142 North East Road, Walkerville. Ph (08) 8344 2000
Most people will say having a new puppy in the house is a bigger shock than a new baby. With a baby you have plenty of time to get the house safe as they grow and develop. A puppy is in full-on grab-and-destroy mode from the day they arrive. Here’s a checklist to keep them safe and you sane. All of these points are covered in detail in Common Puppy Dangers.
Continue reading “How to Puppy Proof Your House”
Here’s a checklist to help you get ready for the big day your puppy arrives. It might seem like a lot to do but that’s only because you’re actually thinking about things in advance.
Continue reading “What You Need For A New Puppy”
Welcome to the exciting path to getting a new dog. Please visit all three stages:
You thought you’d done the hard part: choosing your ideal breed, then finding the right breeder or shelter, and then you get that phone call. “Please come between 9 and 12 tomorrow to choose which puppy you want”.
Continue reading “How To Pick A Puppy Or Choose A Shelter Dog”
Welcome to the exciting path to getting a new dog. Please visit all three stages:
More on dog rescue below.
Continue reading “How To Find A Dog Breeder or Shelter”
Welcome to the exciting path to getting a new dog. Please visit all three stages:
Have you done your research and already know which breed you want? If you have your heart set on a certain dog, it’s a great start. That way, you’re almost certain to love and treasure your puppy even when things are not so easy.
If you don’t know, well done for reading this first! So many people choose the wrong dog for their home and lifestyle and by the time we see them, it’s too late.
Continue reading “Choosing A Good Dog Breed”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ What to do
We all know that different dog breeds can have very different lifespans. Here are the best figures we have from three recent English studies. Please read this first to help you understand the figures.
Continue reading “How Long Do Dog Breeds Live?”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
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”
We are commonly asked to perform an ovary sparing spey in dogs. Here we explain the difference with other procedures.
I hope after reading this you will see why we do not offer the service.
Continue reading “The Pros & Cons Of Ovary Sparing Spay”
What is the evidence for behaviour change in desexed female dogs? There’s a lot of discussion and debate, so let’s drill down into the data.
Continue reading “Are Neutered Female Dogs More Aggressive?”
I’ve previously discussed ways to kill fleas on pets and stop them coming back. Part of the solution may also be environmental flea control.
Continue reading “How To Kill Fleas In The House” ‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
The trust our pets give us seems almost like too much responsibility at times. What if we accidentally don’t do the best we can? That’s why we get our advice from trusted sources.
Can you still trust advice when financial interests and your pet’s interests don’t match? Thankfully, yes, just because animal lovers are some of the best people there are. However, I still want you to know of the ways sellers are being tempted to give biased advice.
I can’t apologise enough for not naming names but at least if they ever happen you should be able to spot these tricks, and even help me fix a few.
Continue reading “Secret Payments, Incentives & Bias”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
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?”Before you have an emergency, it’s good to know which after hours vet is closest and how you will get there in a hurry. There are four veterinary hospitals open 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Adelaide*. We created this clickable map by comparing travel times to each one from various locations. Please use it to get directions to your nearest vet when your regular vet is closed.
Walkerville Vet is open 8am to 7:00pm weekdays and 9am to 1pm Saturdays. Vets start consulting at 9am.
Continue reading “Find An Adelaide Emergency Vet Open Late”
Diarrhoea is when dogs pass poo (faeces) that is softer than usual, more frequent or more is passed than normal. Vets call it diarrhoea any time faeces are less solid than usual, not just when they are watery.
Here I’m going to help you find the cause for your dog’s runny poop. First let’s look at what the mess itself can tell us.
Continue reading “The Causes Of Diarrhoea In Dogs”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
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?”
UPDATE 2018
In early March 2017, the new K5 strain of calicivirus is planned to be released at 600 sites across Australia and 45 in South Australia. Here’s what pet rabbit owners need to know.
Continue reading “K5 Rabbit Calicivirus”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ What To Do
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
True or false: early social exposure in a puppy reduces aggression to other dogs later in life. Easy, right?
After all, that’s why vets (like us) push early finish vaccination programs and puppy preschool classes. Get that puppy out socialising in the ‘sensitive period’ before 16 weeks and they’ll get to enjoy the company of other dogs FOR LIFE.
