April, 2016
TV Vet PETE WEDDERBURN On Why Pets Are Good For Us!
We Visit California: The Home of Pet Tech
NEW PET ARTIST/VET EMMA MILNE/
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AND MUCH MORE INSIDE...
‘PETE THE VET’ This Month: ‘Why pets are good for you!’ Dr Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet from Edinburgh thirty years ago in 1985. He has worked in his own four-veterinarian companion animal practice in County Wicklow, Ireland, since 1991, and he has his own menagerie of dogs, cats, ducks, hens and others including a pet rabbit in his kitchen. Pete is well known as a media veterinarian in Ireland and the UK, with a weekly breakfast television slot on national television for the past fourteen years. He is a prolific writer on animal topics, with weekly columns in the Ireland's Herald newspaper and the UK's Daily Telegraph. Pete is known as "Pete the Vet" on his busy Facebook and Twitter pages, regularly posting information on topical subjects and real-life cases from his clinic. He also writes a regular blog at www.petethevet.com. Research shows that children who live in households with pets tend to be more self-
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confident and socially adept than those without animals. Pets are experts in bodylanguage, which is often universal across species barriers. Perhaps animals are able to teach children this by being in close contact with them as they are growing up?
Recent research has also suggested that the presence of animals in the home can act as a protective against the later development of asthma in the child - as long as the mother of the child does not have asthma, in which case animals can make things worse. Children with psychological
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they did not have a dog beside them.
Pets are good for both children and adults
difficulties may gain special benefits from pets. Professional pet therapy started nearly fifty years ago when a psychiatrist noted that severely withdrawn children became more responsive when he was accompanied by his own dog in counselling sessions, and this is now a well established routine.
ten year old child, and her friendship with her dog is a model of good companionship.
Pets are good for adults too!
Dogs also act as supreme social catalysts, making it easier for us to connect with other people. It's far easier to talk to someone who has a dog beside them: the animal makes them seem more approachable, and you can talk about the dog as a neutral subject (“He’s a lovely looking creature. What breed is he?”)
Taking it to another level, pets bring benefits to the treatment of psychiatric illness, including Animals bring both physical depression. The presence of an and psychological benefits to all appropriate animal can help to Children learning to read can of us. Most obviously, dogs build self-esteem and increase also benefit by reading allowed encourage people to exercise. If mental alertness, and they also to pets: they seem to be able to you own a dog, a regular walk – lift the spirits of people with do this without feeling the same half an hour twice daily – is a Alzheimer's disease. self-consciousness that they necessary part of your routine In several prison projects, may have with fellow humans together. There is something inmates who have been given listening. different about walking with a dog – many folk would not take birds and small animals to take A case in point: Emma has care of have become less a walk around a local park, on owned a Cavalier King Charles the beach or along the street if violent, more sociable and Spaniel since she was a baby: more responsible. she is now a confident, healthy,
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Pet ownership has also been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Studies have revealed that petting a dog or a cat, or sometimes just being in the same room as a friendly animal, can reduce people's blood pressure and heart rate. And perhaps linking to this, after major heart surgery, one study showed that patients who had pets with animals lived for longer than those who did not keep pets.
Pets are good for older people! Any vet can tell you stories about older people who have their lives enriched by the company of their pets. Studies have shown that pets can help older people to be more selfreliant. One study measured
A case in point: The Connolly family have owned a succession of Boxers, since before their Pets can provide company for the elderly children were born. how many hours of ‘paid care The children are now in their worker time’ was needed for twenties, and they can't elderly people living alone. At imagine the Connolly home the start, an average of 40 without a resident Boxer or hours a week of human help two. Every family photo was required per patient. Six includes the dogs, and they're months after each patient had seen as an integral, key part of been given a pet, the amount of the Connolly family. carer time had reduced to about 10 hours per week.
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For older people who are unable to live on their own, there are other benefits. When pets are allowed to visit nursing homes, there’s a strong positive effect, with elderly residents smiling and talking more, and experiencing more symptoms of well-being. A case in point: Chance is a Golden Cocker Spaniel who was the sole pet of Betty until she was ninety, when she was no longer able to live in her own home due to a disability. When Betty moved into a care home, she was allowed to bring Chance with her. Her long term companion has now become the friend of many other older people in their new home together. Whatever your stage of life, pets can bring brightness, cheerfulness and friendship into your immediate environment. If you’ve never thought about having a pet, why not think about one now? It’s never too late!
