True allergies are thankfully very rare in cats, and can often be confused with the more common (and less severe) food intolerances. Learn how to spot if your cat has an allergy, and what you can do to get them back to their happy and healthy selves again. What are food allergies in cats? Food allergies in cats involve a reaction to often only tiny amounts of an ingredient in a particular food, such as beef, dairy products or fish. Although allergies are often diagnosed in young cats, they can crop up at any age, so it’s worth getting any unusual symptoms checked out at any age. Cat food allergies are very difficult to diagnose, as there are no allergy-specific tests available, symptoms aren’t usually specific, and the triggers can be inconsistent.

It’s not uncommon for our dogs to throw up every once in a while, – especially if they’ve wolfed down their dinner too fast. But sometimes it can be a sign of something more serious going on. Learn when dog vomiting is a cause of concern with this handy guide. As a dog owner, you’ll know that your pup can be notorious for eating everything in sight and this isn’t always savoury. From eating another animal’s poo to toilet roll tubes, everything’s on the menu! And this can result in dog vomiting. When your dog is throwing up, it’s a way for them to rid their system of anything indigestible, but sometimes it can be a sign of something more serious and an underlying disease or clinical condition. If your puppy is vomiting, you may be wondering whether it is serious and you should be thinking about seeking help from a vet. Keep reading to discover all the possible reasons why they may do this and the dog vomiting treatments available. The difference between vomiting and regurgitating in dogs First things first, you need to understand the difference between when your dog is vomiting and when they are regurgitating. If your dog vomits, it means that they’re forcefully removing the contents of their stomach, which is usually partly digested food. They may also display certain signs beforehand such as drooling, retching and their abdomen may contract too.

Dog puberty usually occurs when your pup is between 7 months and 2 years old and as with humans, it can bring a whole load of behavioural and physical changes. Find out everything you need to know about the signs of puberty in puppies and what you can expect in this handy guide. There is one thing that all puppy owners can rely on – and that is that their lovely cute, biddable puppy will one day grow up to be a canine adolescent, which brings with it both behavioural and physical changes. When does dog puberty occur? Dog puberty is the period between sexual maturity and social maturity and can happen between around seven months to almost two years, depending on the breed (larger breeds take longer to develop). Another way of looking at it is as a time when their hormones are running ahead of their brains – pretty much like with human teenagers! Behavioural changes during dog puberty During this stage of dog puberty, one of the first things you may notice is that your puppy’s behaviour starts to change. Things that you have taught them may seem to be inadvertently forgotten and they appear to ‘forget’ the simplest things, whether this is toilet training, recall or walking nicely on the lead. There may be changes in their interactions with you as they become clingier or, at other times, the puppy who used to hang on your every word seems not to notice you even exist! This is a time when your puppy is starting to look at the world through the eyes of an independent adult and reassessing their behaviour strategies. You may see your puppy behaving fearfully or reacting to things they have apparently taken in their stride in the past. Other dogs start to treat them differently, as they no longer have the ‘puppy privileges’ they used to enjoy. They have to rethink their social skills at a time when their hormones are raging as according to Pet Medical Center, an adolescent male dog has much higher testosterone levels than adult male dogs! This can lead to competitiveness and even aggression.

Ticks can be a painful problem that your cat may have to face. Find out how to prevent and treat cat ticks below. Introduction to cat ticks There are two different groups of ticks to watch out for, hard ticks and soft ticks. Hard cat ticks often look like a sunflower seed; they are also recognisable by the hard shield found just behind their mouthparts. Hard ticks are the type of ticks you will usually find on your cat. Soft ticks are the second type of group of tick. Instead of looking like a seed these ticks look like a raisin. These kinds of ticks are not usually found on cats, as they tend to feed on other animals instead such as birds or bats. What are cat ticks? Ticks are a kind of parasite. Ticks bite beneath a cat’s skin and suck blood back into their bodies. Unfed ticks are tiny, have eight legs, and can be black, brown, red or tan, but once they attach themselves to your cat they can swell up to the size of a pea as they fill with blood. Cat ticks are actually classed as arachnids instead of insects, which is a key difference between them and the flea. Ticks can pass disease onto an animal it feeds on; this is why tick prevention steps are an important measure to take when looking after a feline. How can my cat catch ticks? There are a number of different ways your cat can catch ticks. The first and the most likely is from other animals. Cats often interact with other animals once they leave the house. Ticks can find their way from one animal onto your cat very easily. If you are worried about cat ticks we advise you not to leave food outside your house, as this can encourage other animals to enter your cat’s territory. If you tend to go on walks outside in fields or woodland areas ticks could find their way onto your clothes easily. This is because they tend to cling onto the top of branches and blades of grass, when you then brush past them they cling onto your hair and clothing. This means even indoor cats are in danger of catching ticks, so whether your cat travels outside or not tick prevention is still something you should be aware of and do. Another way your cat can catch ticks is just from exploring outside. Ticks can survive outside when not on a host. They can just as easily cling to a cat’s fur as they can to your clothing.

