Latest news with #DrSeanMcCormack
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gone to the dogs! 72% of British owners admit pulling sickies to look after a poorly pooch
Forget duvet days - Britain's workforce really has gone to the dogs. New research has revealed that 72% of owners admit to pulling a sickie to look after poorly pups, costing the UK economy an estimated £13.8 billion a year in lost wages. The average person takes eight days off a year to nurse their dog, with 52% caring more about their animal's health than their partner's, according to the study by pet food company ( Nearly 40% admit they've lost sleep worrying about their dog's health, while 36% say they'd never trust anyone else to look after a sick pooch. Dr Sean McCormack, Head Vet at said: "Sick days are really stressful and tough to deal with for dogs and their owners. Anything we can do together to help limit sick days is hugely beneficial. "While some illnesses can't be prevented, ensuring your dog is eating a complete, balanced and nutritious diet, getting the right amount of exercise and having regular health check ups can help to limit the need to take too much time off and your pets living healthier lives." London owners can get a quick health check for their dog at Victoria Park this week, just by letting their pet pee on specially designed lampposts equipped with pH tests. These detect abnormal levels of acid or alkaline in urine, which can be early indicators of health issues. Dr McCormack and in-house behaviourist will also be on hand to interpret the results and offer advice on how to ensure your dog is in tip-top shape. "A dog's urine can tell us a lot about what's going on inside their body," Dr McCormack said. "By making these tests quick and easy for owners, we're helping to catch potential issues early - before they become more serious or harder to treat." The team will be in Victoria Park on 24 and 25 June from 8am to 12pm and 3pm to 7pm. How to spot when your dog needs a vet check 1. Eating habits If your dog suddenly goes off their food or becomes ravenously hungry, it could be a red flag. Sudden weight loss or gain is always worth investigating. 2. Check their coat and skin Your dog's coat is a great barometer of their overall health. Look out for excessive scratching, bald patches, redness, lumps, or a dull, greasy coat. A quick daily brush can help you spot issues early. 3. Changes to drinking or urination If your dog is suddenly drinking more water than usual or asking to go out to pee more frequently, this could be a sign of underlying health issues like diabetes, kidney disease, or a urinary tract infection. On the flip side, straining to urinate or accidents in the house that are abnormal can also indicate problems. 4. Don't ignore bad breath or drooling While doggy breath isn't always pleasant, a sudden increase in bad breath, drooling, or difficulty chewing can indicate dental disease, which, if left untreated, can affect the heart and kidneys. Regular dental checks and brushing can help.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
This Morning fans rage 'no wonder ITV is failing' as woman claims DRUGGING her dog 'cured his anxiety' in 'awful' debate
This Morning fans raged 'no wonder ITV is failing' as a woman claimed drugging her dog 'cured his anxiety' during an 'awful debate'. Monday's instalment of the ITV show saw hosts Alison Hammond and Paddy McGuinness sit down with Emma Reed, her cockapoo called Chester and vet Dr Sean McCormack. Emma had owned Chester since he was a puppy and described him as 'captain cautious' in his younger years, but trained and socialised him well. However, she noticed a huge change in his behaviour when he went through adolescence and 'was suddenly really anxious on walks, and started randomly barking, sometimes even lunging at people'. After seeing a behaviourist, it was suggested that Chester tried fluoxetine Prozac 'to take the edge off so he could train and learn'. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Emma had owned Chester from being a puppy and described him as 'captain cautious' in his younger years but trained and socialised him well Emma described how the change 'wasn't instant, but it was more quick than I thought it would be'. However, some viewers took issue with the segment and didn't understand the concept of a dog on such medication. Many posted on X: 'This has to be b*******, dogs don't give a f*** as long as they are fed, watered and walked #ThisMorning.'; 'Hmm I would have thought a dog would be more alert in strange surroundings …#ThisMorning.'; 'Chester is off his face #thismorning.'; 'We drugged our dog into a partial coma to stop him being an annoying c***! #thismorning.'; 'Giving Prozac to dogs? Surely it's viewers of #ThisMorning who need it most.' While another felt it was insensitive given the incident in Liverpool that happened on Monday evening and said: 'After the horror in Liverpool #ThisMorning has "puppy on Prozac." No wonder ITV daytime is failing, read the room.' During the conversation, vet Sean argued, 'if the dog is in an anxious state all of the time, that is a welfare issue, that dog is not enjoying itself in normal life'. He explained: 'For some dogs they do end up on the drug long term,' but it is usually a short term solution to allow room for 'behavioural modification'. The vet shared the drug isn't given to puppies, because 'we cant medicate puppies when they're in the early development phase'. Paddy read a statement from a vet at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. He said: 'Fluoxetine could be usually beneficial helping more than half of dogs with separation anxiety or dominance aggression but he also warned against drawing parallels between depressed humans and dogs, saying we don't know whether dogs have the same sort of mental health issues as people.' It comes after This Morning fans slammed ITV yesterday for 'scraping the bottom of the barrel' with a fresh presenter shake-up. Monday's instalment of the daytime show saw Alison Hammond and Paddy McGuinness step in as hosts. Usually, Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard present the ITV programme from Monday to Thursday. However, some viewers were not impressed when they saw Alison and Paddy on their screens. Many took to social media to share their thoughts, swiping they 'can't think of two worse hosts'. While another brutally added: 'Can't think of two worse hosts. It's almost insulting.' However, some viewers took issue with the segment and didn't understand the concept of a dog on such medication 'Can't be listening to these 2 #thismorning,' another viewer penned, alongside an image of someone turning a TV off. Another said: 'McGuinness? No thanks #ThisMorning.' While someone else said: 'Oh no, not McGuinness #thismorning.'
