I can imagine that there are quite a few readers who have "had their fill" of eggs over the last couple of weeks but spare a thought for one of our most recent patients. Her owners had become aware that she wasn't quite right. She had appeared uncomf...
Whilst the festive season is more traditionally associated with rejoicing and reflection it is sadly also a time of the year which sees a big increase in disease, pain and misery! A large number of these ailments are associated with big population mo...
I know I must be getting old when I am the only member of staff at Fairfield to have previously seen a rare condition affecting cats! When Rupert, a 4 month old kitten, first presented to my colleagues he appeared to be suffering from ...
Guinea pigs and humans are two of only a handful of species in the world to-day whose bodies cannot manufacture Vitamin C. Consequently, they have to obtain Vitamin C from their diet in order to survive. "Daisy" the guinea pig was brought to me by he...
Under normal circumstances when we breathe a partial vacuum exists between our lungs and the chest cavity. This allows our lungs to fill with air more readily when our chest expands as a result of our diaphragm and intercostal muscles. If this vacuum...
Bordetella is a type of bacteria which causes a variety of debilitating diseases across a wide spectrum of species. "Whooping cough" ( Bordetella pertussis ) in humans is a potentially fatal disease in young infants whose incidence has been largely c...
In August I was presented with a quite unusual patient. Tia, a Minorca chicken, had been brought in by her owners because she was straining, and they were worried she might be egg bound. On examination a large red mass was visible at her backend, ind...
In the 15 years since I graduated, there have been many advances in one of the areas I have a particular interest in – feline gastroenterology. New intestinal parasites have been recognised, new diagnostic tests have become available, and conditions ...
In my experience, most people have heard of Diabetes and understand that somehow sugar is involved but there are actually very few who fully understand this complex disease. Once your pet has been diagnosed with Diabetes mellitus it becomes imperativ...
I'm not sure whether it's because I've reached a certain age but I recently received a request from my local health centre inviting me to have my blood pressure measurement taken. Saddened as I was that my physical health was now a matter of governme...
Caged birds are a very underrated pet in my opinion. Whilst their initial cost can vary in price from £15 up to £2000 their daily maintenance requires much less investment both in cost and time. Additionally, they can provide hours of endless enterta...
Last autumn Mrs. Barnes came to see me with her rabbit Thumper. She had noticed that Thumper's eyelids were very swollen. On examination Thumper's nose, ears and bottom were swollen as well. These are the classical symptoms of a dreaded rabbit diseas...
In an effort to keep up with modern life I bought my first computer less than 5 years ago from a company which has since gone into liquidation. Whilst the computer industry has been through some turbulent times over the last few years the internet ap...
Jack's owners had never fully realised that gradually he was becoming progressively deaf in his left ear. It was only when he developed a rather nasty purulent discharge from the affected ear that his problem became apparent. After a short course of ...
When Mrs Johnson became aware of her pet Cockatiel squatting on the floor of its cage looking very lethargic and subdued she clearly knew that there was a problem. Telephone advice from our practice soon advised her that she should bring "Chloe", the...
It is a fairly frequent occurrence for hedgehogs to be brought into our surgery.Usually they have been found injured or unwell, and are brought in for medical attention. Our head nurse and a number of other clients also keep hedgehogs as pets - usual...
It was just as my consultation with "Jack's" owners was coming to an end. We had established through a fine needle biopsy that a lump they had discovered was a benign fatty tumour and not something of any great concern. Then, just as they were walkin...
It was obvious when "Chukkie" was first presented at the Fairfield Veterinary Centre that he had experienced an episode of trauma but it was only a few days later that the full extent of his injuries became clear. Failure of his injured tail to impro...
The principal benefit from buying a Pedigree puppy is that you should have a fairly good idea of what it will eventually look like and to a less extent how it should behave. Anyone contemplating spending their money this way should try to do some res...
It always seems to surprise people how common "arthritis" is in the canine population particularly young dogs. Osteoarthritis is accepted as a "wear and tear" process in humans that culminates in a stiff and painful condition after 50 or possibly 60 ...
