Loved for their personalities, valued for their mental health benefits and cherished for their loyalty, soon become adored members of the family.
Yet as a veterinary surgeon for PDSA, the UK’s leading vet charity, Dr Catherine Burke witnesses too often several things that dog owners do which could do more harm than good for our canine companions.
Dr Catherine, who shares her home with her black Labrador, Murphy, tells HELLO! the common mistakes pet owners do which could be affecting your pet's welfare without you realising.
"I’ve seen many stick injuries in dogs and some can be really nasty, so I pick a toy I know is safe rather than risk a stick injury," says Dr Catherine.
"Again, vets see so many problems due to dogs chewing on bones – tooth fractures, mouth injuries, bones becoming stuck in their throat, or even blocking intestines," explains Dr Catherine, adding that your dog may need emergency surgery if they get into complications with a bone.
"This is for everyone’s safety," says Dr Catherine. "Both children and dogs can be unpredictable. Even the best behaved can react suddenly to something unexpected, so making sure that everyone is kept safe is key."
Dr Catherine explains: "All dogs are different, some can be highly anxious and sometimes they might just be having a bad day – just like humans! I wouldn’t want a stranger to run up and hug me out of nowhere, so I make sure Murphy is on a lead around other dogs he doesn’t know."
"Never allow your dog off a lead when there is livestock around. It's essential that we all follow the Countryside Code in order to look after farm animals, wildlife and our pets.
"Even the best trained dog can struggle to suppress their instinct when faced with running herd animals, so keep them on a lead around livestock at all times."
"Dogs are social animals and naturally want to spend time with other dogs or their familiar humans," says Dr Catherine.
"It’s important that they can cope with spending some time alone but we would never recommend you leave your dog for longer than four hours.
"However, some dogs can cope with much less time than this, so it needs to be tailored to your dog’s needs.
If you know you're going to be out of the house for longer than your dog can cope with and you can’t take them with you, Dr Catherine advises arranging for them to stay with a friend or family member, or get a known and trusted dog sitter to look after your pup.
"It seems such a small thing, but dental hygiene can have a big impact on a dog’s health and welfare," she says.
"Brush your dog's teeth daily with pet-safe toothpaste as this is the best way of preventing dental disease."
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