Welcome to the Yappy Hour, powered by Yappily, the podcast for dog lovers who want to deepen their understanding of their pets and provide the best care possible. I'm your host, Nathan Dunleavy, and in today's episode, I'm joined by the amazing Dr. Sophie Bell, a vet and the founder of Animal Love Pet First Aid, Sophie is on a mission to empower pet parents and professionals with the skills they need to handle emergencies and care for their animals confidently. We also talk about the importance of early desensitization to the vet. environment which is a game changer for your dog's well being. Whether you're a new dog parent or a seasoned pro, you'll come away with valuable tips and insights that you can use right away. So let's dive in. Grab a cup of tea, settle in.

Hello, and welcome back to The Yappy Hour, powered by Yappily. I'm your host, Nathan Dunlevy, and I'm so excited to bring you our next episode, even more excited that we've got our ver our very first vet joining us as our guest today. So. Sophie Bell from Animal Love Pet First Aid is our guest. And as I say, she's our first vet. So I'm so excited to have a chat with her and bring you lots of expertise and useful information. So without further ado Sophie. Welcome to the Yappy Hour. It's such a pleasure to have you here today. How are you doing?

I'm really well, Nathan. Thank you for having me on. It's lovely to be here.

Brilliant. Great to have you with us. So just for our listeners or those that may not know you yet, can you just share a little bit about your journey as a vet and how you came to start Animal Love Pet First Aid?

Sure. Yeah, I can. So I had a really funny journey into all of it. I started off as a musician in life. Would you believe it? So

okay.

didn't do the whole go to school, go to college, go, go to university. I had a very, very diverse lifestyle. And then when I finally grew up, the first day growing up, I went, Sophie, you really need to actually get an actual job. But being a musician was a job and it really is, but I needed to get a more. I had a stable career, and I knew from the age of six that I wanted to be a vet, and I was in the right space, I did, but I was never, you know what it's like, kids get told at school, you're not good enough, you can't, you're not clever enough and then when I finished school, I kind of had those doubts and thought, yeah, I'm not in the mood for it. So, yeah. Studying further. And my parents were really great. They were like, if you want to pursue me music career, go. So I left home and disappeared off to London, had a music career for well, about five years and then went back.

right, okay.

So, so that's kind of how it started. So I didn't go for the normal, you know, one type of education after another. That's why I always say to people, you know, it's never too late. You know, I, when I was at vet school, I had people in their mid fifties learning to be vets. Absolutely. Yeah. So it's never too late. So I think that's an important point for anyone thinking, Oh, I'd love to go and pursue something that I always wanted to do. So I went and did that. And then it was a very random conversation one day where I was in my garden of the house I'm in now. And my mum said to me, so if you work so hard and I did, I thought 40, 40 night shifts in a row was normal. You know, that was a real, yeah, I know it's gross, right? But I thought that was normal. And she said to me, you know, you're a real workaholic and you're away a lot. I was away a lot. And she said, can't you do something else with animals where you can still work as a vet, but less hours and do something from home? So I qualified to become a dog groomer.

Oh

And

okay.

I know my life is so random and then, and it was, it was a fantastic career path for me because I had that mixture of still being with the animals, but I could do some of it from home. Don't get me wrong. Being a dog groomer is just as challenging as being a vet. They're all are all these pet professionals that you have a, you know, a tough time, you know, at times. And when I was on my dog grooming training, the lady that I learned with said to me you're a vet. Could you maybe teach us a bit more about first aid? Because. There's, you know, the curriculum was quite basic and she said, I want to learn more. I want our students to learn more. And then I thought, there's something in this, you know, there's, you're right. There's a lot that people could learn. There's a lot that people could do to help their pets and ultimately that's what I do as a vet. So why not pass knowledge across?

absolutely.

started teaching and I remember my first, my first gig, so to speak, I think it was three people in a dingy little room in Southampton.

Oh, it's where I'm from!

How is it? Yeah, cause I used to work as a vet there, but yeah, it's great.

where I am now in Southampton! What are the chances? Yes!

Yes.

hometown!

Well, so it was easy for me because I, I worked in Southampton anyway, and then I had a friend sort of say, do you want to use this little room? And I was like, yeah, okay. Gathered about three or four people together. Probably didn't do anything half as near as what I teach now, but they seemed really enthusiastic. And a few of them said, Oh, you know, I'd love it if, you know, I can come back in three years time and redo it. By the time they came back in three years time, you know, it wasn't a three hour course anymore. It was a seven hour day.

Oh, wow.

and so. I've just gone from there. I've added additional courses about additional topics

Yes,

like I'm the middle man. Yeah,

okay,

I'm the middle man, you know, so that's right. So you've got the, the CPD that's aimed at vets and, you know, the sort of veterinary professionals,

the high end stuff like really intense?

the really intense stuff. And then I like to be in the middle where I'm bringing that information to pet professionals and pet owners in a way they can understand.

yes.

So that's my thing. It is. And I think a lot of them say, what we need is it explained in a way that we understand and also practical, you know, what's the useful stuff we can take. So that's where it all developed. And that's been about what, over 10 years, I'd say I've probably

Oh wow,

So it's been, I know, and I still play music and I still work as a vet. All of it going on.

so you're doing, yeah, you're doing sort of everything because, well, they're, they're clearly all your passions. Your face lights up when you're talking about it. So, you've been on a journey. I love, I love a bit of a story and an interesting background like that. and yeah, I live in Southampton. Born and bred in Southampton. So that was that was a nice little sort of, segue into there that you started off there as well. And yeah. So you're still doing some vet stuff, like in

Yeah, yeah, I am. I'm not quite doing 40 nights in a row anymore because obviously I realised that I was really full. And I always say, oh, I work part time as a vet, but you know, most weeks I probably do 30 hours in clinic. But to me, I was thinking, that's part time. Because.

still full on.

It is full on. But I love it. And I think what's happened now, because I'm not doing silly things like 80 hours or 90 hours purely in vet work, the passion is really high for me. So when I work with clients, they get 110 percent of me because, you know,

Mmm.

time off where I'm teaching and then the time back where I'm actually putting my skills to use in, and I don't get that burnout feeling, which I think I would have got to by now. So.

have. Yeah, it's

so. I see colleagues that are, you know, burnt out and I don't blame them is it? There's a lot in the vet.

fatigue, I'd imagine as well, which a lot of pet professionals will. Vets definitely probably suffer

Yeah. And

know,

that's just something, it is. And it's something I never wanted to see in myself. So the balance I have now means that I never feel that way. You know, always very compassionate every time I work. Cause I think our pets, you know, they need us. And so what they need is a vet. tell them funny stories, kiss them, cuddle them, because I have a really soppy hair. But I need to do that, because for me, I think, I want you to think that I'm here to be really caring, even though I'm stabbing a needle in you right now. I want you to think I'm doing it out of kindness.

So I mean, where are you in practice? Is it like a first opinion vets? Is that, where's that to?

