Interesting Animal Facts

Dogs often dream-Dogs experience similar stages of dreaming to humans including rapid eye movement (REM-this is the stage of dreaming that we remember). Twitches and paw movements are some of the signs of dreaming. Harvard experts suggest that dogs often dream about their owners.

In the Veterinary world we use terminology that is familiar to us but sometimes when we explain conditions to clients and use these words they don’t fully understand.  This is unintentional but they are words we constantly use in conversation and on our patient histories. 

Some of the more common words may be:

We all love the sound of a contented cat purring away on our laps, but did you know cats also purr to communicate other needs and emotions?  Purring is not only a method of happy communication but also a defence mechanism cats use to help calm themselves in stressful or frightening situations.

A mother cat will often purr during labour to relieve her pain and discomfort.  She may continue to purr after her kittens are born to lead them to her teats for nursing and to reassure them.

• Dogs have a strong desire to be with others.  If they are deprived of social contact they may run away or exhibit attention seeking behaviour forcing owners to respond.
• The area of a dog’s nose for detecting scent is nearly 37 times larger than that in humans.
• A wagging tail means a dog is excited but not always friendly.  It is important to read the rest of the body language before approaching.