The Bull Mastiff is a big, strong, intelligent dog that was originally bred from an English Mastiff and an Old English Bulldog in the 19th Century. Gamekeepers used them on large estates to help keep them free of poachers. Even though Bull Mastiffs are big dogs they are sensitive, loving and can make good family pets …
Dogs and Car Travel
If you own a dog then you may, at some point, have to put him/her in a car. Whether it’s a trip to the vets or a longer journey there are several things to consider when it comes to the safety and comfort of your best friend. Harnesses, Guards and Crates We wear seatbelts and …
A close call at Christmas
One of the joys of having a dog is their playfulness. When they are happy and bounding around it cannot fail to put a smile on your face. However there are rare occasions where their exuberance can result with an injury. Just before Christmas we had had an incident where a dog was bought in …
Breed related diseases in Dogs – Labrador
Breed related diseases in Dogs. Welcome to our new series of blogs on breed related disease in pedigree dogs. Unfortunately, certain pedigree dogs are prone to certain diseases. We thought these guides would be helpful for people who own the breeds so that they can be more aware of some of the diseases their pet …
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The Vets Says – Dry Eye
Introduction The medical term for Dry Eye is Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, usually abbreviated to KCS and is where insufficient tears are produced leaving the eye drier than is usual. It is also seen in cats, but is more common in dogs. Imagine getting grit in your eye & not having tears to help wash it away. …
The Vets Says – Elbow Dysplasia
ELBOW DYSPLASIA Elbow dysplasia is another developmental problem some dogs can be prone to. German Shepherds, Labrador Retreivers,Rottweilers and Bassett Hounds are some of the breeds we see most commonly with this condition. Normal Elbow Anatomy The elbow joint is formed where the 3 long bones of the foreleg meet; namely the humerus (runs from …
An In-Depth Look at Arthritis (Degenerative Joint Disease)
Arthritis strictly means inflammation of the joint and there are many possible causes of this. When we talk about arthritis we are usually talking about a specific type of arthritis called degenerative joint disease (DJD) or osteoarthritis. DJD is the commonest joint disease seen in many different breeds of dogs and cats and is often …
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The Vet Says…Curiosity killed the dog: Lungworm – know the facts
Unlike most worms that dogs can become infected with in the UK, lungworm is potentially fatal. Lungworm is on the increase in dogs in the UK, it has spread over large areas over the UK, including Essex. We believe this may be due to increases in the urban fox population and increases in the slug …
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“The Vet Says….” Fly Strike in Rabbits Part 3
This is part 3 of our The Vet Says series on fly strike in rabbits – you can read part 1 here and part 2 here. The wrong diet can increase the risk of your rabbit suffering from fly strike in a number of ways. If they are fed too much food they will become obese which means they …
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Ted the Schnauzer stars in our latest video
Ted came to our Wickford branch, with a slightly delicate problem. Emma Ruggles saw him. See Ted’s story in this video.