Blindness in cats; is it a problem?
Cats’ eyes. They allow our beloved four-legged-friends to see well enough to enjoy night-life and hunt. They are also iconic in our society; from the “cat’s eye winged eyeliner” to the useful lights on roads, cats’ eyes are famous! What happens, then, if Felix’s eyes don’t work how they used to? It may seem a scary thought for owners, but cats, especially older cats, can become blind very quickly – we call this ‘sudden onset blindness’. The good news is that cats can go on to enjoy life without vision, and many owners are amazed by how well their feline [...]
Getting Your Pet’s Skin Checked
During the summer months there are many conditions that may affect your pet’s skin that can be itchy and painful. It is important that any problems with your pet’s skin are detected promptly and treated appropriately, to prevent these conditions from progressing and your pet’s skin getting worse. The Importance of Healthy Skin The skin is the body’s first line of defence that it uses to protect us from the outside world. Even though the skin of our pets may be hidden by fur, its role is just as important. We often underestimate the importance of keeping the skin healthy, [...]
All About Rabbit Vaccinations
Rabbits make rewarding family pets for both first-time pet owners and experienced owners. They are now the 3rd most popular pet in the UK, close behind our beloved cats and dogs. Just like cats and dogs, rabbits also require some vaccinations to keep them fit and healthy. In the UK the two main diseases we vaccinate rabbits against are Myxomatosis and Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD). (You can find more information on our pet factsheet pages here) Myxomatosis is a poxvirus spread by direct contact with infected rabbits or via blood- sucking insects such as flies, ticks, and mites. The [...]
My dog hates having his claws clipped – what can I do?
A lot of dogs don’t like having their feet looked at - which unfortunately means they tend to wriggle and squirm just when we’re trying to clip their toenails! However, there are some techniques you can use to make it a bit easier… First, why don’t they like it? There are two possible reasons - most often, it’s because they’ve had a bad experience some time before, that’s made them very protective of their feet and claws. Bad experiences usually means that at some point, when clipping the claws, someone has caught the quick (the living part inside the claw). [...]
Help – my dog’s ear has swollen up. What does this mean?
Different causes There are a number of conditions that could cause sudden inflammation of the ear, so we will concentrate on the most common reasons in this blog. However, should you notice some unexpected ear trauma then you should contact us ASAP to ensure the best treatment is offered for whatever situation your pooch is dealing with! Injury to the ear Dogs’ ears, in particular dogs with droopy or floppy ears, can easily become damaged or injured, such as on wire fences or hard surfaces. The response of the tissue to damage is to swell and become painful, so these [...]
Senior Pets
Just like humans, our pets will age… some more quickly than others. Larger breeds of dog tend to have shorter lives on average compared to smaller breeds. Different pets will show symptoms of aging more obviously compared to others, due to their personalities and - sadly - the level of pain they are experiencing. Because pets generally live for a shorter period of time compared to humans, their aging period will appear accelerated. As we get older, we modify our lives to ensure we age in a comfortable manner, we should do the same for our pets. Age is not [...]