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Separation anxiety a 'ticking time bomb', warns Dogs Trust
"Just make sure that you factor time apart from your dog each day to help them be able to cope when alone."
Experts warn lockdown could create major problems for our canine companions.

One of the UK's leading experts in canine behaviour, Dr Rachel Casey, has expressed concern about separation anxiety in dogs after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Under current lockdown measures, people are only allowed to leave their home for certain reasons, such as exercise or essential shopping. But experts are warning this could create major problems for dogs, who are not used to their owners being home all day.

In a statement, Rachel - who is director of canine behaviour at Dogs Trust - said: “For many of us it has been great to spend so much time with our dogs during lockdown and mostly our dogs love us being around too. But all this extra attention could potentially create a ticking time bomb of separation anxiety for our dogs.”

Rachel believes that if dogs expect their owners to be around all the time, it will be more difficult for them to cope when we return to our normal lives. In light of this, she is calling on dog owners to take action now to avoid future problems:

“Just make sure that you factor in time apart from your dog each day to help them be able to cope when alone – this could be separated from you by a door or child gate for an hour or two whilst you’re working or home-schooling the kids,” she said.

“By organising your dog’s day, with time apart, playtimes, exercise, other activity sessions (like giving them a food-filled toy) and quiet times, you can make sure that your dog maintains their ability to cope with the different aspects of ‘normal’ life when we get back to it.”

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RUMA CA&E extends survey deadline

News Story 1
 RUMA CA&E has extended the deadline for its online survey into vaccine availability.

Vets, SQPs, retailers and wholesalers will now have until Friday, 26 September at 5pm to submit their response.

The survey aims to further understanding into the vaccine supply challenges faced by the sector. It will also consider the short and long term impacts of disruption issues.

Insights are anonymous, and will be shared with industry stakeholders and government bodies.

The survey can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA publishes Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice

The BSAVA has added a small animal nutrition advice booklet to its series of BSAVA guides.

The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice offers a resource for veterinary professionals to provide appropriate nutrition for animals. As well as maintaining the wellbeing of healthy pets, the guide explores how nutritional requirements change in times of illness and disease.

The guide is divided into five sections, which explore the importance of nutritional assessment; diet types; feeding at different life stages; feeding for specific situations; and feeding for specific diseases. Online resources are also in the BSAVA Library including client handouts and videos.

It is designed to be suitable for referencing, in-depth case planning and team training sessions.

The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice can be purchased online from the BSAVA store.