Do you and your pet enjoy getting outdoors for some adventures in nature? So that the fun times can keep on rolling, we’d recommend preparation for and vigilance against a few potential summer hazards.

1. Ticks

If you and your pet will be travelling to a tick-endemic region, ensure that your pet will be well protected against ticks and other parasites. Given that some systemic tick products (oral chews or injections) can take 1-3 days to reach full effect, we’d advise administering them at least three days before your planned trip.

Given that no tick prevention is 100% effective, it’s also a good idea to bring along a tick removal device and search your pet daily for ticks.

2. Heatstroke

If your pet is a breed more prone to heatstroke (such as a flat-faced or thick coated breed), we’d advise against any outdoors activity during warm or humid weather. For other breeds, it’s still safest to avoid strenuous activity in the heat of the day.

On hot summer days, all pets should have access to shade and cool drinking water, and heatstroke-prone pets should preferably be kept indoors with a fan or air-conditioning.

3. Snakes

If you’re planning on travelling to bushy areas with your pet, we’d recommend keeping them by your side on lead to help avoid dangerous snake encounters. Snakes normally only strike when stepped on or otherwise threatened, and some pets just can’t help themselves (we’re looking at you, terriers!).

4. Dietary indiscretions

If you know that your pet has scavenging tendencies, it’s best to keep them on lead during summer walks. With a rise in outdoor activities such as barbeques, picnics and fishing, there unfortunately comes an increase in available toxins or foreign bodies that your pet could ingest.

For more advice on avoiding common hot-weather hazards, consult our summer-ready team!

Jerry the burmese cat was enjoying his very first Christmas! There were decorations to bat around, wrapping paper to scrabble around in, and present bags to hide in and then spring out of unexpectedly.

Best of all was the real Christmas tree that his owners brought in, which Jerry loved playing under and climbing in that first night.

However, the next morning, Jerry wasn’t feeling so merry. His owner Michelle found him looking unusually withdrawn and drooling copiously. Jerry had also vomited a couple of times overnight, bringing up his dinner and then a couple of frothy yellow puddles.

Concerned, Michelle booked Jerry for a prompt check with his regular vet Dr Amanda. On examination, Dr Amanda quickly spotted the issue – Jerry had an inflamed tongue and throat, and a very tender belly. On questioning, Michelle recalled that Jerry had been playing around the new tree last night.

Dr Amanda advised that, unfortunately, pine or fir tree sap can be irritating or even toxic to cats. Cats may lick the sap out of curiosity, drink it via the plant pot water, or accidentally get it on their fur and then groom it off.

Cats who ingest the sap can develop mouth or gastrointestinal irritation, with signs of drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy. Large amounts can lead to more serious poisoning.

Dr Amanda advised that Jerry come into hospital for some supportive care, involving intravenous fluids, pain relief, anti-nausea medication, and blood tests to monitor his organ function.

After three days of hospital care, Jerry was much improved and was beginning to eat soft food again. He was able to go home with ongoing medications and a pre-emptive rehoming of the troublesome tree to Michelle’s parents’ house.

From now on, Michelle only uses an artificial Christmas tree, and to be safe, keeps it well fenced-off from Jerry!

If your pet chokes on a piece of food or a toy, do you know how to best help them? Here’s our team’s top first-aid advice for choking pets.

What to do if you think your pet is choking

If you think your pet is choking, try to keep calm. If you can do so without getting bitten, carefully open your pet’s mouth to look for any visible object at the back of its throat. If there is something visible, you can try using pliers or tweezers to remove it. We do not recommend sticking your fingers down your pet’s throat.

If there is nothing visible or you can’t get a hold of the object, try holding your pet with their bottom elevated and their head pointing downwards, and either striking firmly on their ribcage (with the flat of your hand) or pushing firmly on or just below their ribcage to try to force air (and hopefully the object) out of their airways.

Watch this video for a demonstration of these techniques.

If you can’t dislodge the object, we’d advise seeking urgent veterinary care.

How can owners help to prevent choking episodes?

Whilst an unfortunate choking episode can happen to any pet, it is more likely to occur when pets are fed tough chews or given access to inappropriately sized toys, or when they gulp food (although many dogs are actually remarkably adept at swallowing large objects such as stolen corn cobs!). We’d therefore recommend:

• For pets who gulp their food, try using a slow feeder bowl
• For older pets with few remaining teeth, offer either a small-sized kibble (preferably soaked with water) or small chunks of moist, cooked food (approx. 1-2cm diameter, depending on the pet’s size)
• Avoiding raw-hide treats (and similar), as these commonly remain very fibrous and tough even after the pet chews them
• Not giving your pet access to toys or balls small enough to fit completely within their mouth

For more pet first aid advice, consult our experienced team.

