Toothbrushing for pets - do you do it?

What do you about your pet's dental care? Click here to read my blog in the Telegraph on the subject. Click here for full post

Why you can guess the gender of some cats from the colour of their coats

Did you know that all tortoiseshell cats are female, and most ginger cats are male? Click here to learn more about it on my Telegraph blog. Click here for full post

My column in the Daily Telegraph.....

This week: bald parakeets, hand-rearing kittens, and the question as to whether your pet is left or right-pawed.... Click here to read it. Click here for full post

Questions and answers on television

My weekly televised questions and answers are now hosted on the Telegraph web site - click here to watch, and read on to find out what I was asked:
1. My cat has a permanent drool from her mouth and very smelly breath. I’ve taken her to the vet but the problem seems to come back. What can I do?
2. My 13 year old Cocker Spaniel has sore eyes all the time. I need to clean them every day. Is there something else I can do?
3. I have an 11 week old puppy that bites everyone non-stop. I have tried tapping his nose, saying “no” but it’s not working. What should I do?
4. My ten year old cat recently started bringing up blood. I took her to the vet who was unable to say what it was. Any ideas?
5. My hens have stopped laying eggs. I was previously getting 8 eggs every day. What could be the problem?
6. How can I train my adult cat to stay off the couch? She has a lovely big soft bed that she refuses to use.
7. Can animals be affected by Swine Flu
To find out the answers, watch the video here.
Click here for full post

Snakes as pets - on the radio

Back into the weekly radio routine, and this week, I discussed keeping snakes as pets with Declan Meehan. They're not cuddly like cats or rabbits, nor do they welcome you home like dogs, so why do some people like them so much? Click on the play button below to listen.

VetSnake.mp3

Click here for full post

Do you want hens in your back yard?

This morning on Ireland AM, I discussed what's need to set up as a backyard hen-keeper. Click here to watch it. Hen-keeping is more popular than ever, and that it can be fun, as well as a good way of getting a regular supply of great eggs.
Free-range, organic eggs can cost around 50c each, so if each hen lays five eggs a week, you could save €2.50 x 52 weeks = €105 per year per hen. If you get four hens, that's over €400 per year.
Of course there are costs - here's what you need for 4 hens:
1) Small shed / hen-house that can be locked at night (to keep out foxes) - cost €100 - €500 as a one-off set up cost. Needs perches, plus a nesting box where hen lays eggs.
2) Small run that can be moved around (again, fox-proof)
3) Bedding - sawdust for floor, perhaps some straw - cost around €50 per year
4) Correct food - layers pellets from agricultural merchant - cost around €100 per year
5) Hens! Cost up to €30 each depending on the type

You can see that it isn't something that you would do as a money making exercise, but it can be a hobby that pays for itself, and it can be great fun.

There's an event coming up this weekend that's ideal for those starting out in poultry keeping. The Irish Society of Poultry Fanciers Open Day at Larchill Arcadian Gardens Kilcock Co.Kildare on Saturday 29th.August,2009. Lots of interesting pure bred poultry will be on sale there from the surplus stock of our members. A great chance for anyone interested in poultry to obtain some different pure bred
birds. Larchill is signposted from Kilcock and people should arrive early to get the pick of the birds.
Website: www.irishpoultrysociety.com/
Click here for full post

My latest two books are now on the bookshelves

One of my writing projects has just come to fruition: two books full of tips on pet care. I've been studying and working with animals for nearly thirty years now, and I often come across simple but useful nuggets of information about pet care. The two books - one on dogs, and the other on cats - include some of my most helpful tips, and they're illustrated with hilarious cartoons by Per Jose Karlen.
The first book is titled "My Dog Thinks He's Human", and the second is called "My Cat Is Ignoring Me", and each book is sub-titled "50 Ways to a Happy Healthy Pet". If you want to buy these online, click here, or if you're living in the Republic of Ireland, click here or here. Click here for full post

How can the quality of pedigree dogs be improved?

I've written a blog at the Telegraph about the continuing saga that follows in the wake of the "Pedigree Dogs Exposed" television documentary. Click here to read it. Click here for full post

Back from holidays...

Back from a holiday break for the past few weeks - apologies for the diminished content to my blog, but back to normal this week.
This photo is of Angie, a pretty cat who became a friend during our holiday trip to a farm in the south of France. Click here for full post

Hydrotherapy for dogs

Swimming is excellent exercise for animals with a range of illnesses and injuries. Hydrotherapy, using tanks of heated water, is the latest way to make it easier for pets to use exercise as part of a treatment programme. Click here to read my Telegraph blog on the subject. Click here for full post

Are dogs safe pets for children?

Children love dogs, but there are regular reports of children being badly bitten by dogs. What should parents do to prevent such problems? Read my blog at the Telegraph by clicking here. Click here for full post

Is it ok to keep cats indoors?

Should cats be kept indoors or outdoors? Read my blog on the subject here Click here for full post

Fleas!

Fleas are common, especially in the warm summer months, but they're easy to treat, when you use the correct products. Click here to read my Telegraph blog on the subject. And here is the rest of it. Click here for full post

Heart disease in dogs

Heart disease is a common problem in older dogs. See here for a blog on the subject at the Telegraph. And here is the rest of it. Click here for full post

Leopard Geckos

My latest blog at the Telegraph is about an unusual type of lizard. Go here to read it. Click here for full post

Visiting hedgehogs, unhappy cats and escaping hamsters

In my printed column in the Daily Telegraph this week, I discuss hedgehogs, stressed cats and escaping hamsters. Click here to read it. Click here for full post

Q & A on TV3

To watch my TV3 question and answer section, click here. This week's selection of viewer's queries included:1. A tom cat is attacking my neutered female cat in my garden. How can I stop him?
2. My rabbit is making a nest as if she's expecting but she hasn't been near another rabbit. Should I clear out her nest?
3. How do I best manage a dog that's frightened of lightning, bangers etc?
4. We have a one year old rabbit who needs to go back to the vet for the third time to have his front teeth clipped because they're growing too long. What can we do?
5. My cat is scratching constantly and has now developed bald patches. She's also taken to staying on top of the bookshelf, only coming down to eat. What's going on?
6. Our previously friendly dog bit someone who was walking past our house. Why did he do this?
7. My cat had kittens 4 or 5 weeks ago. They're now running around and starting to eat the mother's cat food. When should I start giving them kitten food?
Click here for full post

Which rabbit is male, and which is female? On TV3.

It can be difficult to sort out the boys from the girls in the rabbit world, but it's important... or they'll breed like rabbits. If you want to know more, watch this video across at TV3. Click here for full post

Should vets charge to write prescriptions?

In the UK, you can now buy medication for your pet from internet pharmacies, but you do need a prescription from your vet.... and some pet owners are irritated by the fact that some vets are charging for writing these. If you want to know more, see here Click here for full post

Tom cats are left-handed & female cats are right-handed

Did you know that cats are left or right-handed, just like people - and it's linked to gender in cats! Click here to read more. Click here for full post

QWERTY cats

Have you ever been bothered by cats crawling across your computer keyboard? Click here to read all about it! Click here for full post

Video of Q&A on Telegraph site

This is the first post of the TV3 video queries to the Daily Telegraph website

Click here for full post

Hungry hamsters and swine flu

In my printed Telegraph column this week, I covered the usual mix of subjects. Click here to read it. A Click here for full post