Board and lonely dogs
Finding solutions to your dog’s boredom and loneliness Wouldn’t it be good if you could spend all day at home with your dog? Unfortunately few of us are lucky enough to have a life of leisure and with some people’s busy lifestyles, dogs can be left alone at home for extended periods of time with […]
Guinea pigs and Vitamin C
Guinea pigs and Vitamin C Guinea pigs, like humans but unlike all other domestic animals, cannot make their own vitamin C. Other mammals have an enzyme which helps the body produce vitamin C, but guinea pigs and humans lack this enzyme. Therefore, they must receive vitamin C from their diet, and as it cannot be […]
Walking dandruff
Walking dandruff? Walking dandruff (“cheyletiellosis”) in rabbits is caused by a common rabbit fur mite (Cheyletiella parasitovorax). They are nicknamed “walking dandruff” because these large, whitish mites crawl across the skin and fur, and cause excessive flaky skin on a rabbit. Infested rabbits spread it to other rabbits, and this highly contagious, non-burrowing mite can […]
Cat vaccinations and disease prevention
Cat vaccinations and disease prevention Cat vaccinations – what diseases do they help to prevent? Most cat vaccinations aim to prevent at least three diseases in kittens and cats: Feline Panleukopaenia Virus, Feline Herpesvirus 1 and Feline Calicivirus. Feline Panleukopenia VirusFeline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV), also called Feline Distemper or Feline Enteritis, is a highly contagious […]
A guide to feeding mum and weaning puppies
A guide to feeding mum and weaning puppies During the last four weeks of pregnancy, your bitch should be fed solely on a good quality, complete and balanced puppy food, which should be tailored to either small or medium sized breeds If your pregnant bitch is a small (10kg or less) or medium-breed (between 10-25kg), […]
De-sexing your pet
De-sexing your pet The appropriate age to de-sex your pet doesn’t have a black and white answer. For most pets, the traditional age of six months is likely to be appropriate. In some cases it may be better to delay de-sexing until after puberty (around 10-12 months in large breeds, 18 months in giant breeds). […]
When is a scratch more than an itch?
When is a scratch more than an itch? How do you know if your cat or dog is suffering from skin allergies? These warmer months often bring many causes for skin irritation – fleas love this weather, and pollen fills the air. But when is a skin problem actually an allergy? Some signs in dogs […]
Toilet training made easy!
Toilet training made easy The success of toilet training your puppy is dependent on a number of important factors – whether your puppy is indoors, whether you are at home to monitor them and whether you are being consistent with the training. Housetraining a puppy requires time, vigilance, patience and commitment. You can minimise house […]
Separation anxiety in pets after lockdown
Separation anxiety in pets after lockdown Covid-19 has changed the work and school lifestyle for many, with more people in their homes over a longer period of time. Even just one week at home can affect a pet’s stress levels – it may have brought joy to many pets with constant companionship, but also increased […]
Calf disbudding
Calf disbudding Raising dairy calves is a process that involves intensive management. From the first day in the calf shed the calf will move through many steps before heading out to grazing. A vital part to get right is disbudding and the timing of this is very important. One of the main problems we encounter […]