Your cat’s skin is a good general indicator of their health. It should be pink or black (depending on the breed) and their coat should be smooth and shiny. Watch out for crusting, itching, scaling, black or white spots, bald patches and inflamed areas, as this is usually a sign that something’s not right. For example, small black dots could indicate fleas while a dull coat might suggest an underlying illness. Scratching and scabbing, meanwhile, could mean your cat has a skin disease. Pay attention to the skin around your cat’s ears, too. Any brownish discharge or redness should be investigated by your vet. If you know what warning signs to look out for on your cat’s skin, you can help them get treatment as soon as you spot something that doesn’t seem quite right. Dry skin in cats Dry skin isn’t usually a serious health issue for cats, unless they’re continually scratching. The temperature of your home can affect their skin - dry skin can soon become itchy during winter when the heating is turned on. A humidifier might help your cat keep comfortable if this is a problem. Common skin parasites Common skin parasites on cats include fleas, ticks and mites. They can cause itchiness, inflammation and skin lesions, as well as hair loss. In some more serious cases, a heavy flea infestation can cause anaemia in kittens, which can be dangerous to their health. Fleas can also cause a specific allergy in cats known as flea allergy dermatitis (FAD - see below for more information). Most cat skin conditions involving parasites can be treated quickly, although some may require longer-term treatment. Identifying cat fleas Cats are very good at grooming themselves, so owners are sometimes surprised to learn that their cat has fleas! Many cat skin conditions can be caused by fleas, and the most obvious sign that the pesky parasites have taken up residence on your cat is persistent scratching, although some cats won’t scratch themselves but instead over-groom, sometimes leaving bald patches.

Cat seizures have many causes, and can often occur quite suddenly. Find out what you can do to make the experience less stressful for you and your pet. Cat seizures can be a symptom of many different diseases, but are one of the more unusual cat illness symptoms as they are not very common. It can be alarming the first time your cat has a seizure, but by following the advice in this article you can have the confidence to remain calm and seek veterinary advice when necessary. What are cat seizures? Cat seizures are a sign of abnormal brain functioning, and not actually a disease diagnosis in itself. During a seizure, there is sudden, abnormal electrical impulses that disrupt the normal processes within the brain. This can result in nerve stimulation elsewhere within the body, and the unusual behaviours that are often associated with seizures such as collapse, twitching, chomping the teeth and tremors. There are different categories of seizure, and often an episode will be considered generalised or partial. A generalised seizure involves both halves of the brain, whereas a partial seizure will involve a specific brain region. Cat seizure symptoms The signs of a cat seizure will vary depending on the cause and type of episode. General seizures typically have a sudden onset and last up to three minutes. They can be alarming to watch as you might see symptoms such as shaking, losing consciousness, twitching or urinating.

Cats are susceptible to developing acne just as humans. Here is what you need to know if you start noticing stubborn pimples that won’t go away. Unfortunately, acne is not a problem reserved for humans. Cat acne also exists and can affect felines quite often. Although it’s still unclear why it develops, there are a few things a cat owner should know to help their pet get back to their normal self. Keep reading to find out how feline acne manifests and what cat acne treatment is most effective in alleviating the condition. What is cat acne? Cat acne, or follicular keratinization as it’s officially known, forms when the hair follicles are blocked due to excessive production of keratin, a protein found in the skin. In cats, acne mostly forms around the chin area, which is why it’s commonly referred to as cat chin acne. What does cat acne look like? Cat acne manifests itself as small bumps accompanied by blackheads or whiteheads, similar to humans. But on a cat’s skin it can often take an appearance that looks more like dirt than pimples, which is why many owners don’t even notice the skin condition. Severe cases can lead to hair loss, redness and even bleeding. What causes cat chin acne? The causes of cat acne are still largely a mystery. It is believed that plastic can encourage the breakout as it’s been mostly noticed in cats that use plastic bowls for food and water. Poor grooming, especially in older cats, can also lead to acne. But there are a series of underlying conditions that can have a contribution as well: • Poor immune system. • Stress. • Food allergies. • Hormone imbalances. • Hyperactive sebaceous glands.

