Articles

Articles, questions and guides on pet care.

Cat licking its fur, causing hairballs

Hairballs in cats

Cats are very good at keeping themselves clean but they also swallow fur when they are washing. If large amounts of fur accumulate in the stomach hairballs can form. Hairballs are something that can a...

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Cream lame dog lying on wooden floor

Lameness in dogs

Dogs can become lame for many reasons, such as a wound, insect sting, sprain or fracture. Other causes include joint problems, such as osteoarthritis. In this article we talk about symptoms, diagnosis...

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Lame tabby cat looking at camera

Lameness in cats

Cats can become lame for many reasons. Cats may develop an abscess from a cat bite, a wound, sprain, fracture or a sting in the paw. Some lameness can also be caused by joint problems in the leg. Here...

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Black and white dog looking at camera

What your vet wished dog owners knew

Dogs have never been so popular. Yet, as vets know only too well, there are still many myths and misconceptions about our canine buddies. And quite a few of them can unfortunately lead owners down a p...

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mosquito heartworm cat

Heartworm disease in cats

Heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) are transmitted to cats by mosquitoes. Cats who travel abroad or who are adopted from outside the UK are most at risk and preventive precautions should be taken in the...

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mosquito heartworm dog

Heartworm disease in dogs

Heartworm is a parasite, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. Heartworm infection is much more common in dogs than cats, but it can cause serious illness and even death in both species. Preventative pr...

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dog rope toy

Can our dogs communicate with us? How to give our dogs choices and enrich their lives

As caring dog owners, we want to build a strong relationship with our pets based on mutual trust and respect. But one aspect of our dogs’ lives less often considered is the importance of choice. Vicky...

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Weight Cat UK

Is my cat too fat or too skinny? A guide to body condition scoring in cats

Have you ever wondered if your cat is an ideal weight? How do you know if you need to cut out on some of the treats? It is important to keep your cat an ideal weight throughout their life to prevent d...

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dog-with-burger-toy-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.

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dog lungworm

Lungworm infection in dogs

Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) is a life-threatening disease of dogs. The number of cases in the UK over the last few years seems to be rising. Our vet explains what signs you should look out for ...

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dog sitting hand feeding

The power of hand feeding for training your dog

Hand feeding is the not-so-secret method used by many dog trainers that all dog owners should know about. It's the fastest way to build a bond with your dog to make all your training quicker, easier a...

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white dog grass

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 pro...

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dog paws forest

Vomiting vs regurgitation in dogs and cats - what is the difference?

All pet owners will know that vomiting is a common problem in dogs and cats. However, it is important to know the difference between vomiting and regurgitation. Regurgitation in dogs and cats has diff...

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dalmatian lying down

Drooling in dogs and cats

Drooling, or hypersalivation (ptyalism), is the result of overproduction of saliva or the inability to swallow the saliva being produced, or both. Drooling in pets can present as a mild complaint or b...

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dog sitting grass

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 do ...

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yellow labrador happy

Vomiting bile in dogs and cats - causes, signs and treatment

Dogs and cats vomit bile when they have no other food content in the stomach. This could be because there has been previous vomiting, or it may be that they have not eaten recently. Bile and gastric a...

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walk dachshund

Common infectious causes of diarrhoea in dogs and puppies

There are many infectious causes of diarrhoea in dogs and puppies, and this is sometimes associated with other symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy and loss of appetite. A common step in the diagnosis ...

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dog car 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 cases...

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forest dogs

Long-term diarrhoea in dogs and cats

Loose stools can become an ongoing problem in both dogs and cats. In medical terms, changes to the consistency of stools is termed chronic diarrhoea when it has been present for 2 weeks or more. This ...

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dog-stick-grass

Changes in the colour of your pet’s poo?

Stool colour is an excellent indicator of intestinal health. Many different conditions can have an impact on stool colour and consistency so sometimes these changes are the first indication of a probl...

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dog-with-food-bowl-food-trial-dogs

How to do an elimination diet food trial for dogs

Elimination diet food trials are done in dogs both to diagnose and treat various food intolerances or allergies. Read our article to learn how to do one successfully!

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