A roadmap for treating abnormal repetitive behaviours in dogs
This article aims to provide an overview of how abnormal repetitive behaviours (ARBs) manifest in do...
11 min read
Firework fear first aid: a guide to common noise phobia medications for pets
It’s that time of year again – your consult list is starting to fill up with noise phobic dogs and t...
19 min read
Recognising pain in ageing dogs: why early intervention matters
Advances in veterinary medicine, nutrition and overall awareness of all aspects of pet care mean dog...
11 min read
Is clomipramine or fluoxetine more effective for reducing anxiety-related behaviours in dogs?
Imagine this clinical scenario: you are presented with a client-owned dog that exhibits anxiety-rela...
10 min read
Pets that go bump in the night: why understanding the nocturnal activity of our companion animals is crucial to providing good care
Many common species of companion animal can be active at night. Think of the ubiquitous domestic cat...
13 min read
5 Ways to Make Your Practice Low Stress & Fear Free
As vets and nurses, none of us want our patients to be stressed. Not only is it not nice for the ani...
10 min read
A vet nurse’s guide to feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome
Due to advances in veterinary treatment and care, our feline friends are living to a much older age....
16 min read
6 ways a veterinary nurse behaviour qualification can benefit your practice
When it comes to creating a great veterinary team, some of the biggest benefits can be found in trai...
7 min read
Clicker training as an enrichment method for cats
Imagine this clinical scenario: you are a vet working at a busy cat adoption centre. At a staff meet...
8 min read
Can trazodone be used to manage stress in hospitalised canine patients?
Imagine this clinical scenario: you work in a companion animal practice with a high surgical caseloa...
10 min read
Recognising signs of pain in cats
There are sensory and emotional aspects of pain, and, as such, every individual can experience pain ...
19 min read
Teenage tearaways! Behaviour changes related to adolescence in dogs
What is adolescence? It is a long period of development wherein a juvenile becomes an adult, behavio...
14 min read
Behaviour management in a post-pandemic world
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound behavioural impact on many companion animals and presented uniq...
10 min read
Socialisation for pre-vaccination puppies
Puppies require adequate socialisation to become well-rounded, confident adult dogs. Puppies who do ...
17 min read
Dispelling separation anxiety myths: what advice should veterinary professionals give to clients?
An estimated 23 to 55 percent of the UK dog population are thought to suffer from some form of separ...
12 min read
Let sleeping dogs lie: What you need to know about canine sleep
Let him sleep. For in dreams, we enter a world that is entirely our own. Let him swim in the deepest...
13 min read
Dominance – when an outdated theory won’t go away
As a dog behaviourist and trainer I often get clients concerned that their dog is being “dominant” –...
10 min read
Effects of neutering on undesirable behaviours in dogs
The use of surgical neutering is widespread, utilised for its health benefits (Forsee et al., 2013; ...
25 min read
Comparing environmental modification and medical management for feline idiopathic cystitis
Imagine this clinical scenario: you have recently diagnosed a four-year-old male neutered cat with i...
12 min read
Can gabapentin reduce the stress of cats when visiting the vets?
Imagine this scenario: a post-audit survey of cat owner compliance with annual vaccination recommend...
6 min read
Preventing separation-related behaviours developing in puppies
The dog is a social species that has a fundamental drive for social contact (McCrave, 1991). When se...
9 min read
Feather plucking in parrots
An article in the Scottish Daily Record (2019) brought to light the damage that parrots can do to th...
9 min read
Minimising stress during rabbit examinations
Rabbits are becoming one of the more common animals seen in practice, and with this comes a rising e...
8 min read
