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 Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Pals4Pets will be participating in the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s extra-special 150th Anniversary Annual Reunion in Battersea Park on Sunday, 12th September. Will you be attending? If so, be sure to stop by our booth and say hello!
The Annual Reunion is a free public event which this year welcomes Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists, Jackie and Tippy Toes doing their wonderful heelwork to music as well as a fancy dress competition, a funfair, celebrity judges, fun displays, dog games, refreshments, agility displays, micro-chipping and pet tag engraving.
At the end of the Reunion, there will be the cutting (and eating!) of a giant 150th celebration cake. The cake-cutting will take place in the Display Ring at 4pm.
For more information on this event and others marking the 150 year anniversary, check out the: Battersea Dogs & Cats Internet site.
 Sick Puppy Young puppies and kittens that do not have fully developed immune systems are at greater risk of stomach upsets than adult pets. Thus it is important to try and prevent your pet sniffing animal’s excreta, which sadly is found on every public footpath and in parks. This is particularly true in hot weather when germs spread more quickly.
A stomach upset may not sound a ‘big deal’ but it can be life-threatening, if a small animal starts to have diarrhoea and be sick, at the same time. What happens is that the animal looses too much of its body fluids and quickly becoming dehydrated. It is important to seek medical help before your pet becomes limp in body. Owners worry if a pet is not eating, but as with humans not drinking water is far more serious and important and a call to seek advice and help.
If you leave a young puppy under six months old with friends or relatives, my advice is that if they have a garden, let it use that for its exercise and toileting. The same advice stands for older pets or those with a heart condition or other medical complications which could result in organ failure.
Does this ring any bells? You have been waiting for a holiday all year, you go on it and immediately get a cold or flu bugs? That is because your immune system has had a jolt, you are out of your normal surroundings and life-style. The same happens to young animals or those who are elderly and have medical problems. So take precautions in hot weather to keep your pet safe.
 Barley Grass Seed When out with your dog be aware that there is a lethal danger around in the form of barley grass seed. You will be able to identify this variety of grass as it stands out in fields, in parks or on sides of roads due to its golden colour. As it matures at this time of year, the spikes become brittle and separate to travel to pastures new and propagate.
Furthermore, the spikes can easily attach themselves to a dog’s fur, usually on the paws or near the ears, as the dog walks through the long and cool grass. If not detected, this seed can pierce the dog’s skin and travel into the body of the animal, entering the blood stream and causing infection, which if not treated can cause lethal and long term problems. Most owners detect a swelling on the entry point and the dog can lick or bite away at the wound. Sometimes there is no sign of what has happened, until up to a month later when the grass seed resurfaces somewhere in the pet’s body, causing a dramatic swelling.
Dogs with a lot of fur on their paws or around their ears are at most risk, but every dog should be checked after each walk from now until the late autumn and any grass seed removed.
This preventative strategy can also save a lot of money in vets’ fees. Vets summer trade is largely based on the fact that most people do not check their pets, and then have to resort to having the grass seed removed. It can cost from £300 upwards for each operation and the dog will need an anaesthetic.
So be aware there is danger around, for your dog and for your wallet, which can be prevented if you are prepared to check your dog’s coat every day.
The weather has cooled off a bit in the last few days, but here’s hoping the bright summer days return shortly. With that in mind, below you’ll find the 10 rules for dogs in hot weather as outlined by Pete Wedderburn, a qualified vet for the last twenty-five years.
Ten Rules for Dogs in Hot Weather:
1. Never leave a dog alone in a car.
2. Be aware of keeping your dog cool when on car journeys together e.g. leave a window open for fresh air and stop regularly to check your animal properly.
3. Always ensure a plentiful supply of drinking water.
4. Never leave a dog in a sunny place with no shade.
5. Give long haired dogs a short clip.
6. Exercise the dog out of the heat i.e. morning or evening.
7. Take your dog for a cool swim rather than a walk.
8. Give your dog 10% less food than normal.
9. Give the meals at cooler times of the day e.g. morning and evening.
10. Carry water with you when out on hot days, and give your dog frequent small amounts.
 Dog Birthday Cake Beef recipe Below is a recipe shared by Pals4Pets franchisee Helen Alvarez. She made this yummy dog cake (well so I’m told), to treat the dogs who stopped by the Pals4Pets booth at the Abbeville Fete a few weekends ago.
This recipe is quick and easy to make – only 10 minutes preparation time! Food should be finely chopped, grated or minced and mixed in a food processor or blender.
