Pet of the Month We all love our pets, big or small. Send in their photo to make them known to all. Include a brief description about your family pet to tami@villagerpublications.com, and below are some handy tips from your local vet. Meet Andy… Andy is a 16-year-old, 16.1HH Oldenburg Gelding. He was bred in Manitoba and raised near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I purchased him from the breeder in 2015 and brought him to Ontario. His good conformation and excellent foundational training were key factors in my choosing him over all the other horses I considered. But it was his personality that made him stand out the most. Andy loves attention and interacting with people. When not practicing his dressage moves in the arena or grazing in the pasture, he enjoys playing with his oversized yoga ball, or anything he can pick up and swing with his mouth. Getting himself as dirty as possible each day seems to give him a special sense of glee, perhaps because it takes so much work for his human to clean him up! He is most definitely a character, but a talented and kind one. It is a privilege to have such a special horse in my life. It was because of Andy that I moved from Windsor to Ilderton in search of better dressage stables and services. I absolutely love Ilderton and the new friends I have met here. Submitted by Pam Milne
Dog Bite Prevention: Interpreting Body Language by Dr. Katelyn Elliott, BSc MSc DVM, Ilderton Pet Hospital Dogs bite as a way of communicating - growling, snapping or biting is a dog telling you it wants to be left alone right now. It is always important to take any bite or snapping incident seriously and seek veterinary assistance immediately when you observe any aggressive behaviours in your pet. Why do dogs bite: • Stress • Fear: scared / startled / threatened • Protection: of self / valuable resources / territory • Unwell / in pain • Dogs also might nip / bite during rough play, and it is therefore recommended to avoid activities like wrestling with your pet. Although this can be fun, it can confuse boundaries with biting and often makes your pet overly excited – which may lead to biting. Communication in animals is limited to non-verbal cues. Most commonly, a bite incident occurs when we’ve missed non- verbal cues a dog is communicating with us, leading up to the bite itself. Dog bites are significantly more prevalent in children
than adults. Moreover, children are more likely to be the ones severely injured from a bite. Because of this, educating children about how to safely interact with dogs and interpret their body language is a major pillar in bite prevention. Signs of discomfort or aggression include: Whale eye (showing the whites of their eyes) or narrowed eyes, lip licking, yawning, shaking body off (like when they’re wet), turning head away (when this progresses to a hard stare, it indicates aggression), tail held high and wagging accompanied by stiff body movements, raised hackles, weight shifted back. These behaviours are often accompanied by stiff/slow move- ments and lowered body/head. Learn more at the ildertonpethospital.ca resources page and with a google search of: • Research and articles by Dr. Sophia Yin at cattledogpublishing.com • Ontario SPCA: How to understand canine body language to better understand behaviour • American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): dog bite prevention • Veterinary Partner: Understanding your dog’s body language • Outward Hound: How to speak dog by understanding body language
Love is a five letter word– Adopt! Bringing people and pets together
Drop in for all your dog, cat, and small pets food & supplies; as well as wild bird seed, chicken, and horse feed. We carry the brands you want, from value added tohigh quality, at competitive prices.
London Animal Care Centre 121 Pine Valley Blvd. www.accpets.ca • (519) 685-1330 The Catty Shack 756 Windermere Rd. • (519) 432-4572
519-857-2385 • 13229 Ilderton Road
To advertise here, please contact Tami@villagerpublications.com
Ilderton and Area Villager January-February 2025 • Page 5
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