Out and About Spring 2021

lifestyle

Out&About

PET TALK

The words dogs love the most

Visiting the vet doesn’t have to be stressful Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been taking pets into the practice without their owners. We were unsure about how your pets would react to going in alone, but we haven’t had as many problems as we anticipated. It could be that they are not picking up on their owner’s worries or that they enjoy the fuss they are given when they come inside. Our vets are consulting as normal and are assisted by our team of nurses and nursing assistants to help reassure the patients. Business as usual may be a while off, but we are glad that it doesn’t seem to be having a negative impact on your pets. Here are some things you can do to make a vet visit less stressful for your pet: Cats – For a routine visit it’s a good idea to get the cat carrier out a week in advance. Many cats will vanish the morning of the appointment, so having the carrier out a week in advance with a nice blanket that has a smell they recognise, some tasty treats and a happy cat pheromone sprayed in it will help to reinforce a positive reaction. Cats love to hide in dark places so turn it into a calming space to hide. Dogs – Show your dog that it can be a positive experience. It is a good idea to get them used to various parts of their body being examined. Practice handling them at home with lots of praise and rewards for good behaviour. Get them used to you touching their: • Ears, eyes and mouth; • Feet and legs; • Back and tail; • Scruff area Veterinary staff are very used to comforting stressed dogs so try and relax so you don’t send stressed vibes down the lead. Rabbits and guinea pigs – These small furries are much happier with their friends around. If you can, bring companions in together even if you only have a problem with one of them. The unwell one will feel much calmer with their friend by their side. As well as this, make sure to put some tasty treats like fresh veg in their carrier so they can munch away while they are out of their hutch.

And these breeds were the most excited by ‘happy’ commands 1: French Bulldogs,

We all know our faithful hounds respond to certain words and the top ones will come as no surprise. The word most loved by pooches is ‘walkies’, raising heart rates to 156 BPM.

with each command

increasing their resting heart rate by 28 per cent. 2: Beagles increase their average resting heart rate by 26 per cent. 3: The native German Rottweiler has an average increase heart rate of 23 per cent. 4: Labrador Retrievers after hearing ‘walkies’, ‘treat’, and other commands, showed an average increase of 21 per cent. 5: The Dachshund – more commonly known as the Sausage Dog – has an 18 per cent heart rate increase when hearing happy commands.

The world ‘walkies’ had an average resting increase of a whopping 36 per cent. The words ‘dinner’, ‘food’, and ‘eat’ increased our household pups’ heart rates to 152 BPM, an increase of 32 per cent. The survey was carried out by OnBuy who spoke to 4,389 pet owners across the UK to uncover their dogs’ favourite words. After the top phrases were discovered, they then analysed the heart rates of each dog once each phrase was mentioned.

Little homes for butterflies and bees Spring is here, the flowers are starting to grow, the sun stays a little longer each day and nature flourishes all around us. Some of nature’s most beautiful creatures show us their patterns and glide through the air, dancing effortlessly as they go about their day. Without the butterflies and bees 90 per cent of wild plants wouldn’t be here. We all love to watch them hop from plant to plant as they work hard. While some people have gardens and others have limited space these ingenious homes can be attached to any shed, post or even an outside wall. Above: Little Butterfly House costs £15 from Urban Outfitters Right: Little Bee House costs £10 from Trouva

Lucy Mapplebeck, Donnington Grove Vets

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O&A SPRING 2021