Q: “I am considering taking my dog abroad to Europe but confess to being slightly bewildered by all the rules and regulations. What is the simplest route to take to…
Neil McIntosh
Why does my Jack Russell hop, skip and jump?
There are two likely possibilities and I am afraid each might require a surgical intervention, which is not what you will want to hear. Luxating patella The patella, or kneecap,…
Raw food for dogs – a good or bad idea?
A reader asks if it's ok to feed their Labrador raw tripe every day or if they should mix it up
Gluten-free diets for dogs – when are they necessary?
Q: I am thinking about buying a border terrier puppy from a local gamekeeper. My friend tells me I will have to avoid feeding it gluten. But gluten-free diets for…
Why is my dog so thirsty? Is she ill?
Excessive thirst (referred to as polydipsia or PD on veterinary case notes) is not in itself a diagnosis, but it may be indicative of disease. There are, of course, some…
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…
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.