Should we ban the XL Bully? It doesn’t seem an unreasonable question right now and Rishi Sunak certainly thinks so.  Afterall, as a breed, they are responsible for 60% of the deaths of humans from dog attacks last year so far this year and the voluntary organisation Bully Watch have collected data, mainly from social media reports, on 351 dog on dog attacks where a bully type dog is the aggressor, representing 43% of the total they are aware of. But what exactly is an XL bully?  Some are tall and lean, others are shorter and squat but they all go by the same name.  They do share ..read more

Would you be able to recognise the new breed of puppy farms? ‘Traditional’ puppy farms still exist; with litters bred in dark sheds and shipped out to shops and homes to sell, but farmers have realised we are on the look out for this now and some have evolved to give themselves a more respectable front. These new farms have really slick websites, but if you look closely no pictures of the actual places where the dogs live or of the pups themselves.  Just stock images of adorable babies and exhortations to ‘get in touch and we can find you the perfect puppy’. They might also have social me ..read more

Rescuing a dog can be a really rewarding path to pet ownership and while your newest family member may the currently living in the local kennels, they could instead be thousands of miles away in a different country. I think we are all aware of how important it is to be thorough when buying a puppy and to ensure they come from a reputable and responsible breeder but I believe fewer of us are as prepared to be as vigilant when it comes to rehoming.  We place a great deal of trust in rescue organisations, believing that because they clearly care so much about the animals, they will also care ..read more

This month The Mirror newspaper has launched a campaign calling for the widening of the remit of the current Dangerous Dog Act. They want to add more breeds to the list of those banned in the UK, particularly XL Bully type dogs, and place restrictions on their owners This has been triggered by a spike in deaths from dog bites, 9 already this year, 4 of which have been from bull breeds. It is true that these large and extremely powerful dogs are becoming more popular and many will have been traumatised in their early life by ear cropping but the solution is not to ban them, or blame them for th ..read more

There are SO MANY joint supplements for our dogs on the market, how can you possibly pick out one that does what it says it is going to and is good value for money? @cat_the_vet Top 5 Tips… For Picking A Joint Supplement For Your Dog! This is #sponsored post for #purina supplements. There are loads of supplements for our pets but which ones are really worth the money? #adoptme #jointsupplements #allviewsmyown #dogsoftiktok #cattheveine ♬ Commercial Music – WaystoneAudio Here are my Top Five Tips! Chose a brand that has a great reputation and creates products that are backed by science and evi ..read more

Holidays are a family affair! And for many of us that includes our dogs! Taking them abroad does require thinking ahead and organisation but it can be an extremely rewarding and memorable experience for you all. So I have teamed up with my friends at Eurocamp to bring you my top tips for travel! Where will you go?! Technically the whole of Europe is your oyster but we do have to be practical about the distances and the time we spend on the road. Especially if it is your first trip away with your dog! Around 70% of the Eurocamp range welcomes dogs and many of these are in France, so an easy ..read more

The route into being a Veterinary Surgeon is pretty clear; we have to do well in school, prove ourselves with work experience and then go to vet school. But for veterinary nursing the path is much more winding and it can be extremely daunting! Do you do animal management followed by vet nursing? Go on a university course? Try the college route? And when most courses require you to have had experience in a practice, or even find one to train you, it can seem like an impossible task. Which is why the determination, ambition and tenacity of veterinary nursing students never fails to impress me. S ..read more

This week the British Veterinary Association – BVA issued a statement on a bacterial infection called Brucella canis, which is being increasingly diagnosed in dogs rescued from other countries, especially Romania. This bacteria can infect humans and for those who are young or already ill, it can cause serious disease. Thankfully, there have been no reported cases of people infected by dogs in the UK so far but it is really important we are aware of the infection and are more vigilant, especially as numbers of dogs from abroad are continuing to rise, with a 50% increase in dogs from Romania alo ..read more

Join Veterinary Parasitologist Ian Wright MRCVS and I as we discuss what we should be testing dogs brought into the country as rescues and what we should do about any positive results we get. Ian is knowledgable, incredibly passionate and shared a huge amount of information! If you are a veterinary professional, a rescue organisation importing dogs or a pet owner considering adopting a foreign dog, you will find this fascinating! We cover; Brucellosis – This bacterial disease is a growing concern for vets and rescuers alike. It can transfer to people and potentially cause extremely serious di ..read more

 ‘Prebiotics’ and ‘Probiotics’ are buzzwords you have probably seen around, but what actually are they, what do they do and what is the difference between them?  Both are things that we can give to our pets to help their microbiome. The microbiome is the collective name for all the amazing bacteria and other organisms that live in the gut. These not only help our pets digest their food, they also have a huge role in the overall health and function of the body.  The microbiome is seriously awesome!  Prebiotics feed the bacteria themselves as opposed to our pets.  We kno ..read more