Pet Safety Awareness – Foxtail Grass the Weed that can Kill Dogs!

The foxtail plant is a common weed-like long tall grass often found in large fields and countryside in the UK. The changeable British weather offers the perfect conditions for foxtail grass to flourish and set within rolling countryside conditions, this sounds like the ideal walking environment for our four-legged friends. WRONG! Foxtails in fact are one of the most dangerous plants that our animals can face during a walk, made even more harmful due to the fact that most people wouldn’t think twice about letting their dogs run around a field of long grass.

So what is so dangerous about this long-style grass with the fluffy-tail top? Well it is the ‘tail’ of the foxtail plant that causes the most hazardous symptoms, as foxtails travel and when they do they can become burrowed into your dog’s soft skin! The danger of the foxtail goes beyond simple skin irritations, it can cause serious infections for your dog. In addition, the seeds can move around whilst inside your dog, making the foxtail difficult to locate and remove. So what are the other dangers that fox tails can cause and what do you do if you suspect your dog may be at risk?

Foxtails
Foxtail Safety Tips – Credit Red and Howling

Foxtail Risks and Symptoms

  • Feet – Foxtails love to become stuck in the tender skin in between your dog’s toes. If your dog begins limping, appears to have a swollen foot or begins licking excessively in this area, check in between their toes for foxtails.
  • Ears – Foxtails can become deeply embedded into the ear canal and if your dog is displaying the following symptoms then you will need to visit your veterinary practice. If your dog begins vigorously shaking their head or scratching their ear incessantly, then they could have a foxtail in there.
  • Eyes – If your dog has a red eye, appears to have swelling of the eye or is itching around the eye area, they could have a foxtail stuck in there. In this instance you will need to visit a professional vet so that they can examine your dog’s eye thoroughly and remove it.
  • Nose – Foxtails can become lodged up inside the nasal passage and the seeds can then disperse inside the nose. If your dog is sneezing a lot or if you see discharge coming from the nose, they may have a Foxtail stuck in there.
  • Genitals – Foxtails can become lodged in this area too, so if your dog seems to be in great discomfort in this area contact your veterinary practice for an appointment.

Dogs with long coats and long ears are particularly prone to getting foxtails lodged within them. So what can you do to prevent this from happening to your dog? May to December is foxtail season, so perhaps consider cutting your dog’s fur short during the warmer months, so that any foreign objects can be spotted quickly.  Examine your dog’s body on a regular basis to check for anything that shouldn’t be there. Check your dog’s paw pads and in between the toes and also your dog’s nostrils. If you notice a foxtail up your dog’s nose you can use a pair of tweezers and gently attempt to remove it, if it doesn’t come lose DO NOT LEAVE IT!

Foxtails can become lodged in your dog’s brain, lungs and spine and cause them serious damage and in severe cases it can cause death. If you are in any doubt avoid fields with long grass and if you think your dog has a foxtail stuck in them and you cannot remove it, then seek professional veterinary assistance immediately.

Scamps and Champs are one of the country’s leading Pet Care Service companies, we offer caring and reliable animal care for when you can’t be there. Check out our services and availability in your area. If we can assist you in anyway please do contact us.

Not Simply a Dog Walking Service – Pet Care in Reigate Offers you Advice for your Pets in the Heat!

Well what a beautiful Easter weather we are having but whilst it makes all the difference to us humans and raises those spirits from the gloomy winter months. Please do remember the effect it has on your much loved pets, something I and the Scamps and Champs Reigate team are so conscious of and make sure all our clients have the support if they you unable to be there during the day. The continuing changeable weather also makes it challenging for pets to acclimatise to the heat, making sudden, un-seasonal hot spells even more dangerous.

Dogs rely on panting as their main method of cooling – but it only controls body temperature up to a point. As temperatures and humidity rise, panting is no longer able to cool them and it can lead to potentially fatal heatstroke. I am sure by now we are all well aware of the dangers of leaving dogs in cars during warm weather, but Scamps and Champs Reigate pet care services just wanted to reiterate with some handy advice on keeping your pets safe when the temperatures rise.

Don’t leave animals in cars even in the shade, car temperatures can increase quickly and as the sun moves and shade disappears the internal car temperature will rapidly increase. Leaving windows partially open has little effect on car temperature, Instead, if you are stuck in traffic or travelling, have the air conditioning on to keep the car cool and make sure windows are shaded from direct sunlight. Ideally, leave your dog at home in hot weather, however be conscious that conservatories and greenhouses can have similar affects to cars.