Uh oh, your cat has come home limping – what could be the problem? And what should you do?

Common causes of limping in cats

Some of the most common causes of sudden limping in outdoor cats include soft tissue injuries from cat fights or orthopaedic (bone and joint) injuries caused by falls or road traffic accidents. Older cats may also start limping due to flare-ups in pre-existing arthritis, particularly if they have landed awkwardly after a jump.

In certain geographic regions, cats may show changes in their ability to walk due to generalised weakness from a snake bite or tick paralysis.

What should you do?

If your cat comes home limping, try to calmly and gently check them over.

Firstly, assess your cat’s general demeanour – are they being normally interactive, or do they seem lethargic or in pain? Are they favouring one particular leg, or not using both hindlimbs properly, or seeming generally weak and wobbly?

Secondly, if your cat will let you, gently feel all over them, palpating for any wounds, swollen areas or painful spots.

We’d recommend a prompt vet visit if your pet:

• Seems generally lethargic or weak
• Seems to be very painful or swollen in one area
• Has been limping for more than 48 hours
• Is refusing their normal meals, or isn’t drinking or urinating normally

What is not recommended

Unfortunately, well-meaning owners sometimes cause harm when trying to administer pain relief medication to their pets, which just isn’t appropriate.

We would not recommend administering:

• Paracetamol, which is toxic to cats
• Any pain relief medication that was not prescribed for that specific pet
• Any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory products (such as meloxicam) if your pet is not eating/drinking properly or could be dehydrated

If in doubt, please don’t hesitate to call our feline-friendly team for personalised advice!

Once abundant in Tasmania’s Peter Murrell Reserve, the endangered forty-spotted pardalote has disappeared from the area and is now found only in small numbers on Bruny and Maria Islands, with fewer than 1,000 birds remaining.

Wildlife scientist Dr Sally Bryant describes the species as “tiny and energetic” but highly vulnerable to habitat loss, climate change, and a lack of funding for conservation efforts. “This is a real wake-up call for the government,” she said.

Volunteers and grassroots organisations are stepping up, with projects like nest box installations and surveys on Flinders Island. Dr Bryant emphasises the importance of preventative measures, such as fencing and habitat restoration, noting that they are “often cheap” compared to crisis management strategies.

While a national recovery plan outlines actions like translocation and nest box programs, funding remains a critical barrier. Conservationists hope the Tasmanian government’s review of the State of the Environment report will lead to urgent, meaningful action.

Click here to read the full story at ABC News.
Image source: Francesco Veronesi

Whilst heatstroke is a particular risk during summer, some pet owners are sadly unaware of the fact that it doesn’t have to be particularly hot for their pet to suffer from this issue.

Here’s how to help recognise and avoid heatstroke in your pet.

What is heatstroke?

Heatstroke is the most severe stage of hyperthermia (abnormally elevated body temperature), occurring once a pet’s core body temperature reaches 41.1 degrees Celsius or higher.

This elevated temperature causes serious (and in some cases, fatal) damage to the cells of the brain and other organs, with the severity of the pet’s unwellness depending on how high their temperature gets and for how long.

What are the symptoms of heat stroke?

In the earlier stages of hyperthermia (heat stress and heat exhaustion), pets will pant and drink more and will begin to show signs of weakness.

Pets with heatstroke will usually show symptoms such as:

• Heavy panting
• Vomiting and/or diarrhoea
• Changes in gum colour (usually to a darker red or purplish-blue colour)
• Excessive drooling
• Weakness, wobbliness, and lethargy, which can progress to unconsciousness
• Seizures

What should you do if your pet is showing signs of hyperthermia?

If you suspect early hyperthermia in your pet (heat stress), it’s recommended to soak them to the skin with cool (not cold) water, place them in front of a fan or in air-conditioning, offer them water to drink, and monitor them closely.

However, if your pet is showing weakness or any other symptoms that could be associated with more severe heat exhaustion or heatstroke, we would strongly advise wetting them down as above, and then driving them (in a cool, air-conditioned vehicle) for an urgent veterinary assessment.

How can I help protect my pet from heatstroke?

Pets are most prone to heatstroke when they:

• Are left unattended in a vehicle, as internal vehicle temperatures can rise rapidly even on mild days
• Have inadequate shade, ventilation, or water in warmer weather
• Are exercised on a warm or humid day
• Are a flat-faced or thick-coated breed
• Have a pre-existing airway or heart condition
• Are very old or very young

For more information on protecting your pet from heatstroke, consult our knowledgeable team.

This email contains comments of a general nature only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Please always consult your vet for specific advice on your pet's individual needs.

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