Articles

Keep up to date with all our latest news, articles of interest, and case studies from the veterinary world.

Festivity Season Hazards for Your Pets

Christmas is fraught with potential dangers to your pets.  Items safe and enjoyable for humans can be dangerous for our furry friends. Here are the most common potential hazards. Chocolate. Wrapped up easily accessible under the Christmas tree, the festive season is the most common time to see chocolate toxicity in dogs. Containing theobromine, which…

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close up photo of cat

An Insight For Sore Eyes

The old saying goes; “the eyes are the window to the soul” and I’m sure most, if not all, pet owners could probably attest to this when their little critter stares deeply into their own, especially around dinner time. Which is why we need to make sure we look after our companions’ eyes this summer…

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Poisoning of Dogs & Cats

Dogs are natural scavengers and even during a hard day’s work (or play) can usually find a moment to snack on tasty morsels they may come across. Recreational areas such as rivers and bushland are not always entirely safe as possum and rabbit control measures utilise baits which are attractive to dogs. We commonly see…

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Cannabis Toxicity in Dogs

In the words of the old song, can a pet “take a trip and never leave the farm”, even in this Covid-19 era of travel restrictions? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. More and more frequently we are presented with dogs who are acting strangely and who are known to, or suspected of having ingested, someone’s…

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Fleas and Worms. The Itchy info….

Worms are a concern for all cats and dogs but the risk is much higher for puppies, kittens and immunocompromised animals (due to illness, age or medication). In puppies and kittens, severe worm burdens can be life threatening due to underdeveloped immune systems. Wormy puppies and kittens will often be weak, have a swollen tummy,…

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What’s the itch?

I am allergic. My skin’s inflamed and itchy. Take me to my vet! We can help you to work out what is causing the itching – is it fleas, contact allergies, food, airborne allergies, hormonal issue effecting the skin, bacterial or fungal infection? Subtle differences may be diagnostic. What do allergies in pets look like?…

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Desexing your dog – when’s the best time?

WHEN’S THE BEST TIME TO HAVE YOUR DOG DESEXED? Recently, if and when to spay (female) or castrate (male) your dog has become a topic of debate and everyone seems to have slightly different opinions. The reason for this is that there is pros and cons of performing this procedure at different ages, and these…

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The silent sufferer – Sharné Boys

As vets and as owners we are very aware of osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs. However, recognition of this condition in cats is often a lot later in the piece than in their canine counterparts. In recent years we have hugely improved in our diagnosis and subsequent treatment of OA and we have also recognized that…

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Rat Bait Poisoning – Vicki Gilchrist

Rat bait (anti-coagulant rodenticide) is the most common poison eaten by dogs and it causes problems by preventing their blood from clotting. Symptoms begin 2-4 days after ingestion due to bleeding in different locations in the body. Dogs can bleed from anywhere but most commonly into their lungs, which causes a cough and then difficulty…

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Urinary Tract Disorders – Neil Stuttle

Urinary tract disorders are very common in cats and dogs and are a regular part of our case load here at VSHB. The urinary tract system enables the production of urine to eliminate metabolic waste products, storage of urine and then the appropriate emptying of urine. The urinary tract itself is divided into the upper…

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What are the signs of heatstroke?

Dogs do not perspire the way humans do; in fact, the only sweat glands that they have are on the pads of their feet. Dogs pant to cool themselves. If the surrounding air is not considerably cooler than the animals’ body temperature – as in the case of a hot, stuffy automobile – the cooling…

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