Jack Welch from Middlesex

The nation’s heaviest cats, dogs and rabbits to slim down in PDSA’s pet slimming competition

The impact of expanding waistlines on the health of our nation’s pets is a huge concern for the UK’s leading veterinary charity, PDSA, with around 2.9 million dogs and 3 million cats* in the UK battling the bulge. But worryingly, 84% of owners believe their pets are the right weight, which suggests there is a widespread misunderstanding about what a healthy weight for pets should be.**

However, there’s good news on the horizon today for 18 of the UK’s podgiest pets. PDSA has announced the line-up of pet finalists in its annual slimming competition -  Pet Fit Club – who are about to start their journey to becoming healthier, happier and shadows of their former selves.

The contestants – 11 dogs, 5 cats and 2 rabbits – are currently carrying a combined excess weight of over 24 stone which equates to over 380 tins of dog food, the weight of 35 average sized cats or the weight of 50 Yorkshire Terriers.  All of the finalists fall into the category of obese or morbidly obese and desperately need to lose weight to improve their quality of life. Pets carrying 20% or more of their ideal body weight are classed as obese, while pets carrying over 50% are deemed morbidly obese.

Cavalier Jack weighed a whopping 22kg before starting his diet with PDSA

PDSA vets are guiding the owners of each of these supersized pets on their journey to slim down and shape-up with a balanced diet and tailored exercise plan.

Sean Wensley, PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, said: “Excess pounds can contribute to a number of serious health conditions and, sadly, it does reduce life expectancy. But the good news is that it’s never too late to make positive changes to a pet’s diet and lifestyle.”

This year’s 18 finalists include a line-up of pets who have become accustomed to a variety of unhealthy foods including a ‘custard cream loving’ dog called Alfie; a 10.2kg Scottish cat called Maverick who is 85% overweight; food thief, Deco – a canine who likes cake but is carrying 57% extra body weight; Romeo the Labrador who has a penchant for roast dinners who is 47% overweight.

The diets for the finalists are being supplied by Hill’s pet food and Burgess Pet Care. The overall winner of the competition will receive a pet-friendly holiday worth £500 with the Four Seasons hotel in Perthshire.

Pet obesity revealed:

• Over a third of all dogs (35% or 2.9million) in the UK are now overweight or obese.*
• Cats don’t fare much better, with PDSA data showing that around one in four are overweight (approximately 3 million).*
• Rabbits have the worst diets compared to dogs and cats with 42% being fed too little hay every day, and 49% being fed rabbit muesli (a mix of seeds and flakes) which should not be fed as it can contribute  to obesity and is linked with painful dental disease.**
• Overweight pets are at risk of serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, and have a lower life expectancy than healthy pets.
• Over-feeding treats and providing the incorrect diet can cause pet obesity.  90% of dog owners admit to feeding treats such as cheese, crisps, cakes, biscuits, toast and takeaways.**

PDSA’s pet obesity advice clinic – top tips from PDSA Senior Vet, Sean Wensley: 

• Prevention is better than cure: Preventing obesity is much easier than getting a pet to lose weight.  A good diet when a pet is young is essential – fat puppies and kittens are more likely to become fat adult pets due to the number of fat cells they produce while growing.
• Cut out the treats: feeding a pet even a small treat can significantly increase their daily calorie intake. If you give your pet a treat, perhaps for training purposes, reduce the amount of food given in their main meal on that day.
• Balanced diet: Weight loss requires a combination of the right diet and the right amount of exercise.  Many owners feed ‘by eye’ and it’s easy to accidentally overfeed pets, so use scales to weigh out the daily food allowance each morning. Follow packet feeding guidelines or ask your vet about correct amounts.
• Regular exercise: Build up activity levels gradually, as a pet shouldn’t go from couch potato to marathon runner overnight. Encouraging play and games is a great way to increase a pet’s activity levels, but every pet is different so ask your vet about how much exercise your pet needs.
• Seek veterinary advice: PDSA advises owners to speak to their vet before making major changes to their pet’s diet or activity levels. In some pets, such as cats and rabbits, rapid weight loss can be dangerous or even fatal, so it’s important for a vet or vet nurse to oversee the weight loss to ensure it is gradual and safe.
• Learn about a pet’s healthy shape:  Many owners don’t know what a healthy shape is for their pet and may see their pet as simply ‘cuddly’, not realising that they are overweight.  Owners should ask their vet, or visit the PDSA website for advice and guidance on a correct body shape for their pet at www.pdsa.org.uk/obesity.
• Take action now: Some owners are worried about seeking advice for their overweight pet for fear of being prosecuted. However, cases of prosecution for pet obesity are very rare and are usually a result of owners continually ignoring advice from their vet over a period of time. 

