Did you know that two of our favourite Easter foods are highly toxic for dogs? Hot cross buns and chocolate stashes are notoriously sought after by pups, however this is no time to play family vacuum cleaner. 1. Hot Cross Buns Sultanas and raisins (and all grapes) are toxic to dogs. The toxin they contain […]
ASK DR CLAIRE Is there the chance of our dog being poisoned by licking a surface that has been treated with a household insect spray? It depends on the spray but most of the regular over the counter insect sprays (the kind you buy at the supermarket) are pyrethrin based and have a very low […]
Here’s the top 6 doggie dangers at Christmas as polled by the Vets at Vetchat. 1. Human food that’s toxic to dogs Chocolate, plum pudding, Christmas cake, stuffing for meats, fruit platters just to name a few. These common foods have ingredients in them that are toxic to dogs and must not be eaten. These […]
Mushrooms can make your dog really sick when they are eaten, and even cause the loss of your beloved pet. There are many species of mushrooms, and many of these are toxic (many are not), but the problem is that there is actually no proven way to easily work out from home if the mushroom […]
Fertilisers are toxic to both cats and dogs. However, it’s mainly dogs that are affected specifically owing to their scavenging nature. There are so many types of fertiliser, they generally contain salts of nitrogen and potassium, as well as phosphorus. They vary in the additives, which can include agents to kill plants, insects and fungi, […]
Many dogs and cats eat grass. There’s a lot of speculation as to why, but actually little evidence. Popular theories include that they have a dietary deficiency (ie. fibre), that they are sick or nauseous and so they choose to eat grass to make themselves vomit, that they are bored, and that it’s normal and […]
We do know that dogs experience a type of sleep phase known as ‘rapid eye movement’ sleep (REM), and that REM is also a stage of humans sleep, which is associated with dreaming. Human and dog brains are also not dissimilar in structure, and extrapolating from what we know of humans REM sleep, this may […]
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 […]