How to be a top dog Advice for Crufts hopefuls
IT is the biggest weekend of the year for dog lovers as a plethora of pooches contend for honours at Crufts.
Tonight Channel 4 viewers can see the prestigious show reaching its climax with the crowning of the best in show.
But capturing a little canine glamour and making your pet look like a top dog is not impossible.
Vet Marc Abraham, who has given advice on daytime TV, reckons owners can get their dogs looking good enough to be in Crufts.
Here are the top tips from Marc, who appeared at the show with a giant cavalier King Charles spaniel puppet to highlight the need to check for fleas:
“Make sure parasites including fleas, ticks, lice are all under control.
“You can see if your dog has fleas from the faeces they leave on dogs’ coat. Fleas lead to scratching, licking and itching which can cause patches of baldness or redness.
“If a dog has fleas I recommend Frontline Plus. It would be a disaster if fleas were brought to Crufts.”
COAT
OUR vet Brian Faulkner, from Petplan, has 22 years of experience and is a freelancer working all over the country. Send your questions to Brian at: Petplan, Great West House, Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9DX or via Petplan’s Facebook page facebook.com/ PetplanUK.
“A balanced diet will keep a coat looking good. I’m a big fan of raw food, which contains omega oil and does wonders for keeping a dog’s coat healthy. Many Crufts exhibitors would also use omega supplements as well.”
“Brush to keep your dog’s mouth clean. Pet shops sell dog toothbrushes and toothpaste, chicken or beef flavoured and without fluoride.
“Make it a habit as it’s good for bonding. The younger your dog is when you start the more they get used to it.”
“Check their ears every fortnight. With the eyes, do with a little wipe first thing in the morning if they need it. Sometimes like humans they have sleep accumulating.”
“The best way to get a healthy, calm dog is to source them responsibly. If you’re buying a pup ensure you see it’s mum, or if rescuing a dog go to a reputable centre. You get problems with poor temperament and looks when you buy from a third party, like a pet shop or the puppy has been imported from a farm where there’s no accountability.”
TEETH EARS & EYES TEMPERAMENT
MY cat’s breath is terrible. He’d never let me brush his teeth. His breath seems suddenly much worse. Would you recommend a vet visit?