Unhealthy Foods for Pets: We love to feed our dogs the same food that makes us happy since our pets are like family to us. The problem is that dogs aren’t people and have a completely different metabolic rate than ours.

Be mindful of the things that are absolutely off-limits to your pet since even meals that are perfectly OK for us may be very harmful or even fatal to them. Because they vary from one product to another, ingredients are another crucial consideration. So, it’s possible to find pet foods that are perfectly safe for your pet and others that have harmful ingredients like artificial sweeteners.

Take a look at our seven-item list of items that are bad for your pet’s health and safety.

8 Unhealthy Foods for Pets

Chocolate

Theobromine, found in cocoa, is poisonous to cats and dogs due to its ability to induce convulsions, internal hemorrhage, and perhaps heart failure in high doses. Keep the chocolate out of the reach of many animals, especially dogs and cats, since they adore sweet stuff.

Grapes

Some fruits are better for you than others. Dried grape products, including sultanas, currants, raisins, and grapes, are very poisonous to dogs. In little dogs, even a small amount of grapes may lead to renal failure and perhaps death.

Avocado

Keep the creamy, delicious avocados for your human family members alone. Avocados contain the poisonous compound persin, which may make dogs sick with vomiting and diarrhoea.

Cooked Bones

Despite the fact that cooked bones are lethal for dogs and cats, many people do not think twice before feeding them. Chicken and other poultry bones, being small when cooked, may shatter more readily and penetrate the animal’s digestive system. Dogs may eat larger, raw bones without fear of injury if they are free of sharp fragments.

Xylitol

A sugar substitute, xylitol is included in sugar-free gum, candies, peanut butter, and baked goods, among other things. Because xylitol is poisonous to dogs and may induce vomiting and seizures, it is crucial to read the label before feeding your pet any processed food.

Milk

Due to their lactose intolerance, many cats and dogs experience gastrointestinal issues such bloating, stomach discomfort, and diarrhoea when given dairy products. Most people can usually eat little quantities of cheese without any problems. Start with a little dose and see how your pet reacts if you’re not sure.

Onions and Garlic

When dogs eat onions or garlic, it may harm their red blood cells and lead to anaemia. Onions, whether raw or cooked, are toxic to pets. However, pets usually avoid onions on their own, so it’s important to watch out for them in stews and soups.

Alcohol 

Dogs and cats shouldn’t drink alcohol under any circumstances. 

Vet Clinic Port Kennedy

At Port Kennedy Vets, we value your pet’s well-being and comfort above all else. If your pet ingests anything they shouldn’t, please don’t hesitate to bring them in for treatment. Call 08 9524 6644 or contact us online for any enquiries or health concerns regarding your pet. The wellness programmes we provide simplify pet care and allow you to invest in your pet’s health and happiness with reasonable monthly fees.

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Cats are solitary animals and can be very territorial, so unless they’ve grown up together, it can be hard to bring a new cat into your home. The resident cat will see the new cat as a threat to their territory and will go out of their way to make them feel unwelcome. There could be fighting, toileting problems and other inconveniences. However, cats can learn to get along and live together peacefully.

Give Them Space

You wouldn’t like it if a stranger suddenly moved into your home and started using all your stuff, so don’t expect your cat to like it either. The same goes for the new cat who’s already out of sorts and feeling displaced and uncomfortable. Now they have to tiptoe around some other cat’s territory with no way out. Give both cats the space they need to get away from each other and get to know each other on their terms.

Make Sure There’s Enough of Everything

Cats are not team players, so they don’t like to share their stuff. Ensure both cats have their own toys, litter box, food bowls and bedding placed where they can access them without encountering the other cat. The resident cat will have right of way since the new cat is on their territory. Make it easier for the new cat by giving them their own little piece of territory with familiar things if possible. The resident cat will eventually let the new cat have more territory as they get used to each other.

Age and Gender are Important

If you have a choice on the age and gender of the new cat, it’s better to choose a younger cat of the opposite sex to the resident cat as long they’ve both been desexed. An older cat might not like having to live in a younger cat’s territory, and there could be a lot of hissing, growling and fighting.

If your resident cat is male, the newcomer should be female as two males are more likely to fight. If the resident cat is female, she will eventually, with a lot of patience, accept another cat of either sex.

Go Slowly

When you bring the new cat home, they’ll soon know about each other by smell. Introduce items to each cat that smells of the other to help them get used to each other. After a while, allow them to meet safely on neutral territory if possible so neither cat has the upper hand.

