Monthly Archives: March 2021

Have you noticed that your pet’s coat seems to be a bit dishevelled? If so, this can actually affect their health as matting in dogs and cats can be a real issue if left unchecked. In this blog, we’re going to show you how matting can affect your pets, what we can do to prevent mats from occurring, and how we can remove them when they do appear.  

What is matting? Why can it be a big deal? 

Matting is where the hair in your pet’s coat can tangle together and form painful knots. While these little knots seem to be of little consequence at first, they actually cause a lot of discomfort and pain for your pet.

Imagine how uncomfortable it would be for you to have uncontrolled knots throughout your hair. Now imagine that happening all over your body! This is what a matted pet has to live with each day.

Not only does matting cause discomfort, but it can also lead to skin irritation, the trapping of dirt and debris, and prevent your pet from being able to regulate their temperature effectively.

Hints and Tips for Itchy Skin - Richard Allport

As the weather warms up and summer is approaching, every veterinary practice will soon be seeing increasing numbers of dogs and cats with itchy skin. This is partly because fleas and other parasites begin to abound but also because skin allergic reactions become more intense. 

Some of the most common allergies, especially in dogs, are to grass and tree pollens. Whilst these can cause symptoms similar to hay fever, more often in dogs the allergic reaction is most obvious in the skin. This often causes not just itchy skin, but hot, red, itchy ears; itchy feet which are constantly nibbled and chewed; and itchy nose, face and 'rear end' – base of tail and under the tail. Because the ears and area below the tail are particularly sensitive, these are often the most itchy areas, so dogs are sometimes described as having 'ears and rear syndrome' and so many hapless dogs are brought into the veterinary consulting room shaking their ears, chewing

Does your pet suffer from:- recurrent ear problems, inflamed, smelly feet, an itchy bottom, anal sac irritations or thrush in the mouth, nose, gut or genital tract? Tried all sorts of potions, lotions, creams, powders and sprays but still having problems? Yeasts are likely to be involved.

Overgrowth

Yeasts are micro-organisms often found on the skin and in the bowels of dogs and cats. Under normal circumstances, they form part of a living layer of microorganisms (otherwise know as the 'microbiome') which coats the surface of the skin and the lining of the gut, lungs, nasal chambers and genital tract.

When this biological barrier is healthy and the bacteria, yeasts, fungi and other organisms that comprise it are in balance, it is an important defence mechanism which helps to protect the body against harmful, foreign invaders.

If however, the microbiome is damaged or disrupted in some way (by a drug, for example) the yeasts present can multiply out of control and irritate, inflame and

If your Dog is prone to skin problems what might help? This week’s blog was written in response to a customer’s question regarding her pug Alfie (pictured), who is prone to skin problems.  

Skin problems are an increasing problem for our pets, especially for those animals like pugs, which have a lot of skin creases around their faces. Skin folds create a favourable environment for bacterial growth, leading to irritation, inflammation and a foul odour between the folds. Skin problems can be related to your pet’s internal health and immune system.

Whilst a dog’s body will detoxify harmful waste products (from day-to-day environmental pollutants, poor quality food or the chemical products which are applied to the skin) through the liver, kidneys, the gut and the skin, once the liver and kidneys become overburdened, the body will attempt to detoxify through the skin, hence skin and coat problems including allergies which can emerge.

So here are a few suggestions to consider……

Nutrition and