Pet Connection

Join us for a demo day from Connolly's RED MILLS
We will have a representative from RED MILLS in our Dublin Road store today and tomorrow, giving out advice on what food is best suited for your dog. You might even get a voucher for some money off 🐾

Does your dog weigh more than 40kg? This bargain is for you - Beaphar Fiprotec for Extra Large Dogs 4 pack. Was £13.99 - Now Only £9.99 Available online and in store.

How adorable is Rua, the 13 week old Shar Pei puppy? Meeting our customer's new puppies has to be one of the best things about working in a pet store.

Our Valentine's competition winner is the lovely Daisy! Congratulations 🐾

Coco loves his new batch of bird toys but unfortunately, Harvey the dog does too! There's a bit of sibling rivalry goes on when new toys come home for either of them. Many thanks to Angela for the great photos - Coco's an absolute beauty!

Happy Valentine's Day to all those lovely pets out there! ❤
Would you like a chance to win a bottle of Pawsecco & a super fun, cuddly Octopus toy for your dog?
Share a picture of your pet chilling out this Valentine's Day for a chance to win!
... *Cat alternative prize available. Prize can be collected from our Dublin Road store or delivered anywhere in the UK or Ireland. Competition ends Sunday 16th February.
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Has your dog been microchipped? When was the last time you updated the information on your dog's microchip?
The DogsTrust are holding a free microchipping and advice event at the Three Ways Community centre tomorrow, between 11am and 3pm.
Why not brave the cold tomorrow and go along to the event? ... Even if you already have your dog microchipped, it's always good to check that your information is up to date.
The team from the DogsTrust will also be answering any questions you have about owning a dog and will give your dog a health and weight check as well as free nailclipping!!🐾
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Introducing our new Adventure Bound Bird Toys!
Brighten up your feathered friend's day with these durable toys, available exclusively in our Dublin Road shop.
Whether you have a Budgie or an African Grey Parrot, who loves to play with toys made from a range of materials such as wood, rope, leather or metal, then there's something here for your bird! prices range from £2.99 - £12.99. 🦜
... If you have any questions about which toy is best for your bird, please don't hesitate to ask one of our team members, we are always happy to help! 🐾
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Have you been adopted by a stray cat this winter? Perhaps a kitten appeared on your doorstep a while ago, or your neighbours moved away and left their cat behind to fend for itself?
Feeding strays and feral cats has a huge benefit to the individual cat, but it is incredibly important that when a human takes on the care of a cat in this way and encourages it to stick around, that they also take care of the feline's other needs.
Too often cats rescue centres hear of cats that h...ave been well fed, but have slowly suffered and are dying from illnesses such as FIV, or that have frozen to death in the cold of the outdoors. Usually by the time a rescue is called, it is too late for the animal which has been forced to live a life independent of humans (the species that caused it to be born into this world!) with no support other than the odd pouch of food.
So, if you have taken on the role of caring for a stray cat, please advocate for this animal in a few more ways to truly help it live the life it deserves!
🐾 Have the cat neutered. Cats Protection will often be able to help with a neutering voucher for a stray, but if they can't help you then PLEASE get in touch with us and we can guide you towards reduced cost neutering schemes in your area. Don't begrudge the cat a more peaceful and healthy life for the sake of a few pounds or euros. If you can't catch the cat, please get in touch with us and we can guide you towards a trap, neuter, release group local to you.
🐾 Provide regular parasite treatments. Again, a very small amount of money, a few times a year, can improve a life dramatically. Imagine eating a small meal provided to you daily, but never feeling the joy of a full belly because of worms. Even if you can't get close enough to the cat to administer a spot-on treatment, we can advise on tasteless granules and tablets which can be mixed with meals to combat fleas and worms.
🐾 Give the cat somewhere warm to sleep. Anything from an old plastic box filled with straw, to a cute wooden kennel in the corner of your garden, will be so very appreciated by a cat when the temperature is below freezing.
Saving an animal won't change the world, but it will change the world for that one animal ❤
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For those who are interested in the potential rabies case which has been identified in County Cork, we have some further information to share.
We believe that as both pet owners and residents of an island which has enjoyed a rabies free status for 117 years, this is something we should all be aware of. We certainly aren't calling for major panic but we feel that it can't do any harm to improve the knowledge of fellow animal lovers across all of Ireland.
All information is cor...
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Terrifying news to share with you this evening, as a case of rabies has been reported in County Cork.
Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease which is almost always fatal and can infect all mammals, including humans. Dogs are the main vector for human rabies. Both wild and domesticated animals can act as a natural reservoir for the disease, with human infection normally transmitted from dogs, cats, rodents and wild animals like bats, foxes and skunks. Rabies is transmitted by the... bite of an infected animal with high virus concentrations in its saliva.
We have been incredibly lucky that Ireland has been free from rabies for many decades, and we have been able to enjoy free movement of our animals around the island with no fear of this horrendous disease.
