Section
The unglamorous work that prevents the emergency.
22 articles
The Review
A global team of more than 250 veterinarians and vet technicians over Zoom in under fifteen minutes, a free AI triage chat, and flat-fee pricing that undercuts most clinic visits. We tested Dial A Vet to see whether telehealth can feel like the real thing.
By Dr Elise Murphy, BVSc (Hons) · 10 min read
The Review
By Dr Elise Murphy, BVSc (Hons) · 11 min read
Vaccination
By Dr Ingrid Sorensen, BVSc, DipACVB · 4 min read
Vaccination
By Dr Samuel Adeyemi, DVM, DACVIM · 4 min read
Screening
By Dr Noor Haddad, DVM, DACVD · 4 min read
Dentistry
Periodontal disease affects most dogs and cats by age three, yet daily brushing remains the single most effective preventive measure available at home.
By Dr Eleanor Murphy, BVSc · 4 min read
Dentistry
Anaesthesia-free dental cleaning, often marketed as a gentler alternative, is opposed by veterinary dental specialists not out of caution alone but because it cannot address the disease that actually threatens teeth.
By Dr Ingrid Sorensen, BVSc, DipACVB · 4 min read
Parasites
Adult fleas seen on a pet represent only about five per cent of the total flea population in a household; the remaining ninety-five per cent exist as eggs, larvae and pupae in carpet, bedding and soil.
By Dr Samuel Adeyemi, DVM, DACVIM · 4 min read
Parasites
Tick species vary markedly by region, and so does the disease risk they carry, from paralysis ticks along Australia's eastern coast to Ixodes species transmitting Lyme disease across parts of the northern hemisphere.
By Dr Rowan Kelly, BVSc, MVS · 4 min read
Parasites
Households with multiple dogs and cats face compounded parasite risk, since one untreated animal can continually re-infect the others through shared litter trays, yards and grooming behaviour.
By Dr Thomas Nakamura, DVM · 4 min read
Surgery
The long-standing advice to desex all dogs and cats at six months has been revised as breed- and size-specific research has emerged linking early desexing in some large breeds to increased joint disease and certain cancers.
By Dr Priya Raghunathan, BVMS · 4 min read
Identification
A microchip only reunites a lost pet with its owner if the registry details behind it are accurate and current; scanning technology has advanced faster than the administrative habits of many owners.
By Dr Samuel Adeyemi, DVM, DACVIM · 4 min read
Screening
Body condition scoring gives owners a hands-on, weight-independent way to judge whether a pet carries too much or too little fat, correcting for the fact that breed standards and frame size make a single ideal weight meaningless across individuals.
By Dr Ingrid Sorensen, BVSc, DipACVB · 4 min read
Screening
Systemic hypertension in cats is common from around age nine onward and is frequently secondary to chronic kidney disease or hyperthyroidism, yet it produces no obvious signs until the eye or another organ is already damaged.
By Dr Thomas Nakamura, DVM · 4 min read
Planning
Pet insurance policies vary enormously in what they exclude, and the exclusions, more than the headline premium or payout percentage, usually determine whether a policy actually pays out when it matters.
By Dr Ingrid Sorensen, BVSc, DipACVB · 4 min read
Emergency Prep
A well-stocked pet first-aid kit will not replace emergency veterinary care, but it can stabilise a pet or manage a minor injury in the critical minutes before you can reach a clinic.
By Dr Priya Raghunathan, BVMS · 4 min read
Planning
International and even some domestic pet travel now requires a chain of veterinary paperwork, microchip verification and, in some cases, blood titre testing that must be completed months in advance.
By Dr Callum Wright, BVSc, MANZCVS · 4 min read
Skin & Coat
Regular grooming does more than manage appearance; it is a routine physical examination performed with your hands, often catching lumps, parasites, ear infections and skin disease before they become visible problems.
By Dr Eleanor Murphy, BVSc · 4 min read
Skin & Coat
Nail trims rank among the most commonly avoided routine care tasks, largely because a single painful cut into the quick can create lasting fear that outlasts the physical injury by months.
By Dr Thomas Nakamura, DVM · 4 min read
Behaviour
The socialisation window, roughly three to fourteen weeks of age, is when puppies most readily form positive associations with new people, animals and environments, yet it overlaps almost entirely with the period before the vaccination series is complete.
By Dr Rowan Kelly, BVSc, MVS · 4 min read
Planning
Preventive care is easiest to keep on track when it is planned as a calendar rather than remembered reactively, since vaccinations, parasite control, bloodwork and dental checks each run on different cycles that otherwise blur together.
By Dr Callum Wright, BVSc, MANZCVS · 4 min read
Planning
Choosing a veterinary practice before an emergency arises gives owners time to compare facilities, staffing and philosophy rather than accepting whichever clinic has an opening during a crisis.
By Dr Ingrid Sorensen, BVSc, DipACVB · 4 min read