PETS' BEST FRIEND BY LAUREN MIDDLETON

The Christmas season is creeping up and bringing quite cold and wet weather with it. Even though it makes us feel like curling up on the couch with a hot chocolate, it is important to remember the essential exercise regime for your pets!

Keeping your animals moving helps prevent the cold weather affecting them. A few of my clients are arthritic so their exercise patterns vary, but all of them go for their daily walks. Sometimes shorter and more frequent walks are better for them.

On the subject of exercise, it is important that pet owners understand how food can play a big roll in this area, as a lot of people fall into the role of ‘love feeding’. It is vital to drain your dog’s energy by walking or running with them before eating or playing. This will help your dog arrive at a healthy mental and physical state as opposed to being full of food and literally buzzing with energy that they can’t get rid of, this state can soon spiral to serious issues.

All of this rain has meant muddy dogs! I like to wash the mud off with water and then towel dry their fur. Shampoo should only be used as part of their grooming regime, otherwise natural oils can be taken from their coat resulting in problems such as dry skin.