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That’s Not Dog Food!

grapes, milk, chocolate, beer, macadamias on onion with a big red cross

Dogs eat a lot of things, which isn’t the same as saying you can feed your dog anything, far from it!

Dogs are living longer and longer lives and this has much to do with the diets we feed them now. Modern foods are well balanced and provide dogs with age appropriate nutrition. Even though there are a number of great foods out there that dogs thrive on, many owners can’t resist giving their pets a few treats off the plate as well.

Will desexing calm my dog?

Matt Young's picture
down laying on it's back on fake grass with it's hands over it's ears and eyes shut

There are lots of good reasons to desex your dog but this is not one of them. 

Can desexing change my dog's behaviour?

Yes, but it doesn't really have a very significant effect. When dogs are castrated, neutered or speyed the reproductive organs are removed and this causes a reduction in testosterone for the males and oestrogen in the females. Removal of these hormones can effect behaviour and in particular removal of testosterone can reduce the degree of aggression towards other dogs.

How to tell if your dog has been bitten by a red-bellied black snake

Matt Young's picture
A red belly black snake in green grass with the caption: How to tell if your dog's been bitten

The most common type of snake found in our area is the red-bellied black snake. They are not a particularly aggressive snake but we do see alot of bites in dogs as the dogs will corner the snake and bite them (so of course the snake bites back in defense). If you've found a red-bellied black snake and aren't sure if your dog was bitten here are some ways to tell:

1. Look for a bite

The fangs of the snake cause a puncture wound and the venom then causes the muscles around the wound to break down. The area becomes very inflamed. The bite wounds are usually:

Greyhounds need your help

Matt Young's picture
Sage the greyhound lounging around

Following the NSW government's announcement of their decision to close down the greyhound industry in NSW, we have been inundated with retired greyhounds looking for a second chance.

Without your help these greyhounds have a bleak future

It is our aim along, with our friends at Wollongong Animal Rescue Network (WARN), to save as many of these dogs as we can and find them a loving home. 

Killer Virus Hits Dapto Dogs

Matt Young's picture
Dog being treated for parvovirus in isolation cage

There has been a spike in the number of cases of parvovirus in Dapto in recent times and this mainly because there is an increasing population of unprotected dogs. All of the cases we have seen have been adolescent dogs that did not receive their full course of vaccinations when they were young. Canine Parvovirus is a killer virus. Even with intensive treatment many dogs don’t survive.

Straightening out a smile

Matt Young's picture
a dog's incisor teeth with canines pointing out sideways

Chad is a dog that came into care with Wollongong Animal Rescue Network. As part of their routine care they have a full check up and when we did that I had a look in his mouth and was greeted with the smile above. 

Because of the way that Chad's jaw had developed the canine teeth were too close together and were hitting each other. As they grew they had done their best to get out of the way of the opposing tooth and most of the time they appeared to not contact each other. When I opened his mouth though I could feel the teeth clunking past each other. 

Bringing Baby Home

Melissa Beardmore's picture
newborn baby with dog in background guarding

We all know that having a baby will mean big changes to a household. However, don't forget the effect it will have on the 4 legged members of the family! 

Planning for change

Dogs and cats like routine and often don't cope well with change. There are many things that can be done to decrease the effect of this change and make the transition easier and safer for all members of the family.  
The most important thing is to plan ahead (if possible).

Think about the changes that are going to occur in your pets life:

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