Help end the pet passport scandal that supports puppy farming abroad

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Beverley Cuddy, the editor of Dogs Today magazine is leading a campaign to close aloophole in the Pet Passport scheme that currently allows unscrupulous breeders to import large numbers of young puppies into the UK with very few checks.

These puppies are often from continental puppy farms and are then sold on to unsuspecting new owners in the UK with all the predictable consequences for their long term health and wellbeing.

To resolve this issue Beverley is campaigning for a change in the regulations to prevent the import of puppies under 6 months of age with commercial passports. This simple change would make it uneconomic for puppy farmers to continue this trade as older puppies are far less saleable than those of 2-3 months of age.

Beverley has launched a petition, so it would be wonderful if we could all share this via social media so that we rapidly get the 100,000 signatures needed ASAP.

Here is the link and the wording…

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/47539

Since the relaxation of the Pet Passport system in Jan 2012 there has been vast numbers of bulk imports of very young puppies into the UK for resale via pet shops and online. The youngest that pups can legally travel on Pet Passports is 15 weeks old. But by 15 weeks pups have lost most of their resale value – they are normally sold at 8 weeks. Channel 4 Dispatches exposed that underage pups are travelling on fake documents. These illegally imported pups risk our rabies free status. We ask the Government to reverse the 2012 relaxation for bulk imports of pups as it has been proven that our passport system is open to abuse. We ask Government to change commercial Pet Passports back to the pre January 2012 relaxation to protect our rabies free status before we experience an outbreak.

Continued lungworm threat

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EXPERTS WARN OF THE CONTINUED SPREAD OF FATAL DOG PARASITE ACROSS THE UK 

Last year’s damp summer and mild winter conditions have been ideal for slugs and snails, to the dismay of any gardener. However, these unassuming creatures present an even greater threat to dogs through the potentially fatal lungworm parasite, as experts warn of a continued spread of the parasitei.

Furthermore, a study by the Royal Veterinary College[ii]i has shown the lungworm parasite is spreading beyond the traditional geographic distribution with 20 per cent of veterinary practices across the country reporting at least one case of the parasite.

Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) is a parasite that dogs become infected with after eating common garden slugs and snails carrying the parasite larvae. Once inside the dog’s system, the parasite travels through the body eventually ending up in the heart. If the infection is left untreated, the dog’s health can rapidly deteriorate, often resulting in death.

To help raise awareness of the parasite, the national ‘Be Lungworm Aware’ campaign will offer support and education to owners and vets throughout March, which has been designated ‘Lungworm Awareness Month’.

The campaign is urging owners to be extra vigilant of the signs of lungworm from March onwards in the UK. To help further spread the word about the campaign, people will be encouraged to end their tweets on Twitter with the hash tag ‘belungwormaware’, throughout March, in a display of support.

A recent survey of more than 2,000 UK dog owners, launching this year’s ‘Be Lungworm Aware’ campaign,  has discovered that 84 per cent admit to not being able to identify the symptoms of the parasite in their dog[iii]i, despite experts from the Royal Veterinary College warning of its spread across the country.

One third (33 per cent) of dog owners admitted they do not know how their dog can become infected with lungworm and half have said they don’t believe their dog is at risk. However, when educated about the causes of lungworm in dogs, more than 37 per cent of dog owners thought their pet could be at risk.

Furthermore, 65 per cent of owners have noticed an increase in the prevalence of slugs and snails over the past year, with 85 per cent reporting large numbers of the slimy creatures in their back garden.

Biodiversity & Conservation Officer for The Natural History Museum, Professor Fred Naggs, said: “An increase in the number of slug and snail populations this year would suggest there will consequently be a continued spread of the parasite. However, this depends on a number of factors: (i) the number of slugs and snails around last year, of which there were many (ii) the level of precipitation throughout the year, as slugs and snails will breed continuously when temperatures are mild to warm and there is adequate relative humidity. According to many reports in the press, last year was one of the wettest on record (iii) the survival of slugs and snails over the winter. As this winter has not been particularly harsh, reasonable numbers of slugs and snails should have survived.

Mark Bossley, chief vet at the UK’s leading animal charity, Blue Cross, said: “We regularly advise dog owners of the dangers of lungworm because, sadly, we see so many cases every year. It is a hidden killer so we are very supportive of the ‘Be Lungworm Aware’ campaign in the hope that more dogs will be saved from this horrible disease. We urge dog owners to talk to their vet about preventative treatments and be vigilant with their dogs when in the garden or on walks.”

Routine use of a specific treatment, available from veterinary surgeons, prevents dogs from developing a lungworm infection. Some pet owners believe that lungworm can be prevented using conventional worming tablets, which is unfortunately not the case.

For further information, or to discuss your dog’s parasite protection plan, please contact your local veterinary practice.

To help educate dog owners about the infection and encourage vigilance of the tell-tale signs, the ‘Be Lungworm Aware’ campaign has been set up by Bayer Animal Health, experts in animal parasitology. For details on lungworm, visit www.lungworm.co.uk

 

[ii]  As per Professor Fred Naggs’ quote in body of release

ii Royal Veterinary College survey 2012, 1,419 veterinary practices

[iii] Opinion Matters, December 2012, 2,000 dog owners

In the dog house: Smelly dogs blamed for fights with friends

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They’re dubbed man’s best friend, but the dog might be your only friend if he isn’t suitably groomed. A new report released recently reveals that over two thirds of Brits (65 per cent) believe dogs to be smelly and unhygienic. Even dog owners responded negatively to the question, which formed the basis of the report; with a nearly quarter of dog owners (24 per cent) saying that their beloved pooch packs a pong.

