Hello and welcome to 2025!  We hope it is a safe and rewarding year for all of our wonderful clients and their pets.

We've continued to have a busy summer period, with grass seeds, snake bites, ear infections and itchy skin continuing to cause havoc among the pet population.  We also had a special delivery on Christmas Eve, with 6 beautiful Burmese kittens born by caesarean section just in time for Santa!

This newsletter edition covers off on a few common behavioural conditions we see with our beloved pets, some of which can be tricky to manage. We hope the articles provide some informative reading!

Are you planning on introducing a new puppy or adult dog sibling to your current canine companion? Whilst there is a good chance that both pets will benefit from each other’s company in the long term, it’s best not to just assume that a beautiful friendship will immediately blossom.

Here are our team’s top tips on how to safely welcome your dog’s future best friend to the household.

1. Choose the new pet carefully

Try to choose a new pet you think will have a similar overall “energy” to your current dog. For instance, if you were to introduce a very bouncy working dog pup to an old sedentary lap dog, the older pet is likely to feel overwhelmed by the pup’s energy, and may become anxious or cranky, or be injured.

Additionally, dogs of the opposite sex are less likely to fight as adults, compared to two females or two males.

2. Ensuring both pets are healthy

To help prevent the transmission of infectious diseases, ensure that both dogs are up to date with parasite prevention and vaccines according to their age schedules. If you're unsure, ask our team for advice.

It’s also a good idea to have your new pup health-checked by our experienced vets within the first 2-3 days of obtaining them, with your older pet also having been assessed within the last three months. This will help to ensure that both pets are as healthy and comfortable as possible for future play sessions!

3. Introduce on neutral territory

It’s safest to introduce the new pets to each other on neutral territory—for instance, on a footpath outside your property. We recommend that adult pets be introduced on a lead, while pups are best confined to a crate or carrier.

4. Gradual, supervised interactions

Lastly, we’d strongly recommend supervised interactions only for the first few weeks, until you’re sure both pets can relax comfortably together. This includes strictly supervising and/or separating pets for offering meals and treats and arranging separate rest areas (using baby gates or crates).

For more advice on building beautiful canine friendships, consult our knowledgeable team!

“Why has my dog started barking when I leave the house?”

Changes in your daily routine, such as returning to the office after a holiday period, can unfortunately trigger anxiety in pets that previously seemed OK being left alone.

Here’s how to recognise separation anxiety in dogs, and how we can help.

What is separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety is when a pet suffers significant distress upon being separated from their chosen family member/s.

Pets with separation anxiety can become skilled at detecting when a human family member is about to leave (by watching for consistent cues such as owners getting dressed in work clothes, picking up their keys, etc.) and will often start to show signs of worry at this point. This can then escalate into “panic attack” type symptoms when the pet is left alone.

What symptoms do pets with separation anxiety show?

Pets with separation anxiety can show signs such as:

• House soiling
• Whining or barking
• Pacing
• Escape attempts, which can damage furniture, walls, doors or crates, or cause injury to the pet
• Increased clinginess to their owner

What should I do if I think my pet has developed separation anxiety?

If your pet’s behaviour has changed, it can help to set up a phone or camera to record a few minutes of your pet’s behaviour just prior to and during your absence period. As well as assessing your pet’s behaviour this way, our vets will also perform a full examination to help rule out any other health issues that could cause similar symptoms (such as bladder problems causing house-soiling).

Depending on the severity of your pet’s issue, we may discuss treatment options including:

• The use of short-term anti-anxiety medications to reduce panic
• The use of long-term calming medications to support your pet’s mental health
• Options for behavioural modification (retraining your pet’s brain to be able to calmly cope with being left alone)
• Reducing alone periods for your pet in the initial stages of treatment

To reduce the anxiety caused by separation, please seek help as soon as possible from our calm and competent veterinary team.

“Help! My dog is prone to ear infections AND they hate having ear medications administered!”

Unfortunately, this is a reasonably common issue. Pets prone to recurrent ear infections may become very “head shy” (or even aggressive) for any attempts at handling their ears, because they have come to associate ear handling with pain.

Here’s how we can help.

1. Seeing your pet promptly

If you suspect your pet is developing another ear infection, you should book it in for a veterinary reassessment as soon as possible. This will help prevent their ear issues from becoming excessively severe and painful. For very nervous pets, we may also recommend a dose of pre-consultation calming medication.

2. Starting anti-inflammatories several days prior to treatment

If we diagnose your pet with an ear infection, we will recommend a suitable treatment – usually a topical medication – to target the bacteria and/or yeast involved.

If your pet’s ear is inflamed and painful, we may also recommend that it start taking oral anti-inflammatory pain relief or steroid medication (sometimes several days before starting topical ear treatment) to reduce its discomfort when handling the ear.

3. “Hands off” ear treatment

For more severe or recurrent infections or pets who are very phobic about handling their ears, we may recommend sedation or general anaesthetic for a thorough ear cleaning and assessment. Depending on your pet’s type of infection, we may also be able to offer the option of a long-acting ear treatment gel (applied post-cleaning while your pet is still asleep) so that you are not required to administer any topical medications at home.

4. Maintenance therapy

For pets prone to recurrent ear infections, prevention is better than cure! In these cases, we like to ascertain the underlying cause of the issue (e.g., environmental allergies) and then discuss options for long-term management to help prevent ear flare-ups.

