HELP! | Walkerville Vet

October 15, 2021October 4, 2021

Help! My Cat Is Bumping Into Things

If we have to pick favourite diseases, mine is retinal detachment in cats. One day your cat goes suddenly blind, and the next they can see again. All thanks to a simple and low cost treatment.

However, for this to happen, you need to know what to look for, and act quickly.

October 1, 2021April 22, 2023

Help! My Dog Has Broken A Nail

You’re playing with your dog, and the next minute one of their nails is sticking out sideways.

Sometimes they’ll yelp, or limp, but other times it just looks bent or dislocated. There may even be a little bleeding. What do you do?

September 17, 2021September 22, 2021

Help! My Dog Smells Bad (9 Reasons Why)

As a vet I often get dogs brought to me because they have a bad smell. Here I’m going to lead you through every common reason for a dog to stink even after a bath.

While not all are simple to fix, after reading this you should have a good idea of what to do. I’ll rank them in rough order of frequency.

September 3, 2021September 3, 2021

Help! My Dog Has A Splenic Tumour

One of the most common tumours of dogs is haemangiosarcoma of the spleen. This is a malignant cancer of blood vessels found especially in large breeds like German Shepherds. But just because they’re common doesn’t mean that every lump on a dog’s spleen is malignant.

Many of these dogs can go on to lead a normal life with the right treatment. Others cannot be saved, and treatment could do more harm than good.

Here I’m going to help you decide what to do if a vet finds a mass in your dog’s spleen.

August 30, 2021April 6, 2023

Help! My Puppy Pees Inside Just After I’ve Taken Him Out

You spend an hour standing around on the grass and nothing happens. Then, almost as soon as you come back inside, your puppy pees in the house right in front of you!

You’ve read all the tips for toilet training. You understand the theory. So why does this happen?

There’s actually quite a simple explanation and a not-so-simple solution. Be prepared for some basic neurology!

August 6, 2021September 2, 2023

Recognise The Staring Coat: An Early Sign Of Cat Illness

If you know your cat, there’s a sign of poor health that you can spot from across the room. But you have to get your eye in first.

It’s called a staring coat.

August 3, 2021November 20, 2021

Cat With Trouble Breathing? Here’s How To Tell

One of the saddest things I see are cats with breathing difficulties. That’s because they’re almost always brought to the vet too late. In fact, by the time their owners notice, they often don’t survive the car trip.

Here I’m going to give you a very simple trick to recognise when a cat is struggling to breathe. If you do it successfully, your cat will probably be OK.

July 23, 2021July 27, 2021

Help! My Dog Ate An Almond

Try searching “can dogs eat almonds” and you’ll see dire warnings, like “7 Dangers of Almonds for Dogs” or “Why Almonds Are Bad for Dogs“.

This is absolute rubbish and internet myth-making at its worst. Why is everyone so afraid of almonds? Because they only read each others’ blogs instead of trusting evidence or experience.

It’s always safer to say ‘no’ than ‘yes’, isn’t it! Here I’ll go through each of those ‘seven ways’ and demonstrate their lack of accuracy.

And what do you know, they actually missed a real problem too.

July 23, 2021July 29, 2021

Help! My Dog Ate A Walnut

This week on our homemade diet page there is the grim spectacle of people telling other people off. One feeds their dog walnuts, and the other tells them they shouldn’t.

This debate is but a taste of what appears online. But who is correct?

Like with all internet myths, there’s a grain of truth in there. Let’s find it!

July 16, 2021July 9, 2021

Help! My Cat Has A Hairball

For such a common problem, there’s a lot we don’t know about hairballs in cats. It’s yet another example of our tendency to overlook the everyday and focus on the rare. This is to the cost of cats everywhere.

When there’s a lack of hard evidence, we only have experience to go by. So I’ll use mine to help you answer the key questions put to me by cat owners.

June 11, 2021August 28, 2022

The Three Common Injuries To Cat Tails

When a cat injures their tail, it’s usually more serious than it looks. If you don’t make the right decisions there can be long term consequences more than just pain.

Here are the three common ways cats hurt their tails, and what to do about them. Please don’t read on if you’re squeamish.

April 23, 2021April 18, 2021

How To Settle A Puppy In A New Home

This article is for settling in a puppy in the first few days after adoption. If your puppy is crying at night during these early nights, most of the advice you find online is not just unhelpful, it might even be harmful.

So let’s start with a few myths that need busting.

February 19, 2021February 19, 2024

Help! My Dog’s Has Sores On The Face

I want you to see these pictures of severe facial sores in a dog. Note especially how quickly they developed and then went away with the right treatment. This is canine eosinophilic furunculosis.

