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‘Toxic’ New Forest beauty spot

Thursday, April 18th, 2013 | Posted by Tracey at 12:12 pm

Dog walkers warned to stay away from ‘toxic’ New Forest beauty spot after ELEVEN pets die from mystery illness

  • Vets say toxin causes kidney failure in dogs if it enters bloodstream
  • Site was used to test bombs during the Second World War
  • Louise Beal lost springer spaniel Bruno after he cut his paw during a walk

By Luke Salkeld, Daily Mail online

Dog walkers are being warned to stay away from a popular beauty spot after fears at least 11 pets have been killed by poison.

A toxin in the earth or water has been picked up by the animals as they are exercised in the New Forest, it is feared.

Vets say the dogs have been poisoned through small cuts in their legs or paws – and then their kidneys have failed.

Eleven dogs are known to have died in recent months after being exercised at Latchmore Brook in Hampshire.

But there are fears there could be more cases if pets belonging to tourists or visitors have been taken home before the symptoms have been detected.

The area was used to test bombs during the Second World War, raising fears that experiments involving deadly chemicals may be to blame. It is also thought the water or soil-borne  poison has been disturbed by heavy rain at the beauty spot.

Louise Beal lost her springer spaniel Bruno a week after he cut his paw during a walk at the spot. She treated the wound with disinfectant and took him to the vet two days later where he was given antibiotics, but his condition deteriorated rapidly. He was hooked up to a drip and seen by renal specialists, but all efforts to save him failed

Mrs Beal said: ‘The vet thinks it’s an unidentified toxin that has worked its way up through disturbed soil, a bit like anthrax.

‘We just want to save other people having to go through this – it’s been the most awful week.’

Mrs Beal, from North Gorley, Hampshire, added: ‘I’m worried that the weather will warm up and small children will be playing up at the site.  ‘I dread to think what will happen if this affects humans too.’

Tracey Matherick, 45, from Chard, Somerset, was one of the first owners to see her dog fall victim to the toxin.

One of her six Siberian huskies came home from a walk in the New Forest with a sore paw. ‘Both my husband and I didn’t think anything of it at first,’ she said. ‘Two days later her whole paw and leg had swollen up. Mrs Matherick, a school dinner lady, took Boo to the vet where she had ‘treatment after treatment’.  After tests showed kidney and liver failure, she had to put the dog down.

Yesterday local vet Nikki Bentley warned dog owners to avoid Latchmore Brook.  She said: ‘Some areas are not safe. Hundreds of people walk their dogs in the forest every day because of its natural beauty, but they shouldn’t take the risk.’

Tissue samples from the dead pets have been sent to a US laboratory which specialises in renal problems in dogs, but the results could take weeks to arrive.

The deaths are also being investigated by the Forestry Commission, the Environment Agency and New Forest District Council.

Anyone who does visit the area is advised to wash their dogs’ paws, examine them thoroughly and seek help if there are signs of injury.

Latchmore Brook formed part of Ashley Walk Bombing Range from 1940 to 1946. More than 2,000 hectares were used as a test and practice range for different Second World War munitions.

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Dog Poison Warning – Please be aware

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010 | Posted by Tracey at 10:34 am

WARNING TO DOG WALKERS FROM THE LABRADOR LIFELINE TRUST

http://www.labrador-lifeline.co.uk/

Please be advised that Badger Setts and their surrounds are now being baited with sausages, jacket potatoes and other tasty morsels to attract Badgers.  Sadly it will also attract your dog.  These items are being laced with Paracetamol which, if ingested by your dog in the first instance will cause D & V.  If you think your dog may have been nosing around a known Badger sett or trail and develops symptoms – don’t hesitate get it to a vet and mention Paracetamol.  This is the latest way of destroying Badgers – other ways are the use of rat poison and strychnine.  We are aware of one Labrador death already.

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Jasper’s Pet Blood Bank Appeal For Pet Blood Bank UK

Thursday, September 16th, 2010 | Posted by Andrew Read at 7:22 pm

Sal & David (and of course Jasper) of Petpals Darlington and Tees Valley are very very passionate about supporting the Pet Blood Bank in their region. Petpals Tees Valley & Darlignton have been supporting the PBB almost from the beginning of donations in this region and Jasper is now providing his 12th donation on Wednesday 29th September at Vets4Pets in Stockton.

Several of Jasper’s friends regularly contribute including Finn, Eddie, Molly, and Kevin. Unfortunately, the latest drive is again struggling for suitable donors and we are appealing for more people to come forward and help support this life saving charity. The facts of the matter are very simple – if blood levels run low your pets are potentially at risk – how are you going to feel if your dog ever needed a life saving blood transfusion and due to the lack of response there wasn’t any blood or plasma available.