* Information taken from PDSA PetCheck assessments of the weight and general health of nearly 30,000 dogs between 2006-2010. During this period, the percentage of overweight dogs has risen from around one-in-five (21%) to more than one-in-three (35%). Cat data is taken from PDSA assessments in the charity’s PetAid hospitals.

** Information taken from the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report 2011, a survey of 11,124 dog, cat and rabbit owners in the UK was conducted online between 21st September – 16th November 2010 through the YouGov panel. Data is weighted to be representative of dog, cat and rabbit owners in the UK.

Notes to Editors:

PDSA is the UK’s leading veterinary charity, providing free veterinary care for the sick and injured pets of people in need and promoting responsible pet ownership. For further information about PDSA please visit www.pdsa.org.uk or call 0800 731 2502.

For media enquiries, please contact the Press Office on 01952 204 792, email pr@pdsa.org.uk, or visit www.pdsa.org.uk/mediacentre

Jack Welch

An obese Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from Stanmore in Middlesex, who is so huge his new owners have nicknamed him ‘Jumbo Jack’, has been picked to take part in a national pet slimming competition – Pet Fit Club

Jack (7), was entered into the fat fighting competition by his new owner Rose Welch (52), who adopted the already podgy pooch in January.  When he arrived at his new home, he weighed 22kg making him 120% overweight – more than twice as much as a healthy dog of his size should be.

Rose, who is currently confined to a wheelchair as she suffers from Multiple Sclerosis (MS), said: “Although I’d promised myself I wouldn’t get another dog, I heard about a very overweight Spaniel called Jack that was in need of a good home and I couldn’t bear to leave him to suffer, so I arranged to adopt him immediately.”

When he arrived at Rose’s house Jack could barely walk, couldn’t lie down comfortably, and was constantly panting.  She was so concerned for his health, that she didn’t think he would make it through the night. Thankfully though, he did, and Rose took him straight to the vet the next morning to start him on a diet.

PDSA Vets use a special scale to assess the size of pets on a scale of one to five with five being morbidly obese. Jack was given a body condition score of five – the highest and most worrying score. His specially tailored weight-loss programme is being overseen and managed by the Vets and Nurses at Hendon PDSA PetAid hospital.

Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Ros Ford, said: “Jack is morbidly obese, which is likely to have very serious consequences for his health and life expectancy if he doesn’t lose weight. Overweight pets have a lower quality of life, are at risk of health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, and are likely to die sooner.”

Luckily, Jack’s new owner Rose is determined to help him get to a healthier weight.  Jack’s ideal weight is estimated at around 10kg, but he has been given a target of 15kg to reach by the end of Pet Fit Club.

Rose continued: “Jack has such a loving character. He settled in straight away with my family and our other dogs, and everyone immediately fell in love with him. We weigh out his food carefully every day, and make sure he gets plenty of exercise. We entered Jack into Pet Fit Club as we wanted to help raise awareness of the seriousness of this issue.  Owners may think they are showering their pets with love by over-feeding them, but in reality they are slowly killing them with kindness.”

Research from the annual PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report* has found that 12 million UK pets are being fed too many fatty treats, including takeaways, cheese, crisps and cakes, often on a daily basis, which is fuelling the UK pet obesity epidemic.

Although it is clearly the overall health benefits that Jack will get from taking part in PDSA’s highly successful pet slimming competition  that really count, Jack will also be competing with 17 other cats, dogs and rabbits to try to win the title of PDSA Pet Fit Club slimmer of the year.

Supporters can follow Jack’s progress by visiting www.pdsa.org.uk/petfitclub and can sponsor Jack to help raise vital funds for PDSA.