I will discuss it and other causes of lesions on the face of dogs afterwards.

October 25, 2020April 13, 2021

Dog Attacks: What To Do, How To Prevent Them

Emergency Info (details to follow):

If Your Dog Is Being Attacked

To separate dogs, try:

Water sprays or buckets
Aerosols and sprays (pepper spray is only legal in WA)
Personal duress alarm (hold buttons on each side of an iPhone down for 5 seconds)
A beach towel thrown over the aggressor
Picking the aggressor up by the back legs (wheelbarrowing) is dangerous and should only done by the dog’s owner

Do not try to pull the other dog off. That’s up to their owner to do. You will get badly injured. Click here for your closest Adelaide Emergency vet.

Do not blame yourself. Often there’s nothing you can do due to the size and determination of the aggressor. You’ll probably also fail to get the owner’s details in the heat of the moment.

Now dive deeper…

September 11, 2020November 24, 2023

How To Stop Dogs Scratching In 8 Steps

If you have an itchy dog, it gets very frustrating very quickly. Nothing seems to help for long, and everyone tells you something different. Is it the food, is it grass, is it mites?

This is an opinion piece, not a regular clinic article. I have been seeing itchy dogs for nearly 30 years and have yet to see one who cannot be helped. Here I’m going to boil down all the conflicting advice into my simple step by step approach.

September 4, 2020April 13, 2021

Help! My Dog’s Head Is Tilted To One Side

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:

a head tilted to one side
loss of balance and inability to walk
rapid eye flicking called nystagmus
even nausea and vomiting

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.

September 1, 2020April 13, 2021

Dog Baiting In Adelaide: What To Know

In 2020, Adelaide has been awash with stories of dog baits being found in parks. Just this month we had:

green pellets found in a Thebarton park
meat with pellets at Shepherds Hill
kidneys stuffed with bait on the Torrens linear park
and yesterday suspicious mince found in Bennett Reserve on North East Road (pictured)

Leaving aside the twisted motives of why anyone would do this, it’s important to understand the risks and what you can do if it happens.

August 21, 2020April 13, 2021

Help! My Cat Attacks Me Without Warning

It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so serious. Look for answers on why your cat bites or scratches you and you find people telling you it’s all about a competition for dominance.

As any genuine cat lover knows, our cats always dominate us. Most of us have enough humility to love them for it.

Stopping them biting and scratching is a whole other story with a wholly different explanation. One where aggression is just a symptom of a problem in the cat-human relationship.

June 19, 2020September 3, 2021

Causes Of Collapse In Dogs

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:

Is there muscle movement? This is common in seizures or poisonings.
Is the dog unconscious? Look for a lack of response and passing urine or faeces.
Are the eyes moving? Vestibular disease causes nystagmus or eye flicking.
Is the heart rhythm normal? Place your hand on the chest and try to feel it.
How long does it last? Fainting and airway issues usually only last for seconds.
Is recovery quick? After seizures, dogs commonly appear incoordinated for some time.
What was the dog doing beforehand? Cardiac, respiratory and thermal problems are more common after exercise.

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…

May 10, 2020April 13, 2021

Mushroom Poisoning In Dogs

Emergency facts (details below):

If A Dog Eats A Mushroom

Go to a vet immediately to have it removed
Do not wait until signs of illness appear
Wild mushrooms eaten by people are not necessarily safe in dogs, especially if uncooked

Now dive deeper…

May 1, 2020May 8, 2022

Undescended Testicles In Dogs

Quick facts (details below):

Undescended testicles must always be removed
Surgery is simple and recovery is rapid
Affected dogs should not be bred

Now dive deeper…

April 17, 2020June 3, 2021

Treatment Of Ear Infections In Dogs

Essential facts (details below):

Steps In The Treatment Of Ear Infections

Medication chosen for the type of infection
Treatment for pain and inflammation
Regular follow-up until resolution
Treatment of the underlying factors you can control

Now dive deeper…

April 10, 2020September 24, 2023

Help! My Cat Has A Bloated Stomach

Essential facts (details below):

Causes Of A Swollen Belly In Cats

There are five 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
Excessively large meals (swelling should come and go)
Feline infectious peritonitis or FIP

April 3, 2020September 3, 2021

Help! My Dog Has A Swollen Stomach

Essential facts ( details below):

When Is A Swollen Belly An Emergency?

Dogs with any of these symptoms need to be taken to a vet immediately:

Vomiting
Hard, painful abdomen
Collapse
Severe lethargy
Not eating

Now dive deeper…

April 3, 2020April 13, 2021

Help! My Cat Has Diarrhoea

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.

