Pets in Spain

We had an Email the other day in which a lady had wrote:

“My 16 month old husky has recently turned into a theif. He steals food off tables and has just learnt how to open the bin in our kitchen. Do you have any advice on how we can stop this. Is it a surge of hormones that will hopefully stop again??”

We passed it on to our in house vet and she replied:

“Food Stealers” or dogs that rumage though bins! do this because it gives them pleasure. Of course, hunger is one reason, but most dogs are not so hungry that they need to steal their food. Usually, if we see them in the process of stealing food, or putting their paws on the edge of the counter, we do get excited, possibly yell, and chase them if we think we can retrieve the item they have stolen. What a way to get us to interact with them!!

Management is the easiest way to stop this behavior. Keep everything up or under lock and key. Then, though your dog may still check from time to time, he won’t receive any reinforcement for putting his paws on the counter and will eventually quit looking.

But, if you are like me, there are days you are in a hurry, forget, or become distracted and leave something tempting out. And, then your dog WINS. He is RANDOMLY reinforced for surfing the counter and finding a prize. So, training is another solution to the problem along with diligence and management.

Now, there are several ways to work through this problem behavior. Let’s start with the Booby Trap method, which means the dog actually is the one that causes the correction, not you. Dogs learn more quickly if they are the ones who solve the problem.

Take several (three or more) empty soda pop cans, put some pennies (12+) or small pebbles in the can. Tape the hole. These become noise makers that most dogs want to avoid. Next, tape some thread or string to the bottom of each of the cans about 6 to 9 inches long. Select some very delicious, tempting, and “smelly” pieces of food (Garlic Liver Brownies) and put them in plastic container with a lid (small Glad containers work well) and punch some holes in the lid of the container. Now, tape the string/tread to the bottom of the container with the special treat inside. (The container is to keep your dog from grabbing the food and swallowing it even though he is frightened by the noise.)

Without making a “show” of what you are doing, but with the dog in the room, able to smell this delicious treat, give him a tiny morsel, just so he might “think” real hard about stealing from the counter. Set up your “Booby Trap.” Don’t make it too easy now – place it in the area of the counter you might put the food if you were distracted by the door bell and had to leave the room. Pretend! Leave the room. And wait and listen. When you hear the noise, hear your dog scramble to get away, come running in and commiserate with him on the terrible thing that happened. Even make more noise with the cans. And then set it up again! The odds are he won’t go back to it today. But, he will try again tomorrow. This isn’t learned the first time, but having the dog create his own correction, helps eliminate the behavior quickly. You could also try a horn can, one of those which you hear at sports events.

Again, there are several ways to work through this “counter surfing,” but diligence and management are always of primary importance.

There are many ways to teach various behaviors. No one method works for all dogs. For some, the assistance of a professional trainer is helpful in enhancing the relationship between you and your pet.

A campaign against the abandonment of pets and in favor of the adoption next to the protective Animal Society and Plants of Granada.

In the past year the report for the province of Granada gave nearly 4,000 pets abandoned, 3712 dogs and 282 cats, and only 720 found adoptions. This is a worrisome number that generally denote an attitude of irresponsibility elevated in the province and in the country with respect to the animal companies, still more if we consider that in other European countries the waiting lists of adoption surpass to those of abandonment.

Now 18 years ago the provincial Delegation and the Protective Animal Society and Plants “San Francisco de Asís” signed an agreement for the vagabond animal lodging in the facilities of the provincial Center of welcome animal. Of this form the personnel of Delegation, previous request of the City councils, realised the vagabond animal collection, depositing them later in the facilities that Delegation had yielded to the Protector in the old Center Sanchez Marshal, where at the moment the new one is placed soothes of the provincial institution.

At the moment the Protector continues developing to her work in the new Provincial Center of Welcome Animal located in the Cortijo Combed in municipal term of Source Cattle with access traverse of the Provincial Highway that unites the locality with of A 92.

With the aim of presenting the real and up-to-date situation the abandonment of animals, the Area from Attendance to Municipalities of the Delegation has started up, along with the Protective Society, a campaign of diffusion and sensitization to foment its adoption. As she has explained responsible deputy Francisca González Lujan “is a priority it Delegation avoiding the abandonments giving solutions to the problems that can be raised with the last aim to avoid their evil treatment” On the other hand, the director of the Protective Society, Red Antonio, has drawn attention about the necessity to create a Provincial Advice in whom different administrations and official organisms related to the subject integrated themselves.

