Archive for December, 2008

During routine annual heath checks your Vet. will spend quite some time checking for any evidence of flea irritation on your cat and dogs’ skin.  The actual presence of fleas is often much more difficult to see.  Fastidious cats (and dogs) often ingest fleas during grooming, so their presence is not as easy to see [...]

Many owners will put up with a bit of “leakage” from their elderly dogs, assuming it’s part and parcel of ‘growing old’.  After all, it’s a situation that can be a feature of old age for humans.  Well, the good news is, dogs are different!  For a start they didn’t make the unwise move of [...]

Rabbits, like most animals, find winter hard and they rely on their owners to keep them warm, dry and well fed.
 
Here are some tips to help your outdoor bunnie to stay happy and healthy throughout the cold months.
 
• Stock up on straw and hay and provide plenty of extra bedding on cold nights.
 
• Keep bedding [...]

As cold, dark nights are with us now there’s little incentive for those long evening walks we enjoyed in the summer.  For most dogs though, the wet weather is just another excuse to get messy!  But as it’s us  that are in charge of just how long we spend on winter walks, cutting them down [...]

Hyperthyroidism is a common hormonal condition which tends to affect cats eight years and older.  The condition almost always arises due to benign (non cancerous) enlargement of the thyroid gland in the neck.  This enlargement results in an excessive production and release of thyroid hormone.  Thyroid hormone regulates the speed of the body’s metabolism and [...]

The most common reason for anaesthetic procedures at Veterinary Centres, after neutering, is due to dental problems.  The damage caused by dental conditions is often the result of several years of accumulated plaque and tartar on teeth and a resultant infection in the gums.  An estimated 85% of dogs and 70% of cats over three [...]

It’s a common misconception that cats ‘sharpen’ their claws by scratching against certain surfaces.  What actually happens is the worn outer husk of the claw is detached revealing a sharp new surface underneath.  Scratching also exercises the muscles of the forelimbs as well as being used as a form of territorial marking.  Scent glands are [...]

It is probably fair to say that the majority of owners bringing rabbits to vets do so for problems that have a significant nutritional component.     
 
Rabbits are classified as hind gut fermentors and possess a population of microorganisms that allow fermentation to occur within this area (the caecum and the colon).  Rabbits do not [...]

So often when young cats or kittens are brought in to a Veterinary Centre with sneezing problems there is a battle on to deal with the situation quickly.  There appears to be a ‘window of opportunity’ when the problem first arises for a successful outcome.  Sadly for many vets, when we get to see cats [...]

 
Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of chronic pain in dogs.  Because it is often associated with the ageing process it may be difficult to recognise the early subtle signs of osetoarthritis.  Of concern though is that many owners don’t appreciate that it is a condition that can be successfully managed.   
 
Being aware and recognising [...]