Have your pets got isolation boredom?
Bilton Vets • March 29, 2020
Enrichment for Dogs and Cats
With people being severely limited in terms of being able to go outside at the moment, pet's routines are being disrupted across the county. Some animals are getting far less exercise than they are used to as well as possibly finding it unusual that their human owners are around the house more often than normal.
We thought we'd share some ideas about how to keep your dog or cat’s mind occupied while you’re self-isolating…
Games
Dig out your pet’s favourite toy and get playing! This will help to strengthen the bond between you. You can also involve food, using treats as rewards to keep your pet engaged. We do suggest that if you are giving more "treats" than normal, you reduce the amount of actual food they have at mealtimes. Otherwise we are predicting an obesity epidemic coming out the other of this! The Blue Cross have compiled a fun list here of games you can play.
Tricks
Got some time to kill? Make the most of it and teach your pet some tricks. There some good guides at myfamilypet.co.uk
and loveyourdog.com.
Reward-based training is fun and will help to keep your dog or cat mentally stimulated. Again, make sure that you don't use any items that could cause your dog harm or injury!
Reward-based training is fun and will help to keep your dog or cat mentally stimulated. Again, make sure that you don't use any items that could cause your dog harm or injury!
Interactive toys
You don’t need to spend every waking moment with your pet. If they’re full of energy but you’re busy, try an interactive toy.
Kongs or puzzle feeders turn mealtimes into playtime for your dogs, and you can get puzzle toys for cats too. Here is a great list of things that you may be able to buy online for your cat.
You can also make toys! Got some extra cardboard lying around? Your cat will love to play with it. Egg boxes with Dreamies hidden inside can keep cats occupied for ages!
Kongs or puzzle feeders turn mealtimes into playtime for your dogs, and you can get puzzle toys for cats too. Here is a great list of things that you may be able to buy online for your cat.
You can also make toys! Got some extra cardboard lying around? Your cat will love to play with it. Egg boxes with Dreamies hidden inside can keep cats occupied for ages!
Search and Sniff
If your dog is a natural explorer, try tossing a handful of small treats across the lawn or your living room and watch them sniff their way around.
If you’re wary of overfeeding your dog, you can play search and sniff games with their toys too. Just spray their toys with something that smells strongly, such as sage or lavender. When your pet starts to associate the smell with the toy, you can hide it in different places and let them have fun searching for it.
You can also play "hide-and-seek", where you get your pet to wait in a different room, and then hide a serious of treats around the rest of the house. Encouraging them to use their brains and their noses can make a great game, especially with children involved too!
A comfy bed
Rest is important, so make sure your dog’s bed is extra comfy. Cats like high places so they can see what’s going on; be sure to put their scratching post by the window if you can. Or set up a resting place somewhere high up
...and some alone time!
Now that you're spending more time than usual with your pet, try to make an extra effort to give them some alone time - this will help prevent them suffering from separation anxiety when things go back to normal. If your pet is sleeping peacefully or playing on their own, leave them to it! Classical Music has been shown to have a soothing effect on some animals, and Classic FM have done their own pet program too!
If you have any other ideas - let us know below and we will add them as we go along!!
The law is changing later this year to ensure that all cats are microchipped by 10th June 2024. To help cat owners out, we are doing microchipping at a discounted rate of £18 for cats until this date.
The recent government announcement abut the changes in legislation regarding XL Bully Dogs (American Bulldog XL) has naturally got people quite concerned. Here we have tried to clarify what the implications of this mean.
Heat stroke can be fatal if not managed properly. There is a lot of incorrect advice online about how to manage this condition, so this month's blog sets the record straight. How to prevent and what to do in an emergency.
With all the fun of the festive period - please be aware that we usually see a massive increase in problems caused by our pets indulging in food/treats that are not suitable for them and can make them very unwell.
In the second of her series looking at the role of animals in war, vet nurse Meg Gardner looks at life in the
trenches for the men and dogs of Twenty-two Company King’s Fusiliers. An uncompromising tale of life on the front line in 1916, as told from the perspective of the dogs who lived and worked alongside the soldiers of the British Forces. A tale of loyalty and friendship, hardship and loss. As both men and dogs face the horrors of warfare, an unexpected arrival in the trenches shows both dogs and men the value of compassion.
Animals coming to the vets can often be very stressed and anxious and this can have a negative effect on the pet, the veterinary team and the pet's owners. Trying to reduce this fear can lead to a better outcome for everybody involved and medication often forms part of this process.
Nowadays, there is some uncertainty with owners of some dogs with behaviour issues, as to whether neutering is the right option for them. There is a temporary option available with these animals to "test the water". Read more to learn about how this approach may help you.
As November incorporates Remembrance Sunday, Nurse Meg Gardner reflects on the role that animals have played in prevoius conflicts - especially World War I.
Why we are running a COVID Catch-up vaccination clinic. How it will benefit you, your pet and our practice as well!
Pets owners are being made aware of a scam from a pet microchip database company that isn't on the UK Government list of approved providers. Please read on to find out more...
