Underactive thyroid – known as hypothyroidism Let me list your dog’s clinical signs: Lethargy Weight gain Bilaterally symmetrical alopecia Skin changes Itchy skin It would seem most likely that your…
Neil McIntosh
What you should know about dog bloat
Risk and factors of bloat in dogs A recent study by the Royal Veterinary College’s Veterinary Companion Animal Surveillance System, which looked into the frequency, risk factors and survival of…
Why has my young sprocker lost form?
Q: My three year old sprocker spaniel had a good summer, even though she failed to conceive after two matings. Since the season started she has been beating with me…
What if your gundog needed a blood transfusion one day?
“When my lovely cocker spaniel, Flick, was only five months old, she needed nine (yes nine!) blood transfusions. If it wasn’t for a charity called Pet Blood Bank UK, she…
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs?
What are the symptoms if a dog contracts Lyme disease and what does the cure entail? Is it usually successful?
Dog tail docking
What can you do quite legally in England which could cost you a fine of up to £5,000 or even six months in jail if you repeated it in Scotland?…
Why doping to win gundog trials is never worth the risk
Doping has been proven in many animal sports. Greyhounds, horses and coursing dogs have all been (successfully) given performance-enhancing drugs at one time or another. Some of the drugs used…
What’s causing our new ferrets’ bad behaviour?
My children have been ‘gifted’ a couple of ex-working male ferrets by a friend and, although not biters, they smell pretty bad, pee everywhere and can be quite aggressive to…
Can pheasants and other birds suffer from ticks?
For a while now, I have been hand feeding a pet pheasant, ‘Mr P’ who appeared at the tail end of last season. I have noticed he has small dark…
What is this?! Is it a tapeworm?
My dog passed this! What is it? I thought roundworms were long and smooth and tapeworms were like flat grains of rice!
My gundog has a dry, bleeding nose!
We have a two-year old working Cocker spaniel that’s extremely fit and full of energy. However he has always had a dry nose that has got worse recently: it bleeds…
My gundog has been lame on and off!
I have a giant young black lab who is only eight months but already bigger than his Mum. He has been lame on and off on his front legs for…
Why do you put up with the smell from ferrets?
I am an American living in Dorset and cannot understand why you guys put up with the horrific smell from ferrets. It is easily sorted back home.
My dog has Addison’s Disease, is it hereditary?
My German Shorthaired Pointer’s litter sister has just been diagnosed with something called Addison’s Disease. What is it and is he likely to get it too?
How do I treat my gundog’s broken toenails?
What is the best way to deal with my Labrador’s broken toe nails? Whenever I let my dog’s get too long, they split and crack.