Yeah, so I do a mixture of days and I do a mixture of nights. So I do dates locally and then I do nights right over in Berkshire.

Okay.

and I keep that mix going because at night I see mainly the big emergencies and during the day, more of the routine. So it keeps that nice balance of Yeah, yeah, you've got to keep your skills up, you know, and it's something I trained hard for, and it's something that I love. And so I think I couldn't just commit to one area and say, right, all I'm going to do is keep teaching everywhere. You know, I think it's nice to have the mix.

Yeah. And do you then like, I've got to ask you what your, what your musical side is, because I've got visions of you either singing a song or playing an instrument to the pet.

Oh gosh, I'm always, oh, I'm singing. I always sing. It's quite funny actually.

It's great for the soul. Oh.

is. So I used to gig a lot. I mean, I don't so much now since having my children. I might just pick up the guitar at home and do a few bits. My, my dream was to be an actual rock star. You know, I wanted to smash a guitar up on stage, but the reality is I sing more like a country singer. So, which was always my annoyance as a kid. I'd be like, no, I don't want this. You don't want to be up there, like going for it. And they'd be like, no, no, really, you know, you're kind of more like. Dolly Parton kind of genre and I'm like, oh,

your case. You're working nine to

No

or something. Oh, brilliant. Oh, I love that. Thank you. Thank you, Sophie, for telling us a little bit about about your journey. I love where there's a great story behind it. So just moving on to our next question. Why do you think it's so important for pet parents, not just professionals to learn about first aid for their animals?

You know, it's funny because when you go on a course I always ask at the beginning who's here as a pet owner Obviously most of them are pet owners and pet professionals, but who's here purely as a pet owner And I would say probably it's always 20 or less that are there as pet owners When you ask people about it or people say well you teach first aid They're like but that's what the vet's there for And I always say to them Yeah, but the vet's not going to be next to your side if okay, something extreme like CPR is very unusual for people to have to do that. So that's probably a poor example. There's something like picking up the lip of your dog and checking the color of their gums,

Yeah.

knowing what that.

refill test.

yeah, that as well. And knowing that simple, how to do that basic clinical exam. It doesn't have to be, you know, and what it means. And there isn't, you know, often owners only present the dog or cat or whatever pet it is to the vet when it looks really ill and they don't pick up the subtle signs. And sometimes I think, Oh my gosh, if only you'd come four weeks ago, this would be a different story. You know, or three hours ago or whatever. And so, you know, it's what I always say that that cliche, but knowledge is power and, and it's protective, isn't it? Because people don't, when I'm there saying to them, do you know your dog's got a massive internal bleed? And it doesn't need to be due to trauma and they cannot take that information in because it's horrendous news and we're fighting for a life or we're putting a pet to sleep and they can't take that in. And something that I teach on the courses. You'll pick stuff like that up by three simple ways of looking at your dog. You'll be like, this is really serious. That's what I think people need that to understand what they're dealing with rather than, okay, the dog's got, you know, a bit of a bleed on its leg and most people have the common sense to stem a bleed.

Yes.

deeper than that. People don't know that, you know, a certain type of stretch might mean actually that dog's in pain or this style of breathing is not right, you know, and just make them appreciate what is wrong and picking it up.

Yes, well, we do it for ourselves as humans, like, you know, most humans are first aid trained and you, you live with your partner, your husband, your wife, and you know, you, you know, some basics, but you know, why not do, why not transfer that to your animals, your pets and learn, you know, about animal

Yeah, I think that's it, isn't it? And I like to incorporate in my first aid course is just lots of health tips as well and discuss them. hot topics like neutering and vaccinations and should I, shouldn't I, what's the, you know, and all those. And I will, I'll go in head first and think, I know that some of these are really controversial topics. Let's talk about it. What, what's your, you know, and so I like to do that 'cause it's important that people know the latest information that's going on. You know, I like to arm people with good information so they can make informed decisions. Because, you know, the pet is, they're, they're, they're the voice, aren't they of the pet. And so they've got to know all of these things.

Yeah, that's brilliant. Thank you. We're going to move on to our next section is around the importance of pet first aid for owners and professionals. So we touched on it obviously a bit there in the previous question, but just to sort of delve into that a little bit more now. Sophie, what are some of the most common pet emergencies you've, you've encountered as a vet? And how can first aid training help owners respond better in those situations?

So it's funny, things change over time. Take me back, oh, 10 years ago and I would have said that if I was working night, I would see a lot of bloat cases.

Yes.

see any now. The last one I saw was about six and a half years ago. So I know, I don't ask why and I'm glad about that and touching wood right here and there as I'm saying it.

Don't.

work a couple of nights soon and like, don't, don't jinx yourself, Sophie. And I would say probably, definitely the internal bleed, like I said. So usually that's due to a mass on the spleen and it's a very silent growth. And I, you know, last night shift I worked, I saw two in one night. So that puts that into perspective as to how common that is.

Yes.

I guess other kind of emergencies but much easier for owners to appreciate are things like we see a lot of vomiting and diarrhea, but bloody, horrible sort of bloody,

Yeah.

which is horrid as well. I see a fair amount of heart disease where, you know, the dog's actually gone into heart failure as well, and an owner hasn't really appreciated that the breathing is really wrong and I've actually mistaken it and thought that the dog has had, has kennel cough. So I see that a fair amount. Yeah. And then I guess then it's just your usual kind of, you know, wounds and cuts and things like that. A lot of diseases though, that I see, as I said before, I always think, Oh my gosh, I wish that you'd recognize something. was off. And as I say in every first day course, and I've already said it on here, the one thing you do with your dog is lift the lip and appreciate the color of their gums. Those gums will tell you so much. And you know, you'll know if it's something horrible, autoimmune, the dog will be starting to look pale before you notice symptoms of them being ill. So you're likely to have them treated two to three weeks before you actually, they find them collapsed.

Yeah.

just little things and it doesn't take a long time to know.

so with that test, it's, isn't it like you press on it and then it has to fill back up with blood or go back pink

Yeah, so

Mmm.

that's right. So you'll think so there's two things really the gum color. So just the general color is really, really important. It should be salmon pink and the gum should feel slippery and wet when you touch them. The capillary refill time, like you say, you push hard on the gum and within two seconds. back. I know, I know. Don't I know. I keep holding. I'm trying to keep my hand down by my side so I don't push my own gums. I do it when I'm teaching as well. I'm like, you do. And I'm thinking, I don't know if everyone wants to see my, my mouth. But

I used to tell people that when I did puppy classes though, part of like grooming your puppy and obviously things to check over like ticks and lumps and bumps, I used to demonstrate the

yeah,

root ball test.

do it. And actually one thing you were saying about four, you know, when you're saying about common emergencies, it's not an emergency, but a common thing that I see a lot of now that's so underappreciated is dogs with dementia

Oh,

Big time. And people just think it's part of getting old, but there's lots we can do. Or they think that perhaps they're in pain because it can look very similar. It gets often left for a long time before someone will come to the vet. And I think it's because the fear of that there isn't anything that can be done to help and they're going to have to put them to sleep. You tell them there are things, there's a lot of things we can do, we really can make them start to come back in the room, you know, feel a bit better. But by that stage, owners are often exhausted because these dogs with dementia can be up all night howling and pacing. And

gosh.

