Homeward Bound professional dog walking service

30/04/2025

Warning! We're seeing heatstroke cases in our Pet Hospitals and, tragically, some could not be saved ⚠️

Heatstroke is a very serious condition that can cause severe dehydration, organ damage and even death. If your pet is showing symptoms of heatstroke, start cooling them down immediately and contact your vet.

It’s important for pet owners to be aware of the signs of heatstroke. The quicker they’re cooled down, the better their chance of recovery.

See the full guide: https://pdsa.me/2M3r

*Please note that ice cubes are perfectly safe to use as a treat to cool down on a hot day. If your pet is suffering from heatstroke they should not be used as treatment.

[Visual description: An infographic that outlines the signs of heatstroke in dogs that owners should look out for, and what to do if you’re worried. This includes: Vomiting, excessive panting, foaming at the mouth, bright red or pale gums, drooling, confusion, weakness, collapsing, shaking, seizures and diarrhoea.]

30/04/2025

We are starting to see the rapeseed warnings shared on social media again ⚠️

And in a way, they're right, you shouldn't let your dog run in the field, but it's not for the reason you think.

This time of year you can see fields with a beautiful golden carpet, these are full of rapeseed flowers. Rapeseed is beginning to flower - the fields look absolutely beautiful and it can be tempting to allow your dogs to run through the sunshine yellow crop.

➡️However, it would be best advised to stick to designated footpaths and not allow your dogs to stray.

➡️Why? Because these are farmers crops and livelihoods! Dogs and people should always stick to the designated paths to avoid any unnecessary disruption of crops.

⚠️Issues with dogs developing issues after coming into contact is thankfully rare.

Dogs can develop gastrointestinal issues if they ingest some of the plant. There have also been reports of skin reactions which resemble burns that can cause pain and discomfort and require treatment. Thankfully both of these outcomes are rare!

Veterinary Poisons Information Service and Animal PoisonLine released a helpful press release following some misinformation surrounding rapeseed dangers.

See the link in our blog below 👇

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/rapeseed-warning

30/04/2025

Hot Forecast Due 🌅

Is it true that if we use cold water on heat stroke pets they will go into shock?

One of the most common things we still hear is that we can only use tepid water on a pet with heat stroke, incase they get some complications like hypothermic overshoot, peripheral vasoconstriction hindering a cooling response, and cardiogenic shock...

We have heard not to use cold water in case it causes shock... this rarely happens!

But guess what? In a recent study over 26% of dogs presented with heat stroke died, with flat faced breeds making up nearly half of heat stroke cases seen in the study.

You should:

💧Get someone to call the local veterinary practice and tell them you're going to travel down with a heat stroke patient
💧Pour, hose or if possible immerse the pet in very cold water (this should obviously be done under constant supervision, ensuring the head is fully above water and immersion should not be attempted if the animal is too large, or you are unable to do so without hurting yourself)
💧NB: If using a hose pipe, make sure it has run through until cold, as they can often contain water that is extremely hot in the tubing initially
💧Do not drape in towels and leave them in situ. Keep the cold water flowing.
💧Move to a cool, shaded area
💧Prepare to transport to vets in a cold, air conditioned car

In studies they found that:

🌅International consensus from sports medicine organisations supports treating EHS with early rapid cooling by immersing the casualty in cold water.
🌅Ice-water immersion has been shown to be highly effective in exertional heat stroke, with a zero fatality rate in large case series of younger, fit patients.
🌅Hyperthermic individuals were cooled twice as fast by Cold Water Immersion as by passive recovery.
🌅No complications occurred during the treatment of three older patients with severe heat stroke were treated with cold‐water immersion.
🌅Cold water immersion (CWI) is the preferred cooling modality in EHS guidelines and the optimal method applicable to UK Service Personnel
🌅Studies suggest using either ice-water or cold-water immersion

The best intervention is PREVENTION, but if you find yourself with an animal with heat stroke, using cold water either by pouring, hosing or ideally (if safe) immersion then this may help reduce their temperature to safe levels while you transport to a veterinary practice.

Read more below:

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/cool-icy-cold-or-tepid

27/04/2025

25/04/2025

Posted • Our pets are our family. Regardless of advancements in veterinary medicine, there is a rise in autoimmune issues such as metabolic disorders and cancers. Routine annual re-vaccination continues without solid scientific proof of need. Vaccine fact sheets clearly state “only for healthy animals,” yet pets with compromised health, old, or existing immunity are often vaccinated without individual assessment—putting their well-being at risk.

By age two, a dog may receive 30 or more vaccines. Shockingly, the same dosage is administered whether a dog weighs 10 pounds or 150 pounds. This one-size-fits-all method defies basic logic and physiology.

Titer testing is a science-based option, which is currently being challenged by the veterinary community and regulatory bodies. This simple blood test—used in veterinary schools can not only identify those animals that have responded to vaccination, they can determine if an animal is a nonresponder, a problem associated with immunity to parvovirus infections. Regardless of the availability and the validity of titer testing, many clinics reject it, defaulting instead to automatic re-vaccination.

It’s time to shift from outdated protocols to personalized, responsible care.

We, the undersigned, urge the veterinary community and regulatory bodies to formally recognize titer testing as a legitimate, science-backed method to assess immunity—and to stop the unnecessary and potentially harmful overuse of vaccines.

Sign now to demand informed, individualized care for the animals we love. Let’s be their voice! https://chng.it/tKNT6jKKmT
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25/04/2025

Some of this week's beauties enjoying ther play session. Thank you Middle Hattons Hounds for your wonderful facility 🐾🐾