News

We are well into summer and the BBQ season so we wanted to remind you of a few things for pet safety while you are grilling.

Just like us, most cats love the great outdoors, especially in the summertime. Here are our top tips to ensure your cats are safe and happy when outside...

It's not just humans who need protection from the sun – did you know that cats can also get sunburn?

We have received reports of the first adder bite of the year, in a dog walking in the Ashdown Forest. Luckily he made a full recovery, but here is some useful information about these dangerous snakes.

One of the most common problems we see is obesity. When pet owners are recommended that their pet should lose weight, 90% fail without support. We all know ourselves how difficult weight loss can be but overweight pets have a shortened life span and are prone to conditions such as osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, heart disease and certain cancers.

How many of us place our cat’s food in a bowl and walk away?  But according to experts, that’s not how we should be feeding our feline friends. By simply placing their food in their bowl our cats are failing to engage their natural hunting instincts and more likely to become overweight. 

Have you ever heard of Lance Canine Tooth? One of our veterinary surgeons had a case recently in an eight-month-old labrador puppy and we thought you may be interested.

Feline resorptive lesions (previously known as feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions, FORLs or neck lesions) are a very common cause of dental pain in cats. Studies have shown that at least 50% of cats over the age of 5 years are affected.

You may have heard reports of recent cases of Alabama Rot in dogs in Woldingham and Caterham.

The only two confirmed cases in Kent occurred in Ashford in April 2014 and in Dover in January 2015, with two confirmed cases in East Sussex in Lewes 2015 and Battle 2016. It is wise to be aware of this potentially fatal disease.

When the skies are blue and the air is crisp there's nothing better than a walk with your dog. We've written a few tips on what to watch out for in this cold spell.

Just a quick last-minute post with a few reminders on how to keep your pets calm over this festive period.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but there are a few things to consider in order to keep your pets happy and safe over the festive season.

What can you do to keep your small furries warm as the temperature begin to drop? We've written some hints...

We all love to receive flowers, but did you know that lilies are extremely toxic to cats?

Ethylene glycol, or antifreeze, is used in car radiators and in some screen washes and de-icers to prevent freezing. Unfortunately, it is extremely toxic to cats, and every year many cats die from antifreeze poisoning.

At this time of year, the majority of us are walking our dogs in the dark.

The firework season can be an incredibly stressful period for our pets, these days it doesn’t just happen over one weekend but rather a series of weeks, followed by the New Year’s Eve celebrations. It can be relentless for our stressed-out pets.

 We have written some tips to help relieve your pet of their worries.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year with the change in colour and falling leaves.

But are you aware of the potential dangers to your pet?

What is Malassezia?

Malassezia pachydermatis is a type of yeast found on the skin and ears of most dogs. In most cases, these yeast organisms cause no harm. However, in some dogs, an abnormal overgrowth of Malassezia can result in the skin and/or ears becoming inflamed and sore. 

What is a harvest mite?

Trombicula Autumnalis  is a small orange coloured mite that can cause skin irritation to dogs, cats and other animals.

The International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) has proclaimed September as Animal Pain Awareness Month.

Animals suffer from pain just like people do.

How often when you’re walking your dog do you encounter another dog – that’s on the lead? How do you respond?

Have you been asked to provide us with your pet's urine sample recently? Do you know what tests we run and what your pet's sample can show?

Cats with asthma or bronchitis can present with signs similar to those seen in people, such as coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing. If you suspect your cat suffers from asthma, or your cat has already been diagnosed then do read on...

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common problem in people, but did you know that animals, particularly cats, can also be affected?

It’s that time of year where grass seeds are becoming a problem. Shaped like darts, they cling to your pet's coat with their bristly fibres, and their pointed shape means they easily pierce the skin. They cannot escape so push their way forward burrowing deeper and deeper.

More and more people are choosing to take their pets with them on holiday.

Here are our top tips to make your holiday with your pet as stress-free as possible:

Many cats love the warm weather, but too much sun can lead to problems such as dehydration, sunburn and even skin cancer.

Here are our top tips for keeping your cat safe in the sun:

We love hearing success stories from our clients, and here is a lovely letter from Charlie’s owner Dawn, telling his weight loss story...

You may have seen reports of blue-green algae contamination in ponds and lakes during this hot spell of weather.

Here is an update on what you need to know about this potentially fatal toxin.

