The British Vet Association said costumes can prevent some pets from regulating their body temperature and breathing freely - particularly French bulldogs and pugs.
 

With Halloween just days away, vets are warning that dressing up your pets in costumes is "potentially harmful" in a period which is already "stressful" for them.

The British Vet Association (BVA) said pets are "not fashion accessories" and that costumes are unnecessary.

It comes as many pet owners are using TikTok and other social media platforms to post pictures and videos of their dogs, cats and other pets dressed as spiders, pumpkins and ghosts.

British Veterinary Association Senior Vice President Justine Shotton told Sky News: "Most owners consider pets a part of the family, which is great, but it's important to remember that pets are not fashion accessories.

"Dressing up animals or otherwise unnaturally changing their appearance is not only unnecessary and potentially harmful, but in some cases can also prevent pets from expressing their natural behaviours and from using their body language to communicate."

Ms Shotton added that costumes can also prevent some pets from regulating their body temperature and breathing freely - particularly French bulldogs and pugs.

She added: "Halloween is already quite a stressful time for some pets, with excited children, familiar people looking different in costumes and masks, and lots of unfamiliar people coming to the door too. It's always best to try to keep pets calm and reassured, rather than to add to any anxiety and discomfort by dressing them up too.

 

Calming music for cats
 
 
 
Bonfire Night is looming and it can be a terrifying night, or weekend, for our pets. Last year we played 'calming music for cats' from YouTube and it did seem to help comfort our cat, Jessie. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk__iTDn9E0&list=RDQM2fQMtSVFbHE&start_radio=1

Other versions are available on YouTube
and similar music is available for dogs.
Amazon's Alexa also has soothing music for pets.
 
Update 5th November - Classic FM are doing a special radio programme for Bonfire Night on Friday & Saturday between the times of 6pm and 10pm. Here is the link:
 
Enjoy Bonfire Night, stay safe and hopefully your pets will be less anxious listening to music.
 
 
We hope everyone is enjoying the better weather, long may it continue! Hopefully the weather forecasters are right with their predictions of above average temperatures for the coming weekend. Enjoy your walks!
 
Pepe Reggie
 
 
 
 
 
 
We often walk our dogs on the beach during cold spells of weather as the sand is less icy and there is less chance of slipping and potentially falling. However this weekend has seen a lot of microplastics washed up on our shores. The following is copied from LOVEmyBEACH on Facebook:
 
'There have been a significant amount of microplastics wash up along the Fylde Coast over the weekend and we want to get to the bottom of it! 🔵⚪️🟢🟣
If you have seen any along the NW coastline, please can you let us know the location and share any pictures with us.
This information will be shared with a a group that has begun looking into it, including ourselves,
Wyre Council
,
Environment Agency
,
United Utilities
,
Morecambe Bay Partnership
and
Wyre Rivers Trust'
 
Please take care out there and report any sightings of microplastics to the above organisations.
🐾 DOG WALKING UPDATE 🐾
 
Hope everyone is OK and keeping safe.
 
We are pleased to announce that we are resuming dog walking with immediate effect.
 
We have extra precautions in place and initially we will be walking dogs from one household at any one time and all walks will take place from the house in the local area.
We will use our own leads and all social distancing rules will apply.
If you wish your dog/dogs to be walked we will speak to you to discuss safe collection and drop off.
 
We appreciate that you may not wish to commence dogwalking yet and that is perfectly fine, we just wanted to let everyone know that we are available should you need us.
 
🐾 Keep safe everyone and hopefully we
will see you all soon.
Missing you all 🐾
 
 
 
As everyone is getting ready for Christmas, this is just a reminder that some of the foods that we humans enjoy can be harmful to our pets. Here is a copy of a poster that has been circulated by Vets4Pets: 
 
Christmas Foods
 
Ruby with UnaAs you will know it is pretty warm at the moment, last night was uncomfortably hot for a lot of people and of course, for our pets. Tomorrow the temperature is expected to reach 29-30C, so our dog walks will be starting earlier before the groud gets too hot for dogs paws. As a general rule if I cannot hold my hand against the ground for 10 seconds then it is too hot for dogs to be walked. 
Last night Karen and I were having a quiet drink in The Thatched house in Poulton when we met a dog who had his own Cooling Jacket, yes a coat to keep him cool in the summer. The coats can be soaked in cool water to help keep you dog cool. I had a quick look on Amazon earlier and the coats are available from roughly £5. We bought our cat, Jessie, a cooling blanket for the warmer weather. However Jessie just sniffed the blanket and walked away, and that was that, Jessie never used it.
Please remember to make sure all of our pets have plenty of water available for them to drink Thanks for reading and enjoy the weather!
 
 
 
 LionsElephant
 
We saw a few larger animals on yesterday's walk along the track between De Vere Hotel and Blackpool Zoo. It is surprising how easy it is to see some of the Zoo's animals from the path.

