Caring Kiwis Concerned for Canines

Caring Kiwis Concerned for Canines

An independent survey* by New Zealand pet monitoring company, Heyrex, has revealed over half of Kiwi dog owners regularly leave their dog at home alone for up to seven hours a day – and 12% leave them for longer – even though the overwhelming majority (76%) of respondents admit they worry about their dogs when they aren’t with them.

The survey comes hot on the heels of the launch of Heyrex’s revolutionary dog-monitoring device, which tracks and analyses a dog’s daily behaviour such as scratching, exercising and sleeping to build a picture of its wellbeing – or lack of – when owners are not able to monitor their pet round the clock. The gadget, which attaches to the dog’s collar, can help to identify many health conditions that may otherwise go unnoticed, even by devoted dog parents.

Over two thirds of Kiwi dog owners surveyed say they leave their dog on its own whenever suits – for example to go to work – and almost two thirds leave their dog in kennels or with friends or family rather than taking them on holiday, placing its wellbeing in the hands of people who may be well-meaning, but unfamiliar with its special quirks or patterns of behaviour.

Over a third of dog owners surveyed admit it’s difficult to tell when their dog is unwell; almost one third say they have no idea how much their dog sleeps when they aren’t with it, despite disturbed sleep patterns being a key indicator for illnesses such as arthritis or kidney problems.

It seems that although Kiwi dogs are often home alone, New Zealanders are caring dog owners, with over 50% of them saying they spend up to $100 per month on their precious pooches. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, over 90% of those surveyed say they don’t have pet insurance; over 30%, however, think it would be beneficial for their dog’s wellbeing to leave them at home with a monitoring system.

“Heyrex was developed for people who care about their dog’s wellbeing and want to know they’re healthy, even if they are not able to closely monitor them themselves 24/7 – and this survey shows that is plenty of Kiwis!” says Nathan Lawrence, CEO of Heyrex.

“Using Heyrex is like a different form of pet insurance. Instead of waiting for something to go wrong and then fixing it later, Heyrex can help to identify changes in behaviour or activity that may mean something’s up – which can then be treated early. There are so many health conditions that can go unnoticed at the beginning and are only obvious once they have advanced and are dangerous to the dog’s health, have caused unnecessary suffering, or have become expensive to treat.”

If you think your dog is displaying any unusual behaviours, Heyrex recommends you take him or her to your vet.

For more information visit www.heyrex.com. Heyrex is available to purchase from both the Heyrex website and from www.pet.co.nz.

0800 HEYREX

ENDS

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