Limp or Limber Tail: If your dog suddenly appears to have a hanging, droopy tail, all types of causes for the way he is holding his tail should be considered such as has he injured his back or his spine in any way? Could he have injured his tail with rough and tumble when playing? Did […]
When you have a fast moving, athletic dog who loves to chase or race or turn on a sixpence, friction burns to the pads are an occupational hazard. People tend to think of burns merely in the capacity of being caused by something hot, like a flame or boiling water, but there are several different […]
DE or DIATOMACEOUS EARTH Ive been asked on a number of occasions about Diatomaceous Earth. As people get more and more keen to avoid pumping chemicals and drugs into themselves or their dogs, alternatives such as DE are coming more the fore. DE is suitable not just for dogs but for humans, horses, chicken …. well, […]
After an accident where there has been significant trauma, say like a road traffic collision or fall from a height, or perhaps when our dog has a serious disease or infection, internal bleeding can develop. When we see blood from a wound, we know instinctively that we need to stop the bleeding as quickly as […]
Life turns on a sixpence. One minute all is happy and sunny … the next things can become as black as you could ever imagine. Road Traffic Accidents have to be one of a dog owner’s worst nightmares. A lovely walk can quickly spiral into a traumatic experience and if it does, the owner’s ability […]
Ears – Basic 1st Aid for …… Constant shaking/scratching * Examine the ear opening by lifting the ear flap and looking inside. * Provided it is near the very top of the ear canal, if you are able to see an obvious foreign body, you can remove this yourself gently with your fingers. If you must […]
Ears – Whats Normal and How to Clean Them A healthy canine ear should not require any special treatment or care other than a regular check just to make sure all is well and that there is no irritation, wax, discharge, foul/sour smell, or excessive build up of hair (which can affect certain breeds eg Poodles). […]
Feet: With dogs, problems affecting the feet and nails are pretty common and can range from something as simple as a torn nail or be a symptom of a more general skin disease. Common causes of foot problems are:- 1. Parsitic Problems: Harvest Mite, Demodectic Mange, Hookworms 2. Allergic or Irritant Dermatitis: Dogs who suffer […]
Before you treat any type of bleed/wound, you should always go through the SEEP checklist, to ensure you take all the right steps in the correct order. Treating a bleed relies heavily on things like the application of pressure, and the positioning of the animal’s injured limb as bleeding will slow down it if has […]
Mastitis = inflammation in the mammary gland. Mastitis is usually caused by an infection which has entered via the teat, through a skin wound caused by a puppy, or via the bloodstream. The teat and breast tissue will be warm and may be swollen and tender. If the mastitis is more severe, there may be […]
Puppy Vaccinations: When you get your beautiful new puppy he has some immunity already, passed on through the milk from his mother. However, it is vitally important to protect him before he goes out into the big wide world. The normal sequence of events is:- @ 8 weeks, he will receive his first vaccination @ […]
Sometimes, helping the vet with diagnosing skin problems can be quite a challenge. Because there are lots of possible causes of skin infection, from trauma, to topical allergies, to food allergies, to bites, to autoimmune problems etc etc, it is a good idea to go through some questions yourself before your vet appointment so that if your vet […]
Head shaking and ear mites can affect any dog or cat. You may notice that your dog is shaking his head or perhaps scratching a lot more than usual. This could indicate several things including:- ear mites, foreign body in the ear, an allergy, an infection. Ear mites: Ear mites are common in puppies and […]
Loss of an intact tooth: On very rare occasions, say as the result of rough play, an accident, fight or even just getting caught up in something, complete loss of an intact tooth can occur – although it is fairly unusual in dogs. Should you find yourself in this position and you are able to retrieve […]
Inner Ear Infections: To a dog, his sense of hearing is the second most important of his 5 senses (second only to his sense of smell). Your dog’s ears are incredibly delicate and very important to him. Deafness, although something he can live with, will really affect the way he lives his life so if […]
There are many things that can trigger allergic reactions and hives in our animals – everything from food or medication that doesn’t agree with them, bee stings, wasp stings, nettle rash, vaccinations, flying ants, biting “critters” in the grass or undergrowth and even licking toads! This is what happens when you decide to suck a wasp!!! […]
Today’s tip tackles the steps to take if your dog has been involved in a drowning/water based emergency. Begin by using your DR.ABC assessment method:- D = Danger (Is it safe?) R = Response (Is he responding to you?) A = Airway (Open his Airway, pull his tongue forward & clear his mouth of […]
Coat contamination with whatever chemical or substance should always be taken very seriously. Any product on the coat can easily work its way onto the skin and then absorb through the layers of the dermis and into the blood stream. If this happens, there is the potential for your dog to be poisoned. This is […]
Constipation and straining can have many different causes but some of the more usual reasons for it are:- * Change of diet or normal toileting routine * Obesity or general lack of exercise * Spinal, joint or mobility problems making a squatting position painful * Impacted dry faeces * Impacted bony material * High percentage […]
Upset Tummy: You know what dogs are like, very often it’s a case of “if its not nailed down, they’ll have a go at eating it!” and invariably, some of the things they eat are not always very agreeable to their digestion. Vomiting and diarrhoea are often the outcome but, confusingly, these symptoms can be […]