RABBITS – Diet and husbandry Water should always be available. Avoid muesli based diets – it makes rabbits more likely to become selective feeders and not to obtain the full nutrition needed. Pellets such as Excel should be fed but should make up no more than 10% of the rabbits total diet. 70% of a …
Distemper in Ferrets
Distemper in Ferrets Distemper is a contagious disease of dogs & ferrets caused by a virus. It is very serious and can be fatal. Most dogs are protected from distemper by their annual inoculation, and it is now a very rare condition in the UK, simply because of the availability of reliable vaccines. Recently there …
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. …
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 Vets Says…Gastric Dilation and Volvulus (GDV) or Bloat
GDV can also be known as Bloat or Gastric Torsion Introduction GDV is a life-threatening emergency. It is a common condition in large,deep chested breeds such as German Shepherds, Weimeraners, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, St Bernards and URGENT VETERINARY ATTENTION is needed. Although larger breeds are most commonly affected any size dog can suffer from …
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Hip Dysplasia Part 1 – What it is and what causes it.
Hip dysplasia is a common condition in dogs. It predominantly affects larger breeds of dog and is particularly common in German Shepherds, Labrador retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Great Danes and St Bernards. However, any breed of dog and even cats can be affected. To fully understand it we must first consider the normal hip joint. …
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“The Vet Says……” – Myxomatosis in Rabbits
Perhaps one of the most well known animal diseases, it has had much publicity since it decimated the rabbit population after introduction to the UK in the early 1950’s. So virulent is the disease that 95% of rabbits in the UK had died by 1955. Since then it has gone on to be a major …
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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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Rat poison and dogs – best kept separate
Dogs and rats really are on the opposite end of the animal spectrum. While dogs are considered to be ‘man’s best friend’ and treated like a member of the family, rats, on the whole, are resigned to living in the gutter and feeding off rubbish. I know rats played a pretty big role in spreading …
