Cats-dogs.co.uk | Pet Advice

A Congleton couple are celebrating after 10 year old Collie Yoda found a new lease of life thanks to a “wonder formula” that they were asked to trial.

Elderly Yoda, increasingly in pain from arthritis, now spurts around their garden and runs everywhere with no sign of the crippling pain she was in before. Yoda is one of the first dogs in the UK to be given the natural fulvic acid-based formula after owners Cathy and John Dean noticed the animal was increasingly experiencing  difficulty walking far and only wanted to lie down.

“She went from being a lively dog that would walk as far as we could take her, to suffering from pain in her limbs and unable to walk very far at all. It was obvious she was in trouble,” said Cathy. “Border collies are used to running round a lot and she was looking really down. “Vets told us there was really nothing we could do for her as she was old and had arthritis.  We were told it would gradually get worse.”

Cathy, a well known Potteries area networker who runs the IBD Internet Business Directory,  met Stafford man John Challinor who was looking for dog owners to try out his new formula,  based on the human version of the naturally found fulvic acid, but with added vitamins. “We were desperate and said we’d try anything,” said Cathy. “We were a bit sceptical, but John assured us the formula - called The Pet Answer - was based on natural minerals  that so much of our food today lacks.  What a difference it made after just a month.  Yoda was jumping up and running everywhere she could; we just couldn’t hold her back.  All our friends are amazed at the turnaround; she’s a puppy again.”

Further information about the formula is on www.healthypetsdirect.co.uk or John Challinor can be contacted on 07957 882 997.

A new study by the University of Liverpool into treating osteoarthritis in dogs is in need of some willing participants.

Osteoarthritis, a debilitating disease of the joints leading to inflammation and gradual loss of cartilage, affects about 20% of dogs over the age of one.  Osteoarthritis, which can result in severe pain and lameness, is incurable but can be managed through a combination of medication, altered nutrition and exercise.

Now veterinary scientists at the University of Liverpool are undertaking a large scale study to compare the effects of two common licensed treatments for osteoarthritis in dogs.  The study needs dogs who are older than one year, weigh more than 10 kilos and have either been diagnosed with arthritis by their vet or whose owners believe they are suffering from arthritis.  Signs that dogs might be suffering from osteoarthritis include stiffness or a limp after rest, reluctance to go for walks, or slowing down while on walks or a noticeable limp.

Ben Walton, from the Small Animal Teaching Hospital, said: “We need around 100 dogs for this study which will be examining the effectiveness of two well-known treatments for canine osteoarthritis.  The dogs will take part for a twelve week period, and during this time medication will be dispensed at no charge to the owner.  The dog will need to visit the University of Liverpool’s Small Animal Teaching Hospital at Leahurst on the Wirral four times during the twelve week period for an evaluation by an orthopaedic vet.  The risk of side effects from the medication is low.”

If you are interested in taking part in this study then please contact Ben Walton at the Small Animal Hospital at the University of Liverpool’s Leahurst campus on 0151 795 6239 or by email ben.walton@liv.ac.uk.

On hot summer nights, man’s best friend will find it easier to cope with the heat, with the fantastic Canine Cooler from Soothsoft.

Overheating can be dangerous for dogs, so the non-electrical Canine Cooler is the perfect solution to keep temperatures down in the hot weather. The product cools and soothes your pet by dissipating heat from the blood supply running close to the surface of the body.

The Canine Cooler is easy to use and is activated by simply filling it with ordinary tap water. Once activated, it stays cool and is ready to use whenever you need it. Made from medical grade materials to provide safety and durability, the Canine Cooler is a high quality product designed to be effective and convenient. The soft, comfortable, flexible surface wipes clean and because the product does not melt or sweat it is suitable for use either at home, or when travelling in the car.

The Canine Cooler comes in three sizes:

Small (18” x 24”)
Medium (24” x 36”)
Large (36” x 48”)

Soothsoft has also introduced Canine Cooler Covers, to complement the Canine Cooler, which are available in three sizes and are treated with PERMAGARD® to prevent bacterial and fungal build up, to reduce odours and to enhance hygiene.

Available from http://www.personalcooling.co.uk/templates/page_01.php?cfp=page:SF0101&category=3&filter=Human&productgroup

We all want to keep our much loved pet safe, and there is no greater worry than losing them. It’s a sad fact that nearly 1000 pets go missing every day and only a small proportion of them ever find their way home. Pets can stray for a number of reasons; they can become spooked during thunder storms or firework season, wander too far from home or become a little too curious whilst out on a walk.

As collars can easily drop off, micro chipping your pet is a much more effective way of making sure they do not stray too far from home. However there is a wealth of information out there which can be very confusing.

