Understand Animals

17/10/2026

Trick or treat?!

Pop up Halloween enrichment in a rescue centre yesterday 🎃

13/10/2026

This sounds great

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1A1cFrwFHW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/10/2026

It’s been 4 years since I shared the stage with these wonderful individuals… where has the time gone?!

04/10/2026

Something seasonally silly for a Sunday!

Anyone theme some of their enrichment around the season?

I may have purchased a couple of new Halloween dogs toys this weekend … and pumpkin, apple and cinnamon balls are in the Pupsicle …. Mostly our enrichment focusses on sensory and exploratory opportunities that aren’t based on food - instead they are new sights, smells, sounds, textures, platforms, tunnels and surfaces and I tend to keep food enrichment separate to exploration enrichment so the individual is not only engaging or making choices in order to feed themselves.

Watch this space for more Autumn in England inspired ideas …. I m hoping to take Howl O Ween on the road for some dogs in rescue to enjoy too so more on that as well coming up 🎃

PS. The pumpkin tinsel was purely for photo purposes, it’s not a safe enrichment item for most dogs.

03/10/2026

This weekend I m preparing my presentation for the London Vet Show in November where I am honoured to be discussing the role of the intestinal microbiota in chronic pain on behalf of Canine Arthritis Management.

This new piece of human research might cover some familiar ground if you ve listened to some of my previous presentations on gut bugs (some of you will remember the brilliant T shirt that PACT made for me which says “I got my gut bugs from my mum” 😂)
Where in this paper by Al-Beltagi, M et al 2026 (full reference below) they look at both the short term and long term consequences to the gut where babies are born via caesarean. Now I m a mum to a son born via emergency caesarean so it’s good to read in the paper the practical ways that may offset these potential negatives.

Then just this last week I ve consulted on 3 cases of behaviour issues in French Bulldogs where GI symptoms are present which of course brought my mind back to this topic …. Previous research has suggest around 80% of FBDs are born via caesarean.
There are several potential reasons why a specific breed like FBDs may be predisposed to gut issues - genetics, impact of oxygenation on mums gut bugs, puppy delivery method, impact of oxygenation on pups gut bugs, gut-spine axis (yes that’s a thing!) … and more. But the high incidence of caesarean delivery may well be a factor … particularly in combination with early weaning (extended breast feeding can be one way to offset the negatives from caesarean delivery) given most companion pups are not mum milk drinking beyond week 7 as they are readied for transition to the new home.

I know we don’t have all the answers and I also know it’s all pretty complex … but I do know we have to keep asking questions and trying to be as open minded as we can for the responses. For the sake of all companion dogs.

If you want to learn more about this fascinating topic, you can

*come and listen to my presentation at the London Vet Show
*sign up for my In Sickness and In Health - how disease impacts dog behaviour, online course

https://www.noseybarker.co.uk/professional-courses/in-sickness/

*take a look at the Microbiome Forum as there are some great free short webinars all about the gut brain axis and more

https://www.purinainstitute.com/microbiome-forum/microbiome-fundamentals/gut-brain-axis

As well as taking a read of the human paper mentioned above

Al-Beltagi, M., Alzayani, S., Saeed, N.K., Bediwy, A.S., Kumar, A.P., Bediwy, H.A. and Elbeltagi, R., 2026. Gastrointestinal consequences of cesarean section birth: A systematic review of short-and long-term effects in infancy and beyond. World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, 15(1), p.111501.

02/10/2026

Coping with confinement….
It’s over 25 years ago since I created a client booklet on this very subject so I m delighted to see this resource available via the British Equine Veterinary Association
Times are definitely changing.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1414480394144188&id=100067467235510

🐴 Coping with Confinement: a new resource from the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA)

We’re pleased to highlight a new resource from NEWC member BEVA, supporting equine veterinary professionals in managing the behavioural and welfare challenges that can arise when equines need periods of confinement.

The Coping with Confinement Toolkit provides evidence-based guidance to help veterinary professionals develop individualised confinement plans that consider both the equine’s clinical and behavioural needs, as well as the practical circumstances of their care.

There’s also an Owner’s Guide, providing practical information to help owners and carers.

A really useful initiative recognising that good welfare during recovery means considering both the physical and behavioural needs of the horse 💙

🔗 Coping with Confinement Toolkit: beva.org.uk/resources/coping-with-confinement/

🔗 Owner’s Guide: beva.org.uk/resources/coping-with-confinement/owners-guide/

Congratulations to BEVA and everyone involved in developing this valuable resource👏

30/09/2026

The understanding of how disease can influence behaviour in animals like to dog continues to grow at a rapid rate.

Of course, not all dogs with behaviours that negatively affect their day to day wellbeing and function, as well as the lives of the people in their family, have disease as a root cause ….. but it can be more common that you may think.

It took a long time for pain to be accepted as a motivating factor in some behaviour tendencies.
Appreciating the role non painful disease can play is equally as relevant.

Behaviour change can precede more obvious disease symptoms.

Gut disease is one of the main areas receiving significant scientific attention in relation not just to behaviour but also as a link to other disease development such as epilepsy, skin disease and cognitive dysfunction syndrome.
How gut disease affects emotions, learning, sensory experience and a wide range of other internal processes involves multiple mechanisms: optimising gut barrier integrity (due to short chain fatty acid production), regulating key neurotransmitter actions (including dopamine, serotonin and GABA) and controlling overactivity of the HPA axis and increased inflammatory pathways.

Is this an area you feel you would like to know more about?
Why not join us on a journey deep into the understandings and practical considerations of how disease can affect dog behaviour…. A 6 module online course
STARTING THE END OF THE WEEK!

More info in the link
…. And a new reference to also sink your teeth into below too 😊

https://www.noseybarker.co.uk/professional-courses/in-sickness/

Khanamani Falahatipour, S. and Soltani, M., 2026. Targeting the Gut–Brain Axis: Pharmacological Modulation of the Microbiome for Neurological and Behavioural Disorders in Companion Animals. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 12(4), p.e71105.

29/09/2026

You still have a couple of days to grab early bird priced tickets to the 2027 Emotional Wellbeing in dogs conference in Devon (in person event)

This was a fantastic conference this year, and having met online with hosts Pet Remedy and other speakers recently to discuss the overall theme and plans, I know this will be amazing too.

Fancy an excuse for a trip to the Devon riviera?! Why not take consider grabbing a place

The second Live Pet Remedy Emotional Wellbeing in Dogs Conference 2027, taking place on March 22nd and 23rd in Torquay, Devon.

28/09/2026

FVMA have so many amazing free resources available …. Please encourage everyone you know with cats or those working in the veterinary profession to take a look

Imagine a future where cats can feel comfortable at the vets - it starts now

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EyRQxpTyE/?mibextid=wwXIfr

27/09/2026

I loved Neta Nafali’s presentation yesterday. “Big feelings, Big dogs, Big cities” where she looked at the challenges in supporting sensitive dogs in a city such as Tel Aviv which has a high percentage of pet dogs in the population.

She concluded
“We all want the best for our dogs.
We all strive for the ideal.
But sometimes in pursuing that ideal, we can lose sight of the individual dog and their family.
When the family feels the ideal is impossible they may stop trying to make things better altogether.
Adapt, don’t abandon.
Better not best

Let’s be flexible, creative and sensitive - just like our dogs!”

I thought this was an inspirational approach

We have been treated to some wonderful education here at the PDTE conference in Riga, Latvia.

Huge thanks to Liga and team for organising such a wonderful event - and with a 2 month old baby to care for at the same time Super woman! ❤️

A beautiful city too ☀️