Health

Can a Dog Be Spayed While She’s in Heat? The Short Answer Right then, let’s get straight to it. The kettle’s just boiled. You’ve got a spay appointment booked for your lovely girl, and Murphy’s Law being what it is, she’s decided to come into her first season. Classic. I had this exact panic with […]

Can a Vaccinated Dog Still Catch Parvo? Let’s Have a Word. The other day, I was out on the tops above Hayfield with Fern, my whirlwind of a Spaniel. We bumped into a chap with a brand new, ridiculously fluffy puppy. He was absolutely beside himself with worry, asking me, “I’ve had him jabbed, but […]

That Lingering Puddle: More Than Just a Nuisance? The other evening, I was settling down with a brew, feet up by the fire. Fern, my high-octane Spaniel, was dreaming of chasing squirrels, and Margo the cat had claimed her usual spot on the warmest radiator. All was calm. Then I caught it – that faint, […]

The Cat Did It? Unmasking Canine Allergies in a Multi-Pet Home The other evening, I was enjoying a rare moment of peace. Fire crackling, a decent brew in hand. Buster, my food-obsessed Lab, was snoring with the sort of dedication only a Labrador can muster. Suddenly, he let out a great big sneeze, followed by […]

Can a Dog Have a Carrot? The Short Answer from a Peak District Kitchen The other day, I was wrestling with the weekly veg box, trying to stop a muddy avalanche of potatoes from rolling under the sofa. I turned my back for a second, and Buster, our food-obsessed Labrador, had already pilfered a carrot. […]

Are Your Dog’s Sore Ears a Problem for the Whole Pack? The other week, Fern, my whirlwind of a Spaniel, came barrelling back from a particularly boggy walk along the Derwent. She celebrated, as she always does, with a full-body shake that sprayed the kitchen with peaty water. But then came a second shake, a […]

Are Dog Ticks a Threat to Humans? A Guide to Risks, Diseases, and Prevention There’s a particular moment of dread that every dog owner knows. It’s that feeling when you’re giving the dog a good ruffle behind the ears after a long, muddy romp through the Peak District, and your fingers catch on a tiny, […]

What are the Telltale Signs of a Chicken Allergy in Dogs? There I was, enjoying a quiet evening with a brew, when the relentless thump-thump-thump of a leg against the floorboards started. It was Fern, my little Spaniel, scratching her ear with the kind of frantic energy she usually reserves for chasing squirrels. Her ears […]

Will a Fox Attack My Cat or Small Dog? A Down-to-Earth Guide The other evening, I was stood by the back door with a mug of tea, watching the rain. Fern, my high-octane Spaniel, was doing her final patrol of the garden perimeter, while Buster the Lab was trying to telepathically open the biscuit tin. […]

Understanding Possum Behaviour: More Fainting Goat Than Ferocious Beast The other night, I was out for the last patrol of the garden with the ‘board of directors’. Fern, the spaniel, was doing her usual frantic zig-zagging, while Buster the Lab was, as ever, seeing if a biscuit had miraculously sprouted near the hydrangeas. Suddenly, Fern […]