A new guidance-led approach to microchip scanning of dogs ahead of euthanasia, supported by the UK’s leading veterinary organisations, has this week been approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The guidance follows a public campaign known as ‘Tuk’s Law’ which called for measures to ensure dogs were not euthanised without the microchip database first being checked for a ‘rescue back up’ – a rehoming charity that could take responsibility for the animal.

In response, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and British Veterinary Association (BVA) agreed that more could and should be done to prevent occasions where a dog might be needlessly put to sleep, but voiced concerns that a legislative approach could undermine a vet’s clinical judgement, unfairly involve veterinary surgeons in ownership disputes or potential criminality, and leave vets unfairly exposed to financial sanctions.

In consultation with Defra, the RCVS and BVA jointly agreed a way forward for key guidance for veterinary surgeons to be strengthened. The new guidance, which underpins the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct that all UK-practising veterinary professionals must follow, will require veterinary surgeons to scan for a microchip in dogs prior to euthanasia where, in their professional judgement, destruction of the dog is not necessary on animal health or welfare grounds.

It will also support existing best practice in terms of discussing alternatives to euthanasia with clients, and give vets flexibility where, in their professional judgment, scanning is not appropriate; this might be if scanning would itself cause a welfare problem, or where a vulnerable client might be involved.

The RCVS Standards Committee recognised the difficulties experienced by veterinary surgeons in dealing with the current microchip database system, but felt that introducing these provisions into the guidance was a more proportionate response than the alternative of legislation with substantial fines. Both the RCVS and BVA were pleased to note that Defra’s new Action Plan for Animal Welfare included a review of existing database systems, with a view to introducing improvements.

George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: “We are a nation of animal lovers and the Government is committed to further strengthening our world-leading animal welfare standards. We have worked closely with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and British Veterinary Association to develop this new guidance, which honours the Tuk’s law principles by requiring vets to scan the microchips of healthy dogs to help ensure they are not put down unnecessarily.”

RCVS President Dr Mandisa Greene MRCVS said: “We are grateful to Defra for helping find a workable solution to a challenging problem that will support animal welfare while underpinning the central role of a veterinary surgeon’s judgement, in what is often a very difficult moment for both the client and the vet. We are confident that our new guidance will significantly reduce any risk of unnecessary and unwanted euthanasia, while continuing to help veterinary surgeons help animals under their care to the best of their abilities.”

BVA Senior Vice President Dr Daniella Dos Santos MRCVS said: “One of the most important jobs as a vet is having those difficult conversations with clients about euthanasia where we talk through all the options that are in the animal’s best interests. But where the vet doesn’t consider that euthanasia is necessary, the new guidance clearly sets out the steps we need to take. We support this constructive approach that addresses the campaigners’ concerns without undermining veterinary judgement.”

A new study by Pet Munchies has revealed how the UK’s dogs spent lockdown – and it’s very sweet, except more dogs than ever will now be hiding from their owners – and some dogs will now even be tidying up behind themselves! Is your dog one of them?

According to the natural pet treat brand, 8 in 10 pet owners said that their dogs were very important for their mental wellbeing during the lockdown and admitted that without their pets for company, it would have been a very different experience.

However, while 77 per cent of dog owners believe that their dogs were very happy during the lockdown, not all were so sure and 8 per cent admitted that their dogs were not their usual selves, putting this down to having to spend longer periods of time indoors and more time with the whole family at home2, something that under usual circumstances, would be limited for dogs to experience due to members of the family leaving home to go to school or work.

Former professional dog trainer Ryan O’Meara explained why this might impact on a dog’s happiness:

“Dogs are happiest and most content when they are in a routine. When dogs are used to days following specific patterns – wake up, breakfast, walk, kids leave to go to school, and so on, it can be something to overcome when patterns of behaviour change because it’s a shift to what they knew to be their family’s routine.”

Ryan training his two dogs, Chloe and Mia / Photo Credit: Ryan O’Meara

How dog owners attempted to make lockdown fun for their pets

In a bid to repay dogs for their crucial role to their happiness, half of pet parents admitted that they spent more time playing with their dogs at home, while 4 in 10 took in more walks and almost a third (29 per cent) decided to keep their dog’s brains stimulated by teaching their dog new skills with a third (31 per cent) declaring they’ve taught their dog one-two new tricks.

