Tags: First Aid

Walking Dandruff (Cheyletiella Mite)

Cheyletiella Mites (or walking dadruff as they are often known) are Zoonoses.  Zoonoses are diseases that can be transmitted between vertibrate species, including man, which means they are not restricted just to our furry friends. As with the Harvest Mite, “walking dandruff” lives on the surface of the skin and feeds on skin cell debris.  […]

Harvest Mites

The most recent information suggests that there might well be a link between Harvest Mites and SCI (Seasonal Canine Illness).  With that in mind, I thought we’d take a look at what they are and what to do about them. Harvest Mites (known as chiggers or berry bugs) appear, as the name suggests, around harvest […]

Blue Green Algae

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 […]

Diagnostic Tests

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 […]

Heatstroke

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 […]

Canine Tip of the Day: Friction Burns

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

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, […]

Road Traffic Accidents – Rhodes 2 Safety

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 […]

Canine Tip of the Day: Ears

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 – Rhodes 2 Safety

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 […]

Dog Bites – Rhodes 2 Safety

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 […]

Diagnosing Skin Problems – Rhodes 2 Safety

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 […]

Inner Ear Infections – Rhodes 2 Safety

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 […]

Allergic Reactions/Hives

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!!! […]

Shock – Rhodes 2 Safety

  When people think about canine first aid, they tend to think about things like how to do CPR and artificial respiration – the “big ones”, if you will.  In actual fact, probably the most serious and potentially life threatening situation you need to be able to spot and treat is shock. In a nutshell, […]

Foreign Bodies – Eye

Foreign Bodies – Eye:  If a dog has runny/watery eyes, is pawing at the eye or rubbing his head on the ground, it might be that there is something in the eye – be that dust, debris, a grass seed or some other type of foreign body.  I have even seen a tick attached to the […]

Foreign Bodies – feet

As spring takes hold and moves towards the summer, the plants start to grow again and belting through long grasses and shrubbery can pose an occupational hazard for a dog where foreign bodies (FBs) are concerned. FB’s such as grass seeds can often be found having entered the ears, nose, eyes, vulva or skin and especially the […]

Canine Tip of the Day: Ticks

  Ticks come in lots of different colours and sizes; from grey, pink, red, brown and black, and right through from the size of a pin-head to a big fat juicy rice-crispy.  They are carried on things like sheep and deer and drop off into the grass and undergrowth so that when an animal passes through, […]

Fits & Seizures

Fits and Seizures occur when brain cells malfunction and abnormal nerve signals spread throughout part of the brain in an uncontrolled way.  The most common cause of fits/seizures/convulsions in dogs: EPILEPSY This is the most common cause. The first fit normally occurs before age 3 if true epilepsy is the cause. Fits in young dogs may often […]

Canine Tip of the Day: Burns

There are lots of places a dog could get a burn from, and several different types of burn too, from hot burns (caused by coming into contact with anything hot including flames, boiling water and even the sun), cold burns (usually ice or frozen metal), chemical burns (from anything that can get either onto the […]