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Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Great Danes.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Great Dane”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Golden Retrievers.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter Golden Retrievers”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in German Shepherds.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter German Shepherds”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Springer Spaniels.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter Springer Spaniels”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Dobermans.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Doberman”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Corgis.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Corgi”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Collies.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Collie”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Cocker Spaniels.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Cocker Spaniel”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Chihuahuas.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Chihuahua”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
Continue reading “The Best Age To Neuter Cavalier King Charles Spaniels”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Bulldogs.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Bulldog”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Boston Terriers.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Boston Terrier”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Border Collies.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Border Collie”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Bernese Mountain Dogs.
Continue reading “The Best Age To Neuter A Bernese Mountain Dog”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Beagles.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Beagle”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Australian Shepherds.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter Australian Shepherds”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Australian Cattle Dogs, also called Heelers.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter Australian Cattle Dogs”
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Boxers.
Continue reading “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Boxer?”
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”
When puppy teeth develop properly, each tooth finds the gap it needs and they all end up being perfectly spaced. But what you see here is what happens when there are extra teeth in the way. These are persistent deciduous teeth and if not treated correctly they often lead to major problems.
Continue reading “Management Of Retained Puppy Teeth”
More and more Australians are building an outdoor enclosure, or catio for their cat. Some make it themselves, others pay specialist companies to do it. Either way, there are two things that often get overlooked.
The first, assuming you plan on using them, is choosing plants that are safe for cats. I cover that later with an Australian perspective. The second is designing the space from a cat point of view.
The internet is full of useful lists of plants that are poisonous to dogs. However, it is a lot harder to find out what you can plant. That’s what I do here from an Australian point of view.
Continue reading “Safe & Toxic Plants For Australian Dogs”
If you have a Scottish Fold and this is the first time you are hearing of their problems, you are not to blame. Finding good information before you get a cat is not easy, as you have probably learned by now.
Continue reading “What Cat Lovers Should Know About Scottish Folds”
How can I talk about one of the most hopeless diseases of dogs without sounding hopeless? Like this:
Continue reading “Degenerative Myelopathy In Dogs”Many cases of degenerative myelopathy are probably misdiagnosed
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”If you plan a driving holiday in SA, it is good to know where you can let your dog out for a run. The good news is that most towns, even small ones, now have a fenced off-leash area.
Continue reading “27 Dog Parks In South Australian Towns”
Listen to this rubbish.
If your cat only eats dry food, she is likely to be getting less nutrition than a cat eating wet food. Many low-quality dry foods contain a lot of fillers.
Throwaway lines like these are typical of the overly simplistic advice you find online about feline nutrition. The truth takes a deeper look. To know whether wet, dry or both are best for your cat, we need to talk about:
Let’s dive in!
Continue reading “Is It OK To Give A Cat Only Dry Food?”
Think you could never write a blog? Well not so fast. All of us have something worth saying, and these days it is easier than ever.
Just look at me. When I wrote my first vet story, there was no grand plan, just an instinctive need to communicate that I could not explain. I got home from work, sat down at the kitchen bench, wrote a long-form article and immediately posted a link on Facebook. You can still find it here.
I was blown away by how much people enjoyed it, as faulty as it was. With the encouragement of a growing readership, the blog evolved and improved. I learned to listen better to pet owner needs, and picked up some technical skills along the way. But even now, despite its size, reach, and influence, at its heart the blog is still a cottage industry.
Continue reading “Starting A Vet Blog: My Story”
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”
Not long ago I published a survey of top Australian dog trainers about their favourite harnesses.
One particular harness stood out from the rest: the Perfect Fit®. At the time, I had not heard of it, and it was hard to purchase due to the need for a custom fitting. Then, an existing Adelaide importer asked me if I could start to stock it.
Continue reading “Perfect Fit: The Custom Fitted Fleece Dog Harness”
The following information is taken from the fitting guides produced by Perfect Fit. Tiny harnesses have been removed for simplicity as we do not stock them here in Adelaide..
This information is a guide only and is intended to be used in-store during the fitting process. In almost every case, one or other of the pieces will need to be swapped out to customise the fit properly.
Continue reading “A Perfect Fit Harness Measuring Guide”
We all know that cats like to sharpen their claws, but it amazes me how little we actually know about it. Yet scratching in cats is extremely important.
It is:
What you see here is typical of veterinary science. Pick a rare disease like arterial thromboembolism and you’ll find lots of good science. Pick a common, everyday, practical problem and it just doesn’t get the same attention.
Finally, I have something to tell you. For the first time, two recent studies have looked at scratcher preferences in kittens and adult cats. They offered cats choices and measured which ones they chose to use more often.
Continue reading “Which Cat Scratcher Do Cats Use Most?”
Not long ago I saw two adult dogs in a row that had just been adopted from their breeder. The first one was not perfectly normal, but he would be OK. However, the second one, Jethro was in real trouble.
Right now, he is frightened of many things in an unpredictable way. He is frequently frozen and unwilling to move, difficult to walk, wary of strangers and not interested in food. At night he wanders the house unsettled. But we can also see signs of the lovely dog within.
Recently I told you that the best age to get a puppy is 7 to 8 weeks old. But there are plenty of dogs and puppies over 16 weeks old needing homes. Here are some examples:
So what happens if you get them? The answer is that they still make great pets, but not all of them and not always in the same way.
Continue reading “Adopting an Older Ex Stud or Shelter Dog”
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”
The age when you bring a puppy home matters. What you might be surprised by is how early that is.
The best age for a puppy to enter their new home is at seven to eight weeks old. This is what the evidence tells us, especially the best and most recent study.
Continue reading “The Best Age To Get A Puppy”
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?”
One of the common arguments for not desexing a dog is the effect on their trainability, especially herding, guarding or protection. But does this really happen?
Continue reading “Are Desexed Dogs Harder To Train?”
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”