Health Issues
What is canine parvovirus?
Canine parvovirus is a virus affecting dogs that attacks and damages tissues with rapidly dividing cells (such as the gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow, and lymphatic tissues), which can cause severe and life-threatening disease.
What are the risks to my cat or dog from rat bait?
Rat baits are dangerous and potentially deadly to animals and people that consume them. The baits used are normally flavoured to make them attractive to rodents and these can also entice other animals to eat them. Dogs and cats who ingest rat baits may die.
How can I protect my dog or cat from tick paralysis?
The paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, causes tick paralysis. Tick paralysis is a serious and potentially fatal condition requiring urgent veterinary attention.
What do the terms inbreeding and linebreeding mean?
What is inbreeding? Inbreeding is the mating of related individuals who have one or more ancestors in common. Linebreeding is a form of inbreeding. Inbreeding reduces the genetic variation within that breed or population.
What is ringworm and how do I know if my companion animal has it?
Ringworm is a fungal infection of the skin and hair. Ringworm spreads rapidly, and is zoonotic which means that it can spread from animals to people. Ringworm on a Jack Russell Terrier. How do animals get ringworm?
What is Leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis is a disease which can affect animals and humans, caused by infection with bacteria called Leptospira. Leptospirosis can cause kidney failure and liver failure, and occasionally severe lung disease and bleeding disorders in animals.
How can owners of dogs with exaggerated physical features help their pets?
Owners of pet dogs with exaggerated physical features need to be fully aware of the specific health and welfare problems that are faced by their much-loved pets so that they can help them live a more comfortable life.
What can breeders do to avoid exaggerated physical features that compromise dog welfare?
Every breeder has an important responsibility to ensure their dogs are able to live a healthy, happy and long life. Some dog breeds have exaggerated physical features that cause pain and suffering and compromise dog welfare, leading to a poor quality of life.
Do flying foxes pose a disease risk to my dog?
There are two viral diseases affecting bats that can also infect dogs. These are Hendra virus and Lyssavirus. There have been no cases in Australia, where dogs have been clinically ill from either of these viruses.
I think my dog has arthritis, what can I do?
Arthritis (also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease) is a common and serious animal health and welfare problem in dogs. It can significantly affect their quality of life.