Heather’s Walkies

02/05/2025

Lots of fun on our walks this week. It was a challenge to keep cool in the heat, especially with the blue-green algae in the reservoirs making them out of bounds. We found some good, clean streams and lots of woodland shade to explore.

30/04/2025

25/04/2025

Fun in the sun this week.

22/04/2025

Reports of parvovirus in Cutacre Park, you may wish to avoid the area.

The parvo virus is very nasty, and can survive for months, even years both indoors and out. It’s transferred from direct contact with an infected animal/surface/faeces.
Vaccination is one of the best preventions for this serious disease.
More information here: https://canineparvovirus.org

Canine parvovirus attacks a dogs intestines and immune systems, making them weak and unable to absorb essential nutrients from food.

22/04/2025

Are you still giving your dog regular worming medication as a preventative measure?

Did you know there’s another option?

Switching to regular worm counts means you only need to treat if worms are present.

✅ less unnecessary chemicals in your dog’s system
✅ less risk of chemicals impacting the local environment

We’ve been doing this for Penny for nearly a year now, and she’s been clear each time, meaning we’ve avoided unnecessary medicine. (If we got a positive result, then we’d be getting treatment.)

15/04/2025

Worrying stories of performance related pay are emerging from the veterinarian industry. Please support your local, independent vet if you can.

Some tell the BBC they are encouraged to compete over the number of procedures they carry out on pets.

13/04/2025

As Spring gets fully underway, are you aware of the common hazards to protect your dog from?
⚠️ Adder bites
⚠️ Chocolate (easter eggs)
⚠️ Hot cross buns (raisins)
⚠️ fertilisers and lawn feed
⚠️ Spring plants

My leaflet this month explains all these hazards and more, and what you can do to help. Pick up a copy from my gate in Blackrod, or view it online:https://www.animalpoisonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ESMS_3016-APL-Spring-Hazards-DL-SEP18-1-REPRO.pdf

A big thank you to Veterinary Poisons Information Service and Animal PoisonLine for providing the physical leaflets for our community.

11/04/2025

Is it a dog or a cow?! Spring grass is tasty this time of year!!
Many happy walks in the sunshine and paddling in the streams this week. 🥰

10/04/2025

"Free to a Good Home?” How can you Know without the benefit of a Home and ID checks?

With Rescues being overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of dogs needing rehoming, more and more families are having to rehome their dogs directly.

Ways in which dogs are being targeted by the wrong people to the all important free to a good home or minimal rehoming fee:

✯ get a woman involved, far more trusted by the majority than a man (the woman is often a girlfriend or someone that is financially compensated for her efforts);

✯ say live far away, too far for anyone potentially being able to travel;

✯ send a photo of a farm with lots of land.

How do we know? We have seen it far too many times - same pattern, with the same consequences and too late.

We want to try and help and prevent as many dogs as possible falling into the wrong hands and so we are happy to offer advice, including organising the all important homecheck.

We are now working in association with a home checking organisation and have access to volunteers all over the UK willing to help. Volunteers are experienced and sometimes, the majority of times, the mere mention of a homecheck is enough to put the wrong types off.

HOMECHECKS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE.
Please PM the page for help and advice.
Any potential homecheck volunteers, please also PM the page.

"Free to a Good Home?” What should your dog deserve and expect from you?

09/04/2025

Brian’s had another successful trip to the groomers. 🥰
A big shout out to Hair Of The Dog Blackrod who has transformed him from a scruffy pooch who was terrified of grooming to a super handsome chap who literally jumps for joy when he knows it’s time to visit the groomers.

He may not win prizes for the neatest cut (yet! It’s an ongoing progress), but Karen definitely wins his prize for best groomer ever. 😋😋