Advice & Tips

Harnesses

Walking your dog on a harness has many benefits and maybe now is the time to consider getting one. In the “old days” we used to use check or choke chains to control our dogs and in some cases people even use prong or electric collars to get their furry friend to walk nicely on […]

GAMES TO PLAY when it’s hot or you can’t get out to walk

** GAMES ** Personally, I walk my dogs every day hail, rain or shine.  But there are occasions when you’d normally be out with your dog, that doing so is either just not possible, or maybe even NOT SAFE. NOT IN THE HEAT In hot weather, walking your dog can actually be life-threatening (even more […]

CANCELLATION – K9 1st Aid Course Walsall

  **  NOTIFICATION OF CANCELLATION ** Sadly, the course scheduled to take place in Walsall, West Midlands on Saturday 2nd July, 2016, has had to be cancelled. All monies have either been refunded via PayPal or a cheque sent out “snail-mail” to everybody who was booked on this course. I’d like to extend my sincere apologies […]

Lungworm Area locator

I’m sure you’ve seen adverts for lungworm treatments at your vets, on the TV or maybe at your doggy day care facility, but many people have said they don’t really know what lungworm is and whether they need to take any steps in this regard.  Well, firstly, here’s the R2S blog in case you feel you need […]

Cracked or Dry Nose

So far as your dog is concerned, his nose is his most important organ.  When it is dry, cracked or damaged in any way, that’s a big deal.  We often use our dogs’ noses as an indicator as to whether they are well or not.  Many people go with the concept that a wet nose […]

Canine Autism

CANINE AUTISM – is it a real thing? Am I making it up? Have I lost the plot? Autism in humans is something I’m sure you’ve heard of .  It’s something we are starting to understand more and more these days, thank goodness, but what exactly is it? Autism is a spectrum disorder (meaning that it […]

Nettle Stings – treatment

TREATMENT FOR NETTLE STINGS   We have covered various allergic reactions in previous blogs including bees, wasps, toads and caterpillars.  Don’t forget that when Spring has sprung and new growth appears throughout our countryside and hedgerows, it’s nettle season which can really irritate your dog, particularly his paws if he runs through a patch on his […]

Canine First Aid Tour of Scotland … Wagons Roll!

We are off on our travels again.  The Rhodes 2 Safety Canine First Aid Tour of Scotland for 2016 gets underway today with our first course on the tour taking place in Aberlady near Edinburgh on Sunday night.  This year we’ll be covering lots of venues more centrally but we will also be heading out […]

Bloat – Did we tempt fate?

So having posted about bloat again just this last week, last night I actually thought we had tempted fate. Axl was NOT a happy bunny.  Some three hours after his supper (9pm), he suddenly became very agitated, swallowing as if trying to stop himself being sick and shot out into the garden to eat grass […]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

With my grandfather being Irish, and with a name like Kerry, we at Rhodes 2 Safety would like to wish you all a very HAPPY St. PATRICK’S DAY Axl decided he’d like to show you his Irish side too. Take it away big fella Riverdancing Ridgeback

Colitis in dogs

Colitis is really uncomfortable and unpleasant – and it doesn’t just affect us humans.  Your dog can suffer with this too and it has many causes.  So, what actually is colitis? The colon is part of the intestine and is responsible for doing things like collecting the fibrous parts of the diet that the dog […]

Fireworks! – Rhodes 2 Safety

Tonight and throughout this weekend we are more than likely going to be having more fireworks to contend with.  There are steps you can take to try to make the evening all round a saver and less stressful event for your pets. 1) Ensure your pets are walked throughout the daylight hours, so they’re more […]

Canine Lymphoma – a new report is out

Canine Lymphoma is one of the most common forms of cancer experienced by our canine companions – its very aggressive and has a poor prognosis.  Nothing strikes fear into our hearts quite like the word cancer.  Although treatments and therapies are getting better and cures and life expectancy are on the up, still our first reaction on […]

Zoopharmacognosy

Zoopharmacognosy – wow, that’s a big word but what the heck does it mean? Well, in simple terms, Zoopharmacognosy is a behaviour in which non-human animals self-medicate by selecting, inhaling, eating or topically applying plants, soils, insects, and psychoactive drugs to treat or prevent disease. So what, if anything, does that mean for us?  We have […]

Bloat (acu-point)

Any dog can be susceptible to bloat (also known as torsion or GDV) but it is especially prevalent if you have a deeper chested breed such as a Ridgeback, Great Dane, Boxer etc – and if they like to wolf down their food then this problem is even more of a worry.  In essence, it […]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AXL

Today is Axl’s 9th birthday. Still going strong and fit as a butcher’s dog (who, incidentally, I bet he wishes he was!) Still teaching hundreds of students each year throughout the UK in person. Father to our wonderful Chi (who’s fast getting ready to fill his shoes) Still competing (and winning) at agility. Still inspiring […]

Blue Green Algae Confirmation

Just to let you know, if you walk your dogs in/around Welton Waters near Brough, East Yorkshire, that there has been confirmation of a serious Blue Green Algae bloom in the lake by the Welton Waters Activity Centre. I have personally spoken to the Environment Agency who have sent a guy down to test the […]

Which Fruits are Safe To Eat?

A lot of dog’s really do like the odd piece of fruit.  They enjoy a taste of something sweet from time to time, just as we do.  When it’s hot, feeding your dog some frozen fruit can be a really good way of cooling them down while giving them a tasty, low calorie treat too.  […]

Canine Tip of the Day: Filing Nails – get the dog to do it!

We mentioned yesterday about clipping claws.  I posted a super little article all about how to do it, why we need to, which tools to use etc etc.  That said, there are lots of dogs who are not at all keen on having their feet/nails touched (mine included) and so for some its easier to teach […]

Canine Tip of the Day: Swallowing Glass/Sharp Objects

So you’re just starting to cook supper and as you take a glass bowl from the fridge, it slips through your fingers and shatters all over your kitchen floor.  The glass is broken and splintered into a squillion pieces, each one coated with the juices of your marinated chicken.  The smells waft through and quick […]