Positively K9

Positively K9 Vet nurse with 25 years of experience offering a range of services. Walks, training, visits.

15/08/2025

Are you heading away on holiday this year and needing to have your dog looked after? You might already have someone you trust fully but if not, do you know what you need to be thinking about to ensure your dog is well cared for? Anyone looking after your dog should have a valid boarding license - this means that person has been inspected and meets particular welfare standards.Before booking please consider asking to see their boarding license, visit the home or the kennels, and most importantly if your not feeling this is the right place for your dog, walk away!Knowing your dog is safe and happy whilst we are away is so important and allows us as owners to enjoy our time away too!

TW: discusses pet loss and bereavementThis was our beautiful girl Staffy who we lost at a relatively young age. Many yea...
01/07/2025

TW: discusses pet loss and bereavement

This was our beautiful girl Staffy who we lost at a relatively young age. Many years later I still think of her often and feel those pangs of grief - losing her was heartbreaking.

I don’t think we discuss pet loss and the impact of grieving our beloved animals enough. This compounds our grief often as we feel we can’t share how strongly we feel to those around us and just how devastating their loss can be. For many of us our pets are so much more than just an animal in our homes - they are our most trusted companions, best friends, a reason to get up each day, an unconditional love that we might not feel with anyone else. They might have got us through some of the most challenging times in our lives, given us a purpose or brought so much joy into our lives.

And whilst we know we are very likely to outlive them, when we do our world can be turned upside down. You might feel others, (particularly those who don’t own/live with animals) don’t understand or expect you to ‘get over’ your grief quickly. There isn’t the same consideration given in the workplace with regards to compassionate leave for pet grief and we can feel isolated with our sadness.

I wanted to reassure you that your grief reaction and ANY feelings you might have are valid. However you decide to cope with your loss is also completely OK - you might decide to get another pet quickly, you might need to take time off work, find yourself bereft for a long time or able to go back to normal routines fairly quickly.

However you feel and manage I would encourage you to share how you’re feeling with those you trust including your veterinary practice who might have a specialist pet grief counsellor. Your veterinary nurse can also be a great support. I also encourage you to mark their memory in whatever way you need when you are ready & only you will know what that should be.

Time is indeed a great healer but acknowledging just how important our pets are to us and what a privilege it has been to have our pet in our lives can be a good starting point to coming to terms with our loss.

How does your dog react around horses?Keeping dogs and horses safe around each other is everyone’s responsibility but th...
03/06/2025

How does your dog react around horses?

Keeping dogs and horses safe around each other is everyone’s responsibility but there is lots you can do as a dog owner to ensure you protect both animals (and horse rider) when they do meet.

If your dog isn’t socialised around horses at a young age they are more likely to be reactive by either barking or trying to chase a horse which increases the chance of injury. So when your dog is young, try to gradually introduce them to horses so they aren’t easily spooked when they do see one.

If your dogs recall isn’t effective it is best to keep your dog on a lead in case you encounter a horse unexpectedly. Giving lots of positive praise and using treats to reinforce calm behaviour when you do see a horse will encourage a less reactive response and always keep a good distance, allowing the horse to pass and again praising your dog for sitting still.

Let me know in the comments how your dog behaves around horses🐴

23/05/2025

The whole point! Life is what we make it but is without a doubt better for having our 🐶🐾And just a little reminder for this bank holiday weekend that nothing special planned is more than enough. We can let these little squares make us think it isn’t sometimes but if our dogs show us anything, it’s that being in the moment and enjoying simple things is where the joy is at.Wishing you all a lovely break!

Have you heard of bloat in dogs?Bloat is a very serious, life threatening condition where gas fills the stomach and it t...
14/05/2025

Have you heard of bloat in dogs?

Bloat is a very serious, life threatening condition where gas fills the stomach and it twists. It’s most common in large, deep chested dogs but any dog can be affected. Thankfully it is a rare condition but it’s valuable to know what to look out for:

Common signs of bloat include
🛑 a swollen hard belly
🛑 retching but unable to vomit
🛑drooling
🛑pain in the stomach when touching
🛑panting and restlessness

What can cause bloat?
⚠️eating meals too quickly
⚠️exercising soon after a meal
⚠️being overweight or very underweight
⚠️eating meals that are too large
⚠️a family history, stress, & age (older dogs are more likely)

You can do your best to avoid bloat by spreading your dogs meal across the day so giving smaller amounts. Avoid strenuous exercise after meals and giving your dog a slow feeder to slow down how quickly they eat. Keeping your dog a healthy weight will also help.

If you do suspect bloat, contact your vet immediately. Your dog being seen as quickly as possible can make all the difference to the outcome.

The temperatures are rising & it is SO important to look after our beloved pooches when it’s hot, hot, HOT!Do you know w...
01/05/2025

The temperatures are rising & it is SO important to look after our beloved pooches when it’s hot, hot, HOT!

Do you know what is too hot for your dog?

