What is hip dysplasia (HD)? HD is an abnormal (dysplastic) hip joint. Normally the femur (leg bone) articulates nicely within the pelvis, in dogs with HD the bones are abnormally formed and there is a lot of laxity and movement in their hip joint leading to abnormal stresses on the surrounding cartilage and bone and […]
We’ve talked about why dogs lick themselves but what about when they are licking you?! Whilst licking is a completely normal behaviour and an important form of communication, it can be a sign of an issue when it’s done excessively. Firstly, licking you (or the floor or the couch etc!) can indicate a gastrointestinal problem […]
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 […]
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 […]
Dogs and cats can have eyes that are each a different colour. Specifically, it’s the coloured part of the eye called the iris. The term for different coloured irises in one individual, as well as different colours within the one iris, is heterochromia iridis. A dog or cat born with heterochromia does not have a […]
Aloe vera has been used for thousands of years. It has antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and helps increase speed of skin healing. However, the plant is considered toxic to dogs and cats. Well, part of it anyway. When you break open the leaf you see two things, the green/clear gel in the middle and the […]
This question has been coming up a bit recently due to news that some peanut butter brands are adding xylitol to their peanut butter making it a dangerous food for dogs. Xylitol is a sugar substitute that is extremely toxic to dogs. It’s popping up in more and more foods. You may recognise it as […]
The risk factors for heart disease in cats include family history (genetics are huge here, and the reason that we see certain conditions recur in certain breeds) and age (risk does increase with age, although some cats are born with a congenital condition). Unlike humans, obesity or being overweight doesn’t increase the risk of heart […]
Heart disease is very different in dogs than it is in humans, and dogs are rarely reported to have the main type of heart attacks that humans do. The main risk factors for heart disease in dogs, are family history (genetics are huge here, and the reason that we see certain conditions recur in certain […]