The most popular tricks taught by dog owners include playing hide and seek, sit/stay, roll over and giving a paw on command. Some ambitious owners admitted that they taught their dog to tidy their toys up behind themselves3, to fetch the TV remote and even to read!

And to reward their pets for learning fun, and sometimes practical, new skills, 72 per cent of dog owners treated their dogs to their favourite food and treats, 66 per cent lavished hugs, kisses and affection on their clever dogs and 11 per cent of owners gifted their dogs new toys.

UK dog owners taught their dogs these fun games & tricks during lockdown

• Hide and seek
• Sit/stay
• Give paw
• Roll over
• Tidying up (putting toys away)
• Fetch keys/TV remote
• Learning to read

Source: Pet Munchies

Other popular brain puzzles and activities favoured by dogs and their owners included learning how to fetch their lead, fetching specific toys and learning agility, one of the UK’s most popular dog sports.

Natasha Wise is a three-time world agility champion. She explains the benefit to a dog’s mental wellbeing from having stimulation, such as learning a new skill to get the mind whirring, during unusual times like these.

Natasha’s dog Toto in training / Photo Credit: Natasha Wise

“Stimulation focuses a dog’s brain on the desired game and reduces stress, anxiety, and associated unwanted behaviours. As a result, through mental stimulation, dogs become happier resulting in calmness and settling around the home after a period of stimulation.

“The best training tip I can give is to find out what makes your dog tick and include that in your teaching as a reward you know your dog will love. My dogs have a particular favourite brand, Pet Munchies, they’re very versatile and my dogs love them so I always have them to hand.”

Ryan O’Meara shared this final piece of advice to help dog owners help their dogs to beat post-lockdown blues:

“For dogs that have gotten used to the specific routine of having their owners around, it may be jarring for them when it suddenly and abruptly ends.

“Dogs love being with their family, so less time spent with their owners can make them sad. Re-establishing routine is the key component for making sure our dogs don’t suffer the post-lockdown blues.”

A new study has revealed how the UK’s dogs spent lockdown – and it’s very sweet, except more dogs than ever will now be hiding from their owners – and some dogs will now even be tidying up behind themselves!

According to new research by natural pet treat brand Pet Munchies, dog owners said that without their pets for company, it would have been a very different experience, with  8 in 10 pet owners said that their dogs were very important for their mental wellbeing during the lockdown.

Toto in training / Photo Credit: Natasha Wise

However, while 77 per cent of dog owners believe that their dogs were very happy during the lockdown, not all were so sure and 8 per cent admitted that their dogs were not their usual selves, putting this down to having to spend longer periods of time indoors and more time with the whole family at home2, something that under usual circumstances, would be limited for dogs to experience due to members of the family leaving home to go to school or work.

Former professional dog trainer Ryan O’Meara explained why this might impact on a dog’s happiness:

“Dogs are happiest and most content when they are in a routine. When dogs are used to days following specific patterns – wake up, breakfast, walk, kids leave to go to school, and so on, it can be something to overcome when patterns of behaviour change because it’s a shift to what they knew to be their family’s routine.”

Ryan whistle training his two dogs, Chloe and Mia / Photo Credit: Ryan O’Meara

How dog owners attempted to make lockdown fun for their pets

In a bid to repay dogs for their crucial role to their happiness, half of pet parents admitted that they spent more time playing with their dogs at home, while 4 in 10 took in more walks and almost a third (29 per cent) decided to keep their dog’s brains stimulated by teaching their dog new skills with a third (31 per cent) declaring they’ve taught their dog one-two new tricks.

The most popular tricks taught by dog owners include playing hide and seek, sit/stay, roll over and giving a paw on command. Some ambitious owners admitted that they taught their dog to tidy their toys up behind themselves3, to fetch the TV remote and even to read!

And to reward their pets for learning fun, and sometimes practical, new skills, 72 per cent of dog owners treated their dogs to their favourite food and treats, 66 per cent lavished hugs, kisses and affection on their clever dogs and 11 per cent of owners gifted their dogs’ new toys.

Most popular dog tricks/games taught by owners in lockdown

1. Hide and seek
2. Sit/stay
3. Give paw
4. Roll over
5. Tidying up (putting toys away)
6. Fetch keys/TV remote
7. Learning to read

Source: Pet Munchies

Other popular brain puzzles and activities favoured by dogs and their owners included learning how to fetch their lead, fetching specific toys and learning agility, one of the UK’s most popular dog sports.

