Hannah has worked as a veterinary nurse in small-animal practice in Adelaide, spending most shifts on anxiety consults, senior-pet checks and the paperwork nobody warns you about. She writes the clinical-angle columns on this blog and is strict about one rule: explain, never diagnose.
As a vet nurse I see pen problems that have nothing to do with the door. Chewed bars, overheated soft sides in the sun, toppling on uneven ground and tangled collars all land puppies in the clinic. A safe pen is about the whole setup, not just a good latch.
As a vet nurse I'm often asked how many hours a puppy can spend in a pen. There's no single number, but long, unbroken stretches without play, toilet trips and human contact can slow social growth. Think in breaks, not just hours, and watch the puppy, not the clock.
As a vet nurse, the toy parts I see most often lodged in mouths and guts are the ones owners never thought twice about. Here are the bits I remove first at home, with the honest caveat that I am not your vet.
Older cats and dogs still need play, just gentler and shorter. As a vet nurse I see the difference gentle daily enrichment makes to stiff joints and cloudy minds, without ever overdoing it.
A vet nurse's calm, practical steps to lower a pet's stress around the carrier before travel day, with no diagnosis, just supportive care.
A vet nurse explains why enclosed carriers overheat fast in Australian summers, the early signs of heat stress, and how to avoid it.
Orthopaedic dog beds love to quote foam density, but the number on the box means little without context. As a vet nurse I break down what density and firmness actually tell you about support.
The way your dog sleeps, and where they choose to lie, can hint at stiff joints. As a vet nurse I explain the clues a bed choice offers, without diagnosing, and when to see your vet.
As a vet nurse I see a repeat set of injuries tied to retractable leads, from burned palms to tangled legs and sudden neck jerks. None of this is a diagnosis, just patterns worth knowing.
Lead length changes the force reaching your dog's neck and how quickly you can react. A vet nurse explains the simple mechanics, with a gentle nudge to check worries with your vet.
As a vet nurse I check the same pressure points before every walk: armpits, sternum, shoulders and the throat ring. A harness that sits wrong there can cause rubbing and soreness long before a dog shows limping, so a thirty-second check keeps walks comfortable.
As a vet nurse I see coat wear and skin marks that trace a harness strap exactly. Those lines mean the fit is wrong, not that the dog is itchy. Catching them early saves a sore, and a few simple checks at home tell you when to adjust or see your vet.
As a vet nurse, I see dogs dressed for warmth who are actually overheating. Here are the subtle signs owners miss, and when to strip the coat off.
A vet nurse's honest look at UPF dog clothing: it shields some dogs well, but it is no substitute for shade, timing, and checking the skin your dog can't cover.
Half the senior dogs I see in winter wear coats they resent, and half the ones who need one go without. Here is how I tell the difference in ten minutes.
As a vet nurse I'm often asked if pheromone calming collars are safe. Here's an honest look at how they work, who should skip them, and when to see your vet.
A calming collar won't fix everything. A vet nurse outlines the red flags, from sudden fear to self-injury, that mean your pet needs a proper check.
Owners plug diffusers behind couches and judge them after one storm, then blame the product. Placement and patience change the result more than the brand does.
As a vet nurse I see plenty of older dogs strained by car steps. A step, a non-slip cover and a calm routine protect sore joints. This is support, not treatment, so check with your vet.
As a vet nurse, the number I repeat most is how fast a parked car heats. Even a mild day turns a cabin dangerous in minutes. Plan shade, airflow and short stops before summer drives.
A first cat changes the house in the best way. It also triggers a trolley-load of toy aisles, half of which your cat will ignore. After fostering more than a few shy rescues, I've got a short list of…
When Pippa arrived as a foster, she spent most of her days wedged behind the lounge, watching the world from a safe gap she'd claimed as her own. Like a lot of rescue cats, she wasn't unfriendly —…
People are always surprised when I tell them catnip doesn't work on every cat. Roughly a third of cats carry no response to it at all — genetics, not personality. My own boy rolls on a catnip mouse…
Nothing gets a cat moving like a little red dot. Nothing frustrates one faster, either. A laser chase has no ending — the dot never dies — and for a predator, that unresolved hunt can build agitation…
A cat that finishes dinner in forty seconds isn't thriving — it's vacuuming. Fast eating in cats can bring regurgitation, and just as importantly, it wastes the single easiest enrichment opportunity…
Unit living with a cat is mostly lovely, right up until 2am when a jingle ball ricochets off the wardrobe. I've fostered in apartments for years, and the toy box had to adapt: quieter materials,…
The most common complaint I hear from cat owners is "she ignores every toy I buy." Nine times out of ten, the toys are fine — they're just lying still. A feather on the floor is a dead thing; the…