I know, although it's not an emergency as such, I think it's really underappreciated by owners that, you know, it happens and there's stuff we can do, but get in early.

getting early and it's all about those early signs, isn't it, again?

It is. It really is. And I think if you can pick up on it quickly, we can start things to really enhance their kind of brain activity and help them and, you know, actually there's things you can do before they even develop dementia, even something simple like put a bit of kale in their food every day. You know, it's a great antioxidant and it will help preserve. So,

know.

you know, get them doing lots of sniffing games, brain activities like we would as a human, you know, anything like that. And you'll preserve their mental state anyway. So there's loads of stuff you can learn.

really big on enrichment and getting the dog using their nose really good for brain and mental stimulation

It's so good, isn't it? And it helps with relaxation as well. Like,

Helps promote calmness, relaxation. Yeah. Brilliant.

feel sleepy, even though, you know, people always think to make their dog feel tired, you've got to go on a, you know, 20 mile walk.

I know.

And you don't, you know.

20 minutes sniffing is just the same as a 60 minute outdoor walk in terms of brain and

Yeah,

stimulation. So,

it is. And it's important to mix the both. And I think, you know, it's, it's nice to have a dog being able to do both of those things because it's important. Their mental wellbeing is incredibly important.

definitely. Oh, and if that can help with, you know, the whole dementia thing as well, then yeah, why not?

Trust me, Nathan, I put kale in my food nearly every single day. Like, I eat it like a mad woman. Cause I'm like trying to keep my brain cells alive.

keep it, keep it going, keep it top, get yourself topped up. Why do you think that pet first aid has historically been seen as a professional skill? And how do we change that mindset for pet parents? I

hard, isn't it? I think firstly a lot of parents are not even aware that there's such a thing. You know, people ask me sometimes, Oh, what do you do for a living? And I say, I'm a vet, but I also do, I teach and I teach. Then they say, Oh, what'd you teach? And I'll say, you know, first aid pet first aid. They're absolutely astounded. What really? So like, you know, would you teach something like the Heimlich maneuver if they were choking? Yeah, I do. And they can't actually believe that it's a thing. So I think firstly, it's a. are not knowing. They just don't know that it exists, so they probably don't go looking for it. And I think there's always that classic of, we've got our vet to do that. So why do we need to know this? And it's that same age old thing. You know, I've seen it, not specifically for myself, but some colleagues who also teach first aid because there's some wonderful instructors out there. And I've seen, you know, they've made a post and somebody's written on there, you know, this, this, that's my vet's job. Why would I want to do this? And it's a It's a weird mentality because I just think, trust me, your vet's not going to be there when your dog's choking. It's not going to happen. It is.

it? So I think it comes back to raising awareness and it's all about owner education isn't it?

And I have to say, as I've gone along, I find I work out of many different venues now and this last 12 months, as I said to you, usually less than 20 percent are pet owners. I've been to a few courses where only two out of 20 people are actual pet professionals. So I have seen the opposite and that's,

a bit of a shift going.

been more of a shift. I think there's been more people taking it than ever before. In comparison, you know, there's been that usually it's always pet professionals, but now as I say, I do some courses and I'm like, wow, the show of hands is more for the pet. Pet owners. And that, that surprises me. So that's good news. And I guess all we can do is just keep spreading the word and, you know, perhaps people that are professionals in their sort of, you know, advertising their services and showing that their pet first aid trained and they, you know, share their certificates with their, their followers and owners that then that might encourage owners to say, Oh, well, hang on. What's that then? I'd quite like to learn that. So yeah, I think it will get better. Yeah. So

on that, making, showcasing that you've done it and it, you know, as a professional, it kind of sets you apart and, you know, as an owner as well, it's a great thing to obviously know about. What would be the one skill or technique that you think every dog parent should know in case of an emergency?

it's hard really, because Obviously, I was teached how to give CPR,

Yeah.

but then I've, out of all the people I've taught, I've probably only had about three people ever that have had to perform CPR on a dog. So it's a very rare occurrence. So although it's useful to learn, my worry is, and I always say to people on a course, what I want you to do is on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I want you to dig out this information that I've given you and I want you to practice it because otherwise you'll forget. And you know, if you're only, you know, you won't be able to do it because none of us can remember what someone told us two years ago. to that extent.

exactly.

I think helping with choking actually, because I do see a fair amount of choking cases. And I think people think quick, get them in the back of the car and get them to the vets and they'll get the, the item out. You haven't got time for that. So I think for a real emergency, I'd say choking was the one that they really, and often if you get the item out, you don't have to give CPR anyway. So that would be the thing that I would say would be the most useful.

Yeah. I'd imagine just have to be careful with, with the shark teeth and going, trying to get it, fish it out.

Yes. Yeah. Well, actually you saying that as well, not really, but I was just thinking the other thing that would be very useful for owners is how to manage a seizure because that gets managed really badly. Sometimes people do things like, Oh, I've wrapped them up and kept them warm. I mean, if anything, a seizure obviously causes the dog to overheat and we need to cool them down. So, and also learning more about heat stroke because there's so much misinformation and it moves on and check.

Yeah.

It

changes a lot.

does. So little things like that, that I think will be the difference between life and death. And actually, the more, the more I think of it, there's loads of these things that are very useful for people. So it's hard to pinpoint one.

we need a whole sort of manual or something, you know, just the common things. Perfect. Brilliant. Thank you so much for that. We're going to move on to early desensitization. Now that's a big word. So early desensitization to the vet. environment you know, particularly obviously when you know, the dogs are young why it's important that they get used to obviously going to the vets. We don't, don't always want it just to be that they're going to the vets for something bad

No.

associate with bad. I used to say to my puppy clients when I was teaching one to one in classes, I'll, you know, just take them into the vets once a week, get the receptionist, give them a treat, you know, let. Go in once a week, twice a month, just build up that. So they don't just associate that they're going to go in and get like with a needle or, or whatever. So I was really big on sort of you know, sort of mentioned that to puppy owners, but in terms of like the dogs that are fearful when. Of, because they're visiting the vet which can, which can make routine checkups really stressful. Why do you feel early desensitization to the vet environment is important? Sophie?

