails-

Docking involves removing the whole or part of a puppy’s tail when it is only 3-5 days old without the use of anaesthetic. Contrary to popular opinion, a puppy CAN feel pain at this age and will generally react with whimpering, squealing, wriggling the tail stump or whole body and sometimes urination.

You may wonder why such a practice would ever be condoned and the answer is that historically it was performed as a ‘prophylactic measure’ – to prevent the risk of the dog injuring its tail during future work. In more recent times it has become merely the fashion for certain breeds, such as the Rottweiler.

In England and Wales there is now a complete ban on the docking of dogs’ tails with the only exception being for a few particular types of working dog which require specific certification, or for certain medical treatment.

In Scotland there is a complete ban on tail docking and it is not allowed for any reason whatsoever.

In Northern Ireland docking can still be performed on puppies but for truly prophylactic reasons only, and not merely on request or just because a dog is of a particular breed or type.

In those parts of the UK where tail docking is still legal under certain circumstances, it is ONLY a qualified veterinary surgeon that may perform the procedure: the challenge, however, is often finding one who is willing to, since over 90% of vets strongly object to the practice.

Any animal naturally born with a tail relies on it for a number of things, including:

Ø balance;

Ø communication;

Ø demonstrating mood and emotion.

In my opinion there is no justifiable reason for performing tail docking as a prophylactic measure since the dog experiences evident disadvantages and no genuine benefit. I am especially saddened when I see dogs which have been docked for purely fashionable reasons. I think dogs are most beautiful and magnificent with their tails, as nature intended them and would encourage anyone considering this practice (within the legal framework) to please, think again.

copyright Shanson Ltd 2008

You can get a copy of my ebook on the website veterinaryblonde!

Fleas- it's that time again!

What wondeful weather we're having!! I love the warm, sunny days. The only probem is that so do FLEAS!!
Fleas can be present all year round, it's just that the eggs hatch and the pupae develop faster in the warm, moist spring. Fleas are obviously really irritating and in some pets can actually cause allergic reactions- Flea Allergy Dermatitis is the most common cause of scratching and skin disease in cats and dogs. I have seen many cats and dogs driven mad with scratching just from fleas. Also their owners can suffer too from the flea bites!
Fleas can also transmit tapeworms so this is another reason to keep them under control.
Unfortunately I have also seen a few puppies and kittens actually DIE from anaemia caused by being covered in blood-sucking fleas.
Fortunately fleas are usually easy to deal with. There are brilliant, safe and effective products to kill fleas and protect against reinfestation available from your vet. There are also a range of products for the house too.
In my opinion, most pet shop products are a waste of money because they tend to be old fashioned products that fleas have become resistant to. I have had many exasperated clients come to the vet surgery to buy one of our products after wasting a fortune on ineffective pet shop products- a bit of a false economy really. Also the pet shop products are NOT safe to use in very young puppies and kittens so you must take these little ones to the vet if you have an obvious problem with fleas.
To increase awareness about fleas, Merial are launching 'National Flea Week' 19th-25th May. Check out their website for more information....
Have fun in this glorious weather and remember to protect your pets from fleas!

'Compassion for animals, passion for nature'