If you know or suspect that your dog has eaten a product containing xylitol, contact a veterinarian or emergency clinic immediately. Do not wait for symptoms, and do not induce vomiting at home unless a veterinarian specifically instructs you to do so. Xylitol is one of those substances that can turn...
Dehydration in dogs can develop more quickly in summer than we might expect. Hot weather, activity and constant panting make the body work harder and increase the need for fluids. The problem is that a dog cannot always tell us when they are thirsty or feeling unwell. By the time...
Dogs do not usually enter the sea intending to drink, but they inevitably swallow some water while running, swimming and retrieving toys. One accidental mouthful will not usually cause poisoning. The risk increases when a dog repeatedly swallows saltwater or consumes a larger amount, especially in hot weather or when...
Sometimes it is difficult to decide whether you should take your pet to a clinic immediately or whether it is reasonable to monitor the situation for a while. The same symptom may be fairly harmless in one situation but the first sign of a condition where every hour matters in...
Most of us have medicines at home for pain, fever, allergies or chronic conditions. When a dog or cat develops similar symptoms, it may seem logical to give them the same medication. Unfortunately, a medicine that is entirely ordinary for humans can cause serious poisoning in a pet. The risk is...
Dogs have a habit of licking people. Some aim for the face, others for a hand or leg, and some would happily keep at it all day. To me, licking has always felt like one of a dog's ways of saying, “you are my person.” As I have got older,...
Summer, dogs and water seem made for each other. Once a four-legged friend catches the scent of a lake or the sea, most need little encouragement. Yet inviting-looking water and trouble-free swims in the past tell us very little about what may be living in that water today. When I first...
Some time ago, I was asked to write about which bones are suitable for which dogs. The starting point for this article was, and still is, the approach of integrative veterinarian Dr Peter Dobias, who divides bones into three groups according to purpose: for eating, for cleaning teeth, and for...
I have used retractable leashes myself. They once seemed convenient: the dog could wander a little farther, the line wound itself back in, and I did not have to gather a long lead off the ground. Today I do not choose them for my dogs. Not because every walk with...
For decades, spaying and neutering dogs was often treated as a fairly simple choice: if a dog was not going to be used for breeding, the ovaries or testicles were removed. This prevents unwanted litters and reduces the risk of several diseases of the reproductive system. For me, the question has...