Avoid the hottest part of the day it’s best for pets not to stay outside in the hottest part of the day. Take dogs for walks in cooler parts of the day in the early morning or evening and avoid any strenuous exercise in the heat. Cats need shade and water too in fact all pets need access to cool water and shade to keep their temperature down don’t forget your small furries like rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs. If your pet is unfit, obese or suffers from a respiratory disorder, you should be particularly careful exercising in hot or humid conditions.

You should ideally make sure you supervise activity as pets themselves won’t know when to stop in the sun. Scamps and Champs Reigate dog walking and pet care services will be happy to help with this even if it is just to pop in to check up on your loved ones and make sure they are keeping cool.

What to do if you suspect your pet has heatstroke Signs: Rapid, heavy breathing, lack of energy, decreased urine production, bulging eyes, and the tongue appearing long and dark red. Vomiting and/or diarrhoea can follow. If you think your dog has heatstroke, get it to a vet as quickly as possible. Avoid using ice or very cold water as this can cause blood vessels on the skin surface to constrict and reduce effective cooling. It can also cause shivering which can create more heat from the muscles. Key areas to cool are the neck, abdomen and inner thighs with lukewarm water or water-soaked towels. It is important that you do not over cool your dog, as this can lead to shock – a lack of blood supply to vital organs – so using lukewarm water is important. Out and about, cool surfaces, shade, air conditioning in cars and fans can also aid cooling. Even if the dog is cooled, veterinary treatment is still key to allow more targeted treatment and monitoring to occur.

I am sure all your pets are always looked after and you would never allow them to be overheated but I just wanted to put this together so you know if you are having to go out and you are worried and you have pets in the Reigate, Redhill, Banstead, Dorking and surrounding villages please do get in touch and Scamps and Champs Reigate branch will do all we can to help.

To learn more about our pet care services in Reigate and the surrounding areas including; dog walking, dog sitting, cat sitting, overnight pet sitting and our wedding pet chaperone service. Simply visit Scamps and Champs Reigate.

To ask us a question, to get in touch or to check service availability, simply complete our online form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Puppy Visits – Care When You Can’t be there!

Bringing a puppy into the family is an extremely exciting time for everyone and something that millions of us do each year. However, with work commitments, children and day-to-day life being hectic, we can’t always be home 24/7 to keep our puppies company.

Whilst there are gadgets readily available, such as ‘puppy camera’s’ to help monitor your pup whilst you are out, nothing beats some good old fashioned company!

Puppies between 8 and 12 weeks will need additional care and attention, as they often need 3 meals a day, they are not toilet trained and they seek companionship now that they are away from their mothers.

Puppies this young need to be taken out to the toilet once an hour whilst you are home and should not be left for more than a maximum of 2 to 3 hours at a time. Accidents are still common at this age and therefore bedding and blankets need to be checked and changed frequently, to ensure your puppy has a dry surface to lie on.

Getting your puppy into a routine is vital at this age and therefore keeping 3 consistent meals a day at the same time, is important for their digestive system. Their brains are like sponges and therefore getting them into a daily routine early on is important for establishing good behaviour in the home.

Puppies can suffer from separation anxiety when they are really little and whilst it is good for them to be left for short bursts of time, so that they can get used to being left. You really don’t want to be leaving them for more than a couple of hours alone at this stage.

Finally, the sooner you commence socialisation for your puppy the better! As they may not have had completed their vaccinations at this stage, taking your puppy for walks or socialising them with other dogs may not be an option yet.

Our puppy visiting team are a group of animal care professionals, who are fully trained and DBS checked. They can come into your home whilst you are out and regularly check on your puppy.

Our friendly and reliable puppy visiting service means that your dog can be given meals, fresh water, taken out for toilet breaks, enjoy some fresh air in your garden, bedding can be changed where necessary and best of all we provide company and plenty of cuddles.

Our animal care team can come and visit you in your home and provide a personalised service to suit your puppy’s needs. We will tailor our visits to suit your individual requirements and we can come as frequently as you need us to.

To learn more about Scamps and Champs Puppy Visiting Service in your local area, to ask a question or make an enquiry, simply complete our quick and easy online form.

Then one of our dedicated team will get back to you shortly!

