Walking on

Spring has officially arrived meaning longer days and lighter evenings.

As a result, many pet owners are eagerly anticipating more regular walks with their furry companions.

To ensure your pet stays happy and healthy this Spring,

Dr Emma Scales-Theobald, PhD, a Dog Behaviourist at Pooch & Mutt, shares her top tips and advice for your bestie, including:

• Walking your dog at least once a day for 30 minutes

• Monitoring your dog’s behaviour before walks

• How to spot your dog ‘asking’ for a walk

• Sticking to a routine to form a schedule

• Importance of exercise for your pet

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Dr Emma Scales-Theobald, PhD, Dog Behaviourist at Pooch & Mutt, comments on Springtime walks:

Walks are very important for dogs, as they provide physical exercise and mental stimulation. Dogs need physical exercise to stay healthy, maintain their weight, and prevent boredom and taking your dog for a walk is a great way to provide them with the exercise they need. Depending on the breed, age, and health of the dog, the amount of exercise required will vary. However, all dogs need some level of exercise every day.

Walks provide dogs with a variety of sights, sounds, and smells that stimulate their minds. Dogs are naturally curious creatures, and a walk can be a great opportunity for them to explore new environments and engage with their surroundings. A lack of regular walks can lead to a range of issues, such as obesity, boredom, and behavioural problems. Therefore, it’s important for dog owners to make time for regular walks to keep their furry friends happy and healthy.’

Dr Emma’s Springtime walking top tips:

The frequency and duration of walks for a dog will depend on several factors, including age, breed, size, health, and individual needs. Generally, dogs should be walked at least once a day for 30 minutes to an hour. However, some dogs may require more exercise, and others may be content with less. In addition to regular walks, dogs also benefit from playtime, interactive games, and other forms of exercise. It’s important to provide them with a variety of physical and mental stimulation to keep them happy and healthy.

It is very common for dogs to “ask” to go for a walk through specific behaviours to indicate that they want to go for a walk, such as bringing their leash to their owner, sitting by the front door, or even whining. These behaviours can be a form of communication between the dog and their owner, indicating that the dog is ready for a walk and wants to spend time outside. Many dogs will naturally develop a routine where they know when it’s time for their daily walk, and they may become excited and show signs of anticipation when they see their leash or hear certain words associated with going for a walk, such as “walk,” “outside,” or “leash.” It’s important for dog owners to pay attention to their dog’s signals and respond appropriately. If a dog is showing signs of wanting to go for a walk, it’s usually a good idea to take them out for some exercise and mental stimulation. This can help keep the dog happy, healthy, and well-behaved.

Dogs can develop a sense of routine and may come to expect walks at certain times of the day. Dogs are creatures of habit and often thrive on predictable schedules. It’s important for dog owners to be consistent with their dog’s routines and schedule walks at regular intervals. This can help establish a sense of structure and predictability for the dog, which can reduce stress and anxiety.

Firstly, what we need to take on board is a vet is a very special person. Not only do vets have a love of animals, but they are also highly educated, dedicated to the profession, compassionate about the health and wellbeing of your pet, and in some cases open minded. To achieve their qualifications, a lot of hard work takes place over several years and on top of this they have signed up to a huge financial commitment too in order to follow their career path which for the majority is a vocation.

Vets deal with worried, anxious, distraught, and stressed pet owners on a daily basis. They must be equipped to deal with people and try to keep a level head when an owner becomes emotional or upset. A good vet will try to keep an owner focused, and keep the situation calm and relaxed for the benefit of the pet and the owner. Most vets work long hours starting early in the morning until late evening, sometimes they are on call 24 hours a day. On a daily basis they face challenges such as coping with aggressive or highly stressed pets or having to give an owner devastating or heart-breaking news. They have to be empathetic, sympathetic and treat an owner with kindness when their pet has made their final journey. At the end of the day a veterinary career can be incredibly rewarding but incredibly stressful at the same time.

Try to remember that vets are human, just like you and me, we are all equal, and they truly believe that the advice and treatment they offer for your pet is in the best interest of the animal and that they are suggesting a safe and correct course of action.

