The Veterinary Expert| Pet Health
The veterinary expert provides information about important conditions of dogs and cats such as arthrits, hip dysplasia, cruciate disease, diabetes, epilepsy and fits.
Injury or failure of the cranial cruciate ligament (commonly referred to as Cruciate Disease) is a very common problem that can be encountered by dogs of all shapes and sizes. Some breeds such as the Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler, Mastiff breeds and West Highland white terrier appear predisposed whereas some breeds such as greyhounds are seldom […]
The hip joint is made up of a ‘ball’ (the femoral head) and its respective ‘socket’ (the acetabulum). The ball and socket configuration allows a wide range of free movement during normal activity. Hip dislocation in dogs occurs when the femoral head loses its close association with the acetabulum. It can dislocate in a range […]
Hind limb (back leg) lameness is a common reason small animal patients present to a veterinary surgeon. This is a more frequent scenario in dogs but we also see cats with this type of lameness. The causes of hind limb lameness are varied, but hip pain is a frequent reason for our patients to become […]
As you probably have noticed, dogs and cats walk a bit differently compared to human beings – cats and dogs walk on the tip of their toes. What is hyperextension? Sometimes we can encounter animals that are walking with the palm or plant of their paws touching the ground (known respectively as a ‘palmigrade’ or […]
Have you noticed a behaviour change as your dog gets older? How many times have we heard someone say that their dog is getting grumpy in their old age? It is also not uncommon for people to talk about how their pet develops ‘selective deafness’ and tends to ‘do as they please’; in other words, […]