All guides
Twenty-nine guides on feeding, health, behaviour and the things that go wrong.
Every guide here is written to be read by owners rather than clinicians, and each one connects back to a calculator where there is a number worth working out.
Dogs
French Bulldogs: the honest owner's guideAmerica's number one breed for four years running, and the one vets worry about most.How much should I feed my dog?Why the bag's guide is an average for a dog that doesn't exist.Your dog's age in human yearsThe seven-year rule gets the first two years badly wrong.How often should you walk your dog?By breed and age — and why more is not automatically better.Foods dogs can and cannot eatSome human foods are fine. A few are emergencies.Why does my dog eat grass?Usually normal. The real risk is not the grass itself.Does my dog have a food allergy?Far more dogs are diagnosed by their owners than actually have one.How to brush your dog's teethThe most neglected part of pet care, and the most expensive to ignore.Separation anxiety in dogsIt is panic, not misbehaviour — and that changes what works.How long can a dog be left alone?Shorter than most working patterns allow.Dogs in hot weatherOne of the few preventable ways a healthy dog dies.Caring for a senior dogMost of what owners write off as old age is treatable.
Puppies
Your puppy's first weekThe seven days that set patterns you'll live with for years.Puppy vaccination scheduleMiss a booster and you may have to restart the course.How to crate train a puppyDone well it becomes their favourite place.
Cats
Why do cats knead?A short field guide to what your cat is actually saying.Signs your cat is in painCats evolved to hide weakness. By the time it's obvious, it's late.Litter box problems solvedIt is almost never spite.Introducing a new catRushing this is why two cats never get along.Stop a cat scratching the sofaYou can't stop the behaviour. You can move it.How much water should a cat drink?Drinking more is an early sign of serious illness.Indoor or outdoor cat?Indoor cats live far longer. That's the start of the argument.
Both
Is my pet overweight?A 30-second hands-on check and what to do about it.Wet or dry food?For dogs it's preference. For cats there's a real argument.Fleas and ticks: what actually worksBy the time you see fleas, most of the problem is in your carpet.Microchipping and lost petsThe chip isn't the point. The database entry is.Neutering: the honest pictureNow a conversation about timing rather than yes or no.What a dog actually costs per yearThe purchase price is the smallest number here.Pet emergencies: what cannot waitKnowing which is a same-hour problem is what matters.