What they can and cannot eat… Christmas is approaching fast and while we’re all busy thinking of what we’re going to eat, perhaps we should take some time to think about what our four-legged friends will be dining on this festive season. Many foods are suitable for you pooch to…
I am now very excited to announce that the Manning vet hospital we have been working so hard toward has now opened its doors! Residents in Como, Waterford, Salter Point and Manning have lacked a local general practice veterinary centre for some time now. This state-of-the-art hospital will provide a full…
Every time I tell any of my lovely people about opening the new hospital I am greeted with a happy response initially, but then immediately there follows a suspicious look and a very worried question “Are you going to stop being a mobile vet?!” So let me reassure everyone, I really love…
I am very excited to announce a brand new state-of-the-art vet hospital is coming to the Manning / Salter Point area! You may have already seen our signs out the front! A comprehensive fit-out process is progressing at 133 Manning Road in Manning. For many years this was the Manning Orthodontic Centre.…
How do you decide the right time and place to put a pet to sleep? A lot of my time is spent helping owners make this all-important final decision. In the months and years leading up, some people over-think it, some people refuse to think about it at all. We…
Xylitol, a natural and sweet-tasting crystalline alcohol/sugar derived from xylose, is becoming ever more present as a low-calorie sweetener in human foods. Xylitol is quite good for people as a sweetener because, unlike sugar, it is not converted to acids in the mouth that cause tooth decay. It reduces levels…
Keeping an effective eye on the health of your backyard chooks Keeping backyard poultry is a wonderful thing for all who are able to. I have commented on the food sustainability and human benefits it provides on these pages before. Of course there are a number of responsibilities that go…
There is a whole lot of confusion out there about raising puppies and dealing with the risks of communicable diseases such as canine cough and parvovirus. Understandably, people take very seriously the warnings provided by veterinary professionals about the risks to unvaccinated dogs of contracting deadly infections from animals they…
Enriching the lives of our cats Here in Australia, the cat is a conundrum. They remain a wonderful pet, are highly effective as pest control, adapt to almost any situation and are generally robust, self-contained and healthy animals. As pets I love them a lot. In the Australian wild…
Perth has storms forecast over the next few days and I’ve had a lot of calls looking for help for frightened dogs. Dogs end up hurting themselves and destroying doors, fences and even escaping with far worse consequences. They are trying to flee the storm of course, an awful exercise in futility, and…
Food related aggression in dogs can be an explosively dangerous problem. Dogs with anxiety relating to food security can produce extremely rapid escalation of aggression going from a slightly intense look to attacking another pet or family member in a second or two. Further complicating this issue, these dogs can…
Diet, dentition and discovery Taking a break from anxiety in dogs, I’d like to tell you about my theories on food and happiness (which is kinda treating anxiety, so perhaps not a complete break). This really applies to all pet species, but for this post I will be providing examples…
If it sounds too good to be true… With a nod to cheesey Internet marketers everywhere, I am actually going to describe one simple trick you can start doing today, without any special equipment, that will begin to help and unravel your dog’s anxieties. And no, you don’t have to…
Preventing anxiety in dogs I posted last week discussing how more and more suburban dogs are suffering anxiety and related problems. I looked at how the suburban environment now fosters these fears, but I didn’t discuss the developmental issues. Today I am focused on how the addition of a new pup or dog to…
Why are so many dogs so unhappy? Why does scientific research (such as this large 2011 US study) continue to support my clinical impression that more and more dogs are showing signs of chronic distress and heightened reactivity to normal everyday things? One thing we do know is that dogs…
I’m Gary Beilby and I am available to help all your animal health issues with a particular focus on behavioural health and exotic/native species. The pages here provide general information about my veterinary service as well as a blog, or web journal. I will update this blog as regularly as time…