STOP PRESS: the UK’s supersized pets are fighting the flab is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Easter Chocolate

With Easter just gone there is a lot of chocolate in the house for most families. Did you know that chocolate is highly poisonous to dogs? Depending on the amount of cocoa solids they eat they could be looking at serious illness and that means a vets bill for you too! The effects of the poison cause restlessness, drooling and difficulty standing or walking. As the syndrome progresses, eventually, the dog may develop convulsions and die. This is why it is vital never to allow your dog to eat chocolate. Please remember to supervise children with Easter eggs and make sure eggs are stored out of reach of your dog. If you suspect your dog has eaten any chocolate telephone your vet immediately for advice. Simply giving a drug to cause vomiting and a special medication to line the stomach to prevent further absorption could save your dogs life!

Wasp & Bee Stings

Wasp and bees will also be starting to appear and this can make a fun game for your dog in the garden when they land in your flower bed! Dogs love to chase and catch flying objects including insects and a sting in the mouth can be quite dangerous if the tongue swells in the mouth causing blocking of the airways. It’s a good idea to discourage your dog from getting into this habit and teach him to ignore flying insects by keeping him on the lead and praise him when something flies by and he does not snap at it. Tell him ‘good’ and give him a tasty treat straight away as a reward. If you suspect your dog has been stung again telephone your vet straight away for advice. If you see a sting in the skin it is better to scratch the sting across ways with your nail than to use tweezers or a pinching action as this actually releases more poison. Bicarbonate of soda neutralizes bee stings and vinegar neutralizes wasp stings so if you know for sure which insect was the offender you can try applying one of these to the affected area to calm the effects.

Spring Has Sprung is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Our puppy training classes run for four weeks and take place in the Wimbledon area every Tuesday night at the Christchurch Hall, Cottenham Park Road, Wimbledon, London SW20 0HG.

Time:

• 7.00pm for Beginner Classes
• 8.15pm for Adolescent Classes

Next puppy training classes start:

• Apr 3rd 2012
• May 1st 2012
• Jun 19th 2012
• Jul 17th 2012

We limit our puppy training class sizes to ensure each puppy gets the right amount of attention. Our classes get booked up quickly, so please call us now to book your class.

Puppy Training Class Dates: Apr-Jul 2012 is a post on the Very Important Pets website

If you have a real love for animals, many years experience caring for them, and want to earn money doing something you enjoy, becoming a professional pet sitter or carer might be the job for you.

If you feel you might meet our criteria please email us at jobs@veryimportantpets.co.uk for further information.

Pet Sitter Search is a post on the Very Important Pets website

• Fri 23rd Dec: 8am to 6pm
• Sat 24th Dec: CLOSED
• Sun 25th Dec: CLOSED
• Mon 26th Dec: CLOSED
• Tue 27th Dec: CLOSED
• Wed 28th Dec: 9am to 12pm
• Thu 29th Dec: 9am to 12pm
• Fri 30th Dec: 9am to 12pm
• Sat 31st Dec: CLOSED
• Sun 1st Jan: CLOSED
• Mon 2nd Jan: CLOSED
• Tue 3rd Jan: 8am to 6pm

Christmas & New Year Opening Hours is a post on the Very Important Pets website

This offer needs to be booked and paid for before the 30th November but the sessions can be used in any month.

Our doggie daycare centre in Wimbledon provides a safe, clean environment where your dog or puppy will be looked after by professional, qualified dog carers who will supervise his play and take him for walks.

Contact us by Nov 30th to take advantage of this promotion! Or you can read more about our doggie daycare service.