According to Red the abandonment of animals is going to increase in the next years considering the present height of acquisition of exotic animal.

It seems to me that the amount of fox related incidents is increasing in the mountains. I remember when they were shy, retiring creatures, that you sometimes caught a peek of early in the mornings, or late at night. Not any more!

Some 4 years ago suggested problems were mounting. Richard Hartley from Spanish Highs Mountain Guides said: We had breakfasts stolen overnight and were disturbed by noisy packs.
One guy even had his expensive tent ruined by a fox that ripped through the outer and inner at 6 in the morning. It grabbed his food bag that was by his feet. The strange thing was that the fox wasn’t put off by the client’s shouting and waving arms and managed to escape with the food. Another client had a washbag stolen for some strange reason, presumably to brush it’s teeth and moisturise it’s delicate skin!
The next encounter was when I joined a spanish mate of mine, on his night-shift, in his Pistebasher preparing the ski pistes of the Sierra Nevada. There seemed to be foxes everywhere, illuminated in the powerful headlights of the Piste Machine. Therein lies the answer? The deserted ski slopes in winter, especially around the Borreguilles area at 2500m where the restaurants are, are rich pickings for hungry foxes. They make there way down at night and feast on the leftovers. They have become “humanised” in that they are starting to rely less on their own hunting and foraging and at the same time are getting less and less afraid of human intervention.

Latest harrassment occurred 2 months ago at 3am, near the Laguna de Lanjaron, when 2 self guided clients had problems. One of the clients awoke with pressure from outside the tent against her face. It was a fox. It then broke through the tent fabric at the foot of the tent and took all the hill food and breakfasts. An unnerving experience to say the least!
The areas where you will encounter problems are around the ski centre area, the Elorietta hut, Laguna de Lanjaron, Col de Cariguela and the laguna and hut at the Caballo. Be warned!
There has never been a problem at Siete Lagunas or elsewhere in the Sierras, presumably because it is some distance from the ski centre area. The foxes here are still rather shy and timid.

It’s time to start thinking about spaying or neutering your dog. But, maybe you are not quite sure if it is the right thing to do. Many people think spaying and neutering dogs is unfair, but if you look at the pro´s , it can be positive and could save many dogs lives be abandoned.

The neutering procedure has been used to control animal population growth, reduce unwanted sexual behavior in pets, combat aggressive behaviour and decrease or eliminate the possibility of certain disease conditions later in life, such as pyometra or infection in the uterus.

Castration is a term used to describe the removal of the gonads (testicles) in male animals.
Both procedures are performed under general anesthesia and both involve a surgical incision, although they are quick operation´s and very easily done.

Neutering is done most commonly at or around six months of age. However, many veterinarians perform this procedure earlier – as early as 8 to 10 weeks in some situations. Early neutering can be done safely and has a number of advantages, especially in cases of pet adoption.

Spaying – The Positive Side

Spayng prevents unwanted pregnancy. Pet overpopulation is a serious issue and by allowing your dog to have litters, you are adding to the problem. Finding homes for your new family additions is not as easy as you may think. Even if you choose to keep the puppies, you now have the additional cost of vaccines, parasite control, toys and food for several pets. In addition to costs, the health of the mother can be in jeopardy during delivery. Some new mothers can have serious complications delivering puppies and can even develop health problems during nursing. All these potential problems can be avoided by spaying your dog.

Without the drive to mate, your dog may be quieter and not prone to an incessant need to seek out a mate. The spayed dog no longer attracts males and their annoying advances and serenades. Dogs won’t have a bloody discharge for several days while they are in heat. Without proper protective products, the discharge can stain sofas, bedding and carpets. Spayed pets are also easier to get along with. They tend to be more gentle and affectionate.

A final positive aspect of spaying your dog is that spayed pets tend to have fewer health problems. Spaying is the removal of the ovaries and uterus. Without these organs, ovarian cysts, uterine infections and cancer of the reproductive tract are no longer a concern. Studies have shown that dogs spayed before puberty have a significantly lower chance of developing breast cancer than unspayed dogs or dogs spayed later in life.

Spaying – The Negative Side

Spaying will result in the sterilization of your dog, and she will no longer have the ability to become pregnant. In the era of pet overpopulation with thousands of unwanted pets being euthanized each year, this is really not so bad.

