142 North East Road, Walkerville. Ph (08) 8344 2000
Looks don’t matter. I don’t mean that in a ‘politically correct’, ‘we shouldn’t be so superficial’ kind of way. I mean it quite literally: looks don’t matter to you.
How can I say that? It’s obvious that some animals are cuter and more adorable than other ones. A cute kitty gets through my defences every time and I’m always baby talking to puppies.
Continue reading “The One Thing Every Vet Wants You To Know”
The advice you are getting is wrong. I’m to blame as much as anyone else. For years I’ve been blithely telling people how easy it will be. It was a friend of mine who first said, “Andrew, it was nothing like you showed me,” Then my own cat showed me, big time.
Continue reading “Giving Cats Tablets (Or Ointment)”
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”
For many dogs, the highlight of their day is a game of fetch with the ball. Who can resist? You’d have to have a heart like a stone to say no. Or, like me, to know too much.
Stay with me while I show you five ways that tennis balls were made in the devil’s workshop. Afterwards, I’ll tell you how your dog can still have that fun without the risk.
Continue reading “Why Vets Hate Tennis Balls”
Have you heard? Dr Chris Brown is stepping down from the Bondi Vet. The producers are asking pet owners to nominate their favourite vet for his replacement. What a great opportunity for you to do something about what I see as a great problem.
So here we are, in possibly the most female dominated of all the professions, yet all the major celebrity vets are male. Why?
Continue reading “Where Are All The Female Vets?”
This might come as a shock to all the dog owners feeding raw bones. Vets are starting to advise owners not to do it.
To find out why this is happening, we need to dive into the debate over bone safety.
Continue reading “Are Bones Safe For Dogs?”Thanks to my big mouth I was in trouble from the outset. As a litter of five 10kg puppies were brought in by the scruffs of their necks, all I had to do was shut up.
Continue reading “Why Banning Dog Breeds Doesn’t Work”Ever wondered how much it costs to keep different dog breeds?
Recently I saw a very unfortunate case. The dog was barely 12 months old and had already had LOTS of vet visits. The owners were at their wits end both emotionally and financially. It didn’t help when I said; ” That’s not uncommon for the breed”.
“How were we supposed to know?” they said. I had to agree there wasn’t an easy way. There should be.
Continue reading “How Much Do Dog Breeds Cost To Keep?”
Most people can tell if a dog or cat is sick. It’s not too hard with ferrets either. All of these are predator species and have no reason to hide their illnesses.
Then there are the prey species, like rabbits, guinea pigs and birds. They deliberately hide signs of illness. They even pretend to eat! Most of the time what looks like ‘sudden death’ or a ‘heart attack’ is really the end of a long, slow illness we couldn’t see.
The good news is that you can tell. Here’s what to look for:
Continue reading “How To Tell If Your Chicken Is Healthy”
UPDATE Feb 2022- Myxomatosis is back once again in Adelaide. Please read on and let us know in the comments below if your rabbit becomes infected.
Myxomatosis is a serious and common disease of pet rabbits in Adelaide. We’ve put together this information for rabbit owners about preventing and treating myxomatosis.
What if common treatments recommended by your vet are causing deaths in dogs and cats?
‘Does Bravecto Kill Dogs?’ is a popular Facebook group with over 25,000 members dedicated to fighting the use of the popular 3-monthly flea control.
Continue reading “Does Bravecto Kill Dogs?”
When I wrote an article about reducing the risk of dogs biting children I avoided discussing the elephant in the room. It’s time to face facts.
The truth is that all dog breeds are not the same around kids. You know it, I know it, but it’s hard to talk about without offending dog owners. However, if I don’t create a list of good dogs with kids, where will responsible parents in Adelaide find that information?
Continue reading “20 Good Family Dog Breeds For Kids”
Sam and Jesse are these two charming Cavaliers. The decision their owners made is the same one many dog owners face. I went through it three years ago.
However, it isn’t always a good idea…
Continue reading “Should I Get A Second Dog?”UPDATE 2018
In July, 2018 the new laws for dogs and cats came into force. You can read the details by following the link.
