Choosing a Collar and Lead for your Dog

A collar is necessary for attaching your dog’s identification and registration tags, as well as for attaching a lead to take your dog on walks. In many public areas your dog is required to be on a lead at all times. There is such a large variety of collars and leads to choose from that […]

Is Your House Pet-Safe?

Young puppies and kittens can be very mischievous and inquisitive. Before you bring home your new pet you should make sure your house is as safe as possible. Here are ten tips to pet-proof your house. Store any household poisons, such as cleaning agents and detergents, where your pet will not be able to access […]

Travelling With Pets

Are you thinking of taking your pet on holidays with you this year? Even a short trip to the vet requires planning to ensure your pet travels safely. Most pets generally tolerate travel well, and can be transported by car and aeroplane as long as you are prepared and follow a few simple rules. Fear […]

Shampoo Time for Pets

Saturday morning and it’s time to give your dog or cat a bath. What are you going to bathe it with? While that sounds like a simple question, it can be quite complex. It really depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you just want to clean your dog, that’s easy, but what […]

Plan Ahead to Avoid Weaning Woes

Every foal has to go through it; every owner admits to some worries about it; and almost everyone survives it. For something that happens every year, weaning never seems to take on the status of ‘just another day’s work’. Separating a foal from its dam is guaranteed to produce some anxiety in both animals. This […]

Managing Horses with Airway Disease

Your new gelding stands in the stall and coughs. He has a clear nasal discharge but no fever. When you clean the stable in the morning, he seems to have trouble breathing. When he’s eating hay, he coughs more. You can’t exercise him very much because of his labored breathing. He also seems to be […]

Managing Fresh Cows in the Shed

Keep milk from fresh cows out of the vat for eight milkings One of the most important things about milking fresh cows is to ensure that the milk is suitable to go in the vat. There are three threats to milk quality in a fresh herd – the risk of residues (from antibiotics or teat […]

Tips For Dogs With Sensitive Skin

With the summer months approaching, many of us are thinking about warmer weather, days on the beach and Christmas looming. But if you have a dog with sensitive skin, this time of year signals several months of itchiness and discomfort for your dog, and concern and worry for you. During spring and summer the number […]

Why Halitosis Is A Sign Your Cat Needs Dental Care

Does your cat’s breath bowl you over?  Cats neither brush their teeth nor chew on mice everyday anymore.  So it is not surprising that poor dental hygiene and bad breath are reaching epidemic proportions in our domesticated feline friends. Halitosis is mostly caused by unhealthy teeth and gums although it can sometimes also be caused […]

Keeping Confined Dogs Happy

With most people’s busy lifestyles, dogs are left alone at home for extended periods. Left without stimulation, or opportunity to exercise, animals quickly get bored. The amount of exercise and stimulation a dog needs depends on its breed, and its age, and whether there is another animal with which to interact. Signs of Boredom Boredom […]

Cat Flu Facts and Fictions

With warm weather comes the Kitten season and peak boarding season, and these together bring an increased incidence of cat flu.  This happens for the same reason kids have a permanent snotty nose in preschool, and why many people get colds after a long haul plane flight.  Viruses thrive on close contact of members of […]

How To Introduce Your Baby To A Pet Cat

Cats view babies and toddlers as different species to adult humans.  Can you blame them!?  It’s a remarkable although confusing perception, now that cats are living longer and can see their human children grow up!  Managing the arrival of a new baby and your cat The key to managing the arrival of a new baby […]