Our Archives: dog

Whether you find the sound of your dog’s snoring adorable or irritating, you may have wondered what is causing it. And whether you need to be concerned. Here we explain the many reasons for these musical efforts. Some are completely normal and some more worrying, with some simple tips for when you need to seek veterinary advice. 

We’re living in strange times. Never in living memory have so many people been asked to ‘stay home’ for so long. There’s a lot of focus on the bigger negative effects of being indoors for so long: mental; physical; social; and so on. A less obvious downside of lockdown that recent news reports have brought to our attention is vitamin D deficiency. Health experts are concerned many people are becoming deficient in this crucial vitamin because of a lack of going outdoors in the sun. As Britain doesn’t get great sun at the best of times, they are recommending certain groups of people should be taking vitamin D supplements to top up. Naturally, as a nation of animal lovers, questions have arisen as to whether our four-legged friends, who may also be indoors more than usual, should be given vitamin D supplements as well. So today we will be answering the question ‘do dogs need vitamin D supplements?’

No matter how strange the world seems to get, nothing seems to beat the weirdness that is night-time dreaming. From newborn babies to senior citizens, everybody dreams. You may be aware that when you dream, you often twitch, make involuntary movements or even talk! No doubt many partners have complained about it in the morning! But have you ever noticed that your dog twitches when he is asleep? Is he dreaming too? Well in today’s article, we will try to tackle the mysterious world of animal dreams.

Dogs, just like people, do occasionally sneeze which is normal and shouldn't be a cause for concern. However if your dog is sneezing very frequently or persistently then it would be a good idea to see your vet. They can perform a thorough clinical examination. 

A sneeze is essentially a normal reflex to clear the nasal passages of any irritant particles. A dog’s nose is quite sensitive and can be irritated by a number of things such as dust, pollen, certain household sprays and perfumes. Brachycephalic (short faced) breeds like French Bulldogs and Pugs may be more prone to sneezing from mild irritation, as their nasal passages are very condensed.

In Part 1, we looked at the causes and adverse effects of obesity. In this Part 2, we will discuss how to manage it. What should you do about an obese cat or an overweight dog? 

Well, the mainstay of obesity management are weight loss programmes that alter diet and exercise. Other things can be done alongside, but diet is almost always the most important factor to address first. 

Obesity in pets is becoming a serious problem. No matter how cute they look and how much we love those ‘chunky’ dogs and cats too, obesity should not be trivialised. Obesity carries a huge range of health conditions and generally results in a poorer wellbeing for our pets. Knowing whether a pet is obese can be difficult for us as vets and owners too. Weight management itself is a vast and complex topic. Today we will be discussing how best to recognise obesity in pets (with a focus on dogs and cats).