Well, it is really for the reasons like you said. Now, the trouble is, I think sometimes in the veterinary world, there's so many time constraints and things are very rough. Now, I'm quite fortunate because in both clinics I'm in, I have the option to leave something for longer, you know, say I want a longer gap or because I'm the only vet there as well. I can do things like, for example, I had a German shepherd in the other week about five years old that apparently the vet, you can't get near it because, you know, they've had to kind of muzzle it and people about four people holding it and and he was in for an injection. So I'm really fortunate. We had the conversation of, right, let's not do this in the consulting room. Let's do it in the waiting room because we can shut the door, no one else is due in. We've got quite cosy, sort of comfy chairs in there.

more space

More space. He can go off lead and explore. You know, he hasn't got to just be held in one position. And I think. Probably about 25 minutes of just having a general chat with the owner, calling the dog down, getting him to sit, give me a paw or, or not, and give him a treat. And he probably had about 50 treats in that time. You know, that dog was amazing. That muzzle didn't go on once. He didn't grumble. He, I like literally was did one thing like, oh, show, give me a paw because I needed to check his foot anyway. He gave me that foot. I was able to have a look. I was able to do his listen to his heart. I was able to then give him his injection and the owners, I mean, I thought. The female owner was going to cry because she's like we have had us, we've been cancelled this appointment over and over and over because we were the sort of new vet to see them. They'd come over from another, from, from the States. And apparently every single visit had been so stressful that it was just too much. I didn't have all of that information before. I didn't realize, but I could tell they were worried. And I just said to them, so like you said, each week come in. Come in usually like lunchtime. We'll usually have a space between here and here. I'll come out, sit with him again, do all of this again, not give him any injection. And give it time. And okay, if we have to use the muzzle, we know we've got it there. And there's nothing wrong with having to use a muzzle to protect it. But what I didn't want is everyone having to hold him really tight. And, you know, it's too much. And so I agree with you that desensitization from an early age is important. And also being honest with the vet about the anxiety. You know, I do a lot of things where I say, but you know what, let me come out and examine him in the car park. Let me come and examine him in the boot of the car.

that, yeah.

It's that environment, you know, sometimes or just little things like cutting nails, you know, dogs that can't have their nails cut. You know, I pick the dog up, obviously if it's small enough to, and I dance around with it. And often if I'm dancing and singing, I think they're all more like, Who is this crazy person? And I cut a nail each time as I go along and just bob them like a baby. And

great.

using Lickymats, I use loads of Lickymats, you know, distraction and positivity.

Yeah,

I'm in clinics where I can do that and say, I know this animal is really anxious. So we need to leave half an hour, not 15 minutes. We need to do everything slowly. You know, do one thing, like listen to the heart and then five minutes of playing. And then one other thing, like, you know, look at his mouth and then five minutes of playing. So it is, so as an owner, you then have to take that response. For those of you who say we don't always have that time. So like you say, popping in, getting reception to give them a treat. Is there a quiet time where they can just walk into the consulting room, even sit the dog down, give them a treat. If the dog likes to be on the floor to be examined, tell your vet. I think most dogs like to be on the floor to be examined. So you don't need to go in and put them on the table. You know, just anything that your dog enjoys.

good. One of mine doesn't like going off on the table and that's ever since she was spayed. So, you know. to just, and it's the same, I think, for the groomers as well. But you go onto that table, but if you can, if you've got a vet that understands that, and you're able to do it on the floor, then, you know, it's going to cause less stress.

Yeah, and I think that's what you, I always say to Fiona, what do they prefer, floor or table?

That's really nice. Oh,

my knees are usually broken by the end of the day. So I need one of those gardening pads for my brother's floor. Yeah,

God. Oh, get you exercising for the day. I think we've sort of touched on this a little bit, but are there any other practical steps that that pet parents can take to help their dogs feel more comfortable with vet visits?

I think, like we've mentioned before, with just going and, and, and being in there and even little things. In fact, what we didn't say is that every time it's been going in there and just going and getting a treat coming out, but sometimes even just sat, sat in the waiting room, just sat there like down with their dog,

the world go by.

watching the world go by and then realizing, Oh no, I'm not going in today.

You said about let, when it was safe to do, so letting them off and sniff, because obviously the

yeah.

help bring their arousal down, help calm. You know,

Oh, it really does. And it's just trying to get that. And there are usually times where it is. less hectic. So it's about sort of saying, is there a less busy time rather than sort of six o'clock when usually, you know, five till seven is a bit of a crazy time. I usually say to owners, if they're anxious, could you do it? Like, you know, midday come in because usually it's quieter. And I think the more you go, the less. stress they become. But equally as well, it's like that with most things, like, you know, I notice people with muzzles, they just go all out and put the muzzle straight on the dog, you know, that takes time. Using a buster collar, that takes time. Anything that you can do, and anything you can do in pre empting the problem. So things like If you know that you're going to get your dog muted or they need surgery, start getting them used to the Buster Cullen now. Get it so that they have the operation. And then they come out with this great big cone.

Yeah, scary big cone

Exactly, exactly. And I was like, just try and grip.

it? It's not it's not rocket science, is it but you wouldn't even think to do

No,

until you've just said

no, and you don't. And it's little things like I say to cat owners, don't keep your cat basket in the garage. Keep your cat basket somewhere where the cat can walk in and out of it. Otherwise, every time you go out, they're like, oh, no vets. You know, try to make it like just a normal part of the furniture.

And if it's there obviously like you say it's desensitizing because normally i've heard like, instances where obviously it's come out and the cat's seen it and they've disappeared and then they've missed the vet appointment

I get that a lot. I get

I used,

that a lot.

I used to work in a vet's on reception so I

you?

yeah I used to work in a vet's on reception for a while and yeah you hear all those stories.

Oh my gosh, you really do. And cats are clever, you know.

They are so promiscuous.

They are. I

Brilliant. As a vet what changes or adjustments do you think clinics could make to, to create a more dog friendly experience?

think sometimes we have to give in with those that are really anxious. And I think that we're better off prescribing anti anxieties to be used before they come to the clinic. Once we've reached that point, I think we need to give something to help them feel better when they're there. I think, you know, trying to maybe have more components to the waiting rooms that if you have got more anxious dogs, is there a separate area that they can go into away from some of the other dogs? Usually it's all space dependent,

it

and it's so hard to have these, but you would. I mean, crikey, if I ran a clinic, it's probably what I would do. I'd have a waiting room, I'd probably, you know, go all out and have like a soft play for dogs in there. Oh

Not just for kids, for the dogs.

no, kids would be banned from it, just the dogs.

yeah, it's, at one of the specialist hospitals I've been to, you probably know it, Anderson Moores,

Yes, yeah

sort of Otterbourne way,

yeah.

they have a, they have a cat area,

Yes.

it's separate from the dog area, and I like that

Yeah.

cat can be put on, on the, on the shelf, on the

Yeah.

cat area and it's labeled as a cat area. And then I think there's covers as well. They say, Oh,

Yes.

to cover the cat, but I really liked the idea of like, if there is space, like, you know, there is an area for dogs that are a bit more sensitive and anxious and nervous of other dogs.

