142 North East Road, Walkerville. Ph (08) 8344 2000
This isn’t just for dogs and cats in Adelaide. If you live near any city in the developed world these days, you need to know these people exist (click here for specialists in other states and countries). One day you may be very grateful.
Continue reading “List of Adelaide Vet Specialists”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ What to do
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
Before you have an emergency, it’s good to know which after hours vet is closest and how you will get there in a hurry. There are four veterinary hospitals open 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Adelaide*. We created this clickable map by comparing travel times to each one from various locations. Please use it to get directions to your nearest vet when your regular vet is closed.
Walkerville Vet is open 8am to 7:00pm weekdays and 9am to 1pm Saturdays. Vets start consulting at 9am.
Continue reading “Find An Adelaide Emergency Vet Open Late”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ What To Do
Anaesthesia free dentistry for dogs and cats is now available in most major cities in Australia, including Adelaide.
I’ll be frank. Vets are horrified by this. I want you to know enough about dental hygienic procedures so that you can see what it is that scares us.
Continue reading “Anaesthetic Free Dentistry”
What you get told: “This product also treats worms”
What you should ask: “WHICH worms??” You might be surprised by the answer.
Warning: Contains Disgusting Worm Descriptions & Pictures!
Is natural flea prevention an alternative for pets? Are there safe, non-toxic home remedies you can use to prevent or kill fleas?
I’ve listed some below and given my views on the safety and efficacy of each.
Continue reading “Natural Flea Remedies”
Every Springtime my little Loki starts to show the signs of his allergies. From then until after Christmas I have to work hard to keep him comfortable.
He’s not alone; every day we see dogs like Loki. We call this condition atopic dermatitis or atopy.
Allergies look so different in dogs that most of the time their owners aren’t aware what the problem is.
Did you see the animals in this year’s Guinness World Records? That’s two of them above.
The world’s longest living pet cat was a Maine Coon called Ludo, who is a phenomenal 118.3cm long.
The world’s tallest living female dog was a 96.4cm Great Dane.
Why do these cute facts make all vets shudder?
Continue reading “Is Breeding Bigger Better?”
I love Devon Rex cats (that’s mine above) but they aren’t good for allergies. To cats, that is. (for allergies of cats & dogs, follow this link)
My previous Devon Rex was dumped at a shelter after 18 months being locked in a room. She’d been bought on the misguided belief that she wouldn’t cause cat allergy. It took me years to get her settled after that rough start, and it could have been worse.
I’ve seen plenty of animal lovers who are allergic to their pets. It’s heartbreaking to watch. The good news is there are things you can do to help.
Continue reading “Allergy To Dogs And Cats”Follow the links for information on:
UPDATE 2018
In July, 2018 the new laws for dogs and cats came into force. You can read the details by following the link.
Although it will not be universally popular, the move towards universal desexing and microchipping of dogs and cats should produce a clear net benefit to pets and the community.
Regarding the concerns I raised below back in 2016, most have been addressed satisfactorily:
However:
Here are the top 17. There’s no such thing as a silly question!
Continue reading “The Kitten Questions You Ask Us”
Reactions to food are a major concern to many pet owners. Here’s what we know about food allergies, which foods cause most of the problems, and what you can do about it.
Continue reading “Food Allergies In Dogs And Cats”
Have you read our Guide to driving in Australia with dogs, cats or other pets? Driving isn’t for everyone and a lot of the times it isn’t very practical either. Anywhere interstate is at least 6 hours’ drive and if you’re heading to Queensland it’s many times that with overnight stopovers. Many dogs, cats & rabbits will find it very stressful.
Other options include dog boarding, catteries and pet sitting, but you want your best friend with you if possible. Have you thought of sending pets by air?
Continue reading “Plane Travel For Dogs Or Cats”
Taking the dog on a driving holiday? Needing to travel interstate with a cat? Or maybe you’re moving to Adelaide with pets. Here’s how to make travelling with dogs & cats more fun.
Below you’ll find information on Driving With Dogs & Cats.
If flying is an option, visit our page on Plane Travel For Dogs or Cats.
Continue reading “Adelaide Dog & Cat Travel”
“If a dog eats grass it means they are going to die”. Amazingly I still hear this from time to time. Usually it’s not quite that dramatic.
Dogs and cats eat grass for a variety of reasons, some good, some bad.
Continue reading “Why Do Dogs & Cats Eat Grass?”
Is pet insurance worth it? Will I get value for money? I get asked this a lot but, with respect, I think this is the wrong question.
Once you read about insurance from a vet’s point of view I hope you’ll agree.
Continue reading “Do I Really Need Pet Insurance?”
You’ve probably noticed how much we like blood tests. Every year when your dog or cat has their annual checkup or when your pet needs an anaesthetic we ask you if you want blood testing.
Is this just over-servicing or are there good reasons to check?
Continue reading “What Are Pet Blood Tests For?”
So your dog or cat has had an operation. Hopefully you found our guide to getting pets ready for surgery useful.
It’s just as important to think ahead and be prepared for their recovery. Simple mistakes can undo a lot of the good work.
Does your dog need an operation? Want to know what to do when your cat has surgery? How do you prepare rabbits or rodents for an anaesthetic?
When the time comes, here’s our guide to how to get your dog, cat, rabbit, ferret, rat or mouse ready for surgery. There’s also a guide to what to do for dogs and cats after surgery.
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Quick Care Guide
After the popularity of last week’s Genetic Diseases of Dogs, it’s only fair the cats get their own page. Information on breed disorders came from the Sydney University LIDA Cats database (no longer publicly available).