The PBB laboratory is based in Loughborough and the donations can only take place within a two hour travelling criteria due to the time constraints in processing the collected blood. Once at the lab the blood is split into red blood cells and fresh plasma. Each donation has the potential to help up to four dogs. All of the donors receive a thorough examination by one of the charities experienced vets to ensure they are in tip top condition and all receive a thorough screening as a result of the tests. That process in itself is worth a great deal and in the case of Chad (our walker Suzanne’s dog) highlighted a potentially serious health condition that was likely to have gone unnoticed.

The donation process from start to finish usually takes about an hour the first time – mainly due to ensuring the dogs are completely relaxed and calm from start to finish. An experienced donor like Jasper strolls in, rolls over in anticipation of the affection coming his way and usually donates in less than 10 minutes, eagerly awaiting his goody bag of toys and treats and his bowl of delicious grub (as well as proudly showing off his PBB bandana!) To donate your dog should have a good temperament, be aged between one and eight years old, weigh more than 25 kilo’s and should not have travelled abroad.

To register your interest locally to us simply contact Joanne Broadhurst at PBB on 01509 232222 or find out more at www.petbloodbankuk.org for a location near you and let your pet become a life saving hero

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Jaspers Advice – New Puppy Getting All The Cuddles

Thursday, September 16th, 2010 | Posted by Andrew Read at 7:08 pm

Dear Jasper,

I wonder whether you can help me? My owners have just purchased another pup (a smaller but less cute version of my beautiful Labradoodle self.) The pup seems to get loads of cuddles and I get sent to my bed if I try to muscle in. If I ignore him they say I’m jealous, if I play with him they say I’m too rough. Me rough? He’s the one chewing my ears and nipping my tail! If he yelps I get told off, if I yelp they all laugh and call me a wuss.

What can I do? Should I advertise in the classified section for a new owner or what?

Lorimer the Labradoodle

Dear Lorimer,

A new puppy eh?

Wow that’s hard. On the one hand they are cute little bundles of play. And on the other they are nothing but irritating, pooping and weeing ankle biters.

Don’t go looking for a new owner just yet. Here are a few tips. When puppy is getting cuddles, resist the urge to go barging in, instead walk up close to your owners, walk in a circle then flop down in front of them with a great big sigh. Look up at them with big eyes and that should get you an invite into the love fest.
However if that doesn’t work and little Rover is still getting all the attention then it’s time to play dirty.

Next time you have a drink, take a big mouthful of water but don’t swallow it. When they are not looking spit it out somewhere they are going to walk and watch them blame the pup for one of his little accidents.

Then when they are out, chew up the free paper and scatter it in the pups bed, better still if you can get him to join in, but as soon as you hear the key in the lock, dash to the other side of the room, leaving pup amongst the paper. Yawn and stretch when they enter as if they have just woken you up. Frowning critically at the pup with a slight shake of your head cements this ruse. You should be back to being top dog in no time. Warning, if pup is in a crate, this trick WILL NOT work!

Good luck.

Love from Jasper x

Ps. Also please remember that new puppies can turn into best friends if you let them.

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Jaspers Advice – Comfy bed to stretch out in

Friday, March 19th, 2010 | Posted by Tracey at 2:33 pm

Dear Jasper,

I often struggle at night to get enough room in the bed to stretch out my doggy limbs to their full length, it doesn’t help that both my owners keep insisting that they want equal shares too.

Sleepless Scruff x

Dear Scruff,
Firstly, lucky you being allowed to sleep on a human bed at all, Sal says just because I make downstairs smell like a swamp that I can’t have her bed. I have offered not to roll in anything nasty and to keep out of the real boggy parts of the beck but she still refuses to let me up the stairs and instead provides me with a very comfy ’Dirty Dog’ bed in the dining room.

But here’s how to help you.

Firstly choose an allegiance to one or other of the bed sharers, checking which side of the bed is their preferred side. Then when it comes to bedtime allow ample room for that person to get into bed comfortably and then reluctantly concede to share what is left with the other person.

Turn your back to the person you like so that they can snuggle into you, and then breathe very heavily on the person opposite you ( particularly effective if you have found something smelly to eat earlier in the day!)

If that doesn’t seem to have an effect the odd occasional lick to their face usually gets them to turn over and this is where you strike, stretch out your legs as far as they will go and pretend to go into full-on dreaming mode, whimpering and pretend running ( our owners love it, so won’t get cross!) Each time just move them a little further to the edge of the bed.

There are now two options, either go for the full on rabbit chase dream and push them actually out of bed or carry on with the silly noises and fake run, they will get so fed up of your whimpering and fidgeting they will go and sleep on the couch. Result!