Some pets may gain weight after spaying and as they get older. Just as with people, to loose weight we need to either diet or exercise. Cutting back on food intake or increasing your pets activity will help reduce weight gain.

Above all before we think about mating our dogs we need to think about the pros and cons of doing so. last year about 17 million dogs and cats were turned over to animal adoption centres and shelters. Only one out of every 10 taken in to the shelters found a home. This means that over 13.5 million had to be destroyed. We see too many rescue cases and almost most of the problem could be eliminated by simple surgery: Spaying and neutering operations are performed under general anesthesia and are quite painless. By neutering pets, owners can help lower the numbers of unwanted and homeless animals on the streets and in the shelters today.

Scruffiest Dog Competition!!!

We have teamed up with Euro Petz to offer you a chance to win one of there New Champion T-Shirts from the selection of dog clothes in there pet boutique. Have you got a Scruffy pooch which would like a brand new T-Shirt?

All you have to do is email us with your Scruffiest dog photo with your name and email address and favorite pet product to info@pets-in-spain.com to be in with a chance to win one of these fab T-Shirts.

A winner will be chosen on the 31st of September and receive a brand new champion t-shirt to smarten up your dog.Your information will be kept private and only used for survey purposes by our team.

Good Luck!

3 out of 10 Dalmation dogs suffer from hearing loss due to inbreeding.

A dog’s sense of smell is 1,000 times stronger than humans.

Some frogs are able to be frozen and then thawed, and continue living.

There are 701 types of pure breed dogs.

A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.

In 1872, a virus epidemic killed a quarter of all the horses in the United States.

According to a recent survey, the most popular name for a dog is Max.

An American Animal Hospital Association poll showed that 33 percent of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs.

Cats have more than one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.

Most pet owners (94 percent) say their pet makes them smile more than once a day.

A cat can spend five or more hours a day grooming himself.

A cat has 230 bones in its body. A human only has 206 bones.

The most runners in a horse race was 228 in Mongolia.

The tallest dog living is Gibson, a harlequin great Dane, who measured 107 cm (42.2 in) tall on August 31, 2004 and is owned by Sandy Hall of Grass Valley, California, USA.

The tallest horse on record was a Shire named Samson. He was 21.2 hands (7 feet, 2 inches) tall. He was born in 1846 in Toddington Mills, England. He was also the heaviest horse on record weighing 1524kg.

The oldest horse on record is “Old Billy,” an English barge horse. He was 62 years old when he died, living from 1760 to 1822.

Horses cannot breathe through their mouths.

The world fastest horse recorded to date is 43.2 mph.

Mountain guides Richard Hartley and Kiersten Rowland took Bruno (a 3 year old Leonburger) and Kumbu (a 2 year old Husky) to the top of Mulhacen yesterday to be made the highest dogs in Spain! They set off from capileira and walked 5 1/2 hours to the summit.

Bruno and Kumbu became part of the Spanish Highs Mountain Guides team that was helping a UK woman reach the summit after her brother was killed in these mountain´s in 2006.

The Olympics are nearly here and our equines are preparing for there flight to Hong Kong. From the 30th of July more than 300 horses, from around the Globe will make the long journey to Hong Kong.
The task of transporting this size of squad and the necessary back up support is potentially a logistical nightmare - Its one that requires military-style precision and planning.

Each horse will be traveling with around 400kg of hay, feed, grooming equipment and tack; There is also a number of support staff including vets, phisiotherapists, grooms and a full management team will also join them in Sha Tin for this far eastern Olympic adventure.This transport operation has taken nearly four years to plan, starting before the Athens’ Games in 2004.

In addition, for the last seven days prior to departure the Team of horses will all enter a Pre-Export Quarantine (PEQ). During this time, the horses will be constantly monitored under the strict supervison of the PEQ vet. They are tested constantly and not allowed within 100 metres of another, non-quarantined horse for fear of infection.From the 30 July the horses will leave airports on a Dutch registered ‘Martin Air’ 747 Cargo plane bound for Hong Kong.

Following the trip from their PEQ venue aboard disinfected lorries, the horses arrive at their designated airport around three and a half hours before departure. They are all individualy weighed, to configure the weight and balance of the aircraft then transferred to the plane in Jetstalls via dollies and lifted on to the maindeck of the aircraft on a scissor lift.