Be sure both cats have a quick escape route if things get out of hand. They will soon get used to each other; it’s just a matter of letting them do it on their terms, not yours.

Veterinarian Rockingham

Call Port Kennedy Vets on 08 9524 6644 or contact us online for any enquiries or health concerns regarding your cat, including vaccines and desexing. Our wellness programs make pet care easier, and with affordable monthly payments, they’re an investment in the health and wellbeing of your beloved pet.

Dogs don’t generally cough much, unlike people, so if your dog suddenly starts coughing or gagging, it could be a symptom of something more serious. Smaller breeds and flat-faced breeds like pugs, bulldogs and boxers can often develop breathing difficulties because of their short snout, and some dogs can have food or environmental allergies that can cause snorting, gagging and other respiratory distress.

Let’s look at some of the most common causes of persistent coughing and gagging in dogs.

Kennel Cough

Kennel cough causes a sudden persistent cough that can become violent enough to make your dog vomit. Similar to bronchitis in humans, kennel cough can cause your dog to gag, wheeze, snort, and produce deep, hacking coughs, but it usually isn’t as serious as it sounds.

Although kennel cough is contagious, and your dog will have to be isolated to prevent the infection spreading to other dogs, the condition will often clear up by itself. A normal healthy dog may take a couple of weeks to recover, but you might need to keep a careful watch on senior dogs and young pups in case they need veterinary care.

Choking

Dogs chew on all sorts of things, and they can sometimes get lodged in their throats. Usually it’s something small such as a grass seed, and you’ll know there’s something wrong because your dog will make gagging sounds, lick their lips and keep trying to swallow.

If your dog can’t cough it up, you’ll need to make a quick trip to your local vet clinic for treatment.

Collapsing Trachea

Small breeds of dog are susceptible to a condition known as tracheal collapse, which can be congenital or acquired. Your dog will often gag while eating or drinking and show an aversion to exercise with respiratory distress. Mild forms can be managed, but more severe cases may need surgery.

Heart Disease

Coughing can be a sign of heart disease in dogs, but there will also be other obvious signs such as breathing difficulties, bluish tongue, lethargy and fatigue, especially when walking or running. If you notice any of these symptoms, see your veterinarian as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment.

Pneumonia

A cough that sounds wet or phlegmy could indicate fluid build-up in your dog’s lungs, which could be pneumonia. Your dog might also have trouble breathing, be lethargic, and have a fever. Any wet-sounding cough needs immediate vet care so your dog can be started on the appropriate treatment, as pneumonia can be caused by a number of different things.

Veterinarian Rockingham

At Pork Kennedy Vets, your pet’s health and comfort are our top priority, and we’re open every day of the week for help and advice if your dog is coughing or gagging persistently.Call 08 9524 6644 or contact us online for any enquiries or health concerns regarding your pet. Our wellness programs make pet care easier, and with affordable monthly payments, they’re an investment in the health and wellbeing of your beloved pet.

If your pet eats a varied diet and suddenly develops an allergy, it can be a difficult process to find out which particular food is the culprit. Food allergies in pets can present in different ways such as itchy skin, hair loss or hair pulling, gastric upset, and patches of irritated skin called hot spots.

If you can remember introducing a new food to your pet recently, it can simply be a matter of removing that food to see if it makes a difference, but often it’s not that easy. The only way to isolate the offending food is to use an elimination diet for as long as it takes to find it.

What’s An Elimination Diet?

An elimination diet is a restricted diet your pet eats until you find the food that’s causing the allergy or sensitivity. Another benefit is that it gives you a list of all the foods your pet can safely eat.

You’ll need to make a list of all the different foods your pet has been eating, commercial and home-cooked, including the separate ingredients of prepared foods. In this list is the ingredient that’s causing your pet’s allergy. Now we have to find out which one it is.

Common Foods that Cause Allergies

Some of the common sources of food allergies are the protein sources in your pet’s food such as chicken, beef, dairy, egg and soy. Commercial foods can also contain nasty chemicals such as dyes and preservatives that cause allergies. That’s why you need to write down all the ingredients from these foods.

New Foods

You’ll need to find a source of protein and a source of carbohydrate that your pet has never had before. Feeding these should lessen the allergy symptoms since they’re not on the list of possible allergens. Once your pet is feeling better on their new diet, you can begin to introduce the things on your list, one at a time, back into their diet and wait to see if the allergy reappears.