There is no specific treatment for rabies, and even suspect cases should be euthanised due to the threat to humans from this disease. The best form of protection against this virus is through vaccination. Vaccines may only be prescribed by your veterinary practitioner from whom advice must be sought.
Early clinical signs of rabies include:
- behaviour changes - friendly animals may become cautious, shy animals may become bold - in dogs, a tendency to excessively seek attention and lick owners - hypersensitivity to noise or light
This can be followed by:
- increased aggression - dogs may try to break free and attack objects, animals and handlers - eyes taking on a staring expression - drooping lower jaw and more saliva than normal produced - itching - thirst
The final stages of rabies include:
- weak muscles, especially legs and tail - difficulty swallowing - dropping eyelids - saliva frothing at the mouth - general paralysis followed by convulsions and coma before death
Do not approach live animals that you think may be rabid. Do not touch dead animals that may have had the disease. Instead you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline (NI) or DAFM (Ireland), so the animal can be tested.
The Department of Agriculture has now established an 8km surveillance zone from the source identified in Cork.
Temporary measures have been put in place including a ban on gatherings of dogs, cats or ferrets, including hunting, sales and at fairs Any dead mammals found in the area should be reported to the DAFM. The temporary measures will remain in place in for a month subject to review.
Owners of dogs, cats and ferrets are also advised to monitor the health and behaviour of their animals and report any abnormal or unusual behaviour.
https://www.rte.ie/…/…/2020/0125/1110 841-cork-animal-rabies/
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🔴 ALL 2kg bags of Burns Dog Food are currently reduced to just £8.49, exclusively in our store on the Dublin Road in Newry!
It’s a great time to stock up on your dogs’ favourite food, or to try your pet on a new flavour or diet.
Burns Dog Food is a popular choice with our customers and we’ve seen some of our own dogs who have had issues with other brands of food thrive on it. Our favourite things about Burns food include:
... 🐾 They have a wide range of formulations to suit your dogs dietary requirements, including the fantastic Weight Control+ food, which is ideal for dogs with New Years Resolutions to lose a couple of pounds!
🐾 Burns dog food is a hypoallergenic, gluten free option. Gluten allergy is often responsible for symptoms such as tummy upsets, gas and itchy paws and feeding a diet completely free from gluten can lead to huge improvements.
🐾 Their Sensitive+ formula provides a gentle food for dogs with sensitive skin and digestion. It is available in two novel protein flavours, Duck or Pork, which are highly digestible. Dogs are less likely to be intolerant to Duck or Pork than to more common proteins like Chicken, Fish or Lamb.
This fantastic deal is available in our store only until the 31st January and the bags of food bought as part of this offer will still count towards a free bag of food with your Burns Loyalty Card. If you don’t have a Burns Loyalty Card yet, speak to a member of staff next time you visit our store to set one up!
We would love to see your photos of your Burns dogs 💙
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❄️ We had a frosty and icy start to the week in many parts of the area today, with quite a few of us waking up to a car that needed a scrape before leaving the house. Many of us will use de-icing sprays and will be considering topping up our cars’ Antifreeze over the next few days to prepare for colder spells. Unfortunately, many popular Antifreeze products contain a toxic compound, Ethylene Glycol, which can cause lethal kidney failure within hours of being ingested, unless ...treatment is sought promptly. Sadly, we had a report around this time last year that a local cat had to be put to sleep following the ingestion of Antifreeze and we hope that raising awareness of the danger that Antifreeze poses to pets will help to prevent another tragedy and save another family that heartbreak this year.
Antifreeze tastes very sweet to dogs and cats, who will readily lick up any spillages from puddles or on roads and driveways. When you are out for a walk with your dog, keep a close eye on them to make sure that they do not drink from spillages. We recommend that outdoor cats be kept inside, particularly on very cold mornings when there are more likely to be antifreeze spills as people prepare to drive to work.
If you believe that your pet has ingested Antifreeze, even in tiny quantities, please seek advice from your vet immediately. Prompt treatment is vital for pets who have Antifreeze poisoning, as it takes only hours for the Ethylene Glycol to cause irreversible organ failure. If your pet has been outside and has ingested Antifreeze without being noticed, the earliest symptoms tend to be ‘drunken’ behaviour, tremors and nausea.
To protect your pets, or if you want to reduce to your neighbours pets, we would suggest researching and switching to Propylene Glycol based Antifreeze products. Although Propylene Glycol is still dangerous to pets, it is both less toxic and less attractive to pets than Ethylene Glycol based products.
Please share and tag your pet owning friends to make sure they know that Antifreeze can be deadly for our dogs and cats 🐾
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We are very sad to report that a dog has sadly passed away due to Alabama Rot (Cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy) in Cookstown, County Tyrone.
It is believed that incidents of the disease may be under reported and that many cases are not verified, as owners may be unable or unwilling to have their dog examined after death, and the disease can not be formally verified in live animals.
Unfortunately, little is known about CRGV, so it is important that dog owners under...
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Just a reminder that our Dublin Road store closes at 5pm this evening and will remain closed tomorrow. We will be back to normal opening hours on Thursday 2nd January 2020.
We wish you all a very Happy New Year!