Cat Influenza (or cat flu) is not an infection by the influenza virus like human flu. Instead, cat flu is the term used to describe a variety of upper respiratory tract diseases. In particular, feline herpesvirus (FHV-1) is one particular virus that causes cat flu. Whilst there are other causes of cat flu, FHV-1 is particularly interesting. Typically, treating viral …

One of Britain’s oldest native dog breeds, the English Setter, has for the first time become at risk of extinction. The Kennel Club records the number of registered puppies each year for our native breeds. If the number of registered breeds for an individual breed falls below 300 in a year, the breed is considered ‘vulnerable’ and at risk of …

Easter. A Christian holiday that celebrates the rebirth of Jesus – with chocolate eggs! No matter how early or late Easter arrives in April, you’ll find the supermarkets stocking up on festive chocolate treats weeks before the days arrive! So, we thought we’d get in an early reminder for you just in case you’re stocking up on these sweet treats. …

Parvovirus is a highly contagious, deadly disease spread in animal faeces. There are various types of parvovirus, which can infect a variety of species including humans.

Unfortunately, liver disease in dogs is more common than you might expect, accounting for up to 12% of deaths. The problem with liver disease (chronic hepatitis) is that the exact cause often goes unknown due to the fact there are a large number of possible causes.

Stress can often go unnoticed in dogs until it starts to manifest itself as ‘anxiety disorders’. Stress can lead to the development of a number of such disorders, whether it is stress related weight-loss, destructive behaviour, self-trauma (excessive licking or biting) or even aggression.

All this week, we here at PetSci are going to be raising awareness of canine stress. Just like us, dogs too can suffer from stress and stress can unfortunately cause some negative effects. In some mild to moderate cases, stress can go unnoticed in dogs (although you’re probably going to notice if your pet is really stressed). To help with …

Veterinarian, Simon Thomas recently wrote to the Veterinary Record to warn of an great increase in the number of ferrets being diagnosed with canine distemper in the UK. Over 300 cases of canine distemper have now been reported in ferrets since October 2011 and with no licensed vaccine available many ferrets have gone without vaccination in recent years. Veterinarians are …

Walking your dog at night can bring with it a number of hazards. When night falls it can be difficult to see you and your dog! Drivers, cyclists and other people may all struggle to see you in the darkness of night, potentially putting you at risk.

Getting a good photo of your dog can be difficult, let’s face it, more often than not, it’s like they are actually avoiding being angelic on purpose. Pet photography can be that difficult, there’s even books on it!. Now imagine trying to take photo of your dog underwater. Actually getting a photo would be an achievement – let alone a …