In this final episode of our bonus ‘Ask The Vet’ mini-series, Emma Barton and Blue Cross Chief Veterinary Surgeon, Caroline Reay, discuss whether pet owners should be bathing their four-legged friends? 

Many people mistakenly believe that their pet’s coat needs to be washed as often as we wash our own hair - but in actual fact, some pets are better left for as long as possible.

A lot of our furry friends have sensitive skin and cleaning them too often can really dry out their coat or cause skin irritation, so as responsible owners it’s important to know what precautions to take when washing our pets.

Useful Links:

• How often should you wash your dog? https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/how-often-should-you-wash-your-dog 
• Top 10 tips for looking after a hamster: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/top-10-tips-looking-after-hamster 

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Pet theft and pet scams have been rife over the past year, attributed to the pandemic ‘pet boom’. In this episode, Blue Cross arms pet owners – new and old – on how to protect themselves and their four-legged friends against criminal activity.

Alongside Emma Barton and Blue Cross’ Head of Public Affairs, Becky Thwaites, this episode features best-selling author, James Bowen - who talks about his own experience of being scammed when looking to welcome a new puppy into his home. 

Becky, who campaigns for better animal welfare legislation across the UK, speaks about why she thinks there has been an increase in pet thefts and scams: “Unfortunately, with the coronavirus pandemic it has led to a massive increase in people wanting to get a new pet for their lives, but that goes hand-in-hand with a massive increase in prices and demand. 

“And then you've got just more of the criminal element to the trade, so, we’re seeing things like pet theft, scams and a legally bread puppies coming into the country, so unfortunately, there's just a lot of  bad guys out there trying to take advantage of people that just want a lovely new pet for their life.”

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Emma Barton and Blue Cross Chief Veterinary Surgeon, Caroline Reay, delve into the topic of pets and dementia.

Have you ever wondered if your pet could be living with dementia, or what would happen if their memory started to deteriorate? Perhaps you have started to notice them acting a little strangely in their old age, but aren’t sure why? 

In this episode, Caroline and Emma discuss how pet owners can spot the signs of dementia, and what they can do to keep their pet pals happy and comfortable following a diagnosis. 

Useful Links:

• Caring for older cats: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/caring-for-older-cats
• Caring for older dogs: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/caring-for-older-dogs
• Care for the older horse: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/care-older-horse 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.