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Possibly the most frustrating disease of cats is stomatitis. It can cause terrible suffering, and for a third of affected cats, nothing seems to work well. For the other two thirds, the only good option is an extreme one.
New treatments have made the control of stomatitis within the reach of more cats, and we may be on the cusp of even greater things.
Continue reading “Gingivitis & Stomatitis In Cats”
Owners of dogs with chronic pain are increasingly asking me two questions:
Some dogs you never forget. They are the ones you know you failed. Like Holly.
She came to me late one night for vestibular disease. And she certainly had all the classic signs:
It had been happening for two years, on and off, and she needed more of her medication. Except she really needed a whole lot more than that.
Continue reading “Help! My Dog’s Head Is Tilted To One Side”
Here I want to show you, using the latest best practice guidelines, when a tooth should be extracted (never pulled), and what your choices are.
Sometimes when a tooth needs removal, there is plenty of time to explain why. However, most of the time, you get a hurried phone call while your dog or cat is asleep. There really is nothing you can do but trust your vet.
Continue reading “When Should A Dog Or Cat’s Tooth Be Extracted?”
The tooth pictured here is fractured. Ignore the black gums, which are normal in dogs, and focus on the dental probe which is in the exposed (and dead) pulp cavity. This tooth is infected and needs removal.
It’s stressful knowing a dog or cat might lose teeth. The main worry is “how will they eat?” When it happens it is never as bad as feared.
Continue reading “Tooth Extractions In Dogs & Cats: Recovery & Cost”
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”
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”
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?”
Remember Fred? Not long ago I told you how he was stolen and recovered 18 months later. This is the story of what happened next.
His path led to a specialist and a procedure called TECA that increasing numbers of dogs are getting. If you have a dog prone to ear infections, you should read this. Not just so you know it’s there if you need it, but also so you can avoid it.
Continue reading “Total Ear Canal Ablation in Dogs”
One night my own dog started shaking and shivering uncontrollably. Several frantic minutes went by. Was it a poison, was he unwell? The reasons why dogs tremble and shake go from simple to serious.
A minute later he squatted, passed a huge puddle of urine on the floor and the shaking stopped. He was busting to go to the toilet, and no-one realised. We all felt a bit silly, but that’s how hard it is.
Continue reading “Causes Of Shaking & Trembling in Dogs”
I must admit there’s a time when I’m tempted not to tell you what I’m thinking. It’s when I see an older large breed dog with an unexplained limp.
It’s all very well if I find a torn cruciate or an arthritic joint. Those are quite straightforward. For the rest, I honestly can’t get x-rays fast enough.
The fear of bone cancer is always lurking.
Continue reading “Osteosarcoma In Dogs”
You’re about to see what happens when a pet species isn’t big business.
Our page on treating arthritis in dogs shows you lots of choices.
Our page on treating arthritis in cats shows you a few choices.
There is no registered treatment for arthritis in rabbits.
The poor kitties. Arthritis in cats is a disease that manages to be severe, unseen, unresearched and very common all at the same time.
Continue reading “What Can I Give My Cat For Arthritis?”
There is no animal treatment that provokes more debate than arthritis medication. The sheer number of treatments on offer is bewildering. Why??
Continue reading “What Can I Give My Dog For Arthritis?”
‘At a glance’ (details below)
Now dive deeper…
Continue reading “Help! My Dog Yelps & Shakes For No Reason”
You’ve got a dog needing treatment and you’ve even got some of your own meds nearby. Can you use them?
The use of non-veterinary drugs is a common question from pet owners. When is it a good idea to give your dog human medications? Sometimes, surprisingly, it is. Just not that often.*
Continue reading “What Human Drugs Are Safe For Dogs?”
This isn’t just a catalog of limping dogs. By knowing the leg problems that dogs get you have a better chance of preventing some, identifying others and taking them all seriously.
I’ve gone back through our records, found the top 20 with pictures. The list below is sorted into ‘puppy’, ‘adult’ and ‘common’ problems. Visit this page to see which problems happen in the front or back legs and how to tell which leg is sore.
Continue reading “Help! My Dog Is Limping”Follow the links for information on:
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.
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”
Do you have a friend with ‘cat breath’ or ‘dog breath’? We joke about it, sometimes tell them off for it, perhaps even suspect them of eating something foul.
The truth is that bad breath doesn’t come from the stomach and it isn’t just from the food. Instead it’s often the only sign of a painful dental problem.Thankfully, more and more owners now bring their pets in just because their breath smells bad.
Continue reading “What Causes Bad Breath?”In our daily work the problems we see cry out to be publicised so we can warn others. The joy of writing these blogs is that these articles sometimes seem to write themselves based on what we are seeing and doing. There is no better example than this week’s. It might almost seem amusing to read these stories, but the results can be severe and lifelong.
Continue reading “Myth 8: My dog knows when to stop”Update: this was one of my first blogs, and still one of the most important. Now you can also visit our pages on treating arthritis or pain in cats or dogs.
My dog will cry if he is in pain or,
My cat will tell me if she has painful joints; and so on….
That is, a pet owner can tell when a pet is in pain.
Continue reading “How To Know If A Cat Is In Pain”