Yeah.

there's an area there. I know a lot of them do sort of like, say, I'll wait in the car and then we'll, and then it's like a military operation waiting for the other dog to leave and then they let their, oh they let him in through the back door as well. That's another option we used

Yeah. That's a good thing as well. And luckily I say because where I am, I can have it just one in one out so I can kind of control that. But when you're in a busy place, you're right. And it just All the dogs feed off each other and they all start to get wound up and you know, and we can't help it. I mean, I've got two dog reactive dogs.

Ah.

I know, well,

me, I've got a few.

well, mine are clearly going to be dog reactive because it's two chihuahuas. So they,

Oh, I've got three chihuahuas. No, you haven't got

I've got two,

got three. Yeah, all mine are dog reactive. Like, such a bad rep. They're like, they're just

Oh, but they're cute.

full of character and they're

They are.

Personality, or is that, I say it's that Mexican in there, fiery and

They are.

like spicy. Oh, you've got trails as well, so

Yeah, I know. I love them.

the converted here.

Yeah. No, they're lovely. And the thing is, I always say to people, you've got to imagine that, like, it's like us standing next to T Rex every time they, you know, yeah, it's really a big old world when they're licking everything. I don't know about yours, but once mine have lost the kind of, oh, the dog's not going to do anything, they're then happy to hang out with them. It's just that initial, I see another dog.

thing, isn't it?

Yeah, they do.

back up in.

Yeah. If the dog ran off to

they,

play, they'd cry. Mine do, you know. They

say, and I, I know I shouldn't because I've got Rotweiler clients, but, and I love rots, but I often say that Chihuahuas think they're the rotweiler. That they're big bravado. Bravado and you know, they can take on the world

get called in the veterinary world, Chihuahuas get called the land sharks. Oh gosh, I have to calm down.

'cause I run a course on canine body language. You come to the slide where. Oh, it's great. You, you come to the slide on aggression and then there's a chihuahua baring its teeth and they just get such bad rep.

They do, and they're actually, mine are really nice. They've got young kids as well. And then they're great. They just snuggle up with the kids all the time. They're more like cats sort of in a way.

Snuggle buddies and we've got one that will go, that will push her bum into the smallest little area she can get into to snuggle in.

oh no, they are, they're lovely. They are. They're total lapdogs.

we could go off on a like a whole episode on chihuahuas,

Oh, we should do one.

Oh, I love that you've got chihuahuas. Right, let's move on to education for pet parents and professionals. Obviously, this is going to highlight you know, your courses and the value of accessible pet education. Your courses. Reached so many pet parents and professionals, but what inspired you to bring pet first aid and care training into the online space?

So that's quite an easy one, actually. So, I was only ever visiting classroom based courses, which I still do as well, and a lady contacted me and said to me, Would you ever consider doing anything online? Because I have really bad anxiety in group situations, and so I don't want to not learn, but I find it really difficult being within a group. And literally within that space of time, I found I was getting more and more requests for all sorts of different things, like you know, different neurodiversities that were causing people to not have that attention span or not want to be in that environment. And suddenly when, you're right, there's There's a need here and obviously You probably know this yourself. A lot of online courses, they get really press like they're not going to be up to scratch. So what I decided when I started to create online content was, yeah, my courses are not going to do that. Like these are going to be very visual. They're all going to be narrated. You know, you're going to be sat there watching something where you're really engaged. I don't, I don't want you to, I don't want you to go away thinking. Oh, it's just not good enough for what I need. You know, the idea is it's like being in a classroom with me. And so that was really important to me because I thought, and you know, just a mixture. And also in this day and age now, you know, lots of people have busy lives. They don't want to necessarily give up their Sunday to go somewhere and learn. You know, they'd rather sit down and do it. Yeah, do a few evenings a week, just pottering through it at their own pace. And also, you know, I think it is a lot to learn. I say to people, you know, long, long day. For me, personally, I prefer learning online, but that's because I like to re go over something. You know, I feel like I, I really need to, you know, be like, What did they say? Oh, let me listen to that again. Whereas, you know, she came in. Oh, sorry. Oh my gosh. I can imagine my partner and then I'll go, don't this is my little boy shouting chicken wing through. Through an Alexa. I'm sorry. Well, no, it's both. I'm

It's brilliant. I thought it was like Siri or someone talking to you. Like my watch was going off just as we started recording. Siri started bloody talking to me.

just saying it's not what I'm going to do. Unplug it. In case.

Oh, bless you.

They're going to start. There you go. It's unplugged. So we don't have random six year old children shouting in the

Chicken wing!

a chicken wing.

I do love a chicken wing,

But yeah, so that was my ideal idea for online. People can rewatch things back. I can deliver things like webinars to more people as well, because some people, for instance, this year, I'm actually going to do a little, I'm going to do a classroom, two classroom courses in Scotland, and then I'm getting the ferry over to Northern Ireland, which I've never done this before. There's a bit of ask, but I'll come and teach. And that's another reason for having a lot of this online, because, I mean, I don't, Don't have people from the UK either. We have, you know, quite a few in Australia and the States. So again, it means that I can do that. Well, we

Yeah.

which I'm amazed. Whenever I sort of like send out a certificate or something, I think, Oh my gosh, that's going to America. You know, it's, it's a, it's a great feeling that you know, that some other people, you know, clocked onto this and found you. Cause it's a, you know what it's like. It's a busy market space, isn't it? For online training.

Yes. Yeah, definitely. Oh, brilliant. So, how do your courses help owners to feel more empowered and less overwhelmed when it comes to their dog's health?

So I think less overwhelmed. Now, my two chihuahuas had a little spat the other day. Okay. They have a little silly sort of, it's nothing. Basically, Huey tried to hump Alan and Alan didn't want it. Why would you?

you said Alan earlier and I had to, like, park it, but it's such a brilliant name.

I know, and Alan's the little underdog in our family. I don't know if he does it by choice really. I think he likes to be a mummy's boy. But anyway, this is, there is a story behind this. So basically, they had a little spat. Huey fell on his side and I think he winded himself a little bit, but you know, he's two and a half kilos, he's tiny. And it all seemed very dramatic. Now, the most dramatic person in that room was me. I thought Huey had done something major to his spine, so I pick him up. I tell the children to say their goodbyes because he's going to have to come with me to the clinic and he might not survive. Meanwhile, my partner Adam stood there like, maybe we should just give it a bit of time. So, although I love as an owner to think you have empowerment, equally, we're so emotional about our pets.

are.

And I think that, you know, it's hard to, to not overreact because, you know, actually it turned out he had to sort of winded himself 15 minutes later, you know, he's back to trying to hump Alan again, so obviously just took the wind out of his sails and I really overreacted even though I've got. Lots of knowledge, almost, you know, just couldn't think it through. So I think there's always that normal, you know, there's nothing wrong as an owner is sometimes to have that kind of instant fear. But then like I did, like my partner, Adam said to me, sit there. And just think it through. And literally within about 60 seconds, I was like, you're right. You're right. He just, just took the wind out of his sails. He's not dying.

