dogs | Page 4 | Companion Animal Veterinary Hospital


Why does the ear infection keep coming back?

Stephen examine a dog's ear with an otoscope

Inflamed, painful and infected ears are a common problem for many dogs. While the long, thin and bent ear canal contributes to the problem, not every dog is affected.

The difference between a normal ear canal and and inflamed one is often a "trigger" that tips the scales allowing inflammation and infection to take hold. While there can be many triggers, in the Wollongong area the most common triggers are allergens:

FACT CHECK- is peanut butter safe for dogs?

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fact check overwritten on a picture of a typed sign that has been doing the rounds on social saying that peanut butter contains xylitol and is toxic to dogs

There has recently been an image of a typed sign doing the rounds which claims that some peanut butters contain xylitol and can be toxic to dogs.

What is xylitol?

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol which is manufactured and used as an artificial sweetener to replace sugar. It has a lower glycaemic index than sugar and is safe in all species except for dogs.

Is Xylitol toxic to dogs? 

Yes, Xylitol is toxic to dogs. There are 2 clinical causes of xylitol toxicity in dogs:

Keeping your pets cool in the heat

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dog being cooled



Heat stroke (hyperthermia)

Heat stroke or hyperthermia is a really serious, potentially fatal condition that should be taken really seriously. The body is made to run at a safe temperature and if overheats the internal organs basically cook. Often the effects of excessive heat exposure aren't obvious immediately.

For example:

Why is my dog dragging its bum on the ground?

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scooting dog


Scooting is what we call it when dogs drag their bottoms along the ground. They usually tuck their tail right underneath them, hunch over and pull themselves along with their front legs. Some dogs will do it with the tail trailing out behind them instead.

The causes 

There are 3 main causes of scooting:

10 Tips regarding ticks in dogs & cats

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tick embedded in cat skin
  1. Check for ticks every day regardless of whether you use a prevention or not.
  2. Feel for the tick, don't just look. You’ll feel them before you see them.
  3. Frontline Plus needs to be applied every 2 weeks to control paralysis ticks.
  4. There is a new tick collar for dogs we have available that doesn't smell!
  5. In cats you need to use frontline spray every 3 weeks, the spot-ons don’t work for ticks in cats.


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