The familiar sounds of late night cries and squeals are often the first obvious sign that a cat fight has taken place. Cats are instinctively territorial. They fight with other cats to protect or acquire more territory. In the process of defending their 'borders', cats often end up with wounds and in some cases the wounds become infected. Fight wounds including cat abscesses are something we see and treat every week. Learn more about the affects of fighting as well as important information every cat owner should know here.

Have you ever suspected your pet may be suffering from an injury and you weren't sure what to do? Bleeding skin, broken bone, eye injury, convulsion, obstruction, choking and not sure what to do. Here's a few tips on how you can make your pet more comfortable whilst you are on the way to the vet.

Burn damage to the surface &/or deeper layers of the skin will occur immediately regardless of the source of burn. Visible signs can be seen immediately or it can take up to 12-24 hours after the accident depending on the cause or type of burn. Burns can be caused by a dry heat, such as, flame, corrosive chemicals, radiation, electricity or cold. A scald is caused by a moist heat, such as hot oil, wax or water.

Pets shake their heads for several reasons. The most common reason for head shaking in dogs is the one we all know - the head and coat shake after a swim at the beach or a soap-up at bath time. Regular or continuous head shaking in cats or dogs without reason is not normal and could be an ear of an issue!

Heatstroke (hyperthermia) is the elevation of the body’s temperature and is a life threatening condition requiring immediate treatment. Dogs left in hot cars, pets exposed to extreme heat when left outdoors, lack of adequate shade or being exercised in hot weather can all lead to heatstroke.  Heatstroke is most common in dogs, especially “brachycephalic” breeds (those with short muzzles eg British Bulldogs, Pugs etc).

Hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine (hormonal) disorder of cats. The thyroid gland which is located in the neck overproduces hormone and this directly affects the cat's metabolism. It is uncommon in cats under eight years of age and there is no sex or breed predisposition.

Although most lumps are harmless it is impossible to tell what sort of lump you are looking at. There are many different things that can cause swellings: bruising or fluid build-up, abscesses, things attached to the skin, eg small parasites, and, of course, cancers. If you find any unusual lump or swelling on your pet you should ask your veterinarian to check it out. Although most lumps are harmless, some can be very dangerous if left untreated, of particular concern are cancers.

Pets do not show pain as we humans do and often try to hide pain, illness and discomfort as a self defense mechanism. If you know or suspect your pet has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, seek veterinary treatment immediately. Your veterinarian will be able to perform a thorough physical examination and detect potential areas of concern and check for the signs which may indicate internal injury. 

In the wild, cats that appear sick or injured are vulnerable to predators. For this reason, cats often disguise the fact they are in pain. Cat pain can be caused by a variety of problems such as arthritis, abscesses, dental disease, urinary tract infections, bone disease, cancer and can occur after a surgical procedure.

Yes, pets can get skin cancer. Tumours affecting the skin or subcutaneous tissue (the tissue just under the skin) are seen in pets. Many such as lipomas (fatty tumours), sebaceous adenomas, and papillomas (mole-like growths) are benign, meaning that they won't spread to other parts of the body. Unfortunately we also see the more threatening malignant tumours (that spread) such as melanomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and mast cell tumours.