Holly, a one year old French Boxer with sunburn
Many Irish people are only too aware of the painful consequences of lying in the sun without proper protection. Severe sunburn is an experience that is not quickly forgotten.
Case Studies
Ellie and Ralph: two kittens who were orphaned
It’s well known that Ireland produces a surplus of puppies, with nearly 300 unwanted dogs being killed at Irish dog pounds every week for the simple reason that they are unwanted.
Fifty-five: An Easter lamb with a crooked neck
Anthony Brabazon of Kilruddery Farm, Bray, Co Wicklow brought a lamb called Fifty-five to see me recently. Fifty-five had been born with a crooked neck, unable to stand up.
Benson, a Doberman cross who was licking his wounds
Joyce Lee had problems when her Doberman Cross, Benson, had to be prevented from licking the operation site following removal of a tumour.
Bailey: a baby seal who needed help
Johanne Leetch often walks her dogs Jan and Lizzy along the beach at Shankill.
A passion for poultry keeping
Walter Kelly from Co Wexford is pictured with his Lakenvelder rooster.
Dealing with the death of a pet
Alex Flynn-Fitzgerald doted on his pet cat Sparkles, and when she died, poor Alex was devastated. Alex had always wanted a cat.
Golden Retriever leaving wet spots on the carpet
Veronica McSwiney, the well-known concert pianist, from Bray, County Wicklow was concerned when Tara, her ten year old spayed female Golden Retriever started to leave wet spots on the carpet Veronica ..
Elsie: A terrier with back pain
Elsie is a ten year old neutered female terrier who suddenly started trembling all over. She refused her food, and she looked miserable.
Harry the hedgehog
Caroline found Harry the hedgehog walking across her garden in the middle of the day. When she picked him up with gloves, he curled up at first, but then he poked his head out and sneezed at her.
Cinders, a cat with cystitis
Cinders is an eleven month old female neutered black Domestic Shorthaired Cat. Her owner Orla was in the bathroom, when Cinders jumped up beside her and passed urine in the sink.
Racing pigeons
Birds are in Harry’s blood – his father bred canaries, and Harry has been racing his own pigeons for twenty eight years.
Taming a wild cat
A year ago, Justine’s parents were walking through Rathfarnham when they noticed a colony of feral cats at the back of a garage.
Benji: Why was he “scooting” along the ground?
The Hanley family knew that there was something strange going on with Benji. For no particular reason, he had started rubbing his rear end along the ground.
The importance of neutering pets
Fiona is a vet nurse, and when she heard that I was writing about Spayweek, which highlights the importance of having pets spayed and neutered, she suggested that I should talk about castration.