Pet Tips Part 1

[Kev45]

Feel free to share any pet tips, and I will get the ball rolling.


Freeze small sachets of dog food for a tasty treat, run them under a hot tap and the meat/jelly just slides out.

Or hotdogs.

If you don't mind a bit of mess, wrap treats in paper and place in a box, scent work and working their little doggy minds (or cats) makes for a happier pet.

Buy your dog/cat dewormer from Bulgaria, almost vet strength and 2/3rds cheaper. Governed by EU regulation (so safe). Both eBay and Amazon stock Canidon and I just bought 50, to last for a few years, and they only cost £30 with postage.

Don't buy dog toys from Aldi, I gave my pooch one, and she had already ripped the stuffing out before I put the shopping away and I spent 5 minutes chasing it with a hoover.

 

[Kev45]

and I spent 5 minutes chasing it with a hoover.

Chasing the fluff, not the dog, and anyway, if I use the attachment nozzle she attacks it like a starving hyena.

 

[Muppz]

In summer I make ice cubes from the cat treats lick e lix, mix water with one and put into ice cube trays and freeze, its a nice cool treat on a hot day and keeps them amused for ages.
I also use lick e lix to give medication in, grind pills up and mix it with lick e lix , cat doesnt even realise they are taking meds.
You can also buy 'pill pockets ' on amazon for giving pills to pets, you slip the pill inside the soft treat and mould it around the pill. Works great unless your pet is like mine who manages to eat the treat and spit the pill out

 

[Kev45]

I use Aldi gravy meatballs for medication and wormer. My pooch takes four wormer tablets, split in half, so 8 and so the meatballs are really handy. I still have to check afterwards because she will slyly spit them out, though.

 

[Muppz]

I use Aldi gravy meatballs for medication and wormer. My pooch takes four wormer tablets, split in half, so 8 and so the meatballs are really handy. I still have to check afterwards because she will slyly spit them out, though.

They are sly buggers arent they !

 

[Kev45]

I have had large breed dogs all my life and am reasonably knowledgeable, this one though was a total bastard to train, and so I invested in a trainer and so-called dog behaviourist. 40 kilo American Bulldogs can't be doing what they want and when they want. Anyway, my god, £40 an hour and her training motto was let the dog decide when they want to do it and so it's their choice, and eventually they will obey commands by choice too.

We fell out (lol) because she told me off when I loudly said "no" to my dog at a road crossing when the dog ignored me.

So, my tip is, go with friends or family recommendations, not because a trainer has a made up title, and unfortunately the sector isn't properly regulated and so there are lots of cowboys (and cowgirls) out there.

 

[LadyOnArooftop]

If you've just moved to a new house and you want to let the cat out into the garden, don't put butter on its paws thinking that will lead it back to the house. That's what I did before I was told that that's just an old wives tale, and after googling it, yes it's an urban myth.

 

[BarryCuda]

If you are having trouble getting your dog to take tablets you could try this. I found grated cheese works best

Wrap the tablet in cheese but some dogs are clever enough to eat around the tablet and then spit the tablet out. So what i do is feed the dog with a little cheese first to get my dog feeling greedy then feed with the next cheese covered tablet but make sure your dog can see a third treat coming up so the dog just swallows the cheese covered tablet as quickly as it can so it doesnt miss out on the next upcoming treat. Try to feed the three lots in quick concession of each other so the dog gulps it down quickly with out realising what its actually taking.

 

[Kev45]

I live near a large open space and so buy LED balls that light up in the dark, and I use them a lot in the warmer months at night when it is too hot in the day for any running about.

The pooch loves them and would run all night if I let her.

 

[Kev45]

By popular demand, I am back with more doggy tales, guys.

So I was in town today, and it was reasonably busy, and there was a guy wandering around with two bully type pups, a female and her brother, the girl was confident and happily greeting people, while the boy was scared and backing off and just barked and growled at them. The so-called owner was really pissed off at the boy yet seemed to be completely ignorant that it was his fault and not the pup, telling people, she was friendly, but he was a "pain in the arse".

Of course, socialisation is important, but you can't just wander into busy or new places with lots of noisy distractions and expect a new pup to behave how you want them to, and all this does is set the pup up for failure. Even carrying a few treats or a squeaky toy might have helped to distract the pup there and then etc. Ultimately, though, the owner was oblivious that socialisation training should begin slowly (in a quiet area) until the pup gains confidence and throwing them straight in the deep end was a recipe for disaster.