Your Own Vet

Broken nails in dogs

In most cases the nail is cracked near where the nail comes out of the flesh. Sometimes the nail is missing altogether. If the nail breaks through the quick (blood vessel/vein) in the nail, there can be a lot of blood – all over the room – don’t panic – your dog won’t bleed out but it can look dramatic. In many cases, when the nail cracks, it is painful and dogs will lick at the nail persistently, sometimes causing a rash or wet eczema from all the licking. Because it is so painful, some dogs will try to pull the paw away, lick at the owner’s hands to stop them touching the foot, and some may bite so it’s important to be safe and use a muzzle if your dog is very sore to get a better look.

Leishmaniasis in Dogs

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by a single celled parasite called Leishmania and is transmitted by a biting sandfly. (1) The disease is common in tropical and subtropical areas where the sandfly is found such as the Mediterranean basin (e.g., Italy, Spain and Portugal), the Balkans, central and southwest Asia, north and northwest China, north and sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Central and South America. (6) The disease has now moved to Northwest Italy and North America. (2) Leishmania infantum is the strain of the parasite found in the old world and Leishmania chagasi in the New World. (6) There is a vaccine available and a blood test in the UK if your pet has travelled to Spain or surrounding areas.

Caring for a dog in winter

Caring for a dog during the winter months requires you to be extra vigilant. The harsh, cold conditions of winter weather can wreak havoc on man’s best friend. There are many things you can do to ensure your dog is properly cared for throughout the rough winter season.

Behavior – Adult hand reared cat still roots

I have a 2 year old cat that was bottle fed and he still roots. He doesn’t
do it all the time, but if I take him in my room just the two of us, he
will root to the point where he will push you out of the bed or put
bruises on you. Oddly, sitting in the middle of my bed was usually where I
fed him and that is the only place he roots. But, I don’t think he will
ever outgrow it. He definitely wasn’t weaned too early from the bottle as
he bottle fed until he was 10 weeks old (I got him when he was 3 weeks
old – the owners let the mama cat out and she got hit by a car). Yes, he
was eating food at 6 weeks, but he got a bedtime bottle until I ran out of
formula. Rotten. Spoiled rotten.

How to tell which dog is dominant?

My question is that I am trying to determine what dog is the Alpha dog out of my three dogs. I have a 2 year old Male Presa Canario (Mastiff), a 5 year old Male Pit Bull and a 10 year old female Pit-Bull mix that I am pretty sure is the Omega. But the two males that I have had since birth exhibit Alpha traits. My Presa is pushy, shoves the other dogs out of way and does not allow the other dogs any affection before him or maybe on somedays not at all. He is not food aggressive toward me or the female dog but will not let the male Pit-bull eat his food/and then takes ownership over the food. I must separate my male Presa or he will be very vicious towards my male Pit bull.

Mange in Dogs and Cats

MANGE IN DOGS AND CATS Mange in dogs and cats is a disease of the skin that causes hair loss and infections …

My dog hates the crate

I have a 3 year old female shiba inu who has a problem with being in a
crate when we are not home and at night. It’s been a problem since we
got her when she was a few months old from a pet store. First she would
go potty in the kennel. It was a huge one so we got one of those metal
wire ones that have the divider to make it smaller or bigger as the dog
grows. Well she stopped going potty in it and decided to figure out how
to escape from it. She would push her nose between the wires and bend
them. She finally figured out how to just get the whole thing to
collapse on its self and get out. So we moved to a smaller plastic
kennel. Well she figured out a way to literally eat her way out of it!
We came home to her with a hole in it big enough to stick her head out!
Its been down hill from there. we have gone through about 4 or 5 kennels
over the last 3 years because she destroys them. We have tried to just
let be be loose in the house and she does ok for a few days but then she
starts peeing on the floor. We dont own our home and we have heated
floors. The constant peeing on the floor is going to ruin the floors and
we can’t afford to fix them. We have tried giving her treats in the
kennel, extra exercise, we are at a loss. I don’t know what else to try
or do. I’m so frustrated that I’m to the point of just finding a new
home for her. I don’t want to because she is family but I also don’t want
to be mad at her everyday. I hope you are able to help us come up with
some ideas to try so we can fix this issue. My dog hates the crate.

Pancreatitis in dogs and cats

Pancreatitis in dogs and cats is a disease that has been around for a long time but until recently the only way of diagnosing it was with an ultrasound or surgery and a biopsy. The blood test and the in-house test that can be run at the vets was launched two to three years ago and since then, many more pets are being diagnosed with pancreatitis than ever before.

Advert Article – Caring for elderly cats

Caring for elderly cats.This short article cover the things you need to look at to keep your elderly cat in shape and how to give him or her the best quality of life.

Hip Dysplasia in Dogs

Hip dysplasia is mainly a problem in medium to large breed dogs. The dog breeds most commonly affected are the German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, St. Bernard and Golden Retriever. It is also becoming more prevalent in certain breeds such as the Rottweiler and the Border Collie. Certain kennel clubs and federations have taken great steps with breeding programmes to reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia in puppies that are registered and tested for the problem. The main problem lies in backyard breeders and people that have a litter at home with their dogs as they may not be aware of, or test for hip dysplasia.

Spinal disease and Paralysis in Dogs

paralysis in dogs, disc problems in dogs, back pain in dogs, dachshunds and bad spines backs, preventing slipped discs, pugs butterfly vertebrae, fibrocartilagenous emboli

Dog Attacks his Penis

My dog is a two year old mixed shepherd and after finishing his obedience and protection training he started to behave very weirdly,he is attacking his penis!! It has been 10 months now and he is not getting better at all! In addition to being very aggressive, two vets in Lebanon diagnosed this case as a psychological case. One of them said that he should take a medicine called Prozac as well as letting him play and do everything to get rid of the stress inside him, also a dog trainer said that he needs to get married. I do not know what to do to heal my dog – please help me.

Diseases of Dog Breeds

Thinking of getting a puppy or kitten? We thought we would compile a list of the most common problems seen in everyday practice with specific breeds so you can do your research properly. If your breed isn’t here, don’t despair as this list will grow over time. Anyone wishing to add to the list please feel free to e mail us at vet@yourownvet.com

Treating Ear Infections in dogs and cats

Treating ear infections first of all involves diagnosing the cause of the ear infection and treating it. Many pet owners think that if their pet had an ear infection before and the drops they got from their vet worked the last time, if they buy more of the same drops the drops will cure it. But not all ear infections are the same, even if the discharge looks similar to a previous ear infection. Ear drops on the market can either contain a specific antifungal or antibacterial or, be a simple flushing drop with an altered pH (usual over the counter type ear drops), or have a combination of an antifungal, antibiotic and a cortisone (steroid) to treat allergies. They can get quite pricey so its worthwhile getting the ear infection properly diagnosed prior to putting any ear drops in.

Ear infections in dogs and cats

A recurring ear infection in your pet is one of the more expensive and most frustrating animal diseases for pet owners to deal with. There are many causes of ear infections in pets, from simple ear mites to food allergies and cancerous growths down the ear canal. Some are easily fixed, but others require months to years of treatment and sadly, some are never fully controlled and eventually lead to permanent ear damage and loss of hearing.