Dogs that are licking their paws are itchy. An itchy paw is most commonly due to allergies, most notably atopy, and less commonly food allergies. Atopy is an allergic reaction to one or more allergens in the environment such as pollen, grass, mould, dust mites and more which results in inflamed, itchy skin. Food allergies […]
Thanks to a well meaning but fraught decision in 1935, 101 cane toads were brought to Cairns from Hawaii and introduced to Queensland’s sugar cane fields, in order to solve the problem of black beetles that infested sugar cane The premise was supposed to be simple, release the cane toads and they will eat the […]
From the boisterous puppy that doesn’t realise their play can be painful, to the dog that saves this behaviour only for guests, here’s some tips to protect those ankles! AVOID WHAT YOU DON’T WANT THEM TO DO! In the short term, the behaviour needs to be avoided, so that it is not continually reinforced. Sometimes […]
Giardia is a protozoal parasite and is a fairly common cause of diarrhoea in dogs, especially in puppies. It can also cause diarrhoea in cats, and in humans too. There is also a small percentage of dogs, that don’t show signs of diarrhoea but are carriers of and shed Giardia. Generally, it is contracted from […]
Jumping up to say hello is a normal behaviour for many dogs. By teaching them an alternate way of saying hello and staying on all fours you are not only protecting the less robust family members and guests (and their clothing!), you are ensuring your pooch is less isolated from the family and getting more […]
Your dog has anal sacs, and yes you need to pay attention to them! Dogs have two anal sacs which are placed either side of their anus. Sorry for the analogy, but if you consider the anus as a clock face, they drain into it at 4 and 8 o’clock. The sac is constantly making […]
It’s commonly thought that fleas are only a problem in the warmer months, and as such many Australian pets are not on flea control all year round. But this is far from true. Whilst flea burdens are generally worse in warm, humid weather, the facts are that in Oz, fleas are a pest to our […]
Permethrin is an insecticide within the pyrethroid family. It is widely used in flea and tick control and is well known to be toxic to cats. Unfortunately this is a commonly reported poisoning in cats. What are the signs of permethrin toxicity? Permethrin toxicity in cats is characterised by tremors, seizures, high body temperature, salivation, […]
Shedding of hair is absolutely normal for most cats, provided that they continue to maintain a normal hair coat. Things that can increase hair turnover (more shedding): Poor diet Inflammation due to allergies (fleas/food/environmental: make sure you use a good flea control regularly as fleas are the most common allergy) Bacterial or yeast skin infections […]