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: National Pet Remembrance Day
#PetRemembranceDay Tuesday July 5 Don’t forget that Tuesday July 5 is national Pet Remembrance Day! Set up by Pets Magazine and 3D printing specialists Arty Lobster , Pet Remembrance Day will remember beloved companion animals that have died. This year, Pet Remembrance Day is proud to support The Oldies Club, a national charity, which rehomes dogs aged seven and over that are in need of homes. Pet lovers will also be able to nominate pets on social media using the hashtag #PetRemembranceDay to be immortalised in 3D by Arty Lobster. One will be chosen to
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have their likeness fashioned into for that lasting memento mori of a three-dimensional sculpture. their pet. A Twitter chat will take place on Tuesday July 5 using the hashtag #PetRemembranceDay for people to show their support and share thoughts and photos of deceased companion animals.
“People want ways of remembering their pet and its quirks and character traits and the importance it played in their lives and the life of the family.”
Olive Armstrong, at The Oldies Lars Andersen, Managing Club, said: "We're delighted that Director of Arty Lobster, said: “As we've been chosen to be the a country, we still do not really nominated charity for Pet know how to remember our pets Remembrance Day this year. and to deal with their loss. Pet Remembrance Day provides a “Our pets are members of our space for people to remember families too, and to dedicate a departed pets and to celebrate special day to remember them is their lives. a great idea.” “A growing part of our customer More info very soon! base is served by people looking Pets Magazine
MY Pet EMMA MILNE is best known for her appearances in the highly successful BBC 1 programme, Vets in Practice and appeared in all eleven series. She has since appeared in numerous TV and radio programmes and has co-presented programmes on wildlife and been a regular guest reporter for BBC’s Inside Out programme. Emma qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Bristol University in 1996 and went on to work in a mixed, country practice in Somerset, before moving to Cheltenham for seven years and then on to York. She has been involved with many animal welfare organisations and campaigns including tail docking, pedigree dog health and hunting with dogs. A keen writer, Emma has been a feature columnist for many leading publications. Emma’s first book, The Truth About Cats and Dogs was published in July 2007 and highlighted the increasing health problems with pedigree dogs and cats. In March 2012 her second book, Tales from the Tail End was published. Her series of children’s pet care books, The Pet Detective Series, based on the five
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welfare needs and the importance of mental as well as physical wellbeing has recently been published. Emma now lives in France and, besides continuing her writing, media work and welfare campaigns, is one of the technical
advisors for Hill’s prescription diets. We meet Emma and her cute and mischievous cat Stella. WHAT BREED IS STELLA & WHY DID YOU CHOOSE HER? Stella is a good old-fashioned moggie. As with many vets’ pet acquisitions she just sort of came along! Some neighbours told us about a cat living in their garden that had had a litter. Stella was the last kitten left and needed a home and we didn’t have any pets. Fate put us all together. The children picked her name because our friends’ cat is called Stella.
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Emma used to have both cats and dogs, including Pan and Badger
HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD STELLA?
DOES STELLA COME TO WORK WITH YOU?
We adopted Stella in October last year. She was about 8 weeks old, tiny and full of parasites. She’s cross-eyed and had some ingrowing eyelashes.
Obviously most cats don’t go to work with their owners but Stella and I are lucky. I work from home as I write books on various aspects of being a vet and the rest of the time I’m an We weren’t sure if she was advisor for medical diets for going to make it but after some cats and dogs. I spend those good flea and worm control, days on the phone to vets and some plucking and some good nurses. Stella likes to spend her nutrition she was soon zooming days in my office on a beanbag round the house and proving until the kids come home from that being cross-eyed wasn’t school. They are obviously affecting her co-ordination! much more interesting than me!
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WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES STELLA MAKE TO YOUR LIFE? We had three cats and two dogs for 15 years and after they had all died we had a very sad and empty house. I love to have animals around and I also think it’s brilliant for kids to grow up in the company of animals. We can’t have dogs at the moment because of various things, so finding Stella made a big difference. The children and her adore each other and it’s lovely to see.
DO YOU DO PET FRIENDLY HOLIDAYS?
WHAT ARE STELLA’S FAVOURITE THINGS?