Although it will not be universally popular, the move towards universal desexing and microchipping of dogs and cats should produce a clear net benefit to pets and the community.
Regarding the concerns I raised below back in 2016, most have been addressed satisfactorily:
However:
Here’s our list of all the fully fenced off leash dog parks in Adelaide. There’s a map at the start showing where each dog park is. Please also visit:
Continue reading “48 Adelaide Dog Parks”
I once knew a German Shepherd who lived in a tower block in an English estate. A normal first reaction would be to feel sorry for him, right?
He was one happy, happy dog. Why? His owner was well aware of the potential for problems. He went up and down the lift all day for his walks and toileting.
Was he happier than a dog that lives outside? Can it be true?
Continue reading “Is It OK To Put Dogs Outside?”
Is pet insurance worth it? Will I get value for money? I get asked this a lot but, with respect, I think this is the wrong question.
Once you read about insurance from a vet’s point of view I hope you’ll agree.
Continue reading “Do I Really Need Pet Insurance?”
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 you think when you see a dog like this? Many people would say he’s not pretty, or pedigreed, and he probably doesn’t have too many fine manners. Of course we’d disagree. And more and more dog lovers are also seeing the rough diamond in these dogs.
Continue reading “Are Staffy Cross Dogs Good Pets?”
There’s suddenly a lot of talk about the suicide rate in vets, thanks to a new study from the USA. It’s re-opened an important conversation, but I believe also created a lot of misinformation.
For example, I saw one vet say it was because of bad debts and emotional blackmail by pet owners. That’s clearly just his experience. So here’s the evidence we have for what’s going wrong, and my suggestions for fixing it.
Also Read: Australia’s Vet Shortage | How The Vet-Owner Relationship Is Changing
Continue reading “Vets, Stress and Suicide”
There’s something no-one in the cat food industry wants to talk about. Up to now, neither have I. It’s not quite a secret but it’s certainly an unpleasant truth we like to avoid.
It’s about the amount of carbohydrate in cat diets.
Continue reading “Whats wrong with cat diets?”
Have you been told you should change your dog to a grain-free or a low carbohydrate diet? Perhaps you’ve wondered why vets are fairly quiet about it all. I’m going to show you some evidence that might just ease your mind
It’s unlikely there will be enough information to catch these people. We need you to help. We also need you to be aware of what they are doing.
That’s Arkie above. He was found wandering the streets near Walkerville Vet and brought to us, as are so many other stray pets. Usually all we do is scan their microchip and make a phone call to reunite them with their owners.
Continue reading “Dog Rescue Scam Foiled By Dr Sky”
How do you buy toys and chews for your dog that keep them happy and safe? Whether toys are on your new puppy checklist or you just need to keep your dog amused, every dog owner needs to know what’s good.
We vets see what happens when things go wrong. Here’s our guide to what not to let your dog chew and what chew toys we recommend for dogs.
Continue reading “Choosing Safer Dog Chew Toys”
If you want to feed treats to your dog or cat it’s important to know how to find safe and healthy options. Below are treat ideas using Jerky | Fruit & Veges | Raw Bones | Commercial & | Homemade Treats from us and thanks to our Facebook community.
Continue reading “Healthy Treats for Dogs and Cats”Update 2019: South Australian laws on dog and cat breeding now make it harder for people like Gary Taylor to continue. However, we still have a problem with pet shops selling sick puppies!
See also an update below from 2016 from after the trial.
Continue reading “The puppy and dog breeding scandal continues”
Whether to desex or neuter your male dog is one of the most important decisions you as a pet owner will make. It’s not a simple decision; there are pros and cons plus a good amount of misinformation which utterly defy a simple answer.
Continue reading “The Truth About Neutering: Desexing Male Dogs”
Update 2018: visit this page for details on the ongoing Senate inquiry into pet food safety.
Perhaps the biggest scandal of pet ownership in Australia is that there is no independent monitoring, testing or licensing of pet food products, and nowhere to turn when they cause harm. And equally shocking to vets is that it is easier to buy flea control products that are neither safe or effective than it is to buy good ones.
Continue reading “Myth 7: If it is sold for pets, it must be safe”