All About Animals column: Respecting wild creatures and jargon busting

Like the rest of the country it’s been all about the football this week for The Animal News Agency, what a nail-biting match that was, and although a disappointing result it’s definitely looking good for The World Cup.

But for some optimistic Bucks animals there was certainly a bit of egg on their face!

The gorgeous ducklings at Tiggywinkles predicted an England win in an adorable Twitter stunt, and so did Widget the Amersham cat, owned by Ali Brown, who picked the London bus bowl of food instead of the Vespa ahead of the game. Better luck next time!

Do get in touch if you have an animal story you think I should be writing about in this column? My email address is [email protected].

To find out more about my business The Animal News Agency you can visit www.animalnewsagency.com. I’m on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook too @youranimalnews.

Respect Wild Animals

Sometimes it's hard to know exactly whether you are doing the right things when you have a pet, but just as with all aspects of life, some people are a bit more respectful than others.

Last month Wendover Parish Council reminded dog walkers using Hampden Pond to ensure they keep their pets on a lead. The warning came after reports of dogs being allowed to swim in the pond, which resulted in ducks becoming distressed.

We often walk alongside Wendover canal, and at the moment there are lots of baby birds, which is a beautiful sight to behold. The near-tame bird babies sit on the canal banks as their parents keep a watchful eye out.

It's a really important time for wildlife at the moment, and from lambs to ducklings all can be startled (or worse) by a dog. And in the case of lambs and other farm animals livestock worrying is a criminal offence and comes under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.

According to Thames Valley Police, ‘Worrying’ is where a dog attacks or chases livestock causing injury or suffering. They say: "This isn’t just a threat to a farmer or land owner’s livelihood, it’s also a dangerous situation for the animals involved, and could lead to more risk if the animals get onto the road. A farmer is allowed to kill the dog if it’s worrying their livestock."

Jargon Busted

I know I've said it before in this column, but it is really hard to know whether what you are feeding your pet is the right thing! We all know five a day is what we need, but what about our furry friends?

There are so many products out there all making claims and counterclaims that are designed to capture our attention, but without knowing about the science behind it it's near impossible to make sense of it all.

So I asked the experts behind www.boneidol.co.uk exclusive cold-pressed dog food Nora Nose Best, to help debunk some of the jargon behind the minerals listed on doggy dinners, I hope it helps!

-Potassium: Required for healthy nerve function; enzyme reactions; energy metabolism.

-Magnesium: Needed to allow enzymes to function; hormone secretions; nerve cell membrane interface.

-Phosphorus: Required for skeletal structure, DNA, RNA structure; energy metabolism.

-Calcium: Calcium is necessary for the formation of bone and teeth, nerve transmission, and muscle contractions.