Key Takeaways I’m sure we’ve all used Tums at some point in our lives to treat the symptoms of heartburn. Your pooch may have even eaten one sneakily, but this time they’ve eaten the whole bottle (we’re looking at you, Labradors). The first thing you do is check the ingredients; luckily, there’s no xylitol in … Read more
Key Takeaways I’m always amazed at what dogs will munch on, given the chance. Luckily hot Cheetos aren’t poisonous. While there are small amounts of garlic and onion powder in hot Cheetos these are in such small quantities they are unlikely to cause an issue. One concern aside from digestive upset is if your pooch … Read more
Key Takeaways: To start with, your pooch has probably already eaten ants without your knowledge and was perfectly fine. Occasionally, some ants will find their way into your pooch’s food bowl, and most pooches aren’t discerning about what they eat when kibble is right there. In fact, ants are a great protein source and even … Read more
Key Takeaways: Coming through the holiday season, I’ve had a lot of dog’s present to me having eaten things they shouldn’t have, one of the most common of these is polyester stuffing from their new toys or bedding. If your dog has chewed through their brand new bed and there’s stuffing everywhere, don’t panic! Your … Read more
Key Takeaways: You’ve just come home from work to dirt everywhere, your prized Monstera plant in shreds all over the hall rug, and a rather sheepish-looking pooch with tell tale soil on their snoot. Suddenly you wonder if they’ve eaten some and if it’s toxic to our furbabies. Well, you’re in the right place. Read … Read more
Key Takeaways: We all know dogs are not the most discerning of diners and will eat almost anything they shouldn’t. Forget the embarrassment, if your dog eats a tampon, it could be a medical emergency, and you should call your veterinarian for advice. Think about the function of a tampon, it’s designed to expand in … Read more
Key Takeaways You’re making a delicious hot chocolate and spill some of the cocoa powder, but before you can do anything, your pooch has managed to lick every bit off the floor. Now, what should you do? First thing’s first, call your veterinarian or The Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764 7661 immediately. They will … Read more
Key Takeaways You may know that dogs shouldn’t eat dark or milk chocolate due to the high levels of the chemical theobromine. Unlike us humans, dogs can’t metabolize this chemical; chocolate also contains caffeine, so it’s doubly problematic for our pooch friends. Luckily, white chocolate has significantly less theobromine and caffeine than either milk or … Read more
Key Takeaways The toxic ingredient in chocolate is theobromine which dogs can’t metabolize normally. Pancreatitis is also a risk of ingesting chocolate due to its high fat and sugar content. Just 30g milk chocolate/kg body weight puts your pooch at risk of chocolate poisoning. Hallowe’en is almost upon us, and fun-size chocolate candies are all … Read more
Key Takeaways: Common clinical signs are gastrointestinal upset, depression, weakness, and dark urine 15g garlic/kg body weight can cause significant changes in blood parameters Some breeds are more susceptible – eg, Akita, Shiba Inu, Japanese Chin, and Korean Jindo Signs of toxicity can take days to appear, depending on how much was ingested Garlic-associated poisoning … Read more
Key Takeaways Theobromine is the toxic ingredient in chocolate that causes problems for dogs Just 1oz of dark chocolate can be toxic to small and medium-sized pooches Chocolate affects the heart, nervous and gastrointestinal systems and can cause organ failure Chocolate poisoning is rarely fatal, but this is due to rapid treatment, and you should … Read more
Key Takeaways Advil (Ibuprofen) is one of the most common human medications causing toxicity in dogs Call your veterinarian as soon as possible if your dog has eaten some Advil (ibuprofen) Just one small dose can cause toxic signs such as gastrointestinal disturbance Advil, a commonly used over-the-counter human medication, contains the active ingredient ibuprofen. … Read more
Key Takeaways: Rat poison tends to be seen as a tasty treat by our canine companions, so make sure to keep it well out of reach. 4 broad types of rat poison commercially available in the USA in 2022. Immediately call your veterinarian and the dog Poison Helpline to determine how much your dog has … Read more
Your pooch has just developed an intense itch. You’ve searched every strand of their fur and can’t find a single flea, so why is your pup scratching too intently? Itching, also called Pruritis, is a common sign of skin disorders in our canine companions. The most common cause of Pruritis is allergic skin diseases through … Read more
One of the most common complaints canine patients present to me with are skin problems, usually pruritus (itching). Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an itchy skin disease caused by an allergic reaction to either an environmental or dietary allergen. This reaction presents as intense itching, rubbing, licking, and chewing at a patch or patches on a … Read more
You’ve just found some fleas on your pooch (and they’re scratching like crazy) but alas you don’t have any flea treatment left and you’re wondering what you can use to dispatch these pesky creatures. Flea shampoos don’t need a prescription to purchase but that doesn’t mean they don’t work – the instructions need to be … Read more
Having an itchy pooch can be incredibly distressing for both them and you, their pawrent. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to see your veterinarian immediately, but you want to provide some relief for your best furiend. This is where your own medicine cabinet comes in – hydrocortisone cream, to be specific. If you’ve read other … Read more
As a veterinarian, it’s heartbreaking to see my patients suffering, and this is especially true when I have patients with a nasty skin condition that causes them to chew and scratch so intensely that they start to mutilate their body and lose clumps of hair. These can also be incredibly challenging cases to treat, and … Read more
We’ve all had an itch at some point in our lives, now imagine that as a constant in your life; one from which you cannot get any relief. That’s what our pooches with allergies are going through, intense pruritic lesions that severely impact their quality of life, even waking them up from their sleep and … Read more
Did you know that your pooch could be allergic to dog shampoo? Well, more specifically, they can be allergic to certain ingredients in some shampoos. Luckily, I don’t see this very often in my patients. It’s possibly more common for a dog to have an adverse reaction to a product if they’re already suffering with … Read more