The Forbidden List

If the symptoms reappear and you need to wait a couple of weeks for each food you introduce back into the diet, you can put that food on the forbidden list. If your pet seems fine after adding each ingredient, then you can add that food to the safe list.

Keep adding foods from your original list, one by one, until you’ve gone through them all. You should now have two lists; one with the safe foods on it, and one with the forbidden foods that your pet has a reaction to.

Veterinarian Rockingham

Your pet’s health and comfort are our top priority. Port Kennedy Vets is open every day of the week for help and advice on allergies and food sensitivities in your pet.Call 08 9524 6644 or contact us online for any enquiries or health concerns regarding your pet. Our wellness programs make pet care easier, and with affordable monthly payments, they’re an investment in the health and wellbeing of your beloved pet.

The thought of bathing your dog or cat can make you worried about how you’re going to get them in the tub, but surprisingly, some pets like to bathe. It’s rare for a cat for enjoy it, and trying to put your cat into a bath full of water could be cause for a visit to casualty for you, but many dogs don’t really mind it so much. If your dog, and sometimes even your cat, is bathed regularly when they’re young, they become used to them.

Bathing Your Dog

If you make bath time a pleasant experience from a young age, your dog will learn to associate it with fun. How often you bathe them depends on the type of dog, whether they regularly get dirty outside, if they have any skin conditions, and your personal preference. Some dogs are just extra smelly, and as long as you use a mild shampoo, there’s no reason why you can’t bathe them a couple of times a week as long as it doesn’t stress them.

The Benefits of Bathing Your Dog

No matter how often you bathe your dog, always use a very mild shampoo so you don’t dry out their skin and strip their coat of natural oils. Bathing not only keeps him clean and well-groomed; it also gives you a chance to bond with them and check for bumps, lumps, scratches and other conditions you might not otherwise know about, especially if your dog is very hairy or fluffy.

Some skin conditions or allergies may benefit from bathing regularly with a medicated shampoo specifically made for the condition.

Tips for Bathing Your Dog

It’s important that your dog sees bath time as a positive experience where they spend time with you and enjoys themselves.

Stick to the same routine every time, and make sure you have everything you need before you place them in the tub. Try to keep them calm so they don’t slip and hurt themselves, and use warm water, not too hot. When you’re rinsing the shampoo off, don’t pour water into their eyes or ears. Use a soft cloth to wipe their face clean so they don’t get shampoo or water in their eyes, ears or nose.

Go Professional

If you don’t like the thought of bathing your dog, but they still need to get clean, consider using a professional dog groomer. You can also get their nails and hair clipped if necessary.

Pet Health Rockingham

Your pet’s health and comfort are our top priority, and Port Kennedy Vets is open every day of the week for your convenience. We also offer a pet grooming service for your dog or cat, so call 08 9524 6644 or contact us online for any enquiries or health concerns regarding your pet. Our wellness programs make pet care easier, and with affordable monthly payments, they’re an investment in the health and wellbeing of your beloved pet.

The musculoskeletal system consists of the muscle and skeleton working together to form support for joints, and musculoskeletal disorders in dogs generally refers to bone and joint problems.

These disorders can be genetic, the result of injury, or as part of the ageing process, and they are more commonly seen in large and active breeds. There are many and varied musculoskeletal disorders, but we’ll focus on the most common ones for this article, and what you can do to help.

Arthritis

Arthritis is usually thought of as a disorder of older dogs, and indeed osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the joints starts to degenerate, often from age and overuse. However, hypertrophic arthritis can occur in younger large breed dogs and is often referred to as growing pains. Treatment usually consists of ant-inflammatory medication and pain killers, and joint support.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Disorders

The cruciate ligament supports the knee in the dog’s hind legs and can be injured, as it often happens with large working dogs, or it can degenerate over time. Partial tears can heal with rest, but more extensive damage needs surgery to repair and stabilise the joint.

Dogs with cruciate ligament disorders will often have swelling and pain around the affected joint, and it’s important to ensure they rest and see their vet to prevent further damage.

Patellar Luxation

Often called knee dysplasia, patellar luxation is where the kneecap slips out of place repeatedly and can cause further damage to the joint over time if not treated. The dog may develop a strange skipping gait, and treatment is not always effective. Surgery is only performed for severe cases.

Hip or Elbow Dysplasia

Hip or elbow dysplasia are often seen in large dogs that grow too fast due to an inappropriate diet, or from excessive exercise that damages the joints and causes them to develop incorrectly. Hip dysplasia is genetic in many large breeds and can present in young dogs or not be seen until the dog is much older.

