Bloat in dogs

Looking after other people's precious pets is a great experience but also a great responsibility. We are trusted to look after and care for an animal as if they were our own.

We follow the routine of the pet owner so that the pet is settled, and not disrupted by the change of human carer.

Meal times can be stressful, especially with dogs, and there is a risk of bloat which many pet owners are not aware of.

As long as a few rules are observed, for instance, stopping vigorous exercise an hour before or after feeding, limited water before and after feeding, and stress free mealtimes, most dogs are fine.

Some breeds, those with a high ribcage for example, are more prone to bloat. We have looked after dogs where there is a history of bloat, and are aware of this risk with other dogs that we look after.

This is a really good site telling you what to look out for, and how to prevent bloat.

http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm

We have a form you can download to give to your pet sitter so that they know what to look out for and what to do if your dog presents with symptoms of bloat. This is located on the Links page of our website.

New Year on the French Riviera

Christmas and New Year in a small town just up in the hills behind Cannes has started our year off on a pampered note.

We saw the New Year in with the beautiful people, but more importantly with beautiful pets. We had the pleasure of looking after Zuka, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and Alfie a Spoodle. We were looked after by Bruno the Cat.

Our Spoodle, or Cockerpoo,

Alfie is a toy poodle crossed with a spaniel. He is very sweet and has a very soft and curly coat which doesn't molt. .

click below to get more information on this breed.
http://ten.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

He loved to have cuddles most of the time, basically as soon as you sit down he was there asking to get up. He has a sweet temperment he is full of energy and very playful.

Zuka is a Rhodesian Ridgeback

Wikipedia quotes this breed " The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a dog breed developed in Southern Africa where it was used (amongst other things) to hunt lions. This is most likely why this dog is known for its bravery."

Obviously Zuka had not read this descirption of himself as he was scared of his own shadow, literally. He was a bit nervous of us at first, but given his space he soon got used to us and was a shadow for the entire sit. He took his lead from Alfie on most matters, letting his older brother guide him.

He was a very effective guard dog as he would run and bark up to the gates of the property when anyone called. As part of the family he is very loving and gentle.

Bruno is a Burmese

Click here for further information on the Burmese.

Burmese Cat Club of GB

Bruno was very tolerant of us and was gratious enough to welcome us into his home. He too liked lots of cuddles and was very vocal around tea time. He was kind enough to let us smooth his deep and very soft coat , we felt very honoured when his attentions were turned to us.

Wishing our clients Past, Present and Future

a Very Merry Christmas

and a Happy and Peaceful New Year

from Tracy and Della at Chez Vous

click on the link below to see the show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-0WVfj76bo


Instead of sending out Christmas Cards this year we have sponsored a puppy. Click on site below to see what the clever dogs do.

http://www.caninepartners.co.uk/

Shropshire Good Life

October saw us in the rural surrounds of Shropshire, looking after a small holding with horses, sheep, chickens and cats.

Where space allows, folk seem to be coming back to the idea of self-sufficiency, even if it is just to keep a few hens for eggs.

This lifestyle was recently relived in the BBC2 programme 'Giles and Sue live the good life.' In this series they recreated the efforts that Tom and Barbara Good went to to be self sufficient. It turned out to be a lot more labour intensive and time consuming than they thought.

Their set up was perhaps a bit too self sufficient for most people. On our sits we do find that elements of self sufficiency, whether it be a veggie plot or just some hens, do feature.

The work and dedication involved in looking after animals and tending veggies, in our opinion, is well worth the effort. We always get a kick out of the fact that we are eating food just picked from the garden. We find looking after and tending to animals very relaxing and rewarding, even if it is pouring with rain, and freezing cold when the horses need bringing in and the hens need shutting in their house for the night.

At the end of the day, with flora and fauna, you reap far more than you sew.

Ass you like it... Donkey days in France

A number of our clients have pets that have come from rescue centres. Sophie, a lady who we sit regularly for, has 6 cats, two dogs and two chickens, as well as two donkeys. They all have their issues brought from previous lives, but are now comfortable together, being given a second chance to be loved.

