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Convenia® is the most widely used antibiotic in Australian cats. Yet despite it having major problems no owner has ever questioned my decision to use it. Hopefully after this you will.
After all, part of the reason vets use it so much is because we think you want us to.
Continue reading “Why The Most ‘Convenia-nt’ Antibiotic May Be The Wrong One For Cats”
Canine ehrlichiosis is cause for considerable alarm for the millions of dog owners around the country.
ABC News 27/1/2021
The arrival of Ehrlichia in Australia has been devastating for some remote dog communities. However, there is no reason to panic, and prevention is easy.
Here I’m going to help Australian dog owners to understand the risks, and know how to easily prevent it.
Continue reading “The Outbreak Of Ehrlichia In Australian Dogs”
In the last few years, there has been a lot of concern among dog owners about leptospirosis. Not only is lepto a horrible disease, but vets now see it in places where it never used to be.
Here you can find the latest information on the risk to Australian dogs and what you can do to reduce it.
Continue reading “Is My Dog At Risk Of Leptospirosis?”
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 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.
Continue reading “Treatment with Remdesivir for FIP in Cats”
There is a very good reason why so many kittens come with sneezes, runny eyes or coughs. This is true whether 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 the special nature of 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.
Continue reading “The Cause Of Sneezing & Watery Eyes In Kittens”
Look at these numbers. It shows the percentage of vaccinated cats at our Adelaide clinic that also receive the FIV vaccine.
Continue reading “Trends In Australians Keeping Cats Indoors”
Any disease that can jump from pets to people is famous, and toxoplasmosis is no exception. But that does not mean everyone understands how it works.
Like how many cats get it and how they pass it on. Or how to stay safe, especially if you are pregnant. And the disease itself in cats and dogs. We cover all these here.
Continue reading “Toxoplasmosis In Cats, Dogs & Humans”
Much has been said about a recent false positive test for COVID-19 in Australia. What is missing from the conversation is how normal this can be. Test accuracy is an everyday problem for all health professionals.
If you understand why that is you will be much better equipped to talk to your vet about any tests on your pet.
Continue reading “When Blood & Virus Tests Aren’t Accurate”
Essential facts (details below):
There are five likely causes for an enlarged abdomen in a young cat:
There is a good reason why I had written 500 pet health articles before broaching the subject of diarrhoea in cats. It can be extremely frustrating. There is also a lack of good quality information for cat owners.
First a description, then a logical treatment plan.
Continue reading “Help! My Cat Has Diarrhoea”
Find the facts below about dogs and cats and coronavirus COVID-19. Keep checking this page for updates on the situation.
Vets across Australia are open as normal. Walkerville Vet requests that clients:
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Your Dog or Cat & Coronavirus COVID-19”
News Flash: Since writing this, there have been increasing reports of feline parvovirus outbreaks in the northern suburbs of Adelaide.
A few years ago I started getting questions about a new cat viral outbreak called cat plague. Cat plague? I may have been seeing cats for 25 years, but this was news to me too.
A quick google and it all became clear: this is a new name for an old disease. It goes by all these names:
Continue reading “It’s True, Cats Get Parvo Too”
There’s just one common cause of a lump on a cat’s face. Have a look at the picture above. I hope you can see that the left cheek isn’t chubby, it’s swollen. This is an abscess and it needs veterinary attention.
Continue reading “Facial Swelling In Cats”
Have a look at the picture above. You could be forgiven for thinking that Barlie’s gums are just the result of a good chew on a bone. But hang on: why are there red spots a long way from the gumline and even on the tongue?
The answer is a disease you won’t easily find if you look up the causes of bleeding gums in dogs. Even though what Barlie had could have killed her.
Continue reading “5 Causes Of Bleeding Gums In Dogs”
Here are the most common reasons why a cat might sneeze. As nearly every one is associated with a runny nose, there’s also a description of the nasal discharge that goes with it.
For each, there’s a suggestion of the best treatment.
Continue reading “Causes Of Sneezing In Cats”
Does your dog do this? When mine gets excited or playful he starts sneezing.
Sneezing during play isn’t well understood, but it’s clearly one of the least serious causes of sneezing in dogs.
I’ll take you through the other common reasons, from minor to major. As nearly every one is associated with a runny nose, I’ll also describe the nasal discharge that goes with it.
