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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Ears – Basic 1st Aid for …… Constant shaking/scratching * Examine the ear opening by lifting the ear flap and looking inside. * Provided it is near the very top of the ear canal, if you are able to see an obvious foreign body, you can remove this yourself gently with your fingers. If you must […]
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 […]
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: 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 […]
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!!! […]
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 […]
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, […]
Lameness Lameness is usually caused by pain but non-painful lameness may also occur. Two examples of non-painful lamenesses are “mechanical lameness” where limb movement is restricted but pain-free, and neurological lameness which usually means paralaysis of a limb or part of a limb. Apart from non-painful lameness, anything which hurts the dog will cause it […]
Symptoms of urinary obstruction – this is an emergency situation and should you feel that your dog is experiencing any/some of the following symptoms, please do not hesitate to ring your emergency vet and tell him you are on your way. The symptoms we would associate with POSSIBLE urinary obstruction are:- * Abdominal pain, agitation […]
MEASURING WATER INTAKE/URINE OUTPUT Obviously, the first thing to do is collect a urine sample. Measurement of both of these provides very useful information for the vet when urinary symptom problems are suspected. To measure water intake, you must ensure that there is only one source of water available, to which your dog has CONSTANT […]