The report, conducted by hygiene technology brand, Byotrol, also revealed that over a quarter of Brits (27 per cent) risk friendships due to pet politics. These people actively avoid the homes of their dog-owning friends, hating dog hairs on their clothes, wet, muddy paws and smelly fur. Neither do they invite these friends to their own homes; for fear that they might bring the dreaded dog. A staggering one in twenty Brits (5.5%) even admitted to splitting up with a partner or falling out with a friend for good, all down to dirty dog disputes.

Byotrol, has also revealed the smelly dog hotspots of the UK*, as voted by the 2,000 respondents to the survey. Dogs in Northern Ireland were shamed as the stinkiest:

The Byotrol smelly dog hotspots

  1. Northern Ireland (11.5 per cent)
  2. South West (10.2 per cent)
  3. Wales (9.8 per cent)
  4. North West of England (8.4 per cent)
  5. East of England (8 per cent)

But it’s not all doggy doom and gloom. Women are more forgiving of smelly dogs than men, with ten per cent more women than men (39 per cent) thinking that it’s unfair that dogs are branded as unhygienic.

Byotrol’s report also found that dog owners are more likely to have a long term partner than those who don’t own a dog, with nearly 80% of dog owners in a long term relationship.

So it’s not all bad news for dog owners, who seem to be living happily ever after. It really is love me, love my dog, which is great to see!

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/petproud

Bringing science to the carbohydrate debate

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In the pet world there are some very polarised and often heated debates about diet, and one of the most hotly debated issues is that of starch in dog foods.

For advocates of raw, BARF (so called biologically appropriate raw food), or ‘evolutionary appropriate’ diets, starch and carbohydrates are often seen as enemy number one. The argument goes that as dogs have descended from wild wolves who didn’t eat a significant amount of starchy carbohydrates in their diet they shouldn’t be fed on them and the best diet is based almost solely on protein.

The counter argument, which is the position I take, is that dogs have changed a lot in the 10,000 years since they were first domesticated and therefore what is appropriate for a wolf is by no means definitely appropriate for a modern dog. Our own digestive systems have changed massively since the stone age, with starch becoming a much bigger part of our diet following the agricultural revolution 5000-7000 years ago. Given our close association with dogs it is reasonable to suggest that a similar change could also have occurred in our canine companions as they have relied increasingly on humans for their food.

For a long time these arguments have been made back and forth, but there has been little conclusive evidence to support either theory – until now that is. A paper in the well-respected scientific journal Nature published this week has demonstrated that domestic dogs have evolved specific digestive capabilities to allow them to eat starch unlike their wild ancestors. The study shows how 10 key genes involved in the control of digestion of starch and fat show clear signs of selection and change to allow dogs to digest starch and fat. The report authors conclude ”Our results indicate that novel adaptations allowing the early ancestors of modern dogs to thrive on a diet rich in starch, relative to the carnivorous diet of wolves, constituted a crucial step in the early domestication of dogs.”

I’m not naive enough to think that a single paper will silence the anti-carbohydrate brigade once and for all, but it is a very strong piece of evidence to back up the argument in favour of using carbohydrates in dog foods so I hope it will help move the debate on. The only way we can truly serve our pets is by allowing science rather than assumption and conjecture to guide our decisions, and with this clear evidence now showing how our dogs have adapted to starchy foods, those people passionately campaigning against foods containing ingredients such as rice or potato need to reassess their positions and listen to the science.

Fat cats

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I was on Daybreak on ITV this morning talking about fat cats (felines not bankers!) in the wake of a report by Cats Protection showing that nearly a quarter of all cats in the UK are overweight or obese. While this is a long way short of the estimated 50% of pets in the US which are overweight, it is still a worrying statistic, particularly as the trend is very much upwards with a 10% increase in obesity in cats since 2006.

Starve me, if you dare: This porky pet-cat sits comfortably on his sofa-throne giving orders with his pawSo why are our cats getting so fat – and what can we do to help them stay fit and healthy? Well there are many reasons, but as I explained on the show this morning, the main factors are an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, easy access to high-calorie complete foods and a trend towards the humanisation of pets which leads to more treating and tit bits. Years ago cats were lean (and hungry) hunters who spent their waking hours actively searching for food. Nowadays the most exercise many cats get is to waddle from their cosy warm bed to their ever-full feeding bowl where they fill up on rich foods before settling down for another nap. And if at any point in the day they feel peckish, they have learnt the cute behaviours that lead their owners to fill up their food bowls or indulge them with treats or tit bits. The Cats Protection survey showed that an amazing 73% of owners regularly offer their cats treats or tit bits and 90% admitted to feeding them junk food in the past. With all these factors in play, it’s not surprising that our cats are piling on the pounds and that the average weight of a moggy has risen from 4kg to 5kg in the last decade.

Finding a solution to this problem is not easy as people love their cats and want to indulge them. However, there are strategies that people can employ though to help their cats stay slim and healthy though without losing that loving relationship with their cats:

  • Chose a healthy food and look for low calorie options for overweight cats
  • Weigh out your cats food every day and stick firmly to the amount
  • Treat your cats with a healthy natural treat and limit the amount you give each day – and reduce their ration of complete food to compensate for the extra calories in the treats
  • Use a feeding ball or toy to encourage activity and make your cat work for their food
  • Play games with your cat and try electronic games and toys that keep cats active while you are out
  • Try to re-eductae your cat by rewarding their pestering behaviour with attention or a game rather than food
  • Use your vet as most practices will offer free weight checks and advice to help you help your cat. My practice in Swindon, Vet’s Klinic, offers free weight checks so pop along if you’re in the area