In recent years, “desexing” – spaying and neutering – has become the obvious and natural choice for most pet owners. Apart from population control, it’s often been said that there early neutering is better for the health of the individual animal.

The latest recommendations are that spaying and neutering should be carried out at an earlier age than has previously been suggested. Some animal rescue groups are spaying animals that are clearly “puppies” and “kittens” for practical and cost reasons.

At the recent WSAVA/.BSAVA/FECAVA congress, the subject of early neutering of pets was the focus of a “debates and controversies” session. The question was asked: “how early is too early?”, but the debate widened to include the question: “should neutering be recommended at all?”

The answer to this question turned out to be complicated: it depends on the individual animal. It just isn’t possible to have a blanket recommendation that is correct for every situation. Spaying and neutering is not without risk, as with any surgical procedure. Surgery should be only entered into after an informed discussion of the risks and benefits in each individual case.

Did you know; two thirds of dogs and cats over the age of 3 years old will have some dental problems
to some degree? It is an astonishing statistic and the numbers only get higher as the animals get older.
However, the good news is that with some simple home care techniques and veterinary treatment the
damage can be reversed or even prevented from happening in the first place.

Dental problems in pets will vary in severity from a mild plaque and tartar staining to marked tartar
build-up, gingivitis, bacterial infections, rotten tooth roots. Not only are these unsightly and a prime
cause of ‘doggy breath’ they are also very painful and can be damaging to the body

Joe Inglis BVSc MRCVS is the vet for the One Show, This Morning and BBC Breakfast. He runs his own line of natural pet food called Pet’s Kitchen.

Sleep is something most of us take for granted and appreciate – there’s nothing quite like gently slipping into a deep sleep after a long day at work and letting 8 hours of peace take away all the stresses and strains of the waking day. And the same is true of our pets, with cats and dogs in particular seeming to really enjoy the pleasures of a good long nap.
However, for a very small number of animals (and people) sleep can be far from a relaxing pleasure and it can even pose a threat to their life. The condition of narcolepsy is a rare genetic disease that can affect people and animals and causes sudden bouts of deep sleep which come on out of the blue in the middle of the day. Whilst the sleep in itself is not dangerous and sufferers usually come round within 15-20 seconds, the act of losing consciousness can present dangers………..

My twelve year-old collie, Juno had an attack of Vestibular Syndrome this week. These are what we used to call Strokes, but advances in imaging and investigation have led us to realise that they’re not quite the same, even though they appear just as suddenly and with some of the same symptoms.

Dogs can and occasionally do have Strokes, but they tend to be less serious than in humans. In humans, Strokes – or Cerebrovascular Accidents – refer to a bleed in the brain, so that an area loses its blood supply and is starved of oxygen. Damage quickly becomes irreversible and we all know how variable and tough the aftermath can be, for the sufferer and carers alike. Dogs can, rarely, go through the same events, but are more likely to have an episode where, instead of bursting, the blood vessel spasms and shuts down for a short period. Whilst there can still be damage, recovery tends to be quicker and more complete…………..

Most children love animals, and there are many benefits from owning one. Apart from the fun and companionship, caring for an animal can help give children a sense of responsibility.

On the other hand, children can become bored with things quickly when the novelty wears off, so adults always need to be prepared to take overall responsibility for a pet. Choosing the right pet for your family’s lifestyle can make it more likely that the children will stay involved and that their relationship with their pet will be a fulfilling one.

The basic welfare needs of all pets are that they should be provided with a suitable environment and diet, the right health care as needed, be kept with others or apart from others (depending on species), and be allowed to exhibit normal behaviour patterns. These basic rights are a legal requirement under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

In my career both as a vet and in the media I’ve been asked to do some fairly strange things – pulling a guinea pig’s head out of a coconut, dressing up as a 50’s garage mechanic in the Blue Peter pantomime and dancing to The One Show theme tune on the BBC to name but a few – so I wasn’t too surprised when I got a request which involved having my photo taken with a dog bowl, umbrella and a selection of snails and slugs!

The photo shoot – and rather unusual props – was all in aid of a campaign called Be Lungworm Aware which is trying to raise awareness of a very nasty condition that is increasingly affecting dogs called lungworm, or French heartworm…………

As a vet I can’t recommend microchips highly enough. I’ve seen so many grateful owners reunited with their pets through microchips and too many times I’ve watched the clock ticking by as dogs and cats lie injured whilst we try desperately to find their owners. Without the owner to give consent, and tell us their wishes are for their pet, vets can only administer pain relief and other first aid.

One recent morning, in the middle of the snowy weather, it was a real struggle to get to work. After a difficult journey, I was surprised to find that the nurse was already checking in a patient. A motorist had found a seriously injured fox which had been hit by a car.

He hadn’t seen the accident happen, so he did not know how long the fox had been lying by the road, and we can only hope that no-one was injured in the accident. All the cars in front of him had pulled out round the fox, but he had stopped. On finding the fox was still alive, he picked it up and put it in his boot and brought it to the surgery…..

I love Guinea Pigs, I think they are fabulous little creatures, friendly, full of character and very easy to keep……..Guinea Pigs make great pets but are particularly good for children. They are easy to handle and calm when held, in contrast to rabbits, who although very cute to look at, can cause nasty scratches if they wriggle in your arms. They are easy to tame and rarely bite, unlike hamsters, who can nip if they are disturbed and are not used to being handled. Guinea Pigs are also great pets to do things for