It turns out that the DNA of our gut bacteria shares a lot off similarities with that of pet dogs. What’s interesting is that when compared to other animals (like pigs and mice) that are as genetically similar to humans Read More …
Risk factors associated with a pet’s lifespan are of great interest to vets and pet owners alike. Anything we can do to keep our pets healthy and live long and happy lives are of great importance. A recent study in America Read More …
Feeding your dog chewing gum may not be a regular indulgence but every year dogs are poisoned by inadvertently ingesting a sweetener called xylitol that is in many ‘sugar-free’ products. One of the most common sources of accidental poisoning is Read More …
Commercially available hip replacements for dogs have been available since 1974. Over the years many different types of prosthesis have been developed, different materials tried and surgical techniques refined. Hip replacements traditionally use a metal ball replacement fitting into a Read More …
You might be surprised to find out that it is possible to train some cats to allow you to brush their teeth. I can hear you scoffing even as I am writing this. OK, so even I wouldn’t be game Read More …
This week I had to make two home visits to facilitate the passing of a much beloved older pet. Both dogs had reached the end of their lives and their respective healths were rapidly declining. There was no doubt that being Read More …
As if you haven’t heard enough about Brexit and perhaps there are bigger Brexit issues than how it might affect pet travel to and from Europe. However whatever happens with Brexit, at some point a decision will be made as to Read More …
One of the most common remarks I hear from pet owners of old dogs, is that they don’t think their senior dog is in any pain. However most of these dogs have slowed down considerably from their effervescent younger days, Read More …
I recently had a conversation with a client who informed me that they didn’t need to worm their dog as it was on a raw food diet that would naturally protect it from gut parasites. It’s not the worst advice about Read More …
At Dragon Vet Centre we’ve been able to perform key-hole (minimally invasive surgery) procedures on pets for several years now. The benefits of reduced surgical discomfort, quicker return to normal activity and less post-operative pain are well established. Key-hole surgery Read More …
Apparently compliance rates in the human medical world can be well below 50% for people on long term medications. People suffering from conditions such as diabetes, asthma or high blood pressure had particularly poor adherence to treatment recommendations. Traditionally in Read More …
Our new neighbours are always complementing us on our well behaved dogs as we walk them calmly passed them as their own two dogs strain at their leads barking and carrying on with ferocious frenzy. They assume that my veterinary skills extend to faultless animal training Read More …
This morning I was greeted by a frog on the front doorstep of the vet clinic. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t lining up for a consult and was just sheltering from the elements, but I relocated him to the undergrowth before Read More …
The obvious answer is – are you willing or able to pay out thousands of pounds if something unexpected happened to a beloved pet? If the answer is yes then maybe you don’t need it but otherwise it can be Read More …
Fleas are the most prevalent external parasite infesting dogs and cats. At any given moment in time around 1 in 10 dogs and 1 in 5 cats will have fleas living and feeding on them. However the fleas that are Read More …
