Life on Four Legs in The Rocks, Sydney | Veterinary surgeon

Life on Four Legs

Locality: The Rocks, Sydney

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25.01.2022 When do you need to see a behaviour vet (like me). And when can a trainer help you out? Dr Kersti Seksel, Veterinary Behaviour specialist discusses the difference

24.01.2022 Throw back Tuesday (?!) Just found this article I wrote for @pawbyblackmores while looking for a paper! #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #vet #veterinary #veterinarian #vettech #vetnurse #anxiety #alwayslearning

23.01.2022 'ASK THE EXPERT' FOR THE VETERINARY TEAM with Dr James Greenwood, APBC Patron, Small Animal vet and 'Vet Together' Podcaster, and Dr Julie Ashton of Life on Fou...r Legs , Veterinary Behaviourist and APBC member. On Thursday 17th September at 7pm GMT, James and Julie will be live on this page. You can write any questions below ready for James and Julie to answer when they are online on Thurs 17th, or you can join their live video chat and ask them directly. The video will remain on this page, on our YouTube channel and on our website for you to watch at leisure after the event. . James and Julie will be happy to chat about the use of psychoactive medication, managing stressed cats and dogs in practice, when and how to refer behaviour cases, when a veterinary behaviourist might be appropriate to refer to, giving 'first aid' behavioural advice in GP practice and more! . SO if you work in small animal veterinary practice this Ask the Expert is for you! . *Please note that specific advice regarding behaviour problems will not be able to be given. Any behaviour problem requires a veterinary referral and full history taking to determine a diagnosis. See more

23.01.2022 Whale eye We are all pretty good at spotting overt signs of anxiety in our dogs. But what about more subtle ones? Whale eye is a really important sign to look out for (wonderfully modelled by this Dogue de Bordeaux). It often happens when a dog leans away from something but wants to keep watching it (eg when someone moves a hand towards them) or they move their eyes without turning their head. ... Whale eye is often a sign of stress or anxiety - especially when the dog is showing other signs (lip licking, yawning, tail tucked, ears back). If you notice your dog is showing these signals it is really important not to ignore them. It is probably time to change the situation they are in (move away from your dog or if safe to do so move your dog from the situation). #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #doguedebordeaux #whaleeye #stress #anxiety #toptip #bodylanguage #apbc #veterinarybehaviour #vet #veterinarian #vettech #vetnurse #lowstresshandling #biteprevention #reactivedog #anxiousdog #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #adoptdontshop #cookiefeedernotpackleader #vetlife #lifeonfourlegsvet #hitchin #letchworth See more

22.01.2022 We are learning more and more about the impact pain can have in behaviour. Clinically I recognise it a lot in my patients

22.01.2022 Chewing Did you know chewing is a really important calming behaviour for dogs? ‘Mastication (chewing) is an effective mechanism for coping with stress, likely due to alterations chewing causes in the activity of the hypothalamic pituitary axis and autonomic nervous system.’ Kubo et al, 2015. So what does this mean? All dogs (except if your dog guards toys, in which case seek professional help!) should be provided with a wide range of safe outlets for their need to ch...ew. This is even more important after they have been excited or stressed to enable them to calm. Stuffed Kongs, antlers, pigs ears & other chews can all work - use your judgement about the correct size for your dog. Avoid giving your dog anything where bits can fall off and be swallowed (I’ve seen plenty of dogs need surgery to remove the knots from a rawhide bone!) or toys that are too hard and can chip teeth. @kongcompany #toptip #puppy #labradorpuppy #dog #dogsofinstagram #puppiesofinstagram #londonvet #veterinarymedicine #vetnurse #veterinarian #dogtraininguk #dogtraining #chewing #behaviourvet #dogbehaviourist #lifeonfourlegsvet #london #hitchin #letchworth See more

21.01.2022 Fri-yay! I love getting updates from clients... especially when they are good news I first saw Bea and Winnie back in November after they had had a few disagreements. We changed some ways in which they were managed and the owners have been working really hard with some behaviour modification. I was so pleased to turn on my phone this morning and find this! ... #cute #dogs #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #terriers #dogbehaviour #dogtraining #positivereinforcement #cookiefeedernotpackleader #behaviourist #dogbehaviourist #veterinarybehaviourist #vet #veterinarian #vets #vetnurse #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #lifeonfourlegsvet

