Last Friday's Vet Pet Connect was held at Killcare Beach Kiosk and we had such a beautiful day for it!
We saw some locals who were out for a walk along the beach as well as some new faces and wagging tails
Our most popular discussion this session was about allergies and itchy skin with the onset of spring
If you missed this event, don't worry - there will be at least two local community chats coming up in the next few weeks where you can pop down and chat to Dr Allie 🐾🩺
Visit www.comfycrittersvet.com.au for the calendar of events
And if you know someone who has a doggo that suffers from itchy skin at certain times of the year, share this page with them because we'll be doing some posts soon about keeping skin as healthy and nourished as possible
Butt scratches are the best ❤️
Do you like butt scratches as much as Biscuit?
I practice Fear Free handling so your pet learns that health care doesn't have to be scary.
Follow Comfy Critters Home Vet to learn more about how I bring preventative health care and education to you and your pets in the comfort of your home
Helping your pets live healthier and happier lives 🐾🩺
Coffee + Pets + Vets 🐾🩺
Do you love coffee and taking your dog for a walk?
I run regular community events at local cafes where I invite pet owners down to come and chat to me about preventative health for their dogs and cats
Last week I visited Sharpey's Love Shack
And coming up this week, you can join me on Friday 30/08 at The Fat Goose Killcare from 8:30 - 10:30am
Next week I will be at Killcare Beach Kiosk on Thursday 05/09
Pop down and ask me your pet health care questions and learn why preventative health care is just as important as reactive health care
Follow Comfy Critters Home Vet to see when I'm coming to a cafe near you!
What's the deal with dentals?
Conversations from the Vet Pet Connect at Sharpey's Love Shack
Yesterday brought us beautiful weather and I got to chat to a lot of lovely pet owners who had questions about their pet's health
One topic that comes up regularly at these community events is dental care
Dental care for your pet can involve a wide range of things, including chew toys, treats and even dental food
Hill’s Pet Nutrition have several lines of dental food for dogs and cats and I love using it as a treat to show pet owners how their pet will actually chew on their food before swallowing
Chewing on hard food helps their teeth because it can help rub off the plaque and tartar building up on the teeth
I educate busy pet parents through comprehensive health and wellness consults in the comfort of their own home
Follow Comfy Critters Home Vet if you want to see more veterinarian-recommended tips and tricks to keep your pet healthy 🐾🩺
Treating your dog's skin infection
Which skin product do I use for my dog's itchy skin?
The answer is going to be dependent on what's affecting their skin
Is it yeast? Is it bacterial? Is it a combination of both?
Talk to your vet about the history of the skin:
How many times it's happened before, what times of year it happens, if it's gotten better or worse from something you did, where on the body it's affected, are the ears affected...
These are just some of the topics they'll ask you to talk about in order to understand the cause and treatment options
And when they give you the treatment?
Make sure you follow the instructions and report back on the success - or not quite resolution of issues so we know what steps to try next
Did you find this helpful?
Follow Comfy Critters Home Vet for more pet care health tips and tricks 🐾🩺
Has your vet mentioned the word 'DENTAL'?
Has your vet mentioned the word 'DENTAL'?
They've dropped ideas like "tooth brushing for your pet" and you've looked at them like they're crazy
But like any dedicated pet owner, you buy a toothbrush kit for your pet...You unpack it, dip it in the toothpaste and approach your pet...
Only for your pet to flee to the darkness of the back of the wardrobe or under the kids' bed 🫥
You're devastated and thinking "how will I be able to help my pet keep a healthy mouth if they won't let me brush their teeth?!"
And your pet is like "what you doing with that thing near my face?!"
You're both completely normal in what you're thinking!
What's missing here is the gentle, slow introduction of a new object to your pet - and the pairing of it with something positive (and maybe tasty)
See, it's totally normal for your pet to experience fear and anxiety at something new in their lives - or near their faces!
But if you give your pet time to get used to its presence - just leaving it out for them to sniff and see it's not scary
And then progress to putting something tasty on it for your pet to enjoy at their leisure
Later followed by gently introducing your pet to face touching, cheek touching, lip lifting
You will actually be breaking the tooth brushing process down into tiny little baby steps that build trust and connection between you and your pet
There is no rush to this process - it can take as long as you need to to make them comfortable and OK with this activity (I'm talking weeks to months)
Forcing them to do this won't be good for either of you
But once you have built that trust, established that routine, you can show off to your friends and family - even your vet - that your pet enjoys its teeth being brushed!
