Health

Addison’s disease in dogs is a disorder which is caused by insufficient levels of hormones produced by the adrenal glands. It’s named after Thomas Addison, the British scientist who first discovered the disease. We’ve put together this guide to tell you all you need to know about Addison’s in dogs, including the symptoms and treatment options currently available – keep reading to find out more.

A dog’s soft and warm fur is one of the reasons why we love cuddling them so much – it’s also why fleas find your pet hard to resist! Dogs have quite a high probability of coming into contact with these parasites at some point, but with a bit of know-how you can easily control and treat them.  Find out more about dog fleas and how to manage them below:

What happens when you find a stray dog, and how can you help? Find out what to do when you find a dog without its owner. Even if you have an almost instant connection and want to keep them with you, there are basic steps everyone must follow when they find a stray dog. In this article, we will outline what to do when you find a dog without an owner.

Dry skin can be an irritating problem for puppies as when skin begins to turn dry, it can also turn itchy. Young puppies won’t be able to resist this itch and you may find them constantly scratching to try and relieve the itch. Scratching can then lead to broken skin and bleeding, which can then lead to even more severe skin issues. The good news is there are a number of steps you can take to minimise the risk of dry skin and reduce any itching and keep your puppy’s coat at its best.

Your dog will always do their best to love you, and you can do the same by making sure they are microchipped and that you always keep their details up to date. Dog microchipping means that should they ever go missing, they have the very best chance of being found and safely returned to you as soon as possible – and if they cause any chaos, injury or damage if they escape or stray, you can be legally identified as their owner. If you’ve recently got a new puppy, you might be wondering ‘do dogs have to be microchipped?’, ‘how is a microchip inserted into a dog?’ and more about dog microchipping. Keep reading to find out all about them and the current dog microchip laws.

Nobody likes to think of their dog having worms, but there’s nothing unusual about it – in fact, your puppy or dog has probably had them at some point in their lives! Most puppies are actually born with worms, which are contracted from their mother’s milk, while other dog worms are obtained from fleas or the environment. If you puppy or dog has worms, there’s no need to worry – your vet can help you with treatment. If done speedily, there’s no need for your dog’s health to be compromised at all.

If your dog keeps eating grass or dirt, there’s no need to worry - this isn’t uncommon behaviour by any means, even though it might seem quite strange. If you have a four-legged friend in your life, chances are that you’ve caught them grazing once or twice on their daily constitutional. For pups that do this, owners often wonder, why do dogs eat grass exactly? Over the years there’s been numerous old wife’s tales about the behaviour, with many believing it’s for the purpose of self-medicating – but is this true? Why do dogs eat grass? Dogs eating grass is very common, but there’s actually little evidence to tell us why they do it. Behaviourists and veterinarians have been perplexed by the behaviour for years, but some of their theories include: 1. Self-medicating It’s likely that you’ve heard this one for an answer to why dogs eat grass. It’s widely believed by dog owners that if a dog feels nauseous, they’ll eat grass to make themselves vomit and then feel better. However, this still remains a theory. In fact, dogs vomiting after ingesting grass is quite rare, with less than 25 percent doing this and only a further 10 percent displaying signs of illness beforehand. 2. They like the taste of it Another reasoning could be because they simply like the taste of it. Dogs are descended from wolves and as such, they’re natural scavengers – meaning that they might be grazing in your back garden as an opportunity to forage. Additionally, some veterinarians have suggested that dogs might eat grass to make up for nutritional deficiencies in their diet. This is supported by a study outlined by Fetch by Web MD, with a dog who ate grass every single day for seven years, then the moment it was switched to a high-fibre diet, it stopped. However, there’s currently not been enough studies on the topic to satiate if this is the reason behind why do dogs eat grass or not. 3. Eating grass due to boredom If you’re just letting your dog out into the garden to play by themselves and not offering enough mental and physical stimulation, then your dog eating grass may be because of boredom. To try and reduce the behaviour, make sure you’re giving your pup enough opportunities to exercise, and get some toys for them to play with in the garden too. Puzzle games are excellent for mental stimulation, chew toys are great for boredom-busting and your dog is bound to love a ball game too! 4. Dogs might need grass in their diet Another explanation for why do dogs eat grass could be down to the way they’ve evolved. This theory relates to the fact that wild canids eat all of an animal when they catch it. The animals that wild canids – your dog’s ancestors – would catch and eat were usually herbivores. This means that when the wild canids ate these animals, they might also have ended up eating a lot of grass and plants that were in the intestines of their prey. Wild canids such as foxes have also been known to eat certain berries and other plant material, supporting the idea that dogs eat grass because it’s a part of their normal diet.

