For this session, read the animal health article as well as other sources of information to strengthen your knowledge of animal health issues. This will give you more insight and information to pass on to your customers. You can use information sources you may have in the pharmacy, such as other articles, medicines guides and manufacturers' literature. In many pharmacies, at least one member of staff will have a pet; take the time to chat to them about pets and their health needs. Think widely about pets €“ not just cats and dogs, but also birds, reptiles and horses. Horse riding and horse ownership is increasing, with one figure suggesting that the horse population of the UK now exceeds one million. For further inspiration, visit the websites in the 'information sources' section.

Do you come across other animal health issues in the pharmacy not mentioned in the article? What are they? Do you feel confident enough to deal with them and do you know when to refer to the pharmacist? In order to make the training and discussion useful and relevant to your work, consider:

• How many of you on the pharmacy team have pets?
• What are the health issues related to pets?
• How confident do you feel in handling pet health queries?
• What types of pets are represented by interactions with customers in the pharmacy? Dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, horses?
• How can your pharmacy help to ensure that pet owners use preventative products (e.g. for fleas, ticks and worms in dogs and cats) with the recommended frequency?
• Identify five signs of a healthy dog and cat. See: www.pethealthinfo.org.uk.