Degenerative joint disease is the number one cause of pain in our pets. 20% of all pets of any age have arthritis. This figure climbs to 90% for the over-tens, afflicting both dogs and cats, particularly large breed dogs. The condition is the result of long-term stresses, from an old injury or from a poorly conformed joint during the growth stages of a puppy or kitten.  A pet doesn’t have to be a senior citizen to benefit greatly from joint care supplements or anti-inflammatories.

When a mother feeds her puppy he receives the perfect mix of antibodies and nutrition to protect and develop his immature protective systems - the digestive system, the skin and coat, immune system, and also his brain. Once weaned, his antibody levels drop, leaving a gap in his immune protection.  Read more

What your pets are watching on TV these days. Contrary to popular belief Cats and Dogs can take in a lot of visual information while they watch their favourite Television shows, and this doesn’t have to be restricted just to “Animal Planet”. Read more

This weeks' winning Awesome Service Award is from Slyvia Jennings who nominated vet Steve Mirams from VetCare Grey Lynn. "My cat had been diagnosed with growths that needed a life-saving operation at a cost which I couldn't afford and I had to make the heart-wrenching decision to put her to sleep. Read more

How fat is too fat?This can be pretty hard to judge in less extreme cases and that’s where vets and vet nurses come in as professionals who can guide, advise and help you, a responsible pet owner who is trying to do their best for their cherished cat or dog. Although weight itself is of course measured on a continuum, the health implications for a slightly overweight pet are minimal, conversely for an obese animal they are very serious.  Read more

NEUTERING OUR PETS – IT’S A NO BRAINER. “ Yeeaaooowww! It seems a bit mean though, a bit cruel don’t you think”. The number of times I hear that comment, especially relayed from men busily extrapolating their human emotions onto that of their pets.  Read more

I was recently observing the antics of a one eyed cat called ‘Blinky” (honestly) and then later the same afternoon I was discussing the potential hind-limb amputation of another cat suffering from partial paralysis (no ironic name for this little one). It got me thinking about how readily our pets can adapt to setbacks that owners may at first think insurmountable for them. Read more

Like everyone else at Easter time my thoughts go mainly to memories of chocolates devoured over the years as a child.                       To my amazement I have discovered there is not one single recorded medical case of people dying from chocolate. I've come close.     Read more

Hi from all of us here at VetCare. This week, through difficult circumstances, the topic all our clients are discussing is dog attacks. We are very fortunate in this central city community that the vast majority of dog owners are very responsible and have well trained dogs given defined boundaries, both geographically and behaviourally.  Read more

Cancer, has been one of the major topics I’ve recently been immersing myself in at the Australasian Veterinary Conference. Currently more than One Third of all our pets reaching the age of ten will be killed by cancer.  Read more