Clever Pets Ireland

29/05/2026

Tonight I ended up trying to help a friend whose puppy ate a kid's vitamin containing xylitol. Simple accident: kid dropped vitamin, puppy scarfed it down. (Note: this household is knowledgeable and is xylitol free, but a relative bought the vitamins, unaware of the risk to the dogs.)

The puppy only ate *one* vitamin. Which turned out to contain 1500 mg of xylitol.

100 mg/kg is the threshold for hypoglycemia which can be fatal. At 500 mg/kg, hepatic necrosis occurs -- destruction of liver tissue.

So just ONE chewable vitamin ended up creating a serious problem for a 30 pound pup (which is not quite 14 kg).

The emergency vet induced vomiting. Thankfully, the puppy had had a meal and so there was food in her stomach. In the vomit was the orange tablet, identifiable though dissolved.

Quick thinking on the owner's part (including grabbing the bottle of vitamins) and fortunately a nearby 24/7 emergency vet hospital meant that this pup received prompt treatment, and should make a full recovery.

Check your medications, vitamins, gum, candy, toothpaste, mouthwash, peanut butter and more for xylitol, also known as birch sugar.

This is useful information to have on hand:
https://www.calculatorsfordogs.com/health-nutrition-calculators/xylitol-toxicity-calculator

ALWAYS contact vet and ASPCA Animal Poison Control center immediately!

As for everyone (the non-vets) recommending the use of hydrogen peroxide, please update your understanding:
https://www.gsvs.org/woodbridge-nj/blog/hydrogen-peroxide-for-dogs-emergency/

Pass this along. I hope you never have to use it.

10/05/2026

Meet the lovely Toast!! 😍 This energetic young man was recently adopted from and is settling well into his wonderful new home but needs some help with seeing dogs & people calmly when out & about!

We’ve just done the initial consultation of our 3 session bundle in his own home, including a short walk in their local neighbourhood to assess where he’s at now & get started on some training & he did amazing!! All going well we’ll be working on progressing his training at a distance from dogs & people in a local park at our next session in a couple of weeks time.

Well done to Toast & his lovely family for their great work so far!! 👏💕

If you need help with your dogs reaction to dogs & people check out my 3 session bundle - https://Cleverpetsireland.as.me/ReactivityBundle

13/04/2026

10/04/2026

If anyone knows of a quiet home for this lovely little Dachshund cross girl, Valley, let me know so I can put you in touch with her family.

Unfortunately despite the family’s best efforts Valley and the other dog in the home can no longer live together and poor Valley’s confidence has taken a knock with the stress & tension of the situation 😢

Valley will need a quiet, adult only home where she is the only pet and would need someone home alot of the time.

13/03/2026

This sassy lil lady is 7mth old Beagle Daisy🌼 😍🥰 Daisy would like everyone to admire her pretty eye makeup & general gorgeousness!!

Daisy has recently been adopted and her dedicated family have booked in a 3 session puppy bundle to get everything started off correctly with Daisy’s 🌼 training & routines. This is especially important when there are young people in the family so Daisy’s life is sure to be busy & we want to encourage good interactions from the start.

Daisy and her family absolutely smashed their 1st session and I look forward to seeing how they go over the next 2 weeks before i’m out with them again.

13/02/2026

Yuki rocking his awesome new collar 😍

27/01/2026

I hope everyone is keeping safe and dry in this horrible weather!

To cheer you up here are some of my recent clients - you’re welcome! 🥰

23/01/2026

23/01/2026

Pain is one of the most overlooked causes of behaviour change in dogs.

Studies have found pain present in up to 82 percent of behaviour cases, depending on the population examined. Behaviour change is often the earliest and sometimes the only visible sign of an underlying medical issue.

When pain is identified as the cause of behaviours such as aggression, prognosis is often very good, with many dogs showing major improvement or full resolution once pain is treated.

Pain can influence behaviour in multiple ways. It can directly cause defensive behaviours such as growling, snapping, or avoidance. It can lower tolerance and increase reactivity. It can amplify anxiety, frustration, hyperarousal, and irritability. Chronic pain also reduces a dog’s resilience, making everyday stressors much harder to cope with.

Common behaviour signs linked to pain include reluctance to move or sit, stiffness, altered gait, avoidance of stairs or car travel, sensitivity to touch, excessive licking or chewing, sudden aggression or reactivity, clinginess, restlessness, changes in sleep, loss of house training, excessive mouthing, vocalisation, or new behaviour problems appearing after maturity.

Pain is often difficult to identify. Many signs are subtle and easily dismissed as training issues, temperament, or ageing. Dogs may continue running or playing despite pain due to endorphin release during exercise. In the veterinary clinic, stress and adrenaline can temporarily mask discomfort, making dogs appear more comfortable than they are at home.

Chronic pain is also context specific and may not show during a short examination. Pain levels can fluctuate daily, and some dogs are highly stoic. Over time, dogs may adapt to discomfort, developing learned avoidance or behavioural patterns that persist.

Because of this, pain is frequently mislabelled as anxiety, reactivity, or behavioural problems alone and a 6-8 pain trial is often essential. This allows time for medication effects, nervous system sensitisation to settle, and behavioural changes to emerge.

DM for references

23/01/2026

I’ve been working with the handsome Aurie & his family recently on issues with visitors & seeing neighbours around his home & he’s been doing so well!!

His dedicated family already had worked with an excellent trainer when Aurie was a pup so he had some fantastic foundations but a home move & a new baby recently had added to some already increasing stress around strangers & visitors.

There’s still a bit of work to do but Aurie & his family have really implemented the training and there has been so much improvement!!

Well done to Aurie & his family 👏❤️🐾🐾🐾