Now you have a whole side to yourself, if you are a particularly big breed or don’t wish to wake up to morning human breath, repeat the above actions to the other person. But be warned, use this move with caution as it may have the opposite effect and you could end up downstairs yourself. Quite literally ‘in the dog house’.!

Love from Jasper x

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Dog Wishes – I Wish I Could Be A Human

Friday, February 19th, 2010 | Posted by Tracey at 11:29 am

Dear Jasper,

I often watch my humans and wish I could be like them too. They seem to have such a fun life.

Wishful Westie Wendy x

Dear Wishful Wendy,
Being a human is not all it’s cracked up to be you know. They don’t have the fun we have. Last week my Dad was watching a ‘documentary’ on the TV where 22 men were running about a big field with only one ball to play with between them. But worse than that, there were thousands of other humans just sat watching at the sides and all around and they didn’t even get to touch the ball. Now if that had been us dog’s we would have all brought a ball each to play with or at least one between two! My dad was shouting at the TV and I tried to get him to let me in the garden and I would have shared my ball with him but he was too busy to notice.
And also humans have so many more rules than us. It’s great to be a dog because:

  • We can scratch ourselves in public, no matter where it itches,
  • We can roll on our backs, showing our bare tummies and our nether regions without being considered rude.
  • We never have to pay for dinner or provide presents for people out of our ‘own’ money. But we still get all the cuddles just because the card say’s it’s from the dog.
  • We can spend hours just sniffing stuff and still not get bored.
  • We are always excited to see the same old people. They only have to leave the room for 5 minutes and come back again and we greet them ecstatically.
  • We can pass wind in public and we don’t blush.
  • If we gain weight it’s someone else’s fault.
  • We don’t need a varied home entertainment system or play station, an old bone or a shoe can keep us occupied for hours.

And finally it’s great to be a dog because we never have to brush our own hair.

Love from Jasper x

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Jumping Dogs – Pet Behaviour Advice

Friday, February 19th, 2010 | Posted by Tracey at 11:27 am

One of the biggest criticisms I hear particularly from non-dog owners is how they hate strange dogs running up to them when they are out. Especially when they are dressed in good clothes as that is the time you can guarantee the biggest, dirtiest dog will jump up at them, with it’s owner shouting in the back ground “He’s just being friendly”.

Friendly, maybe, but no matter how friendly, that dog is definitely bad mannered and poorly trained.

Now here is where I defend the owner, I am the owner of a mostly very well behaved retriever or at least I was until many good meaning people rewarded his bad behaviour or actively encouraged his bad behaviour.

One of these being ‘jumping up’.

This was very quickly taught by various people allowing him to jump up at them and then cuddling and fussing him. Jasper now will often try his luck at someone because as a dog he is a chancer. Maybe this time it will get him the reward he wants, maybe that biscuit or even just a big fuss. No matter that 8 out of 10 times it just gets him nowhere, he still tries his luck!

Jasper does not jump up at us and members of our family and he now has to re-learn that he cannot jump up at anyone else either.

So what can we do as dog owners and members of the public?

Firstly, keep your dog under control and if you can’t when there are people are around then you should put your dog back on the lead. Keeping the dog focused on you during the walk is the best distraction, make yourself fun to be with. Carry something your dog enjoys maybe a ball, or even just a squeaky toy that will grab your dog’s attention. And when he does come back make it fun, with a game, a fuss or a treat. Try to vary it rather than just a treat every time. The dog may well weigh up the options and go , “well I’d rather run over to that person they may have something far more for me!”

And sadly sometimes the well-meaning member of the public does! A lovely big fuss or a treat , lots of kind words, all making the running off a rewarding experience.

It can be difficult for us as walkers when we have new or young dogs out for the first few times. Until that dog learns which ‘pack leader’ it is out with, he may wander off to join other groups. Our regular dogs will not go off after another person or dog, if we pass another dog they may say hello and then as we walk on our dogs walk on. We do not want to get into a game of chase after the new dog and we rely on that dog seeing that we are more fun to be with than the stranger so the last thing we want is for other dog owners or members of the public to make a massive fuss, particularly of the puppies when they approach them. By all means if we have approached, ask the dog to sit and ONLY when in the sit position give any type of attention. If the dog starts demanding, the attention must stop. And never offer a dog that’s not yours treats, firstly it makes it nigh on impossible to get the dog to come away from the treat supplier but you are also in danger of being’ mugged’ for treats next time the dog see’s you out.

The dog really needs to listen to our terms, as a well mannered dog will benefit from far more fussing than an unruly one.

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Petpals Tees Valley Launches Blog and Facebook

Friday, December 4th, 2009 | Posted by Andrew Read at 2:16 pm

Welcome to the Petpals Blog for Tees Valley. Please also visit our facebook page.

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