Vet Pets Magazine

March, 2015

Celeb Interview: DAMON SCOTT

PINUPS FOR PITBULLS!

Photo credit: Celeste Giuliano Photography

VINCE THE VETon homeopathy

Vet Pets Magazine

Celebrity dog lovers Damon Scott and Craig Revel Horwood are backing a campaign calling for more regulations to help improve the long term health of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. A lack of screening means more and more Cavaliers are falling victim to heart problems and another painful condition where the dog’s skull is too small to accommodate its brain.

Craig and Damon were told recently their Cavalier Sophie, who has MVD, has months to live.

The couple are supporting a petition urging Kennel Club to stop registering Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies unless their parents are MRI scanned and Heart tested.

Sophie’s sweet nature has won her many fans. She appeared on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, and has her own YouTube video with 86,817 hits.

How long have you had Sophie?

Damon says: “I’ve had Sophie for five and a half years after rescuing her. She’ d been living in her own filth. This has been her second chance at life. We know she’s 13 and a half because local vets knew her; she’s unusual in that she’s a ‘one-ring’ Cavalier, with one ring of colour around her eye.

Does Sophie come with you to work?

Damon says: “I travel quite a bit, but when we’re in the UK we tend to split our time between London and Hampshire. Sophie also stays at my ex-partner’s house and at my parent’s hotel. She loves travelling in the car!

What difference does Sophie make to your life?

“She makes all the difference. She’s my daughter and brings everything to my life,” Damon says.

Do you take Sophie with you to restaurants and pubs?

“We used to take her to a drag Karaoke night which she loved. She’s deaf so the loud music didn’t bother her. She loved meeting new people and all the attention!” Damon explains.

“She now loves nothing more than visiting a local country pub with my parents and sitting by the lovely open fire.”

What are Sophie’s favourite things in the world?

Damon says: “She loves our garden; we’ve seven and a half acres, but as she’s quite clingy she

tends to stay close by.

“She won’t eat dog food and I wouldn’t give her it. It’s important to feed your dog good food like steamed chicken and vegetables not stuff that might come off the slaughterhouse floor. Good food is one of the reasons she’s lived to 13.

“Another thing she loves is lying on people’s laps. But she hates laptops and anything electronic. I think she thinks they are another pet!”

Does Sophie have any tricks or special character traits?

“Life has definitely moulded her character as she’s a very needy dog and she doesn’t want to be on her own; not that she ever is. Whenever visitors come to the house, she goes to them, so she’s not the loyalest of dogs but she’s the most loving,” says Damon.

My Pet Interview

Damon Scott and Craig Revel Horwood with Sophie

Vet Pets Magazine

Did you have pets as a child?

Damon says: “We always had dogs growing up including a Shih Tzu, Yorkies and a Lhasa Aphso. You can’t beat a Cavalier though, in spite of their health issues.

“But it’s important to get a rescue dog and not automatically go out and get a puppy. You maybe do miss a few years of their lives but they can be so loving because you’re giving them a second chance at life.”

Tell us more about the campaign to help Cavaliers?

Damon explains: “Sophie’s my little girl and Craig and I are passionate about animal welfare and the lives of all dogs.

“This campaign is focused on Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, but we want every dog to be healthy on the inside, rather than for the focus to be on how they look on the outside.

“Sophie’s health problems don’t put us off her breed. We love Cavaliers and Craig knew I would fall in love if I met one at the Battersea Collars & Coats Ball, but dog owners in generations to come should get to know this wonderful breed for their spirit and fun nature, not because of their health problems and the way to achieve this is to bring the breed back to health, not by ignoring the problem.”

Craig adds: “All these dogs need is a little love and someone with enough money to look after them.

“She is the most beautiful little girl. We need to make sure all Cavaliers are MRI scanned and heart tested before breeding.”

Damon says: “The passion of the Cavalier campaigners is hugely inspirational. People like Margaret Carter and Charlotte Mackaness are literally fighting for the future of the breed. It’s easy to feed off that passion.

“The celebrity element does help to raise awareness and we’re trying to get even more people on board.”

Campaign update:Over 8,000 Cavalier lovers, including a host of celebrities,

have signed the petition asking the KC to only register puppies whose parents have been tested for the breed’s two most serious hereditary conditions.

