Debbie Martin Martin

If your dog is receiving treatment or medication for a medical problem, it may need to take pills. Sometimes though, getting your dog to take a pill is more difficult than you might think. It can depend on the particular dog and its willingness to eat – some dogs will be much pickier than others.

Giving your dog their tablets can be very challenging, especially if they tend to bite at your fingers if you try to place the pill down their throat. So how can you encourage your dog to take its medicine? One of the strategies is to link taking their pill to something positive such as walks, treats, playing and other positive rewards.

When a vet is getting your dog to take a pill, the dog will be unable to escape as it will be shut in a consulting room. This makes it easier to control the pet, especially if they are small and can be placed on a table for easier handling. Vets tend to be very good at

As we approach this time of year again, it is important to make sure you are prepared. One of the biggest sources of stress for any animal is a firework - especially if you’re a horse.

In this article, we’ll take a look at exactly why this is, and what can be done to limit the impact of this unpleasant seasonal event on our animals.

What’s so terrible about fireworks?

Fireworks are enormously loud explosions of unnatural fire in the sky. Imagine, if you will, that you’re an animal. The idea that such things might be entertaining is totally alien to you. Moreover, the idea that such things could be produced in order to provide such entertainment is even more incomprehensible. It’s a little bit like a human being witnessing a magical spell – or an alien spacecraft, it just doesn’t work.

Now, it’s impossible to

As the temperature drops and the winter months set in, your cat will need a little bit of special attention in order to stay warm, happy, healthy and safe. There are certain hazards that you need to look out for in the winter that could be dangerous to your feline friend. These are risks that are specific to the season, just like you would watch out for sunburn and heatstroke in your pets in the summer months.

Troublesome behaviour doesn't always indicate separation anxiety but when it does, it is important to take steps to help your dog overcome their stress. Therefore, you need to use behavioural clues to establish whether or not your dog is anxious. Once you are sure, there are a number of things you can do to help combat it.

When the long and warm days of summer come around your cat will choose to spend a lot more time outside. While this is a lot of fun for them, it also puts them at risk for many seasonal dangers. 

Whether you have a garage, garden store or shed, these spaces are utilised like extra storage rooms, using them to keep things that we’re unable to fit into the home or simply items that we need only occasionally throughout the year.

When your canine friend starts to get a little bit older, they may have a few different health requirements than they did when they were young. So, it is important to take good care of your senior dog to ensure that they get the care that they need to grow old gracefully.

With all this glorious sunny weather our pets will be eager to spend more time outdoors ‘catching some rays’. But they are not the only ones…fleas love the summer months and thrive outdoors!

We have seen some exceptionally hot weather this year so it is important that we look after our dogs to minimise the risk of heatstroke.

Ian Wright is an expert in this subject, as well as being a veterinary surgeon and co-owner of a practice in Fleetwood; he also hold's a Master's degree in Parasitology. He is head of the ESOCAP UK & Ireland, Guideline Director for ESOCAP Europe and editorial board member for the Companion Animal and Vet CPD Journals. This article reflects his views on treating tapeworms in the general canine population and the role of the veterinary practice.