Here in South West France there are a lot of donkeys. They are good for keeping down the courser vegetation, like brambles and thistles. They will eat bark from the trees though, which is not good for the trees.

They require a shelter as they don't like to get too wet. Their coat takes a long time to dry out if they are without shelter.

These donkeys are very tidy and have a particular area for their bathroom. There is always plenty of 'help' with all the chores around the grounds.

They need the same care and attention as horses, daily brushing, picking out their feet, summer and winter routines.

They are very mischievous, nosey and playful, and are great fun to look after. They are a great alarm call if you happen to be late getting up.

They need company and make great companions for other animals.

Links to Donkey sanctuarys in France and UK:

http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/
http://equinerescuefrance.wordpress.com/

RIP Maxwell & Serioja

We had sad news back in the summer that two of the pets, we looked after the previous year, had passed away, in Keri Keri, North Island, New Zealand.

Max the dog, was a very sweet boy, although he had trouble getting about he always found his inner-puppy on a daily basis, when he knew we were going to take him for a walk or play with the ball. The energy didn't last for long, but he enjoyed himself.

If he disappeared for a short time we always knew that he would be off visiting his friend George, for a dog with mobility issues, we were always amazed at just how fast he got to George's house.

Whilst he was in our care we were charged with the task of putting him on a strict diet, which slowly, but surely began to show in his physique. We had the whole neighbourhood behind our cause, noting the progress Max was making on his daily walks.

We progressed from a slow amble to an almost sprightly jaunt! Hopefully this all helped to make his last days on Earth more comfortable.

We will always remember this big imposing-looking dog hiding under the study desk as the 'low battery' warning sound on the fire alarm went off. For days after he looked warily at the ceiling.

Serioja the cat was also very loving and very close to Max. The two were never very far apart from each other.

As with all of our 'foster pets' they both have a special place in our hearts and minds.

We know Max will be enjoying his new found freedom with Serioja by his side.

African Grey Parrots - South of France

Having got caught up in the flight disruptions caused by the Icelandic volcano, we are glad to be back in France on our current house sit.

We are in a small village just north of Carcassonne, looking after two small dogs, an elderly cat, an aged Camargue pony, 7 chickens and 3 African Gray parrots.

Our current house is a converted windmill on top of a mountain with 360 degree views over the surrounding countryside, giving us superb sunrises and sunsets.

This is our first time looking after African Gray parrots. We have been looking forward to getting to know this beautiful bird.

We are looking after 3 African Parrots.

Cookie is a male bird caught in the wild. He was initially very shy with us, and stayed in his nesting box just poking out his head. Gradually, day by day, he has got braver, sings us a lovely tune and bobs his head up and down. By the end of the week he was staying out on his perch when we entered the aviary.

Sugar is a female bird and was raised in captivity. She is much braver with us, and from day one she had stayed out on the perch, gradually coming up to us to take a peanut from us.

Baby is the offspring of Cookie and Sugar, this is a rare occurance, and was not expected by the owners. He/she is now about 6 months old and the gender is not yet known. He was very shy of us to start with, growling when you approached his nesting box. At the end of the first week, he was getting braver, staying out on the perch and singing to us.

We sat in with the birds to start with, just chatting to them. We had a pet owner's manual to give us some background information and what to look out for in terms of behaviour and what it means.

These birds are extremely intellegent and we wanted to learn how to communicate with the birds, in order to build their trust. The first thing we learnt was not to look at them directly to be less intimidating, and we sat down in the aviary to make ourselves smaller.

Our first breakthrough was reading that when a parrot wants to gesture to another parrot that he wants peaceful contact he rubs his bill (whetting) against a branch, by rubbing our fingernails againgst a branch or on wood, this sends the same signal. The first time we tried it Sugar came right up towards us and started whetting his bill, mirroring our gesture.

We were also told that parrots may try and peck your hand, but this does not necessarily mean it is being nasty, we were told not to flinch away from the peck, or scream "ouch!" as this will shake the bird's confidence! Sugar has pecked Della a couple of times, and she managed not to react or pull away each time.


More info on African Gray Parrots