Frustrated by The Kennel Club‘s refusal to receive an 8,000 strong petition at Crufts, dog lovers have started a “virtual march”.

The ‘Cavaliers Are Special Virtual Health March to the Kennel Club’ is taking place on Facebook.

Many of the virtual marchers have posted photographs of Cavaliers who have died at a young age from painful inherited disease.

The campaign is also backed by the RSPCA.

To sign the petition, please visit: change.org.

Vet Pets Magazine

The magic of homeopathy Pt.2

Expert holistic vet Vince MacNally BVSc. VetMFHom MRCVS - Vince the Vet - shares with Pets Magazine readers the second part of his fascinating journey into veterinary

homeopathy - a practice that has literally worked miracles, as Vince explains...

Vince The Vet

Vet Pets Magazine

Who would have thought that a nice, new, shiny wet nose could change everything? Well Tina’s did.

In one fell swoop it swept way any doubts I had about homeopathy’s ability to positively influence health. It was living proof that remedies, no matter how dilute, could stimulate healing. There was no other explanation. And ifit worked for Tina, then why not for other pets too? What’s more, if it worked for a condition as serious as nasal aspergillosis then what else was possible? I soon found out.

Red Eye‘It was dumped on the doorstep a few moments ago,’ Karen said annoyed, placing a battered cardboard box on the examination table. Here and there it was

streaked with red, which was never a good sign.

We paused for a moment, listening. No sound of puppies or kittens squeaking. No clip clopping of webbed feet, or the pecking of a beak against the inside of the box. None of the strange cries that wild animals sometimes make, particularly when injured or frightened. There was however, the sound of muffled breathing.

Gloves at the ready, just in case, we slowly lifted the lid, and were met by a pitiful sight.Lying prostrate on a makeshift bed of bloodied blankets, panting furiously and trembling from head to foot, was a small black cat, with multiple injures.

Torn nails. Abrasions. An assortment of bumps and bruises. Pale, cold, clammy mouth and an eye full of blood protruding from its socket. All the hallmarks of being hit by a car.

Thankfully, on closer examination there didn’t appear to be any broken bones, or signs of internal damage. The left side of the face appeared to have born the brunt of the impact, which accounted for the dreadful state of the eye.

With a waiting room full of patients to attend to, a nurse was assigned to dress his wounds, and a homeopathic remedy made up for the bruising and shock, with instructions to administer it every five minutes. A slot in theatre was booked to remove the prolapsed eye.

Homeopathy can help where conventional medicine has not found a solution

Vet Pets Magazine

Ninety minutes later, I entered the in-patient area and found a very different cat. ‘Red Eye’ as he was now called, was breathing normally, all signs of shock had gone and the left eye had shrunk - almost back into its socket - which was causing quite a stir.

Putting surgery on hold, homeopathic treatment was maintained throughout the day, as Red Eye continued to improve.

By the end of the following day, the blood clot in the anterior chamber was dissolving. By the end of the week the front of the eye was completely clear, except for a few strands of scar tissue connecting the cornea to the iris, which restricted pupillary movements.

It was difficult to tell how much vision there was left in the eye if any, but it certainly didn’t handicap him in any way, or prevent him from living a full and active life when he went to his new home.

Proof Of The PuddingLooking back, I can see now that I fell into the trap of dismissing homeopathy because it didn’t fit my belief system at the time. I couldn’t see how it could possibly work, and so it didn’t.Fortunately, Dr Reilly’s lecture

came along with a different point of view, when I was struggling with the inability of conventional medicine to help many of my patients. Tina and Red Eye - real live animals with real problems and real, documented healing responses, not abstract contentions in a debate - provided the proof of the pudding that homeopathy can heal.

Most wonderful of all, is that these aren’t isolated cases. Over the years, I’ve seen similarly dramatic improvements in health in both animals and people suffering from a wide range of conditions, including chronic skin disease, allergies, digestive disturbances and behavioural problems.Homeopathy is not a cure all. It relies on a pet’s or person’s ability to respond to a healing stimulus,

which depends on many factors. It is in my experience however, one of the gentlest, safest and most effective ways to stimulate the body’s natural healing mechanisms in both animals and people.

