Health

Hydrotherapy for dogs

I’ll answer your question by discussing a specific case we recently dealt with. Every once in a while we get a patient referral, and you just know THIS one is going to be special. And when she finally arrives she takes over your life, steals your heart and teaches you lessons in perseverance, determination and strength of […]

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How to manage moulting birds

Moulting is a natural process that happens in all birds, as birds are the only living things with feathers. During a moult new feathers replace old, damaged feathers. Some birds moult gradually throughout the year and owners do not even notice any changes. Others have a heavy moult every other year, but most parrots generally

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Is too much fat bad for our pets?

What we call ‘fat’ is medically referred to as ‘white adipose tissue’, but until recently we thought fat stored excess energy and just made your pet ‘big’. The idea was that fat was physiologically inert. But then scientists discovered that fat plays an enormous role in the body as producer of hormones and inflammatory agents.

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Pet food guide

In 2011, South African pet owners were struck with fear when at least 12 dogs died of aflatoxicosis after eating contaminated pet food. Serious incidents like these raise questions about the safety of pet food and how companies test their products. Why testing is important The choice of pet food is a personal one. You

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Annual Vaccinations

Should all dogs and cats receive booster vaccinations every year for their whole lives? I have heard people talking about so-called titre tests that vets can do to determine if a pet really needs a booster vaccination. Are these readily available in SA and what are the logistics involved? Puppies Puppies need to be vaccinated

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Essential Amino Acids

The truth is dogs and cats do not need any protein in a healthy state at all. What they do need is the building blocks of protein. Even if animals ingested their exact daily requirements of protein, their alimentary tract would still break the proteins down to individual amino acids through the process of digestion. There

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Diabetes in pets

Diabetes in pets can be controlled through veterinary care and by following a strict diet, much like humans need. The causes and resultant symptoms of diabetes are similar, although not the same, in humans and pets. Dogs usually have type 1 (insulin-dependent) while cats typically have type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes. What exactly is diabetes and

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Worms and deworming

Internal parasites may take up residence in your pet’s intestines or other organs and cause serious health complications. We look at how deworming products are formulated and manufactured to provide a safe and effective way to control them. Endoparasites or internal parasites live inside the body of the host and feed off partially digested food

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Digging – Part 1

Why do dogs dig? Confinement stress and lack of mental and physical stimulation Dogs who are confined to a yard, rarely taken off the premises, and provided with little or inadequate mental stimulation, are far more likely to dig and be destructive. For yard dogs, often the only way that they can express their frustration and

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