Has the time arrived for weaning your puppy? Here is how to help them make an easy transition from their mother’s milk to puppy food. Weaning is an important part of your puppy’s development. When your puppy weans, it means they move from relying on their mother’s milk for all their nourishment, to enjoying solid foods. During the period of time from birth to puppy weaning, the mother’s natural instincts will often kick in. She should help the puppies to suckle when they are young, and gradually encourage them to look elsewhere for food, trying the puppy diet that is offered. However, if your female is struggling to feed her puppies you should speak to a vet for advice as this can indicate an underlying health problem such as mastitis. Read on to find out when to wean puppies, how you can them to develop good eating habits and much more. Life before puppy weaning A puppy should stay with their mother and siblings for at least the first 8 weeks of their life. For the first few weeks they will only need their mother’s milk, or a suitable puppy milk formula. Initially, your puppy’s sense of smell will help them find their way to their mother’s teats, where suckling should be instinctive. During this early period, the mother keeps her puppies warm with her own body heat. When the mother temporarily moves away from them, they group together to make up for the loss of heat that her fur provides. She will also lick the puppies to keep them clean and help to stimulate them to urinate and defecate. Human contact is also important during this early period, although you should try to get a balance that does not cause distress to the mother.

You love your dog just the way they are, so you probably won’t worry too much if they seem to put on just a few extra pounds. But from a health point of view, size really does matter! Although weighing your dog and monitoring their weight regularly is a good idea, this can be tricky as there is a lot of variation between breeds and it’s not always easy to know what is right for your pet. That’s where dog body condition scoring can make things easier. What is the dog body condition score? Dog body condition scoring allows you to assess the amount of fat your dog is carrying, it is easy to do at home without scales, and can identify problems in overweight dogs before the scales show a big change. What’s more, the scale applies to nearly every kind of dog, so you can easily check them between visits to the vet whether they’re big, small, wiry or extremely furry! Why is the dog body condition score important? Owning a dog means keeping a close eye on your dog’s body score and working to maintain an 'ideal' score of four or five throughout all stages of your dog's life. This can also decrease the risk of health problems associated with owning an overweight dog. These include arthritis, heart disease and even diabetes, which not only mean large vet bills but an unhappy, uncomfortable dog – more reason than ever to get them in shape! Like people, each one processes their food in a slightly different way, particularly depending on their age and activity level. If your dog gets more calories than they need, those excess calories may be stored as fat, which in the worst case can lead to obesity in dogs. "Learning how to perform a body condition score for your pet, and regularly assessing this in combination with appropriate nutrition and exercise, will ensure you're doing your best for your pet's health and wellbeing", says Zara Boland, Purina's vet.

Turn your new puppy into an excellent travel companion. You’ve got a new pup and you can’t wait to show them the world. We know the feeling! But before you start planning that amazing road trip together (or even getting ready to drive to the vet’s), you have to remember that a car can be a very strange thing to a puppy. The closed space, the car movement and even the engine sound can trigger alarm bells for a puppy not used to travelling. But there are a few things you can do to make car trips easier to bear for your pup. Who knows, maybe they will even start looking forward to them! Here are the basics of car travelling for puppies.

Grooming your dog can be quite a challenge at times, but it doesn’t have to be. It is a good opportunity, not only to make your pet squeaky clean, but also to bond and give them a quick health check to make sure everything is alright. Here are tips for how to groom your dog. When it comes to our canine friends, grooming is often seen as a luxury, especially if you have to rely on regular visits to a professional pet groomer. But in most cases, grooming your dog doesn’t require any special skills and can be done at home with basic “equipment”. We’re not talking hair makeovers or artistic pedicures. Just a few simple tasks that can become part of a grooming routine and will soon turn into a relaxing bonding experience for both of you.

As a dog owner you can sometimes find yourself obsessing over dog poop. From the colour of it, to the shape and consistency, you may be wondering what's normal. Our guide to dog poop aims to answer all of your questions and more. Every dog poops, this is true. Poop can seem like an unremarkable thing; but did you know that your dog’s poop can be a great indicator of your dog’s overall health and even prevent some health issues down the road if you know what to look for? That’s why over at Purina (and at your vet’s office!) we like to get personal about the poop-scooping experience. The next time you’re out on a walk with your dog, take a good look at your dog’s poop – this way you’ll be able to get a good whiff of the important information that your dog is trying to tell you.