And so now, instead of cringing and thinking of my younger self when I hear words like ‘placebo’, ‘nonsense’ or ‘quackery’ bandied about, I picture Tina’s beautiful nose and Red Eye climbing trees with a full complement of eyes, and

SMILE!

Vince MacNally BVSc. VetMFHom (1998) MRCVS is an expert holistic vet. He qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Liverpool University in 1983. He went on to gain the VetMFHom qualification in 1998. Vince has 30 years experience of using a wide range of natural remedies, therapies and supplements in pets, including acupuncture, homoeopathy, herbs and nutritional supplements. He is currently a Partner in Vince The Vet® https://www.vincethevet.co.uk.

Vet Pets Magazine

Deirdre Franklin, aka ‘Little Darling’, is the founder of Pinups for Pitbulls, a wonderful movement that deploys glamour to promote the cause of pitbulls and unloved canines of the pitbull type throughout America, and now the

world, with the publication of an eponymous book based on a glamourous annual calendar.

Pinups for Pitbulls!

Photo credit: Celeste Giuliano Photography

Vet Pets Magazine

Deirdre Franklin is a burlesque

performer going by the stage

name ‘Little Darling’. She got

involved in the dog cause while

volunteering as a teenager at a Philadelphia animal shelter

that had a policy of putting

down every pitbull that came

through its doors.

After experiencing one

euthanasia too many, she

adopted a pitbull named Carla

Lou from a Texas-based rescue

centre.

After the dog was shipped to

the teenage Deirdre, she started

to realise the extent of the

stigma surrounding the breed. She found out they were

effectively prevented from

entering thousands of

jurisdictions across the US. She

also discovered the levels of

ignorance surrounding the breed and that people would

actively cross the street if they

saw a pitbull coming their way,

even if it was with its owner, on

a lead and wagging its tail.

She learned that dogs like Carla

Lou, who'd been left to die in

the basement of an abandoned

house before her rescue, and who have been ‘shipped’ across

the country into the care of

teenagers, were “amazing.”

“Carla Lou inspired me to

defend her kind for the rest of my life,” Deirdre explains.

In 2005, Deirdre founded

the non-profit

organisation Pinups for

Pitbulls because she was

tired of so-called rescues and shelters euthanising

healthy, friendly and

adoptable animals due to

their breed.

Deirdre came up with the

most ingenious way of

promoting the cause of

these misunderstood

canines.

Drawing on her

background in modelling,

she created a calendar like

no other – eye-catching pinup girls and their pit

bull pooches, in glamorous

epoque defining style –

that has become something of a

phenomenon in the world of animal advocacy.

“Once you have them engaged,

then you can educate them,”

Deirdre says. “I thought it would be a little Kinko's-style

calendar that would come out

for, like, one year.”

Since that first calendar, which is now an annual event, Pinups

for Pitbulls has expanded its

advocacy and education work,

while also helping rescue

groups with their work for homeless pets.

Deirdre ‘Little Darling’ Franklin

Photo credit: Celeste Giuliano Photography

Vet Pets Magazine

Pinups for Pitbulls is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate people about the history, temperament, and plight of the pit bull-type dog; raising awareness to rally against Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) and Breed Discriminatory Laws (BDL).

The organisation’s goal is to restore the image of the pitbull-type dog to its former reputation as America’s companion animal, war hero, and family member.

Through Deirdre’s ever-growing team of volunteers in over twenty US states, Pinups for Pitbulls has

been able to host educational seminars, community outreach initiatives, and fund-raising events. In its educational crusade, it hopes to end discrimination, abuse, and the unnecessary killing of pit bull-type dogs around the world–all the while dreaming that one day, Pinups for Pitbulls will no longer be needed.

Featuring essays and testimonials from former pinups and longstanding volunteers, as well as a complete history of the breed,

helpful tips for new rescue owners and a heartfelt homage to the dog who inspired it all – the late Carla Lou – Pinups for Pitbulls is a must-have book for anyone who loves their four-legged friend.

