Alabama Rot – What to look out for Given that it’s now hit the national news, many dog-owners will be aware of the mysterious disease called Alabama Rot, first seen in the US in the 1980s and now being reported in pockets of Britain, particularly in boggy areas. While only around 80 cases have been…

How To Stop Puppies Eating Poo Eating their own or other dogs’ faeces (called coprophagia) is an unpleasant but common problem with pet dogs, especially puppies. Contrary to widely held belief it doesn’t indicate a dietary deficiency, though there are some causes that can be corrected. They're just copying mum… When a litter of puppies…

Kennel Cough Kennel cough is a common, contagious condition seen in dogs, which is very rarely life threatening.  Infectious tracheobronchitis (the proper term for kennel cough) simply means inflammation of the trachea (windpipe) and bronchi (deep airways).  There isn’t a single pathogen that causes the disease – a variety of viruses and bacteria can cause…

Why Do Dogs Chew Their Paws? Many dogs will chew their paws from time to time.  Sometimes this is just an extension of normal cleaning or can be a habit that forms over time.  For some dogs however chewing their paws can be a sign of an underlying problem that needs medical attention. Chewing One…

Why Do Dogs Wag Their Tails? We often think of a ‘waggy tail’ as being a sign of our dogs being happy, but recent research has shown that tail wagging doesn’t purely convey a dog’s happiness. The tail of a dog is a communicative tool that they use to express emotions to other animals, and…

Cleaning Your Dogs Ears Did you know that it’s recommended to check your dog’s ears at least once a week as part of their health care routine? By doing this you’ll easily identify if there are any problems for example; infection or ear mites that may require ear cleaning. For the majority of dogs, having…

Why Do Dogs Lick You? Licking is a very common dog behaviour and like any trait, it can vary hugely from dog to dog.  Some love it while others hate it, but licking humans can occur for several different reasons. To communicate In the wild, young wolves will lick around their mother’s face to interact,…

Puppy Awareness Are you thinking of bringing a puppy into the family? Getting a puppy is very exciting and a lot of fun! But sometimes it can all seem a bit daunting finding out what you need to prepare and even where you should go to find your furry bundle of joy. As part of…

Seasonal Canine Illness Seasonal canine illness (SCI) is a recently described condition which currently has no known cause. It affects dogs shortly after walking in woodland and can be fatal, though often isn’t if treated early. It’s most commonly seen between August and November, hence the name seasonal. SCI has been seen in dogs of…

Alabama Rot Alabama rot is a condition affecting dogs which has been seen for many years in the USA, with a few reported cases in the UK since 2012. The condition causes skin lesions and, in some dogs, kidney failure. Currently the cause of the condition is unknown. Alabama rot, named after the location it was…

Travel Sickness in Dogs Travel sickness in dogs is very common, especially in younger dogs or puppies. Although in most cases if a younger dog is suffering from travel sickness, don’t despair, they'll usually grow out of it! If your dog is an adult and still feels a bit poorly in the car, there could…

Why is my dog eating grass? Is it just my dog that eats grass? Not at all, this behaviour of grazing on a luscious bit of grass every now and then has been observed in owned and wild dogs for quite a while now. A large number of pet owners report seeing this behaviour in…

Mobility Problems in Dogs Arthritis – dogs Is your dog “showing his age”? If so, try this simple test. Compared to several years ago is your dog: slower to get up after lying down? having problems with jumping in and out of the car or climbing stairs? less keen to exercise? Tiring more easily? showing…

Ticks and dogs Ticks are another common problem that every dog owner needs to be aware of. Tick-borne disease is an increasing risk to UK dogs and their owners.  Ticks can transmit serious diseases such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis. Some of these can be deadly. If you regularly walk through long grass,…

Well pet screens for dogs When a Veterinary Surgeon carries out a physical examination of your pet they cannot assess fully the condition of the internal organs. Age related illnesses often develop slowly and can easily be missed in the early stages. Modern veterinary medicine means we can now offer the benefits of regular health…