March 13, 2020November 28, 2020

Where To Take Wildlife In Adelaide

Quick facts (details below):

Keep the animal calm in a large, dark and quiet box
Use gloves and a towel for handling if necessary
If not possible, or for bats, call Fauna Rescue first
Take them to the nearest open vet for assessment
There will be no fees or charges

Now dive deeper…

February 15, 2020March 26, 2021

Help! My Dog Was Poisoned By A Cane Toad

First aid (details below)

If A Dog Has Cane Toad Poisoning:

Immediately clean as much toxin from the mouth as possible
Use wet cloth, paper towel or running water
Seek veterinary help for all but the mildest cases

Now dive deeper…

February 1, 2020November 28, 2020

How To Stop Your Dog Eating Poo

Try looking for answers when your dog eats their own stool and you’ll quickly see the problem. All the advice is the same.

Some top sites have literally cut and pasted the content from others, and those that haven’t appear to be just rewriting what everyone else says. The reason is simple: because no-one has all the answers.

A recent study (and the only good one) found that success rates with the sort of methods they discuss are only 1-4%. And it’s even worse if you try one of the many products being sold: 0-2%!

This fits exactly with my experience over 25 years. But it’s not hopeless! I’m going to use what I’ve learnt plus the evidence to give you practical, realistic advice. There’ll be a lot less promises, but also a lot less wasted effort.

January 22, 2020April 14, 2023

Help! My Dog Ate Xylitol

Emergency Care: Xylitol Ingestion

If a dog eats anything containing xylitol:

Get a vet to induce vomiting ASAP
If xylitol was absorbed, blood tests will be required
A glucose drip may be needed to maintain blood sugars until the xylitol is gone

Now dive deeper…

November 24, 2019May 12, 2023

How To Treat Chicken Scaly Leg Mite

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.

November 10, 2019June 30, 2022

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.

November 3, 2019February 19, 2021

Help! My Dog Has A Lump On The Face

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.

September 21, 2019November 28, 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, 2019March 21, 2021

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, 2019March 21, 2021

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!

September 13, 2019March 26, 2021

Causes Of Blood From The Nose

Nosebleeds in dogs are rare and worth taking seriously. Unlike humans, dogs almost never get an occasional harmless nosebleed. Causes include injuries, foreign bodies, infections, clotting problems and tumours.

At the end I’ll tell you how you and your vet can work out which one it is.

August 23, 2019November 28, 2020

Causes Of Shaking & Trembling 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.

August 18, 2019May 20, 2024

Overgrown Rabbit Teeth: Trimming vs Removal

Have a look at the rabbit’s teeth in the picture above. What you can see are the lower incisors coming out of the mouth and almost touching the nose. What you can’t see are the upper incisors curling inside the mouth in a similar way.

Much further and any one of them will create a painful wound and prevent eating. Horrible! Why this happens is due to a fact that surprisingly few rabbit owners know.

August 16, 2019November 29, 2024

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.

August 10, 2019November 28, 2020

Help! My Dog Has An Ear Swelling

Essential facts:

A swollen ear flap in a dog is usually a buildup of fluid
The cause is anything that causes ear irritation
Without treatment, a swollen ear flap heals badly

Now dive deeper…

August 4, 2019July 3, 2023

Causes Of Itching, Scratching & Hair Loss In Rats

Hair loss, itching and skin wounds are one of the most common and frustrating skin conditions of rats.

August 3, 2019November 28, 2020

Help! My Dog Is Scared & Aggressive At The Vet

Does your dog growl or snap at the vet? Just look at this one-star review of a decidedly one-star experience.

June 21, 2019November 28, 2020

Help! My Guinea Pig Has Mites

The most common health problem in guinea pigs is itching and scratching caused by mites. It’s a simple problem with a simple solution. However, as you’ll see, there’s also a lot of rubbish being said.

June 14, 2019December 11, 2020

Respiratory Infections In Backyard Chickens

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.

June 9, 2019November 28, 2020

Help! My Rat Has Heavy Breathing

Quick guide:

A rat with sneezing, watery eyes or wheezing should always see the vet
Once a rat develops breathing problems or gasping, it’s urgent
Rat respiratory infections are preventable and respond best to early treatment

Now dive deeper…

May 12, 2019September 3, 2021

Help! My Cat Has Dandruff

A cat with dandruff may sound funny, but it’s not. So please no Head and Shoulders jokes. In a minute you’re going to see that none of the causes are trivial.

April 14, 2019November 28, 2020