Arthritis in dogs - a killer disease?

Arthritis is perhaps the most common disease to affect older dogs. Click here to read my summary of the problem. Click here for full post

Rabbit Awareness Week - on the radio

This is Rabbit Awareness Week in the UK, so this week on East Coast FM, I discussed the various important issues about keeping pet rabbits with Declan Meehan. Click on the play button below to listen.

VETRABBIT.mp3

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Animal A&E 28th April show

To watch last night's Animal A&E click here. Look out for me with a cute chihuahua pup at the 15:00:00 mark. Click here for full post

Rabbits on Ireland AM

On Ireland AM this week, we discussed Rabbit Awareness Week, a UK-based initiative to improve rabbit care. Watch it by clicking here. I also answered a few questions from viewers: read on to find out more.
1) Our cat is making strange to everyone since her sister disappeared. We think tha she might be lonely. What should we do?
2) My dog won't stop sneezing. We have brought him to the vet and they can't find the root of the problem. Any ideas?
3) I have a 9 week old dwarf rabbit. How long do I have to wait till I can feed it vegetables? When will I know if it's male or female?
4) What type of cage suits a new hamster?
5) My cat is losing fur and we don't know why. Any ideas?
See here for my answers. Click here for full post

Do animals feel grief? Of course they do.

A scientific paper has just been published about chimpanzees expressing grief over the death of loved ones. For more on this, click here. Click here for full post

Rabbits - neglected more than any other pet?

Rabbits are popular pets, but there's often a great deal of misunderstanding about their needs. Click here to read about the most common mistakes made by rabbit owners. Click here for full post

Weird new species of animals

New and strange species of animals are continually being discovered. Click here to read more. . Click here for full post

Haemorrhagic Gastro-Enteritis (HGE) in dogs

On Ireland AM this week, I brought in two lovely Miniature Schnauzers, and we discussed a common digestive disorder in dogs - Haemorrhagic Gastro-Enteritis, Click here to watch. Also a few questions from viewers answered: a excitable dog that's fussy about its food, dogs chewing out their stitches after operations... Click here for full post

Let sleeping cats lie

On East Coast FM today, we discussed the strange places where cats love to sleep. Click on the play button below to listen.

VETCATSLEEP.mp3

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Max the cat on Ireland AM

Ireland AM came out to film Max the cat -with a dislocated hip. Watch what happened by clicking here. And here is the rest of it. Click here for full post

RSPCA - the pet police, or animal carers?

What do you think the RSPCA should do? Click here to join the debate. Click here for full post

Animal A&E 21st April

Here's a full episode of Animal A&E - well worth watching if you missed it - click here. . Click here for full post

Should Mr Asbo the swan be left alone?

A swan in Cambridge has been attacking students and others who are using the river for boating..... there's been a call to relocate him. I reckon he should be left alone - they're invading his space, and that's why he's trying to see them off. I've written a blog post on it here. Click here for full post

An itchy cat.... what to do?

You can't tell pets to stop itching themselves.... and this is one of the reasons why itchy pets can be difficult to sort. Click here to read the story about the cat in the picture..... Click here for full post

Pets watching television..... and other Q&A

In this week's printed Telegraph column, I discussed the interesting issue of pets watching television. Click here to read it and to see a video of dogs being couch potato telly-addicts. Click here for full post

Vet Q&A on video: pets and owners feeling stressed

In this week's video Q&A, I discuss various issues to do with pets and owners under stress.... see here for more. Click here for full post

Dogs in Hoodies

Dogs don't just wear clothes for fashion: they sometimes help them with behavioural issues. To learn more, click here. Click here for full post

Home DNA tests for dogs

On East Coast FM this week, we discussed the new DNA tests, simple enough to do at home, that are used to identify the ancestors of cross-bred dogs. Click on the play button below to listen.

VETDNA.mp3

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I was a gerbil whisperer.....

Animal whisperers.... a fad with no substance. Click here to read my take on the subject. Click here for full post

Gothic kitten madness

A woman was convicted of animal cruelty in the USA for piercing kittens for gothic-style earrings: but is this any worse than tail docking, ear cropping and declawing, which are still standard veterinary procedures in the same country? Click here to read more. Click here for full post

Tooth whitening.... for hamsters?

In my Telegraph Q&A column this week, I was asked about hamsters' brown teeth. Click here to learn more. Click here for full post

Dog breeding: is enough being done?

Dog breeding continues to be a talking point amongst vets: at the BSAVA congress this year, it was widely discussed. Click here to read more. Click here for full post

Reporting from the biggest pet vet conference in the world

This weekend I'm in Birmingham along with over 5000 other pet vets, learning about the latest advances in veterinary science. Click here to learn more, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter (see the buttons on the top right of this blog) Click here for full post

DNA test to work out your mutt's ancestors

A new simple cheek-swab DNA test has been launched - and owners can use it themselves to find out the pedigree ancestry of their cross-bred pet dog. Click here to find out more. Click here for full post

Cat flaps on Ireland AM

This week on Ireland AM, I discussed the new type of cat flap that uses the cat's microchip as a "key", making it even easier to keep visiting cats out of your own home. Click here to watch. I also answered some questions from viewers at the end of the slot Click here for full post

The strange personal anatomy of reptiles....

A new species of giant lizard has been found in the jungle. The fact that thet lizard has a double set of reproductive organs was a surprise to the reporter, but in fact, it's normal for most reptiles. Click here to read more. Click here for full post

The Yeti or just another mistaken identity?

On East Coast FM this week, I discussed the creature that's been found in remote China, and rumoured to be the Yeti. I don't think so......
Click on the play button below to listen.

VETTIYETTI.mp3

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A Yeti? Or some type of bald bear?

An unfortunate creature has been trapped in remote China - it looks very peculiar and it's claimed that it may be a "Yeti". It looks more like some poor mammal with mange, but time will tell. Click here to read more. And here is the rest of it. Click here for full post

Human foods which can poison pets

Did you know that some foods, that are part of our normal diets as humans,can be toxic to pets? I've written a blog with a full list of the most common items to avoid. Click here to read it. Click here for full post

Was your pet lizard trapped in the wild?

Pet lizards can be fascinating pets, but many people do not realise that they may originally have been wild creatures, living in the tropics, before being trapped and shipped to Europe. Click here to read more. Click here for full post

Gertie the Beagle and her small operation...

On Ireland AM this week, Gertie the Beagle came in for a small operation. Click here to watch. Click here for full post

Lizards in the cold.....

A gecko emerged from someone's fridge in England, a week after sneaking in there inside a bag of apples. Read more about it by clicking here. Click here for full post

Easter tips for pets

This week on East Coast FM, we discussed the risk of chocolate to pets. Click on the "play" button below to listen.

VETEASTER.mp3

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UK government proposal to ban smoking in private homes

As part of the review of legislation concerning dogs, a new proposal has been released with the intention of banning smoking in pet owners' homes. A spokesperson for DEFRA is quoted as saying "Under the new Animal Welfare Act, if a pet owner knowingly exposes a pet to a risk of disease, they are committing an offence. Smoking in the presence of a pet will inevitably expose the animal to known irritants and carcinogens."
Local authority and RSPCA officers have already been instructed to investigate possible instances of smoking in pet owners' homes. If smoking is proven to have taken place, the pet owner will be given two options: surrender of the animal into local authority care, or confiscation of all smoking materials. Click here to find out more. Click here for full post