Natasha Wise, pictured below, is a three-time world agility champion. She explains the benefit to a dog’s mental wellbeing from having stimulation, such as learning a new skill to get the mind whirring, during unusual times like these.

Natasha and Toto / Photo Credit: Natasha Wise

“Stimulation focuses a dog’s brain on the desired game and reduces stress, anxiety, and associated unwanted behaviours. As a result, through mental stimulation, dogs become happier resulting in calmness and settling around the home after a period of stimulation.

“The best training tip I can give is to find out what makes your dog tick and include that in your teaching as a reward you know your dog will love. My dogs have a particular favourite brand, Pet Munchies, they’re very versatile and my dogs love them so I always have them to hand.”

Ryan O’Meara shared this final piece of advice to help dog owners help their dogs to beat post-lockdown blues:

“For dogs that have gotten used to the specific routine of having their owners around, it may be jarring for them when it suddenly and abruptly ends.

“Dogs love being with their family, so less time spent with their owners can make them sad. Re-establishing routine is the key component for making sure our dogs don’t suffer the post-lockdown blues.”

Winter is upon us and with it comes potential new dangers for dogs, both inside and outside of the home.

New research from Direct Line Pet Insurance reveals only two-fifths of dog owners are aware of the seasonal issues their dogs may face in winter, although more than half of dog owners admit they are fearful of the hidden dangers lurking underfoot when walking their dog.

With fewer hours of daylight, dog owners need to be more careful as hidden dangers such as nettles, broken glass, pieces of metal and even fallen fruits, that can be harmful to your dog if eaten, can be discreetly hidden in their path.

Amongst hidden dangers, the research revealed fireworks and seasonal canine illness cause the most anxiety for dog owners during winter, followed by sniffing pesticides, eating poisonous foods and the risk of frostbite as a result of freezing temperatures were also amongst other worries for dog owners.

The most common poison dogs will encounter during winter

Antifreeze poisoning is a common type of poisoning dogs may face this season. It typically happens when liquid drips from a car’s radiator and is licked off the ground and ingested by a pet.

Direct Line found nearly a quarter of dogs harmed in winter months had been harmed due to antifreeze.

Throughout winter, dog owners may naturally reduce the time they spend outdoors with their pet because of lighting and colder temperatures, with a third of dog owners admitting they change their habitual walks during winter by the length of time, route and even the time of day they walk their dog.

Commenting on the survey’s findings, Madeleine Pike, Veterinary Nurse at Direct Line, said: “With shorter days and fewer hours of sunlight in winter, the hazards outside of the home for dogs can be less obvious. Hidden dangers on walks, licking spilt antifreeze and eating fallen fruits can cause severe injury to dogs and can make them very unwell. We encourage owners to be extra cautious of the outdoor risks that can occur this season.

“Similar threats can be found inside the home. It’s common for visitors to have the tendency to sneakily feed ’treats’ to your pet. Chocolates, nuts and raisins are just some of the foods which are poisonous to dogs and can lead to severe indigestion and distress. With smaller dogs like Chihuahuas, Terriers and Pugs, it could be catastrophic. We urge all dog owners to be aware of what their pet is eating this winter and stick to dog friendly treats.”

Watch out for these festive dangers inside the home

Over 1000 claims made throughout last year were made because of pets being poisoned from plants and foods, so it’s important that owners are aware of the potential dangers.

A fifth of dog owners worry about the harm festive plants can have on their pet indoors. Festive foliage such as mistletoe, poinsettia and holly begin to make an appearance and can irritate dogs’ fur, and if swallowed, can lead to poisoning.

Direct Line’s tips for protecting pets this winter

1. After a walk, take a few seconds to look for any wounds, cuts or injuries on your dog

2. Salt and grit used on roads in winter can irritate a pet’s paws. If you use salt around your home, choose a pet-safe product

3. If you can, try to walk your dog when it is light or in well-lit areas and parks so that hazards can be more visible

4. Only treat your pets to dog friendly foods. Be cautious of what friends and family may give your dog as a “treat”

5. Keep your dog warm with protective blankets. Overnight temperatures can massively drop, and dogs can run the risk of getting hypothermia.

