Articles
Advice on choosing a vet and caring for your pet.
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What Are the Signs Your Guinea Pig Is Sick?
Guinea pigs hide illness well. This guide on guinea pig signs of illness helps you spot problems early so you can get veterinary care fast. Look for changes in appetite, sudden weight loss, low activity, breathing problems, dental trouble, changes in droppings or urine, poor coat or skin, eye or ear issues, pain or trouble moving, and odd behaviour. Vitamin C deficiency causes weakness, swollen joints and bleeding gums. Urgent signs that need a vet now include difficulty breathing, refusing food, severe lethargy, diarrhoea or collapse. Regular weighing and watching daily habits helps protect your guinea pig and supports quick recovery.
Small Mammals -
Edema in Horses: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
Oedema in horses is swelling caused by extra fluid in the tissues. It most often affects the lower legs, the underside of the belly, the sheath in males and the udder in mares. Common causes of horse oedema include stocking up from standing still, injury, infection, allergic reactions, poor circulation, low blood protein and lymphatic problems. Signs are soft swollen areas that may pit when pressed, stretched skin, heat, pain, lameness or fever. A vet diagnoses the cause with a physical check and tests such as blood work and ultrasound. Treatment focuses on the cause and may include exercise, cold hosing, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, correct bandaging and treating underlying disease. To prevent oedema, keep horses moving, feed a balanced diet, control parasites, treat cuts quickly and have regular veterinary checks. Contact your vet quickly if swelling is sudden or severe, is hot or painful, causes lameness, comes with fever or does not improve after a few days.
Equines -
A Complete Guide to Caring for Zwartbles Sheep
Zwartbles sheep are a calm, friendly breed from the Netherlands that are now popular across the UK. They have jet black fleece with a white blaze, white socks and a white tail tip. Both rams and ewes are hornless and the breed is large, good-natured and a strong mother. Zwartbles are suited to smallholdings, commercial farms and conservation grazing. Care is simple: good pasture, hay or silage in winter, extra feed for pregnant and milking ewes, and fresh water at all times. Provide simple shelter, routine shearing once a year and basic handling facilities. Work with your vet on vaccinations, use faecal egg counts for worm control, watch for flystrike in warm weather and trim hooves when needed. The fleece is medium length and useful for rugs or craft. This guide covers Zwartbles sheep care, breeding, housing, feeding and health for keepers in the UK.
Sheep Livestock -
How to Set Up a Terrarium for Arboreal Species
Arboreal terrarium setup for arboreal reptiles and amphibians like frogs, geckos and anoles. Use a tall, vertical glass or PVC enclosure with good front and top ventilation and plenty of branches, vines and textured backgrounds for climbing and hiding. Create a drainage layer and use moisture-retentive substrates such as coconut fibre, orchid bark and leaf litter, add live plants for cover and humidity, and mist daily or use an automatic mister. Provide warm upper zones and cooler lower zones, shallow water dishes, low-level UVB and safe heat sources, and consider a bioactive setup with springtails and isopods for natural waste breakdown. Check temperature and humidity daily, clean and trim plants regularly, avoid short tanks, overcrowding and unsafe treated wood, and only add animals once the terrarium is fully stable.
Exotic -
Everything You Need to Do Before Boarding Your Cat
Guide to preparing your cat for boarding at a cattery. Plan ahead so your cat stays safe and calm while you are away. Choose a clean, secure cattery with kind staff and good reviews. Check vaccinations, flea and worm treatments, and microchip details before you book. Pack your cat’s usual food, favourite blanket and toys, and label everything. Give the cattery clear notes on feeding, medication and behaviour. Let your cat get used to the carrier and stay calm at drop off. After you collect your cat, give them time to settle back home and watch for any signs of illness. These steps help your cat have a safer, less stressful stay in a boarding cattery.
Cats -
Epilepsy in Dogs: Recognising Seizures and Managing a Lifelong Condition
Epilepsy in dogs is a common brain condition that causes repeated seizures. Seizures can be generalised (whole body) or focal (one part of the body) and often have three stages: warning signs, the seizure itself and a recovery period. Common causes include idiopathic (likely genetic), brain disease, metabolic problems and toxins. Signs to look for are collapse, jerking, staring, facial twitching, loss of consciousness, drooling and strange behaviour. Diagnosis uses a vet history, exams, blood tests, urine checks and sometimes MRI or spinal fluid tests. Treatment is advised for frequent, long or cluster seizures and can include phenobarbital, levetiracetam, potassium bromide or imepitoin, with emergency care for prolonged fits. Living well with epilepsy means giving medication on time, keeping a seizure diary, avoiding toxins, reducing stress and regular vet checks. Seek urgent veterinary care if a seizure lasts more than five minutes, if your dog has several seizures in 24 hours, does not recover normally, or this is the first seizure. With the right care many dogs with epilepsy live happy, active lives, though some need lifelong treatment.