Well-being Dogs in Schools can Reduce Stress and Assist Positive Mental Health in Students

There is a new kind of pawsome pal in town, the ‘school well-being dog!’ It’s a new concept to many of us but it is an incentive that has been publically recommended by the Education Secretary Damian Hinds, who says that more and more schools seem to be accepting ‘well-being dogs’ into their school communities and that ‘pets can really help!’ But what is a well-being dog, how can it benefit students and how does a school obtain one?

Firstly, it is important to outline the issues that pupils face, as this ultimately sets the foundational needs for a well-being dog to come into the school community. Students feel an increased pressure via social media to appear ‘perfect’ and this can lead to online bullying, where students can feel they have no escape even once they go home from school. This can be extremely difficult for young individuals and lead to adolescent mental health issues such as; self-harming, depression, anxiety and eating disorders.

Bringing a pet into the school is said to increase a sense of well-being and safety for students, which in turn can have a positive effect on their mental health. Students can relate to animals and they have a soothing presence within the school environment. Mental health is an issue that needs to be addressed in schools and the emotional well-being of students needs to be developed, so that they can cope in later life.

Well-being dogs are a low-cost effective solution to assisting young people with feeling safe within the school and improving their mental health. Students can empathise with animals in a way that they can’t always with other humans and this develops their emotional well-being. Having a dog in school can be an uplifting experience and assist individuals in feeling more relaxed, confident and ability to cope with challenging situations.

So how does a school obtain a well-being dog? Well there are large national companies which specialise specifically in rearing well-being dogs from puppies, there are also independent well-being dog handlers, who you can search for locally to your school. A school can seek out contact and commence communications with regards to how often the dog would be in school and which dog would suit the specific school environment. Once a suitable agreement is in place then parents will be contacted to seek written permission for their child to be involved in the well-being dog sessions, parents have the choice to opt out their child at this stage.

Then once all of the permission slips have been received back, the dog can begin coming into schools. Often dogs will start as puppies so that they can get used to their new school environment, simultaneously with the pupils getting used to their new pawfect pal! The dog can sit in the entrance of school and greet everyone as they come into class and then the well-being dog can usually roam around the school freely for a period of time, interacting with students!

One thing is for sure well-being dogs are well and truly perceived as part of the school community and positive interactions between the children and dog are welcomed and encouraged. At Scamps and Champs we think it is a fantastic idea both for the dog’s socialisation and for the emotional support and development of the children. Allowing dogs and children to interact positively will allow children who don’t have any animals at home, to reduce any anxieties they may have and support their confidence development.

To find out more about Scamps and Champs services or to ask us a pet care related question, simply complete our short online enquiry form.

Animals in the Workplace – Increases Productivity and Reduces Stress

It is not uncommon for businesses to allow pets into their offices these days, with many companies actually including the perk within their job advertisements to attract potential new employees.

Large companies like Google openly accept pets in the work place, where they are even welcome at business meetings. It is also common for a large number of Dutch companies to allow animals into the work environment too. A decade ago it was virtually unheard of to allow pets into the workplace, so why has this change of heart occurred and what benefits does having animals in the office have for us?

A wide set of studies have proven that when a dog is in the office that human cortisol levels are reduced, demonstrating a reduced level of stress. In addition, tests show that when physically stroking a dog humans have an increased level of the hormone oxytocin, making us feel more relaxed and happy.    

Some people believe pets can be a positive addition in many other ways too! Pets are said to be good for team morale and can boost energy levels on a tough or busy work day. Furthermore, pets can provide a fantastic ‘ice-breaker’ if you are finding it difficult to talk to one of your fellow colleagues.

Animals are universally loved and can therefore provide a mutually beneficial topic of interest. When you have your pet present at work with you, you may find people you have never even spoken to before stop by and want to say hello to your furry-friend, providing you with the perfect opportunity to get to know new people too.

Having your canine companion with you at work can make you feel more at ease and confident, therefore combining that with the improvement in communications once you have your pet with you, clinching ‘that deal’ will be a lot easier!

OK, so dogs are the obvious choice for a puptastic office pal, but don’t be deceived! Lots of people are now taking their feline friends into work now too. After all, cats absolutely love company and lots of attention too! Having a furry cat sitting purring on your lap can be really soothing and relaxing for both of you. Meaning you are productive and focussed in the workplace with your kitty by your side. Puurrrrfect!

So are any other animals acceptable in the work place? Well a hamster might not quite have the same effect as a cat or dog in terms of ‘cuddle-ability’ but if you are looking for a low-maintenance office companion, then a hamster could be the answer for you! Fish have well-known relaxing qualities and could produce a colourful and quiet, soothing addition to the office!