Adam was the rational one in being the voice of reason.

That's what's there for my children. That's it. Everyone can stop crying. He's going to be fine. I mean, it was so dramatic. I was like,

it's hard, you are, they're part, they're your family, aren't you? So, you know, you're emotionally connected and invested. You know, I've had a situation where we had to go into the out of hours with one of ours and they were like, you know, it's, it's, it's touch and go. And to be told that,

yeah.

never had to go through that before yet, luckily, but to be told that it was like a stab in the heart.

Oh, it's horrible.

literally bawled my eyes out because they were

Yeah,

you may have to, you better go in and say goodbye because it, you know, it's touching going. Oh my God. Yeah.

Actually, I know, even though I'm a vet, I took him to a specialist. He had a problem with his eye and she said to me, I think it could be cancer. And if it is, when we take that eye out, we're going to put, he'll have to be put to sleep on the table. And I was having to do this. So I was in that, I've been in that position and it is awful. But I think, you know, now the way things that are going, you were saying about online courses, we have online, obviously vets as well as they're doing video based calls.

Yes.

is where this kind of knowledge that you would learn with me really comes into play because instead of doing the classic, which is what people do, you know, my dog is a bit off. He doesn't seem to be that keen to eat. You don't get any more information usually. Whereas if you can say the heart rates, this, the temperatures, this, the gums that like this, this is how he's breathing. I've known, you know, I've thought about what's happened over the last couple of days and you know, this, we went here, we did this, anything relevant, you start to understand what's relevant. You start to realize what is not right. And that prompts you to. Get in contact with somebody. Whereas if you almost live in that bubble of just not having any knowledge at all, things go very missed, you know, and and they really, you know, they become missed. And then what was the simple fix becomes very difficult. And you have potentially a dog that's not going to make it who may well have done. So I think that's where I like people to have. That level of knowledge and not just for those bits as well, but things like when I teach courses all about canine dementia, or oral and dental health, I do a course on, you know, how can you, you know, what are you looking for? How can you improve things? What practical things can you do? Which the vet doesn't get a chance to tell you. So I'm just going to bring out a course on diabetes. And there'll be massive videos like that of like, what can you do at home? And really, it's a three hour consult I'd have with an owner that I just don't have the time to. Teaching them how to, you know, test the urine, how to test the blood glucose, you know, how to body condition score to make sure they're not losing muscle mass, you know. Why should you give the insulin at this time? What symptoms are you looking for? What do you do if the the blood sugars go too low? All the things that we cannot do in a consult and I feel awful just handing out a bottle of insulin and not much other information. So that's kind of

Yeah.

the main, the main focus.

definitely. And you were saying obviously the, the use of online vets is, is quite useful, quite helpful to bridge that gap as well, I suppose.

It is, and as I say, but what they want is the more information, you know, it's it's hard for someone to say on the phone or, you know, just a couple of very vague symptoms. You know, when people say my dog hasn't eaten for two days, do you think they'll be okay till the morning? I have no idea. That tells me nothing. You know, I don't know. Whereas if it was a case of there's this, there's this, you can make a more informed decision and say, actually, yeah, that sounds like it could be this. It probably can actually wait till the morning or that's very serious. We better see, better see you.

Yeah. Get better. Get you in.

Yeah

you have a favorite success story from someone who's taken your course and applied what they've learned? I bet there's all sorts of stories you've heard over the years and, and stuff.

so many, so many, but the most, I thought you were going to say my favorite success story. I'll tell you mine. My favorite success story was a dog and it's Willy stuck out for about an hour. He comes down to out of hours. I walk into the consulting room, he takes one look at me and it shoots back in again. That's my favourite success story as a vet. He saw my test and he went, but I didn't know how to take that.

to send it back on its way.

I was like, Oh, that's quite insulting, isn't it? But then obviously the owner was very pleased because it was fixed at no cost.

Oh God.

But success stories with first aid was a lovely one actually, not very long ago. And I know well, she actually, She runs a businesses like an animal business as well. So she'd come on a course to me. I remember it so specifically because the course was the 23rd of October and she learned all the bits and pieces. And then on the 1st of November, I have a message from her. And she said, I was out trick or treating with my children last night. I also thought this would have been quite funny to have it.

already, I don't know why, because I just want

This is quite funny, but I'm too serious. But the dog survives. So she's out, she's trickle treating. She gets to an owner's house. The dog and the dog, the woman speaking to her kids. You know, do you want some sweets or whatever? And this lady spots the dog really struggling. Okay? And she's like, oh my gosh, that dog's choking. She pushes the woman out of the way. Who owns the house? I mean, the woman must have been thinking, what is going on? She literally goes over to the dog. She performs a knit maneuver. nothing happens. She gets a dog on its back and does something called external evacuation technique, which I treat, which is teach, which is basically like a Heimlich maneuver on the neck and out pops a knot from a rawhide. Dog is saved. And the woman's obviously what they went to the vet. She went because the owner by this point is like emotional because she didn't know and felt bad because she didn't realize. and equally obviously extremely grateful that that particular situation happened and probably also have fear of why is this lady pushing herself into my home because she didn't know her dog was struggling she must be ready to call the police and and they've become really good friends now these two women which is really great as well and dog was Absolutely fine. Went to the vets. They gave a little bit of pain relief because they thought probably you know, caused a bit of yeah, like scratching and things to the dog when that happened. And he's doing absolutely fine. And all rawhide has been chucked in the bin, which is also a successful part of the story.

where it should be. That's where it belongs. Yeah, yeah.

lots of lovely, lots of lovely things and lovely things that aren't even emergencies. Just people recognizing stuff. Like I do a lot of stuff about neutering and if you get it wrong, if a bitch is having a phantom pregnancy and you spay at the wrong time, she remains in that state for the rest of her life. And that can cause behavioural issues going forward and owners coming and learning with me and then going, I think that's my dog. And that being treated with hormones. and the dog being like a different dog. Little things like that, a big success story. Things that I go, wow, I'm so pleased that you picked that up and that your dog now doesn't have to have a life of anxiety. You know, it's better. So like, yeah, loads of things, but that, yeah, definitely.

sticks out for sure.

Well, the Willy story did quite literally.

Oh, blimey. Oh

habit of lowering the tone.

no, I don't mind that at all. I love that. Life's too serious

It really is.

have a bit of a laugh. Right, we're just going to be moving on to our final section the sort of last five or seven minutes or so before we bring this episode to a close. Your courses are great. Now, Paris and I haven't done one yet. but I do want to do one. I think I, I think I get a cheeky discount as part of my Yappily membership because you've got a collaboration with Yappily now.

I do.

yeah, so I've not yet done one of your courses,

Well, I want to do yours. So maybe we can do a switch.

okay, yeah, all right.