The outer bridal path around the De Vere Hotel in Blackpool is popular with horse riders, cyclists, joggers and dog walkers.

There is also a smaller inner path that follows the edge of the golf course. As well as being able to see Blackpool Zoo's elephants, giraffes and lions there is a lot of birdlife to see while walking, including several herons.
 
Here is a list of dog friendly cafes, pubs and restaurants in the area. If you would like to be added to the list please let me know.
 
Carleton
PubsJessie the beagle 2
The Castle Gardens, Poulton Road
 
Cleveleys
Cafes
Granny's Coffee Shop, Nutter Road
Olympia Cafe, Rough Lea Road
Pubs
Golden Eagle, Warren Drive (outside only)
The Dickens, Princess Road
The Tramway, Victoria Road West
The Venue, North Promenade
Travellers Rest, Beach Road
Victoria Hotel, Victoria Road West
 
Hambleton
Pubs
The Shovels, Green Meadow Lane
Tea Rooms
Little Simpsons Tea Rooms, Brick House Lane, FY6 9BG
 
Lytham
Pubs
The Queens Hotel, Central Beach
 
Normoss
Pubs
The Newton Arms, Staining Road (Vaults & outside)
 
Poulton
Cafes
The Corn Mill Cafe, Chapel Street
Tinderbox, Breck Road
Truly Scrumptious, Chapel Street (outside only)
Pubs
Bull Hotel, Blackpool Old Road
Cube Bar Kitchen, Breck Road
Golden Ball, Ball Street
Thatched House, Ball Street
The Alley, 38 Breck Road
The Old Town Hall, Church Street
The River Wyre, Breck Road
Restaurants
Miller & Carter, Longhouse Lane (outside only)
 
Staining
Cafes
Staining Lodge Golf Club, Chain Lane
Pubs
The Plough Inn, Chain Lane
 
Thornton
Cafes
Wyreside Cafe, Stanah
Pubs
Bay Horse, Station Road (outside only)
Marsh Mill Tavern, Marsh Mill (outside only)
Thornton Lodge, Skippool Road (bar area & outside)
 
Weeton
Pubs
The Eagle and Child, Singleton Road
 
Microchipping Stalmine
 
Longview Animal Centre in Stalmine are having a free microchipping event on November 30th
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Blackpool Council has agreed on a new set of dog control orders following a public consultation. Proposals to limit the number of dogs walked by one person to four have been thrown out as a result of the consultation, which received more than 1,600 responses. Plans to forbid non-microchipped dogs going off-lead in any public space were also ditched, as there is already national legislation in place for compulsory microchipping. It was also decided that the possible imposition of a minimum age that a child can walk a dog required greater consideration, and will therefore not go ahead at this time. Take your business to the next level Looking to expand through staff, site or stock, our Finance Hub could help you reach your business ambition. Promoted by British Business Bank The Council has now agreed to meet regularly with representatives of dog owner action groups and other interested parties to support local dog walkers and address issues related to irresponsible owners. Councillor Gillian Campbell, deputy leader of Blackpool Council, said: “I would like to thank everyone who participated in the consultation on dog control orders. We appreciate people taking the time to share their opinions. “There has been a great interest in how the proposals will affect dog owners and it’s important to emphasise that this consultation was never about targeting responsible dog owners. “It has never been our aim to deny responsible dog walkers the freedom to exercise their dogs with unnecessary restrictions. The new measures are designed to tackle irresponsible dog owners and incidents involving dogs. They should not pose a problem for responsible dog owners. “While the new PSPO will provide enhanced enforcement powers, these controls will deter irresponsible behaviour by dog owners and hopefully reduce the need for enforcement measures.” The new orders will mean dog walkers will be required to show they have the means to pick up dog mess when challenged by authorised officers. Dogs must be kept on leads in Promenade Middle Walk, Starr Gate tram circle and South Promenade grass embankment. Cabin Walk will be designated as an area for dogs on leads by request. Meanwhile, existing orders for dogs to be kept on leads in the Italian Gardens and Café Terrace in Stanley Park will be relaxed, so that it becomes a seasonal restriction from 10am until 4pm from May 1 to August 31. Orders forbidding dogs from open space ponds and wetlands will be lifted and replaced with dogs on leads rules by request. Dogs will not be excluded from marked out sports pitches except when in use.
 
 
Cosy Cats and Dogs are proud to be 'Friends of Poulton Station', sponsoring this years floral displays at Poulton Train Station.
 
 
 PLF stst 3PLF Stat 2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Peace of Mind

For your peace of mind we are DBS (CRB) checked and also have professional affiliation to Petplan Sanctuary Insurance.
 
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Website development by Wild Fig Media
 
 

Areas we cover

Poulton-Le-Fylde, Carleton, Thornton, Cleveleys, North Shore, Layton, Bispham, MartonSingletonStaining, Hambleton, Great Eccleston & Little Eccleston.