My beloved dogs Pan and Badger used to go everywhere with us. We went camping in France and Spain and the ‘boys’ have swum in both the Med and the Atlantic on their travels. They’ve been to the Alps where my sister used to live and even came bowling once! They were the best dogs in the world and my best friends.
Stella’s favourite things are her toy mouse, the children and watching the birds, not necessarily in that order!
We did a fiveweek odyssey from Yorkshire to the southern-most tip of Spain to a town called Tarifa. We had a VW camper van and had a week in France, three weeks in Spain and then another week in France. A 4,000-mile round trip and an adventure for all of us. The dogs were brilliant travelers and always hopped out of the van with a wagging tail to see where we were next. One of the things I love about France is that dogs are welcome in virtually all the bars and restaurants. I wish England wasn’t quite so uptight when it comes to our best friends!
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She loves being with the children and always sleeps in their room until we go to bed when she is banned from the bedrooms. Not because I’m mean but because I’m a really light sleeper, so all our animals have always known they are not allowed in the bedrooms at night. DOES STELLA HAVE ANY SPECIAL TRICKS?
legs with her front madly splayed ready to pounce and leaping at your legs as you walk past. Her most endearing feature is her squint! HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE? My whole career has been devoted to various welfare causes but the things I feel most strongly about are pedigree dog and cat health and the importance of mental wellbeing as well as physical wellbeing for pets. Too many people misunderstand the behavioural or companionship needs of their pets and end up choosing the wrong animal or neglecting it simply through not having done their research. My new series of books for 7-12 yearolds is aimed at harnessing the great natural empathy of kids and trying to improve pet welfare and choices before the animal is bought. The series is called the Pet Detective Series.
She loves having a mad half hour and tearing round the house. Her special trick is Website: waiting for you to go by and www.emmathevet.co.uk. then standing right on her hind Pets Magazine
3D Pet Sculptures
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My Trip To The Land Of Pet Tech... By MARIE CARTER, Editor of Pets Magazine
breeding grounds of many hitech giants. Palo Alto, home to the renowned Stanford The market for technology for University, is headquarters to a our pets, or ‘pet tech’, including number of tech firms, including wearables such as activity Hewlett-Packard (HP), Tesla trackers, is one of the last hiMotors, Ford Research and tech frontiers set to be Innovation Center, PARC, conquered. The charge is Ning, IDEO, Skype, and coming not from the UK, but Palantir Technologies. It has from California. Over the last also served as an incubator to fortnight, in my role as Editor several other hi-tech companies of Pets Magazine , and as part such as Google, Facebook, of a holiday to The Golden Logitech, Intuit, Pinterest, and State, I was delighted to visit PayPal. San Francisco including Silicon Valley, which is a truly unique Palo Alto is one of the most and exciting area. expensive cities in the US in which to live and its residents San Francisco, and nearby Palo are among the most educated Alto and Cupertino, are the in the country. The Apple
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campus, with its shiny and secretive façade and bright and welcoming store, which is the only place where Apple pens and other merchandise can be bought, is located in Cupertino. San Francisco itself is home to many other hi-tech firms including Twitter, LinkedIn, Spotify and the Uber-like Lyft app. It’s a thrill to simply find these hi-tech firms actually have real, bricks and mortar presences - I knew that really, but using their apps on a daily basis you come to believe in the existence of an amorphous tech cloud consisting of apps that have no real presence but are
nevertheless omniscient and omnipresent. The market for pet tech is huge. Total spending on pets in the UK reached a record high of $7.16bn in 2015; a 3 per cent increase on $6.92bn in 2014 and a growth of 25pc since 2010, according to Euromonitor. In the UK, 8.5m people own dogs and 7.4m own cats while 45 million U.S. households own dogs, and 30 million households own cats. Increased ‘humanisation’ of our pets, particularly among single Millennials and older couples without dependent children, has seen a huge increase in demand for pet care, pet accessories and pet tech. With my partner, I was delighted to visit Whistle, a brilliant company that started only four years ago with a team of three and has now grown to 65 people. It makes pet activity and sleep trackers, some of which have GPS functionality, that are similar to the human versions in that they use an app
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to develop a profile of your pet activity – such as running, with daily activity goals you can walking and playing and does set. not include activities like walking around the house or a stroll of under a few minute’s duration.
