Anna's Blog

This week we’re joined by Dr Lise Hansen who returns to talk about the latest science behind neutering and spaying. We last recorded an episode about this same subject three years ago, it seems that the messages from a raft of science on the side effects of neutering is yet to filter down into routine Vet practice.

Dr Lise explains that the issue surrounds the reproductive LH Hormone, which continues to be produced by the brain even when the sex organs are removed. This hormone accumulates in the body and becomes out of balance, creating health issues from osteoarthritis, cancers, to hypothyroidism.

This week we’re joined by John Honchariw, founder of Companion. This is the groundbreaking new device recently launched in the USA that deploys AI to train, entertain, feed, and monitor the health of your dog.

It’s a stationary robot that engages with your dog and cleverly adapts as your dog learns, fulfilling a dog’s instinctive needs to hunt, chase, and forage. Designed by dog lovers for pet parents to help maximise good behaviours like settling, learning sit, recall and down, whilst minimising unwanted behaviours like destructive chewing, barking, whining, and pacing.

This week we’re joined by Phil Green, animal advocate, dog lover and proud pet parent to Scarlett the Beagle. Rescued by The Beagle Freedom Project in 2016 from a toxicology laboratory in Hungary, she had been bred by Marshall Bio Resources at the huge HQ in New York for the purpose of vivisection.

Scarlett is one of the very few lucky ones enabled freedom, aged only two years.  Both Phil and Janie Green had their names down for a rescued Beagle, understanding the long socialisation journey ahead. Scarlett adapted very well to her rural life in Essex, and enjoys the sights, sounds and smells of woodlands, and outdoors that she was deprived of.

Brenda Stowers joins us to chat about Le Pet Express. Her passion to offer straight forward service to travel in and out of the UK began with her own experience when relocating from California into the UK. She  flew into France because dogs and cats can travel in the cabin as long as they fit in front of your airline seat. From Paris they entered the UK on a ferry in a rented car service.

Le Pet Express lessens this anxiety, whether you’re relocating, or popping over to Paris for a long weekend, or driving traveling onward into Europe. Le Pet Express offers help with all the newly complicated paperwork, and Brenda handles bookings and holds customer’s hands through checking the minute details of the Animal Health Certificate needed for British pets to enter France.

This week we’re down at the Mind, Body and Spirit show where we caught up with Ruth Milner talking about ‘Red Light Therapy’. As a member of the International Light Association, Ruth is an expert authority on the power of light as a healing modality. We discuss the sudden boom in LED sourced Red and Near Infrared devices, which have flooded the beauty market recently. We chat why not all ’devices’ are the same in their evidence based doses.

Hercule’s self-proclaimed ‘ultra-realistic’ style is akin to that of a small child who has never seen an animal before and is only just learning how to hold a pencil properly, but people like it. A large social media following and worldwide media coverage catapulted Hercule into the limelight and he has used this exposure to raise money for his chosen charities, Turning Tides Ending Local Homelessness and StreetVet.

Hercule does not take paid commission requests. All of the portraits are free and are just uploaded to his social media pages in return for a discretionary donation to the charity (more information can be found on the Facebook page).

To date he has raised over £260,000 and counting and this fundraising has seen Hercule receive a Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister, recognised by The Big Issue as one of their 100 Change Makers for 2021, and named as the ‘Creative Fundraiser of The Year’ at the 2022 Just Giving Awards.

Bone broth is ‘en trend’ at the moment that’s not just for dogs but for humans too!

That’s indeed for good reason as Bone broth is one of the oldest and simplest natural superfoods, known for centuries for its health boosting effects.

Once considered a bit of a ‘eccentric’ thing to do many of us, like myself, have made our own bone broth. It is a bit of a faff to be honest, and the aroma of chicken whilst exciting to the dogs, it is a bit pungent.

As Paleoridge has just launched its range of Bone Broth in three varieties: Lamb, Beef and Chicken, its been wonderful to have a choice of broths just delivered. I trust Paleoridge’s ethics, and that the bones used are antibiotic and hormone  free, and that the water used is filtered.

This week we’re joined by Author and Journalist, Beverley Byrne, who talks about how she’s recently exchanged facts for fiction in her published book of short stories entitled The Dog Gets It!

Inspired by her own Labradors, Lily and Dora, all proceeds are donated to Guide Dogs for the Blind. Beverley talks about why she’s chosen Guide Dogs and how the Charity inspired the short story called 'The Dog Gets It!' Beverley's love for Labradors shines through and we chat about why the remain in pole position as Britain’s most popular breed.