I'd like to learn more about Kano. I love learning.

think, I think every pet professional you know, vet, vet nurse, pet owner, pet guardian,

Yeah.

Anyone that works with dogs needs to learn a bit more about understanding canine body language.

100%. Yeah, I totally agree. Because that also helps by understanding body language. Yeah, you understand pain as well. It really helps you to

Yeah,

totally agree. So I'm going to be doing your horse. That's for sure. I'm going to be doing it. Amazing.

Yeah, but as I've not had the pleasure of, I do want to do it, but I literally, cause I'm, I'm a business mentor as well. So I help mentor pet professionals. My, my main focus is on new sort of. Dog walkers that are starting up pet sitters and dog trainers that want to diversify and add additional services so often. So I'm sort of like a pet professional mentor helping them sort of get up and running with their businesses. So I say to them about, you know, you need to do this, you need to do that. But I literally just, the reason I'm saying this is that one of my ladies she, she's launching like a cat care of her business, the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter cat sit in service,

Oh, that's cool.

as an additional service to her dog walker. And she won't mind me saying this and she wants to learn more about cats. She's cat mad anyway. She's got three cats. But I sent her a link to your feline first aid course today. Because everyone always does canine first

Yeah. Yeah.

you know, it might be different with felines. So I sent her the link to that today. So I think, you know, it's great that you cover a wide range of different subjects.

Yeah. Do you know it's funny because so my feline first aid, yeah, it covers. So I mean, some of the fundamentals, yes, they cross over, but with the cat course, oh my gosh, there's just, I love that course for the fact that I think people would almost Yeah, I'll take it and be like, Oh my gosh, I didn't know any of this stuff about my cat because like you say,

it

is always very much dog. And

is.

actually if I bring out a cat course specifically for cats, I would probably get 10 times less people take it than a dog related course. Which is very sad because. Yeah, I do. I think it's it's it's a real shame. I did a lovely course on rabbits and again, you just don't get, you just don't get people, which I don't mind because I just want to be able to offer people all they can to learn. And I enjoy writing something a bit different because when I write a course, it takes me a long time and a lot of research because I don't just write it all off the top of my head. I need to make sure that, you know, I'm up to date with everything. So I learn at the same time. So that's what I quite like. doing some different species as well, because I see those.

yeah, and I'm I'm bringing you up now, but you've got these fantastic first aid kits of different sizes I purchased one a few months ago And I sent it to my mentee one of my mentees I was working with at the time and she purchased one So you've got these little kits. So tell us about your kits. I love them

So that was another thing that I decided to do because I thought, well, first of all, I wanted it to be different because I wanted to, I wanted the whole of our business. I say our, cause I, my partner, he often works with me on just running all the bits and bobs. I wanted it to be different. You know, I wanted it to be like, not, I wanted people to think, well, if the kids are like that, which, you know. We, we put them all together from scratch, you know, they're really well thought out. I want people to think, well, if they would do that with a kit, what would she do with a course, you know, and that's. I try to put 100 percent into all of those and make it different, like, as, you know, give people something on the go. Yeah, be brave. Which you've got to do. Yeah.

brave and they're nice. Yeah, they're really colourful and they're, it, it tags on, it hangs onto my little walking belt and it comes out with me on my walks because it's like a little, a mobile one of, my bigger one's in the van anyway, but I have my little mobile one on me just in case.

Yeah. And I like to put, you know, and I like to think about, so if someone said to me yesterday, no, Sunday when I was on a course, I was talking about you know, if a dog has low blood sugar or, you know, you use honey or jam on their gums and they were like, Oh yeah. That'd be a good idea to put in a first aid kit, wouldn't it? And I was like, here's one I made earlier. So I tried to put things in the kit that I say to you,

saw.

if this happens, you use an ice pack. If this happens, you use a hot pack. I want you to have the things there that you can go, you don't need to do this rather than all I've got in this kit are bandages and a pair of scissors, which can happen, you know, and I just wanted it to be that I've actually got the practical stuff that. that she told me to use. You know, that was the whole, the whole idea, really. And hopefully it will tie in nicely because Well, hopefully within the next few weeks I'll have a book as well.

Oh,

I know it's not one about my memoirs as a vet, although it has got some funny stories throughout it. It

something like that at some point, honestly.

is a first aid book, but it has some nice little stories as you go along as well. But it's a very practical one. So like you were saying earlier, I picked up and you're like, you almost need something to kind of just, you know, what do I do now? And straight away, that's what this book is. So it's not a load of waffle of seizures happen because of blah, blah, blah. It's a. If a dog is having a seizure, yeah, do this, this, this, this, so that

Well, I'm definitely want one of them.

I'll send you one. Then you can literally open it up and we've got one stage further that you can scan the QR code and it'll bring up a video. So when I'm trying to explain to you what, say, breathing difficulties are, you can scan it, you'll get my face showing you a little image of This is what I mean. So it then gives you,

interesting.

so hopefully, you know, people will then have that guide. That's a really quick reference that they don't have to go, you know, Googling, dishing through, you know, they've just got to open up,

Google could be wrong.

but we all have a bit of, don't we, when we got ahead before we know, yeah, we learn, learn, learn, and

well, I love your kit. So, you know, we'll be. Obviously in the show notes, we'll be linking and we'll be talking about your website and how people can reach you in a minute, but we will be posting your details and stuff. But Sophie, just a final reflection. So if there's one message you'd like pet owners dog owners, pet owners to take away from this conversation, what would you, what would that be?

you can never stop learning. And you don't have to. Everyone has their own opinion. You don't have to get drawn into, you know, feeling like you have to do certain things in a certain way. Read while, while, you know, you're being told something. So even if your vet says, you know I think you should do this prime example is neutering. Is it right for your dog? Don't, you know, please go and research things. Don't just. And I just, because as vets, we don't know it all. Don't be afraid either of feeling like you can't have, you can't speak about weird and wonderful stuff. I mean, you know, I get people saying to me, Oh, I use this in my dog's food. And there's a load of amazing supplements and products and great things out there. And you should be able to research those, read about them. I'm always a contact, you know, if you want to message me about something and you think I just. want to know more about this or have you got an opinion, but yeah, keep learning, keep really like getting in tune with your animal, you know, that's, that's what they're, you know, with your dog, like really get to understand them. Like you say, with the body language,

Yeah,

their traits. You know, have a little notebook, note down their resting pulse rate, really watch their breathing and get used to what is normal. Just really understand them as much as you can. And then when something happens, which hopefully it won't, but if it does, you can really be there and know what you're dealing with. And, you know, especially old dogs. Oh my gosh, please, with old dogs, don't write them off. Don't just say, it happens a lot. I know you have.

the pulse thing, isn't that to do with the femoral artery and the hind leg? Have I got that right? See, this is something else I used to teach in my puppy classes, is for, to tell the pet parents how to check their dog's pulse. So, femoral artery, isn't it? And in

So we're answering hind leg. Usually what I do is it's quite nice if I have an owner that has their dog diagnosed with heart disease, I teach them how to use a stethoscope because now I need them to have like a very good idea on what that heart's doing and coming to visit me once every six months isn't enough. So I would say to them, you know, I really want this heart listened to every week, you know, what, how fast is it? And so I really try and get them to learn about that. So, but no, you're right. The easiest way is. Inner thigh, always saying, you know, what dog doesn't like being touched in the inner thigh?

yeah, I know.

