Category : Pet Health

Meet Mark and his pet pigeon Chichi

Pigeons are one of the few species of wild animal with which town and city dwellers have regular contact, so they are popular with a lot of people. Although it is widely believed that pigeons carry and spread diseases to people, there is very little evidence that pigeons jeopardise human health. (3) Pigeon lung disease is an allergic reaction which affects some people who have prolonged contact with pigeons in con

Read More →

Keep your pet cool in the summer months

All pets can succumb to heat in summer and Malta's weather and climate, typical of the Mediterranean climate has a daily average of five to six hours sunshine in mid-winter and more than 12 hours a day in summer.  Summer starts in early June and since humidity is rather high, temperatures can feel quite uncomfortable in July and August. With global temperatures reaching record highs already,  we need to take e

Read More →

Coping with the loss of your dog

  Recently, on Animal Diaries we have aired an episode about the way we manage our grief when a beloved dog crosses over the rainbow bridge.  For most of us, this is one of the most painful experiences - the loss of our pet.  When people who have never had a dog see their dog-owning friends mourn the loss of their dog, they might think that the person is over-reacting, because it is just a dog.  But that d

Read More →

Inbreeding in Animals

During our programme on the 18th March 2017, Arnold Sciberras, founder of Maltese Land Races Initiatives, discussed with us the effects of  inbreeding in animals and plants.  Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. Mammals, most other animals, and higher plants as well, have evolved mechanisms to avoid inbreeding of a

Read More →

Giving a dog a sense of purpose

Having had dogs all my life, it has never been a difficult decision whether I should adopt a dog or otherwise.  Loyal, protective, and always happy to see you, the dog has been a human companion for more than 18,000 years, making it one of the first domesticated animals in history. My dog Morse is almost 13 years old and accompanies me almost everywhere, including my office.  Morse is an ideal colleague because

Read More →

Acupuncture for Pets

Acupuncture can benefit all life stages (juvenile, adult, and senior) of your pets and a variety of conditions. Since most health problems are diagnosed once illness has become evident, it is vital to strive to prevent disease from occurring. What Can Veterinary Acupuncture do for my pet? The goal of acupuncture is to promote the body to heal itself and veterinary acupuncture encourages healing by correcting ener

Read More →

Tips for Raising Kittens

Raising kittens is very similar to that of bringing up children. Proper care and training is needed when they’re young, and increases the possibility that they’ll grow up to be healthy, well-adjusted adults. A kitten will have care requirements distinct from those of a fully matured cat and one should consider a kitten’s various stages of development when caring for it: Under eight weeks: At this early

Read More →

How to Care for a puppy

Puppies are without a doubt adorable  and parenting a new puppy is not easy. Here’s a guide to help you care for the new addition to the family. When the time comes to finally bring your puppy home, you need to be mindful of three things: unbridled joy, cleaning up your puppy’s accidents, and a lifestyle adjustment. A puppy needs much more than food and a home to be happy and well adjusted and although it may be

Read More →

Dangers for your pet at Christmas Time

Now that the Christmas festivities are upon us and we are getting ready for the festivities, it is important to be aware that Christmas can be a dangerous time for our pets. The top 5 reasons pets visit a Vets on Christmas Day: Gastritis / Enteritis Foreign body ingestion Soft tissue trauma Lacerations or bite wounds Chocolate poisoning It is very appealing to give the dog the remains of Christma

Read More →

Kelb ma jitwelidx aggressiv, imma l-bniedem jagħmlu hekk

Veronica Lynn Mizzi Immaġinak, b’katina ftit itwal minn tliet metri mdawra m’għonqok imwaħħla ma’ ħajt, ma tistax tiċċaqlaq u timxi. Marbut mingħajr kenn, li jħallik espost għall-elementi, kemm jekk xita qliel jew xemx taqli l-ankri, bla ikel u xi skutella b’daqsxejn ilma li jispiċċa mdardar. Hekk iħossu kelb li jintrabat b’xi katina, u jitħalla fuq xi bejt jew xi bitħa minsi għal sigħat

Read More →