Muddy Mutts

10/09/2025

08/09/2025

🐾 Celebrating National Dog Walker Appreciation Day - September 8! 🐾

Today is a special day to honour those wonderful individuals who give so much of their time, care, and energy to our furry friends-our dedicated dog walkers!

Every year, on September 8, we observe National Dog Walker Appreciation Day, a thoughtful initiative launched in 2016 by Wag!, the app that connects pet parents with trusted walkers

From enduring early morning chill, rainy drizzles, or blazing sun, dog walkers show up with a wagging smile-ensuring our dogs get their fresh air, exercise, and daily adventures. They're more than just walkers-they're companions, helpers, and sometimes even lifesavers

Offer them a well-deserved break: take your pup out yourself or give them a day off.
• Shout it out on Facebook like this: share a photo of your dog with their walker and use the hashtag

Let's spread the love today for the people who make our pups' tails wag with joy-and remind them how much they mean to us every single day.

08/09/2025

When your dog touches your soul 🩵

Credit: Dog People by R.M Drake

08/09/2025

🍁AUTUMN DOG ADVICE - CONKERS🍁

On crisp autumn walks your dog may come across conkers that have fallen from a horse chestnut tree, but these shiny seeds are poisonous to dogs!

🔸WHAT IS A CONKER?🔸
A conker is a shiny, round, red-brown seed from a horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum). Conkers are often found on the ground in autumn after dropping from the tree encased in a green or brown spiky fruit.

🔸HOW MANY DOES A DOG HAVE TO EAT?🔸
The amount of toxin in each conker is different, so it’s impossible to know the amount of conkers that your dog would need to eat to make them unwell

Conkers actually taste quite bitter, so it’s unlikely that most dogs will eat enough to make them very ill. But if enough is eaten it can produce more serious effects, and in rare cases can be deadly.

How your dog is affected by this toxin will also depend on their size, when they last ate, how much they chew up the conker and if they have any other health issues.

🔸OTHER RISKS🔸
Poisoning is not the only risk from these seeds. Conkers are large and hard and could cause your dog to choke on them or could block their stomach or gut.

🔸HOW CAN I PREVENT THIS?🔸
If your dog is prone to eating conkers, then keep them on a lead when going for autumn walks (especially in areas where you know there are conker trees). When walking near ‘conker trees’, bring along a ball or a chew toy to help keep their mouths occupied.

🔸WHEN SHOULD I CALL THE VET?🔸
If your dog has eaten conkers, then you should contact your vet for advice. If you’re unsure whether your dog has eaten them, but they’re showing some of the common signs, then you should speak to your vet. Never try to make your dog sick as this can be dangerous and may cause other problems.

05/09/2025

🐾

03/09/2025

This one’s personal. We said goodbye to you today. My bestest boy. You were a pain in the bum sometimes but also the gentlest, most loving boy. I saw it in your eyes, you were asking us for help. We couldn’t let you suffer anymore.

He passed peacefully and with dignity at home, with Dignipets at 12:12pm. With my parents, myself and my brother and sister here. The last few days he’s been to his favourite places, the park, the pub, staff and regulars coming and going to say their goodbyes. There were lots of tears all round; and treats! You were so loved Charlie by everyone who met you (except maybe the neighbours when you were fearlessly defending your garden from any bird or animal that dared enter). Goodnight. Our cheeky Charlie. 🌈 🐶

It already feels quiet without you.

Please bear with me today. I’ll reply to messages tomorrow. X

09/08/2025

Some of the best conversations I’ve had!

29/07/2025

We need our dogs to growl so we know when they are close to their limit. That they really need us to listen and things are getting serious.

They are never a warning we should seek to remove but one we should be glad to hear. Because that’s what’s going to prevent things from escalating further.

27/07/2025

🦠 KENNEL COUGH 🦠

If your dog has been spending time with other dogs and now has a cough that sounds like either a goose honking or something is stuck in their throat, then it’s possible that they may have Kennel Cough.

🦠 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 🦠

🔹Kennel Cough is a type of infection that usually causes a persistent hacking cough that can sound like a goose’s honk
🔹If you think your dog is affected then you should phone your vet for advice
🔹Kennel Cough is not dangerous to most dogs, but can be more serious to young puppies, older dogs and dogs with underlying health conditions
🔹Most healthy dogs are able to recover on their own without any veterinary treatment but always contact your vet if your concerned about your dog
🔹Kennel Cough is highly contagious and if your dog is affected then you should keep them away from other dogs
🔹You can ask your vet about vaccinating your dog against kennel cough, especially if your dog regularly spends time with lots of dogs from different households. This may also be required if your dog stays in kennels or visits a doggy day-care

12/06/2025

Adders are the only venomous snake in the UK and are most seen from spring to summer in open habitats such as sand dunes, heathland, moorland, and woodland.

They are usually grey or brown in colour with a dark distinctive zig-zag pattern down their back. Although they are not aggressive, they will strike when agitated or startled and their venom is toxic to animals.

Swelling around the site is usually seen within two hours, and two puncture wounds may be visible in the centre of the swelling. You may notice signs of lameness, bleeding, and bruising. Once the venom has absorbed into the body, a widespread inflammatory response is triggered which may lead to:

🐍Lethargy
🐍Vomiting/diarrhoea
🐍Pale gums
🐍Increased respiratory and heart rate
🐍Increased salivation

In severe and untreated cases of adder bites, dogs can experience muscle tremors or convulsions, collapse, coagulopathy (blood clotting problems), and organ failure. The seriousness of a bite is influenced by the dog's size, the bite's location, the volume and potency of venom injected, and the duration and extent of movement following the bite.

It is important to note that not all adder strikes result in venom injection; these are known as "dry bites." However, even dry bites can lead to pain, swelling, and infection. Since it is not immediately apparent whether a bite is venomous or dry, it is crucial to contact a vet immediately. Providing advance notice of your arrival allows the vet to prepare, potentially sourcing antivenom from another facility, or redirect you if necessary.

There is a high rate of survival, even in severe instances, provided that treatment is administered quickly. Treatment typically involves managing shock, providing pain relief, and in some situations, administering an intravenous antivenom that neutralizes the venom.

To prevent bites in areas with known adder populations, dogs should be kept on a lead and confined to footpaths. Adders are a protected species in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, and it is illegal to harm them.

Copyright © The Dog First Aid Co. 2025

09/06/2025

TEACH KIDS TO BE DOG FRIENDLY

I’m often asked - “How can I make my dog more child friendly?”

The question really should be - “How can I make my child more dog friendly?”

Children don’t come with an inborn ability to know how to interact with dogs. It’s up to us to teach them.

It’s surprising that there aren’t more dog bites considering how often children are seen treating dogs like stuffed toys.

If you think about it, dogs are actually amazingly tolerant and patient with us. They try their best to communicate with us, in the only way they know how, through using their body language.

A dogs attempt to show us they’re uncomfortable, scared, stressed or anxious is so often completely ignored or not understood.

As parents, I believe it should be a non-negotiable responsibility to teach our children about how to respect and behave around dogs to keep both of them safe.

Always supervise children and dogs, even if a dog seems relaxed and friendly.

Here are some links to free, on-line resources if you’re looking for more information on how to keep children and dogs safe together -

https://kidsarounddogs.co.uk/pages/free-resources

https://www.gooddoginabox.com/top-20-ways-keep-kids-and.../

https://www.familypaws.com/resources/

https://www.cooperandkids.com

https://poochparenting.net/blog/