Pet Corner - Winter 2020

With the onset of winter we must be mindful of our personal needs and our pets. We have a tendency to consume fewer fluids over this period, this can result in an imbalance of body fluids and metabolism which may have an adverse overall effect on our health, it’s as important for our pets as it is for us.

Ensure that a clean source of water is available at all times for our pets, another interesting characteristic of the human condition is the tendency to become less active through this period, it is important to make a conscious effort to maintain a level of activity that promotes general wellbeing and healthy levels of fitness. This is where our dogs make a significant contribution; they have a tendency to pester us to take them for a regular walk.

It is interesting to note that patients recovering from major surgery recovery faster if they have a dog, this could be for a number of reasons, dog owners that walk their dog are engaging in health promoting exercise and there is probably another aspect as well a close relationship with your pets promotes a sense of wellbeing and belonging both of which support our mental health.It is interesting to note a recent clip in a news item that showed young people taking their pets into care facilities for the elderly to pet and interact with, it came across as very positive; we have a tendency to isolate and abandon our elderly.

With the shorter day light hours and cooler temperatures at this time of year our pets like us have a tendency to overeat and gain weight; this is a natural tendency to store food and energy within our body fat as a reserve to sustain us through the winter, this probably dates back to a survival instinct embedded in our DNA of the distant past.

It is important to be mindful of this tendency especially with some breeds of pets both cats and dogs who may gain weight to the point of compromising their health.

Rodents have a tendency to move closer to our homes seeking warmth and food, we must be mindful that they may have been poisoned by us or our neighbours, this maybe an additional risk to be mindful of with both our cats and dogs as the poisoned animal and or sickly rodents are a major health hazard after they have ingested poison baits.

If you are setting up baits for rodents it is important to do it with a bait station, this can be as simple as a short piece of plastic pipe with bait wired in the centre or the more sophisticated readily available plastic bait stations.