Dogs -
Brown Basilisk: The Water-Running Dragon of Central America
Brown Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus), the "Jesus lizard", is a fast, water-loving reptile best suited to experienced keepers. Native to Mexico and Central America, it needs a large, tall tropical vivarium with a deep pool, lots of climbing branches and strong UVB light. Housing for one adult should be about 180 x 90 x 180 cm. Temperatures: basking 32–35°C, daytime 26–29°C, cool 24–25°C and night 22–24°C. Keep humidity at 60–80% with daily misting and good ventilation. Diet is omnivorous: insects and protein items with leafy greens, squash and occasional fruit; use calcium and multivitamin supplements to avoid metabolic bone disease. Handle very little because they stress easily and may drop their tail. Lifespan in captivity is 8–12 years and breeding needs space and experience. This guide covers key care points for Brown Basilisk housing, heating, lighting, water, diet, handling and health.
Exotic -
Caring for an Ageing or Elderly Rabbit
Ageing rabbits need more care and regular vet check-ups. Senior rabbits (around 5 to 7 years) can slow down, sleep more, lose or gain weight, have cloudy eyes, dental problems and stiff joints (arthritis). Watch appetite, droppings and grooming; stopping eating or fewer droppings is serious. Help with soft bedding, low-entry litter trays, ramps, non-slip floors and easy access to food and water to make moving easier. Keep up dental checks and change to softer foods if chewing is hard, while keeping hay as the main food. Keep bonded rabbits together for company and check daily for urine scald, matted fur and skin problems. Gentle exercise, regular weighing and pain relief when needed help comfort older rabbits. Small home changes and prompt vet care give elderly rabbits a better quality of life.
Small Mammals -
Field Voles in the UK
Field vole (Microtus agrestis) is a common small rodent in the UK and an important part of grassland life. It has a short tail, round face and coarse brown fur, and moves in runways through thick tussocky grass. Field voles eat grasses, sedges, herbs and sometimes bark in winter. They breed fast from March to October, with several litters and young that can breed at three to four weeks. Predators include barn owls, kestrels, foxes, stoats and grass snakes, so predator numbers often follow vole numbers. Look for winding grass runways, small round droppings, stems cut at a 45 degree angle and tiny burrow holes. Managing rough grassland, field margins and hedgerows helps keep vole numbers up and supports birds of prey and other wildlife.
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Understanding Mucus Production in Aquarium Fish
This clear guide explains fish mucus and the slime coat, and what excess mucus means for aquarium fish. A healthy slime coat is thin and clear. Cloudy, thick or stringy mucus usually points to parasites, poor water quality, chemical irritation, stress, injury or infection. Look for flashing, clamped fins, rapid breathing, lethargy, loss of appetite, colour changes or white spots. If you see excess mucus, test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, do partial water changes with dechlorinated water, increase aeration, remove debris, and watch fish behaviour. Treat parasites or infections based on symptoms, reduce stress by adding hiding places and lowering light, quarantine new fish for 2–4 weeks, use fish safe products, and handle fish with wet hands or nets. Contact an aquatic vet or experienced aquarium specialist if mucus does not improve, many fish are affected or breathing is difficult.
Aquatics -
Do Indoor Cats Need Vaccinations?
Do indoor cats need vaccinations? Yes. Vaccinations help a cat’s body fight serious diseases. In the UK, core vaccines protect against feline panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus. Kittens usually have jabs at about 8 to 9 weeks and again at 12 weeks, with boosters given yearly or every one to three years. Indoor cats can still catch infections from people, clothing, vet or cattery visits, other pets or insects, so speak to your vet about the right indoor cat vaccine plan. Vaccines are usually safe; mild reactions like tiredness, a small lump or reduced appetite can happen.
Cats -
Everything You Need to Do Before Boarding Your Dog
Dog boarding guide: simple dog boarding tips and a boarding kennel checklist to help you prepare your dog for a stay. Choose a clean, secure kennel with trained staff and visit first if you can. Make sure vaccinations, flea and worm treatments are up to date, and that microchip and collar details are correct. Pack your dog’s usual food, favourite toys and bedding, and give clear written instructions for feeding and medication with your vet’s contact. Practise short separations, exercise your dog before drop off, keep goodbyes calm and confirm booking and paperwork. Watch for signs of stress such as loss of appetite, pacing or unusual behaviour and contact your vet if they continue.
Dogs