Articles

Articles, questions and guides on pet care.

What are dog food allergies?

What are dog food allergies?

Everybody has heard of food allergies by now or knows people who have them. Dogs can also get food allergies, but they like to do them differently than people. Read on to learn how to recognise them.

Read article
Colitis in dogs - a common cause of diarrhoea

Colitis in dogs - a common cause of diarrhoea

Colitis in dogs means that the patient is suffering from inflammation of the large intestine (colon). Many dogs will suffer from colitis at one stage in their lives and this is also a common puppy…

Read article
Crate training for puppies

Crate training for puppies

Puppies are often crate trained as part of an introduction to a new household. This can be an effective way of helping puppies to feel safe, secure and to prevent injury overnight. However, things…

Read article
Help! My dog gets travel sickness

Help! My dog gets travel sickness

Travel sickness, also called car or motion sickness, can affect pets as much as humans. Any form of travel can trigger travel sickness- dogs may shake, drool, yawn excessively, vomit and in some…

Read article
Eating things that are not edible - pica in cats

Eating things that are not edible - pica in cats

Pica is a term used to describe behaviour in cats where they regularly eat items that are not considered edible. This sometimes includes repeated eating one specific item such as stones, but can…

Read article
Eating things that are not edible - pica in dogs

Eating things that are not edible - pica in dogs

Pica is a term used to describe behaviour in dogs where they regularly eat items that are not considered edible. This sometimes includes repeated eating one specific item such as stones, but can…

Read article
Help! Why won’t my dog eat?

Help! Why won’t my dog eat?

Dogs are clever! They will often not eat if they feel nauseous or they have vomited recently. If they have vomited, they are more likely to eat after being fasted for a short time: 2 to 3 hours for…

Read article
Feeding a puppy

Feeding a puppy

We all know that puppies are not just small dogs and they have different dietary requirements. A puppy’s diet should be tailored to help with growth and development to help build strong bones, teeth…

Read article
Spots on the chin: cat acne and how to treat it

Spots on the chin: cat acne and how to treat it

Feline acne, also known as follicular keratinisation, is a common skin condition that usually appears on the chin area. For this reason, it is also sometimes referred to as cat chin acne. Some cats…

Read article
Gastric ulcers and gastritis in dogs

Gastric ulcers and gastritis in dogs

There are many reasons why your dog might be sick or not eat well. Gastritis is common but usually easily treatable. The stomach contains strong gastric acid, which is important in the breakdown of…

Read article
Haemorrhagic gastro-enteritis (HGE) in dogs and cats

Haemorrhagic gastro-enteritis (HGE) in dogs and cats

Haemorrhagic gastro-enteritis (HGE) is a syndrome where a dog or cat passes diarrhoea and/or vomit containing fresh red blood. Sometimes they can have profuse watery bright red diarrhoea and it can…

Read article
Seizures in dogs

Seizures in dogs

Seizures are common in dogs, especially in certain breeds where there is a genetic susceptibility to epilepsy. A seizure is essentially a disturbance of normal brain function. This leads to…

Read article
Pros and cons of keeping a cat indoors

Pros and cons of keeping a cat indoors

For most cat owners, it is an important decision on whether you should keep your cat indoors or allow them access to the outside world. There are pros and cons of both options which this article…

Read article
Halloween hazards and Bonfire Night - how to keep your pet safe

Halloween hazards and Bonfire Night - how to keep your pet safe

Halloween can be a wonderful time of year with lots of sweets and chocolates in abundance, creative costumes and a great time had by all. However our pets may feel very different, with dangers posed…

Read article
How to make your garden cat friendly

How to make your garden cat friendly

Many cat owners spend time making their home more cat friendly, but often do not consider how cat friendly their garden is. If you have a garden where other cats from the neighbourhood frequent,…

Read article
Why is my cat scratching at the furniture?

Why is my cat scratching at the furniture?

Scratching is a natural and very important behaviour for the cat. However problems can arise when cats scratch furniture or other objects in the house that the owner deems undesirable.

Read article
Top tips for cat litter trays

Top tips for cat litter trays

Choosing the right litter tray for your cat is so important. From size, shape, location and substrate material, all of these things should be considered when choosing a tray. Read more about the…

Read article
Are shock collars really that bad?

Are shock collars really that bad?

A shock collar is a device which delivers an electric shock to an animal and is used as a training tool. They may also be called electronic collars, remote collars or e-collars. Continue reading…

Read article

With FirstVet, the vet clinic and pet shop are only one tap away. Get fast advice, trusted care and the right pet supplies – every day, all year round.

FIRSTVET UK LTD

25 Horsell Road

London

N5 1XL