Pet owners turn to advice line for summertime support

A pet advice line is preparing to deal with calls from dog owners whose pets have been injured or become ill because of summertime hazards, according to M&S Pet Insurance.

Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for the qualified veterinary nurses at Vetfone - a 24-hour advice line available to M&S Pet Insurance customers.

In previous year's Vetfone nurses, who provide concerned animal lovers with immediate advice on a pet's condition, have reported several calls from policyholders whose dogs have succumbed to summer related hazards.

The advice has proved invaluable for many M&S Pet Insurance customers, with around 70% of calls to the service made outside of normal veterinary hours.

Previous summertime cases include:

A five-year-old crossbreed dog from Shropshire who ran into a washing line with a frisbee in her mouth, suffering severe injuries to her teeth.

A dog from Staffordshire who ate a packet of sausages destined for the barbecue.

A six-month-old English Bull Terrier who swallowed a huge frog while out walking with his owner.

A Springer Spaniel from Surrey who ate a large amount of walnuts fallen from a tree. Walnuts can cause an upset stomach and diarrhoea in dogs.

Vetfone Deputy Operations Manager, Clare Scantlebury, said: "It's lovely for pets and their owners to enjoy being out and about during the summer, but they need to be aware of hidden dangers, which although rare, do cause real problems."

Other summertime dangers for dogs include:

Algal ‘blooms' can occur in stagnant fresh or salty ponds. What some dog owners don't realise is that by allowing dogs to cool down by having a swim, they are exposing their pet to extremely toxic compounds caused by algae. Clinical signs associated with a dog swallowing even small amounts of this water can include vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy, depending upon the particular toxin ingested.

M&S Premier Pet Insurance offers a total of £7,000 a year in vets' fees for illness and injury, renewed each year to help with the continuing costs of long term vet treatment

For more information about M&S Pet Insurance or to apply,visit marksandspencer.com/petinsurance.