Little Darlings Pinups for Pitbulls: A Celebration of America’sMost Lovable Dogs By Deirdre Franklin is Published by The Overlook Press and distributed by Turnaround (visit www.turnaround-uk.com.) It is available from stockists including

Amazon.

Photo credits incl. cover image: From Little Darling's Pinups for Pitbulls: A Celebration of America's Most Lovable Dogs © 2014 by Pinups for Pitbulls, Inc. Published in 2014 by The Overlook Press, Peter Mayer Publishers, Inc. www.overlookpress.com. All rights reserved.

Photo credit: Celeste Giuliano Photography

Photo credit: Celeste Giuliano Photography

Vet Pets Magazine

As the proud owner of a black cat, it is always puzzling to see advertisements from cat shelters and other animal rescue centres that seem to show how black cats are the hardest to rehome.

Why a feline noir should be so difficult to place is a complex inter play of superstition, aesthetics

and cultural perspectives, which gives the poor old black moggie a bit of a hard time.

The ancient Egyptians prized all cats; indeed, the ancient Egyptian God Bastet was the goddess of warfare in Lower Egypt and was depicted as a black, cat-headed woman who was the defender of the Pharaoh.

Unfortunately, poor Bastet, or Bast as she was called in various manifestations, would give way as Upper and Lower Egypt unified to Seckmet, who although a cat, was associated with menstruation and medicine as well as war and vengeance. With this, the links between cats and females began to increasingly grow. The Egyptians so loved their cats that any harm to them was considered a severely punishable offence. The revered moggies were mummified in their thousands; sadly few examples of these now exist as Victorian entrepreneurs chose to use the mummified corpses as fertiliser!

In Celtic mythology, the black cat was considered to be evil and was sacrificed, despite cats as a group being regarded as magical.

The full-blown assault on black cats however, took place in the middle ages when the Christians began

Our regular DAVID CLIFF, of Gedanken, a company specialising in

coaching-based support and personal development, looks at the fascinating

mythology and superstition that has surrounded black cats for thousands

of years....

Who’s Afraid of Black Cats?

“… a remarkably large and beautiful animal, entirely black, and sagacious

to an astonishing degree.” ― Edgar

Allan Poe, The Black Cat

Vet Pets Magazine

to associate cats with witchcraft and Satanism, often seeing the accused witch as having a “Familiar” or even, the cat itself being a transformed witch.

The church began what turned out to be a one thousand year killing spree of cats and, of course, primarily of the black cat, which was associated with the forces of darkness. Indeed, a black cat only had to have a small fleck of white on it, to sometimes be offered mercy and spared its owner’s fate. Yet the same redeeming white flash on a black cat is associated with Sith in Scottish and Irish folklore, who steals souls before they could reach heaven. Just to show how pervasive imagery and mental association can be even nowadays, Sith lords are, of course, those of the “dark side” in Star Wars mythology, who of course wear all black costumes…

Wherever in history, cats have been persecuted; black cats, with

their dark, sleek looks, have somehow managed to be associated with an unfortunate conjunction of an association between blackness, the night and the devil himself.

And of course, let’s face it, when do cats come out but at night. They are crepuscular, obligate carnivores, required to hunt at key times when their prey is available. They typically sleep for the greater part of the day, but come alive at the very time we humans are subject to other diurnal rhythms that call us to out beds. They are agile and fast and even their hunting habits can seem extreme and sometimes cruel.

The resurgence of the Black Plague in the 1600’s was attributed to cats who were mercilessly slaughtered as a result, with the perverse irony that the rat population increased and thereby created more rodent vectors of the Yersinia Pestis bacterium. The

plague then spread without restriction. Humanity always pays a high price for its uninformed strategies.

In a modern world, surely cats and in particular black cats can be subject to more enlightened thinking?

Surely we can appreciate the

beauty of the black cat? But sadly no. So many of these beautiful felines languish in cat shelters while people prefer tortoiseshells and other styles that somehow appear more appealing.

One cannot help however thinking that there is a deep prejudice in the subconscious of some that relates to historical folklore. Conversely, the black cat can be seen as good luck. In Germany depending on which way a cat crosses your path left to right, right to left can mean good fortune, or otherwise.