Take Alan, Alan's like on his back. If I even go towards his inner thigh, he's like, yes, please. And I think

No, that's good. So for any pet parent who's feeling overwhelmed by their pet health care needs, what's one small step they could take today just to feel more confident?

you have to block out the noise these days. You know, a lot of the time that social media is telling you so much stuff about your pets and Google and things, so much stuff about your pets. And I think, you know, if you're feeling overwhelmed. Think about first of all, what's the one thing that you want to work on with your dog and break it down and you know, Hopefully your vet's and you can speak to them or you say reach out to other pet professionals as well. Just for a general chat and gather all the information and don't suffer in silence. If there's something weird or unusual, you just feel anxious about something. Do reach out, you know, because some people, you know, they'll like like dog dementia. There are some people that would think it was crazy if they mentioned, I think my dog's got dementia. It's happening all the time. And so, you know, no one thinks you're crazy, you know, and also, you know, your dog better than anyone else. When they go to the vets, they often play the game of, I'm okay now, you know, they do that. Just insist that they're not, you know, you know them. I always say to an owner, you know them better than me. Is this behaviour what you've seen at home? No. Well, then I completely respect what you're saying because you know them more than I know them. So yeah, just gather everything you can block out all that noise of everyone. You know, Joe blogs down the street telling you this about you. You see it a lot in training, don't you? And behavioural stuff, you know,

God.

such and such down the road.

I've had dogs for 50 years, so you know, I'm an expert.

I know. And you've got to be careful with that because there's so many knowledgeable people out there. But equally, you just want to make sure what people are telling you, read about what people tell you. It doesn't mean what they're telling you is wrong, but just make sure that you have just looked into it rather than, you know, going to grab this, that and the other and not really finding out about it.

Brilliant. That's perfect. I'm going to put you on the spot now, but you probably know lots of great people, but we've got tons of guests lined up for the Yappy Hour. Literally, I'm booking everyone in and it's Over the next couple of months. It's so busy. We've got breed experts. We've got groomers, hydrotherapists trainers, behaviourists. If there was one person that you think that I should invite on to the yappy hour, who would that be? Is there anyone that Kind of sticks out to you.

Two people actually. So,

it. It's even better.

Both holistic vets.

Yes.

they are one is Nick Thompson and Nick is very much into his nutrition. So he's a, he's a great person to talk to. And the other one is a wonderful lady who I think is amazing called Shelley Doxy and Shelley. She does all the normal conventional vet stuff, but she's one of the very few, we don't have very many herbal vets in the UK. So herbs rather than homeopathy, she's herb. She's one of the only few. around and her knowledge is incredible. She is just a lovely lady as well. And I think, you know, she gives some nice little hints. I think little tips for people. You know, she's, she's, she's really, really great. Then I could probably name, I could go on and on. Now you're asking me that. I'm like, I know another lovely skin incredible. You know, you could get loads of it.

to me I mean, I've not heard of Shelly before but I definitely will be making a note and dr Nick Thompson he was mentioned in the previous podcast that

Who was he? Oh, he's Mr. Popular. I

need to reach out to him because he's part of Well pet medic so i've got dr. Connor brady coming on soon.

Oh gosh, I have to listen. Okay.

yeah. So Dr. Connor Brady is coming on and a few people said about Nick and I do follow Nick. So and I've, I've done one of his sort of webinars and stuff that he's put on. So I have to reach out to him. Sophie, my God, what a, what a jam packed. I think we could do another one in the future

Yes.

If our listeners want to find out more about you what's the best place to contact you? Tell us all your. Website and social bits and pieces.

Sure, yeah, so it's very simple. So you can find me at www. addlelovepetfirstaid. co. uk And there's literally a click there, contact me button as well. If ever you want to send me an email or something. And I've got a list of all the things that I'm doing on there. There's a couple of free webinars as well. So, you know, again, you've got A couple of things on there that you just want to learn a bit more. Both of those webinars are about two or three hours long as well. So it's not like a sort of just a short snippet. It's quite a lot to learn. And then on Facebook, I'm just, again, just animal love pet first aid. So nice and, and simple. But yeah, inbox is always open. I always say to people, please don't feel you've got to have done a course with me or anything with me or purchase anything off me. My main aim in life is to help pets as much as possible. And if that means answering a simple question for you, that means it's going to make an impact in your dog's life or cat or horse, or it doesn't matter what species, then that's the main aim of my game. So I'm very happy to, to help as much as I can.

Oh, that's amazing. And your course is a really good value for money as well.

Thank you.

know,

try to, I like to think people, you know, can learn without feeling like. it's going to cost them a lot. You know, I want people to just have that, you know, ability of any, any budget can say, yeah, I can, I can do that, you know, cause it's, again, it just means that it means that our animals get better care really. So that's the whole, the whole reason. Yeah.

amazing speaking with you today. Like I said, like I think we could go on for even longer, but we might have to another one in for, you know, later on in the year or something and delve into something a bit more sort of deeper or something or a certain certain subject area. But Sophie, Dr. Sophie Bell, thank you so much for joining me on the YAPI hour today. Powered by Yappily. It's been absolutely fantastic and I look forward to speaking to you again soon. so

really fun. Thank you for having me on. Thanks.

much.

Before I dive into today's key takeaways, I just want to congratulate some people that successively guessed who our next guest would be on the yappy hour from our teaser post on social media. So very well done to Barker and Hound Dog Training and Behaviour, Liana Cavalanti Canti, Raggy Rascals, Sue Williamson and the Puppy School in Plymouth. What an insightful conversation with Dr Sophie Bell. Her passion for empowering pet parents and professionals really shines through and I hope you found this episode as valuable as I did. Here are a few key takeaways from today's chat. Number one, pet first aid is for everyone, not just professionals. Knowing even basic skills can make a huge difference in an emergency and give you the confidence to act quickly. Number two, early desensitization to the vet is key to reducing stress for your dog. Simple steps like visiting the vet clinic for positive experiences can make a world of difference in their health and happiness. Number three. Accessible education is a game changer. Sophie's online courses provide practical tools and knowledge that can empower you to care for your dog more effectively. Sophie, thank you so much for sharing your expertise and your passion for helping pet parents feel more confident and prepared. And thank you to all, thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in. Don't forget to check out Sophie's courses at Animal Love Pet First Aid and follow her on social media for even more tips and resources. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review or sharing it with a fellow dog parent. I'll see you next time on the yappy hour. Until then, take care of yourselves and your furry friends.