Aroma Pets

Boris the puppy has lucky escape after falling into hot tub

A puppy had a lucky escape after falling into a borrowed hot tub while his owners were not watching.

The 13-week-old English bulldog, named Boris, suffered an extreme reaction after inhaling lungfuls of chlorinated water.

He was rushed to an emergency clinic in Gateshead where a team of specialists from Vets Now battled through the night to save him.

His owner Sarah Cash, 34, has urged others to be aware of potential hazards to their pets.

“It wasn’t even our hot tub,” she said.

“It belongs to a friend who said we could borrow it while his garden is being done up.

“(My husband) Kyall was fixing a washer and I had popped into the kitchen to check on tea when I heard (my daughter) Eve say Boris was in the tub.

When Boris was pulled out of the jacuzzi he was struggling to breathe and the local vet was closed.

“His breathing was so bad I didn’t think he was going to make it,” said Ms Cash.

“We were devastated and felt so guilty.

“We’d never leave our daughter alone near water and we’d turned our backs and this had happened to our puppy.”

Ms Cash’s husband hurried Boris to the Vets Now centre, which is part of a national network of clinics and hospitals open seven days a week for out-of-hours pet emergencies.

The puppy needed oxygen through a special nose catheter to help him stabilise.

“The chlorine had caused inflammation on his lungs,” said senior vet nurse Ashley Wemple at Vets Now Gateshead.

“The fact he’s a bulldog puppy means he struggles with breathing at the best of times.

“This made him a very challenging patient.

“He was still wheezy the following morning and by no means out of the woods.

“In reality, he only survived thanks to the fast reactions of his owners and the skill and professionalism of the vets and vet nurses involved in his treatment.”

Boris needed one-to-one treatment throughout the weekend and was only discharged on Sunday.

His accident comes as sales of back garden hot tubs increased massively during lockdown.

According to This Is Money, sales have leapt by over 1,000% in recent months as families spent more time at home and used refunds from cancelled holidays for home improvements.

“He’s fine now but it was such a scare,” said Ms Cash.

“I can’t stress enough how careful people need to be with their pets around hot tubs and how dangerous the chlorine can be.

“You need to have eyes in the back of your head.”

Reference: PA Media: By Michael Bedigan, PA 1 day ago: 28/08/2020

Dutch government to shut down all mink farms by next year

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch government is bringing forward the mandatory end of mink farming in the country by three years amid a growing number of coronavirus infections at fur farms, the country's agriculture and health ministers announced Friday.

The government earmarked an extra 150 million euros ($178 million) to buy out farmers by early next year.

Minks infected with the virus have been found at 42 farms in the Netherlands since the global pandemic began, and the government said earlier this year it was “plausible” that two workers later caught the virus from the minks. That led scientists to explore whether that was the case and how much of a threat such a spread might pose.

All the minks at infected farms — well over 1 million animals — have been killed and strict hygiene measures implemented in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

“It is worrying that — despite the tough measures — it has not been possible to get a grip on the spread of the virus in this sector,” said Health Minister Hugo de Jonge.

The mink industry already was working toward a total ban on all mink Dutch mink farms by 2024. That has now been brought forward to the spring of 2021.

The Netherlands is the world’s fourth-biggest producer of the prized fur after Denmark, China and Poland, according to Wim Verhagen, director of the Dutch federation of fur farmers.

Verhagen could not immediately be reached Friday for comment.

Infections also were found earlier this year at a farm in Spain and earlier this month five infected mink were identified at two large farms in the U.S. state of Utah.

Animal rights activists welcomed the early closure of the Dutch farms.

“Without this early termination of fur farming, up to 13.5 million more animals would be forced to suffer short and miserable lives solely to supply the fickle fashion industry,” Joanna Swabe of Humane Society International said in a statement. “It is a sick industry both literally and figuratively. There has never been a more compelling time for the Netherlands to shut down this industry for good.”

Reference: By MIKE CORDER, Associated Press 1 day ago: 28/08/2020

Retired military dog honoured with medal after tackling al Qaida gunman

A retired military dog is to receive a medal for valour after he was injured in action while tackling an al Qaida gunman.

Kuno will receive the PDSA Dickin Medal in a virtual ceremony in November, giving him “the highest animal honour for military animal valour”.

The three-year-old Belgian Shepherd Malinois and his handler were deployed on a foreign mission in 2019 on a compound raid when they came under attack.

Against grenade and machine gun fire from an insurgent, Kuno tackled the gunman, allowing the mission to be completed successfully.

Kuno was hit by bullets in both back legs during the assault, with part of one limb having to be amputated before he was flown back to the UK.

He then became the first UK military working dog to be fitted with custom-made prosthetic limbs.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Without Kuno, the course of this operation could have been very different and it’s clear he saved the lives of British personnel that day.

“Kuno’s story reminds us not only of the dedicated service of our soldiers and military dogs, but also the great care that the UK Armed Forces provide to the animals that serve alongside them.”
Kuno will become the 72nd recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal, with previous honours going to 34 dogs, 32 Second World War messenger pigeons, four horses, and one cat.

PDSA director-general Jan McLoughlin said: “Kuno’s heroic actions undoubtedly changed the course of the mission and saved lives.

“He took on the enemy without fear or hesitation, never faltering from his duty despite being seriously injured.

“For his bravery and devotion to duty, he is a thoroughly deserving recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal and we look forward to formally presenting his award later this year.”

Reference: PA Media: By Emily Chudy, PA 1 day ago: 28/08/2020

Elon Musk unveils brain-reading chip in pigs

Elon Musk has revealed that new wireless technology, which he hopes will help people with severe neurological conditions, has been implanted into pigs.

The Tesla and SpaceX founder showed off the technology during a demonstration from his startup Neuralink which appeared aimed at recruiting new staff.

The entrepreneur showed off a prototype of the device, about the size of a large coin, which had been surgically placed inside several pigs shown in an enclosure behind him.

He said of one pig: “We have a healthy and happy pig, initially shy but obviously high energy and, you know, kind of loving life, and she’s had the implant for two months.”

He described the chip as “a Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires”. He said: “The neurons are like wiring, and you sort of need an electronic thing to solve an electronic problem.”

Reference: P A Media: Duration: 01:41 9 hrs ago: 28/08/2020