So with so many companies desperate to take on animal lovers – what are you and your pawsome pals waiting for?

Check out Scamps and Champs full range of pet care services, also contact us with any questions or to make an enquiry.

Are You in Breach of Rule 57 of the Highway Code?

Whilst millions of us in the United Kingdom drive with our canine companions in the car with us every day, can we all be sure that we are doing so safely? Recent research suggests that a large proportion of dog owners are unaware of the correct safety procedures required for transporting their four-legged friends in the car, suggesting that many of us are breaking Rule 57 of the Highway Code and therefore could face fines of up to £5,000 for careless driving with an unrestrained pet. So what is Rule 57 and what does it mean for pet owners?

Rule 57 of the Highway Code states that all animals when travelling in a vehicle on the road need to be suitably restrained so that they cannot cause any distraction to drivers, injure you or be injured themselves should you need to perform an emergency stop. Therefore, if your dog is not suitably and safely restrained within your vehicle, they potentially could cause a triple threat to drivers, other road users and themselves. 

Whilst Rule 57 does not state outright the methods of restraint, it is suggested that however well-behaved your dog is when loose in the car, that if unrestrained it could still potentially cause one or more of the potential threats above. Therefore, if you do not use one of the following safety methods for your pet in the car then it is assumed you are in breach of Rule 57 of the Highway Code. So what methods are suitable and which pets would these be suitable for? Scamps and Champs cover the main methods of vehicle restraint for pets below in our helpful four-step guide.

1.Existing Seatbelts 

Existing seatbelts for us humans can also be useful for our pets. They are already there and don’t cost you a penny – so why not use them? Seatbelts can be used to securely fasten cat boxes, small animal carriers and dog crates firmly in place on the back seat of the car. Whilst you can carry animals in the front of the car physically, it is not recommended as they can cause distraction to the driver and potentially come to severe harm should there be an accident.

2. Pet Seatbelts

Pet seatbelts can be purchased from veterinary practices, retail pet stores and online. They are readily available from multiple sellers on stores such as www.amazon.co.uk and www.ebay.co.uk. In addition, if you have an existing safety method in place and you are willing to wait a few weeks for your product to arrive, pet seatbelts can be purchased via these websites from sellers based within the product’s manufacturing country. So if cost is an issue for you there is an option available for everyone, as a quality product can be purchased for as little as £1 including postage and will be delivered directly to your home from China, for example, providing premium pet safety at a bargain cost. So there is no excuse not to have your pets safely secured and to travel in accordance with the Highway Code.

3. Harnesses

You can purchase harnesses for most animals, however this option would be most suitable for your dogs. Harnesses are widely available in stores and online, at a variety of prices and in a variety of styles. The important thing is to ensure that you purchase the correct size for your dog, or this can be a safety issue for your beloved pet in itself. It is recommended that you use a harness and not a pet seatbelt attached to a collar, as if an emergency stop were to occur you need your pet’s body to remain secure. If the full impact of an emergency stop was to occur with your pet attached via its collar then this could cause significant and even fatal damage to your pet’s neck and therefore this isn’t viewed as an acceptable method of restraint.

4. Crates or Animal Carriers

Smaller animals are best to be transported in a crate or animal carrier, as they provide less room for movement and also block the visual elements of the road, which can be extremely frightening for small animals. In addition, the more secure exterior provides additional safety for your animals in the event of an accident and can be additionally secured to the car seat with your existing seatbelts in order to minimise movement.

So you have been suitably informed on Rule 57 of the highway code and the suitable methods of safety restraints for animals, including cost effective options available to everyone, you can all enjoy traveling with your pets safely! Happy travelling pet-lovers!

For further safety advice for your pets and for a full range of our Scamps and Champs services, please go to our main website. Please contact us to check availability or to ask any questions you may have.

Top Five – Valentine’s Safety Tips for Pets

We all know how much you love your pets! Many of us even admit to loving and spending time with our beloved pets more than humans! Therefore, at Scamps and Champs we want to make sure Valentines Day is a special occasion to remember, for all of the right reasons! Ensuring you can snuggle up with the lady or man in your life for the Pawfect Valentines Day!

Pets make the best Valentine’s date as you don’t need to buy them chocolates, they have no use for flowers, and in fact these gifts can be extremely dangerous for them. All they need is your unconditional love and affection. If you can’t keep your paws off each other – we want to make sure that you spend the day together safely. Here are our top five Valentine’s Day safety tops for you and your pets.

