This mental health week let’s look at, and celebrate four ways that pets improve our mental health. As a vet and carer to my beautiful Kelpie Red, the following holds true to me, as it does also to countless clients I’ve had the pleasure to look after. 1. Pets reduce stress Stress is a major […]
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is very common in dogs in Australia and especially prevalent in some breeds (most famously the gorgeous Dachshunds). Get proactive in keeping your mates back healthy and know what signs to be aware of in the unhappy case that your mate is affected by IVDD. The sooner veterinary help is sought, […]
There’s nothing more beautiful and lucky than to be able to love your dog for the longest time possible and having them exist into their senior years. Normal ageing would dictate that these guys are slowing down a bit, getting a few more greys, have reduced sight and hearing and that they are at risk […]
What a dog’s dry nose really means, is a question commonly posed to vets. It’s often thought the nose denotes a pet’s overall health status. Some people think that a dry, warm nose signifies they’re sick, or that a cool, moist nose means they are well. The reality is that a dog with a warm, […]
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 […]