​The winter solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year. For us here in Australia, this occurs in June, while in the Northern Hemisphere, it takes place in December.
The winter solstice is a result of the Earth’s axial tilt and occurs when our part of the planet is furthest from the sun.

​Just like humans, dogs can be affected by changes in daylight hours. Shifts in our sleep patterns can disrupt our circadian rhythm, which in turn can impact energy levels and mood.
It’s important to keep your dog’s routine as consistent as possible during seasonal changes and to keep them active during daylight hours. It’s easy to slip into a slump as the mornings and nights become darker and colder, but physical activity is key to maintaining a positive mood—for both humans and dogs.
If your dog spends time outdoors, be sure to bring them inside earlier than you normally would, as the chilly night air sets in much sooner than it used to.

For more tips and ideas on how to keep your pooch warm this winter, check out our blog here!

As we continue our blog series on 'Common Household Toxins' it's important we share some common signs and symptoms of toxicity in dogs.
It's important to remember that every case is different and depending on what toxin has been digested can change the signs or symptoms a dog may show.
If at any time you are worried your dog may have digested something they shouldn't have or you are concerned about any changes in behaviour, you should always consult your vet for an immediate examination. A quick diagnosis and medical care is the best chance your dog has at a full recovery. 

Be sure to consult with your vet immediately should you be worried about your dog's health at any time. 

As our beautiful doggies enter their golden years of life, it's time for us to reassess their day to day activities and what we can adjust to help make them more comfortable. Below are some great tips on where to start! 

​A dog’s diet and their weight plays a huge roll in their life expectancy as they age. Moving your dog to a ‘senior’ diet involves reducing the amount of fat and protein in the diet, to make it easier on your dog’s organs to process and to reduce weight gain as their exercise begins to decrease as well.
A senior diet or a specific diet suggest by your vet can help to support kidney function, arthritis and joints as well as heart health.
It's essential, as your dog reaches their later years in life, that they aren’t carrying any extra, unnecessary weight. Extra weight adds extra pressure to a dog’s joints and can worsen arthritis.
A raised food and water bowl for taller breeds is a great way to reduce stress and tension in the neck and back for older dogs. The less bending down they have to do, the easier it will on these areas for them. 

​Although the level of activity your dog can handle will decrease as they age, it’s important to continue a suitable amount of exercise to help keep your dog healthy, keep them from gaining weight and to help support their joints.
You will find you may need to reduce the pace on your walks and also the length and may even need to include some little stops and breaks along the way. It’s best to avoid large hills and any steep inclines or declines, as this just creates extra work for your dog.
Keep in mind the time of day for your walks too, as cooler weather will aggravate arthritis and heat can be overwhelming on the heart of an older dog.
A great alternative to walks for older dogs is water exercise, including swimming and hydrotherapy.
If transporting your dog and you are unable to assist them in and out of the car or if you have stairs around your home, a ramp is a great idea to help them move around. 

​Daily grooming and body checks of your dog are a great way to keep an eye on any new lumps and bumps that may appear, which is very common in older age. Be mindful of any warts or skin tags when brushing as these can easily be caught in a brush and open up into bleeding sores.
Keeping your dog’s nails well clipped and at a shorter length will also assist with their mobility, as they can easily grow into their pads causing a great deal of pain. 

​Senior dogs should be spending most of their time inside, enjoying the quiet life. They have no reached their retirement and deserve some good R&R now. You should assess your dog’s sleeping and resting areas for the day and night and ensure that access is easy, with not gaps or small spaces they could fall into or get stuck (ie: between a couch and wall or down the side of a raised bed) Orthopaedic beds are great for providing support and comfort whilst still being soft and gentle on their joints. Beds that are too soft can be difficult for an older dog to get in and out of and very firm or solid beds will offer no comfort or relief to their arthritis.
During the cooler weather, arthritis and sore joints can flare up, so keeping a safe but warm environment will ensure your dog stays comfortable. Electric blankets and direct heat can quickly cause a dog to overheat so should be avoided, however a warmed room without a chill in the air can be a lot more comfortable to them. 

​We are so lucky now with how far pet care and research has some and now have a variety of options to offer support and relief to our older pets. Your vet can suggest a number of options to offer pain relief and joint support as your dog ages. These range from oral medications to injections. Your vet should always be consulted prior to beginning any new medication or supplements for your dog as this could affect other medication they are currently taking or other organs.
There are also options of physiotherapy and more natural approaches such as red light, acupuncture and natural herbs and supplements through a holistic vet as well. 

It's important to be aware of the dangers surrounding our pets as we welcome in the bunny and chocolate season for Easter. 

If at any time you are concerned that your dog has digested something they shouldn't have or they are showing any signs of being unwell, it's best to have them checked by your vet. Early intervention is the best chance of recovery that they have. Along with your regular vet, you should always have the details of your closest emergency 24/7 vet on hand should you ever need them after hours or on a public holiday, such as over the Easter long weekend.

Along with many other conditions, epilepsy is not just limited to humans and can be found in our pets too. 

​Epilepsy is when a seizure is caused from a surge of electrical activity in the brain. This is shown physically by a dog in mild to severe ways, including twitching, body shaking and/or tremors, body spasms and convulsions.
Epilepsy is diagnosed when a dog suffers reoccurring seizures without a known cause or trigger. The brain appears to be normal without any damage but functions in an abnormal way. 

Some dogs are born with epilepsy while others can develop it later in life, often without a cause or reason for it. Epilepsy can also be caused by trauma to the head or brain tumours. Seizures can also be caused by toxins or some form of poisoning, abnormal blood sugars or kidney or liver disease.  

