Pet Advice
Search or browse 6,026 pet advice articles on pet health, pet care and pet behaviour.
The Pets4Homes site aims to provide the most informative and useful pet advice and pet care articles and information on all types of pets, from dogs and cats to rabbits and reptiles. Our articles are written by qualified veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, breeders and other writers who have a passion for pets.
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19th January 2021
OCD in dogs can come in many shapes and forms, and it is important to take them in context as well as assessing the behaviour itself. For a dog’s behaviour to be considered OCD, it needs to be obsessive (so that the dog defaults to doing it frequently or in specific situations) and compulsive, to the point that the dog may not even b....Read Full Article
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19th January 2021
Antibiotics are one of the most important and widely used medications in both human and veterinary medicine, but they are still widely misunderstood by a great many people who need them, either for themselves or their dogs. While most of us know these days that you should always finish a course of antibiotics even if you fe....Read Full Article
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19th January 2021
Constipation is a reasonably common health condition that affects many if not most dogs at some point in their lives. Most people know that constipation means not passing stools when this is needed, but it can also mean not evacuating the bowels fully, or struggling in order to eventually succeed. Constipation in dogs can b....Read Full Article
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11th January 2021
All dogs throw up on occasion; some more than others, often connected directly to being adept at scavenging and paying little to no mind what something actually is before eating it; dogs really are animals that tend to work on the principle of “eat now and regret later.”This means then that if you took your dog to the vet ev....Read Full Article
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11th January 2021
While some members of the population are more at risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19 than others, it is still a virus that anyone can catch, and which can make even some younger people in seemingly good health very ill.If you have a dog, even if you’re fully healthy and take all possible steps to avoid contracting Cov....Read Full Article
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9th January 2021
Virtually every dog owner gives their dog treats of some form at some point, whether that be commercially bought dog treats, homemade ones, or table scraps, and the majority of dogs get treats in some quantity every single day.While it isn’t good for dogs to be fed too many treats and the treats that you do give to your dog sh....Read Full Article
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9th January 2021
Do dental sticks or dental chews work to keep your dog’s teeth clean, or are they a waste of money? We’ve all seen dental chews for dogs, such as the brand-named Dentastix and all of the other generic alternatives; most pet food brands and supermarkets sell their own variant of dog dental chews that purport to keep the dog’s teet....Read Full Article
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4th January 2021
Most dog owners know that positive reinforcement training is the most effective approach to teaching dogs, and even those that don’t know the name for the training ethos they use or learned are following positive reinforcement principles.Most dog owners then know that negative reinforcement is not only unkind, but ineffective,....Read Full Article
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4th January 2021
Training a dog using food treats is the most effective way to teach them new skills, but over time, you should phase out the use of regular treats for everyday actions and keep them just for special rewards. This article will tell you how to phase out the use of food-based training treats for dogs, whilst still maintaining your dog’s....Read Full Article
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30th December 2020
2020 saw many of us unexpectedly struggling for either time, money or both, and the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to go on to have a large impact on many of our lives for a long time to come.Regardless of the reasons, even for horse and pony owners those that plan everything carefully and never take risks, the time might come when....Read Full Article
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30th December 2020
A great many people think the abstract idea of rehoming or adopting a dog is lovely, but that the reality of the situation would mean it isn’t right for them. This is true for many people and deciding not to adopt because it’s not the right choice is very responsible.However, some people discount the idea of adopting a dog b....Read Full Article
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22nd December 2020
If you are thinking of taking on a dog that is unpredictable or even aggressive or if your own dog’s behaviour is already a problem, you have a heavy weight on your shoulders, and you should think really carefully about the implications of this and if you can manage it.This article will share tips on some of the basics require....Read Full Article
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21st December 2020
Trying to rent a home if you have a dog or want to get a dog can be hard, but sometimes, there is room for negotiation on this with the right landlord. Renting a place from someone who has loads of dogs of their own, volunteers in a shelter, and generally is always keen to help dogs out would be ideal in this respect, but you’re fair....Read Full Article
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21st December 2020
If you’re looking to move home and have a dog or if you’re planning your next rental with the ability to get a dog in mind, there’s no denying that this adds a complication and challenge that isn’t there if it was just you. Before you can even get as far as judging whether or not the premises itself would be suitable for a dog,....Read Full Article
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18th December 2020
Can you still attend dog training classes given Covoid-19 restrictions? This will depend on what tier your local area is in and the restrictions you are subject to, as well as whether or not dog training class providers are able to hold classes while managing social distancing and safe practice.Generally, other than when it is a....Read Full Article
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17th December 2020
Puppies bought or adopted in 2020 have a different frame of reference and life experiences than those born in any other year due to Covid-19 and the pandemic restrictions; and this has a great many implications for them that can potentially have an impact on the whole rest of their lives too.If you got a puppy in 2020, it is imp....Read Full Article
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17th December 2020
Many people think of dog training as a bit of a “set and forget” thing, and that when your dog has got to grips with a few basic commands, you’re all done.However, dogs can and do learn for the entire duration of their lives and many owners continue to train their dogs and teach the new skills (and refresh old ones) right ....Read Full Article
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16th December 2020
Covid restrictions and travel limitations or logistical issues due to Covid during 2020 meant that many of us who spend the year counting down the days to our next foreign holiday were not able to get away outside of the UK at all this year. Many of us have decided to look to 2021 instead and are already planning ahead with....Read Full Article
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12th December 2020
An awful lot of advice and information is available about what Christmas foods are dangerous to dogs, and this is very important. Christmas is actually the busiest time of the year in veterinary clinics when it comes to cases of accidental food-based poisoning in dogs, with the number one culprit rather predictably being chocolate.....Read Full Article
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8th December 2020
Some dogs love cold weather and proactively enjoy rolling around in the snow; others are reluctant to go outside as soon as the sun goes in for a moment! You might think that a lot of this is down to the individual personality and preferences of each dog, and to a degree it is; but there are also a number of physical traits that a dog ....Read Full Article
