Articles

An ear infection in dogs — inflammation of the outer ear canal, or otitis externa — is one of the most common reasons for a vet visit. The dog shakes its head and scratches its ears, and the ear smells bad or discharges. Do not wait for it to heal on its own: with proper examination and treatment, most acute ear infections clear within 2–4 weeks. A recurring infection almost always has an underlying cause, which needs to be found and kept under control. This article explains how to recognise an ear infection, what happens at the vet, what treatment costs at Saari Animal Clinic, and how to prevent it from coming back.

Poisoning is a common reason for emergency visits to the vet. Often, a dog or cat is poisoned by eating something that is harmless to us but toxic to them, such as chocolate, xylitol or grapes — or by getting into human medicines. How ill the animal becomes depends on the substance, the amount swallowed and the animal’s size. A suspected poisoning is always worth an immediate call to your vet, even if your pet still seems perfectly well. For many poisons, treatment works best — or only works — before any signs appear.

Modern advice in Finland is no longer to deworm every pet “just in case” several times a year. Parasite control is now risk-based: puppies, kittens and animals that hunt, roam or travel are dewormed on a schedule, while a healthy, low-risk adult can instead be checked with a faecal sample and treated only when needed. The idea is simple — treat at the right time and for the right reason, not by the calendar. Below are the current recommendations for cats and dogs of every age, based on the European ESCCAP guideline and Finnish practice. We also cover the signs of a worm infection, which product to choose, and the legal tapeworm treatment for travelling dogs.

A veterinarian who is operating cannot give the anaesthetic their full attention. A trained veterinary nurse watches the monitors, responds to changes and cares for the patient before, during and after surgery. In large studies, the main risk factors for anaesthetic death are the patient’s health before anaesthesia (ASA classification), age, body weight, and how major and how urgent the procedure is. These can rarely be changed on the day, but monitoring can: in cats, checking the pulse and using a pulse oximeter during anaesthesia have been linked to a lower risk of death. At our clinic, a trained nurse monitors the anaesthetic, so the veterinarian can concentrate on the operation.

Hypothermia is one of the most common complications of anesthesia. In two Spanish studies, body temperature at the end of anesthesia was below 38.5 °C (the studies’ lower limit of normal) in 84% of dogs and 97% of cats, and below 36.5 °C in 32% of dogs and 71% of cats. Anesthetic agents impair the body’s temperature regulation, blood vessels dilate, and small patients lose heat rapidly. Hypothermia slows drug metabolism, prolongs recovery, and can impair blood clotting and heart function; in people, it also increases the risk of wound infection.

Anesthesia is an essential part of surgery, dentistry, and many diagnostic procedures. Many owners worry about it, and that is understandable. For a healthy dog or cat, however, the risk is low. In the large UK CEPSAF study (Brodbelt et al. 2008; 98,036 anesthetics and sedations in dogs and 79,178 in cats, 2002–2004), about 1 in 600 dogs (0.17%) and 1 in 400 cats (0.24%) died of causes related to anesthesia or sedation within 48 hours. For healthy patients, the risk was much lower: 0.05% (1 in 1,849) in dogs and 0.11% (1 in 895) in cats. A newer study (Redondo et al. 2024) of 55,022 anesthetics in dogs at 405 clinics and hospitals in 21 countries (general practices, referral practices, and university hospitals) reported a figure of 0.69%. The two figures cannot be compared directly, because the patients and the definitions differed.

Vaccinations are the most effective way to protect pets from serious infectious diseases. In Finland, the Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto) publishes vaccination recommendations. Apart from a few legal requirements (see Rabies and Travel below), they are not binding — the veterinarian always makes an individual assessment. The recommendations draw on the international WSAVA guidelines (2024); for cats, the Finnish feline medicine society Catus has adapted them to Finnish conditions.

In cats, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and low-grade intestinal lymphoma are notoriously hard to tell apart. Both mainly affect middle-aged and older cats; low-grade lymphoma is very uncommon before 8 years of age. Signs include weight loss (the most common sign), vomiting, diarrhea, and changes in appetite. They can be mild, and diarrhea may be absent. The distinction matters because treatment and prognosis can differ: IBD is managed with diet and, if needed, corticosteroids, whereas low-grade lymphoma usually also needs oral chemotherapy.

Gastroscopy is an examination in which a flexible camera tube (endoscope) is passed through the mouth into the esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine (duodenum). The vet sees the lining on a monitor, can take tissue samples (biopsies), and can often remove a swallowed object — without a surgical incision.

Tooth resorption is a disease in which the body’s own cells (odontoclasts) gradually destroy the hard tissues of a tooth — cementum, dentin, and enamel. It usually starts on the root, below the gum line, and gets worse over time. It is most common in cats but is increasingly recognized in dogs. Once a lesion opens into the mouth, it is often painful — yet most affected cats show no obvious signs, so the disease easily goes unnoticed.

