All Aboard? Then Buckle up! Rule 57 of the highway code states “When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly”.6 Nov 2017 But according to a recent survey commissioned by car leasing company, 56% of more than 1000 UK pet owners were unaware of the law when driving with their pet. In fact 1 in 5 admitted they do not restrain their dog at all and 12% allowed their dog to sit unrestrained in the front passenger seat. So what’s the big deal? You are, by not restraining your dog when traveling putting not only their life at risk but also yourself. Perhaps part of the problem is the use of the word ‘restrain’ which may sound cruel to many. Instead let us use the term ‘secure’. In the same way you secure a baby in a car seat to protect them, you should secure your dog as well. There are several different ways you can do this and there is something to suit every car and every family. You may use a dog crate, if you do, make sure it is an appropriate size for your dog. I would also recommend a non slip mat rather than a blanket or towel so they don’t slide around all over the place. If you are using a car guard to keep your dog in the boot, make sure it is fitted properly! You don’t want it popping out as your driving and your dog to hop into the front seat. I use a seat belt adaptor for both my dogs. This clips on to their harness and plugs into the seat belt buckle. I leave the adaptor in the car so its there when ever I need it. I wouldn’t advise you use these on a collar as in the event of a sudden brake, you risk pulling them tightly around the neck. When it comes to very young pups it can be very tempting to have them sit in the lap of a passenger, after all they’re so small and sleepy but the fact is, if there is an accident there’s nothing to stop them going flying. It’s far better for them if you put them in a pet carrier that you can secure to the seat with the seat belt, in the same way you do with a baby seat. This is the same for cats, rabbit and guinea pigs. In a pinch you could use a ventilated cardboard box, but make sure it has a secure lid! If you have a cat, rabbit, guinea pig or small pet you should really have a suitable size carrier. At the end of any length journey, whether its a trip to the vets or moving house the most important thing is that you and your pet have a made it safely.
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Bird flu Prevention zone.
Following a second confirmed case of H5N6 in wild birds in Warwickshire, DEFRA has announced this morning (18th January) that an extended Avian flu Prevention Zone now applies across the whole of England. This doesn’t mean that you must keep your birds housed inside, (as happened last year) but you are required to follow some basic biosecurity procedures. This applies to all bird keepers. No matter how few birds you have. This order comes as last week 17 wild birds in Dorset tested positive for H5N6 and a total of 31 birds has now been identified at the site. Last Friday DEFRA was quick to put in a local Prevention zone, however this second confirmed case has shown that the disease is not isolated to a single area, therefore the Extended Prevention zone has been put in place to try and stop the spread. So what does this Prevention one mean to us? Well, even if your birds, like my 2 hens are pets; If you keep poultry you must by law follow disease prevention measures. You can still let your birds outside but you must take action to reduce the chance of your birds coming into contact with wild birds. Remove wild bird feeders, net off ponds ect. Take action to prevent contamination by disinfecting areas such as patios and concrete areas that wild birds may come into contact with. Prevent contamination of food and water by placing feeders undercover. Good hygiene routines and vigilance will help keep everyone’s birds better protected. for more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu?mc_cid=2bfb84e190&mc_eid=71e7d24eda#prevention-zone So today I want to talk about a product that I have used to great affect on more than one occasion. Alfalfa hay by Oxbow. This is a great product when used in a way that exploits all the products features. That being that it is a highly palatable high protein hay. I first made use of this product when I was given a free bag to help with a very rabbit that I was caring for. She was suffering from a respiratory infection and I found it hard to keep weight on her. The hays sweetness meant that even Millie wanted eat in. She pulled through and has a lovely life as house rabbit. When my next poorly rabbit came along it was slightly different, Pink, who has his own page on the website was pretty much a bag of bones and complete nugget food was leaving him very loose. He was a great hay eater but as he struggled to fight his illness he used up all his energy with nothing left to put on weight, or even maintain his temperature. With daily helping of Alfalfa hay along with his regular feeding hay, he was able to start gaining weight and with the correct medication he has made a complete recovery. Alfalfa hay is not something I would give as part of a pets daily diet but I am in not doubt that without it Pink would certainly have struggled to recover the way he has. If your rabbit, guinea pig or chinchilla has been under weather, lost weight due or illness or perhaps is looking a bit thin as they get older I would highly advise that you give this product a try. This was the first time I have used the hay cube from Natural by Rosewood pet products. I thought it was very reasonably priced at around £6 and is essentially a cardboard box covered in hay with heart shaped holes on the sides and filled with hay. So no it's nothing really ground breaking and I have made similar toys for my pets before but without the added hay stuck on the outside. Having said that it's a great addition to the naturals range further promoting the importance of hay. It's also great for those who may not feel confident to make what may seem to some to be a really simple interactive hay feeder. Only time will tell how long this would last, I am optimistic that once the hay inside has been depleted it will still be useful enough to refill with different hays and forages, needless to say, as it's made of card, don't leave it outside and don't let it get wet. This was my piggies first meeting and after giving them some time to figure each other out I put the cube in and is was a instant hit, they were both interested in it both nibbled at it until it was time to take it out. the next test will be to see if they're are still interested in it the next time it goes in the run with them and what my rabbit Bonnie will make it. Overall a good product, though you could make one yourself if you have the inclination. I'll keep you posted. This hutch was intended for chickens but this client wanted it for 3 very lucky guinea pigs. it comes in 2 boxes at a combined weight of 60Kg. The instructions were basic diagrams with very little written instruction and I wouldn't say that this build was very friendly for anyone who was new to hutch builds. Having said that, for it's size it went up fairly simply. the nest box and perches were not a part that we put in as they were not needed for guinea pigs; the frame that sits inside the house however would be ideal for putting in a second floor so that piggies can make the most of the inside space. The biggest problem was with the apex shape of the run. The run comes in several parts and the top and bottom are cut at 45 degree angle with pre drilled holes. It seamed that the screw it instructed to use was too short to adequately hold the top and bottom together without being easily popped out. and we did have to make use of all the spare screws, of which there was only 1 per size. The build took around 2 hours, much longer than normal, the delay with the run pieces not holding took a lot of time to decided how best to resolve on the spot in a way that would safe for the pigges and give the best finish. Overall I think this hutch is well made but it does have some floors that I noticed when putting it together.
Firstly the image on the box which showed several chickens was fake and I think misrepresented the size of the hutch and the run. The divide that was intended to attach to the nest box would not provide much if any draught exclusion and the ventilation on both ends of the inside house could make the house could or draughty in the winter. The run does not actually affix the house, this does make it fairly straight forward to move on to fresh grass but I can see that any slight mishap, the run not being pushed completely against the house could prove an irresistible opportunity for an escape artist or hungry hunter. I would recommend adding a hook and eye to the run and house. A quick, simple and cheap way to keep the run and house together. There is also no proper access to the run, the door on the run is a tiny square no more than 20cm and the loose slide bolt is not what I would consider safe, really there is no point the door being there, as it can be used and could be a liability. I will say that the quality of the materials was good and the overa; design was good but only time and use will tell how good it really is. |
AuthorRebecca, owner and founder of R and R Pet services. Archives
May 2022
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