The Petcast

From colourful leaves and crisp morning walks, to the run-up to Christmas and the prospect of snow, Autumn and Winter can be a magical time of year, but it can also present lots of hazards for our pets. In this episode, host Emma Barton is joined by Blue Cross Vet, Bev Wilson, who offers listeners tips and advice on how they can keep their pets warm, happy, and safe during these seasonal periods. The colder months can be lots of fun for the whole family, but only if you are prepared for the risks that come with it. Swapping advice on how to keep our four-legged friends safe, Emma and Bev talk about the dangers to look out for both inside and outside the home - from safeguarding your dog from conkers on their daily walk, to ensuring your smaller pets don’t get cold in their outdoor hutch, to protecting them from hazardous Christmas foods that might be lurking in a nearby bin. “At this time of year, as we are worried about the calories as they aren’t doing as much, my go-to thing is to give my pets winter vegetables…things like carrots are great and scramble eggs are also safe for dogs. “Hide them in various places around the house, or you can even create some fun activity feeders … old shoe boxes with tubes from your kitchen roll put inside and wrapping from your Christmas presents. Then sprinkle in some treats and chopped up vegetables and your dog can spend some time sniffing through and finding all the tasty treats to eat.”  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Emma Barton is joined by fellow EastEnders actress, Kellie Bright, and Blue Cross Animal Behaviourist, Leigh-Anne Reed to discuss how our new way of life may have triggered different behavioural traits in pets, and how pet owners can look to address them. From more one-on-one time with families, to less opportunity to travel outside of their local areas, our pets have certainly experienced a different way of life over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the episode, Leigh-Anne shares her expertise on the different behaviours pets might exhibit as a result of the pandemic including heightened separation anxiety as well as offering some guidance on what our pets might be trying to tell us - and Kellie and Emma share their own experiences of living in lockdown with their beloved pooches Bohdi and Poppy. Leigh-Anne also discusses how allowing your pet time alone to relax is so important during these testing times, when there is constant noise and movement in the house: “In the exact same way as it is for us, having a good night sleep really sets our pets up for the day. It increases our tolerance levels, and we know our pets are the same – so without that it can really effect their ability to behave and accept things that they would normally cope with.”  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With firework displays being cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are planning to revert to traditional backyard displays for their bonfire night festivities. However, while fireworks are fun for many of us, sadly they aren’t as much fun for our pets. So in the first of a new series, Emma Barton is joined by Blue Cross Animal Behaviourist, Claire Stallard, who shares her tips and advice on how you can keep pets feeling calm and safe during firework season. Emma, and Claire swap tips on how to ensure pets remain comfortable and protected when fireworks are going off within close proximity – and Emma shares her own experience of how she makes the occasion more manageable for her dog, Poppy. As well as providing insight on how to keep your own pets safe, Claire also offers advice for listeners who may be thinking about hosting their own firework display, and how they have a responsibility to their community: “COVID-19 has resulted in many public firework displays being cancelled increasing the potential for more back garden fireworks parties – which may cause a lot of problems this year. Therefore, it’s important to inform your neighbours with pets in advance if you are planning a private display so that they can put a plan of action into place. “Community Facebook groups can be a useful tool, as people will often post on them to warn neighbours about upcoming firework shows.”.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alison Brennan, one of Blue Cross’ Senior Vets, joins Gemma Atkinson to discuss the key things every pet owner should know about keeping their pet healthy. They discuss good diet and exercise help pets keep in top physical condition – as well as covering vaccinations, neutering, and dental health and hygiene.   Alison helps Gemma bust some of the most common myths around good pet health (including what they should and shouldn’t eat), and answers some of the most frequently asked questions around how owners should keep pets looking and feeling their very best. To find out more about this episode and the services Blue Cross provides, go to https://www.bluecross.org.uk/podcast.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gemma Atkinson is joined by Kerry Taylor, Blue Cross Education Manager, to celebrate some of the phenomenal pets the Blue Cross team encounter across the UK - our real pet heroes. We hear about pet heroes like Romeo, the blood-donating 'super staffy', from his owner Steph. We also hear from Alison, the owner of Dillon the therapy pony who has helped to put a smile on the faces of hundreds of children with disabilities. Kerry also shares some of her favourite stories and discusses the valuable work the education team do in schools to teach children how to be future pet owners.  To find out more about this episode and the services Blue Cross provides, go to https://www.bluecross.org.uk/podcast.