Some dogs can have very mild versions of the below symptoms whilst others can be quite violent and confronting. Should your dog every display any of the below symptoms, they should be taken to a vet immediately. 

• Body shakes or tremors
• Eye twitching/rolling into their head
• Dog unable to stand/falling to their side
• Twitching muscles 
• Convulsions 

During a seizure your dog can appear 'out of it' and will not respond to you. They can also lose control of their bladder and bowels. 
Your dog is not as risk of swallowing their tongue and can accidently bite you during a seizure. You should ensure they are safely away from any objects that could harm them (if they knocked into them) and leave your dog be during their seizure. They can also be very confused as they come out the seizure so it's best to remain calm, as confronting as the situation is, and give them time to approach you. 

If your dog is suffering from symptoms of epilepsy, it's important to have them seen by your vet immediately. They will conduct tests to establish the cause of your dog's seizures and if they do in face have epilepsy or another health condition causing their seizures. 
Treatment will vary depending on what the vet discovers and their results may be 'epilepsy of unknown cause' if there is no damage or growths on your dog's brain. 
Dog's can live a relatively normal life on anti seizure medication once the correct dosage is established. This medication will need to be given at the same time every day for the remainder of the dog's life. 
Diet has also been shown to play an important role in epileptic dog's lives and this is also something your vet will discuss with you. A low fat diet is usually recommended. 

Research has shown that there is a higher rate of dogs diagnosed with epilepsy within some breeds. 
These include; Beagles, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Border Collies, Boxers, Cocker Spaniels, Collies, Dachshunds, Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, Irish Wolfhounds, Keeshonds, Labradors and Poodles. 
This is in no way to say that if you own this breed that your dog will suffer from epilepsy, however these breeds have had a higher rate of diagnoses. This is why is it always important to do your research before purchasing a dog, knowing of any common hereditary issues with a breed and insisting on full health records of breeding parents to be provided. 

We all know the most talked about items around our homes that our dog's can't have, the chemical cabinet it ALWAYS out of bounds, no chocolate, no alcohol. But did you know there are a lot more common foods that you probably have in your kitchen right now that are also very toxic to our dogs? In this blog series we will highlight  some other foods that you may not know need to be kept out of Fido's reach too! 

Christmas time is stressful enough for all of us, so imagine how our 4 legged family members feel when everything in the house changes suddenly, more people are coming and going and their routine can be turned upside down.
Here are some tips on how you can make the silly season a little more comfortable for your pooch. 

Do your best to keep your dog's routine the same. 
If every other day of the year you walk your dog at the same time, feed them at the same time or have a set routine, do your best to keep this the same. Dogs thrive on routine and this sense of normality will help to keep them calm.

Take into consideration your dogs level of interest and their area of reach when decorating.
Some dogs are very curious and like to explore with their nose and mouths (Labradors am I right?!) Keep this in mind when hanging decorations around the house and on the Christmas tree. Ornaments and decorations are not created to be pet friendly and the last thing you want is your dog trying to eat one or knocking something down that could break and cause a wound. 

Set up your tree in a space your dog cannot reach.
Fake and real Christmas trees can be easily knocked over by an excited dog running past too fast. A small pen/fence around the tree or placed in a room your dog cannot access is the safest option. 
If your dog and Christmas tree need to share the same space, be sure to not put your dog out by placing the tree in a place that your dog regularly uses. For example, if your dog loves to snooze by the window in the sunshine, don't upset their routine by putting the Christmas tree in this spot.

Live Christmas Trees can be poisonous to dogs and cats. 
If you are keeping a real, live Christmas tree in the house, ensure that the water base is not accessible by your pets. Pine tar that leaks from the base of the tree into the water is poisonous to pets. The water should be changed often as a precaution. If you believe your pet has gotten to this water, a vet check up is advised. 

Think of your dogs when you are cooking.
For some of us, the festive season brings out our inner Jamie Oliver and we love to get cooking. This can fill the house with delicious smells, which can invite our dogs to come and help themselves. Be conscious of what your dog can reach in the kitchen area and also what might get dropped on the floor. As more guests come into the home, younger guests may not be as careful while they are eating and lots of festive foods are dangerous to our dogs. 

We've come across this fantastic article written by the great, Cesar Millan, on humanizing our pets and how unhealthy some behaviours actually are;

One of the most important things I want to get across is that dogs are dogs — not humans!

• Find a canine solution. Often, the solution we would use for a human is totally wrong for solving a dog’s issues. For example, when a human sees a scared or nervous dog, s/he will first offer comfort and consolation. This would never happen in the animal world and can make the problem worse instead of better, because it reinforces unstable behavior.
  
  
• Speak the animal language. When dogs come into our homes, they meet emotional energy for the first time. We shower them with affection and babble at them in high-pitched baby-talk, so they see us as excited energy. This is why many dogs don’t listen to their human caretakers. Their mothers never acted this way; where did that calm-assertive leadership go?
  
  
• Treat your dog like a dog. We often develop a different agenda for our dogs. We want to make puppies our babies. From day one, many humans forget to fulfill and understand their dog's needs and instead project their own needs and desires on the animal.
  
  
• Be the pack leader! In the absence of a clear leader, a dog, even a submissive one, will seek to fill what they see as the vacant leadership role. The dog will ignore the owner, act out, and can lead to serious behavior issues.

  Projecting the wrong energy to our dogs can leave them confused and disoriented. But their confusion and disorientation manifest in bad behavior such as tearing up the couch or incessant barking. If we don’t fulfill them as a species, our dogs won’t live a balanced, centered life.

Understanding and projecting a pack leader’s calm-assertive energy will create a positive and lasting connection with your dog.