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Frequent Dog Conditions Seen at Vets

According to household ownership, dogs are among the most popular pets in the UK, with almost a quarter of houses in the country providing a home to at least one of them. And this isn’t a recent development; for centuries, man and dog have existed alongside one another – indeed, it’s thanks to the latter that the former has prospered so impressively.

As a consequence of this partnership, we know a great deal about canine physiology. Veterinary schools across the country dedicate entire programmes to dogs, and an enormous volume of academic research is being constantly read and written on the subject of their health.

The answer to one particular question, however, has proven remarkably elusive – which diseases are most common? Until recently, data collection on the matter wasn’t widespread – and so a clear picture

Pet Safety at Christmas Time

There are a number of steps you can take to safeguard your pet this Christmas when your house is full of guests. Many pets will find strangers interesting and will approach them gregariously.  Conversely, some pets will find strangers terrifying. If your pet falls into the latter category and you are entertaining guests with whom your pet is unfamiliar, then you should take steps to mitigate their discomfort. Provide them with a safe place to retreat to and relax and keep in mind these other tips for pet safety at Christmas time.

Safety in the kitchen and elsewhere

If you are cooking, pets can provide an unwanted – and often dangerous – distraction. Tripping over an overbearing dog while carrying a hot pan is not a pleasant experience for either party. Similarly, any cat which inadvertently wanders onto a hot ceramic griddle

Your dog is a wonderful companion who will always be a loyal friend to you, no matter what. However, your furry friend cannot take care of their own health, so it is up to you to look out for them and make sure that they receive the care that they need. Also, as your dog ages, they will need more help to care for themselves as they will become more at risk for diseases and arthritis.

Here are some ways that you can protect the health of your dog as they age:

Control Their Weight

If your dog is overweight, this can put a lot of extra strain on their body. Keeping them at a healthy weight is very important – and might even involve reducing their portions as they get older and less active. If you notice that your dog is getting overweight, you should contact your vet in order to develop a healthy weight reduction programme.

Continue to Exercise Them

We’ve arrived at that time of year again – temperatures across the country are plummeting, and we’re all going to start feeling the chill. Many of us will undoubtedly spend the period shoveling snow from our driveways, spreading salt across our pavements and stocking up on woollen jumpers, hats, gloves and other such festive finery.

But the season also poses challenges for the non-human residents of our households. Both dogs and cats are vulnerable to seasonal hazards. In this Winter Pet Guide, we’ll take a look through them, and see how they might be addressed.

Warmth

Perhaps the most obvious feature of the season is that temperatures will drop markedly. Fortunately, both dogs and cats have a built-in defence against the winter chill – their fur coats. Fur coats come in a number of different forms, with some being hugely suitable for cold weather, and others being less

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.