All the latest info on caring for your pet

There’s been a lot of worry recently about cats and coronavirus, and this has culminated today in some very panicky reports from otherwise reputable news services. In this blog, we’re going to quickly explore the ins and outs, and look at what the real risks are.

This is a question that seems to be popping up an awful lot on the internet at the moment… People wondering if they can use paracetamol, or ibuprofen or aspirin as painkillers for their dogs, or giving any kind of painkiller to their cat. At the moment, of course, this is a really big deal - with so many vets on "emergencies only", it can be very tempting to try to medicate your pet at home. The short advice, though, is don’t try this at home. While there are some human painkilling drugs that can be used in dogs and cats, they all have potentially serious and even life-threatening side effects, and poisoning is sadly really common.

The current COVID-19 pandemic is fuelling an upturn in the uptake of new hobbies by the UK population, with many of us turning to novel interests as a distraction from the worry of the coronavirus outbreak and as a way of filling the time during this period of isolation. It seems that one such hobby is the keeping of backyard chickens, which comes with the added advantage of producing freshly laid eggs without the need to brave the supermarket.

With the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increasing rapidly on a daily basis, the UK government has been forced to take extraordinary measures in an attempt to slow down the spread of this viral pandemic. The general public have been instructed to remain at home and avoid all unnecessary social contact. This includes working from home wherever possible; however for certain key professions this is not possible. 

With the Covid-19 outbreak seeming to worsen every day, on Monday evening, the UK government took the decision to ban all but the most essential travel outside the home. While vets are still open - they are classified as essential services under the latest guidance - they are only permitted to see emergencies and urgent cases. So, what’s happening about animal treatment? There are lots of rumours going around so in this short blog, we’re hoping to answer those questions! Please note, while this was correct at time of writing, the situation is changing rapidly… So do check for the most up to date news.