Having girl dogs means that unless the bitch is spayed, you will have to contend with hormones, seasons, phantom pregnancies and the like. My house is only big enough for one set of girlie hormones and I’m afraid they’re mine! For this reason, I opt to have boy dogs in my life but the boys do […]
Licking wounds/stitches: When a dog has an injury, be that an irritation, a wound or stitches after surgery, the natural thing for him to do is to try to lick the area to clean it, reduce irritation or soothe himself. Unfortunately licking can be more harm than good as the saliva may cause bacterial infection. […]
Chemical burns come in all sorts of guises – from our dogs sticking their noses into substances in the garage or garden shed, finding “dumped” chemicals in the undergrowth on our walks, on their paws if they walk through a spilt liquid on the floor or road or may be even with something as seemingly innocent as walking […]
Ice Burns & Pad Damage: When we think about burns, we usually think of damage caused by hot surfaces or fluids. Rarely do we stop to think about the damage that can be caused by the cold (for example ice burns from walking on icy surfaces for any distance) or by chemicals (such as battery acid or […]
Christmas Safety Warnings: I’w writing today’s blog in the second week of December so today’s “Canine Tip of the Day” has a few seasonal reminders to keep our dog’s safe now that many of us have put up a Christmas tree in the house. I would also add the obvious but sometimes forgotten tip of […]
Weepy/Watery Eyes: Sometimes, particularly with dogs who have paler coloured fur, you might notice that their eyes are weeping or watery. Some breeds are more prone to this condition than others for example the Poodle, the Shih Tzu, the Bichon Frise and the Maltese, but any breed can suffer with it. Breeds with larger eyes, such […]
I often get asked if there are any pain killers we can give to dogs if they injure themselves – for example if they suffer a sprain or strain. Many people get confused about what we can and cannot give to dogs – and rightly so. There are many drugs that are perfectly fine for humans to […]
Flatulence (Farting!) – All dogs suffer with excessive wind or “gas” from time to time, just like humans do. For the most part it’s a bit whiffy, funny or possibly even embarrassing but generally, all part and parcel of living with a dog. I’m sure most of us would simply open a window or add […]
Swallowing things they shouldn’t – and things “hanging out” the other end! Dogs do tend to wolf down anything and everything – and not all the things they try to consume are good for them! Sometimes they manage to swallow the most inappropriate of things ranging from socks and pants, through to needles and thread […]
Cut Paw Pad: It’s not always obvious when a dog cut’s his paw and often it might not be unless you actually see him limping or spot blood on the ground. Often it’s not until he comes home or you give his muddy paws a rub over that you notice the problem. The important thing […]
Ocular Compression is a technique hoped to help dogs with epilepsy. We have covered fits and epilepsy in a previous blog (here’s the link to it:- Fits & Seizures) Many people try very hard to minimise the amount of drugs or chemicals they use with their dogs, be that in the form of vaccinations or […]
Undescended Testicles is also known as Cryptorchidism. When a male puppy is born, his testicles will still be within his abdomen. As he developes and grows, they will slowly start to “descend” down the tubes until they arrive at their permanent place in his scrotum. It is important for mammals to be able to keep their sperm […]
A lot of problems with our dogs can be caused or exacerbated by our dog’s weight so, Is Your Dog Too Fat? As a rule, people who show their dogs in breed dog show competitions such as Crufts here in the UK and the Westminster Cup in the US see other examples of their breed regularly […]
Licking the paws …….. Why? . This is one of the most common questions I get asked and in all honesty, there is no simple straight-forward answer. First we need to establish whether the dog is licking his paws because there is a medical condition causing his discomfort or whether it is simply a behaviour he’s […]
Causes of Excessive Dog Drooling As the owner of a very “drooly” dog, I can tell you for sure that ALL dogs drool (its just that some do it a hell of a lot more than others and some take it to a whole new level!) Usually with the prospect of food, the flood gates open […]
There’s not much of a worse insult than the term “dog breath”, but your dog really shouldn’t have bad breath just because he’s a dog. Bad breath may be a sign of many different problems from tooth decay, gum disease, an upset stomach or perhaps its just that he has consumed something far from palatable to humans […]
Hot Spots & Wet Eczema are the same thing. Dermatitis is “doctor-speak”. If you break down the parts of the word you get derm which means skin and itis which means inflammation therefore if you or your dog are suffering from dermatitis, it simply means inflammation of the skin. In dogs, it can be caused […]
Diarrhoea After Eating: Usually, when your dog gets an upset stomach or a “runny bum” it’s down to them eating something undesirable that they’ve managed to find on a walk, picking up a bug of some sort or it may be that they’ve eaten something new that doesn’t quite agree with them. Often, when we try to change our […]
Heart Disease & Failure: Seen in middle and old age, this is the most common problem to affect our beloved canine companions. This disease is particularly prevalent in small breeds such as Chihuahuas and even more frequently in Cavalaier King Charles Spaniels, but that is not to say we may not come across heart valve […]
Vaginal Discharge & Pyometra: Vaginal discharge is not actually a condition in itself, but rather the indication that something is wrong with either the reproductive tract or the urinary tract. There are many possible causes for this problem: Uterine Problems: * Uterine infection called pyometra – in bitches who have not been spayed. (this is […]