Utensils required include:
*Blender or Food Processor
*A Mixing bowl
*Mixing spoon
*Measuring spoon & measuring cup
*Cake tin – any shape or size to suit recipe
Ingredients required include:
*350 g ( 12 oz) chopped or minced Beef
*4 eggs
*1 cup flour
*1/2 tsp baking powder
*1/2 cup oatmeal
*1/2 cup Corn oil
*Finely chopped Parsley (Optional)
*Half cup grated Carrot
*For dog birthday cake ‘icing’ use a spread made from either yoghurt or cream cheese
The method for making this dog birthday cake is as follows:
*Preheat oven to 350°
*Grease and flour the cake tin
*Finely chop or mince the Beef
*Puree the Beef in a blender, or food processor, with the eggs and corn oil
*Grate the Carrot
*Finely chop the parsley (Optional)
*Add the vegetables to the meat mixture and blend together until completely mixed
*Sift flour and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl and stir in oatmeal
*Make a well in the center of the flour and gradually stir in the blended mixture
*Pour mixture into the greased cake tin
*Bake for about 50-60 minutes
*Remove the dog birthday cake from the oven
*Let the dog birthday cake cool for 30 minutes
*Spread the top of the cake with ‘Icing’ – Yogurt or cream cheese
*Add dog birthday cake decorations of your choice – grated vegetables or chopped fruit ( depending on your dog’s taste)
*Use “Pupperoni” sticks in the place of candles
Once complete, its time for your dog to enjoy! However, don’t let your dog eat the birthday cake all in one go!
This dog birthday cake will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
 Doggie Summer Holiday It is the time of year, when holiday plans are being made, and that process includes arranging suitable care for dogs.
There are of course a number of options open to pet owners. The most cost-effective is to arrange for a family member or friend to look after it. Poor grand-mother is being left behind for another year, in charge of the puppy, who will challenge her strength, sleep patterns and love!
If that fails there are boarding kennels. These vary greatly throughout the country, in part due to local authority licensing standards. Some will allow dogs to mix during exercise time; others will not allow dogs to exercise on grass, because it cannot be hygienically cleaned. Some kennels will promise to walk dogs – others will keep dogs in their cage and run for the whole time that you are away. If a kennel is looking after 100 dogs in the peak summer weeks, the likelihood them being able to walk each dog 3-4 times a day is hard to imagine, whatever promises are made.
There are good and bad kennels, and as one who visited 500 and researched 5,000 whilst researching a book that was published by Collins, I should know!
It important to go and view the kennel blocks, to see where you dog will be staying and look at the condition of the dogs, already boarding.
There can be a high stress element for a dog being locked in a cage and this can lead to being vulnerable to kennel cough, which is an air-borne virus that can easily transmit between dogs, so a vaccination against it is a good precaution.
Your next option is to use a pet care agency or company, who can arrange for your dog to go and stay at a sitter’s home. An agency will introduce you to a third party to take care of your pet(s), there-after the agency, unless the small print says differently, will take no responsibility for care of the dog or the actions of the sitter. This is borne out by the fact that you pay your money in 2-parts, the introduction element to the agency, and the rest directly to the sitter. You need to ask how many dogs a sitter will take at one time. In this recession, peak periods are when sitters can make the most money, and taking in several dogs makes financial sense to them, but not necessarily for you. Remember the story in the press recently of the walker who was looking after 11 dogs and whose van was stolen with the dogs in it?
A full service pet care company like Pals4Pets, pays its sitters, which in essence means that we take responsibility for them and their actions, while providing a 24-hour helpline for them, so that they have access to help and support. We do not allow our sitters to take more than one or two dogs at a time, so your dog gets attention and does not have to become part of a pack.
Your final option is to have a sitter to live in your home. There are many individuals and businesses offering this service. Pals4Pets prides itself on recruiting sitters. We visit sitters in their own home, conduct references and police checks. Our task is to select a sitter who lives close enough for you to meet them before the assignment starts.
Once the booking starts we provide your sitter with a 24-hour helpline, they follow our procedures which help to make the experience for you and your pet a good one.
It is so important to know that your sitter is being monitored, and that they are committed to giving your pets time. House-sitting is not a holiday opportunity with care of animals thrown in; it is a responsible undertaking, with little free time, but a lot of reward from the company of the animals.
So, do your research and give yourself time to explore the options available to you, then you can make the right choice for your dog(s).
 Birman Pedigree Cat The concept that cats prefer their own surroundings more than people is not always the case. Many cats, particularly pedigrees, are very people dependant, and do need company and social inter-action if they are to remain happy in your absence.