1.    Toxic Chocolate – Ensure it’s for your Mouth only

It is well known that chocolate is extremely toxic for dogs, however it is one of the most common gifts on Valentine’s Day and therefore means that there’s lots of chocolaty temptation around for their tongues! Make sure any chocolates are kept up high and out of reach even the fruity flavours. Also make sure that you don’t leave wrappers lying around as they may still have chocolate on them and in addition the foil or plastic can be harmful if consumed. If chocolate is consumed by dogs they can become extremely ill and in severe cases it can be fatal. If your dog consumes chocolate then

2.    Skip the Love Hearts

Sugar free sweets, sweetener and gum contains the toxic ingredient xylitol. If ingested xylitol can cause; vomiting, loss of coordination, seizures and in severe cases liver failure. Therefore, skip the sweets this Valentine’s Day as love hearts, are far from loving for your purr-fect pets!

3.    Restart the Heart

We know you love your pets with all of your heart, therefore jeopardising their safety is just not worth the risk. If your pets consume, chocolate, sweeteners or sweets, this can devastatingly cause them to go into cardiac arrest. Stay smart by learning how to perform CPR on your pets effectively, so that in the event of emergency you can save the life of your pet.

4.    Rose-Worthy

Believe it or not your beautiful Valentine’s Day floral arrangements can be harmful to your pets, the aroma produced by flowers can be an enticing scent for your pet. If they manage to nibble your beautiful bouquet the results can be disastrous, even just small amounts of toxic flowers can cause; vomiting and upset stomachs. Be additionally cautious if your floral arrangements contain lilies as these can be fatal if consumed by cats.

5.    Animals are NOT Gifts

You may think that a cute puppy or kitten would make the most romantic gift of them all! However, it won’t be puppy love if you and your partner separate, or you move into a new home together which does not allow pets and your perfect pet ends up at the animal shelter. Bringing a living animal into your home needs careful consideration and is a life-long commitment that should not be taken lightly. Animals are not a choice that can be picked up and then thrown away, in accordance with your life style. Don’t buy an animal as a gift, take time to think about this life-altering commitment and talk it through with your partner thoroughly. Perhaps plan a date to visit an animal shelter or breeder together instead, once Valentine’s Day is over and spend Valentine’s Day together on a date talking things over.

We hope you have the most purr-fect Valentine’s Day with your pets, remember to stay safe and most of all give your animals the love and affection they deserve on this special day of the year.

Going away to celebrate Valentine’s Day and need your pets to be cared for? Take a look at Scamps and Champs pet care services.

It’s Time to Talk – Mental Health Matters for your Dog

Pets, Mental Health, Health, Care

Time to Talk Day – Thursday 7th February 2019

Mental health affects one in four of us yet people are still afraid to talk to each other about it; usually due to insecurities, experiencing embarrassment and feeling worried about what others will think of them. This subsequently means that many of us suffer in isolation, which can often have a detrimental effect on an individual’s mental health and well-being. Time to Talk Day is all about bringing people together so that they feel comfortable to have ‘that’ conversation. Whether it’s with a cup of tea, a chat with a close friend or meeting up with a family member, the aim is to break the stigma of talking about mental health and raising awareness in the process. Here at Scamps and Champs we recognise that it isn’t just humans that suffer with mental health issues, our beloved dogs can too! Therefore, we aim to prompt the conversation with our followers regarding mental health for dogs, in order to inform you with what problems can look like and signs to look out for. By raising awareness and promoting an informed discussion regarding your dog’s mental health, we also hope to arm you with the details you need to support your furry friend on the road to recovery.

So how can my Dog be affected by Mental Health?

As we know mental health is just as real as physical health and can be completely debilitating if it isn’t treated correctly. Believe it or not our dogs can be affected by many of the same mental health issues us humans can from anxiety, depression, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, but how can mental health problems in our dogs be recognised and how can they be treated? People’s experiences impact who they are and how they choose to behave, it is the same with our four-legged friends. A positive experience can influence us to make excellent choices and model us into decent human beings, who have the ability to act and react in a well-rounded thought out way. However, a negative experience can cause stress and have a lasting detrimental impact on the way we chose to behave. Below we are going to cover the main mental health issues that can be experienced by dogs, explain how to identify each condition and then offer some advice on how to support your pawly pal back to health.

