142 North East Road, Walkerville. Ph (08) 8344 2000
Reactions to food are a major concern to many pet owners. Here’s what we know about food allergies, which foods cause most of the problems, and what you can do about it.
Continue reading “Food Allergies In Dogs And Cats”
I’d hate to have to choose my vet. My pets mean a lot to me and if I wasn’t a vet I wouldn’t know where to put my trust.
Hard as it is, pet owners need to do it. Choosing in advance means you will be prepared if you need a vet in a hurry. The more research you do, the more likely that the vet you find will match your pets’ and your needs.
Continue reading “Choosing A Good Vet”
Ever wondered about how vet practices are owned? No? I’m not surprised; it really doesn’t matter that much.
For those with a passing interest, though, there has been a bit of a shakeup in the past few years.
Major acquisitions of vets by corporate entities have been happening across Australia. I personally received three letters of interest in one year!
As of 2020 there are three major groups active in South Australia. As vets near retirement and find how easy it is to sell to these groups, this list is sure to lengthen. I’ll try to keep it updated but given the fast pace of change and private nature of sales I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this list.
Continue reading “Who Owns Adelaide Vet Clinics?”
If you’re like most of us you struggle to work out how much food your dog needs. Even vets get caught out with their dogs getting too thin or fat.
Every single dog owner struggles with the same problem.
Continue reading “How Much Do I Feed My Puppy?”
Have you read our Guide to driving in Australia with dogs, cats or other pets? Driving isn’t for everyone and a lot of the times it isn’t very practical either. Anywhere interstate is at least 6 hours’ drive and if you’re heading to Queensland it’s many times that with overnight stopovers. Many dogs, cats & rabbits will find it very stressful.
Other options include dog boarding, catteries and pet sitting, but you want your best friend with you if possible. Have you thought of sending pets by air?
Continue reading “Plane Travel For Dogs Or Cats”
Taking the dog on a driving holiday? Needing to travel interstate with a cat? Or maybe you’re moving to Adelaide with pets. Here’s how to make travelling with dogs & cats more fun.
Below you’ll find information on Driving With Dogs & Cats.
If flying is an option, visit our page on Plane Travel For Dogs or Cats.
Continue reading “Adelaide Dog & Cat Travel”
Last week I discussed a better way to compare dog and human ages, and the lifespans of common dog breeds.
How can your dog do better than the average lifespan? Of course, avoiding risks & good veterinary care have a lot to do with it. But there’s also a lot you can do to improve their chances.
Continue reading “How To Help Your Dog Live Longer”If you prefer a quick answer, visit our online dog age calculator. Just plug in a number and it does the rest!
We’ve all heard the saying: “multiply your dog’s age by seven to get the human age.” Like most simple rules, there’s a lot wrong with that:
Continue reading “How Old Is My Dog In Human Years?”
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?”
“If a dog eats grass it means they are going to die”. Amazingly I still hear this from time to time. Usually it’s not quite that dramatic.
Dogs and cats eat grass for a variety of reasons, some good, some bad.
Continue reading “Why Do Dogs & Cats Eat Grass?”
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?”
Most of the time it’s just assumed that modern pets in families will know what to do, have good manners and to be perfect angels.
When it goes bad, it’s usually the children that suffer. Dogs are more likely to bite kids in the head or neck (63% of bites compared with only 13.3% of older people) and kids are more likely to need surgery and to stay in hospital (Ting et al, 2016). You’ve only got to look at the picture of my young son (above) to see why.
Usually the dog gets the blame, sometimes with tragic consequences, even though the causes are a lot more complicated. Usually it could have all been prevented with better understanding.
Continue reading “Kids and Dogs”
TLDR: the main reason why dogs lick their paws is when allergic skin disease causes itchy dermatitis between the toes. Other less common causes include
We’ve all been in this dilemma, vets included. It’s late at night, or you’re having a busy week and something just isn’t quite right with your pet.
You’ve probably noticed how much we like blood tests. Every year when your dog or cat has their annual checkup or when your pet needs an anaesthetic we ask you if you want blood testing.
Is this just over-servicing or are there good reasons to check?
Continue reading “What Are Pet Blood Tests For?”
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”
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.
Does your dog need an operation? Want to know what to do when your cat has surgery? How do you prepare rabbits or rodents for an anaesthetic?
When the time comes, here’s our guide to how to get your dog, cat, rabbit, ferret, rat or mouse ready for surgery. There’s also a guide to what to do for dogs and cats after surgery.
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Quick Care Guide
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?”
Anyone who has had a dog knows that they vomit a lot more than people. Vomiting can be normal in some cases, and extremely serious in others. What are the causes of vomiting in dogs and how do you tell when it’s serious?
For the causes of vomiting in cats, click here.
After the popularity of last week’s Genetic Diseases of Dogs, it’s only fair the cats get their own page. Information on breed disorders came from the Sydney University LIDA Cats database (no longer publicly available).
Continue reading “What Diseases Does My Cat’s Breed Get?”
Most decisions to own a purebred dog are based entirely on positive aspects, like temperament, personality and lifestyle. These are important, but we should also focus on the negative, like what can go wrong.