It is therefore important to consider your cat’s personality when making decisions as to how best to provide care for him or her. Neighbours are often prepared to feed a cat, particularly if they have one, and you can reciprocate! Family members or friends make good live-in companions for cats. If you live in a tourist district, providing a friend with a free holiday-home can work well for everyone concerned.
If this is not an option, and you want to go down the cattery-route, there is a charity called the Feline Advisory Board, who have set good standards and have a list of catteries who meet their criteria. All their approved catteries have individual chalets, each one having an outdoor run, heating for winter months and usually good views over open countryside. Unfortunately, particularly in inner city areas, there are still catteries which are being licensed that accommodate cats in spaces no larger than a cage or rabbit hutch and these should be avoided.
It is so important to go and look at where your cat is going to be kept. If the cattery you select does not allow visitors, then do not consider using them. Open door polices are so important. If using a cattery, make sure that your cat is fully vaccinated, particularly if boarding in high season; due to stress, temperature, and change in surroundings, feline flu can often occur.
Another option is to look for someone to visit your cat in its’ own home, once or twice a day. Make sure that the business you select will give your cat time. In the case of Pals4Pets we guarantee that the visitor will remain on the premises for half an hour on each visit, and you can buy in extra time, known as ‘cuddle-time’. Our sitters are contractually obliged to ring the office from your home, so that we know that they have visited.
Having a live-in cat lover is best option for any cat, particularly as in our case, the sitter will remain at the home during the evening, when most cats are active, and still be there in the morning when it needs fresh food and water etc.
Pals4Pets offers a menu of choices for cats, and can put together a package of care which meets the cat’s needs and your budget.
 Annabel Karmel's Dog Hamilton (a Samoyed) Writing in response to an article in ‘ The Standard’ last month, I hope that Annabel Karmel and Rolf and Goldie Allen will by now have been re-united with their dogs.
There is no way that one person can effectively be in charge of a van-load of 11 dogs, or walk them as a pack, responsibly and safely.
When I started Pals4Pets, 12 years ago, dog-walking was a small cottage-industry, operated locally by genuine dog lovers. Now there are many so called ‘professional’ walkers throughout London. Professional – only in terms of being able to earn money.
One cannot blame those individuals who have responded to market forces by establishing themselves as dog walkers. They are offering a valuable service, breaking up a dog’s lonely and long day while owners are at work.
The problem, in part, is that dog owners look for the least expensive service. They believe that anyone working with dogs should be doing it for their love of animals, and almost resent paying for the time and commitment, the insurance and management that needs to go into providing a quality service. That is until things go wrong.
Like everyone else, dog owners are under financial constraints, and choices have to be made. Considering the importance of the emotional value of a pet, owners can chose to employ the services of a professional company, who take full responsibility for the provision of effective care. The alternative is to accept the risks associated with individuals who generally have no back-up and little, if any, support.
Below is a picture of Pals4Pets franchisee Helen Alvarez at the Battersea Park Police Dog Show last weekend. In addition to the Battersea Park Police Dog Show, Helen also attended the Abbeville Fete which had a lot of local people who showed great interest in the varied pet care services offered by Pals4Pets.  Pals4Pets Franchisee Helen Alvarez
 Best In Show Pals4Pets franchisee Helen Alvarez who provides pet care services to clients in South West London (Battersea, Wandsworth, Clapham, Putney, Lambeth and Balham) has a busy weekend ahead. Helen will be participating in two events to promote Pals4Pets pet care services like one-to-one dog boarding in private homes. Specifically, Helen will be at:
The Abbeville Fete:
• When: Saturday 26th June, 12 noon – 4:00 pm
• Location: Abbeville Road in Clapham, South London
Now in its 14th year, this village-style fete which raises money for a number of local charities is a great way to spend a summer. The theme this year is fairytales and fables. Should note that the Dog Show starts at 12noon on Narbonne Avenue; also the Pet Show starts at 1:30pm outside David Cuffe’s vet surgery.
Wandsworth Parks Police Companion Dog Show
• When: Sunday 27th June, 10:30 start
• Location: Battersea Park, London, SW11 4NJ (Albert Bridge Road Vehicle Gate entrance)
Registrations for the Dog Show start at 10.30am and judging commences at 12.30pm. There will be: 4 Pedigree classes, 4 Obedience classes and 12 Novelty classes. Registration fee is: £1.50 per dog per class. Funds raised from this event will support the Thrive Charity which uses gardening to help disabled people transform their lives.
So if you’re in London this weekend and looking for dog friendly events, be sure to check out the Abbeville Fete or Wandsworth Park Police Companion Dog Show. Also, stop by the Pals4Pets stall and say hello to Helen!
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