With shorter days and colder temperatures ahead, we asked Laurie Barrow, of Woodbridge Vets (here on Riduna Park) to give us some advice around Autumn-time pet care.
Here’s his top tips:
- Be seen! Reflective collars, harnesses and leads are a good idea, particularly as more walks will be happening in the early or fading light.
Laurie says you can also get LED collars, which he recommends for times when you’re letting a dog off their lead in the dark. - Prevent and protect. As we turn up the central heating, flea eggs can get woken up. Make sure to keep your dog or cat’s flea treatments up to date.
- Consider a ‘longer hair look’. Laurie says some dog owners deliberately choose to have their dogs grow a slightly longer coat during the winter (and not get it groomed so short) as this will keep your beloved pet a little warmer.
- Be wary of wintertime toxins. Some of the things we bring into our homes over the autumn and winter, can be terribly harmful to pets. In particular, keep antifreeze type products safely out of the way and sealed, as these are extremely toxic to cats and dogs.
- As fireworks season is getting ever nearer, be mindful that some pets become extremely distressed. You might want to investigate well in advance, products and options which help minimise stress and anxiety for your animals. This could include buying a product like a ‘thunder jacket’, or putting music on to limit the noise encountered by your pet, or, talk to your vet for other solutions and ideas.
The Woodbridge Vets can be contacted on 01394 802803