Continue reading “What Diseases Does My Cat’s Breed Get?”
Those who know us know how much we enjoy chatting about your pets. What you may not know is how useful it can be.
Here are two examples from one week last month. Just two of many.
Continue reading “Why chatting is a vet’s job too”
So, you asked your kids or partner what they want for Christmas and they said: “a puppy”. That’s awkward.
You want them to be happy but you know you shouldn’t give pets for Christmas. Maybe you even want a pet yourself. What do you do?
The answer to this moral choice is: “it’s complicated”. I’m not going to say it’s always a bad idea (later I’ll discuss how you can give pets ethically). First, though, there are some important issues with the giving of pets.
Continue reading “Can A Pet Be For Christmas AND For Life?”
What do the diseases we protect your dog from actually look like?
Click here to see vaccination protocols for dogs or continue reading to learn about these important illnesses.
Continue reading “Explained: Parvo, Distemper, Hepatitis & Kennel Cough”
There’s something no-one in the cat food industry wants to talk about. Up to now, neither have I. It’s not quite a secret but it’s certainly an unpleasant truth we like to avoid.
It’s about the amount of carbohydrate in cat diets.
Continue reading “Whats wrong with cat diets?”
I’ve seen two new patients this week that made me mad. Not because of anything the owners or patients said, but the advice they received.
“He’s too old to have an anaesthetic. It’s too dangerous.”
Continue reading “Dog and cat anaesthetic safety”
We get asked every day to clip dog and cat nails. We’re happy to do it, but we’re also aware that sometimes it’s best to say no. Other times, it’s an absolute must, but must be done perfectly.
Even after all these years nail clipping remains one of the most difficult jobs I do. You can do it but here are some things we want you to know first.
Continue reading “Clipping dogs and cats nails”
Cleaning a cat’s teeth? ARGGH. Before you throw your hands up in horror, here’s a secret: it’s easier than dogs! You just need to know how. Here we will tell you what you can do for dental care in cats.
Continue reading “Cleaning cats teeth”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
I get asked all the time if dogs and cats have good memories. You might be surprised by what I think.
We really want to know:
I’ve spent the last month introducing my new kitten Grendel to our dogs. Let me tell you, it’s not easy.
Most of us love having dogs and cats in our lives. This means we often expect these two different species to get along. It doesn’t happen automatically and if it’s not handled well it can end very badly. Here are some key points to remember.
Continue reading “How To Introduce A Cat To Dogs”
If you want to feed treats to your dog or cat it’s important to know how to find safe and healthy options. Below are treat ideas using Jerky | Fruit & Veges | Raw Bones | Commercial & | Homemade Treats from us and thanks to our Facebook community.
Continue reading “Healthy Treats for Dogs and Cats”
Sometimes cats don’t drink enough, and we worry. Sometimes they drink too much and we worry more! Cats’ drinking habits give us more worries than almost anything else.
Why is it so hard to know?:
Pets are generally good for your health, both physical and mental. If pets were dangerous to be around, I suspect we wouldn’t have got so in love with them in the first place. But there are a few diseases you should know about just to be sure…
Continue reading “What can I catch from my pets?”
I received this lovely message the other day from some clients who moved with their cats to Europe.
I remember seeing their two cats for the first time. I was told one of the cats was ferocious and required sedation to examine. I finished examining the easier cat, gave him his shots and put him back and said, “OK, now for the difficult patient”.
The owner says, “That was the one you just did.” There was a mix up and I had got the names muddled. It could have ended so badly.
Continue reading “Myth 31: You can hold a cat by the scruff of the neck”
Why are so many ginger cats male? What are the odds a ginger cat can be female?
Continue reading “Myth 30: Ginger cats are always male”In the 1990’s something weird was happening to cats in Adelaide. It may have been happening sooner but it was certainly in full swing when I graduated in 1994. It was dramatic and awful, and we really couldn’t explain it at the time.
Continue reading “Does my cat need heartworm prevention?”Choosing the right place to board your cat is more important than you think. Twice in the past week we’ve seen cats get sick after being in boarding. We also seen cats lose weight and have anxiety problems which could have been avoided if their owners knew what to look for when choosing.
If you’d rather just see our recommended catteries, click here.
Continue reading “How To Find A Good Cat Boarding Cattery”
Here I go again! Another unbearably cute puppy picture in the paper and all I can do is complain!
There’s no question that adorable images of a Shar Pei puppy and a Scottish Fold kitten from the Adelaide Advertiser melt the heart. So why do most vets see something different when we look at these pictures?
Continue reading “Myth 23: Choosing a cute pet is harmless”After my cranky rant in the recent blog Feeding Stray Cats here is the uplifting and inspirational story of a local college being a genuine role model in the care of their stray cats.
Continue reading “Cat welfare disaster to happy felines”
It all starts innocently enough, An unknown cat starts hanging around the house and looks like she doesn’t have a home. So the householder starts to worry that she’s hungry, and puts out some cat food for her. The next thing she’s hanging around every day and sometimes even coming in the house. Before too long she can always be found somewhere around the yard.
So what’s wrong with this?
Continue reading “What’s Wrong With Feeding Stray Cats?”Many of our cat-owning clients will already know how much we hate the name ‘cat flu’. The name comes from a time when we didn’t fully understand what these viruses were. These are serious diseases with often lifelong consequences for the infected cat. Here are the stories of four such cats: Felix, Sooty, Princess and Twitch.
Continue reading “The Unusual & Severe Effects Of Cat Flu”