Bathing Your Dog

In the wild, wolves bathe by licking themselves clean. This doesn’t exactly cut it for family dogs who roll in dog park mud and expect to share the couch with you later that evening. Giving your dog a bath is a necessary aspect of pet ownership and a daunting one at that. As long as you follow a few simple steps, bath time doesn’t have to be the end of the world. At its most basic, giving a dog a bath takes four steps: Brush their coat, lather their coat with dog shampoo and lukewarm water, rinse with lukewarm water and towel dry. Need additional guidance? Not sure how often to wash your dog? Read on.

Vets have issued urgent advice to pet owners ahead of Bonfire Night.

This year, there are concerns that there will be an increase in unregulated backyard fireworks, as official displays are limited due to coronavirus restrictions.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is urging pet owners to take steps to protect their animals from distress.

Many animals have more acute hearing than humans, so the loud bangs and whistles – which at 150 decibels can be as loud as the noise from a jet engine - can cause significant distress and fear and lead to the development of phobia responses.

Signs of fireworks-related distress can vary from animal to animal. While some pets show obvious signs of fireworks-related anxiety, such as barking, panting, drooling and attempts to escape, there are also more subtle signs that owners should be aware of, including restlessness and toileting in the house.

Cats often hide, while rabbits may keep very still and thump the ground with their back feet.