If owners feel that their dog has eaten something that they shouldn’t or if they have any concerns, Direct Line Pet customers can connect with a vet 24/7 through PawSquad which is provided for free with their pet policy. If in doubt customers should get their pet to the vet immediately.

At least 1,400 dogs have died as a result of an ongoing rabies outbreak scare in Thailand – a scare that by all verifiable accounts is not real, according to Thailand based charity, Soi Dog Foundation.

The animal welfare charity tells us that a couple of weeks ago three thousand dogs were rounded up in Nakhon Phanom province, which borders the Mekong River, and dumped in a government pound. In the crowded conditions, diseases, particularly deadly parvo and distemper, spread like wildfire.

In such close quarters, fights between dogs and death by starvation of small or sickly dogs, unable to compete for food, added to the toll.

However for the 1,500 dogs who remain, there is now some hope because an Emergency Reaction Team from the Soi Dog Foundation were given permission to go into the pound to treat the dogs inside.

The sight that greeted them was grim.

One member of the emergency medical team described it. “I would like to stay positive, but I can’t,’ he said.

“The pound is overcrowded and dog fights break out all the time. When it is feeding time, the weaker dogs don’t have the strength to eat. So the stronger dogs take all the food and the weaker ones don’t survive.

“The dogs are scared, depressed, and traumatised by their experience. It’s hard to stay positive about this place. It’s simply heartbreaking.”

Upon arrival, the team first sorted the dogs.

The small dogs, the puppies, and the weak were separated from the large dogs, and as none of the animals are yet sterilised, the males were separated from the females.

They also did the same with cats that had been rounded up by the local office of the Thai government’s Livestock Department.

They then vaccinated every animal in the pound – injecting 60 an hour and daubing them afterwards with green dye so that no animal would be vaccinated twice by mistake.

The animals may survive but they now face spending the rest of their lives in captivity. This is because officials kept no record of where each dog came from, so they cannot be returned to their home territory.

In any case, those territories have already most likely been taken over by stronger, fitter or more wily dogs who managed to avoid the government dragnet.

The deaths in the pound are not the only ones to result from official knee-jerk reactions to a public panic over a “rabies outbreak” in Thailand that started in the new year. The panic has resulted in public calls for all eight million street dogs in Thailand to be killed, a “solution” dubbed “Set Zero”.

In March, 20 dogs in a Buddhist temple in the upper south of the country, including a family of puppies, were poisoned by government officials, causing outrage among animal lovers.

Poisoning – in Thailand usually using strychnine – results in a horribly painful death for the animals, that spend hours shuddering and spasming in agony, drowning in their own fluids, before death finally comes.

The officials later claimed that tests had shown that 16 of the 20 poisoned animals had rabies, but the test results were never released, leading to widespread suspicion that they were made up.

A number of activist groups have come together to bring criminal charges against the officials concerned, under Thailand’s Animal Cruelty Law.

The Thai Livestock Department has come under fire for not reassuring people that there is, in fact, no rabies outbreak at all, and for its inept and understaffed handling of captured dogs.

In March, fuel was added to the flames when the department also came under scrutiny over alleged irregularities in its procurement of poor quality canine rabies vaccine.

An internal investigation came to the conclusion there had been no irregularity, and that inferior-quality vaccine had not been the cause of a spike in rabies deaths at the beginning of the year.

However, the reports of poor quality vaccine had already spread, resulting in the calls for “Set Zero”. The department has denied having any plans to kill all stray dogs in Thailand.

Thailand has in fact been effective in reducing human deaths from rabies from hundreds a year in the 1990s to single figures in recent years.

In 2018, to date, there have been just seven human rabies deaths.

The Nakhon Phanom emergency is not the first time that Soi Dog has stepped in to save animals, particularly dogs, after the government has proved unable or unwilling to do so.

In 2010 it sprang into action to successfully contain an outbreak of parvo disease through a massive vaccination programme. In 2011, it rescued thousands of dogs from devastating flooding in Bangkok and in 2016/17 it did the same during floods in the south of Thailand.

Soi Dog – founded in 2003 by husband and wife John and Gill Dalley from Leeds in the United Kingdom – also played the leading role in stopping the horrific trade in dogs from Thailand to the dog meat restaurants of Vietnam.

It has launched an appeal for funds to help tackle the fallout from the rabies panic, such as the horror in Nakon Phanom. People may donate through the Soi Dog website at www.soidog.org