Coming to the vets is not meant to be stressful for either the owner or the pet. However, there are many pets which fear coming to see us and as such owners’ dread bringing them in. At Pennard Vets, we try and make your pets visit as stress-free as possible, but sometimes they simply have a disliking for a place. To help we run desensitisation clinics.

Now the summer is here you may find that your pet is itching more than normal.  This could be the result of things such as Parasites or Antigens.  

One of the biggest dangers for rabbits in the summer months is heatstroke. Here are our tips for preventing heatstroke in your rabbits;

One of the biggest dangers for rabbits in the summer months is flystrike. Here are our top tips on how to prevent it;

Here are our top tips about vaccinating your rabbits;

Rabbits are highly social animals and require both rabbit and human company.

Here are our top tips on providing appropriate company for your rabbits;

To coincide with Rabbit Awareness Week (2-10 June), here are some tips for feeding your rabbits.

A visit to the vets does not have to be stressful for you or your rabbits. 

Here are a few helpful tips:

One of our vets has written some tips on how to make your cat's autumn years that little bit easier.

A visit to the vets does not have to be stressful for you or your cat.

Here are a few helpful tips;

As our pets grow older exercising can become increasingly difficult. They are more reluctant to go outdoors, play and can develop conditions such as osteoarthritis which can make it challenging. It is still, however, important to encourage the right kinds of exercise to help sustain a healthy weight and to maintain mobility.

A visit to the vets does not have to be stressful for you or your dog.

Here are a few helpful tips:

So spring is apparently upon us, and with the lengthening daylight hours, and increasing temperatures comes the first of the spring bank holidays to be celebrated.

A lot of you will already have heard or read about Alabama Rot, but as so little is known about it we wanted to give you the facts that are available to date.

As vets, it is one of the most common conditions we come across on a day to day basis, and it is one which is sometimes very difficult to discuss. Obesity is not just a condition affecting humans,  but is now being seen far too often within our pet population. However, there seems to be a great stigma when it comes to discussing pet's weight, understandably, as no-one wants to hear their beloved pet is overweight.

Caries are formed due to the decay of dentine of the tooth following demineralization of the surface enamel of the tooth. They have a similar pathology to tooth decay in humans.

It’s Christmas again; the time of year when we have a spike in patients coming through the door after having eaten something they shouldn’t. For  us  it is a time for festive treats, but a lot of these can be toxic to our pets.

Teeth can fracture just like bones. If there is exposure to the sensitive pulp of the tooth this can be extremely painful for our animals, and, as such, will create a reluctance for them to eat.

Gingivitis is a term to describe inflammation of the gums, where stomatitis is inflammation of any of the other soft tissues within the mouth, including lips, back of the throat, tongue etc. Combined they lead to a painful and often debilitating disease in cats called Chronic Feline Gingivostomatitis, where they are often too painful to eat anything.

Rosie presented to Pennard Vets with a large red swelling on her cheek. After several bouts of antibiotics which seemingly helped, but did not fully resolve the swelling, further investigation was indicated.   

There are many ways in which we can keep our pet's mouths healthy and clean for as long as possible. These range from chews to toys, to specially formulated diets, to the gold standard – dental treatment.

The term parasite describes any creature which uses another ‘host’ to live. They range from endoparasites (within the body), including lungworm and tapeworm, to ectoparasites (outside the body), including fleas, ticks and mites. Our pets are very prone to being infected by any of these parasites, but with effective parasite control it is preventable.

Flystrike (aka Myiasis) is a condition which can affect any animal. It is incredibly distressing and if not caught early enough it can progress rapidly and lead to death. Rabbits are predominantly affected, especially if they have a pre-existing illness which limits their ability to clean themselves, primarily over their rear-end. As owners we need to be particularly vigilant through the summer months.

Unfortunately, it’s that time of year where we see plenty of pets with swollen faces or paws. Some of you will see your pet being stung, which means you can identify the type of sting, but many of you will simply notice a swelling.

It’s that time of year where grass seeds are becoming a problem. They cling to your dog’s coat with their bristly fibres, and their pointed shape makes it easy for them to dive deeper and deeper. Shaped like darts, once they pierce the skin they can’t get out so push their way forward.

Mycotoxicity has been highlighted recently on the BBC Programme 'Trust Me, I'm a Vet' and we are incredibly sad to announce that we have recently had two cases.  The first patient we managed to successfully treat and after lots of intensive care eventually went home.  The second patient unfortunately we couldn’t save.

