Dr. Megan Barnes
Author
About
Meg is an Australian veterinary surgeon, dog expert, and writer, currently living and working in Scotland with her family. She is a passionate advocate of preventative medicine, educating clients, and believes medicine never has a one size fits all approach. When not vetting, her happy place is out walking the hills with her baby daughter and over-excited Labrador in tow, and writing.Archive
Nobody ever said that dog ownership was glamorous, and the very existence of anal glands in dogs can be a consistent reminder of that. They produce a secretion that has a characteristic rotten fish smell that once you’ve experienced it,...
Dogs may stand on four legs and spend an inordinate amount of time with their noses up each other’s bottoms, but their hormones function similarly to ours. Hormones are chemicals released by glandular tissue in the body, and they control...
In the weeks and months that any journey outside involves wrapping up in thermals, jackets, waterproofs, scarves, and beanies, you may be wondering: Just how cold is too cold for your dog? Are there times when you should forgo their...
Neurological disorders in dogs can be alarming for owners to witness and often tricky to diagnose and treat. The nervous system is essentially the electrical system in the body and comprises the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous...
Body trembling, ears pinned back, manic pacing, hiding, fervent panting—these are the signs of noise phobia as displayed by a dog. As an owner, you may feel a sense of helplessness watching your dog suffer from the consequences of what...
Immune systems like to keep us on our toes, occasionally picking something that we are exposed to and saying, “Hey, you there, intruder! I’m going to fight you!” Unfortunately for our canine companions, allergies do not just affect humans. Eggs...
A dog’s paws tolerate multiple stressors all throughout their life. While biomechanically designed to withstand many of these stressors, they are not immune to discomfort and disease. Paws can scale and crack, and they can be subject to the intrusion...
If your dog has eaten an ink pen, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. Ingestion of any non-food objects can lead to obstructions and be detrimental to the health of your dog, so you shouldn’t hesitate in seeking care. It...
A big spoonful of peanut butter is delicious and comforting and certainly a much-loved treat for dogs. Unfortunately for pancreatitis patients, it is high in fat and can put a grumpy pancreas into a full-blown temper tantrum. For dogs that...
If bumpy red welts have erupted suddenly all over your dog, you may be wondering what they could be. These innocuous little bumps that can cause great discomfort to your dog are called “urticaria” or “hives.” The skin is the...