Depending on the severity of the condition, medication and pain killers can be prescribed, or surgery in the worst cases.

Osteochondrosis

Another disorder caused by rapid growth in large dogs, osteochondrosis affects the shoulder, elbow and knee joints and often affects pups less than a year old. This painful condition occurs when the smooth cartilage in the joints is inflamed and small pieces break off and float around, causing more inflammation and swelling.

Mild cases can heal with plenty of rest, but more severe cases will need surgery.

Veterinary Hospital Port Kennedy

Your pet’s health and comfort are our top priority, so if your dog shows signs of any musculoskeletal disorders, bring them in to the vet clinic at Port Kennedy Vets for assessment and early treatment.

Call 08 9524 6644 or contact us online for any enquiries or health concerns regarding your pet.

We are following the advice of the Health Department of WA, the Veterinary Surgeons Board, the World Health Organisation, Australian Veterinary Association and following the appropriate recommendations.

The paralysis tick – Ixodes holocyclus – is a tiny creature that can have a big impact on any warm-blooded animal. They live in bushland and attach themselves to their host and suck its blood. The blood sucking itself isn’t the problem, the tick’s salivary glands produce a toxin that affects the host’s nervous system and causes paralysis.

Any creature running around outdoors can pick up a tick, but dogs and cats are particularly susceptible because they come into contact with the tick’s environment.

Symptoms of Tick Poisoning

It only takes a couple of days once the tick has attached itself to your pet before you’ll start to see symptoms. Your pet might start to lose mobility in the rear legs and become unsteady, which soon progresses to the front legs. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, panting, coughing, weakness and loss of coordination, breathing difficulties and the bark or meow sounding strange.

Checking your Pet for Ticks

Ticks tend to attach to the front of your pet as they’re walking through the grass and bushes, but it’s important to check your pet all over. If you live in a humid, bushy or coastal area, you must check your pet daily for ticks. The best way is run your fingers through your pet’s fur to feel for lumps, and go over the entire body – your pet will get used to it and even get some relief out of it.

Ticks will attach anywhere they can, so check lips, ears, nose, between toes, armpits and genital areas. If you find a lump, separate the fur, and if it’s a tick, remove it using a tick hook or tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Keep checking your pet; where there’s one tick, there could be more.

Treatment of Tick Paralysis

Tick paralysis is progressive, and your pet can still be affected even after you’ve removed the tick, so see your vet for advice and treatment. Your pet will be administered with tick anti-serum and put on an intravenous drip to keep them hydrated.

Fast action and prompt treatment could see your pet back home within a couple of days, but the longer you wait, the less chance of recovery. Without treatment at all, your pet could die, so see your vet immediately.

How to Prevent Tick Poisoning

There are preventative medications available for pets such as collars and sprays, but they don’t work 100% of the time. The best prevention is to check your pet daily and feel for ticks. You’ll soon get better at it, and the first time you find one, you’ll know it’s worth the effort.

Rockingham Animal Hospital

Your pet’s health and comfort are our top priority, so if you live in an area where ticks are prevalent, or you’ve recently been in one and your pet is showing signs of tick paralysis, don’t hesitate. Take them straight to Port Kennedy Vets, your local vet clinic.Call 08 9524 6644 or contact us online for any enquiries or health concerns regarding your pet. Our wellness programs make pet care easier, and with affordable monthly payments, they’re an investment in the health and wellbeing of your beloved pet.

Almost everyone loves a chocolate treat, and because our dogs are often a part of the family, it can be tempting to reward them with their own little chocolate treat. But before you give in to those puppy eyes, consider that chocolate is one of many foods that can be toxic to dogs. While it’s rarely fatal, chocolate can cause all sorts of health problems for dogs because of a couple of its ingredients.

Let’s have a look at them and see why you should avoid giving them to your dog.

Theobromine

Chocolate contains theobromine, and because our dogs’ metabolism works differently to ours, it can cause some problems. Theobromine is found in cacao, the main ingredient of chocolate. Its levels will depend on the type of chocolate. The darker and more pure the chocolate is, the higher the amount of theobromine it’ll contain.

Toxicity levels also depend on the size of the dog and how much was ingested. A small amount in a large dog might only cause vomiting or diarrhoea, but larger quantities can cause tremors, seizures, internal bleeding or heart failure.

Caffeine

Chocolate also contains small quantities of caffeine, which is also toxic to dogs, and large amounts of chocolate containing both theobromine and caffeine can be fatal for a small dog.

