The common symptoms of urinary tract disease in cats, dogs and rodents: straining to urinate and passing little or no urine - this can indicate blockage and requires immediate veterinary attention! increased frequency and urge to urinate blood in the urine (haematuria) or cloudy incontinence inappropriate urination (in the wrong place!) pain/vocalising when urinating excessive licking/grooming of genitals pain on palpation of abdomen or lower back lethargy As these symptoms can be similar across various urinary tract diseases, it is important to have your pet assessed and urine analysed by y ..read more

As our pets get older, the risk for cardiac disease increases. Certain breeds of dogs (eg. King Charles Cavalier (pictured), Doberman Pincer) are also genetically prone to heart issues. Although harder to detect, cats are also susceptible. Symptoms generally first noticed by owners are: Coughing Changes in breathing Difficulty breathing Shortness of breath Laboured breathing Rapid or fast breathing (more than 30 breaths per minute at rest can indicate disease) Changes in behaviour (more noticeable in dogs) Tiring easily Reluctance to exercise or not wanting to go for walks Less playfulness S ..read more

Hip dysplasia, an abnormal formation of the hip joint, occurs in many mammals. It is a serious medical problem for both humans and dogs, although it is far more prevalent in dogs. In contrast to a one percent incidence in humans, canine hip dysplasia can occur in 50 percent or more of some of the larger breeds of dogs. Unlike human hip dysplasia, the canine condition is not detectable at birth, although it can be identified within the first year of life. It affects dogs and bitches nearly equally. The information here is intended to familiarize dog owners with some of the characteristics of hi ..read more

Osteoarthritis is often seen in older pets. Noticing the symptoms and treating early is key in keeping your pet pain-free. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease described as a break down in the body's cushioning and lubrication function of the joints. Without functional cushioning and lubrication the joint components are poorly protected and long-term damage can be sustained. Source: Parnell Signs to look for in dogs  • Limping, especially the day after a large bout of exercise. Activity now, pain later is the usual indicator of arthritis. • Difficulty getting up or stiff after p ..read more

Skin disease caused by allergies are frustrating for owners (as well as their pets!) because there is no single fix-it cure, however with increased owner awareness and knowledge, flare ups can be managed and minimised. . Skin can respond to allergens presenting as inflammation, increased production in sebum (oil) and/or itching. Through these changes, secondary infections can occur as opportunist bacteria and yeasts move into broken skin barriers and begin feeding off the excess production of oil and dead skin. This boom in a bacteria/yeast population will present itself as a skin infection or ..read more

We don't want to say: "You have to feed XYZ brand of food, otherwise you are not looking after your dog". There are many considerations to take into account when making this decision. Some of these are: Fresh V's Commercial, Wet V's Dry, Canned V's Roll, Human food V's Pet food, what I can afford, and so on. In principle, fresh food is fine. However, you will need to establish a good balance in the diet with the ingredients you have available, and this is not an easy task. Another factor is time to prepare the food. Many people cook a bulk batch and freeze the food into meal portions. This can ..read more

Valentine's Day and Easter are occasions associated with our consumption of more chocolate than usual! While we can eat chocolate all the year round and not be too concerned about the quantities, chocolate is toxic for dogs and in some cases can be fatal. All types of chocolate are not equal! (To a chocoholic, that's stating the obvious.) The main toxic ingredient of chocolate is theobromine, but the concentration of theobromine varies with the formulation of the chocolate. White chocolate contains theobromine, but in such small amounts that poisoning is unlikely to occur. Milk chocolate has 1 ..read more

An interesting study has been released on raw chicken and its relation to dogs developing the paralysing condition acute polyradiculoneuritis (APN). We often tell people to feed raw chicken wings to smaller dogs to help keep their pet's teeth clean and a lot of clients feed raw chicken necks as treats. After reading through this study we will no longer be suggesting any diet or bones containing raw chicken. Cooking bones is not an option as they become brittle and dangerous for your pet to eat. The authors Dr Martnez-Anton and Dr le Chevoir say there appears to be a growing trend for feeding ..read more

Ticks We are fortunate in the Aspley, Geebung and Zillmere areas to not see many tick cases. It is usually only when the pet leaves their home to visit bushy areas, coastal regions, camping grounds and areas where there are large number of bandicoots that we see paralysis tick cases.  There are various tick species found on the east coast of Australia: Source: Virbac All ticks can transfer tick-borne diseases or cause a reaction around the bite site. The paralysis tick presents as the greatest risk however, as it injects toxins and can be fatal to your pet. Paralysis ticks will generally ..read more

As the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. The regular preventative treatments available for your dog and cat will ensure your pet stays happy and healthy and extend their life through simple measures. Not only that, you won't be hit with a massive bill for the treatment of a preventable disease or parasite. Below are some diseases preventable through vaccination - we send yearly reminders! Canine Cough - usually presents as a hacking cough, at times producing phlegm. Spread from direct contact between dogs. Parvovirus - vomiting, diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain are the ini ..read more