WE ARE CLOSED until 8am Tuesday. 142 North East Road, Walkerville. Ph (08) 8344 2000
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”
My ear is always on the dog park and recently I heard something intriguing. The owner of a blue French Bulldog told me she had several people come up to give her the same unsolicited advice:
Continue reading “The Link Between Coat Colour & Skin Problems In Dogs”Blue dogs have lots of skin problems
The owner of a limping Greyhound surprised me recently by asking about bone cancer. She had heard it was quite common in the breed.
At the time, I did not think that the data showed an increased risk, and said so. How wrong I was. But first, here is a quick refresher of the problem.
Continue reading “The Rate Of Bone Cancer In Greyhounds”
Emergency facts (details below):
When a dog suddenly falls over or cannot use their back legs, it is usually an emergency. You should travel to a vet.
On the way, take a video if you can. Here are some things to look for:
Cardiac arrest is an extremely uncommon cause, and therefore it is not recommended to try CPR. You will see that most causes either recover by themselves or require treatment that only a vet can give.
Now let’s dive deeper into each of these causes…
Continue reading “Causes Of Collapse In Dogs”
There is a lot of confusion about when dogs need their nails trimmed. On any given day, I will see at least one dog needing clipping that is not getting it, and another I am asked to clip that should not be done.
Here I am going to help you know when dog nails are too long, and most importantly, when they are not. Because it matters.
Continue reading “When Do Dogs Need Their Nails Clipped?”
Australian vets have seen a steady rise in pets being insured. However, up to now, that has not been matched by any increase in choice. Now we have a third entrant.
But you say, what about all these other pet insurance companies?
Continue reading “A Review Of Knose Dog & Cat Insurance”
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”
I was a young vet only a few months out of university when I saw my first aortic or arterial thromboembolism (ATE). This is a horrible disease of cats caused by a saddle thrombus: a blood clot released from the heart that is ejected down the aorta and blocks it near the hind legs.
Continue reading “Saddle Thrombus in Cats: Evidence vs Experience”
Emergency facts (details below):
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Mushroom Poisoning In Dogs”Tumours of the anal glands are common in dogs, especially from middle age. Here is a summary of the signs, treatment and prognosis that should in no way replace the opinion of your trusted vet.
Continue reading “Anal Sac Adenocarcinoma in Dogs”
Quick facts (details below):
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Undescended Testicles In Dogs”
Essential facts (details below):
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Treatment Of Ear Infections In Dogs”
If you research home remedies for ear infections you’ll find all these choices…
The reason there is so much interest in home remedies is simple: dog ear infections can be extremely frustrating. They are common, they keep coming back and they can get very expensive. That’s without even mentioning the discomfort they bring to dogs.
I’m here to tell you that you can stop ear infections. But it’s never easy.
Continue reading “Can You Treat A Dog’s Ear Infection Naturally?”
Essential facts (details below):
There are five likely causes for an enlarged abdomen in a young cat:
If your dog suffers from ear infections, then you need to know why they happen. And especially why they keep coming back.
I won’t dumb this down. I will do my best to keep it simple, but the reality of how ear infections happen is complex.
Please stick at it! What comes next may be hard going, but those who reach the end will know more than many professionals. They will also have a clear idea of why some treatments don’t work.
Continue reading “Why Dogs Get Ear Infections”
Essential facts ( details below):
Dogs with any of these symptoms need to be taken to a vet immediately:
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Help! My Dog Has A Swollen Stomach”
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”
Everyone knows that having an overweight dog is bad. But how bad?
Twenty years ago, Purina demonstrated a two year reduction in lifespan in Labradors kept in a laboratory setting. Now a recent large study in the US has for the first time looked at common dog breeds in the home environment.
Here is what they found, in graphic form.
Continue reading “Which Overweight Dogs Have Shorter Lives?”
Here you will find a checklist of suggested experiences for Australian puppies before 14 weeks of age. By following our advice, your puppy should grow to be a less fearful and happier adult dog.
Limited puppy preschool places are also available at our clinic on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Continue reading “A Socialisation Checklist For The Aussie Puppy”Every time I attend a conference, the lectures on immune‐mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) are among the best attended. This is because almost no other common disease of dogs makes vets feel so powerless.
This page is a summary of two recent consensus statements from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. It puts together the best of what we know into one guideline on diagnosis and treatment. Most importantly, it’s written in a way that dog owners can understand.