21.01.2022 Happy Fri-yay Have you heard of the @yellowdoguk project? Some dogs need more space on walks. They might be sore, have medical conditions, be in heat, in training or anxious. A yellow vest (or lead / bandana / ribbon) tells others around to please give them more space. (And also ideal for social distancing - win:win). So if you see a dog on your walk sporting fetching yellow attire - please respect them and their caregivers by giving them the space they need ... (Special thanks to the super handsome @baci_and_moo for modelling- my favourite beagle / Burmese besties ) #burmese #beagle #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogs #anxiousdog #anxiousdogsofinstragram #dogstagram #cat #catsofinstagram #cats #catstagram #vet #veterinarymedicine #veterinarian #veterinary #dogtrainers #dogtraining #puppy #puppytraining #puppytrainingtips #positivereinforcementtraining #lifeonfourlegsvet #behaviourist #veterinarybehavior #london #hitchin #letchworth See more

21.01.2022 There are a whole heap of reasons why positive punishment is not a good idea.... (and studies to back this up). This quote (does anyone know the original source?) is one that always resonates with me. Often aggression (growling, lip curling, air snapping and biting) occurs because the dog is feeling worried and wants the scary thing to move away. If we punish them, often short term it might look as if we have helped... the dog may stop showing these signs. However, we... haven’t addressed the underlying emotion - the dog still feels fear. Over time, we have created a dog who no longer tells us they are worried, but still feels anxious. These dogs can be incredibly hard to manage and far more dangerous as we have stopped them showing us any pre-cursors to bites. They can ‘bite without warning’ If you are concerned at all about your dog’s behaviour, please seek professional help from a reputable source ASAP. Either from a behaviour vet (like me!) or check out @apbc_official ‘s website for clinical animal behaviourists that work in your area. #dog #dogtraining #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #anxiousdog #reactivedog #aggressivedog #cookiefeedernotpackleader #puppytraining #dogtraining #dogtrainer #behaviourist #toptip #vet #veterinarian #vettech #veterinarynurse #veterinarysurgeon #vets #london #letchworth #hitchin See more

20.01.2022 Corona restrictions have meant I’ve been seeing most of my clients remotely. This has resulted in a sad lack of cute photos! Luckily for me, Levi’s mum sent me this update from his new home in Boston! I first worked with Levi 4 years ago (when we were both in Sydney) and amongst other things, I helped prepare him for his flight (which he took in his stride!) Now in Boston, he has a new fur brother to keep him company And is loving life! #win #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #dogs #puppy #pup #cutedog #vet #veterinary #vettech #chien #veterinarian #cookiefeedernotpackleader #dogtraining #behaviourist #vets #vetlife #lifeonfourlegsvet #hitchin #letchworth

19.01.2022 I get questions each week about my accreditations - so here we go : I’m a qualified Veterinarian (MRCVS) BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour & Welfare MANZCVs (Vet Behaviour) ABTC accredited Veterinary Behaviourist & Clinical Animal Behaviourist ... ASAB certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist @apbc_official APBC full member Any questions about what this all means DM me #veterinarian #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #veterinarybehaviourist #vet #vets #vettech #vetnurse #veterinarymedicine #vetstagram #vetstudent #londonvet #vetnurse #hitchinvet #dog #dogbehaviour #dogtraining #dogtrainer #puppy #cat #felinebehaviour #naughtytortie #catstagram #catsofinstagram #lifeonfourlegsvet See more

19.01.2022 People coming to the front door can be scary for lots of dogs.... people in fancy dress can be just down right terrifying! If your dog is doing to find it stressful, always put a note on your door asking people not to call. Close the curtains, put on some music, give them something yummy to chew on and let them chill. If they are on a situational anxiolytic make sure you dose it with plenty of time!

