A vet has revealed five things he would never do to his own dog that could potentially put the animal – and on occasion, surrounding people – in danger.
UK-based content creator @ben.the.vet, who has more than 210,000 followers on TikTok, recently shared his tips in a video.
Many of Ben’s videos tackle animal welfare topics, giving viewers information on how to responsibly care for pets.
He also regularly discusses the various health challenges faced by different species and breeds, often delving into the physiological qualities animals have that can cause health issues, using scientific literature as well as his own professional experience to inform and educate his followers.
In his recent clip looking at what not to do when caring for a dog, he shared a range of reasons, including everyday activities to generalised long-term health.
1. ‘I would never let my dog walk off lead on a road’
According to Ben, the first thing on his list was that he would ‘never let [his] dog walk off lead on a road’.
Explaining why, he said: ‘ I have a really clear memory [from] when I was 16, of seeing this Shih Tzu run over by the tire of a van. Miraculously, the dog was fine, and none of the passengers were injured.
‘But annoyingly, I saw those same owners walking that dog in the same spot a few weeks later. It’s just so dangerous, and it’s really not worth taking the risk. No matter how obedient or well trained my dog would be, I just could never trust that they wouldn’t be distracted by a squirrel or an engine backfiring’.
2. ‘I would not give them bones or antlers’
Speaking very specifically from his perspective as a vet, Ben revealed that ‘when you spend half an hour performing an enema, removing bone fragments from a dog’s colon you probably feel the same’.
He added that it’s not just that: these bones and antlers are ‘just too hard for them to chew on, and they they fracture their teeth’.
The vet explained: ‘So commonly, you see a lot of dogs with slab fractures of their carnassial teeth, which is their last premolar teeth on the top, and this is painful. It can lead to tooth root abscess formation, and they need to have the tooth extracted.’
3. ‘I would never leave my dog alone in a car’
While most people are aware that leaving their dog in a car can be fatal, many still do it – perhaps not aware of the danger they are putting their pooch in.
But as Ben explains: ‘It can get hot extremely quickly in a car, even if you do crack the windows open, and it’s a particularly warm day.
‘So in my mind, it’s just not worth taking the risk. If I was going to go out and run a few errands, I’d just leave my dog at home, where they have a bit more space.’
4. ‘I would never feed my dog raw meat’
According to the vet, aside from the risk of infection to the dog, there’s also the risk of infection to other family members, with concerns including E coli, Campylobacter, salmonella.
He said: ‘If I was preparing raw chicken, I would never rub raw meat juice from my hands onto my children’s faces. But essentially, if you’re giving your dog raw meat and then they’re licking you or kids in the family, you’re doing the same thing.’
Ben added that in his opinion, it is simply not worth the risk.
5. ‘I would not let my dog get fat’
As ‘food is the way to a dog’s heart, the veterinarian says he understands why it’s so easy to let your dog become overweight.
In his experience, it’s also a fairly common occurrence. However, the health risks posed to pooches are quite high.
‘I would go as far as saying that the majority of dogs I see as a vet are overweight or obese,’ he said.
‘And so, I would do my best to keep them nice and slim, so that they are less likely to develop arthritis at a young age, and hopefully will live as long a life as possible, because we all want our dogs to live forever.’
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