Infectious disease – Walkerville Vet

March 20, 2020March 31, 2020

Help! My Cat Has Diarrhoea

There’s a good reason why I’d written 500 pet health articles before broaching the subject of diarrhoea in cats. When it isn’t easy to treat it can be extremely frustrating. There’s also a lack of good quality information for cat owners.

First let’s define the problem, and then discuss a logical treatment plan.

March 20, 2020April 3, 2020

Help! My Cat Has A Bloated Stomach

Essential facts (details below):

Causes Of A Swollen Belly In Cats

There are only four likely causes for an enlarged abdomen in a young cat:

Intestinal worms, especially in untreated kittens up to three months of age
Pregnancy, in undesexed, free-roaming female cats
Abdominal fat deposition, which is usually easy to identify
Feline infectious peritonitis or FIP

However, only one of these is common in cats brought to the vet. It’s FIP.

March 17, 2020April 4, 2020

Your Dog or Cat & Coronavirus COVID-19

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:

Maintain 1.5m from staff and other clients (nurses will hold your pet for examinations)
Do not pay with cash
Not attend the clinic if in isolation or even mildly unwell
Wait on the front lawn if there are 6 or more people in the waiting room
Come to the clinic alone whenever possible, and without children

Now dive deeper…

February 16, 2020March 29, 2020

It’s True, Cats Get Parvo Too

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:

November 10, 2019November 10, 2019

Facial Swelling In Cats

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.

September 21, 2019April 3, 2020

5 Causes Of Bleeding Gums In Dogs

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.

September 21, 2019April 3, 2020

Causes Of Sneezing In Cats

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.

September 14, 2019April 3, 2020

Causes Of Sneezing In Dogs

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!

August 24, 2019April 3, 2020

New Treatments For FIP In Cats

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.

August 16, 2019April 3, 2020

Help! My Rabbit Has A Lump

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.