Anxiety

The most common form of anxiety identified within dogs is separation anxiety, this is where your dog absolutely hates being separated from its owner, particularly for extended periods of time. This could be due to spending too much time with the owner as a puppy and then circumstances altering, for example an owner obtaining a new job that takes them out of the home environment. However, separation anxiety can occur in dogs that have had a troubled start in life and therefore do not like to be left on their own, as they fear that something bad will happen to them.

Common signs that your dog has separation anxiety:

  • Your dog becoming erratic as you leave the house
  • Damage to your home being found on your return home
  • Dog mess accidents being found on your return home

The solution is to seek professional help from a dog behaviour expert who can assist you in identifying why your dog has separation anxiety. Then work with them to find a solution that suits your dog’s individual needs. If you have a new puppy it is important that you create them a space they feel safe in such as a crate, bed or small room, which is their personal safe space of comfort. Then work on settling your puppy into its safe space each time that you go out and leave your puppy for short bursts of time, such as ten minutes to begin with whilst you go to the shop. Then gradually increase the time you leave them up to four hours, once they are old enough to hold the toilet and wait to go outside. Often leaving a speech radio station on such as BBC Radio 4 in the safe space, can assist in keeping them company and mask outside noises that may be initially frightening for your dog.

Depression

Depression can be experienced in dogs when an alteration of routine occurs. This can be in the form of a change in home environment, an alteration in food or walking routine or following the death of a fellow canine companion. Whereas in humans a ‘change of scene’ may be beneficial for depression, any change can actually be the trigger of depression in dogs.

Common signs that your dog has depression:

  • Appetite decreases
  • Alteration in sleeping habits
  • Loss of interest in usual activities
  • Excessive licking
  • Avoidance or hiding

You can improve this by creating and maintaining a daily routine for your dogs, keeping their life aspects as consistent as possible. Taking your dogs out and exercising them efficiently in fields where they can enjoy the grass, mud and fresh air. If you have just experienced the death of another loved pet and your dog is showing signs of depression, give them as much love and attention as you can, support them through the difficult phase. If symptoms of depression persist then seek advice from your veterinary health professional as they may have further advice or your dog may have an underlying condition that needs treating medically. 

Social Anxiety

Dogs are extremely sociable animals and enjoy lots of walks, cuddles and most importantly company. They require a lot of attention and tender loving care, just like we do! However, if dogs are not socialised properly as puppies or if they are bought up in isolation, they can develop social anxieties which are not usually associated with their breed. Thus, meaning that when you try and socialise your dog out in public and it is approached by another dog, your dog can become aggressive as it is frightened about what the other dog may do to it.

Common signs that your dog has social anxiety:

  • Physically trembling
  • Tail tucked in
  • Withdrawal and hiding
  • Reduction in activity
  • Aggression and excessive barking

The best way to eliminate social anxiety is to commence training whilst your dog is young, by socialising your dog with other humans and dogs on a regular basis. This can cause an issue if you have adopted a dog or you have obtained an adult dog from a rescue shelter, as it will already have established negative behaviours within previous years. In this case it is advisable to seek professional assistance from a dog behaviourist or dog trainer, who can tailor support to your individual dog’s needs. In addition, you need to establish trust with your new furry friend, by spending as much time with them as you can and positively rewarding good behaviour with treats. This needs to include gradually introducing other dogs to your dog, commencing on a one-on-one basis and taking it slowly, monitoring your dog’s reactions and rewarding positive experiences with treats.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic stress disorder occurs in dogs following a traumatic event, just as it does in humans. This can occur through mistreatment, physical violence or abuse, from humans or sometimes from other dogs. This can cause long-lasting mental health issues with crippling effects on a dog’s life, as triggers such as similar noises or places, can cause the dog to relive the trauma over and over again.

Common signs that a dog has post-traumatic stress disorder:

  • Sleep disturbances
  • Hyper vigilance
  • Irritability
  • Distress
  • Avoiding familiar areas
  • Shaking
  • Displays of anxiety and depressive symptoms (as above)

As with anxiety and depression, canine post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) can cause your dog to act out more than usual or in un-characteristically for the individual dog. It is recommended that you seek immediate assistance from your veterinary doctor in order to see if medical assistance is required. Dog behaviour and training can assist you in addition moving forward and with the correct treatment for your dog CPTSD can subside within a couple of months.

Take a further look at our business Scamps and Champs and our full range of pet caring services available.