And then we do this every day after they eat so that we help reduce the build-up of food, plaque and tartar on their teeth
If you found this interesting or helpful, follow Comfy Critters Home Vet for regular pet health care tips and tricks
Head shaking? Itchy ears? Smelly discharge?
Sounds like it could be an ear infection...
I saw Zion recently for some ongoing skin problems
Part of my skin workup is to check the ears - and the history of ear infections
Zion had been showing some signs of head shaking and really getting in to a good ear rub when his Dad gave him a head scratch
When I swabbed the ears, I found a LOT of brown, smelly discharge on the swab
Stay tuned for the next post about what I found in Zion's ears 😳
Follow @comfycrittersvet to learn more about how to keep your pets healthy and happy 🐾🩺
Do you love pets and local coffee?
I hold regular Vet Pet Connect community sessions at @thefatgoosekillcare where you pop down, grab a coffee and chat to your local mobile vet about general pet health questions 🩺
You can even bring your dog to say hello and get some treats - as long as you can get past our Security Team @sophieduncanswan 🤣
I'm all about making your pet's vet visits positive and fear free - so why not join me on Friday 30 August at @thefatgoosekillcare for the next one!
Follow @comfycrittersvet for pet health care education and to find out when the next Vet Pet Connect is coming to a cafe near you!
Could your pet have allergies?
Itchy skin?
Head shaking?
Red underarms or groin?
Licking paws?
Multiple ear infections over the course of their life?
These can all be signs of underlying allergies
Chances are that when you've taken your pet to the vet about this and described the situation, your pet has either been given an injection or some medication to take home and that's the end of it...
But do you understand what's happening?
Do you know what we're treating and why?
Do you know what the possible triggers are of these allergies?
Do you know when or why they might come back?
At @comfycrittersvet I practice slow medicine, which involves taking the time to understand your pet, understand its history and environment, and understand your situation.
I do all of this so that I can help treat the *whole* pet, not just its symptoms
If this sounds like something you or someone you know would be interested in for their pet, send me a message to see how I might be able to help you 🐾🩺
Are you calling me fat?!?!
Vets might make a big deal about weighing your pet every visit, but we're not actually all that focused on the numbers
Vets definitely look at the trends of your pet's weight over time, and we might compare the number to the breed average
But what we're really paying attention to with your pet is something called the Body Composition Score (BCS)
Assessing your pet's body composition score is an opportunity to pat your pet from head to tail and gauge how well we can feel their spine/ribs/hips, how squishy their dermis is (a place for extra fat storage), and whether they have a defined body silhouette
With this information, your vet will then give your pet a score from 1 - 9 (where 1 is emaciated and 9 is very very overweight)
Using this BCS and the actually weight, your vet will then make a recommendation: try to lose some weight, try to gain some weight, or keep doing exactly what you're doing!
Much weight change can be achieved through modifying your pet's diet (including breakfast and dinner, treats, scraps, and scavenging)
If you found this helpful, follow Comfy Critters Home Vet for regular pet health care tips and tricks
A gorgeous day and location for another Vet Pet Connect!
Thank you Sharpey's Love Shack for hosting today's event - and to everyone who came down to chat about dogs, cats and even cockatiels!
We talked about heart valve disease, ear infections, and how do you know when it's time to talk to your vet about your pet's quality of life
As always, there was keen interest in what treats are on offer for the doggos. Today was tough competition between the liver treats and Hill's Oral Care pieces!
Follow Comfy Critters Home Vet to find out when the next community event will be!
Whose pet loves treats?
I love being a vet for many reasons...
But being able to build rapport and trust with a pet so that they are willing to accept treats from me is definitely one of my favourite parts
Have you ever taken your pet - dog or cat - to the vet and found that they turn their nose up at the proffered treat?
It's not because the vet's treats aren't good quality...
It's because your pet doesn't feel safe enough to eat the food because they're too nervous/anxious/scared
Until your pet feels comfortable enough that the person on the other side of the veterinary exam table isn't going to hurt them/you, they aren't going to let themselves relax enough to enjoy a nibble on the treat
That's why I just love my in-home vet visits!
I get to come to you and settle in to your pet's familiar environment and put them at ease
I get to work slowly and gently with your pets, without time pressure so we aren't making sudden moves and creating memories of fear
It's the definition of fear free handling ☺️
And I get to be very liberal with my treats so you might say I become your pet's favourite visitor 😉
If you're interested in a home vet visit with a smorgasbord of treats for your pet, DM me 'COMFYCRITTERS'
