NATIONAL PET MONTH

As well as stress awareness month, I have now realised it is pet month! Being a vet, I though I’d discuss a bit of pet care and also give you some cheeky offers on some cute pet stuff!

Firstly, I have two pets,Shirley Bassey and Jimmy Morrison. Both are rescue cats and both have completely different characters. Shirley was 6 weeks old when the RSPCA brought her in to my clinic. She had been kicked in the head and so this tiny 500g creature was blind and disorientated. I tried all night to nurse the poor thing with pain killers, anti-inflammatories, warmth and good nutriton. The next day during examinations, I couldn’t believe her sight had returned! I had to take her home! I remember plonking her down on my mum and dad’s kitchen floor saying, “I’ve got us a new cat” and that was that. I had to teach her how to eat. The only injury that remains is a lack of smell and she is a bit odd but that makes her character!

Jimmy was carried in to the clinic by some kids who said he’d been hanging round for a while. He had no microchip so I castrated him and gave him flea and worm treatment but he was petrified being in the clinic so I decided to foster him, which of course turned into owning him 🙂 he loves Shirley but she just doesn’t get it haha

On to your pets….My number one suggestion would be, do you research. If you are planning on getting a pet then read, read and read! The second thing I’d suggest is get pet health insurance! They do not have an nhs like we do so all their medical treatment will need to be paid for, and medicine costs money!

If you are planning on getting an exotic pet please, please research as these are the little guys that upset me most. They need so much care to get the husbandry correct and we see many health concerns if it is not.

The next thing I would say, especially for dogs is be the boss and socialise them like crazy! The amount of anxious dogs I see is insane! Sure it’s heightened in the clinic, but I see dogs who are noise phobic or scared of being left alone etc. Fear can become aggression but, if you take the time to introduce them to everything when they are young you should get a happy dog, not phased by much.

Lastly, learn first aid and prevenative care. Learn to brush their teeth from when they are babies, cut their nails and look down their ears etc. they are like little children, this all needs to be done. So many people dont realise this. If you do this it will prevent so many health issues and also when they come to us vets, they are so used to it it isn’t at all scary.

HERE ARE SOME DISCOUNTED PET SUPPIES YOU LUCKY LOT: