Colitis is really uncomfortable and unpleasant – and it doesn’t just affect us humans. Your dog can suffer with this too and it has many causes. So, what actually is colitis? The colon is part of the intestine and is responsible for doing things like collecting the fibrous parts of the diet that the dog […]
Purging & Toxic Plants – so to start with, exactly WHAT IS purging? Well, according to the boffins who write the dictionaries, purging is:- a. To free from impurities; purify. b. To remove (impurities and other elements) by evacuation (of the bowels) or to vomit. . I have looked at purging in another guise in the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]