As its acupuncture awareness week, we thought it would be good to highlight how acupuncture helps a lot of pets.

Every February the British Heart Foundation celebrates heart month encouraging everyone to make small contributions to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

With winter just outside our door we often feel like staying at home, warm and cosy. I’m not as enthusiastic about walking the dog as I am in the summer months.

As with many posts this Christmas, it’s all about those goodies and decorations that are toxic to our pets. So we’ve written just a quick reminder of a things to help keep your four legged friends safe this festive season.

I’m sure most of you have seen the recent press coverage lately of ‘Walk with Walnut’ BBC Walk with Walnut. We’ve talked about this in the practice and thought it was a wonderful, kind gesture from a heartbroken owner to his ageing best friend.

We have had some enquiries regarding the new variant of Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RVHD) and wanted to give a brief overview for those that haven’t come across it before.

There are two parts to the new legislation on microchipping in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 that take place on the 6th April 2016 that we want to ensure you are aware of

• Dog owners in England will have to have their pet microchipped from the 6th April 2016
• Owners need to maintain up to date contact details on an authorised commercial database

There has been a lot of talk in the media recently about a possible small outbreak of a relatively new disease in dogs in the UK, Babesiosis, caused by the bite of a specific tick which transmits the protozoal parasite which causes the disease. At the moment the affected cases are mainly in Essex, but they could potentially spread.

Boris is a 12.5 year old springer spaniel who used to hate coming to the vets for any treatment or vaccinations. No matter how gentle we were with him it didn’t matter as he was so scared and used to tremble as soon as he walked into reception until he left. 

Boris’ owner thought there was no hope for him ever being able to enjoy coming to the vets as he was now a senior dog and she thought you could not teach an old dog new tricks.

Animals have very acute hearing, (particularly cats) so loud bangs and whistles will startle them and cause them stress.

We all know Firework season can be a stressful and scary time for a lot of dogs so why not try building a den to hide away in, it can really help. Starting preparing this now in advance giving your dog plenty of time to get used to using it.

Dental disease is a problem that affects many of our pets both young and old and studies have estimated that 80% of cats and dogs have some degree of dental disease, from the age of 3 onwards.

Arthritis only happens in old pets… right? Not all the time, it can happen in the young too. If your pet is diagnosed with it, what are your options?

We’re not sure about you but it seems Christmas has arrived early this year. We all know it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also a time when we need to take steps to avoid any harm coming to our beloved pets. A recent survey revealed 1 in 10 Dog lovers have had to go to the vets over the christmas period due to feeding them human food. Here at Pennard Vets we’ve put together a top five list of things to watch out for.

I’m not sure about you but this past winter has played havoc with my carpets. Having a long haired young dog means I’ve had towels at the ready to wipe his feet the moment we arrive home. On the right is a picture of my boy who always, always finds the mud!

We get asked a lot about how to go about washing dogs so we’ve listed ten steps to make bathing your dog as easy as possible;

Sadly we have just seen our first case of myxomatosis this year, some what earlier than normal with the unusual weather over winter.

With dogs now starting to go back on the areas that have recently been flooded we have been asked a lot of questions regarding any concerns about going on these areas.

Last year was the first year of running the pet slimmer of the year competition, over the year nurses see many clients regularly for weight checks to help support them with their animals in loosing weight. With the help of hills we decided to give them something back and an incentive to really get to grips with helping their animals loose weight and so came up with Pet Slimmer of the Year. The winners were chosen and given the good news in January

Laser therapy helps Hendrix get back on his feet.

Winston was a 3 Month old British Bulldog puppy who came to the practice on the 17^th July as his owner was very concerned about him.

Winston had vomited that morning and did not want to go for a walk at all; his owner also noticed he was breathing differently and just wanted to lie down.

Spring is in the air and new life will be arriving soon. This can sometimes be a stressful time for animal loving cat owners, as their companions bring in feathered and furry ‘presents’ to surprise them.

To most of us this Easter will involve enjoying a chocolate egg or two! Please remember that chocolate is also delicious to dogs, less so to cats, but potentially lethal to both. 

Felix is a 2 year 8 month old Labrador who has a sad story with a happy ending!

Ivan a 7 month old puppy, training to be a guide dog, was brought in to the practice after being sick and refusing his food. This was very unusual for Ivan particularly as he is a Labrador!