Pet Supplies and Product Reviews

Arthritis comes on in many ways, but the most common cause is the wear and tear the joints undergo over the years: they simply wear out.  Veterinarians sometimes refer to it as Arthritis, Osteoarthritis (OA)  or Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) . Arthritis is the most common health problem in senior dogs. So if you own a dog, chances are that you will have to deal with this issue at some stage.  The key to detecting any issues early is to take advantage of the health and wellness checks offered by your vet ,   some even provide a dedicated Senior Pet program. WHAT IS CANINE ARTHRITIS? Nature’s solution to motion are biological hinges – two slick, smooth surfaces coating the bones that form each joint. T he ends of the bones that form all movable joints are formed of a cushiony layer of cartilage that is coated by a slick slippery membrane called the  synovium . To reduce friction, the space in between is filled with an oily fluid ; and the whole structure is bou...

Dogs are awesome! As vets, we are lucky to be able to have these guys in our lives and help them through their various medical worries. As a Veterinary Dentist, dogs are the most common pets that I see, because of one disease… Perio! By far, the most common problem we see in dogs is Periodontal Disease (Perio) .  Hands down, every day of the week, without any competition, Periodontal Disease is the most common disease in dogs. Depending on the study you refer to, we know that 80-85% of dogs over the age of 3 years have some degree of Periodontal disease .  WHAT IS PERIODONTAL DISEASE? So, in Veterinary Dentistry our main focus of treatment and prevention is Periodontal disease. As our pets age, the degree of Periodontal disease increases, simply because the disease is chronically progressive – if you’ve been around long enough, the disease will be worse. Periodontal disease at first glance appears to be a simple disease. Bacteria are in the mouth and they develop a coating on ...

April is Heartworm Awareness Month around the world. Heartworm disease is a worrying condition for dog owners: whilst much less common than it was a decade ago, it is still a disease that kills pets.  A PawClub survey ( 1 ) of 1,600 Australian dog owners found that many were not compliant with disease protection with 64% admitting to administering monthly heartworm prevention AFTER it was due.  Of most concern was the fact that, although 99% of dog owners acknowledged that heartworm could be fatal to dogs, 8% did not use any prevention and although 48% use monthly prevention, many were missing doses . These findings support recent data from the Heartworm Surveillance Project , which found that 40% of recently-reported heartworm cases were in dogs on monthly heartworm tablets or spot-ons (2).  Vets are reminding us that it only takes one bite from an infected mosquito for a dog to catch this fatal disease. HOW ARE DOGS INFECTED? Heartworm  is carried and spread by ...

Would you know how to apply first aid if your pet needed you?  The reality is most of us don't live within 10 minutes of a vet.   Animals are notorious for wanting to explore, try new things and even eat unknown substances out of curiosity. If your pet suffers an injury due to their inquisitive nature or becomes ill for other reasons, it is up to you to take responsibility and ensure they receive the appropriate treatment. This Pet First Aid Quick Reference Guide  will show you how to respond to the most common First Aid emergencies and could potentially save your pet's life.  QUICK GUIDE TO FIRST AID FOR YOUR PET The most important thing to remember is to contact your vet and get your pet examined as soon as possible. Triage  is the rapid assessment of the most important life threatening problems your injured pet might have. Determine whether it is: 1. Severe life threatening , requiring immediate attention at the vet (i.e. most of the following). 2. Se...