NEWS AND OPINION: I make sure that people realise that in some of my articles I express my opinion as I feel I must but opinions are always based on hard facts and careful research. In this instance, remarkably, Google News reports on a UK government website article about sporotrichosis, a fungal disease commonly …
NEWS AND OPINION: Steven Fry, a well-respected and indeed loved, highly intelligent British celebrity, actor and comedian, has condemned the UK’s Ministry of Defence for insisting that their guards continue to wear bearskin hats made from genuine Canadian black bear pelts when synthetic alternatives made to a high standard and meeting requirements of drying …
NO. People ask whether they can cuddle their cat if their cat has ringworm. Through personal experience, I would strongly suggest that you do not cuddle your cat if they have ringworm. This is because it is a highly contagious fungal infection which is likely to be transmitted to you as it is zoonotic …
The above product cost £11.99 on Amazon in the UK. My research indicates multiple benefits to cats in taking fish oil supplements but I can’t find a scientific study supporting the suggestion that is helps to stop fur shedding. However, veterinarians would probably agree that fish oil does improve the skin and helps to …
Here are 9 facts about feline ‘freckles’ aka lentigo. Lentigo can infrequently cause alarm in cat owners. One asked on social media: “What is this all over my cat’s nose and mouth? And are there any possible treatments?”. They were referring to their ginger cat above. The words come from a Reddit.com user, and …
Here are 17 facts about the microbiota resident on the skin of domestic cats. It might surprise people to know that there is a multitude of microorganisms including bacteria and fungi on a cat’s skin called ‘skin microbiota’ creating a ‘skin microbiome’. It is similar to the way that cats and humans have a …
In my long experience of dealing with fleas (!) I know that they normally live on the shoulders and neck of a domestic cat. And yet, their flea dirt is always situated at the base of the tail, a considerable distance away from where they live. It’s a great conundrum. I am scratching my …
There is a story in the Australian news media about the rise in tick paralysis in Gold Coast dogs and cats. I immediately discovered that it is an incredibly serious disease. Certain species of tick cause paralysis in their hosts. In the US tick paralysis is most common in the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky …
