Series 3

Why is Complete and Balanced Pet Food so important If you've ever looked at a bag of pet food and seen the words "complete and balanced", you may have wondered what they actually mean. Whether you're feeding your dog or cat a raw, home-cooked, gently cooked, air-dried, canned or dry diet, the most important question isn't simply what type of food you're feeding - it's...

Whilst more Australians are becoming overweight or obese, this major public health issue is also becoming a concern for our pets. Over 30% of pets in Australia are considered overweight or obese, so do you have an overweight dog and not realise it? Overweight pets are unhealthy pets at higher risk of many diseases: joint disease, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and pancreatitis, just to name...

With over 6000 pets bitten by snakes each year in Australia* it is important to recognise the signs of a snake bite and that you know what to do if facing this life-threatening emergency. Snakes are prevalent in the warmer months particularly around creeks or dams where there is fresh water. However, 73%* of reported snakebites in dogs happen in their owners’ backyards. Symptoms of...

Owning a dog that digs can be an extremely frustrating and costly situation for many owners. Some might dig single holes in the same area, whereas others can perform extensive excavations across the entire backyard.  Let's look at why this happens and how to stop a dog from digging. Firstly, we need to remember that digging is a natural behaviour for dogs, so the key...

A dog’s Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is similar to the ACL in humans. The role of the ACL is to stabilise the knee joint and prevent it from twisting or overextending, therefore causing considerable lameness and pain if injured. A dog with a cruciate ligament injury will often refuse to bear weight on the injured leg or may have a limp. Signs of a limp,...

Hip Dysplasia is one of the most common skeletal diseases seen in dogs and often begins and when a dog is still young and not yet fully physically developed. It is a common malformation of the hip joint in dogs where the ‘ball’ at the top of the femur (the long bone above dog’s knee) doesn’t sit snuggly within the ‘socket’ of the hip. This...

When you have a beautiful green lawn that has managed to survive some of Australia's warmest weather in years, there is nothing more annoying that watching it develop yellow patches from your dog's urine. So why does this happen?  Dog urine contains a variety of nitrogen compounds and too much nitrogen will burn the grass and create yellow patches.  Yet, appropriate concentrations of nitrogen can...

Many owners often wonder why dogs hump and may find it embarrassing or funny when it is their dog that has a grand old time mounting other dogs or objects. Mounting, which is the more formal reference for 'humping', is often associated with being sexual or dominant, however, this is not always the reason why dogs hump other dogs. Pooches at Play Host and Dog...

As both a pet owner and a Vet I do understand that receiving vet bills for the care of your pet can be tough on the household finances, especially if it is an accident or illness with unexpected costs hitting the hip pocket hard. However, one of the frustrations I have as a Vet is the lack of understanding of what is involved in caring...

Fish can be an excellent choice of pet for a time poor household or a family wanting to give their child the responsibility of looking after their own pet, but aren’t quite ready for the much bigger commitment that owning a dog or other furry friend requires. Fish are one of the easiest pets to take care of. Not only are they great for kids,...