We have a number of clients who live in apartments, live on 'high traffic' roads or whose cats are constantly getting into fights. Some of these clients have made the decision to always keep their cat indoors. Obviously cats naturally roam and hunt and do cat-type things outside, but indoor cats cope just fine if you can make some allowances for their lifestyle. There is even some suggestion that the average indoor cat outlives his free-roaming cousins by a couple of years. If you want to keep your cat inside consider the following: Exercise & Entertainment Cats who don't wander and hunt…
Hibernation season is upon us! As the temperature outside is dropping, all we can think about is getting cosy with our favourite winter blanket, a nice cup of tea and staying as close to the heater as possible. With the shorter days, the last thing we want to do when getting home after a long day is going back outside into the cold weather. This is a common condition called Winter Blues, and it can develop in our furry family members as well. So, how can we keep our pets safe and happy during this time? The power of a wheat bag On the colder winter days, if you find yourself putting on your…
During Autumn and Winter we start noticing mobility issues, particularly in senior cats and dogs. Below are two stories of pets with degenerative joint disease, and how their owners are helping them live happier, more active lives. On the left is Matilda. She has been getting pentosan injections for over a year, which have helped with her mobility. As she continued visiting us regularly through the year, we noticed that her arthritis was getting worse and she started having pain relief medication, which made her a lot more comfortable. Over the summer, she has started going to hydrotherapy.…
Dog owners seem to be pretty up with the play now about not feeding chocolate to dogs which is great. Bear with us as we tell you why lollies (and any sweet foods) can be dangerous for your dog too. Xylitol Many human food products now contain Xylitol to provide the sweetness in 'sugar-free' Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol that makes berries, plums and sweetcorn sweet (among many other foods). In the normal run of things, humans eat sugary food then our pancreas releases insulin to control our blood sugar levels. However, Xylitol flies under the radar of the pancreas, because it has less…
We often have clients call us to ask whether a symptom or behaviour should be seen by a vet. For many animal owners it is hard to know which symptoms are “serious”- and need immediate attention - and which are OK to leave a few days. Some illnesses can quickly become life threatening. Some need to be seen within the day at least. Then there are others that it is OK to leave a few days to see if they resolve. In general though, the quicker we see your pet, the more we can do for your pet. Here's 8 Symptoms that need a vet check ASAP. 1) Male pets (especially cats) who are having tro…