about our 24/7 clinic (philosophically speaking...)

<h5>New puppy? What to do?</h5><ol> <li>Arrange an appointment with your <a href="/what-we-do/dkc-veterinary-clinic" target="_blank">vet</a> to have your puppy fully checked over and examined.</li> <li>Start <a href="/what-we-do/dkc-veterinary-clinic/vaccinations-the-lazy-way" target="_blank">vaccinations</a> as soon as your puppy is old enough.</li> <li>Apply worm and tick treatment when required.</li> <li>Microchip your puppy.</li> <li><a href="/what-we-do/dkc-veterinary-clinic/dubai-pet-municipality-tags-registration" target="_blank">Register your puppy</a> with your local municipality after vaccinations and microchipping.</li> <li>Feed your new puppy the correct diet and amount.</li> <li>Toilet train your puppy.</li> <li>Socialize your puppy with other dogs ~ a lot!</li> </ol> <p><br>Seriously.</p>

<h5>Why do dogs eat their own faeces? (Blech!)</h5><p>Because they're NUTS, obviously!  <img alt="" src="/graphics/ic_wink.png" height="15" width="15"></p> <p>When a dog eats his own faeces, this is called <i>coprophagia</i>. The reason for an animal to eat its own faeces is not completely understood (what a surprise!), however it may be totally normal. It is common in young puppies, as well as females that have just given birth in order to clean their nest environment.</p> <p>In some cases there may be a dietary deficiency, with your dog trying to compensate for this. In these cases, it's important to try to ensure a good, healthy and balanced diet. Or perhaps a young dog may have developed the behaviour and the motivation to continue doing it is due to receiving positive attention for it (believe it or not).</p> <p>It's best to try and remove faeces on a regular basis, as soon as it "appears", but you can also try adding not-so-tasty substances to their faeces (after it's "dropped", of course) to deter the habit, including such things as cayenne pepper and anise; there are also sometimes commercial products available specifically targetted at being added to stool (WHO goes into THAT kind of business?!). But in addition to these war-like tactics, you can try adding "stuff" to their diet, such as probiotics and vitamins (but ask your vet for advice first), and there are also tablets containing yucca, thiamine and capsicum (amoung other things) to be given orally that can sometimes help too.</p> <p>Or you can call your vet!! Help!!</p>

<h5>My pet is travelling ~ Which blood tests does she need?</h5> <div class="faq_ans_img"><img loading="lazy" src="https://d12fifzdy7ujh4.cloudfront.net/images/faqs/faq_75.jpg"></div> <div class="faq_ans_text"><p>There ain't no way we can answer this question in a FAQ, silly!! Every country has different requirements (and there are a LOT of countries out there!), so we'll need to have a chat before we can begin to unravel this little bit of mystery.</p> <p>Actually, correction, you don't need a chat with us vets and nurses but rather with our Global Relocations Account Managers over in our <a href="/about-dkc/howl-we-get-there" target="_blank">Umm Ramool</a> office, so contact them <a href="/contact-us/relocations" target="_blank">here</a>.</p></div>

<h5>Teeth Brushing ~ Should I or Shouldn't I?</h5><p>Teeth brushing!!? For pets!!?? Oh my goodness!! What is the world coming to?!</p> <p>Well, that's probably too philosophical a question for us humble pet owners, so just know this: the less effort and time you put into your dog's or cat's teeth at home, the more likely you will face serious dental issues (and costs) in the future. Yep, it's a sad truth.</p> <p>Dental plaque and tartar build up on your dog's teeth just like it does with us humanoids, so brushing your pet's teeth once daily is best.</p> <p>Once daily!? Can you even <i>imagine</i> doing it this often?</p> <p>It <i>is</i> a lot of work, that's true. Furthermore, some dogs and cats <i>really</i> don't like having their teeth brushed (especially those chompers at the back), which of course will make the job all that more difficult and tiresome, for both of you. But if you get the right tools of the trade (at pretty much any pet shop) and keep at it, the difference will amaze you. Truly. And in fact, if you can't manage it every day, or even every week, then just do what you can whenever you can, because within reason, in this case, <i>something</i> is always better than <i>nothing</i>.</p> <p>This said, there are alternatives to brushing (yay!)... but they're not quite as good (boo!). Dental gels can be rubbed on the gums, and there are products which you can put in their drinking water to help reduce the bacterial load in the mouth. And dental chews of various shapes and sizes do exist, which may or may not be beneficial ~ you'll need to try them and see!</p> <p>Ultimately, if you notice bad breath on your pet or are in any way worried about their teeth, a quick veterinary check will let you know if you need to have your pet's teeth scaled and polished (just like you do when you go to the dental hygienist yourself) ~ most pets will need this done as they get older ~ usually yearly.</p> <p>So what's the point of home dental care if you gotta visit the vet anyway? Well, seriously, frequency of need and cost ~ and the comfort of your pet, of course. You'd be very surprised how many dogs and cats are not feeling as well as you might think, until you see the difference after they've been to the vet for a cleaning and, sometimes, extraction of rotting teeth and sore gums.</p> <p>Sorry folks, but that's the tooth.</p>