Call the Vet - an insider's guide to dog and cat health

Physiotherapy and other physical therapies like hydrotherapy form an important part of any rehabilitation and recovery process after surgery or injury. It is though vital that any treatment is carried out properly - otherwise, there could be more harm done than good

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When carried out by a trained practitioner, physiotherapy can improve chance of successful recovery + reduce the risk of side-effects, speed up recovery, reduce pain, and maintain muscle. Incorrect technique can lead to the exact opposite!

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Vaccines are a fundamental step in having the healthiest dog (and cat) possible. It is though important to only vaccinate against diseases that actually pose a threat. Otherwise, the risk of side effects outweigh the potential benefits.

Vaccinations is just one of the 5 topics I discuss in my free guide Pet Health Essentials

Although vaccines are very safe, you do need to be aware of potential side effects, and deciding on the type of vaccine and frequency of administration is very much based on a risk:benefit assessment performed in conversation with your veterinarian.

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Large and giant breed dogs are at risk of a number of fairly unique conditions that affect their bones and joints. Understanding the implications of this can save you a lot of heartache and ensure you know exactly how to manage them for optimal health.

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Hypertophic osteodystrophy in dogs is a bone disease that occurs in young, fast-growing large and giant breed dogs like Great Danes, boxers, Labrador retrievers - particularly severe in the Weimaraner and Irish Setter.

It causes lameness, increased temperature, anorexia, and dogs suffering from HOD can be truly painful and miserable.

All is not lost though, as the prognosis is likely better than you might expect...

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Having an itchy dog or cat can be incredibly frustrating!

Finding out why they are itching is not always easy and then finding a management or treatment plan that stops your dog or cat scratching all the time can take forever.

Join me as I work through the causes of itching in dogs and cats, how you can diagnose the problem in your pet, and then what you need to know about treating their skin condition to stop them from itching and scratching for good!

At the very least, you need to know itchy pet causes which include parasites, infections, anal gland problems, other skin disease, and allergies. It's also important to know that your pet might not be itchy! Boredom, stress, and pain can make them appear to be scratching but the problem is something else.

Check out the Our Pet's Health Academy

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Getting your picky dog to eat can be hard enough, but it’s even more worrying if you think they are too skinny…

I understand how frustrating having a picky dog can be, especially if you are worried that they are underweight.

There are 2 steps you need to take:

1. Find out if your dog is actually a healthy weight or not. Hopefully your vet should have given you some indication as to whether or not he is a healthy weight. If not then answering a few questions will help you to find out, which you can read about in my article all about how to condition score your dog.
2. Next, you should study my top tips for how to make a picky dog eat, and once you have settled on a strategy stick to your guns!

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A lot of owners feel like their pet’s health is out of their hands, and simply put their trust in luck. The reality is that this approach compromises their pet’s health and ends up costing a lot more money.

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The fact is that since I graduated from vet school in 2006, it’s become increasingly clear to me that the most common diseases and injuries I see in my patients are almost completely preventable...

The biggest causes of poor health and a reduction in quality of life in both dogs and cats are obesity, dental disease, and arthritis. As well as the impact these have on your pet, being overweight alone is said to cost a dog owner $2,026 per year, and a cat owner $1,178.

These are the diseases that you have the power to prevent, or at least significantly reduce their impact on your pet’s life, by taking a proactive approach. Even better, taking the right action doesn’t take a lot of resources or cost a lot of money.

I know by being part of this community that you are willing to take action

Today I’m excited to share with you how the Our Pet’s Health Academy could add years to your pet’s life, reduce their chance of developing the most common threats to their health, and ensure they are living their best life possible.

This transformation from your pet being a walking veterinary bill into a picture of health will take place through:

• a range of targeted courses (and the list is rapidly growing!)
• a comprehensive resource library
• live monthly training sessions on key topics with Q&A for all your queries
• an exclusive forum to share your experiences with other dedicated dog and cat lovers.

 Taking the time to invest in your pet's health really does make a world of difference when it comes to them living a healthy, happy, and full life.

Click here to learn more about the academy

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If your cat is shredding the arm of your favorite sofa or scratching your curtains all the time, one of the best solutions is to get your cat to use a scratching post instead.

Getting your cat to use their new scratching post is more complicated than simply adding it to the corner of your room. But using these proven steps will help them quickly make the transition!

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Steps to Getting Your Cat to Use a Scratching Post

• Making sure the scratching post is at the angle your cat prefers (some like horizontal, others like vertical surfaces).
• Trying different materials - carpet vs cardboard - some cats can be put off if their nails keep getting caught in loops of carpet.
• Putting the post in the area that your cat prefers (start off near the furniture they currently scratch).
• Attract your cat to the area using catnip or Feliway spray.
• Give your cat a tasty reward as soon as your cat uses the post.

Stopping Your Cat Scratching the Furniture

• Put a heavy blanket over the arm of the couch or temporarily tie up the curtains to help break the habit
• Don’t punish your cat - stress causes more scratching or urine spraying
• While most cats will successfully transition to using a scratching post, for those who don’t you could consider trying claw covers that you can glue on.
• NEVER declaw your cat.

Download the guide "Pet Health Essentials" for free

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The last thing I want is to see as a veterinarian is my patients come to see me at the vet clinic because they are unwell or injured. Especially if it is something that could have been prevented in the first place (or at least the risk massively reduced).

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The fact is, it is well within your reach to take the right steps to optimize your dog and cat’s health and ensure that your pet is living their best life and improve their happiness.

While you might think that your pet’s health is mostly a matter of luck, the reality is that the most common diseases and causes of poor quality of life are almost completely preventable. A few surprisingly simple steps can make all the difference!

Whether you are a new puppy or kitten owner or have a senior dog and cat, concentrating on my 5 top tips for a healthier, happier pet is all it takes to take your pet's health to the next level!

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Are flea treatments poisoning your pet’s blood...or are they completely safe?

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• There is no good evidence to suggest that feeding garlic has any flea repellant activity
• Garlic, onion and chives (all in the allium family) cuse red blood cell destruction which can result in severe anaemia - head here to read more about onion and garlic poisoning in dogs (LINK TO POST

• Modern flea and tick preventive treatments work in different ways depending on the active ingredient. They are generally much more targeted towards insect biology rather than mammalian biology.
• Older drugs, such as organophosphates, were much more dangerous, as well as being less effective
• There are still potential side-effects with modern flea treatments (something that's true with any drug), and these might make certain products a good choice for some individuals while not suitable for others.

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It can be a very worrying time if your older dog has started to have seizures. While it is tempting to pass them off as normal “idiopathic” epilepsy, the reality is that, unless your dog has had seizures when they were younger, it is highly unlikely that this diagnosis is correct.

There is likely to be another underlying seizure cause.

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• Brain lesions - tumor, stroke
• Infection
• Poisoning
• Organ disease

While a thorough history and simple blood test might be all that is needed to diagnose the seizure cause in the case of poisoning, kidney failure, or liver disease for example, in other cases reaching a diagnosis can be very challenging and referral to a neurologist may be required in these more complex cases if funds allow and a diagnosis is not otherwise forthcoming.

While it is easy to blame a drug if your dog develops new symptoms relatively soon after starting treatment, side effects are not always to blame. In fact, they are often a result of progression of the underlying disease process - especially in the case of old dog seizures.

Unfortunately, seizures in older dogs can be more challenging to treat. If there is underlying organ disease then very often seizures only develop late in the course of the disease, making successful management harder.

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