Health

Dachshund Breed Profile: Temperament, Training and Health If you’re looking for a compact dog with plenty of confidence and character, the Dachshund could be your perfect match. Affectionately known as the Daxie, sausage dog or wiener dog, Dachshunds are loyal, lively and courageous little dogs. However, their strong hunting instincts, independent nature and distinctive long backs mean prospective owners need to understand their training, exercise...

It’s well accepted that widespread, vaccination for dogs, cats and other pets has resulted in control of major deadly infectious diseases. In some areas, for dogs, canine distemper and adenovirus have been virtually eradicated and the severity and extent of infection with parvovirus significantly reduced. Vaccination for dogs and other pets has unquestionable benefits, but there are increasing questions surrounding the necessity of annual boosters....

Choosing a Dog Bed to Suit your Dog Choosing a dog bed involves much more than selecting a colour or style that suits your home. Your dog’s size, age, health, sleeping position and preferred resting location all influence which bed will keep them comfortable and properly supported. Dogs spend a significant portion of each day sleeping or resting, so a quality bed can make a...

Why Do Dogs Yawn? Tiredness, Stress and Anxiety Why do dogs yawn? Like us, dogs often yawn when they are tired, waking up or transitioning between sleep and activity. However, yawning can also be a subtle sign that a dog is feeling stressed, anxious, conflicted or uncertain about a situation. To understand what your dog’s yawn means, consider when it happens, what is occurring around...

Calming Supplements for Dogs and Cats: What Pet Owners Need to Know As more pet parents seek out natural calming supplements for dogs and cats, there are some important safety considerations—particularly when a pet is already taking veterinary-prescribed anxiety medication. Some supplements may help pets with mild or situational anxiety, while others can support a broader treatment plan involving medication, environmental management and behaviour modification....

Paralysis Tick in Dogs: Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment The paralysis tick is one of Australia’s most dangerous parasites. A single tick can inject enough toxin to cause progressive paralysis, breathing difficulties and death in a dog or cat if treatment is not provided quickly. Paralysis ticks are found along Australia’s eastern coastline, however, occasionally cases are reported outside of this region. Year-round prevention, daily physical...

Children and Dogs: Essential Safety Tips for Families Dogs can bring enormous joy, companionship and valuable life lessons to children - but safe relationships don’t happen by accident. Some of the most important children and dogs safety tips include learning to recognise when a dog is uncomfortable, actively supervising every interaction, giving dogs child-free places to rest and teaching children how to show affection in...

How to Prevent Dental Disease in Dogs Dental disease in dogs is extremely common, painful and potentially damaging to their overall health. Regular veterinary dental checks, daily brushing and suitable dental-care products can help prevent plaque from progressing to gum disease, infection and tooth loss. More than 80% of dogs over the age of three have some degree of periodontal disease, with small dogs particularly...

Superfoods for Dogs: Are they really good for our pets? Superfoods for dogs have become increasingly popular in recent years, with everything from blueberries and turmeric to spirulina and green-lipped mussels being promoted as the next miracle ingredient. But do dogs really need superfoods, or is it simply clever marketing? As a pet nutrition specialist, it's one of the questions I'm asked most often. The...

Ear Mites in Dogs and Other Common Mites Ear mites in dogs are tiny parasites that live primarily inside the ear canal and on the surrounding skin. They can cause intense itching, head shaking, inflammation and a characteristic dark-brown discharge that resembles coffee grounds. Ear mites are also one of several types of mites that can affect dogs. Sarcoptes mites cause highly contagious sarcoptic mange,...