Health
Preventive care, the emergencies that cannot wait, parasites, teeth, weight, ageing and the conversations worth having with your vet before you need them.
34 articles. Search the full index.
34 articles
Grooming and coat care through the Luxembourg year
Mats are not cosmetic. They pull on skin, trap damp and hide what is underneath.
Worming: a schedule, not a reaction
Many flea products do not treat worms at all. Check what yours actually covers.
Dog first aid: the six emergencies and what to do first
Nobody researches an out-of-hours vet while carrying a collapsed dog down three flights of stairs.
When a dog will not eat
The alarming version is the dog that refuses the thing it has never refused.
How to read a dog food label
Feed for the weight your dog should be, not the weight it is.
Living with a dog on daily medication
Never stop a dose because the dog seems better, and never give human painkillers.
Neutering: a medical decision, not a default
Neutering does not treat fear, and in an anxious dog it can make things worse.
Feeding, portions and how to tell if your dog is the right weight
Most owners of overweight dogs describe them as a good weight. The scales are not the useful measure anyway.
When a dog loses its hearing or its sight
Teach hand signals while the dog can still hear, and a touch cue while it can still see.
Getting the most out of a veterinary consultation
Thirty seconds of video beats any description of a limp the dog will not perform in the room.
Kennel cough and the other things dogs pass to each other
Vaccination reduces severity and likelihood. A vaccinated dog can still cough.
Managing seasons in an entire bitch
Recall is not a contraceptive. Lead throughout, however reliable she normally is.
Ears: the three signs that mean an appointment
Healthy ears do not need routine cleaning. Over-cleaning creates the problem it is meant to prevent.
Feeding through a dog's life stages
Every transition is a moment to recalculate the portion, not just to change the bag.
Getting weight off a dog, and keeping it off
Put the whole day's ration in one container. When it is empty, the day is finished.
Arthritis: the pain owners file under old age
Limping is a late sign. Stiffness on rising and avoiding the stairs come first.
The itchy dog: working through it in the right order
Food allergy is real, and far less common than it is blamed for.
Sleep: the thing nobody optimises and everybody notices
A puppy grabbing ankles at six in the evening is not under-exercised. It is overtired.
Quality of life, and the decision nobody prepares for
Write down the three things your dog loves most. When it can do none of them, that is the conversation.
Walking a senior dog: what changes, and what should not
Slowing down is not a reason to walk less. It is a reason to walk differently.
Car travel: restraint, sickness and the rule about parked cars
In a 50 km/h impact, an unrestrained 20 kg dog carries roughly the force of a small motorcycle.
Teeth: the problem owners find least interesting and vets see most
Bad breath is not what dogs smell like. It is the smell of bacteria in an inflamed mouth.
Ticks and fleas in Luxembourg: season, prevention and removal
Woodland, long grass and mild winters. Luxembourg is good tick country, and the season is longer than it used to be.
Night pacing and confusion in an old dog
Film the three o'clock behaviour. It is the part your vet never sees.
What to do during a seizure
Note the time. Duration is the single most important piece of information.
Vomiting and diarrhoea: home care or the vet
Unproductive retching with a swollen abdomen is not an upset stomach. It is an emergency.
Scooting: it is usually not worms
Routine emptying at every groom, for a dog with no symptoms, is not a service worth asking for.
Vaccination: core, non-core and titre testing
Ask your vet to write down the plan for the next three years. It makes the whole subject legible.
Restricted activity after surgery, in a flat
The dog feels fine at ten days. The tissue is not healed until much later.
Raw feeding: the honest version
Choose the diet you can do properly every week for years, including the busy ones.
Long-backed breeds, stairs and the spine
Sudden yelping, wobbliness or a dragged hind leg is an emergency measured in hours.
Kidney disease in an older dog
Do not restrict water to reduce the puddles. That dog needs the water.
Diabetes: the routine that makes it manageable
Never give insulin to a dog that has not eaten without speaking to your vet first.
Lumps and bumps: what to check and when
Map them: position, size in millimetres, date. Measuring beats memory every time.
No article matches that search. Try a shorter word, or browse the full index.
Between the articles
Dogs being dogs, in every season.
The practical reading is above. This part is just for the pleasure of it.
The PAWLY journal
New articles, straight to your inbox
One short email when a new article goes live: Luxembourg rules, seasons, behaviour and health. No offers, unsubscribe with one reply.
Reading about it is not the same as covering the day
A free meet & greet takes thirty minutes at your home and commits you to nothing.