19.01.2022 Is it even 2020 if you aren’t taking mask selfies? Zara the beautiful Bengal can get very frustrated if play isn’t available 24/7. So I am helping her caregivers with a thorough plan to help reduce the behaviour before her canine sister makes an appearance #latergram #bengal #catsofinstagram #cat #bengalsofinstagram #beautiful #cute #vet #veterinarian #vettech #vets #vetlife #vetnurse #behaviour #behaviourist #veterinarybehaviourist #londonvet #lifeonfourlegs #lifeonfourlegsvet @marshalswickvets

18.01.2022 Dog parks.... Something I chat about most days with clients! When we get our dogs, we often have images of sunny days spent sitting on a bench while our canine companions have a riot playing with their friends. However, the reality of dog parks can be a bit different. All too often dogs can find them stressful rather than fun. Why? Dogs that are in pain can find playing with others worsens this (and signs of pain aren’t always easy to spot!)... We expect our dogs to play ‘nicely’ with every type of dog they meet..... I’m not sure many humans would be able to do this! Often there are high value resources around (food, balls, sticks) and for some having other dogs around to compete for these can be a worry. Even ‘fun’ play can increase stress hormones (ever found it hard to relax after a really amazing day?) Meaning super excited dogs can often react to things that normally they would be able to cope with. Taking an anxious or nervous dog to a park to ‘socialise’ them is almost never the best thing to do. If you have concerns about how your dog feels (or reacts) around other dogs, feel free to get in touch :) #dog #dogsofinstagram #doglife #northlondondogs #dogbehaviour #behaviourist #puppy #puppytrainer #dogtrainer #dogbehaviourist #vet #veterinarian #vettech #vetnurse #veterinarymedicine #vetstudent #vetlyfe #toptip #london #hitchin #letchworth #lifeonfourlegsvet

18.01.2022 Love this video! Choice is so important in training all species

14.01.2022 Is your dog getting enough sleep? Our canine companions (like us!) have differing sleep needs. However, it seems most dogs need around 12-14 hours a day of sleep. Many anxious dogs find it difficult to get the sleep they need, spending much of their day on ‘high alert’ ready to react. They may look like they are resting, but often they are lying still observing their world. Any small noise and they react. ... This lack of sleep can in turn increase their anxiety (we know as people if we’ve not slept well for a few days things become harder to deal with!) In lock down, we have been spending more time with our dogs. This is great for many reasons, but one of the knock on effects might be a reduction in sleep! (There’s too much fun stuff going on!) So have a look at your dog, are there ways we can increase sleep? Perhaps a quiet room for some down time, a comfy sleeping area (especially for older dogs), time out from the kids?! (Picture of a Balinese dog sparko in a busy street - obviously taken Pre corona madness!!) #naptime #nap #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogs #dogstagram #balinesedog #sleep #sleeping #dogbehaviour #dogtrainer #dogtip #cookiefeedernotpackleader #chill #bali #vet #veterinarian #veterinary #vetnurse #vettech #vetstagram #veterinarystudent #behaviourist #friyay #lifeonfourlegsvet #londonvet #letchworth #hitchin #london See more

13.01.2022 Vet practice staff - come and hear me chat about ways to reduce anxiety in our feline patients on Wednesday 14th October It’s free to register (no matter where you are in the world!) for the whole event and the line up looks great! (If I do say so myself ) Hill's Vet Nurse Network, Australia & New Zealand

13.01.2022 Next Wed (9.30am for UK people....) #hillspet #cpd #freecpd #veterinary #vetnurse #vettech #vets #vetstagram #vetstudent #veterinarymedicine #behaviour #veterinarybehaviour #veterinarybehaviourist

12.01.2022 Positive reinforcement builds confidence. If you reward your dog as they get closer to the end behaviour they are more likely to give things a go. If they are punished for doing the wrong thing, dogs can worry about making mistakes and so stop trying. Rewarding your dog’s behaviour builds their relationship with you. Punishing them can make them fearful of you. Using positive reinforcement makes your dog more enthusiastic about training sessions. ... Remember- positive reinforcement doesn’t have to be food treats. It can be anything your dog finds rewarding (play, affection, praise), or more often a combination of all these! #toptip #humpday #dogbehaviour #positivereinforcement #forcefreetraining #forcefreedogtraining #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #dog #dogs #goldie #goldenretriever #goldenretrieversofinstagram #vet #veterinary #veterinarymedicine #behaviourist #veterinarybehaviourist #cookiefeedernotpackleader #vetnurse #vettech #vetstudent #hitchin #letchworth #lifeonfourlegsvet

11.01.2022 Happy international dog day from me and the best doggos Loulou and Dasha - from slightly sunnier Sydney Dogs are such an important part of our lives surely they need more than a day in their honour?! @the_sandy_vet @_sam.grace_ #internationaldogday #dog #doglife #kelpie #spitz #floof #vet #veterinarian #vettech #vetnurse #vets #vetlife #clinicalanimalbehaviour #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #dogtrainer #dogtraining #puppytraining #puppy #puppylove

