Advice & Information

Each month we intend to put a number of popular questions to our vets relating to general pet health and care. Whilst in no way intended to replace a professional diagnosis, we hope that the information and advice provided on these pages are useful. There is also a number of excellent fact sheets created by the Blue Cross pet charity, to the right of this page.

Dog Questions:

 

What are worms and how can I tell if my dog has them?

Worms are parasites which live for part of their lifecycle within the body of our dogs. The adults mainly live in the gut although some may reside in other organs such as the heart. The immature stages may migrate throughout the body causing severe disease. The commonest forms are known as Roundworms, Tapeworms, and Lungworms. 

Identification of these can be difficult.  Lungworms usually cause your dog to cough and can be found in sputum.  Roundworms often go unnoticed except heavy infestations (especially in puppies) when they appear in faeces and vomit like spaghetti. 

Tapeworms are less common and may be identified as small rice grain segments on the hair around the bottom. Other worms may casue your dog to drag its bottom along the floor, though these are less common.

More Questions:

Why should I vaccinate my dog?

How often should I have it vaccinated?

What diseases does the vaccination guard against?

What is a microchip and should I get one for my dog?

What are worms and how can I tell if my dog has them?

How can I tell if my dog has fleas?

If I find fleas, how can I treat them?

Are ticks a problem in South Wiltshire?

How can I stop my dog from barking at the postman?

My dog thinks it’s the boss – how can I reassert my role as “top dog” in the household?

Why do dogs pant so much?

How often should I take my dog for a check up?

Our dog has been examined once. Why do we have to have the problem checked again?

My dog’s breath smells. What could cause this?

When will my puppy start teething?

Can I brush my dog’s teeth?

Weight Control