Glaucoma in dogs: natural home remedies
“Eyes are the reflection of the soul”.
I don’t know about you, but when I look deep into my dog’s eyes, I see him thinking, analyzing and understanding what I’m telling him.
Glaucoma is an eye disease that dogs can suffer from. It results from an increase in intraocular pressure and is a very painful condition, which can lead to complications such as loss of sight.
Does this disease remind you of something? This is likely because humans can get glaucoma too. That said, glaucoma in animals is generally more painful, as the pressure in the eye tends to rise to higher levels than in humans!
Does your dog have glaucoma and are you worried about seeing them in pain, about seeing their quality of life deteriorate? In this article, we present natural solutions, a gentle holistic approach to help you support your pet and offer them a better quality of life.
Cat owners should stop saying “Here, puss” to moggies because it is “like swearing at them”.
A pet charity says words with “s” in them sound like aggressive hissing.
PDSA vet nurse Gemma Renwick added: “Cats pick up on certain sounds and tend to prefer fewer ‘s’ sounds. The ‘s’ noise is similar to a cat hissing, which is almost like swearing at them every time you want their attention.
“Consider speaking their language and meowing at them.
“Unlike hissing, adult cats don’t really meow at one another, but do use meows to communicate with us humans.”
Gemma warned feline fans of several moggy mistakes ahead of next Tuesday’s annual #HugYourCatDay — including cuddles.
She said: “Hugging, and other approaches we may consider signs of affection, can actually be detrimental.
“If a cat runs away as you come towards them or they dash off as soon as you let go, it’s a good sign they don’t want to be touched or have their personal space invaded.
“Always let your cat come to you and you’ll reap the rewards of consensual kitty cuddles.”
Gemma added that making eye contact was “quite threatening” and advised we instead copy cats’ “slow blink”.
And playing with laser pointers leaves empty-pawed cats frustrated.
Gemma also warned against using citrus-smelling cleaning products on litter trays which “could actually put them off using it”.
A popular pet food trend has boomed into a $214 billion industry, but one Sydney vet is warning of the risks owners should know about.
In 2024, welcoming a new pet into your home comes with almost the same amount of pressure and additional equipment as welcoming a baby – and can be just as expensive.
From puppy brain trainers to personalised food bowls and anti-anxiety weighted pet blankets, our appetite for pet accessories is matched only by our appetite for cute online content: that is, both ravenous and bottomless.
One industry that has boomed in response to our desire to meet our furry family members’ every developmental and emotional need, is the raw pet food industry.
Worth an estimated $214 billion dollars as at 2022, the global raw pet food industry is expected to grow to over $300 billion by 2029.
Proponents of a raw pet food diet point to benefits ranging from an increased immune system to healthier hair and skin. The #rawdogfood hashtag has nearly 400 million hits on TikTok, with a number of pet content creators taking followers through the specifics of everything their companions consume in a day with the zeal of a fitspo influencer.
But many vets warn that despite the popularity of the raw pet food movement, there is a downside pet owners should be aware of.
“It’s not normally something that a vet recommends,” explains Dr Jamie Geddes, Hospital Superintendent at Sydney Animal Hospitals.
“It’s very popular within the media, but we’re not so aware of the science behind that.”
Dr Geddes says that while it may not harm your pet, there can be risks for human family members associated with a raw food diet.
“Whilst pets may be more tolerant of something like salmonella, as a father of three I don’t want to be feeding my dog raw chicken and then having the dog lick the faces of my children,” he says.
Instead, advises Dr Geddes, ensuring a quality store-bought pet food, or even home-cooked meals for your animal, is a safer way to ensure their nutritional needs are being met.
“Making sure whatever you feed your pet has the right nutritional density, vitamin and mineral balance in the right quantities to ensure a healthy skeleton, and of course making sure you’re not over or underfeeding your pet are the main things to be aware of.”
For pet owners who want to take nutrition into their own hands and prepare meals from scratch for their animals, Dr Geddes acknowledges this can also be an excellent source of what they need.
“There are many ways to ensure you have a happy, healthy pet, and to an extent, feeding a variety of home cooked foods can provide excellent nutrition. It’s definitely not a case of premium pet food being the only way,” he said.
“The difficult thing can be making sure you get that balance right, and one of the problems I see, particularly sometimes coming from breeders, is that there is a rich cocktail of different supplements some dogs are on, which can lead to overfeeding because we try and cover off all the different groups in a home-prepared meal.”
