Ill or ageing animals will sometimes exhibit a number of odd behaviours, so being in tune with your pet's normal behaviour can help clue you in to the first signs that something is off. Animals that are not feeling well will frequently have an overall decrease in energy and interest in their normal activities. Sometimes they will hide or start sleeping in unusual spots. Some will do the opposite and seek out human attention more than they normally do. Many owners describe their sick pets as being more "needy" than usual.

            There are also several diseases in dogs and cats that will cause them to drink and urinate more frequently than normal; these animals will sometimes hover near the bathtub or other sources of water. Animals with true neurological problems will sometimes stare off into space, get stuck in corners, pace or walk in circles. Some will exhibit behavioural...

As we are approaching Easter, it's important to be aware that chocolate is toxic to pets.

The toxic component contained in the cocoa is Theobromine.  The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine is present which means a smaller dose will cause signs of toxicity.

If your pets has eaten any chocolate, contact the clinic or if we are closed, call the emergency centre immediately.  We need to know the weight of your pet as well as the type and how much chocolate was ingested.  DO NOT delay seeking treatment.  

Spring usually is flea season.  The warmer weather combined with increased humidity leads to a population explosion.  However, as we are coming to the end of summer, your pets still can get fleas and so can your house. 

Fleas are designed to jump great distances which is how they can transmit easily between pets. They need to suck blood from a mammal to reproduce, such as cats and dogs.

An adult flea can lay up to 40 eggs/day. The eggs will fall off and infest the region where you pet lays and sleeps. The eggs hatch into larvae within a few days and then they become pupae. The pupae are in a cocoon that is indestructible and can remain like this for months. The pupae are normally located in dark crevices and deep within your carpet. The pupae hatch when they sense a host nearby which is your warm pet.

Upon hatching, the juvenile flea jumps onto your pet and starts feeding. They can start laying eggs within 24-48 hours which is how you can have a flea infestation develop very quickly!

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Ear infections are more common in the spring and summer months due to the hot weather and increased humidity.  This is also a time where dogs who have allergies, start to flare up which can lead to ear infections.

Ear infections can be common and cause significant discomfort.  The ear canal becomes inflamed and painful and pets usually scratch at their ears and shake their head.  You may also notice an odour coming from your pet’s ear and they may have red ears as well.

Causes of ear infections

In some cases the ears can become moist from swimming, bathing or after grooming.  The increased moisture can lead to an infection.  Dogs with floppy ears can have increased moisture in their ear canal.  Some dogs have underlying allergies which can lead to inflammation of the ear canal.  The inflammation leads to an overgrowth of bacteria and yeast which leads to an infection.

The Examination

When we examine you pet, we are looking at the colour of the inner ear, texture of the ear and any discharge.  We then will use an otoscope to look down your pets ear canal where we are looking at whether the canal is open or narrow, what discharge is present, how inflamed the ear canal is and the tympanic membrane.  We will take a sample from your pet’s ear to look under the microscope.  We do this to identify what organisms are present, both bacteria and yeast, and the degree of infection.  There are a number of very nasty bacteria, which if present, will determine the type of medication that we use.

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Cats and dogs age SEVEN times faster that we do. So, when your pet turns 7 years old in ‘animal years’ that’s nudging 50!  An important milestone indeed.

The 7 year milestone is the time when we Vets ask you to bring in your pets for us to make sure everything is as it should be.  It means you can have peace of mind that your pet is healthy and happy.



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To perform a thorough dental examination and assessment, your pet must be under general anaesthetic.

Most pets are patient and very well behaved.  They will let us look in their mouth and at their back teeth.  Some pets aren’t so welcoming.

To do a thorough dental assessment, we need to place a probe under the gum around every tooth.  We are looking for pockets.  A pocket can indicate bone loss around the tooth or a hole in the tooth and developing infection. We also need to look at the inside of each tooth.

We are also looking for fractured teeth, worn teeth, enamel loss and/or misalignment of teeth.  This is very hard to do when your pet continually moves their head around.

We may need to take a dental x-ray of your pets tooth.  The dental imaging equipment is a very expensive piece of equipment.  To take dental x-rays, we need to place plates in...

Just like people, all dogs and cats get an invisible film on their teeth called plaque.  Plaque is a soft, sticky film that builds up on teeth and contains millions of bacteria.  Plaque is not a food residue, as it actually forms more rapidly during sleep and less rapidly when food if consumed. It can not be seen unless it is stained.  The build up of plaque is one of the causes of bad breath.

In an ideal world, this plaque that naturally builds up on teeth would be all be removed through the action of chewing.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen and hence any cat or dog (in particular the smaller breeds of dogs) can be susceptible to dental disease.

In dogs and cats, plaque, which is continually bathed in a calcium-rich saliva, undergoes mineralization to form calculus. Calculus (also known as tartar) is the hard brown material that can be seen dogs and cats’ teeth. It usually begins at the gum line of teeth closest to the salivary duct openings, then becomes thicker and spreads to the rest of the tooth. As calculus has a rough surface, it promotes even further plaque accumulation.

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When we look at your pets teeth, we are checking for any signs of disease  or problems such as broken teeth, infected or red gums, tartar (the yellow or brown material), smelly breath, fur trapped around teeth and lumps in the mouth.

We want to see a healthy mouth but experience has shown us that a significant number of our patients have dental disease. 



The problem is that pets will still eat despite being in discomfort!!

So many problems can go unnoticed until they become severe.  By then it is too late to save the teeth.

At every consultation with the veterinarian, they will examine your pets’ teeth.  They examine the teeth at the front but also the teeth at the back.  We have seen many beautiful clean teeth at the front but affected teeth at the back of the mouth and vice versa.

If your pet has any tartar on their teeth or red gums,...

Osteoarthritis is a common, painful, chronic disease of both dogs and cats. 

It is most often seen in elderly animals although younger animals who have had previous injuries or have been particularly active can suffer at a younger age. 

Sometimes the signs of arthritis are very obvious… It’s not difficult to picture an old dog that has trouble getting up in the morning and can’t jump into the car any more… but it is not always that obvious and careful observation may be required. This is particularly the case with cats where subtle behaviour changes may be observed.

If your pet shows ANY of the following signs, please talk with one of our friendly team members about diagnosis & treatment options:

Slow to get up or walk Circling many times before lying down Unwillingness to jump up or down any more Crying or whining when moving...

What do we vaccinate cats against?

At Veterinary Happiness, we recommend and use a standard F3 vaccination.  This gives your cat protection against:

Feline Rhinotracheitis – a highly contagious airborne virus that causes sneezing, coughing, and nasal discharge.  Infected cats often become ‘chronic snufflers’ and need management throughout their lives. Mortality can occur in kittens and geriatric cats. Feline Calicivirus – this respiratory virus also causes sneezing and nasal discharge and is also likely to cause eye discharges and tongue ulcers leading to inappetance and lethargy.  Both respiratory viruses can still infect other cats after the sick cat recovers. Feline Panleucopaenia Virus – a highly contagious virus that can spread on infected droppings, food bowls, clothing, shoes and bedding and causes depression, loss of appetite, uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhoea (often with blood) and severe abdominal pain.  Mortality rate in kittens is high.  Unborn kittens can develop brain damage....