Once boarded, a total of 26 horses representing various countries will travel ‘business class’ on these flights. This means two horses per jet stall; a self contained stable measuring 2.3m high, 2.3m wide and 1.8m in length from the back wall to the breast bar. For those wishing to upgrade, there are private ‘first class’ stalls for individual horses available, while there is also an ‘economy class’ of jet stall for three horses.

Each horse has enough hay and feed for the journey while the Team vet, who always travels in situ is on hand to provide treatment in the event of dehydration, horse colic or any other medical complication. Meanwhile, selected grooms accompany their horses and Pedens even provide professional flying grooms - equestrian air hosts and hostesses - who are in constant communication with the horses, their grooms and the in flight crew ensuring the flight for these prize equine athletes is always a smooth one.

The horses travel wearing leg protection, a guard on their tails and usually a light sheet or rug. Each aircraft is air conditioned meaning that the climactic conditions are constantly managed at around 17 degrees.

Once they are in the air, as long as there is little turbulence, the horses are fine. They don’t have to drug or sedate them for travel purposes. Compared with a road journey by lorry there is no stopping, starting and constant turning, so it’s actually a lot smoother. Plus most of the horses going to Hong Kong are experienced flyers.

Even on arrival the horses are afforded first class priority treatment. The plane will dock at the Cargo terminal meaning the human passengers have to be bused through to human arrivals terminal. This priority status, enables Pedens to unload and transport the horses to their base in Sha Tin in just 90 minutes.

To see more info on the olympic equestrian click here.

The decision to put a pet to sleep is every pet owner´s worst nightmare and can only ever be made its owner. But veterinary advise should always take part in your decision.

I have been a veterinary nurse and animal lover for over 12 years and it still hurts when I assist with euthanasia or am witness to a death at the surgery. My boss has always said that to feel emotional is normal, and if the day comes that you become hardened and stop caring, you should probably not be working in a veterinary practice.

To help people understand the procedure and to over come there loss i have put together the normal procedure program on how it assits.

Euthanasia is performed using a very large dose of an anaesthetic drug, causing unconsciousness within a few seconds, followed by death. The route chosen depends upon the species and medical condition of the animal, but in every case the procedure is quick and painless. The drug may be administered by any of the following routes:

• Injection into a vein in the forelimb (cephalic vein).
• Injection into a vein in the hindlimb (saphenous vein).
• Injection into an indwelling intravenous catheter (if the animal is on a drip for example).
• Injection into the liver, kidney or heart (this may be necessary if the animal has very poor circulation).
• Injection into a vein in the ear (usually the case with rabbits).
• Inhalation of a volatile agent (usually the case with small rodents such as hamsters, rats and gerbils since a vein is very difficult to visualise).

Every animal is assessed individually, and the method chosen will be that which causes the least stress. If a pet is particularly nervous, then a tranquillizing drug may be given prior to the procedure.

Consciousness is lost within a few seconds, there may be some reflex actions evident. These include gasping, sighing, urination or defecation, but it is to be assured that although these signs may be distressing, the pet is unaware of any pain or discomfort.

There are a number of options available after the procedure to cremate your beloved pet. Make sure that you are familiar with those offered by your practice. As a general guide, the following are the usual methods of burial and cremation:

Home burial.

• Many people with a garden chose to bury their pets at home. The size and depth of the grave must be sufficient to accommodate the animal without risk of disturbance from wild animals or future owners of the property. The pet should not be wrapped in plastic as this will affect normal decomposition. There are a number of companies specialising in memorials for pets, or a shrub or tree could be planted.
• Routine cremation.
  This is an economical and sensible option. The practice will have a contract with a pet crematorium who will collect the bodies from the surgery and carry out cremation. Routine cremation involves the cremation of several pets at once. The ashes are usually scattered in the grounds. A reputable company will encourage inspection by you and allow you to visit the garden of remembrance.

• Individual/private cremation.
  Pets are individually cremated by the pet crematorium and the ashes returned to the surgery for you to collect. Many people find returning to the surgery very traumatic, you could always ask your vet if he could deliver them to you. Most crematoria offer a choice of container. A biodegradable box is the cheaper option – the ashes can then be kept, buried or scattered. A polished, wooden casket may be preferred and usually this will come with an engraved name plate.

