Anna's Blog

On International Black Cat Day apart from celebrating the companionship these black beauties of the feline world, it’s an opportunity to reflect on their history steeped in legend, myth and witchcraft, becoming a symbol of Halloween. Given the belief in medieval Europe that the devil and witches were capable of taking the form of black cats, it makes sense that the superstition surrounding crossing their paths developed. Their resemblance to the cat-goddess Bastet led them to be honoured in ancient Egypt.  In other countries, such as Scotland and Japan, they have been known to represent prosperity. In Scandinavia when a black cat crosses your path it’s deemed to be assign of good fortune.

 

The Pet Abduction Act 2024 is arguably the biggest step forwards in animal welfare since the Animal Welfare Act was introduced in 2006!  The new law whilst brilliant news has been campaigned for years, and falling on deaf ears for decades, so it’s testament to the hard work of the Pet Theft Taskforce for not giving up! The new law recognises that cats and dogs are not inanimate objects, but sentient beings capable of experiencing distress and other emotional trauma when they are stolen from their owners or keepers.

The first ever Biome Broth research project is proving that dogs who have never taken Bone Broth before reveal a remarkable improvement to their gut's bacteria in four weeks. The levels of good bacteria including Bifido bacteria rise, the bad bacteria like Helio bacteria fall and the diversity of the microbial species increases! The project wants to raise more funds to channel into further research into why Bone Broth makes this positive difference, impacting on the better health of dogs, simply, naturally and cost effectively!

Collagen is a structural protein that depletes with age. Supplementing our bodies whether we're a human or a dog as we age can be critical overall health and wellness. As a structural protein it works like scaffolding! Collagen not only supports our joint health, promotes the elasticity of the skin. It adds strength to our gut lining, supporting a healthy immune system. Collagen is plentiful in Bone Broth , Gelatine and Hydrolysed peptide collagen.

For centuries we evolved epigenetically as we domesticated the dog to be our guards, our hunters, and our best friends.

Without dogs to drive our livestock to market back in the day, we may not have even built our modern capitalist world!

Its only with the advances in science over the past 20 years or so, that’s enabled us to unpick exactly why the human: dog relationship is so strong.

Why we're often walking the dog the wrong way. The differences between along line and an 'extendable lead' and why long lines help navigate modern parks where 54% of dogs have not been trained a reliable recall . Why Long Lines are key to training a recall and boundaries in the home, in the garden and in the park. Lightweight and easy to wipe clean My Line is made from soft biothane rubber, minimising the risk of any ankle burns, skin removal, lacerations, whilst making training fun and safe.

While the intention behind plant-based pet food is to reduce environmental impact, it is crucial to balance these concerns with the nutritional needs of pets. Rather than fully replacing meat with plant-based alternatives, a more sustainable approach might involve reducing meat consumption and opting for ethically sourced, high-quality meat products. This can help minimise the carbon footprint while ensuring pets receive the nutrients they need.

‘You are What you Eat’, but how often do we think about how food is processed in our bodies to be metabolised into cellular energy?

It involves the clever biological and physiological interplay of several organs, along with the help of many enzymes and secretions to make this miraculous conversion of food into cellular energy. Whilst there’s many physiological similarities between a dog’s digestive system and a human’s, there’s also some key biological differences, which could influence our dietary choices for dogs to promote optimum health.

Staycationing is at its highest since 2019, with 65% of Britons’ opting to take their pooch on holiday this year. With over four million dogs acquired in the past four years, it’s no surprise that ‘dog friendly” is responsible for over 7,000 searches a month for holiday cottages and Airbnb’s. Dogs do not know you're going on holiday, so for those pooches arguably four years or younger their socialisation may not have been as good as for those dogs pre-pandemic.  An ability to accept new environments and settle is part of a successful holiday, as is being aware of what stresses your dog, being able to recall your dog from distractions. And being aware how easily and quickly dogs overheat so as to minimise any risk of heatstroke.  Always take familiar items like a dog blanket, toys and chews with you, and try and keep your dog's routine as familiar as possible! 

 

With so much talk on the Microbiome, it would be rude not to take an in depth look at this elusive area in our gut lining. It plays a critical role with 90% of our immune system residing there, and its role as the ‘second brain’ in influencing our cognition.

 I’ve chatted with Dr Carol Hughes in a mini-series on her research spanning almost two decades. Funded by the Welsh Government, her research began by investigating natural occurring plant-based steroids.

Highlighting that you are what you eat, and how the gut communicates with our brains as well as the other organs in the body. We also explore how the microbiome responds to different hormones (or the lack of them), and how Carol can deduce if an animal has been spayed or neutered by the missing bacteria in the microbiome.

The one 'food' that Carol recommends to help the microbiome restore is Bone Broth, which is why I'm involved in a ground-breaking study - the Broth: Biome study, which aims to answer the question: Could bone Broth help a dog's microbiome? Get involved - Find out how here 

Fleas are pesky, nobody wants a flea infestation, but is a monthly spot-on treatment working to prevent fleas?  Such topical applications don’t prevent fleas from jumping on your pooch for a quick snack. Whilst one flea will only bite the once, in some ‘allergenic’ dogs just one bite from a flea can trigger an eruption of flea dermatitis. The mantra being to #TestBeforeYouTreat, which scientists at Imperial College London are urging British vets to adopt this approach. At least assess the risk to benefit of monthly application following shocking evidence that insecticides only used on pets are polluting British rivers. 

 

The good news is that both ground Hemp Seed and Hemp Seed oil are very nutritious for your dog in the right quantity. Hemp seed and its oil also boasts an ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids at 3:1. It contains essential fatty acids that your dog can’t produce and needs to get through diet, not least being rich in the omega-6 fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid (GLA). Interestingly recent research has proved that GLA is the founder of prostaglandins. These are hormones in your dog’s body that circulate to smooth muscle contractions, control inflammation, regulate the body temperature and perform other vital metabolic functions.