Some people believe that genetic diseases are becoming more common in certain purebred dogs due to limited gene pools and close breeding. Regardless of whether this is true, genetic diseases are well-known and common and we should make ourselves aware of them. Read about diseases of cat breeds here.
Those who know us know how much we enjoy chatting about your pets. What you may not know is how useful it can be.
Here are two examples from one week last month. Just two of many.
Continue reading “Why chatting is a vet’s job too”
So, you asked your kids or partner what they want for Christmas and they said: “a puppy”. That’s awkward.
You want them to be happy but you know you shouldn’t give pets for Christmas. Maybe you even want a pet yourself. What do you do?
The answer to this moral choice is: “it’s complicated”. I’m not going to say it’s always a bad idea (later I’ll discuss how you can give pets ethically). First, though, there are some important issues with the giving of pets.
Continue reading “Can A Pet Be For Christmas AND For Life?”
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”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Rapid Care Guide
For feeding bones to CATS click here.
Whether you feed your dog bones is without a doubt the most controversial and highly debated topic in dog ownership.
Passions are high. In our guide to where to buy bones last week I mentioned how most vets in the UK (and many in the USA) strongly oppose you giving your dog a bone to chew. At all.
The internet is full of horror stories about bones splintering or getting stuck and many of these stories are true.
Do you sell fresh bones for dogs? Let us know and we’ll add you to the list!
I’ve started to worry about the supply of raw bones for dogs in Adelaide. So we’ve created a list of where to buy dog bones (below). Why worry? I’ll tell you a story.
First, though, have you read our guide to bone safety and how to choose and feed bones to dogs?
Continue reading “Where to get dog bones”
I want to tell you about the most under-used diagnostic test in veterinary medicine and why you should ask for it more often. I’ll start with just two examples that highlight the extremes: the worst and best of cases.
Continue reading “Second Opinions for Pets”
Not every medical advance goes from humans to animals; heres the story of one that went the other way.
The Nobel Prize in Medicine is awarded for advances in human health. This year’s winners waited a long time for recognition; if dogs could vote, it would never have taken so long. The drug that saved generations of their lives went on to fight a major cause of human suffering.
Back in the 70s a group of researchers were looking for new treatments for parasitic diseases of animals. They isolated a bacterium from near a Japanese golf course which had a powerful effect on worms without harming the host animal.
Continue reading “A heartworm prevention that saves human lives”
What do the diseases we protect your dog from actually look like?
Click here to see vaccination protocols for dogs or continue reading to learn about these important illnesses.
Continue reading “Explained: Parvo, Distemper, Hepatitis & Kennel Cough”
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?”
Vitamin D is an essential part of any balanced diet. What you may not know is how dangerous it can be. Let me show you three poisonings that have already happened, and a fourth that just might.
Continue reading “Vitamin D poisoning”
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
If there’s one thing that always makes me sad it’s ‘hard rubbish’ time. I ride my pushbike to work past the unwanted gear piled up on the kerbside and it gets an animal lover down.
It’s not the waste or mess that bothers me; it’s something common and very specific that we vets don’t usually get to see. These things.
I’ve seen two new patients this week that made me mad. Not because of anything the owners or patients said, but the advice they received.
“He’s too old to have an anaesthetic. It’s too dangerous.”
Continue reading “Dog and cat anaesthetic safety”
We get asked every day to clip dog and cat nails. We’re happy to do it, but we’re also aware that sometimes it’s best to say no. Other times, it’s an absolute must, but must be done perfectly.
Even after all these years nail clipping remains one of the most difficult jobs I do. You can do it but here are some things we want you to know first.
Continue reading “Clipping dogs and cats nails”
Cleaning a cat’s teeth? ARGGH. Before you throw your hands up in horror, here’s a secret: it’s easier than dogs! You just need to know how. Here we will tell you what you can do for dental care in cats.
Continue reading “Cleaning cats teeth”
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”
Many dog owners come to us thinking that if their dog chews biscuits it will protect their teeth. Sadly this is not always true. Here we will tell you which biscuits can help dental care, and what else can prevent gum disease and tooth decay in your dog.
Continue reading “How To Keep Dogs Teeth Clean”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
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”
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Emergency Care
I get asked all the time if dogs and cats have good memories. You might be surprised by what I think.
We really want to know:
Kira came to us last year in a lot of trouble. She was weak, lethargic, her heart rhythm was chaotic and her pulses were weak and irregular. She was in heart failure: the likely culprit was a heart muscle disease called dilated cardiomyopathy with a secondary atrial fibrillation.
She was treated with a drug to improve heart function, and a second drug to control her atrial fibrillation. Like many dogs, she responded well. But what is her future?
Continue reading “Do Dogs Get Heart Attacks Or Strokes”
I’ve spent the last month introducing my new kitten Grendel to our dogs. Let me tell you, it’s not easy.
Most of us love having dogs and cats in our lives. This means we often expect these two different species to get along. It doesn’t happen automatically and if it’s not handled well it can end very badly. Here are some key points to remember.
Continue reading “How To Introduce A Cat To Dogs”