It is a very sad thing to have to do but question yourself , What is best for your pet, is he in pain, what is his quality of life? All of these need to be taken into account.

For more advise on coping with a bereavement of a pet Email us at: info@pets-in-spain.com

Race horses have been used for many years for the pleasure, money and sport. While we see this all very well, there are many ex-race horses that get thrown to one side and forgotton about.Many people take on an ex-racer, only to get disapointed when things start to go wrong.

I have owned and rehabilitated 2 ex-racer´s, my first been an arab (martini gold). The first time i saw this outstanding creature was when i was loaning from a yard in west yorkshire. I beacme friends with the owner, rode out together an stuff, I grew to know marti. 6 month´s later my friend asked me if i would be interested in buying him as she had no time for him with work. Two weeks later i had bought him.

He was such a character! He knew how to open his stable door and escape, reared and went all silly when you took him up the field, jogged all the way round a hack untill you got a stitch and there was no steady canter, only full steam ahead! My sister nick named him spangley legs as his legs went any all over the place. typical arab type!

I gave myself and Marti a challenge, that by summer in 1999 we would compete in our local show and enter in the intermediate, my sister laughed! I started him on a sticted reschooling program taking him right back to square one, as if he had done nothing. He loveed jumping but he was very eager and keen. After 2 years we came 2nd in the novice. I was so chuffed, it wasn´t the intermediate but he had come on so well.I bought him all new rugs, bridle, saddle, everything! We even started going through Mc Donalds drive through much to people´s amusement!

Half a year later i had another friend who owned an ex- thouroughbred racer. She came to me one day and said ´´Emma, i have decided to move to Teneriffe and i would like to know if you would like Missy (Her Horse)!´´. She told me that she did not want any money for her as she´d rather her go to a good home. I spent all night thinking the pro´s and con´s. She was an ex-hurderler for 2 years when then she was sent to be a brood mare for the next 8 years. The problem was that she had not been ridden for this time, which i thought about very seriously. But on the other hand, i could not bare the thought of her been in the wrong hands.

I took her on……. I might say it was a little stressful at times, She was hopeless in traffic, cantered up the roads and every time you hit green grass she was like a rocket taking off. I patiently worked with her for nearly 2 years. My sister came back on her one day and said that she´d reared her into a bin on the golf course, then reared her over a wall.! This was getting dangerous and knew i needed help. A month later we moved yards and all seemed to be OK until i got a phone call from my friend to say that, as she took her horse out of the field and walked away, Missy had run after her straight though a fence cutting all her legs.

I was in despair and felt like i´d failed her. I rang the vet to check her out and he told me that she might have a fantasy pregnancy, he did a scan to check all and then put her on the pill. It did not do anything!

I had heard of a center in Yorkshire run by a man called Alberto Barberini who is an international rider/trainer and who had worked along side Monty Roberts for many years. I rung him and explained everything what had happened and that i did not know what to do next. He told me to bring her straight away.

When we got there he told me to tack her up and ride her in the school. The first thing he asked was, why have i got a flash nose-band on her bridle and why do i use a martingale?. I looked at him like he was a mad man, the bit of control i had, i thought was helping! He took all her bridle apart and dismantled it all and said ´´from now on there´s no gadget´s´´. He got on her and rode her round the school, she was perfect with him. Typical! He said that i am putting too much pressure on her and that the problem was not her it was me! Over the next 2 weeks he worked with her and myself, He put us in the round pen and he made me ride her without a saddle and bridle. I was so nervous! He gradually built us up to work in the school and bit by bit i began to realise that it was me and that i had to relax and confide in her. Before i was careful not to push her on too much, but i realise now that’s what she needed, confidence.

I have ridden many problem horses now, and the first thing i do is take all of those gadgets off and go right back to school with them. Have confidence in yourself and the horse. Ex race horses are very sensitive and need a lot of understanding, time and patients to achieve anything and to make it safe for all.

If you are thinking in owning an ex race horse, think before you go ahead. You need to have a lot of time and experience to bring out the good. They are very sensitive and energetic animals but with lots of love and work they can be one of the best equine enjoyments in the horse world.

Please note: It is not advisable to ride a horse without tack if you are not experienced or have an experienced person with you.

If you would like support and have ex-race horse problems yourself and would like advise on the management of ex-racer´s Email us at: info@pets-in-spain.com