Halloween Hazards and how to avoid them
Halloween is an exciting time of year, with pumpkins, sweets and fancy dress costumes found in most households. There are many fun Halloween activities to participate in, but some of them can cause a risk to your pets if precautions are not taken. So, with some careful planning, we will help you keep Halloween as safe as possible for your pets. Keeping your pet safe from sweets If your child goes out trick-or-treating then it is likely that they will bring home a selection of sweets and chocolates… Meanwhile if you are expecting any Halloween visitors then you may have [...]
Dental disease in dogs and cats
Dental disease is the most common problem facing our furry friends, with the majority of both dogs and cats showing some signs of disease by the age of 3. This is a painful condition and is a welfare concern so needs to be managed as soon as it is identified. Fortunately, this is preventable and by working together we can reduce this problem. Dental disease is caused by growth of bacteria in the plaque which sticks to the teeth. This causes the gums to become red, swollen and painful and can lead to unstable teeth. These unstable teeth are painful [...]
Is my pet just slowing down, or is something wrong?
Old age is a natural and inescapable part of life - time will take its toll on all of us, and on our pets too. Some of the changes we experience as we get older are true for our pets too. Things like changes to eyesight and hearing are very common. Eyesight Many animals can see movement much better than we can, but as they age they go through some normal changes that can reduce their vision. Many of us are familiar with the slightly white or milky appearance of an old dog’s eyes. This is usually caused by [...]
Heatstroke in Pets
HEATSTROKE IS A VERY SERIOUS CONDITION. IT CAN RAPIDLY DAMAGE TISSUES LEADING TO ORGAN FAILURE LEADING TO DEATH. IT MUST BE TREATED AS AN EMERGENCY. As temperatures soar in Ireland, an increased number of heatstroke cases have been brought to our attention. It is important that we are all aware of these conditions to allow us to have fun with our furry friends in the warmer months. What is it? Heatstroke is an illness caused by the pet’s core body temperature rising too high. Mammals regulate their temperature constantly, meaning our core body temperature barely changes at all. [...]
Tick Awareness
What are ticks? Ticks are small arachnids, like spiders. They have no wings and eight legs, but otherwise have a variable appearance as there are many different species. They get larger as they mature, but most ticks are about 3-5mm long when not engorged with blood. Why are ticks dangerous? Ticks are dangerous because they are obligate blood feeders. They need to live on another warm-blooded body in order to survive - because they feed exclusively on blood. Each stage of their life cycle requires a feed, they then drop off the host, back into the environment to mature and [...]
Fighting Fleas! Keep your Pet off the Flea Menu
Nasty little critters, there are few things less appealing than finding a flea jumping about on your pet pooch or moggy. Not only do they cause itchiness and skin disease in our pets, they can also cause anaemia, transmit dangerous infections and are an absolute nightmare to eradicate from the home. Does my pet have fleas? We may first suspect that our pet is providing lodging to these tiny parasites when we notice them scratching more than usual or perhaps chewing the fur above their tail, leaving their skin red and sore. Those with flea allergies will be particularly [...]