By the time you make it to the end, you’ll be an expert!
Continue reading “Causes Of Sneezing In Dogs” Feline infectious peritonitis or FIP is probably the number one fatal viral disease of young cats around the world. Up to now FIP has had no effective treatments and no vaccine.
Now there is real hope of a successful treatment. I’ll explain it below after dismissing a few false hopes.
Continue reading “New Treatments For FIP In Cats”
The photo above shows the typical appearance of a lump on a rabbit. Just like this one, most rabbit lumps are found on the head or neck.
There’s only one common cause, and you need to know what it is.
Continue reading “Help! My Rabbit Has A Lump”
When I was young, like all kids, I wanted to know why everything happened. Having vets as parents, I can distinctly remember asking why male cats needed to be desexed.
“It’s because otherwise they fight so much that they get run down and die early.”
With the benefit of hindsight, this is pure folk wisdom. People could see that fighting was associated with sickness, but not yet why. Then, in 1986, hot on the heels of the discovery of the human AIDS virus, researchers in the USA put two and two together and found a feline AIDS virus in cats like these. We call it FIV.
Continue reading “Feline Immunodeficiency Virus & Your Cat”
Are you thinking of getting a puppy from a pet shop?
Or do you wonder if it’s OK to buy a puppy from a pet shop.
Or does your pet store puppy have the any of following symptoms?
Then you need to read this.
Continue reading “Giardia Infections In Pet Shop Puppies”
What if I told you that your backyard chickens are carrying a respiratory illness? Even if they look perfectly fine. You’d have every right to be offended.
Well the truth is that most flocks carry more than one disease, and yet many never seem to have a problem. You’re about to find out why. You’re also going to learn what to do when one breaks out.
Continue reading “Respiratory Infections In Backyard Chickens”
Quick guide:
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Help! My Rat Has Heavy Breathing”
(Quick guide) When your dog has a cough:
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Help! My Dog Is Coughing & Gagging”
Does titre testing mean dogs and cats need a lot less vaccination? That’s certainly what you read online.
The truth is more complicated than that.
Continue reading “Titre Testing vs Vaccination”
For a variety of reasons, lip and mouth problems are common in both kittens and cats. Most are easy to fix, but beware: they are hard to tell apart and some are extremely serious. Here are the essential facts for cat owners.
Continue reading “Lip Sores & Mouth Ulcers In Cats”What do the diseases we protect your cat from actually look like?
Click here to see vaccination protocols for cats or continue reading to learn about these important illnesses.
Continue reading “Explained: Cat Flu, Feline Enteritis & FIV”
Vomiting can be a symptom of a wide variety of illnesses in cats, many of which are featured in this article. Vomiting can also be normal, so let’s start by deciding when to go to the vet.
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’
‘Emergency Care’ (details below)
If in doubt, see a vet immediately. True choking is often fatal. No vet will criticise you for being careful, even if there is nothing wrong.
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Reverse Sneezing in Dogs”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
It’s especially important to see a vet straight away for:
UPDATE: We are glad to inform you that our standard Nobivac DHP vaccine has been proven to protect against strain CPV-2c. See more below.
Every dog owner’s worst nightmare is Parvovirus. This week the detection of a new strain in Australia was announced. Although there’s no reason to panic, here’s what vets and dog owners need to know.
Continue reading “The New Parvovirus Strain In Australian Dogs”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
UPDATE 2018
In early March 2017, the new K5 strain of calicivirus is planned to be released at 600 sites across Australia and 45 in South Australia. Here’s what pet rabbit owners need to know.
Continue reading “K5 Rabbit Calicivirus” Update 2018:
To those who love rabbits it’s been a tough few years.
On the 24th of February, 2016 we were notified that the new strain of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus called RHDV2 had reached South Australia and was causing deaths around Adelaide.
We posted an alert on our Facebook page, and only then did the true horror of what was happening become clear.
Continue reading “Update On The Rabbit Calicivirus Outbreak”
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”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” 
The most common bleeding disorder in dogs after rodenticide poisoning is a low platelet count.
Platelets are the small darkly stained blobs in this blood smear (the larger ones are red blood cells). They don’t look like much but they perform an essential function.
Continue reading “Thrombocytopenia or Low Platelets in Dogs”