11.01.2022 Cat Play .... it’s a real passion of mine! It’s so important and is the third pillar of the ISFM pillars of feline needs. Here are my top tips to encourage your cat to play and use their brain : If you have more than one cat, separate them to play. They are solitary hunters and can be stressed by playing in groups. ... Older cats need to play too! However you might need to reduce sharp turns and jumping to help reduce trauma to the joints. For all cats - make sure no string etc can be swallowed... I’ve seen more than my fair share of foreign body removals from toys! Use food to encourage hunting. Hide food around the house, scatter feed or use puzzle feeders (I’ve lots of examples of my cats using home made puzzles in my feed!) My favourite toys are still the ‘da bird’ and the ‘cat dancer’ (not sponsored, just always get my cats to play!) Make sure you do let them catch the toy during play, add in small food treats when they catch the toy in reluctant players. Avoid laser pointers - chasing something you can never catch can induce a lot of frustration. Some cats like soft toys that can be caught and manipulated. (Like the @kongcompany kickeroo). Any tips or comments? Add below #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #kitten #kittensofinstagram #cats_of_instagram #catlovers #catlove #toptip #play #enrichment #enrichmentforcats #vet #vets #veterinarian #vettech #vetnurse #veterinarymedicine #veterinarysurgery #veterinarysurgeon #vetlife #behaviourist #animalbehaviour #lifeonfourlegsvet #letchworth #hitchin #londonvet See more

10.01.2022 Welcome to the Life on Four Legs Ciara! Ciara has joined the team today. She will be booking in appointments for me as well as managing things behind the scenes. So if you ring, don’t be surprised if you reach the lovely Ciara and don’t hear my Aussie accent! To all existing clients - I will still be on hand to help and give support as always! @anothermotherltd #veterinarybehaviourist #vetbehaviour #behaviourist #dog #cat #behaviour #vet #veterinary #vetnurse

09.01.2022 Moving house with pets and not sure what to do? I’m moving again next week with my menagerie. Third time in 2 years (including one 24 hour plane ride!) Henry is so prepped he has packed himself! Top tips for cats (I’ll cover dogs later in the week!)... Plug in a @feliwaycat diffuser 2-3 days prior to moving. We get the keys on Tuesday and won’t move til the weekend, so we will do this! Make sure you have taken lots of things that smell of the old house. Scratching posts, blankets, bedding etc Get your cat used to the carrier a few weeks before (if possible). Keep your cats away from removal men- with their commotion and noise. We always empty one room ourselves and use this to keep the cats away from the commotion! Once in your new home, allow them to acclimatise to one room (set up with feliway, litter and food / water) before allowing access to the rest of the house. If you have a very anxious feline, chat to your vet about short term medication which might help! This really helped both mine when we moved from Australia! I contributed to an article in @thetimes back in November - link in bio! #moving #movinghouse #housedesign #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #vet #veterinarian #veterinarymedicine #vettech #vetnurse #vetsofinstagram #worldwidetraveller #stress #anxiety #feliway #dogbehaviour #behaviourist #lifeonfourlegsvet #hitchin #letchworth #hertfordshire #petlove #pet #dogbehaviour #catbehaviour

09.01.2022 Fri-yay with Barney Barney is finding the transition of his family going back to work after lock down stressful. So today we formulated a plan to help! @letchworthvets #cockerpoo #oodle #oodlesofdoodles #cute #fluffy #dog #dogstagram #dogsofinstagram #vet #veterinary #veterinarymedicine #vettech #vetnurse #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #veterinarybehaviourist #cookiefeedernotpackleader #lifeonfourlegsvet #hitchin #letchworth

07.01.2022 Hi everyone! I have some new (UK based!) followers now on the page, so I thought I would introduce myself :) I am an English Aussie vet who is now seeing behaviour cases in Hertfordshire, North London, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. ... My qualifications: - Vet degree (BVSc) University of Bristol 2009, MRCVS - Animal Welfare and Behaviour degree (BSc (Hons), 2007 Bristol University - Member of the Australian and New Zealand College Vet Scientists in Veterinary Behaviour (MANZCVs 2014) I offer a personal and integrative approach to behaviour problems and am always happy to have a chat! So please feel free to get in touch if you need any help with the furred members of your family Dr Julie x