Continue reading “Immune‐Mediated Haemolytic Anaemia in Dogs”
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”
Quick facts (details below):
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Where To Take Wildlife In Adelaide”So your dog has had diarrhoea for more than two weeks, and you have ruled out all the more common causes of diarrhoea found here.
A basal cortisol level has even been done to rule out the 4% of these dogs that have Addisons disease.
What do you do now?
The answer is to consider the possibility that your dog has chronic enteropathy, or CE. This is a poorly understood group of related disorders that often respond to dietary, antibiotic or immunosuppressive treatment. Sometimes the solution is more than one of these approaches.
Continue reading “Chronic Diarrhoea In Dogs”
The use of Atopica® for dermatitis is a tale of two very different species: dogs and cats. What was once a very useful drug in dogs has turned into an essential part of treating skin diseases in cats.
Now I use it far more in cats than dogs. Keep reading on to see why.
Continue reading “Using Cyclosporine In Dogs & Cats”
Laser therapy for dogs is now something that I get asked about regularly. It offers treatment for problems that are very frustrating to both dogs and owners. These are conditions like:
But does it work? Is this relief for suffering dogs or just another false hope?
Continue reading “Does Laser Therapy For Dogs Really Work?”“Unfortunately, there are people out there who don’t like cats — hate cats — and too often we see what happens to cats when they are trapped by these sorts of people.” RSPCA South Australia chief executive Paul Stevenson
“A law like this would give the worst elements of society Carte Blanche to abuse their neighbours’ pets” Brian May (guitarist in Queen)
Why are these two so worried?
New cat curfew laws proposed by Marion Council will allow the trapping of any cat found off the property from 9pm to 7am. Not just by council staff either. By anyone at all.
Continue reading “Do We Really Want To Live In A Society That Traps Cats?”
Has your vet asked you to collect a urine sample from your pet? Don’t despair! I’ve been guiding people through it for 25 years and no-one has failed yet.
Before we start, it might help to know why a pee sample can be important.
Continue reading “How To Get Urine From Dogs & Cats”Does your dog show any of the following signs?
Then you’re in the right place. Here you’ll find a lit of the possible causes.
Continue reading “Causes Of Ataxia & Weak Back Legs In Dogs”
A few years ago, a sales rep for one of the major dog food companies came to me. The serious expression told me that there was something wrong.
“Andrew, you’re not making enough senior dog food sales.”
This wasn’t a surprise to me. Instead I said what I always say: “bring me the evidence that senior diets improve the health of dogs and I’ll use them.”
See also: Do Cats Need Senior Foods?
Continue reading “Do Dogs Need Senior or Mature Foods?”Old dogs commonly develop a form of dementia we call Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome. I’ve written about the signs of CDS and its treatment elsewhere.
Here I want to update you on the latest evidence about foods and dietary supplements that might benefit dogs with CDS. I’ll discuss each ingredient first and then the foods that might contain them.
Continue reading “Foods & Supplements For Dogs With CDS”
Is there any other drug that can be all of these?
Love it or hate it, prednisolone is the most misunderstood drug in veterinary medicine. Its uses and side effects are too varied and complex to understand easily. Here I’ll help you to get informed.
Prednisolone is a steroid hormone. Even just that fact is confusing enough.
Continue reading “Prednisolone Use In Dogs & Cats”
If you have an itchy dog, then you know how hard it can be. What would you say then if you were told that one of the most effective treatments is sometimes not offered to you? Or that other times it should never have been used.
Prednisolone is a problematic drug, and I understand why vets avoid it, but sometimes it’s just what’s needed. Amber, who’s pictured above is a perfect example.
Continue reading “Should My Itchy Dog Get Prednisolone?”
News Flash: Since writing this, there have been increasing reports of feline parvovirus outbreaks in the northern suburbs of Adelaide. The disease appears on the comeback as vaccination rates decline.
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”
First aid (details below)
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Help! My Dog Was Poisoned By A Cane Toad”
Dante is an all-too-familiar story. I saw him recently for vaccination and immediately noticed the scar on his leg. What happened? He was running and broke his leg.
If this happens to your dog, here’s a quick first aid tip: carefully put the lower leg into a roughly normal position, wrap it in a t-shirt until it’s a thick roll and then sticky tape it. If you can’t do this, just keep your dog as quiet as possible. This will stop possible damage to soft tissues caused by excessive motion across the fracture site. Then go straight to a vet.
Leg fractures in Italian Greyhounds are common. If you’re looking to buy a puppy, or take out insurance you might well ask, “yes, but how common?” The answer may affect what you do next.
