Articles & guides
Calm, considered guidance.
Helpful articles on grief, end-of-life decisions, and caring for older pets. Anything clinical is reviewed by an RCVS-qualified vet before we publish it.
Preparing for euthanasia: Giving your pet a peaceful last day
If you're facing end of life decisions for your pet, this guide will help prepare you for what to expect & guide you to make it as peaceful as possible.
Support and saying goodbye
Grief, the decision itself, and what to expect when the time comes.
8 signs your dog might be dying (& when to seek help)
The signs a dog may be nearing the end of life, what else those same signs can mean, and why only a vet can tell you which one you are looking at.
How to know if it's time to say goodbye to your pet
A way of thinking about the question of whether it might be time, what quality of life means in practice, and why the conversation with your own vet is the part that answers it.
Understanding Guilt in Saying Goodbye
Coping with Pet Bereavement
Helping Young Children Cope with the Death of a Pet
Ensuring a Peaceful Goodbye: Your Pet’s Last Day
The Loving Act of Letting Go
Understanding Pet Euthanasia
Health conditions and symptoms
Clinical guides to the illnesses and warning signs families ask us about most, each reviewed by an RCVS-qualified vet.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats: the silent diagnosis
A clinically reviewed guide to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats: why it is so often silent, how it presents in a crisis, saddle thrombus and heart failure, and how to think about quality of life.
Cognitive decline in older cats: signs, support, and decisions
A clinically reviewed guide to feline cognitive dysfunction: the night-time vocalising and disorientation families notice first, the conditions that must be ruled out because they mimic it, what helps, and when night distress becomes a quality-of-life question.
Canine cognitive dysfunction: recognising dementia in older dogs
A clinically reviewed guide to canine cognitive dysfunction: what dog dementia is, the DISHAA signs to watch for, what helps, and the point at which night-time distress becomes a quality-of-life decision.
Arthritis in cats: the hidden pain in older cats
Arthritis is one of the most under-diagnosed conditions in older cats because they hide it so well. A clinically reviewed guide to the behavioural signs families miss, how vets diagnose it, the modern treatment options including Solensia, and when mobility loss becomes a quality-of-life question.
Heart failure in dogs: the stages, the signs, and how to monitor at home
Congestive heart failure develops quietly, often years after a murmur is first heard. A clinically reviewed guide to the ACVIM stages, the signs at each, what treatment achieves, and the simple breathing check families can do at home.
Osteosarcoma in dogs: the pain, the choices, and what comfort really looks like
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer in dogs, and pain sits at the centre of every decision. A clinically reviewed guide to the signs, the real choices from amputation to comfort care, and the honest outlook.
Lymphoma in cats: the types, the signs, and what treatment can realistically do
Lymphoma is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in cats, and for many the honest picture is gentler than families fear. A clinically reviewed guide to low-grade versus high-grade disease, the signs, and what treatment can do.
Lymphoma in dogs: what it is, how it is treated, and what to expect
Lymphoma often arrives without warning, in a dog who seems entirely well. A clinically reviewed guide to the signs, how vets diagnose and stage it, and what chemotherapy, steroids, and comfort care each realistically achieve.
Cancer in cats: the common types, the signs, and honest answers about what treatment can do
Cats are unusually good at masking illness, so feline cancer often presents late and vaguely. A clinically reviewed guide to the cancers a UK vet sees most often in cats, how each behaves, and what treatment can realistically offer.
Cancer in dogs: the common types, the signs, and honest answers about what treatment can do
Roughly half of dogs over the age of ten will develop cancer. A clinically reviewed introduction to the most common canine cancers, how each tends to behave, what treatment can and cannot achieve in real terms, and how to think about the conversations that follow a diagnosis.
Arthritis in dogs: managing mobility loss in older dogs
Arthritis affects most older dogs to some degree, and almost all large-breed seniors. A clinically reviewed guide to recognising it early, the modern treatment landscape including Librela, the everyday changes at home that make the biggest difference, and how to know when mobility loss is becoming a comfort question.
Kidney disease in cats: the IRIS stages, what to watch for, and how to know when it is time
Chronic kidney disease is one of the most common conditions in older cats. A clinically reviewed guide to the IRIS staging system, the signs at each stage, what treatment can and cannot do, and the quality-of-life questions that come later.
Recognising pain in older cats: signs, scoring, and when to act
A clinically reviewed guide to recognising pain in cats over the age of ten. The behavioural signs most families miss, the validated scoring tools UK vets use, the conditions most often responsible, and how to know when pain is becoming a quality-of-life question.
Kidney disease in dogs: stages, signs, and knowing when it is time
A clinically reviewed guide to canine kidney disease: IRIS staging, the signs to watch for, what treatment can and cannot do, and how to know when it is time.
Everyday care
Practical guidance for looking after a pet at any age.
