Summer Awns Issues
I find myself in a dilemma. I am a huge fan of all things that support our natural environment, especially pollinators. It seems terribly important that we provide nectar, the food for insects that we need to grow our food, in a natural way. So not mowing our lawns and verges in early summer is […]
Spring Flowers
I’m not much of a gardener. But I really appreciate lovely colourful spring bulbs. They lift my spirits after the cold and dark of winter. I love looking out for the snowdrops first, then the crocuses. The daffodils follow and I know that spring has truly arrived. While these floral displays may be a delight […]
Addisons Disease
I loved being at vet school and learning so many new facts. But one topic I just did not seem able to get my head around was called endocrinology. After all this time in the profession, I have acquired an even better understanding of so many diseases. There is nothing like personal experience to illuminate […]
Cats toileting in your garden
Do your neighbour’s cats use your garden as their toilet? Even when my dog was around I felt like every cat in the area was doing just this. And it’s disgusting. I’m not a keen gardener, and getting feline faeces on my hands as I work was genuinely off putting. It’s not just the smell, […]
National Microchip Month
What a wonder a microchip is! I met Weetabix recently, and his owners explained how they adopted him. Years before they had noticed him all skinny and dishevelled. He looked lost and unwanted,so they had started leaving some food out for him. As time passed he gained weight and eventually moved in. They checked with […]
Cats hide their problems
I recommend that all pets have a health check every six months. And this is especially vital for cats. Cats evolved as solitary hunters. In the wild they would have no pack to rely on to support them through minor illnesses. When a cat feels unwell, or is suffering, it has no effective way to […]
Exotic Rabbit neutering
How welcome the longer days of spring are! The birds are pairing up and nesting. Bulbs and blossom are out, and the sap is rising. This includes our pet rabbits, of course. Spring is the time of year when unneutered young female rabbits start thinking of lining their nests for the first time. […]
5 top tips to tell if your rabbit is unwell
A happy rabbit will rush to greet you in the morning. Yes, he is probably mainly after the food in your hand, but at least he is enthusiastic and active. When he is contented he may lie with his hind legs stretched out behind him. Or express himself with a joyful set of leaps for […]
Dog Stick Injuries
Scamp is an energetic cocker spaniel. So when he arrived looking a bit quiet, I knew he wasn’t well. His owners told me that he was eating more slowly than usual. He had been drooling for no apparent reason. His drool was tinged with blood, and his mouth smelled foul. When I ran my hands […]
Safe doggy play time in hot weather
I was giving one of my first aid for pets courses recently when I was told a very sad story. A family had recently lost their young dog, after he had had a lovely day playing by a river. He had been jumping in and out of the water, chasing a ball, and having a […]
Cat Ulcers
What does it mean when a cat suffers from a rodent ulcer? You could be forgiven for being confused. They are nothing like the lesions described as rodent ulcers that people can get. And they are nothing to do with rats and mice. So not a great name. A better name for these lesions in […]
Sunburnt Ears
When I was little, I was the only redhead in the family. In lovely weather, if I spent even a few hours outside, I would be as red as a lobster that evening. Is your pet a sun-worshipper? If so, then you need to be a little careful for them, too. A redhead like myself […]
A better old age
Eight months ago, Alfie’s owners realised that he needed help. He is a feisty terrier cross dachshund, and had just turned fourteen years old. But he was starting to slow down. His owners had noticed that if he walked his usual forty minutes or more a day he would be stiff and sore the next […]
Things aren’t always as they seem
Nutmeg the cat seemed fine, except that she had started panting like a dog. Luckily her owners recognised this was not normal for her, and brought her to me. I could hear that her heartbeat was muffled and very fast. I warned her owners that I was worried about pleural effusion, and explained that difficulty […]
Carbon monoxide toxicity
Who would have thought that one oxygen molecule could make a lethal difference? But it does. Carbon dioxide is a gas we all breathe out as a normal part of our metabolism. It’s not a good idea to re-breathe too much of it, and it is the primary greenhouse gas damaging our world and future […]
World Spay Day & Doris Day 22.2.22
I have a huge soft spot for Doris Day, and her music. But I only recently discovered her passion for stray animals, and that one of her legacies is World Spay Day. Back in 1995 the Doris Day Animal League in America held the first Spay Day, and it has been occurring on the last […]
Why does a pet cat need to hunt?
Cat owners quite often ask me why their cats still hunt, even when they are well fed? We think this is because the early relationship between people and cats was to use the cats as pest controllers. They lived outside and were there to keep the rat and mice population under control. Only the best […]
Pet First Aid
Sunshine is not just uplifting for our mood. It performs the vital function of creating most of the vitamin D that our bodies need. Low levels of vitamin D have been connected in people with osteoporosis, depression, and poor immunity to infection. With more people staying at home, and less holidays in the sunshine these […]
New Year – stiff joints – consider acupuncture
Is your pet slowing down this winter? Perhaps their waistline is spreading, and they seem keen to spend more time decorating your sofa than playing with their new Christmas presents? If so, I may have a good New Year’s resolution for you. It may be that your dog or cat is experiencing some pain from […]
Grapes and dried fruits are dangerous to some dogs
Please do not share any Christmas cake, Christmas pudding or mince pies with your dog this week. Whilst a single grape, or one of its dried family of raisin, currant or sultana will probably not be harmful to a dog, larger numbers can be toxic, or even fatal due to kidney damage. We don’t know […]
Remember Remember
It’s nearly bonfire night, and we are allowed to go out and enjoy those fireworks again. It feels so great to be free to celebrate (safely) again. But do remember that for pets, fireworks and the whole mad Sussex celebrations can be upsetting. One particular challenge is having a vet’s appointment after dark on 5th […]
It’s spooky season
Ten years ago, research showed that black cats were suffering from a weird prejudice. The Cats Protection noted that black cats and black-and-white cats were waiting on average seven days longer to find forever homes than cats of other colours. Could it really be that some ancient fear of a witch’s familiar was affecting cat […]
Neutering your female dog is a good thing
I do sometimes come across pet owners who are unsure about spaying, and I am always happy to discuss with them the pros and cons to be sure that their decision, whatever it might be, is based on facts. Every time I see an older unneutered bitch suffering from a pyometra or from mammary cancer […]
First aid for abcess
Your cat’s been in a fight. It doesn’t look too bad. There’s a speck of dried blood on the fur, and it’s a bit tender to the touch, but otherwise they seem fine, maybe a bit sleepy. What should you do? First aid for a suspected cat bite wound ideally involves disinfecting the wound as […]