For more information on managing ear infections in pets, lend our experienced vets your ears!

Ouch! Cat bites and scratches are not only painful but can also lead to dangerous infections requiring medical treatment or even hospitalisation.

Here’s why cats may start to lash out at their owners, and how we can calm your kitty.

“Why has my cat started attacking me?”

Like any other creature, cats may understandably lash out if they are handled roughly, when they are frightened, or when they are suffering from a painful injury.

Cats may also show aggressive behaviours due to:

• Behavioural issues – these can include:
  
  • Over-aroused play or misdirected predatory behaviours (more common in cats who were socialised poorly or have been played with roughly)
  • Redirected aggression from another stressor (e.g. an unfriendly neighbourhood cat hanging around)
  • Anxiety
• Other health conditions, which can include:
  
  • Painful conditions such as arthritis or fur matting
  • Hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland releasing excessive hormone)
  • Brain lesions, such as tumours

How can our team help?

If your cat is lashing out without an obvious reason, it’s a good idea to book a prompt veterinary consultation for further investigation. We can assess your cat for any underlying medical issues with a full physical examination and sometimes other diagnostic tests such as blood and urine tests and/or joint X-rays.

Depending on the suspected cause of your cat’s behaviour, we may recommend strategies including:

• Avoiding situations that trigger your pet until you can learn recommended strategies for dealing with their issue
• Treating any underlying medical conditions (e.g. a pain relief trial for suspected arthritis)
• Setting up an environmental enrichment program for your cat that doesn’t require human interaction (e.g. the use of interactive toys for feeding and play)
• Providing your cat with private hiding spots where they can retreat to rest calmly
• The use of anti-anxiety calming medications
• Referral for behavioural modification therapy, involving desensitisation and counter-conditioning training to teach your cat that human handling is safe

For more advice on feline mental health support, consult our behaviourally-brainy team!

If you have questions about a few common “weird” dog behaviours, our team is here to help with quick answers!

“Why does my dog lick their paws?”

This is a common query that owners will raise with us, with many being unsure whether it is a relaxation- or boredom-related behaviour, or a sign of another health problem.

Whilst any dog will lick at their paws every now and again, recurrent paw licking is most commonly secondary to skin irritation. This is often a result of underlying allergies (such as food or environmental allergies), sometimes with yeast or bacterial overgrowth on the skin worsening the issue. However, it can also occur due to localised irritations (such as grass seeds or insect bites), or because of other health issues such as arthritis or anxiety.

“Why is my dog eating their own poo?”

Whilst poo-eating behaviour (known as coprophagia) may help very young pups to colonise their gut with healthy bacteria, persistent coprophagia in older pups or adult dogs involving their own poo is not considered normal.

Coprophagia can occur due to medical reasons (such as malnutrition, intestinal worms, or other gut or organ diseases), behavioural issues (e.g., anxiety or compulsive disorders), or just as a “distasteful” scavenging habit that the dog needs gentle help breaking!

“My dog chases their own tail – is this a problem?”

Energetic dogs may occasionally chase their own tails as a game, particularly if they receive the positive reinforcement of their owner’s attention and laughter for doing so!

However, if this behaviour happens frequently or results in damage when the pet actually catches and chews on their own tail, it can indicate problems such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, or spinal/nerve issues.

The bottom line? If your pet shows any “out of the ordinary” behaviours, it’s a good idea to seek personalised advice from our knowledgeable vets. And please don’t feel shy – provided there’s no harm involved, we enjoy learning about the goofy habits of our animal patients!

Keeping pets safe this cyclone season

The RSPCA has urged pet owners to prepare for the Northern Territory’s cyclone season by including pets in emergency plans. "Don’t wait until the last minute; prepare now," said RSPCA NT CEO Debbie Osborne. Pet-friendly shelters are limited, so having a plan for transport and temporary accommodation is critical. Emergency kits should include food, water, medications, and bedding for pets.

Click here for more tips at ABC News.

Lost dog survives 9 days in bushland

A Coffs Harbour family’s dog, Rosie, went missing for nine days in dense bushland before being rescued by volunteers. “I can’t believe she survived—it’s a Christmas miracle,” owner Ben Taylor said. Rescuers found Rosie dehydrated but alive, huddled under a tree in survival mode. Experts suggest using microchips and collars with ID tags to increase chances of reunion.

Click here to read the full story at ABC News.

Kelpie crowned champion at working dog nationals

Bear, a Kelpie from Queensland, dominated the National Working Dog Competition with his exceptional herding skills. “Bear’s precision and stamina are unmatched,” handler Sam Johnson shared. The competition highlighted the vital role working dogs play in Australian agriculture, showcasing their intelligence and versatility.

Click here to read the full story at ABC News.

Efforts to control feral cats in Western Australia's Dryandra Woodland National Park have led to a promising increase in the endangered numbat population. Recent surveys recorded 25 numbats, a significant rise from just five in 2018. Researcher Tony Friend noted, "Predation of numbats by cats has just dropped off entirely." This success is attributed to targeted baiting, trapping, and collaboration with local farmers to manage feral predators. Several numbat joeys have been fitted with tracking collars to monitor their movements and survival, providing valuable insights for ongoing conservation. These efforts are part of a larger strategy to ensure the species' recovery, including habitat protection and community engagement. With continued support, experts hope this upward trend will restore numbats to their natural habitat.

Click here to read the full story at ABC News.

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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