When we refer to a Stroke in dogs, this is not actually the same as what we understand as a stroke in humans – it’s just a kind of shorthand that vets sometimes use to help us understand. In actual fact, it is Vestibular Syndrome, which is caused by damage to the inner ear or […]
Canine First Aid Cross Word ACROSS 1 Grass seed in the ear (6,4) 2 Type of honey (6) 3 Carries de-oxygenated blood (4) 4 Lack of oxygen (7) 5 Act of bringing back to life (13) 6 Number of compressions in CPR (6) 7 Body’s response to lack of oxygen (5) 8 Toxic bloom […]
Currently in the UK we are experiencing a high influx of jellyfish (and therefore jellyfish stings ) to our coastline. Although the majority are not dangerous, some are, so here’s our guide to jellyfish treatment – for both ourselves as well as our dogs. Before we go any further, the advice below in no way […]
Before reading this article, please: DO NOT ATTEMP THIS PROCEDURE WITHOUT PROPER SUPERVISION FROM A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL AS DOING SO COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. All dogs have anal glands. They are scent glands under the skin on each side of the dog’s anal area (at about the 4 and 8 o’clock positions). The openings to these […]
At this time of the year especially, we often see something in our lakes, ponds and rivers called Blue-Green Algae (though sometimes, rather confusingly, it can appear red, black or even a murky brown colour!) I know lots of you will have heard of it, but what exactly is it and what dangers does it […]
I confess that until recently, Id only ever heard rumours about Water Intoxication but of late, and especially due to the hot weather, this is something that has come to my attention a couple of times (once in a really good, straight forward blog by JoAnna Lou of TheBark.com) so I thought it worth chatting about, […]
There are many different causes for nasal discharge or sneezing in our furry friends and it seems that longer-nosed dogs are more likely to suffer than their shorter-nosed counterparts. The more common ones would be foreign bodies, allergic reactions, kennel cough viruses, fungal infections and, sadly, nasal tumours. Occasionally, severe dental infections can cause a nasal discharge […]
The document below was created by a Facebook friend of mine, the lovely Jodi Davies. Many people are opting to try to reduce the amount of chemical medication, pesticides and wormers they use with their dogs and one way of checking to see if your dog actually needs to be wormed is by carrying out […]
Is it bad to give your dog Iced Water or Ice Cubes to cool them? Straight answer = NO It seems that there has been a post floating around the net and on Facebook over and over telling of a very tragic incident which was put down to the use of iced water. (see link for […]
Often when our dogs are ill, we trundle off to see the vet and he recommends various diagnostic tests to try to shed a bit of light on exactly what is wrong with them. In the absence of their being able to talk to us to tell us exactly how they are feeling, these tests […]
In my local area I have recently been made aware of at least 3 instances where dogs have ingested rat poison – sadly, one of those dogs didn’t make it. Since then, another of my friends has found rat poison dumped in the garden after their neighbours took exception to the dogs barking. So, firstly, would you […]
Vomiting, shaking, anxiety and drooling can be as a result of car travel or nervousness, and this is very common indeed in puppies – with my boy Axl having just sired a litter, Im in constant contact with our new puppy owners and this is something that all of them, my puppy Chi included, have suffered […]
Ive been asked several times recently about Colloidal Silver; what it is, how it works, what you can use it for etc. It is gaining quite a bit of a reputation and, due to the enormous list of uses, illnesses, bacteria etc that it is reputed to help, this topic deserves a section all to […]
In a nutshell, heatstroke occurs when a dog is subjected atmospherically to high temperatures so that might be where a dog cannot get out of the heat, for example if they are left in a car in warm weather – or perhaps if you have a “sun-worshiper” who just loves to be out baking his brain in […]
Bleeding tongue: A dog’s tongue is important for many things including eating, cleaning themselves, lapping up water, bonding with the pack and showing submission. Luckily, there aren’t many issues or illnesses that affect dogs’ tongues, however they are susceptible to injury perhaps during general investigation with their mouths by biting, chewing or picking up something which may be sharp […]
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 […]