Author: Dr Michelle Gray Is it a cough? Is it a sneeze? Is it choking or retching? No … it’s a reverse sneeze! The first time you see it, reverse sneezing looks rather odd and concerning. Animals will make a snorting/ gagging sort of noise while extending their head and neck, and will often do this repeatedly for a minute or so. You may think your pet is choking or gagging or retching, but what you are actually seeing is a sudden, forceful intake of air through the nasal passages. This differs from a regular sneeze where air is forced out of the nose- in reverse sneezing air is sucked in
Author: Dr Michelle Gray You probably know that keeping your pet at a healthy weight is important for their well-being. But given the variety of sizes and shapes that cats and dogs come in, how can you know what weight is healthy for your furry friend? And what can you do if your pet’s weight isn’t ideal? First of all- Why exactly should you care? Being over-weight increases the risk of your pet developing certain medical conditions. What is more, being over-weight can make the symptoms of disease more severe and can slow recovery from injury and illness. Examples of conditions that have been
Author: Dr Michelle Gray Meloxicam (brand name Metacam) is a commonly used medication in veterinary medicine- it might be dispensed after your pet has had surgery, or if you have an old dog with stiff joints, or perhaps if your cat has been out fighting and been injured. But what is it? How does it work? What side effects can it have? How should it be given? When should you stop giving it? Can it be given long-term? If you have been wondering these things, then read on. What is meloxicam? Meloxicam is a type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. This means it is in the same family of drugs as
Author: Dr Michelle Gray Identifying pain in your cat can be tricky. Acute pain (like that caused by an accident)) is apparent to most owners, but signs of chronic pain (seen with problems like dental disease or arthritis) can easily go unnoticed. This is because cats have evolved to mask or hide their pain as a survival technique. This trait works well for wild cats, but can unfortunately cause our companion cats to suffer in silence. Learning to recognise subtle signs of pain in cats is important. It will allow you to detect disease or illness earlier. It means you can seek treatment sooner
