Diet-Dog

Whatever the true reasons for and nature of climate change, it seems we need to get used to the concept of warmer summers and milder winters. One severe consequence of this will be an increase of parasites such as fleas and ticks. They will breed for longer periods and more will survive over winter. Not a happy prospect for dogs and cats!

Over the years in my veterinary practice I have found that some pets seem very prone to picking up parasites, whilst others rarely have any 'visitors'. I have come to the conclusion that healthy adult dogs and cats with good immune systems who are fed a healthy diet are much less likely to suffer from fleas and ticks. To help ensure pets stay free from parasites, keep them healthy by paying attention to:

Diet: Avoid processed food and if possible, feed a diet mainly consisting of fresh food. As dogs and cats are carnivores this should preferably contain raw meat and bones. Otherwise give a good quality, high protein, low carbohydrate, grain free proprietary

Some hints to help pets stay safe and well in Summertime

Following the miserable Winter we have had, it’s hard to remember that we do sometimes get hot summery weather in the UK, but we do and here are a few hints to help pets stay safe and well in Summertime.

• Check regularly for fleas and ticks on the skin, and look out for adders when walking in country areas.
• If you are leaving your pet at home for several hours, make sure there is a cool room or area available – leave a fan on if necessary, and also plenty of water.
• If you are leaving your pet outdoors for any length of time, ensure shade (and water) are available.
• Take a bottle of water and a drinking bowl with you if you are taking your dog out for long walks or on car journeys and offer water regularly.
• If you walk your dog regularly on pavements, check for sore pads in hot weather.
• Above all, don’t ever leave your dog in a car on a warm day, even if not in direct sunshine.

As the weather gets warmer there are several Diet’Dog

Over my more than forty years in veterinary practice there are certain conditions that I have seen far more commonly than others. In the 'top ten' of health problems are definitely itchy skins, recurrent digestive upsets, and persistent ear infections. Also in the unwanted hit parade of dog (and cat) disorders is joint disease.

Many, if not all, of the conditions in the hit list are treatable and often preventable by attention to diet and to natural supplements. This certainly applies to joint disease.

When you take on the responsibility of a new puppy, there are many decisions to make and much to learn – decisions about what to feed, whether to neuter, when to vaccinate, how best to socialise and so on. Generally not much thought is given to joint health, because it's not a problem you expect to happen until much later in a dog's life. But now is exactly the right time to think of encouraging healthy bone and joint development – after all, these joints will have to last a lifetime and

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