Pet MOT We all forget to book ourselves in to the doctors for an annual health check and general MOT, we shouldn’t forget to do this for our best friend too!! Imagine being a dog, a cat or any other pet and feeling a little bit off colour but not being able to communicate this with your human. Whilst more serious illnesses often make themselves known through obvious symptoms, underlying

20-FEB-2012

Is your Pet Overweight? Many pet owners first reaction to this question is a very quick “no!!” …… Take a moment and look at your pet and answer again……you may now say, “a little”, or “I’m not sure” or even “yes, very!” Weight is a personal issue, for pets as well as humans and we have worked with many pet

14-FEB-2012

Diet You are likely to have indulged over the festive holidays and have looked into changing your daily food habits. You have perhaps indulged your dog too with extra treats and tit-bits. Visit your vet to get expert advice on your dog’s diet and weight - a great way to kick-start your dog’s healthy new

03-JAN-2012

Due to a recent outbreak of distemper in ferrets, here are some useful tips of things to do and look out for... 1. Be careful in not mixing your ferrets with other groups of ferrets. 2. Refrain from walking ferrets in public areas that dogs and other ferrets may have access to. 3. Distemper can be easily spread when infected animals sneeze or cough. Signs to look out for in your ferret

29-NOV-2011

Clicker training is a fun reward-based training method for your pet.  Derived from training techniques used for many years with marine mammals, it works by clearly rewarding the animal for doing the right thing, as opposed to some more traditional training methods that work by punishing for doing the wrong thing (eg choke chains). How does it work? Clicker training is based on the

01-NOV-2011

As we are approaching that time of the year again when we “remember remember the 5th of November” the team at Companion Care Vets offer some handy tips on preparing your pet for the loud bangs and flashes that come with fireworks. It is important to start thinking about desensitising your dog more than one or two days before fireworks night. Many pets are successfully helped through

11-OCT-2011

Now the weather has started to get cooler it is time to think about the pets that live outside. If you house your rabbit or guinea pig outside, now is the time to start preparing their accommodation for the winter months ahead. Ideally the best option would be to relocate their enclosure in to a garage or shed. If this is not possible then spare blankets or off cuts of carpet are excellent

14-SEP-2011

Fleas – in dogs and cats One flea can lay up to 1000 eggs, which will lay dormant in your carpets and floor boards until the correct climate for hatching is reached. Prevention is far better than cure so ensuring you keep up a regular flea and worm treatment schedule is important. Fleas cause irritation for your pet and an allergic reaction to flea bites coupled with excessive scratching

27-JUL-2011

Examining your dog– a how to guide at home An important part of being a responsible pet owner is keeping an eye on your pet in between visits to the vet. No-one will know your dog better than you and should you suspect anything is not quite right, don’t hesitate to ring your vet. Here is our guide to a quick and safe home examination of your dog and signs of illness to look out

05-JUL-2011

Pets benefit from having a chip on their shoulder! Over 900 pets go missing in the UK every day and sadly many of these much loved animals are not reunited with their owners. January 2012 - We have seen a number of news articles recently reporting missing pets being found and reunited with their owners, some after many years of being lost. This is great news and puts a really positive spin on

28-JUN-2011

Kennel Cough Coughs and colds is part of life for humans and rarely will a cough turn into a serious condition. However if your dog begins to cough it is time to seek immediate advice from your vet as Kennel Cough, whilst rarely serious, may lead to more serious health issues if not treated early on. You may think “kennel cough, but my dog has never been to and never will stay in

18-MAY-2011

We’re all going on a summer holiday…… Top tips for dog owners from pet healthcare experts at Companion Care Home-grown family holidays continue to enjoy their new found popularity this summer as more families opt to stay in the UK. For thousands of dog owners, this means an extra bag should be packed for their faithful friend – but not for the kennels, Fido will be

18-MAY-2011