It’s an excellent app and my little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Sophie now has an active profile after exceeding her 45-minute daily exercise regime for four days in a row! Cleverly, the app distinguishes between different forms of Pets Magazine
We met Whistle’s dynamic and engaging CEO and Co-Founder Ben Jacobs who started his firm due to a need for a product that he could use with his own dog. He is very innovation and data driven but also very in tune with the needs of pet owners. Ben is concerned that over half of all domestic cats and dogs are still obese and firmly believes that pet activity trackers can help with weight loss goals. They can also help to alert owners to potential lifethreatening problems in their pets. One case concerned Ripley the dog who was lethargic, not wanting to do his usual exercise and not eating properly. A hunch by Ripley’s owner combined with data from his pet tracker prompted a visit to the vet, who discovered that Ripley was suffering from kidney disease.
Petzi is another innovative therefore be the perfect company that has created the combination! ultimate toy and monitoring device for your dog. Their ‘treat On a final note, if you’re a dog
cam’ also links to an app from which you can talk to your pet,
lover, Carmel in Monterey County is a place you should definitely visit.
dining allow dogs in those areas, with most of them also offering water while a few also have special doggie menus. Dogs must be leashed, except on Carmel City Beach, where they are allowed off lead if they are well behaved. The police department takes animal welfare very seriously and officers will open cars that contain pets without adequate ventilation or water and will remove the pets and cite the owner. No visit to Carmel would be complete without a visit to the wonderful Diggidy Dog pet boutique, which is an emporium of pet accessories, treats and everything you could
Not only is Carmel home to screen legend Doris Day, who now runs an animal sanctuary, but it is see him, take photos of him to renowned as the most dogshare with other Petzi user and friendly place in the US. Many on social media, and, most of its high-end restaurants, importantly, dispense treats to boutiques and cafes welcome him while you’re away from canine visitors with open arms. home. But be careful, this We were very pleasantly device can become dangerously surprised to find treats for addictive, as has been proven man’s best friend on the with Sophie, Pets Magazine’s counters of the chicest eateries. possibly want for the pampered chief taste tester! A Whistle and Most hotels allow dogs to stay pooch or feline in your life. a Petzi combined could with guests. Almost all restaurants that offer outside
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Capturing the heart & soul of the pet
Self-taught pet artist DAVID GOSNELL from Essex has developed a unique style that both encapsulates his love of animals and captures his subjects’ personality traits and quirks.
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Self-taught pet artist DAVID GOSNELL, 29, from Essex has developed a unique style that both encapsulates his love of animals and captures his subjects’ personality traits and quirks. Here we meet some of his subjects including Pets Magazine’s very own columnist Sophie, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Dave, who also has a full-time job in the pharmaceutical industry, talks about his love of art and photography. WHERE DO YOU TAKE INSPIRATION FROM? At a young age, I always enjoyed drawing and painting; whether it be a quick doodle in a sketch pad to intricate painting of model aeroplanes.
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However, during senior school which sadly passed away. Once (1998 - 2003) Art and Graphics completed, I posted the picture was not one of the subjects I decided to study for my GCSEs. In 2013, my son George was born; from this I began to create a baby scrapbook. On one of my scrapbook pages, I had a 'George meeting Bella' (our pet dog) page - with a sketch of our Jackapoo. I guess drawing Bella is where my inspiration for drawing pets began, realising that I could actually capture her on paper. After a busy year with George, I decided that in 2014 I would continue by drawing a pencil portrait of my parent’s Springer Spaniels, Pets Magazine
on Facebook and received some very positive feedback.
on, so emphasis on the reflections and highlights. Lastly, the nose is the closest feature to us, so this should have the most detail. I begin every drawing with the initial outline, then the nose, making my way outwards to the edges. Equipment wise: Make sure you use high quality paper and use the full range of pencil grades, don’t just stick to using the same pencil for the entire sketch – it really makes a difference! WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THIS FULL-TIME?
Dave has captured Pets Magazine’s Sophie the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel perfectly
IS PET ART YOUR FAVOURITE? The most challenging but fun part of the process is trying to capture the perfect picture, especially when you have an over excited dog constantly jumping up at you. However, meeting the pet your about to sketch is very rewarding. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECTS? The lighting of the photo is very important, so being outside in the sunshine is perfect. Not only does it make it easier to see the finer details within the photo but the cat or dog do
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As much as I enjoy taking, editing and reminiscing over seem a lot happier in a more photos; my real passion is for open environment. realistic drawing. I would love to be an artist full time; ANY ADVICE FOR THE however, as I am only an BUDDING ARTIST? amateur artist, I still have so much to learn and being The most important piece of somewhat of a perfectionist, advice I can give for drawing cats and dogs is to not rush into each drawing becomes very getting some lead on the paper. time consuming. Take a while to study the WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET A reference material and then focus on the light direction and PET YOURSELF? shadows. The general outline of the figure is vital, if the overall shape is wrong, the drawing will look out of proportion and the likeness will be lost. The eyes are the first thing we focus Pets Magazine
If I had more spare time to be able to have a pet, I would love to have either a Springer Spaniel or a Siberian Husky.