Doggie Daycare Promotion is a post on the Very Important Pets website

1. Get started early with socialisation – Take your puppy out and about every day from the day you bring him home. Let him experience the world. The earlier he sees smells and hears the world he will be living in the easier he will find life in general. Make sure you carry him if his vaccinations are not complete to protect him from disease. Also encourage people to visit your home to meet and greet with the puppy.
2. Find a good vet – Go and visit your vet early to meet and greet and make sure your puppy has a positive experience. Book in your puppy vaccinations and arrange treatment for fleas and worms. Also ask about neutering at the correct age.
3. You are what you eat – Source a good quality puppy food with a quality source of protein and avoid colorings flavorings and preservatives where you can. A poor diet can be reflected in your puppies’ behavior, coat condition and digestive function.
4. Ease teething – Your puppy needs to chew and he will find his own chew toys if you do not! Provide plenty of appropriate things for puppy to chew on. Include soft toys, raw hide bone and tough rubber toys too. Keep some in a cupboard and rotate the toys so that every few days they change maintaining their appeal.
5. Aid boredom – Put a whole meal inside a kong and feed it, this uses up a portion of the day, with a fun activity and also gives those chewing teeth an outlet and slows down those greedy gulpers aiding digestion.
6. Start training early – Training your puppy can start as soon as possible. Using modern kind methods of training means you can get off to a great start with obedience. Enroll on a good puppy training course to learn new things and see other puppies too.
7. Proof against theft and loss – Get your puppy identichipped. It is by far the best way to locate your puppy if he becomes lost.
8. Get yourself a puppy crate – Crate training is a great way to get quick and reliable results with toilet training. Contrary to many beliefs it’s not cruel to the puppy at all as long as it is used correctly. In fact it provides a safe ‘den’ for your pup to sleep in when he is tired and somewhere away from the hustle and bustle of a busy house. Keep puppy in his crate with something to do when he cannot be supervised and take him out to the toilet immediately after waking, playing or eating and every hour in between. Having a smaller area to rest in encourages bladder control and gives you the chance to catch toileting happening in the right place and reward it!
9. Prevent separation anxiety – Make sure your puppy gets used to being left for short periods of time every day. Dogs that are not used to being left alone can suffer terribly with anxiety. Even if you are at home all day get your puppy used to his own company as you never know what the future holds and life may change.
10. Reward all the good stuff – Always use positive training methods and reward everything that you like to see your puppy doing. Prevent the naughty things from occurring by supervising your puppy at all time when he is out of his crate. If you can stop it, it never happens!

Have you got any others tips you’d like to share with us? If so, let us know in the comments.

Top 10 Tips When Getting a New Puppy is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Rosie is a 6 month old, cream cockapoo. Very sweet natured, lively and loving. Rosie has been with us just under 4 months, and we’re looking for a new home for her as our existing 2 year old cockapoo isn’t too impressed with the new arrival and they’re not managing to settle down too well together. With our 4th baby arriving next month we’ve taken the very tough decision that it’s going to be too difficult trying to persist in making this work.

She is microchipped, fully vaccinated, very healthy and happy and very well socialised with other dogs and young children (my three are 5, 7 and 8). We don’t want any payment for her – we would just love to find her a new loving home.

If you may be able to rehome Rosie please contact Very Important Pets.

Cockapoo Puppy Needs A New Home is a post on the Very Important Pets website

On Friday we will now be open from 8am to 6pm. Previously we closed at 2pm on Fridays.

And on Saturdays we will now be closed all day.

If you have an emergency over the weekend you can get through to an out of hours number and leave a message. If it is something that can’t wait until Monday we will call you back at our earliest convenience.

Please check the contact page to see our opening times in full.

Change of Office Opening Hours is a post on the Very Important Pets website

1. NEVER leave your pet in a parked car alone even in the shade.
2. Always provide fresh cool water to keep them well hydrated and take water with you if you’re on the go.
3. On hot days, make sure they don’t over exercise. Early morning or and evenings are the best time to exercise your pet.
4. Watch for hot pavements; sensitive paws burn easily. Check your pet’s paws after a walk.
5. Swimming in a lake or pond is a great way for your pet to cool off. Just make sure you supervise your dog in the water. (A dog life jacket is a great safety item)
6. Wasps and bees are a problem in the summer months. There is no real way for your pets to avoid being stung but antihistamines can help. To neutralise a bee sting use bicarbonate of soda directly on the sting and for wasp stings use vinegar.
7. Pets can get sunburnt too. So, don’t forget to apply a pet sunscreen to your pet’s nose and ear tips. (Pets with light coloured noses or fur are more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer.
8. Fleas, ticks and other parasites may infect your pet more easily in hot weather. Your vet will be able to advise you on the best product to use to keep them away.
9. Do not over feed your pet in hot weather. Overeating can result in overheating which can be dangerous for your pet.
10. Travelling with your pet can be lots of fun, just make sure you spend time preparing for them as well as your family. If you are leaving them behind make sure you have recommended pet sitting service arranged for them. Ask your local vet for a recommendation or an animal loving friend.

