Dr Jedda first met Widget as an eight month old kitten, a few days after New Years’ day, in 2000. She had got herself into mighty trouble. Widget swallowed a fish hook and it went all the way through half of her intestinal tract, causing deep ulcers, peritonitis and abscesses as it travelled. Dr J removed one third of her intestinal tract . Her oesophagus, (food pipe), was badly damaged and she [...]
My English Setters passion goes back 34 years. In 1984 I was asked by a nursing friend to mind their dog for a few days. He was an English Setter called Trafalgar (Eireannmada Trafalgar) and I was instantly besotted with his handsome stature and naughtiness. He went on to sire my first dog/English setter that I owned : A Lemon Belton dog (Wenella Chevington 1985) - Chevy. What a sweet heart he [...]
Have you fallen hard for a breed of dog or cat or are you strictly in the "home a rescue pet” camp? Sometimes as we age, our breed of choice changes with our changing physicality. For example Dr Jedda’s ability to lift a 22kg Cardigan Corgi, having owned that breed for 20 years, crashed. Border Terriers are less than 10 kg and much less taxing on the old "stuffed Vet back" Cat owners [...]
LEXI Can you hear me Lexi darling If I call to you out loud Are you up there gently resting With your dear head on a cloud? Can you hear the angels singing As they welcome you back home So so happy you've returned to them You only were on loan As for me my heart feels broken My dearest sweetest little friend That the time you spent beside me Needed finally to end So much joy your [...]
Winnie is a much loved furkid who shares the house with Angel, another kitty kat and Afrodite, his owner. Winnie came to Afrodite as a very young stray kitten with a broken back right leg. The bottom of the shin bone was shattered into pieces and split all the way to the top near the knee. Dr Jedda wanted to amputate the leg to save Winnie's life, but Afrodite insisted that saving the leg be [...]
It may be surprising that such an usual and exotic looking cat as the Sphynx, traces its origins back to Ontario Canada. The Sphynx breed is the result of selective breeding in the 1960's. When a seemingly average black and white female gave birth to a hairless male kitten, the result of a genetic mutation. The owner bred that kitten back to her, which resulted in another hairless offspring. [...]
If you thought that dressing dogs was a silliness committed by women of a certain age and Terrier owners then think again. All overweight dogs, geriatric dogs, squashy face dogs, working dogs and long coated dogs should be wearing one of these super duper Cool Champions Cool Coats by Silver Eagle outfitters. Dr Jedda discovered these coats when she was showing Leon to his Championship title. In [...]
There are some simple things to do at bath time to make it easier for dogs and owners this Summer. Do NOT over bath your dog. Too frequent washing will dry the skin and breakdown the skin's natural defense barriers to bad bacteria and allergens. Fortnightly or monthly wash is adequate unless Fido has rolled in something particularly bad. Listed below are some important things to remember: [...]
The Akita is a native large breed spitz from the northern, mountainous Akita Prefecture, Japan. A courageous and devoted dog, Akita are protectors of their family. Originally, Akita were bred for deer, elk and bear hunting. They also often stayed home and watched over the children, while parents worked the rice fields. In 1931, Akita were declared a Japanese National Monument. In 1937, during a [...]
The Australian Mist is the only breed of cat developed in Australia. There are also no naturally occurring breeds of cat in the country. In 1976, Truda Straede crossed Burmese, Abyssinian and domestic shorthaired cats to create new shorthair spotted cat. Originally the breed was called the Spotted Mist, but when marbled coat patterns emerged, it was renamed.The base coat is a light colour with [...]