Whether you’ve got a sniffle or something more serious, you may be worried about the potential risks for your four-legged friend. We’ve put together this guide to tell you everything you need to know about dog colds and flu to help you better understand your pet. When the trees start to lose their leaves and we have to defrost the car each morning, we know one thing for certain – cold and flu season is on the way. This has just become a natural fact for humans and we’re no stranger to stock piling tissues and tablets, but what about our four-legged friends? Can dogs get colds? No, dogs don’t get colds in the same way that humans do and they cannot catch the cold virus that causes symptoms in humans. However, dogs can get infections that create symptoms like a cold, such as sneezing and congestion. In general, these ‘dog colds’ are specific to that species, so you won’t be able to catch the same cold as your dog either. Can dogs catch a cold from humans? If you have a sniffle or cough, you may be worried that you may pass the illness onto your companion, but you’ll be glad to know that this isn’t possible. Dogs are not affected by the common cold virus that infects humans. Can dogs get the flu? Dogs also can’t get the same type of flu as humans, but they can get canine flu. The symptoms are relatively similar to flu in humans but have a different cause. Your dog may experience the following: sneezing, runny nose, coughing, lethargy, lack of appetite and fever. Dog flu is easily spread between other canines once they’ve been exposed to the illness, and according to Pets Web MD, if your dog is exposed to an infected dog, the chances of them getting it are very high. And while humans can’t get ill from dog flu, if you’ve been in contact with an infected dog, there is a possibility that you could pass it onto your dog too. Dog flu can live for a few minutes on your skin, but up to a day on your clothes. If you’re around an infected dog, make sure you change and wash your clothes before you see any other dogs. Other dog specific illnesses: Just like in humans, there’s a variety of conditions that might seem like dog colds and flu, a few of the most common are as follows: • Kennel cough: a respiratory infection characterised by a dry cough which will sound like a honking. If you think your dog has kennel cough, contact your vet right away. • Dog allergies: your four-legged friend can suffer from seasonal and environmental allergies, similar to how humans get hay-fever. • Canine distemper: Your dog should be vaccinated against this with their initial puppy vaccinations. Canine distemper can be life threatening, which is one of the many reasons it’s incredibly important for your dog to be vaccinated.

Pineapple is deliciously packed with nutrients, so it’s natural for owners to wonder if their dog should get a bite of it too. Find out if dogs can eat pineapple and how to feed it to our canine friends. This tropical fruit is a favourite in many households which means chances are our four-legged friends have already crossed paths with the pineapple fruit and its many different guises: fresh, dried, frozen and even grilled. But can dogs actually have pineapple? Is it safe to let our pet have a bite of this beloved fruit? Keep reading to find out. Can dogs eat pineapple? Dogs can eat pineapple, but in moderation. The fruit does not contain toxic or dangerous nutrients for dogs, but you should still monitor your pet for any unusual reactions, such as an upset stomach, especially the first time they eat pineapple. Keep in mind that fruits are high in sugar which might make existing health conditions worse. Always consult the vet before giving your dog new food. Is pineapple good for dogs? Pineapple is packed with various vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and iron. However, dogs will get these nutrients and many more from their specially-formulated dog food. There is no nutritional need to add pineapple to your dog’s diet, but if you choose to do so keep in mind that this is a fruit that’s high in sugar, so only allow pineapple snacks for your dog in moderation. If you want to find out more about all the different nutrients your pet needs and how to feed your dog a balanced diet check out our in-depth article.

As humans, we eat a lot of bread on a daily basis, but can our dogs eat bread too? Find out all you need to know on whether bread is good for dogs and the types to avoid with our guide. Bread is a staple to the human diet, with most of us consuming it in some regard on a daily basis. Whether it’s toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch or a big slice of crusty bread to go alongside a stew or soup for dinner, it’s safe to say as a species we eat a lot of bread! As a nation of dog lovers, we love to share everything with our dogs and when they’re giving us their best puppy dog eyes as we tuck into our food, it begs the question: can dogs eat bread? We’ve put together this guide to tell you everything you need to know from is bread good for dogs to the types to avoid. Can dogs eat bread? Yes and no. Dogs can eat small amounts of plain white or brown bread, but it should be only given as the very occasional treat. There are some types which may be toxic to your pup and will contain added extras such as nuts – macadamia nuts are toxic and all nuts are high in fat, which isn’t good for dogs. Plus, breads with chocolate chips, raisins, onions, garlic and some dessert bread may also contain xylitol, so always be sure to double-check the ingredients first.