Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for dogs, but this is one of those cases where “more is better” simply does not apply. Dogs need vitamin D, among other things, for normal calcium and phosphorus metabolism and to support bone health. Vitamin D receptors are also found in cells of...
Your dog vomits once, looks at you, shakes it off, and five minutes later asks for food. Panic? Usually not. With vomiting, however, there are always two questions: is there a red flag that needs prompt veterinary attention, and if not, how can you gently support an upset stomach and...
"But he's wagging his tail!" is something I often hear dog owners say. Sometimes the other dog really is happy and wants to say hello. But that is not the only explanation. A dog may wag when excited, uncertain, tense or ready to respond forcefully. If we read the tail...
Apoquel is probably one of the best-known medications for itching in dogs. In some dogs, its effect can be impressively fast: a dog that was licking, chewing and scratching itself yesterday may be noticeably less itchy after a short time. That matters. Severe itching is not merely uncomfortable. A dog can...
I know quite a few dog owners who have at least once found some kind of “lump” under their dog’s skin. And even when reason says it is probably nothing serious, the brain usually reaches the word tumour in about three seconds. A lipoma in dogs is one of the...
I have long thought that some dogs living in flats are much more active than dogs with large gardens. A dog in a flat must at least be taken out for walks. A private garden makes life convenient, but it can also create an illusion: the dog has fresh air,...
These days, probiotics are recommended for almost everything. Dog has diarrhea? Probiotic. Had antibiotics? Probiotic. Gas? Probiotic. Sensitive stomach? Probiotic. Stress? Probiotic again. And on the pet-store shelf, jars stand side by side: one promises one billion, another ten billion, and a third contains such a bacterial army that the packaging makes it look as if...
I have been fortunate with the veterinarians who care for my dogs: they have always approached vaccination of a sick animal with caution. I have heard a very clear principle from them: if a dog is ill, its condition must be assessed before vaccination, rather than relying only on the...
Cancer is one of the most important causes of death among dogs, particularly in later life. In certain breeds, the proportion of recorded deaths attributed to tumours is so high that it raises serious questions about genetics, breeding, environmental exposure and prevention. Studies have reported a substantial cancer-related share of...
Some dogs look at their food bowl, think for a moment and eat calmly. Others inhale an entire meal before their owner can finish saying “enjoy”. I've been fortunate with my own dogs: none has been a truly unstoppable food gulper. Ossu sometimes cannot be bothered to chew his kibble...
