Nails – (if you are on Facebook, check out the group Nail Maintenance for Dogs for some brilliant advice) Have you ever looked closely at a doggy toe nail? It’s got the shiny outer shell bit and running along the inside cavity of the nail is the blood supply called the kwik. The ideal length […]
If you have a breed with a lovely long, waggy tail, you may well have encountered the nightmare that is a split tail tip or “Happy Tail”. Usually, as a result of some seriously exuberent wagging, the tail may come into contact with a stationary object such as the door frame or wall and […]
Bleeding Ear Tips – This morning while on our walk I was wondering what I would put in today’s blog. Axl, my trustee Rhodesian Ridgeback side-kick, must have been reading my thoughts because no sooner had the thought crossed my mind, than he came up with the answer for me. Now that he’s an “agility […]
By about the age of 7 months, most dogs should have their full set of permanent (adult) teeth. In some smaller breeds it is quite common for dogs to retain some of the primary (milk) teeth but, if this causes problems for the dog with overcrowding for example, these should be removed by your vet. […]
Hypoglycaemic Collapse – Insulin is produced naturally in the body to control and regulate the amount of sugar in the blood. Dogs who suffer with diabetes AND those dogs who are worked very hard such as gundogs, working huskies, agility and flyball competitors etc, use up their calorific reserves quickly and if not replenished, this can result in […]
Heatstroke Hyperthermic Collapse – Hyper is latin and means high, above or over. It is not to be confused with conditions who’s names start with Hypo (Hypo means exactly the opposite, ie low, below or under) Today’s tip is about Hyperthermic Collapse (collapse due to the dog having a very high temperature or being subjected atmospherically […]
A prolapse of the eyeball can occur in breeds such as the Pekinese and the Chihuahua with large protruding eyes. As a result of injury the eye may displace forward and the eyelids partly close behind it. An injury of this nature usually occurs after a fight with a larger dog but it can occur […]
Severe Injury to the eye – Again, with such a serious eye injury it is vitally important that we access professional veterinary help as soon as possible. Please be aware that the dog will be in severe discomfort so application of a muzzle may well be appropriate. If the object that has hit the dog […]
Basic first aid for eye injuries Object in the eye: Our eyes are so important to us, whether we are humans, dogs or another species entirely. For this reason, any “messing about” with eyeballs causes extreme fear and wariness and so before you start trying to help, please think about your own physical safety and […]
Did you know … Dogs have three eyelids. The third lid, called a nictitating membrane or “haw,” keeps the eye lubricated and protected. and Did you know … A dog’s shoulder blades are unattached to the rest of the skeleton to allow greater flexibility for running
Does my dog have cateracts? Many dog owners of older dogs think their pet has developed cataracts because they notice that the lens of the eye has taken on a greyish bluish colour at its centre. Any such changes in the eye should ALWAYS be checked out by the Vet but, in fact, in the […]
Is Eating Grass Normal? . . Three times recently I have been directly asked or overheard a conversation about this issue and then, totally by chance, I read a really interesting little snippet which sums it up beautifully. This little chapter comes from Andrew Gardiner’s First Aid for Dogs book – An Owner’s Veterinary Guide […]
Today’s K9 Quiz Q5 is the last in this section So how did you do? Hopefully, you all did really well but, if you didn’t, maybe this week of scenarios might galvanize you into finding out a bit more or preparing yourselves better JUST IN CASE. Next week we will be back to Tips of […]
Rhodes 2 Safety Quiz Q4: Your dog squeezes himself through a tiny gap between a fence and the side of a garage while “investigating”. He catches his foreleg on a sharp edge sticking out from the fence and puts a degloved injury in his leg (a degloved injury is one in which the flesh […]
Rhodes 2 Safety Quiz Question 3 (Q3) It’s a warm summer’s evening in August. You’ve had the back door open and the dogs have been able to trot in and out as they like. You look at your dog about 9pm and notice that he looks a little odd. His eyes have begun to puff […]
Today’s Question is:- It’s February. Your dog gets into difficulty in the water. He manages to pull himself onto the bank but then seems unresponsive. What do you do? Im looking for at least 5 actions you would take in this situation. * For small breed dogs, hold him upside down just above the […]
This week is Quiz Week – I did this a few months ago and it went down very well so thought we’d have another go at it this week. Ill pop a question each day for you to think about and the following day will put up the appropriate answers. Today’s Rhodes 2 Safety Q1 […]
Pulse Rates – Whenever your dog is sick, we always suggest that you take his pulse to get an idea of how sick he really may be. There are 2 things about this that are worth mentioning: Firstly, do you know WHERE to find your dog’s pulse? The easiest place is directly over the heart, […]
BLOAT – Also known as Torsion or GDV – A condition most frequent in, but not restricted to, large and giant breeds. The stomach fills with gas and rather than expelling it as normal, the gut twists and flips over on itself cutting off the blood supply and results in the tissue dying, often with fatal […]
Meningitis In Dogs Today’s blog comes out of a situation experienced by a good friend of mine and her dog over the past six months. I say six months because this is how long it has taken for a fair few very experienced veterinary professionals to finally get to the bottom of this problem and […]