06.01.2022 Thanks APBC page for vets & VNs for hosting Dr James Greenwood and me to chat about behaviour this evening

06.01.2022 Because everyone needs this face on hump day Zoom life is limiting my cute photo access! But meet Cooper. I’ve been working with his family to help Cooper with some anxiety and frustration alongside the wonderful @dogslikeyours and he’s making great progress! #cockerspaniel #cockerspanielsofinstagram #cute #puppy #puppiesofinstagram #puppylove #puppytraining #puppygram #dog #dogtraining #dogstagram #dogsofinstagram #vet #veterinary #vettech #vetnurse #vetnurseofinstagram #veterinary #behaviourist #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #veterinarybehaviourist #lifeonfourlegsvet

06.01.2022 5 days until we get the to our new house! Moving house can be super exciting for us, but stressful for pets (ok - stressful for us too if I’m honest!) Here are my top tips to helping your dog cope : Start getting your dog used to moving supplies well before you start packing. Boxes, the sound of packing tape & general commotion can all be sources of stress if we don’t introduce them early enough. ... Try and keep your dog’s routine as normal as possible on the lead up to the move & on the actual day. If your dog has someone they are familiar with (dog sitter, family member etc). Arranging for them to stay with them for moving day might be the best idea. If they are going to be in the house on moving day- work on getting your dog to settle in a crate, or on a bed in a room away from you. Use safe chews, stuffed Kongs or puzzles to help them relax. This will provide them with a safe place on moving day. As well as continuity between the house. (If using a room, make sure it locks or is well signed to ensure nobody lets them out!) Use an @adaptildog collar or diffuser to help then settle. If your dog finds transitions difficult, or car journeys stressful, talk to your Veterinarian to see if any medications could help short term. #vet #veterinarian #vettech #vetnurse #vets #movinghouse #moving #removalservice #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #doggo #cutedog #vet #veterinarian #veterinarymedicine #vetnurse #behaviourvet #behaviourist #dogtrainer #puppytrainer #puppylove #lifeonfourlegsvet #veterinarybehaviourist #hitchin #letchworth See more

05.01.2022 Puzzle feeders Often we use food puzzles as enrichment for dogs - lots and lots of them enjoy working for food. (Some dogs will chose to work for food if presented with a puzzle filled with food and a bowl next to each other!) However they aren’t a one size fits all. If your dog has any history of resource guarding food (bones, chews, human or dog food), these are probably not appropriate. ... We also need to ensure that when we start using them we don’t make things too hard for our pets. If we do, we can cause huge levels of frustration!!! Imagine being hungry, ordering food in a restaurant (pre Covid obviously!) & when it arrives it’s locked in a maze you have no idea how to access Not sure about you but it wouldn’t great positive emotions in me... Final word of warning is to ensure you monitor your dog while they use a puzzle. Unfortunately bits do sometimes come off & end up being eaten (Labradors I’m looking at you!) After all that, I do remain a massive fan of puzzles. Just in the right form for the right dog! Picture credit @nina_ottosson who have some amazing puzzles! #enrichment #puzzlefeeders #fun #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogsofiglondon #behaviourist #behaviour #vet #veterinary #veterinarian #vettech #vetnurse #vetlife #veterinarymedicine #veterinarytechnician #behavioralhealth #behaviourvet #behaviourist #londonvet #hitchin #letchworth #lifeonfourlegsvet

04.01.2022 Growing up with a dog can be such a wonderful thing for kids. But it’s all about planning and setting both up to succeed, especially with an anxious pup. Lovely to wake up to an update from Team Mojo’s mum this morning . I love hearing how all my Sydney clients are going!

03.01.2022 Consent... it’s not just for humans! This is something I passionately believe and love chatting to my owners about. We always want to make sure we are picking up any subtle hints that they aren’t enjoying is as much as we are and stop. Why? Because it builds trust (they know we will listen to them) and reduces the need for them to escalate their signalling (they don’t need to show aggression!) So what are some of the warning signs that our pets aren’t enjoying things? ... These would include fiddle behaviours such as lip licking, yawning, avoiding looking at you, leaning away, whale eye, panting or moving away. These include crouching or leaning away, dilated pupils, ears pivoting back, sudden excessive grooming, furrowed eyebrows, tail flicking. So next time you go to stroke your pet think - are they enjoying this as much as I am? And if not, stop!

03.01.2022 #blackouttuesday