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gemma Atkinson is joined by Diane James, Manager of the Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service, and First Dates’ Laura Tott, to talk about how to cope with the loss of a much-loved pet.  Laura knows first-hand what a difficult experience grieving for a pet can be. She lost her beloved dog Lucy in early 2019 when she was shot and killed whilst on a country walk. Laura opens up about how she felt about Lucy’s death at the time and how she has since come to terms with her passing.  Diane shares her expert insight on how all pet owners can deal with the grief experienced when a pet passes away; how it’s ok if your family/partner grieve differently; as well as how to navigate the feelings of guilt. “Guilt is the most common thing that comes up when we speak to people, or work with them", says Diane. "Did I do enough? Was it too soon? Could I have gone somewhere else? When I signed the paperwork at the vets to have them euthanised, was it right? Guilt is a massive part for people who are grieving for their animals.” Diane and Gemma also cover the challenging subjects of missing or stray pets, and also how to cope with the loss of a pet through the breakdown of a relationship.  To find out more about this episode and the services Blue Cross provides, go to https://www.bluecross.org.uk/podcast.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gemma is joined by Ryan Neile, Head of the Blue Cross Behaviour service to talk about how to adapt when introducing a new pet into your home. Also, actress, yoga instructor and personal trainer, Gemma Merna shares her personal experience of integrating third pup, Paige, into her family with her two other dogs - and talks of how her two St Bernard’s helped her overcome a fear of big dogs. Ryan shares his expert insight on what all pet owners should know and understand before welcoming a new pet into their home, and offers his best tips and tricks for how the process can be made as smooth as possible. “We need to relax and not make the process too intense", Ryan says; "If we have too high expectations of a pet coming into our home, and automatically understanding the routine, then it can be very stressful for everyone” Ryan and the two Gemmas talk about how to nurture the owner/pet relationship, the importance of treating all pets as individuals, as well as how to best understand the unique, subtle language that pets will try and communicate to us with. To find out more about this episode and the services Blue Cross provides, go to https://www.bluecross.org.uk/podcast.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gemma Atkinson is joined by Tracy Genever, Blue Cross’ Head of Education, and star of Strictly Come Dancing and bona fide dog lover, Karen Hauer, to talk all about pets and wellbeing.  Tracy talks about all the amazing physical and mental health benefits pet ownership can bring. How pets can truly be the best medicine (and even lead to a decrease in visits to the GP!), as well as how choosing the right pet can have a significant impact on self-esteem and help people to counteract feelings of loneliness: “Pets can make a house a home, they can make us relax, and they can make us laugh. When we are low, they can lift our spirits.” Strictly professional Karen opens up about how she feels adopting her three dogs Betty, Marley, and Phoebe has given her an even greater sense of purpose and has positively impacted her mental health and wellbeing. Alongside sharing how she credits first dog, Betty, for picking her up during a particularly challenging time and ‘saving her’.  As well as exploring how pets can help us with our wellbeing, Gemma, Tracy, and Karen also discuss how to make sure that our pets’ mental health is kept front of mind – as well as the warning signs (across different species) we should look out for which might indicate distress.  To find out more about this episode and the services Blue Cross provides, go to https://www.bluecross.org.uk/podcast.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kayleigh Hill, Manager of the Greater Manchester Rehoming and Advice Unit (RAU) joins Gemma Atkinson to talk about how to match the perfect pet, to their perfect owner. Kayleigh’s centre is one of 34 RAUs run by Blue Cross across the UK. Collectively, they rehomed 9000 pets in 2019.   Understanding how to choose the right pet to fit with your lifestyle is vitally important for all prospective pet owners. In this episode, Gemma quizzes Kayleigh on all the things people should think about before bringing a pet into their home – and shares her own experiences of living with her beloved dogs, Norman and Ollie.  Kayleigh shares her expert insight on the factors Blue Cross will consider before rehoming a pet as well as the first, all important, question everyone should ask themselves at the start of the adoption process - ‘how much time do I have to give the animal?’ "And not just during the week", says Kayleigh, "Think about how often you go away on holiday, for example. That’s something that people often don’t factor in and consider. Do you imagine your pet going on holiday with you? Or, if not, have you got friends and family that can look after them.” For more information on this episode and Blue Cross' rehoming services, go to https://www.bluecross.org.uk/podcast.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Love your pet? Love the Petcast! Gemma Atkinson has candid conversations with celebrity guests and some of the UK’s leading pet experts about the big issues facing pet owners across the country.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.