Cats are also affected by the ingredients in chocolate, and while they’re less likely to ingest it, some cats have a sweet-tooth and will eat it if given the opportunity.

Symptoms and Treatment of Toxicity

Often, you’ll see the evidence that your dog has eaten chocolate such as discarded and torn wrappers and packaging, and you can quickly get them to your nearest veterinarian. However, symptoms of toxicity can take a while to present depending on the size of the dog and how much they’ve eaten. These symptoms can include restlessness, hyperactivity, trembling, nervousness, increased thirst and urination, a racing heart, seizures and possibly death.

Your vet will induce vomiting and treat the symptoms, so the sooner you can get to the vet, the better the outcome for your dog.

Healthy Treats and Rewards

Don’t be persuaded by your dog’s beseeching look the next time you have chocolate, and don’t leave it anywhere they can steal and eat it. Keep a supply of healthy, dog-friendly treats such as kangaroo jerky so they don’t feel left out. They’ll prefer the taste and you’ll feel better because you’re not risking their health.

Rockingham Animal Hospital

Your pet’s health and comfort are our top priority, so if you suspect that your dog has eaten any quantity of chocolate and they’re displaying any of the above symptoms; take them to Port Kennedy Vets immediately.

Call 08 9524 6644 or contact us online for any enquiries or health concerns regarding your pet. Our wellness programs make pet care easier, and with affordable monthly payments, they’re an investment in the health and wellbeing of your beloved pet.

How to Protect Your Pet from Heatstroke This Summer: Australia’s summer temperatures can be brutal for everyone, including our pets. Just as you seek a cooler place when the temperatures soar, it’s important to remember you pets and ensure they’ve got somewhere cool to hang out. Dogs are particularly susceptible to overheating because they love to come with us on walks and in the car, whereas cats and other pets are happy to lie around until the weather cools down.

Heat stroke can be just as life-threatening for pets as much as humans, so here the common signs of heat stroke and some tips to keep your pets cool.

Prevention

Prevention is always better than cure, so if your pet is outdoors, make sure they have plenty of shade and cool water to drink. Use water containers that can’t easily be knocked over, and place them in different places around the yard in the shade.

Dogs love their walks, but don’t take them out in the heat of the day. Walking early in the morning or later in the evening is cooler and more comfortable for you and your dog. If your dog loves a ride in the car, take them with you when you stop and get out. Never leave any animal inside a parked car for any duration, even with the windows down. Temperatures inside cars can quickly rise to 50+ degrees. If you can’t take your pet out of the car, then leave them at home. It’s not worth risking their life.

Other causes of heat stroke 

A dog may suffer from heat stroke if it is exposed to high temperatures for an extended period of time, does strenuous physical activity when it is very hot outdoors, or is left in direct sunlight without access to shade or water. Even though it doesn’t appear excessively hot or humid outdoors, dogs might get into trouble if they become too enthusiastic or move too much. This is particularly the case if canines are confined in an area with poor ventilation, such as a dog home.

Pugs, boxers, and bulldogs, who all have respiratory difficulties, are at a higher risk. Even when the weather is mild, these canines can develop heat stroke symptoms.

Signs of Heat Stroke

If you suspect your pet may be overheated, check for these symptoms and get to your vet clinic immediately if one or more are present:

• Excessive panting and lethargy
• Trouble breathing
• Obvious distress
• Increased heart rate
• Very dark or very pale gums
• Staggering and confusion
• Drooling and restlessness
• Vomiting
• Muscle tremors or seizures
• Collapse

Treatment

Heat stroke happens when your pet can no longer lose excess body heat, so it’s important to try to cool them down by moving them inside with the air conditioner, or in the shade with water.

If your veterinarian is close by, turn your car air conditioning on and position your pet next to a vent while you drive there. You can also spray them with cool water, leave a fan on and try to get them to drink plenty of fluids.

Extreme Heat

Heat stroke can cause organ failure and death, so be vigilant in extreme heat and provide a cool place for your pet. Even mild heat stroke can cause damage so get to your vet for treatment, even if your pet seems to be recovering.

Animal Hospital Port Kennedy

Your pet’s health and comfort are our top priority, so if you suspect heat stroke or something doesn’t seem right bring your pet to Port Kennedy Vets for a check-up as soon as possible. We’re open every day of the week. Call 08 9524 6644 or contact us online for any enquiries or health concerns regarding your pet. Our wellness programs make pet care easier, and with affordable monthly payments, they’re an investment in the health and wellbeing of your beloved pet.

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