Today, February 23rd  2021, is World Spay Day.  Every year a number of charities get together to raise awareness of the benefits of spaying and neutering your pets.  

​Male animals are castrated: both testicles are removed, which takes away the main source of the male hormone testosterone.
Female animals are spayed: both the ovaries and the uterus (womb) are removed (ovariohysterectomy). This means that the animal is unable to become pregnant, and will no longer come into season.

It's Pancake day on Tuesday 16th for all us humans. Maybe you have a dog that longingly looks at yours, staring  lovingly into your eyes and then at your plate? You know that look, the "you share with me human" look. Don't worry your puppy can have their own, so you don't have to share! Here is a simple pancake mix you can make for your dogs at home. 

• Plain flour/wholemeal flour  - 50g
• 1 Egg
• Water -  100ml   (might not need it all, you don't want the mixture too thin)

Extras

• Toppings  - blueberries,  strawberries, banana, Peanut butter ( xylitol-free)​

As always, make sure there is access to fresh drinking water and adjust your dogs normal feeding routine appropriately.
Head over to  AlphaPawsUK on Facebook to post your pancake creations....

It  is coming up to that time of year again when the whoooshes and bangs  come out and light up our skies. For a lot of us humans it can mean bundling up with scarfs and bobble hats, heading outside and sipping hot chocolate, eating hot dogs,  and watching the pretty lights. But it can be a scary time for our pets. The loud noises, flashing lights and more people about can cause pets a great deal of stress. Here are some ways we can help them cope.....

Providing a safe environment  - make sure your pet has somewhere safe to go if they want to hide. You can create a fort  using pillows, a blanket and chairs. Put some of their favourite toys in there and have a frozenKong, yak chew or other long lasting chew ready.

If your pet wants reassurance and comfort make sure you give it to them, they wont understand why you are ignoring them. 
Keep windows and doors shut and close the curtains.
​You can also turn the TV or radio up slightly to help mitigate the sounds and any flashes of light.
Also, do a garden check to make sure all is secure and check your dog microchip and collar details are up-to date, just in case they get scared and make a dash for it while having a  late night wee wee's.

Daily Routine - keep to your normal schedule as much possible, pets know when something is going on, so make sure you stay calm and relaxed also.
If you can, take dogs out on their walks earlier, during the daylight, so you are home before the festivities start.  As well, call cats home before it starts to get dark and try keeping them indoors. 
Give them their dinner before the fireworks start, especially if they get too nervous/stressed to eat. 
Set up a nice play time  for  to try and distract them. 
If you introduce different walk and dinner times before the days of fireworks, randomly, then pets will be less suspecting or worried by the change.

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Why are puzzles good for our dogs?
Keeping your dog healthy is not just about physical exercise, mental stimulation is crucial for good health too. It helps your dog develop their senses,   testing their attention and helping them  to develop creative thinking and problem solving skills. A dogs only form of entertainment is what we give them, although many go off and seek their own entertainment if they get bored, unwanted behaviours included. So it is up to us, as Canine Guardians, to help provide them with fun things to do.   Below are some of my favourite Food Enrichment activities I like to use. 
​

Puzzle toys are a great for problem solving. They come in varying degrees of difficulty so dogs may need to be guided and helped to begin with. Choose the best one for your pets level and work their way up,    all dogs are different.

 The yellow and blue spinning Tornado game features several chambers that can be filled with hidden treats and are only revealed after the dog spins each individual bone-shaped layer. There is an option to increase the puzzles difficulty by placing the treats under smaller white bone blocks that fit into the compartments. 
The Bone Brick Puzzle has white bones covering the hidden treat area, as well as boxes to open to get the treats and they  also slide revealing yet another compartment for yummies. 
Below Lucy and Lottie are playing with their Nina Ottosson Puzzles. ​

The Trixie Dog Activity Flip Board comes with sliding bits, flipping switches, and pieces that need removing by your dog. It is marketed as a level 2 difficulty.  Costing less than some at about £7-9.

This puzzle, called Mad Scientist for Dogs, is marked at a level  2. You put treats in the top and the dog then turns the tubes upside down (or spins them) to get the treat out.  Price is roughly £10 on Amazon. 

You can make your own puzzle toys. You can use a muffin tin, put treats in the holes and put tennis balls on top, or you can put some treats in  the cardboard part of the toilet roll, fold the ends and let your dog open it.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links  - click on the pictures for product information and visit the product page. 

Following the post about "keeping your dog cool in Summer", it is also important to keep our cats cool. Here are my top tips for you:

•  Cooling mats-  They are lightweight, washable and can be used at home, or in the car, they are activated by pressure. Please  keep and eye on the cats kneading at the mat, maybe put a towel on top or round it . Alternatively  you can fill and freeze a water bottle,    wrap it in a towel and place it on the floor or some where for your cat to lay next to, a bit like a cooling mat. ​

• Ice Cubes- you can use ice cubes  and get them to play with it, if you can. You can freeze their favourite treat inside them, or  add a bit of tuna brine or low sodium chicken stock to them for a treat. 

• Grooming/Brushing.:  Getting rid of that extra fluff can help a cat stay nice and cool, especially long hair cats .You can get grooming mits, or use a comb/brush style. Don't force the cat if they don't like it or become scared. Just a fuss and a stroke can help get rid of extra fur. Every cat  owner  will tell you, we own  a lint roller for that fur jumper we get after snuggle time. 

This post contains Amazon affiliate links  - click on the pictures for product information and to visit the product    page

Summer is almost here and with temperatures rising it can be hard for our pets to stay cool. Here are some ways you can help:

Cooling mats.are a great way to keep your dogs cool. They are lightweight, washable and can be used at home, or in the car, they are activated by pressure. Although many say they are non-toxic, it is not chew-proof. If your dog is a chewer or a nibbler do not leave them unattended with it, just like you would with toys.
As well as mats, you can also get cooling scarfs.

Making some tasty treats for your pets can provided them with some great enrichment and keep them cool at the same time..  Remember, these are treats so you might want to adjust their meal quantity to prevent over feeding. ​
​*Please check that the products you use are dog safe. For example, some peanut butters now have sweetener (e.g. xylitol)  in them which is highly toxic to dogs.*

Kongs are great. You can fill them with all sorts of delicious things and freeze them to make it cooling and long lasting. You can fill them with yogurt, treats, kibble, wet dog food, peanut butter, and more
LickiMat's and snake toys are a similar idea.

Hello everyone, I am starting to write a blog on the website. It will be focused on Pets and Animals. 
While the page is still under construction - is there anything you would like to read about? drop it in the comments.