There are lots of chips available and it can be hard to know which is best. Microchips can range vastly in terms of quality and readability so it is important to get the right one. It is also vital that there is a robust database available for the lifetime of your pet to ensure peace of mind and make sure your prying pooch or travelling tortoise can be found quickly.

You can micro chip any pet! From fish (yes really!) to skunks and even teddy bears (5 were chipped in 2003), our much loved animals are clearly very important to us.

So how can you cut through the information and get the basics about micro chipping? Fortunately we have pet veterinarian Emma Milne, along with Caroline Kisko of the Kennel Club, in our web TV show to answer all your questions on keeping track of your pet.

npower has been receiving visits from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association at sites across the north east of England to raise awareness of its services for blind and partially-sighted people.

Over the past two months staff from npower have been meeting guide dog owners and their respective guide dogs during selected lunchtime visits to its offices across the north east. Guide Dogs had previously been invited to the npower site in Worcester and was selected by npower to receive a £20,000 donation, which was used to sponsor four guide dog puppies through their training.

At these visits npower employees have been encouraged to sponsor a puppy, recycle for the charity and get involved in volunteering and payroll giving.

Nicola Wilson, Guide Dogs’ Development Fundraiser for the North said: “We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to visit the north east sites of npower. We’ve had an incredibly warm welcome so far and thanks to everyone’s support Guide Dogs will receive an extra £792 annually and we still have three more site visits to attend. npower and their staff have been extremely supportive of Guide Dogs and we simply cannot thank them enough for their continued generosity and support.”

“The dogs love all the attention they receive at these visits and the volunteers who dedicate their time enjoy answering all the queries and talking about their experiences as guide dog owners and/or volunteers.”

npower currently sponsor four guide dog puppies at Tibury power station and its offices in Swindon and Worcester. Orbie, a five month old golden Labrador is sponsored by the offices in the North East.

Gary Doig, npower’s Community Investment Manager in the North East said, “npower was delighted to sponsor our own guide dog puppy, Orbie, through the corporate charity committee. The Guide Dog visits to our North East sites will undoubtedly create a lot of interest amongst our employees, enabling them to learn more about the dogs themselves as well as increase awareness of the great work done by the charity. Hopefully Guide Dogs will also be able to recruit some future fundraisers from amongst our people.”

There are around 4,600 guide dog partnerships throughout the UK; each costing about £50,000. The charity relies entirely on voluntary donations to funds its guide dog service.

Nicola explained: “Without the help of employers and staff like npower, Guide Dogs couldn’t provide its services for visually impaired people.

“There are still thousands of blind or partially sighted people who never leave the house alone because they lack the confidence and support to do so. Guide Dogs want to change this and provide independence and freedom to every visually impaired person who needs it.”

www.mypetbook.co.uk is a New Website for all Pet and Animal lovers. One of the main contributors is TV wildlife presenter Chris Packham - excerpts from the new edition of his book ‘Chris Packham’s Back Garden Nature Reserve’ will be featured throughout the year. Mypetbook is just like Facebook but for pets! Pet lovers can put their pet pictures on the site free of charge and then make contact with other owners of similar animals. If they haven’t a pet, then members can register a wild pet in the form of a robin or a squirrel! This will help children learn more about wildlife and help in future garden wildlife surveys. Everyone who registers a pet will receive discount vouchers against pet products.

Apart from Chris’s news about his dogs Itchy and Scratchy - he talks about feeding birds and building nest boxes - the site has loads of interesting and informative articles including news from the Isle of Wight Zoo (Casper the white lion has just moved in), a what’s on spot (where members can publicise or learn about local pet and animal events), a community page, where there is a pet sitters group to join, or new groups can be created, a Vet’s corner where Paul Webster will answer health queries, free classified ads for pet owners should anyone have that old rabbit hutch to sell. There is also a Shopping Mall with everything an owner needs for their pet, and a gallery of pet and animal pictures and prints.

Chris will also pre-judge two photographic competitions-one for adults and the other for under 10s,with fabulous cameras as prizes. mypetbook fans will pick the winner from the top ten selected by him.

Celebrating the launch of the website, editor Rachel Benneworth (who has 2 goldfish, Rainbow and Nemo) said, “mypetbook will allow anyone passionate about pets and animals to spend fun and constructive time on the site sharing their photos and knowledge on every related topic from health to events and to learn from new friends as well as the experts - improving the life of their pets and wild animals into the bargain. If you don’t have a pet you can register a ‘wild pet ‘such as “Robbie the Robin”

Mypetbook caters for owners of all ages of cats, dogs, birds, rodents, horses, farm animals, fish, reptiles and wild pets.