SUMMER FOR CATS
Even if you’re not a cat person, aren’t these two housemates just perfect? How did evolution create such almond eyes, such cartoonishly wonderful whiskers?
Good looking visitors to York Street
Most of the cats we see live indoor lives, safe from traffic, from parasites and from transmissible cat infections. But if your cat spends time outdoors there’s an added risk this summer, heat exhaustion.
If heat like last month’s returns, watch for drooling, panting or listlessness in your outdoor cat, all signs of dehydration (as well as other serious problems). Offer ice cubes made from the liquid from tins of spring water tuna.
Chasing bees and wasps is brilliant fun for cats but stings can trigger life-threatening asthma similar to the reaction some children have to peanuts. If your cat seems to struggle for breath, phone us immediately. It’s an emergency! And fleas are thriving this summer. All outdoor cats are fair game. The spot-on we prefer is Bravecto. The environmental impact assessment for its ingredient is positive.
DOGS: TAKE CARE IN HOT WEATHER TOO
Last month, on some hot humid afternoons, I was astonished at the amount of intensive ball chasing that was going on. I live with canine ball chasing professionals so I know how exhilarating the chase and retrieve is. Fortunately, at York Street we saw only a few dogs with heat prostration. Please remember, dogs can’t get rid of excess heat by sweating. That’s why they’re more prone to heat stroke than we are. If hot sunshine returns, please exercise your buddies early mornings and evening.
This summer is perfect for rolling in the grass
MAY I BOAST ABOUT NATALIA?
Treating behaviour challenges in dogs and cats takes a special type of person. Some vets are attracted to surgery because it provides instant solutions. Others like Grant Petrie get pulled to internal medicine because this offers mysteries to solve. Behaviour is something else. The French are more accurate than we are describing what our veterinary behaviourist Dr. Natalia Bewick does. In France she is a veterinaire psychiatriste. And as in human psychiatry, defining and then modifying or containing dog or cat behaviours takes patience and calm perseverance. That’s why I want to share with you what one of Natalia’s clients wrote on Google.
Natalia has her own behaviour room at York Street
“I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with Natalia Aira Bewick for the last year or so and I cannot speak highly enough of her. She has surpassed all of my expectations and am so beyond thankful for all her hard work.
She has been very professional, understanding and encouraging with us; her passion and caring towards animals can be felt and seen in her work.
My family initially sought out her help as our dog developed behavioural problems, for example, snapping/attacking us and others, not allowing anyone to groom and handle her, resource guarding, having severe anxiety and much more. However, after working with Natalia, it’s like we have a new dog! Her transformation has been incredible, my family and I cannot fathom the way our dog has changed for the better.
After going to different trainers and behaviourists to help with our dog and seeing little to no improvements, I wasn’t too confident that our dog could change, I truly believed these problems would be permanent.
But after even just our first session, I could feel the difference in the way Natalia delt with us and our dog and my hope that we could help our dog was restored. And looking back now, the shift in our dog is astonishing.
Natalia has been so patient with us through all our hard times and setbacks, and after every session with her, we leave feeling relieved and enthusiastic to continue our journey. And her support and help extends even outside our sessions, with the chance to send videos on WhatsApp to guide us through the training and being able to reach out with any questions etc. There truly aren’t enough words to describe how incredible she has been with us, we are so thankful and lucky to have her in our corner, she goes above and beyond in her work, and her love and care for the animals she works with is evident.
I look forward to continue working with her and can’t wait to see more improvements in our dog! Thank you so much Natalia and team for all your support.”
HOME VISITS ARE REVEALING
Bringing your companion to York Street is always best because that’s where all of us and our facilities are. But there are occasions when its better for you if we come to your home. And that’s always a learning experience for those of us who visit.
In late June I went on a home visit to see Bubbles, a 12 year old toy poodle. After I finished examining her I noticed a hotel desk bell on the floor by the back door. “She rings it with her paw when she wants to go into the garden.” I was told. That wasn’t a surprise. But seeing the variety of artwork of Bubbles was. All done by her carer.
In July our veterinary neurologist, John Parker made a home visit to see Bubbles. He too was impressed by the quality of the Bubbles art he saw and suggested we ask to have one on loan at the clinic for a while. So if you’re visiting in the next two months, look above the old “York St” sign (from Dublin) and there’s Bubbles, on her skateboard, on her way to York Street.
TICKS ARE WICKED THIS SUMMER
There are good years for ticks and fleas, and bad ones. This is a great year, if you’re a tick, and a very bad year for those they sup on. This summer, an hour in a woods outside London guarantees up to six ticks on each of my dogs.
If you are visiting tick infested areas, tuck your trousers into your socks and check yourself over each evening. If your dog visits anywhere that deer hang out use a tick prevention product. I’m giving my retrievers a Nexgard Spectra tablet monthly. Cats that refuse to eat tablets can be treated with Bravecto spot-on, their preferred flea prevention.
A tick before it has a blood meal
A tick feeding on a dog
Those are too unpleasant pictures to leave you with so here’s a grandson, Jack, celebrating his 12th birthday two weeks ago.
A family friend made Jack’s birthday cake
All the best
