Welcome to Our Blog
We will be adding to our blog frequently, so please come back to this valuable resource
What diet should I feed my dog?
You can walk into a pet shop or do a quick search online and there are now hundreds of different diets for your dog. From specific breed diets to age stage diets to even vegan diets. It can be very overwhelming to know what to feed your puppy or dog. As vets there are...
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Simple tips to help your vet…..
As vets we are facing very busy consulting periods trying to catch up on the many vaccinations that our patients missed during the height of lockdown, not to mention the neuterings that we are performing alongside the routine day to day emergencies. So we thought we...
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Conjunctivitis
A common problem we treat is a red eye or eyes. Whilst often we often find owners have tried an at-home human remedy to no avail this can be very detrimental and we will tell you why. Eyes are not something we like to leave for another day so best call us as soon as...
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Seasons changing
Whoever mentions Christmas in Summer should be muted!! It’s not socially acceptable to discuss Christmas in Summer and, most years, I agree with this entirely. Live for now, seize the day and enjoy summer. However, with Covid-19 dominating most of our 2020 and...
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What vets make of black wiggly lines?
Have you ever seen an image of your pet the vets have taken and to you and anyone else looks like a set of black and grey wavy lives? Or you’ve seen a similar image on the telly or perhaps you yourself have had an ultrasound or an ECG and wonder how on earth those...
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Worming cats
Our cats and their worms.... The most common intestinal worms’ cats get are called roundworms and tapeworms. Most infected cats do not show signs of having worms. Very heavy burdens of worms can cause weight loss, vomiting and diarrhoea and irritation around the anus....
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Phantom pregnancies in dogs
‘All dogs go through a hormonal ‘pregnancy’’ With the huge surge in puppy purchases during the Covid-19 lockdown this year we thought this would be a good subject to cover. We recommend that if you are not planning on breeding your bitch then she should be...
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Breed spotlight – German Shorthaired Pointer
All of our vets and nurses here at Swaynes’ have a lot of different dog breeds between us. We have Labradors, chihuahuas, spaniels, terriers to name but a few. As we have featured on the blog before many different breeds we thought it was the turn of the German...
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Vomiting – a very ‘non-specific’ sign
There is rarely a day that goes by where we don’t see an animal who has been vomiting lots quite suddenly or has been intermittently vomiting for a fair period of time. Dogs and cats in particular are prone to vomiting. You would think, therefore, that we would be...
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Breed spotlight: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
There are so many wonderful breeds out there and we are in a privileged position of meeting most of them! We thought we would turn the spotlight today on Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, “Cavies” for short. Cavies are such sweet-natured, loving dogs. They are very soft...
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UK faces puppy shortage!
A dog is for life not just for lockdown…… As a vet nothing more brings a smile to my face than our clients calling us to let us know they have a new puppy in their lives! I don’t think any of us could have prepared what 2020 has thrown at us so far or the huge...
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Cats and babies
Having a baby is a huge deal and a life-changing adaptation and, of course, with it comes anticipation and concern about many things. However, we are always alarmed when we hear that it has been suggested that your beloved cat may have to move out at this time. As...
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Mans’ best friend. But is this a cat or a dog?
With less opportunity to go out and about in our downtime at home, I have found myself reading more articles on our pet’s behaviour. I was interested to read an article in the New York Times. Dogs are described as man’s best friend. They’re sociable, faithful and...
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Adding a new feline friend
Adding an additional cat to your home It is so difficult to be able to predict whether a cat will accept another into its household. It has been shown that some cats prefer a more solitary existence whereas others prefer a colony. Cats, as a species, have become more...
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Did you know lilies are poisonous to cats?
Most people, including cat owners are unaware that these beautiful plants are toxic to cats. Given as a gift, a celebration or to simply brighten your home these ornamental plants often feature inside your home however, most species of lily and lily hybrids are toxic...
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It’s that time of the year again… GRASS SEED SEASON!
You may not think it but grass seeds can cause a lot of trouble in our pets, especially in the summer months and even more so when we have experienced a drier weather period. Dogs often get them lodged in their ear canals or between their toes when running outside on...
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Bee & wasp stings in dogs
Wasp and bee stings are most common in spring, summer and early autumn months. Dogs are typically stung on their paws or around the face and usually only develop minor pain, irritation or swelling. Most stings can be managed at home, but some cases can be more...
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Blue-green algae poisoning
Blue-green algae can be toxic to dogs. Call your vet immediately if you suspect poisoning.Don’t let your dog drink from or swim in water containing blue-green algae Blue-green algae is most common during the hotter, drier summer months when there is less rain, so...
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