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dogs

Ringworm - not a worm, not often a ring- Just a bad name really!

4 kittens with ringworm

Diseases have been around for a long time, longer even than microscopes and genetic testing. This has resulted in a number of names for illnesses that are not very helpful, some can be even misleading.

Misleading Names

‘Cat flu’, for example, is actually a number of different viruses and bacteria (none of them influenzas) that can cause similar symptoms in cats.

‘Kennel Cough’ is much the same in dogs and not many dogs that get it have actually been in kennels.

Pigs Flying and Grass Eating Dogs

2 dachshund dogs with their heads buried into grass as they eat it

Is this the end of the world as we know it?

Flying pigs might be something of a concern but despite what Facebook says, I haven't seen any. Grass eating dogs on the other hand, are more common than fake news.

Now some people might think the reason I see a lot of grass eating dogs is that I see a lot of sick dogs - which is true, BUT, I also see a lot of healthy dogs that also eat grass.

“Why is it so?”

said a famous TV science guy and the truth is: we don’t know!

Trends in Tucker

Trends in tucker- a young tan golden retreiver cross eating dry dog food from a white bowl on grass

Food is something we think about a lot. TV shows, books and blogs all cover it from every angle and every celebrity has their own version of the optimum diet. So it should be no surprise that there are trends in pet food also...

These days there are multiple pet diets all spruiking their benefits because they are lower, higher, newer, older, rarer or more or less refined. It's hard to get a handle on!

Even when you start to get your head around it, a new diet comes up and it all starts all over again.

The New CPV-2C Canine Parvovirus Strain and Vaccination- the facts

Matt Young's picture
french bulldog puppy in someones arms
  1. There are different variants of the virus in Australia including the 2C strain which was recently confirmed in dogs in South Australia and Victoria. 
  2. Vaccination is highly effective against all strains of canine parvovirus including the 2C strain.
  3. The vaccines we use are used globally in other countries where 2C has been identified for years and is protective there. The current vaccines have also been shown to be effective in challenge studies.

Pancreatitis - gurgling guts

dog cartoon showing where the pancreas is located (in the dog's belly). Signs of pancreatitis are listed- vomiting, not eating, lethargic, pain in the belly

What's the pancreas?

The pancreas is an internal organ that lies near the stomach and has a number of functions to do with food digestions and metabolism. When food arrives in the stomach the acid there starts to break it down into small pieces. Once small enough it moves into the small intestine where the pancreas releases digestive enzymes to further process the food into useful components.

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.

So it’s summer and she’s itchy again…

A green cartoon dog scratching with a caption- scratching again?

Itchy dogs are a very common cause of both vet visits and owner frustration.

Unfortunately,  there are a large variety of reasons a dog will scratch. In addition, they often occur together. This makes finding the cause and stopping the scratching a challenge.

Some causes can be found with simple tests, however others may require a more involved investigation.

Having said that though, the bulk of our patients fall into 2 main categories -

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