🔥 when the air temperature is 25c the tarmac is 51.6c! Your dogs paws will burn at these temperatures in as little as sixty seconds. Check the pavement with your own hands or feet before you start the walk & if it’s too hot for you, it’s definitely too hot for them🥵
🔥As a general rule walking your dog under 22c is considered ideal as most dogs are comfortable under this temperature. A dogs age, weight, health & breed will impact on its ability to cope in higher temperatures too.
🔥 access to shade and water is a MUST as the temperatures rise. A first sign of your dog overheating is excessive panting which is their way of cooling down. If you see this remove them from the source of heat and support them by placing a wet towel over them which can create the effect of sweating.
🔥it’s best to walk your dog early morning & later in the evening when the temperature is much cooler which reduces the risk of heatstroke and ensures the pavements won’t burn 🐾 if you need to go out, leave your dog at home & NEVER in the car
🆘contact your vet immediately if your dog is showing signs of heatstroke including:
-excessive drooling
-difficulty breathing/heavy panting
-your dog is lethargic, drowsy and/or uncoordinated
-collapsed or vomiting

A final note to those of you who own brachycephalic breeds, short nosed dogs, pugs, French bulldogs etc. A dogs primary cooling system is in the nose . Long nosed breeds fair much better than flat faced dogs. Be particularly careful with these dogs in hot weather. Dogs with black coats or darker shades of hair, young, old or dogs with an underlying health condition are also more susceptible to extreme temperatures, so watch your oldies and babies. Better a day inside fending off the 300th zoom around the living room, than an emergency vet visit or worse!

22/04/2025

How far is too far? 🤔Like us you might be enjoying the drier weather this April and heading out for longer walks or going off the beaten track? But how far should you go to keep your dog safe and well? Most breeds will manage walks of up to 5km (3 miles) whilst others may manage upwards of 10 miles but there are a number of factors to consider including:🐶Breed: smaller and short legged breeds will naturally struggle with longer distances whilst those who are bred to be working dogs will have endurance and can cope well with longer walks.3️⃣2️⃣5️⃣1️⃣Age: puppies and younger/older dogs will need less exercise and should only do shorter walks and you will need to also think about more frequent breaks☀️🥶Weather: hot or cold weather has a huge impact on what your dog can tolerate so you will need to consider adapting your walk to ensure your dogs safety.🛑Health issues: any dogs with pre existing health concerns especially with regards to their joints or heart and of course any dogs with injuries will need special considerationIt’s important to say every dog has individual tolerances and it’s important to monitor your dog for signs of tiredness, overexertion or they are showing you they are not enjoying the walk. Start slowly, keep paying attention to your dog and their behaviour throughout the walk, take regular breaks and don’t forget there are always enjoyable alternatives!

Just a little reminder as we officially enter Spring this week (hooray!) that whilst it is a lovely time of year it can ...
16/03/2025

Just a little reminder as we officially enter Spring this week (hooray!) that whilst it is a lovely time of year it can bring some hazards for our dogs which we need to remember:
🍫chocolate at this time of year is EVERYWHERE! Chocolate is toxic for dogs so remember to keep your eater eggs well out of the way. Or buy your dog a chocolate friendly one so they don’t miss out!
🌸we start to think about planting out our flowers and vegetables and will often put down slug pellets without considering how dangerous these are if they are ingested by our pets. Think about netting or another way to protect your plants!
🐑the lambs will be coming soon! It is claimed up to 15000 lambs are killed each year by dogs off lead near lambs. It’s a shocking number and this hazard is easily prevented by keeping your dog on the lead whenever you are near grazing sheep and lambs. You might think your dog would never hurt another animal but it’s better to be safe rather than sorry!

My next post will cover some other safety elements we need to be thinking about at this time of year - any you can think of?

09/03/2025

Does a moment like this make your heart burst?💥💕☀️Our dogs taking in a view, a minute of contemplation or even just a quiet moment when you know they are as content & happy as you are can be SO beautiful!Next time you’re on a walk maybe just take one of these moments to soak it all in and you’ll notice your dog do the same! It is after all these small things that bring us the most joy✨Happy Sunday everyone - hope it’s been a glorious few days for you too!

Oh brighter days you are wonderful!☀️🌸I think we might all be ready for Spring coming! Did you know this time of year is...
02/03/2025

Oh brighter days you are wonderful!☀️🌸

I think we might all be ready for Spring coming! Did you know this time of year is known as natures new year? I love that idea as we all start to come out of hibernation.

Have you noticed a change in your dog’s mood and behaviour? As we start to feel more energised and motivated our dogs will pick up on our happier emotions too. Dogs can read our facial expressions and body language - they can also understand the emotional tones in our voices!

This is why we share such a close bond with our dogs - they look to us for cues on how to manage their external world and when we are calm, happy and comfortable they will feel more safe, happy and secure too💕

Bring on the joys of spring!

15/02/2025

Happy Saturday everyone! This made me laugh yesterday - Skye likes to play hide and seek but her hot breath gave her away this time🤣 hasn’t it been chilly!

Hoping the grey skies turn brighter tomorrow so we can end our weekend with a walk in some light🙏 hope your all having a lovely weekend whatever your getting up to!

05/02/2025

Meet Gigi! Gigi has always allowed me to be present with her whilst she has played but it’s only today that she has played WITH me! Good things come to those who wait🥰

As an experienced dog walker and also working with behavioural issues, I always allow the dog to show me when they are ready and it’s an amazing feeling when that pays off. Trust is gradually built and I treasure every bond I have!

The small wins really are the biggest!🤩

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