Continue reading “Broken Legs In Italian Greyhounds” I have no idea how most cat owners end up choosing a cat litter. If my experiences are anything to go by, it’s trial and error. I doubt they try more than a few before settling on a favourite.
This is a vet review of the common and popular types of cat litter in stores. I’ll help you understand:
Dog owners now have at least eight choices for treating and preventing paralysis ticks on dogs. The following represents my personal opinion on which ones are better.
Click here to find out more about paralysis ticks and whether you need tick prevention. However, the best way to know if you live in a tick area is to ask your local vet!
I travelled to just such a tick area. In 2020 I asked each person at Acacia Avenue Dog Park in Newcastle which tick treatment they were using. Here are their answers:
Continue reading “What Is The Best Paralysis Tick Prevention?”
If a dog eats anything containing xylitol:
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Help! My Dog Ate Xylitol”
I see every day how hard it is to find the right way to stop dogs pulling on the leash. There are too many traps and too little good advice.
For these dogs, an appropriate restraint needs to be more than just comfortable and secure; it has to also be effective. So I put the question out to a select group of professional dog trainers.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Way To Stop A Dog Pulling?”
A normal chicken’s leg is a thing of wonder: shiny, evenly spaced scales completely cover the leg and top of the foot, giving you the unmistakable reminder that chooks are really little pet dinosaurs.
You know a normal leg when you see one, but it’s harder to notice when it’s not. Scaly leg in chickens often goes unrecognised in flocks until it either gets bad, or you end up at the vet for another reason.
Continue reading “How To Treat Chicken Scaly Leg Mite”
Have you heard this? The hair of double coated dog breeds doesn’t grow back properly after being shaved.
Continue reading “Can All Dog Breeds Have Summer Haircuts?”
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”
Dogs can get all kinds of lumps and bumps, some serious, some not. That’s why I’ve previously written a guide to dog skin lumps with pictures. Just click on the picture to visit.
However, there’s one very particular swelling that I haven’t talked about even though it’s important, common and easy to recognise.
It’s the tooth root abscess.
Continue reading “Help! My Dog Has A Lump On The Face”
Do you have a dog that has a thyroid problem? Or have you started to suspect a low thyroid level could be making your dog sick? Then there’s something you need to know: hypothyroidism is the most poorly diagnosed hormonal disease of dogs.
Continue reading “Hypothyroidism In Dogs: The Diagnosis Problem”
Warning: this post contains descriptions of animal cruelty.
Images of racehorses being slaughtered at abattoirs have put the racing industry in the spotlight. And rightly so. But there’s also a connection that’s much closer to home.
Continue reading “Does Pet Food Contain Horse Meat?”
If you look up the causes of eye discharge in dogs, there’s almost always one missing. That wouldn’t be such a problem if what’s missing wasn’t also the most common cause in puppies.
Continue reading “Causes Of Eye Discharge In Puppies”
If you own a Dachshund, you probably already know about IVDD.
Intervertebral Disc Disease affects around 20% of Dachies over their lives. All of them will experience severe pain. Many are permanently disabled and some even die as a result of irreversible and severe spinal damage.
Visit our page on IVDD if you want to read more. Here I want to talk about some new knowledge of a way to reduce the risk of it happening.
Continue reading “The Best Age To Neuter A Dachshund”
Let me say this at the outset. I won’t treat your pet any differently whether you get pet insurance or not. What matters is that you get the information you need to make an informed decision.
So when Choice gave its ‘Shonky’ award to all pet insurance my first thought was, “that doesn’t ring true.” I get to talk to clients about their pet insurance every day. The experiences they describe go all the way from great to terrible and everything in between. Not just terrible.
It struck me that Choice’s view of pet insurance is from the outside. They’re not wrong (I’ll go through their statements below) but I think there are things that only users understand.
Continue reading “Is Pet Insurance Worth It?”This document is critiqued in the article on whether luteinizing hormone is harmful after neutering. At the time of writing it was publicly available on the Virbac website; it has since been taken down.
Have you ever wondered why vets recommend one drug over another?
We’ve usually researched it ourselves.
Or we have a wealth of first-hand experience.
However, sometimes the health claims are just too complex to easily assess. That’s when we might trust the company data. But how many vets have the time to double check what they say?
I’ve made a reputation as a ‘difficult’ customer, and I know I’m not alone. That’s because there’s often more than one way to look at the same data. Here’s just one example from the past week: a good product sold by nice people.
Just possibly pushed too far.
Continue reading “Fact Check: Do LH Levels After Desexing Affect Health?”