Blog: Articles, News & Advice

March 29, 2020May 13, 2020

A Puppy Checklist For The Social Distancing Age

Updated May 13th, 2020

UPDATE 13 May: Limited puppy preschool places are now available at our clinic on Thursday nights. To comply with current regulations, we request that:

only one person comes with each puppy
class members wait outside until the start time

For puppies elsewhere in the world, I’m afraid that the puppies of the next few months won’t grow up the same. I fear that this virus will change how they enjoy the rest of their lives. But I also think you can do something about it.

November 24, 2020November 25, 2020

Vets Can Now Legally Treat FIP In Cats, Thanks To COVID

The nightmare is almost over. Until very recently, a diagnosis of Feline Infectious Peritonitis was a death sentence. Either a slow, lingering decline or a decision to euthanase and spare the suffering. This happened to around 1% of cats, most of them still kittens.

Then it was discovered that certain antiviral drugs could not only improve the symptoms, they could actually bring about a cure. But there was still a hitch.

November 20, 2020November 23, 2020

Is It Time To Use CBD Oil In Australian Dogs?

Owners of dogs with chronic pain are increasingly asking me two questions:

Will CBD oil help my dog?
How do I buy genuine CBD oil in Australia?

November 6, 2020November 22, 2020

Which Dog Breeds Are Prone To Cancer & Why?

Updated November 22nd, 2020

I saw a beautiful, not old dog recently, and before I even touched him I knew what was wrong.

He was a Bernese Mountain Dog with enlarged lymph nodes, and I knew he had cancer in the same way I know it when:

a Rottweiler limps in a certain way
a German Shepherd suddenly goes pale and weak, or
a Staffie gets a lump on the leg

November 6, 2020November 1, 2020

What Is The Best Food For Senior Cats?

Senior diet and foods for older cats are so well-established that nearly everyone uses them. But do they help?

Here are some of the claims:

Reduced strain on the kidneys
Maintenance of optimum body weight and muscle mass
Additional nutrients important for ageing

Are they correct? Could these diets be harmful instead? Let’s look at the evidence.

November 6, 2020November 18, 2020

Is My Dog At Risk Of Leptospirosis?

Updated November 18th, 2020

In the last few years, there’s been a lot of concern among dog owners about leptospirosis. And it’s no surprise. Not only is ‘lepto‘ a horrible disease, but it’s being seen in places where it never used to be.

Here you’ll find the latest information on the risk to Australian dogs and what you can do to reduce it.

October 25, 2020October 28, 2020

Dog Attacks: What To Do, How To Prevent Them

Emergency Info (details to follow):

If Your Dog Is Being Attacked

To separate dogs, try:

Water sprays or buckets
Aerosols and sprays (pepper spray is only legal in WA)
Personal duress alarm (hold buttons on each side of an iPhone down for 5 seconds)
A beach towel thrown over the aggressor’s head
Picking the aggressor up by the back legs (‘wheelbarrowing’ is dangerous and should only done by the dog’s owner)

Do not try to pull the other dog off. That’s up to their owner to do. You will get badly injured. Click here for your closest Adelaide Emergency vet.

Do not blame yourself. Often there’s nothing you can do due to the size and determination of the aggressor. You’ll probably also fail to get the owner’s details in the heat of the moment.

Now dive deeper…

October 16, 2020October 22, 2020

The Best Age To Desex A Dog: New Data For 39 Breeds

I’m going to lead you through the evidence we have for the age to desex a dog. I’m not going to give you the ‘right’ answer, but instead the tools so you can make the best decision for your dog. With the new mandatory 6-month desexing in Adelaide, this is the evidence you may need to ask your vet for a postponement.

October 9, 2020October 18, 2020

Lipomas, Fatty Tumours & Lumps Under Dogs Skin

Updated October 18th, 2020

It’s no accident that one of our most visited pages is a guide to the skin lumps of dogs. Tumours and masses cause a lot of concern to dog owners. However, with some basic knowledge, and the right action, there’s nothing to fear.

October 2, 2020October 31, 2020

Why Are Sneezing & Watery Eyes So Common In Kittens?

Updated October 31st, 2020

There’s a very good reason why so many kittens come with sneezes, runny eyes or coughs. This is true whether it’s a young kitten with continuous symptoms, or an older cat where the problem seems to get better and then come back.

Once you know it, a lot of other common cat illnesses start to make sense.

To understand what’s special about cat diseases, you need to look at how they began. So stick with me! What I’m about to discuss could be the most important health issue of cats.

September 25, 2020September 22, 2020

The Most Common & Serious Poisons Of Dogs

In 2020, the American Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) published its data on poisonings in dogs. It’s the best information we have on household dangers to our canine friends.

From a dog-owner’s perspective, it contains two important lists: the top 5 reported poisonings and the top 20 fatalities. As you’ll see, these are quite different.