Top 10 Tips to Prevent Pet Heat Exhaustion is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Unlike humans, most animals only sweat through the pads of their feet and by panting which makes it harder for them to cool off. Heat exhaustion occurs when the animal’s body temperature exceeds a safe range; which is generally defined as having a rectal temperature of more than 40.5°C (105°F) and this can quickly be reached on a hot sunny day.

Signs of heat exhaustion:

If your pet is showing any of the following signs, he/she may have or be well on the way to heat stroke:

• Difficulty breathing or excessive panting
• Bright red tongue and gums
• Collapse
• Weakness
• Hot skin
• Twitching muscles

What to do in case of heat exhaustion:

• Remove your pet from the heat immediately
• Lower your pets body temperature by wrapping him in a wet towel, use cool not freezing cold water so that further shock to the system does not occur
• Give him ice cubes to lick
• Give him a fan or air-conditioning to lie in front of
• If the case is severe, your pet will need to be hospitalised in order to receive intravenous fluids and other necessary medication

Preventing heat exhaustion:

• Always provide fresh, cool water to keep him/her well hydrated
• Never leave him / her in a parked car alone. The temperature in cars can quickly reach unbearable levels
• Always ensure that they have access to a cool place
• Do not over exercise them on a very hot day
• If they are spending any length of time outdoors on a hot day, periodically wet them with cool water to keep a level body temperature

Which pets are at greater risk of suffering heat exhaustion?

• Pets under 6 months of age
• Pets over 7 years of age if a large breed or over 14 years old if a small breed
• Overweight pets
• Overexerted pets
• Pets with heart disease, breathing problems or poor circulation
• Pets taking certain types of medications
• All brachycephalic breeds, characterized by being a pet with a short nose and a wide head. (E.g., Pugs, English bulldogs)
• Dehydrated or unwell pets

Looking after Pets in the Heat is a post on the Very Important Pets website

This, as the name suggests, is an area where you can search for our favourite vet in the areas that we cover. Each of the vets listed has a page of information about their practice so if you are looking for a vet this is a great way to select the right veterinary practice for you.

All the vets we have selected are vets that are working to a similar high standard as us and vets that we have met and we trust to look after our client’s pets. The favourite vets section is really easy to use, just pick an area from the drop down box and the map will show you the nearest vets to you. Or you can enter your postcode. Choose the vets you want to view by clicking on ‘Vet Info’ and you will be able to read all about that practice and the services they offer.

We will be adding more vets in different areas over the coming months so if you area isn’t there now it should be soon.

Our Favourite Vets in Your Area is a post on the Very Important Pets website

The doggie daycare centre has just had its1st birthday! Gosh how time flies.

We now have many regular dogs and puppies that visit us weekly and enjoy the centre.

The best thing about the centre is that it is a place where your dog can come and spend the day with other dogs to socialise and play.

We have many very happy doggies that come to us and there owners report back that their dogs are always happy and tired when they leave us.

Doggie Daycare Centre, Wimbledon is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Due to the success of our Wimbledon training school we will now be running classes in the Worcester Park area and one to one dog training in Cheam, Stoneleigh, New Malden, Sutton, Ewell, Epsom and the surrounding areas.

Our puppy training classes run for four weeks and cover three main topics: socialisation (other puppies, children and noises etc.), puppy problems (biting, mouthing, jumping up and house training), and good manners (sit, down, come, stay, stand, lead walking etc.).

Our highly experienced puppy trainers only use up-to-date methods of training – such as reward based training – that are kind and fair to puppies and are proven to work.

Dates to be announced soon!

Please contact us to express your interest.

New Puppy School Opening Soon! Cheam, Worcester Park, Stoneleigh is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Our puppy training classes are great fun for you and your dog and they’ll help you to develop a happy and rewarding relationship with your puppy.

Next puppy training classes start:

• May 17th to 7th June
• June 21st to 12th July
• July 19th to 9th August
• August 16th to 6th September

Please contact us if you’re interested in any of these dates.

New Puppy Socialisation Classes for the Wimbledon Dog School is a post on the Very Important Pets website