Well not so fast. A recent Australian study has shown the exact opposite. I’m not even that surprised; I’ve been warning puppy owners about this for years.
Continue reading “Good And Bad Puppy Training”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?”
Anaesthesia free dentistry for dogs and cats is now available in most major cities in Australia, including Adelaide.
I’ll be frank. Vets are horrified by this. I want you to know enough about dental hygienic procedures so that you can see what it is that scares us.
Continue reading “Anaesthetic Free Dentistry”Below is a chart of the size of common dog breeds we see in Adelaide.
Need help choosing a suitable dog breed? Other resources include our Guide to low maintenance dog breeds and 20 good family dog breeds.
Continue reading “Weight Of Dog Breeds”
We have a problem. It’s a good problem. Young vets graduate and work without ever seeing a case of heartworm in dogs. If they do, it’s a rare dog from a very disadvantaged background.
Compare this with the 1980s and 1990s. It’s hard to find a dog owner from that time who didn’t know a dog that died from heartworm in Adelaide.
Continue reading “How Common Is Heartworm in Adelaide?”
What you get told: “This product also treats worms”
What you should ask: “WHICH worms??” You might be surprised by the answer.
Warning: Contains Disgusting Worm Descriptions & Pictures!
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?”
Is natural flea prevention an alternative for pets? Are there safe, non-toxic home remedies you can use to prevent or kill fleas?
I’ve listed some below and given my views on the safety and efficacy of each.
Continue reading “Natural Flea Remedies”On Friday the 1st of February, 2019 after nearly 20 years of making do in rental accommodation, we moved into our new and carefully designed permanent home. It’s all been due to your support. Read on to find out where we are and what the building looks like.
Continue reading “We’ve Moved! The New Walkerville Vet Building”
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”
If we took a negative attitude to natural remedies we’d never advance our knowledge. That doesn’t mean they all work though. Just because a product is available doesn’t mean it’s either effective or safe.
I’m sorry that I won’t be able to answer these questions. There are just too many brands, choices and options for me to ever do that.
What I do hope to do is show you how to get the right information to find the answers. How do you avoid bad advice and outright scams to do the best you can for your pets? You have to go to the evidence…
Continue reading “How To Assess Evidence And Know What Works”
Every Springtime my little Loki starts to show the signs of his allergies. From then until after Christmas I have to work hard to keep him comfortable.
He’s not alone; every day we see dogs like Loki. We call this condition atopic dermatitis or atopy.
Allergies look so different in dogs that most of the time their owners aren’t aware what the problem is.
If you want to see the information your vet uses, you need to get access to scholarly journals. This post explains how to:
Did you see the animals in this year’s Guinness World Records? That’s two of them above.
The world’s longest living pet cat was a Maine Coon called Ludo, who is a phenomenal 118.3cm long.
The world’s tallest living female dog was a 96.4cm Great Dane.
Why do these cute facts make all vets shudder?
Continue reading “Is Breeding Bigger Better?”
I love Devon Rex cats (that’s mine above) but they aren’t good for allergies. To cats, that is. (for allergies of cats & dogs, follow this link)
My previous Devon Rex was dumped at a shelter after 18 months being locked in a room. She’d been bought on the misguided belief that she wouldn’t cause cat allergy. It took me years to get her settled after that rough start, and it could have been worse.
I’ve seen plenty of animal lovers who are allergic to their pets. It’s heartbreaking to watch. The good news is there are things you can do to help.
Continue reading “Allergy To Dogs And Cats”Here’s a rare public comment on a dog breeder forum about what I think is one of South Australia’s dirty little secrets.
Here’s some bad news for people with barking problems. Humans may have deliberately selected dogs for their ability to bark. It’s one of the big differences between wolves and dogs.
Continue reading “Stopping Dogs Barking”
Getting a new dog is an exciting time. Whether you’re bringing up a puppy or settling in a rescued dog there’s so much to look forward to…
Amid the fun are a couple of serious issues:
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?”Follow the links for information on:
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 are the top 17. There’s no such thing as a silly question!
Continue reading “The Kitten Questions You Ask Us”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”