DO YOU DRAW ALL TYPES OF PET?
types of pets, so I have always had a Since 2014, every drawing I fascination have been asked to do has been with animals. for people’s dogs and cats. However, recently I have been I don’t really asked to draw my friend’s have a great rabbit and potentially a horse. I deal of would love to be given the experience chance to draw some kind of when it comes bird or reptile, something out to drawing of my comfort zone and people. perhaps experiment with However, at colour pencils. some point this year, I WHY DO YOU LIKE have promised DRAWING ANIMALS AS my friends OPPOSED TO PEOPLE? and family that I will I find that animals all have attempt a their own individuality, which portrait of is why I enjoy trying to capture their sons and their characters in my work. Every request I receive is a challenge; having to differ from types of breed, fur, clothing etc. Growing up with no brothers or sisters, I daughters. always had numerous different
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HOW CAN PEOPLE COMMISSION YOU? I created my own Facebook page last year to not only have a safe place to store my artwork, but also to showcase my selftaught portraits for constructive criticism. I have found that by using social media, people can not only see my artwork, but they can also message me for any potential requests or advice. For more information, please visit: www.facebook.com/ davidgosnellpetportraiture
Horseboxes ‘Riskier’ Than Grand National • Almost one in five (19%) of injuries sustained by horses in horseboxes or trailers are fatal • One in twenty (5%) fallen or collapsed horses in The Grand National will be put to sleep Over the last ten years, one out of forty horses to enter The Grand National will lose its life and five percent of those that fall or collapse will need to be put to sleep as a result. NFU Mutual is advising that there is potentially a bigger risk to the horse’s safety before they even arrive at the track – the unidentified dangers that some horseboxes and trailers pose. The insurer’s claims data reveals that almost one in five (19%) injuries sustained by horses in horseboxes and trailers result in the horse being put to sleep. This can be from legs falling through rotten floors or becoming tramped in overturned trailers following a tyre blow-out or other component failure. Victoria Walton, Equine Specialist at NFU Mutual: “We are calling for the equestrian community to pay as much care and attention to the safety and maintenance of their horseboxes and trailers as we know they do towards the health and wellbeing of their animals. is on owners to prevent a disaster waiting to happen.” Working with partners across the equine industry NFU Mutual has created a library of videos at Youtube.com/NFUMutualVideo to highlight the issues and educate horse owners how to avoid them, promoted via the Social Media campaign ‘I pledge to keep my horse safe’ #HBSW.
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ADVERTORIAL
56th Annual GUVMA Vet Rodeo 2016 Every year, the Glasgow University Veterinary Medical Association (GUVMA) organises the Annual GUVMA Rodeo, an animal charity fundraising event. This year, Students for Animals In Need, Trusty Paws, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and Horse Rescue Scotland, will be the main beneficiaries of the event. The proceeds from the raffle will also go to the Riding for the Disabled – Glasgow. There are plenty of activities to keep you entertained for the whole day: bouncy castles, laser quest, animal interactions and many more! There are also animalrelated showcases ranging from guide dog demonstrations to falconry lined up for you. This event is also your chance to cuddle up with dogs, have a go at handling reptiles and small furries and meet alpacas, horses, birds of prey and other animals up close! If you need a break from all the animals, the main marquee will have plenty of stalls selling hand-made crafts and maybe even home-made fudge. You can also head on down to the tea tent for some snacks and admire the colourful artworks created by the creative students from Hillhead Primary School for our colouring contest. If you are still hungry, there are street food trucks around so don’t worry. So bring your family, your friends and even your furkids down for a day of fun! The rodeo is on the 16th of April 2016, Saturday from 11am to 5pm at the Garscube Estate. Find out more about the rodeo by following us on Facebook 56th Annual Rodeo 2016.
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