Animal Health Clinic

06/30/2025

Puppy time 🐶! Scout is a handsome black pointer.

06/23/2025

Puppy time🐶! Double trouble alert with brothers Finley and Ranger. Both of these guys were very well behaved for their exams and vaccs today.

06/23/2025

06/22/2025

DIGGITY DOGS DILEMMA

These pictures are of my Schnauzers, blissfully digging huge holes in the garden, hunting for crickets.

Digging is not a naughty or bad behaviour, but a very normal, natural, instinctive way of expressing a genetic, emotional or physical need.

Terrier type breeds in particular were specifically bred for their digging ability to hunt for and flush out vermin or other pests.

Dogs don’t understand the human concept of maintaining a beautifully manicured lawn with plants or why we may get so angry when they destroy and dig it all up.

Digging can be really challenging to prevent. There are also so many different reasons that dogs dig – genetics, prey drive, boredom, frustration, stress or anxiety, hiding valuable resources, creating a comfy place to rest, seeking heat or cold, barrier frustration or even trying to escape.

There is never a guarantee that preventing a natural behaviour will be successful, but some simple management, ensuring dogs have sufficient physical and mental stimulation and providing alternative outlets for this behaviour should create an improvement.

If all else fails, ask yourself if it’s really worth getting so stressed about, or if it’s better for both us and our dogs to give up the manicured garden in favour of the more natural dog look?

06/22/2025

06/20/2025

Puppy time 🐶! Maxine came on a hot day but it wasn’t slowing her down.

06/20/2025

To help your cat stay hydrated, scatter bowls throughout your house, especially in quiet areas away from litter boxes, food bowls, and busy walkways. If your cat is a senior cat or has mobility issues, consider elevating the bowl. For more hydration tips, visit https://bit.ly/3wzKDaK.

06/20/2025

06/17/2025

06/17/2025

Just because they can....doesn't mean they should.
Toys 😬
Smaller vocal dogs and larger dogs 😳
Playing for far longer than they "should" ⌚
Of course there are exceptions.
I fully accept that....however this is more about dogs that have just met and perhaps looking at these situations that can/may cause issues.

Toys.
Unless they know each other well (and actually even if they do), they can cause some particularly nasty incidents.
It isn't so much about the injuries that a dog can inflict (of course that can happen, but it is still a fairly "rare" occurrence), but other dogs attempting to grab or play with your dogs favourite (or any) toy can also open up a whole new issue....resource guarding.

How long is too long?
Play can change.
It can morph.
The longer it goes on means there can be a risk of over stimulation and that can lead to dogs just not reading other dogs signals well....or at all.
No one likes a pest.
Tricky thing is....pestering can still look very much like play.

Smaller vocal dogs and larger dogs.
Those vocalisations can attract the attention of much larger dogs....and not in a good way.

There are exceptions and far more positive experiences for many than negative ones.
Just some things you may want to keep in mind.

At the very bottom of the graphic is perhaps the most important sentence of all.

What is that inner voice telling you ?

06/17/2025

Puppy time 🐶! Rambo is a gorgeous Pointer who already is looking to people for direction.

06/17/2025

Did you know that sea turtles have been on the earth for over 100 million years? This means that sea turtles co-existed with dinosaurs!

On , let us celebrate these turtley awesome creatures and give a very big shout out to all the aquatic, zoo, wildlife, and other veterinary professionals out there caring for these marine reptiles!