There are many examples of when black cats can bring good luck. The black cat is the emblem of Sunderland Football Club, for example. However, every good example can be counterbalanced by a not so good one; for example, the legend of the Ovinnik, a Slavic, a mischievous spirit that used to manifest itself as a black cat with flaming eyes.

Something of the night? David’s cute and placid black cat Lola

Vet Pets Magazine

However you cut it, we live in modern times. We struggle now to believe in the existence of God in many cases in an increasingly secular society. And yet despite all of this, we still have this uneasy association with a black cat. Ironically, black cats lend themselves very well to graphic design. Many iconic images that are produced for the Web or elsewhere are typically those of a black cat because the image is clear and equivocal and distinctive as well as providing effective contrast and impact.

The truth is that many black cats are not black. Comparatively few breeds are a pure black pigment. Many have other colours encompassed within them, which present themselves depending on the light. Many black cats for example are chocolate brown in sunlight and some black cats have been known to find the dark pigment recede and acquire a hue of “rust” in favour of their more long lasting brown pigmentation.

The truth is I couldn’t go past a black cat. From the very time that my dear Lola came in to my life as a kitten, she was nicknamed “micro-panther” because of her sleek lines, her elegant gait and the pure aesthetics displayed as she moved. Another very practical thing is that black cat hair doesn’t show up on anything other than the lightest of fabrics and so if the odd hair should stray onto a suit or whatever, there is no sense of looking any less than pristine on arrival at the office!

As a black cat owner and as somebody who knows many

people who have black cats, one thing is clear is that the black cat is every bit as loyal, affectionate, fascinating, sensual and curious as any of the feline world. Modern design has seen black as more chic, sophisticated and frankly

upmarket than many other kitties. There is even a black cat’s calendar now and they all look great.

The history of cats is fascinating. It was only with the creation of agrarian, (agricultural) societies, that their domesticity really got under way. The dog was domesticated a long time before that for defence and hunting. With humanity’s need for the maintenance of food stored supplies, the destruction of vermin and the avoidance of famine in organised societies, cats far exceed the merits that their canine counterparts offer us, even if they

don’t run for sticks without an O2 subscription!

Our relationship with the cat is improving and strengthening with each generation. Our understanding is still limited. Fossils record has a huge “cat gap” millions of years, where a development of cats is simply absent, although there are some early indications that this is now slowly being filled due to new fossil finds.

We need a contemporary modern relationship with the cats. In this, black cat offers it as something that requires you to think for yourself, not the superstitious past, and enjoy them for what they truly are.

So next time you are thinking of adopting a cat, passing through a cat shelter or simply looking at a litter of kittens, do factor in the black cat. Put what might be subconscious cultural heritage to one side, born of misguided Christianity and other beliefs and look at these magnificent creatures for the beauty, aesthetics and sheer fun that they exude. Give them a good home and the rewards will be truly magical, without you having to burn at the

stake for it!

David Cliff is MD of Gedanken, a company specialising in coaching-based support and personal development.

Bast: The mythical black cat

Vet Pets Magazine

Sophie’s Choices

Lily’s Kitchen dog & cat food & treats RRP - please see company website.

Lily’s Kitchen offers an award-winning range of delicious and nourishing food for pets – which includes over 80 natural products catering for both cats and dogs. Lily’s Kitchen also does a wonderful range of pet treats including Bedtime biscuits and Rise & Shine treats, which we love! :)

For stockist info, visit the Lily’s Kitchen website at www.lilyskitchen.co.uk.

Dogs: Best in Show trump card gameRRP £8.95

Find out who’s top dog with this beautifully illustrated set of cards. Does a retriever need more grooming than an Irish setter? Has a terrier got a keener nose than a German shepherd? Is a poodle faster than a spaniel? With six categories and 30 dogs to choose from, you’ll have hours of fun playing Best in Show!

Available from all good stockists, including Amazon.

Personalised Pet Sculptures

In association with...

Top product picks by our resident reviewer Sophie,

the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Tribal pet treats for dogs RRP from £2.99 each.

We love these tasty treats from pet food brand Tribal. They come in seven

flavours including chicken & flaxseed, and are wheat and gluten free with no

artificial flavours - See more at: www.tribalpetfoods.co.uk.

www.artylobster.com