LATEST NEWS, TIPS AND ADVICE

Whilst our feline friends might insist that every month is National Cat Lovers month, this month it’s official! In celebration of all our wonderful feline patients, the Highfields Veterinary team has put together a list of quality environmental enrichment suggestions for cats. What is environmental enrichment? Environmental enrichment involves offering your cat various feline-friendly items, foods, or situations to interact with in order to encourage exploration and the expression of ...

Hot Spots are among the most common skin conditions affecting Australian dogs, particularly in the summer months. Hot Spots can cause your dog a lot of pain and discomfort.  What are hot spots? Hot spots are acute moist dermatitis. They’re localised areas of inflammation and bacterial infection that are most commonly caused or worsened by a dog licking or chewing at an area of agitation, such as a small cut or insect bite.  Hot spots may start as small red spots but when le...

Why do cats groom so often? Unlike many animals, cats love to be clean. Household cats can spend up to 30-50% of their day cleaning by licking, scratching, and rubbing up against objects throughout the house.  As well as to keep clean, there are many reasons why cats spend time grooming, like to: keep cool in hotter months keep their coat soft and clean stimulate blood flow or circulation remove fleas, ticks, or other parasites stay calm or distract themselves when they’re...

Poor dental hygiene and Dental Disease are common in dogs. So much so that around 80% of dogs have either experienced them by the age of three.   Your dog’s teeth Once fully grown, a dog’s mouth is made up of an average of 42 teeth. These teeth include: Incisors  Canines Premolars and molars Unlike herbivorous teeth, your dog’s carnivorous teeth are high-crowned and pointed and designed to cut, pull, and break apart food. But, while your pet&...

It’s compulsory to microchip your dogs and cats in Toowoomba and South East Queensland. And more than that, it’s the easiest way to help find your pet if they’re lost.    How do microchips work in dogs and cats? About microchips Microchips are usually between 11-13mm in length and only 2mm in diameter. For a point of reference, that’s about the size of an uncooked grain of rice.  They don’t contain any tracking capabilities like GPS, instead, ...