Category Archives: Debates

Debate: are boy and girl pets really that different?

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Posted on November 24, 2011 by Petplan
dalmatian puppy

Here’s what Amanda Riley-Jones found in her recent report on gender stereotypes for PetPeople magazine. Let us know what you think by commenting below!

Q: Are boys really that boisterous? And are girls more affectionate?
Many parents argue that boys are more energetic than their female peers. But what about animals?

Dog trainer and psychologist June McNicholas says that the dogs and bitches she trains have the same energy levels, but cat behaviourist Celia Haddon says: ‘I don’t know of any scientific research to back this up, but I have a gut feeling that neutered males are more playful than neutered females. But maybe that is some sort of feline sexism in me! Perhaps I treat male cats differently, and that makes them more playful?’ Read more >

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Debate: should dogs only eat raw meat? Part 2

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Posted on November 7, 2011 by Petplan
BARF-Con-300x200

Last week, Dr Ian Billinghurst told us about his view that dogs should only eat a Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet. Now here’s the other side of the argument, from vet Brian Faulkner

“The BARF diet is based on the assumption that dogs are the same as their ancestors: wolves. But they are a domesticated species with different DNA to wolves; a distinction going back many thousands of years.

Furthermore, all dogs are not the same. A Great Dane or a St Bernard may grow more in one week than a Yorkshire Terrier will grow in its whole life. The nutritional requirement of these dogs is significantly different. Read more >

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Debate: should dogs only eat raw meat? Part 1

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Posted on November 4, 2011 by Petplan
BARF-Pro-300x200

The use of Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) – a simple diet of raw meat and bones – is dividing vets worldwide: some swear by it, while others advocate caution. In this first of two posts, BARF-devotee Dr Ian Billinghurst tells us why it works for him.

“I believe that the healthiest diet for dogs and cats is a natural one. Raw meat, bones, vegetables and organ meats – anything that mimics the diet of a wild or feral animal is ideal. I call this the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet and it’s what our cats and dogs have evolved to eat.

My views come from almost 35 years as a practice vet, witnessing the harm that commercially produced food can do to pets. It also comes from seeing at first han Read more >

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