These days pet owners are becoming more and more aware that vaccines, flea and worm pesticides, early desexing, prescription diets, dry food and long-term drugs (although essential in some cases) are not always the best answer for some pets. Owners are doing their own research into diet and nutrition, titre testing, natural flea and worm treatments and leaving a dog until it’s sexually mature before getting desexed. More and more owners are educating themselves on alternative therapies and remedies, they also appreciate that a good open-minded vet is essential when providing any necessary or emergency treatments. This is where we can occasionally hit a bit of a brick wall and you can come across the vet bully, that will quote unintelligible words, show pompous expressions, and try to make us feel guilty that we are hurting our precious pet with our choices etc. However, with a few simple skills it is possible to build a supportive partnership with your vet, and to keep the health care of your dog on an even keel. This will, or should, cut down on the stress you might have when visiting the vet if they are not as open minded as you would like. No one wants to get upset and be in an awkward position and end up having an argument. Remember a good vet is an educator not a dictator.

Firstly, we need to talk about Out of Hours Care as this information could be critical for you if you have a very poorly animal out of hours i.e. after 9.00pm. Probably the first question you will be asked is “are you insured?”, if the answer is ‘no’ you must ask what the cost is likely to be as this could be upwards of £290 plus any treatment is on top of this. You also need to know how many vets there are on call at any one time, especially if you are using a very large veterinary chain. Sometimes there may be only one, plus one vet nurse and one receptionist. This small team could be responsible for up to 18 practices in a 25-mile radius. They will also be responsible for the care of any critical inpatients at the same time. You need to be aware that if this does happen, it’s the system.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) clearly state that you have to be told this information. I suggest you check and double check this information, they have to tell you, as you are the customer. Chances are you could arrive at a surgery with your critically ill pet to be told the vet is unavailable and with another animal and can’t see you immediately and the consequences could be devastating.

Why do we sometimes find ourselves in that awkward position of either arguing, or caving in on something we really don’t want to do? One word covers this, UNPREPARED! Make sure you are prepared before your visit.

So you need to find the most open-minded practice you can possibly find. To do that call and keeping calling. Call every practise you can find and don’t be afraid to enquire about who is the most open-minded vet, as this is the one that you want and need. Once you’ve done this, make a check list and stick to it, don’t be intimidated. For example, if you do not wish to vaccinate your dog and you prefer to do a titre test instead, ask the vet if they offer this service. If you feed your Westie a species appropriate diet/fresh food/raw diet, yes it’s balanced, yes you have done your research. Take a pack of the food with you to show the vet the ingredients. Tell your vet you feed yourself a fresh wholesome diet, you feed your family the same and you want the same for your dog. If you give your Westie natural flea and worm treatments following your own indepth research, then perhaps consider printing off your research to show your vet so you can both have an informed discussion about it.

Don’t’ be afraid to always stay in the room and hold your pet if they have to have bloods taken as it would be better for you to observe (unless there really is a reason why you can’t). A scary situation at the vets where your pet can’t see you can knock your dog’s confidence for any future visits and these future visits can become a real issue for your dog, they can possibly smell stress and fear in the waiting room from sick dogs who were there previous to your visit.

If your Westie should need drugs of any type, ask for a list of the side effects and what to look out for. (Many vets don’t know this information so it’s worth asking them to look it up.) This is your precious pet, and you need to know this information before agreeing to drugs.

Remember if you are given a human medication for your pet, this comes under the Prescription Cascade, and you must sign a form understanding this and the side effects.

You also have absolutely no obligation to sign up to any monthly care plans that cover vaccines, pesticides and check-ups. You have the right to say no! You are the customer, and you are attending with your pet and your pet is your responsibility.

You and your vet should be a partnership, you are an integral part of his/her health care team, so try and get on first name terms. If you work with a holistic vet too then make sure this is documented on your dog’s records.

The vet should be very interested and should interact with your pet at all times. My vet always gets on the floor with my dogs, he knows their names and who is who. Take your own treats for the vet to give to your pet. Unfortunately, the stuff in the surgeries is not always the best quality with the best ingredients.

Finally, make sure your preferences are documented on the front of your dog’s file, and then you don’t have to go through it all again if and when you need to. If you are ever made to feel uncomfortable you can either discuss with the practise or find another vet. I know some pet owners are nervous about attending appointments because of the choices they make for their pets, and they can feel judged, but this should not be the case. Just be prepared before you go. The best way to promote good health is through education and understanding.

Being a veterinarian is one of the most demanding professions in the medical field and most vets deserve the utmost respect. We need to be thankful for their dedication to animals, for their commitment and compassion to their profession, and we should take the time to say thank you. An open-minded vet will appreciate your questions, concerns and research and will understand that you have your Westie’s best interests at heart. To this end, the majority of openminded vets will choose to work in partnership with you to help you on the journey of protecting your pet’s health and wellbeing.