A vet visit is a stressful experience for many cats. An unfamiliar environment, strange smells, the presence of dogs and handling by strangers can trigger a strong stress response. Stress is not just uncomfortable — it also affects test results. In a study of healthy cats brought into an animal hospital, blood glucose rose above normal in most of them, with readings as high as about 18 mmol/L — values also seen in diabetic cats. Because of this effect, known as stress hyperglycaemia, a single high reading cannot, on its own, be taken to mean diabetes. Blood pressure is affected too: in healthy cats with implanted sensors, systolic pressure during a simulated clinic visit was, on average, about 18 mmHg higher than the cat’s own 24-hour mean, and the effect varied widely between cats and from one visit to the next. At Eläinklinikka Saari, we have invested in feline wellbeing and hold Silver-level accreditation in the international Cat Friendly Clinic programme.

An unerupted tooth is a tooth that has never broken through the gum into the mouth — it stays hidden under the gum or inside the jawbone. Unerupted teeth are seen particularly often in brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds. A fluid-filled dentigerous cyst can develop around the crown of an unerupted tooth and gradually enlarge, destroying the surrounding jawbone. Because the tooth cannot be seen, the problem often goes unnoticed until the damage is significant — unless dental X-rays are taken. At our clinic, we take dental X-rays and surgically remove unerupted teeth and dentigerous cysts.

Every summer, people find a tiny hedgehog alone in the garden, on a path or out in daylight — and their first instinct is to scoop it up and help. Sometimes that instinct saves a life. Sometimes it accidentally orphans a healthy baby whose mother was only metres away. This guide will help you tell the difference, and show you exactly what to do — the Finnish way, and within Finnish law.

The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is one of our most beloved wild animals — and its numbers are falling across much of Europe. In October 2024, the IUCN moved the hedgehog from Least Concern to Near Threatened on its global Red List. Populations are thought to have shrunk in more than half of the countries where it lives. In many parts of its range, the decline appears to be approaching — or even exceeding — 30% over ten years, the threshold for a threatened category. In Finland, the hedgehog lives at the northern edge of its range, where long winters make survival especially hard. In this article, we look at the hedgehog’s situation, the threats it faces and how everyone can help.

Pyometra is a life-threatening infection in which the uterus of an unspayed female fills with pus. It is one of the most common serious diseases of intact bitches: roughly one in five unspayed female dogs (19–24% in Swedish insurance data) develops it by the age of 10. It also occurs in cats. The condition usually needs emergency surgery, and recognising the signs early can save your pet’s life. This article explains what the symptoms look like, how quickly pyometra develops, why antibiotics alone are not enough, how it is treated at Saari Animal Clinic, what recovery involves and how to prevent it.

Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture is one of the most common causes of hind-limb lameness in dogs; it is less common in cats. The lateral suture technique, also known as extracapsular lateral suture stabilization, is a well-established surgical method in which the knee is stabilized with synthetic material placed outside the joint. It is best suited to smaller and less active dogs, and it is also used in cats. At our clinic, the surgery is performed by veterinarian Pamela Kvarngård.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), often called kidney failure, is one of the most common diseases of older cats: it may affect 30–40% or more of cats over 10 years old, although in most of them the disease is still at an early, mild stage. In dogs, it is much less common and is found mainly in older animals — in a large UK study, nearly two thirds of affected dogs were over 12 years old at diagnosis. The kidneys lose function slowly and irreversibly, and the first signs are easy to miss. But kidney failure is not an immediate death sentence — with early diagnosis and the right diet and treatment, many cats live for years, and dogs for many months to years, with a good quality of life. This article explains how to recognise the symptoms, what the IRIS stages mean, how we treat kidney patients at Saari Animal Clinic, what to feed, and what to expect.

The European adder (Vipera berus) is Finland’s only venomous snake and lives across almost the whole country, including Ostrobothnia. Bites happen mainly from April to September, while adders are out of hibernation; in spring and autumn they often bask in the open on sunny slopes near their winter dens. Dogs are bitten most often because they sniff and paw at snakes, so most bites are on the head, muzzle or legs. Cats can be bitten too. An adder bite is always a veterinary emergency.

Food allergy is one cause of itching in dogs and cats. In studies, it is found in roughly 15–20% of itchy pets — less often than environmental allergy (atopy). Many owners suspect grains, but the most common culprits in dogs are animal proteins such as beef, dairy products and chicken. Food allergy can only be diagnosed with an elimination diet and a food challenge, and we can help you with both.

Hyperthyroidism is the most common hormonal disease in older cats. Depending on the study, it affects up to about one in ten cats over 10 years of age. The overactive thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone (T4), which speeds up the metabolism and strains many organs, especially the heart and kidneys. Left untreated, the disease leads to serious complications. With treatment and regular check-ups, the outlook is usually good, although kidney disease found alongside it can affect the long-term prognosis.

Periodontal disease is one of the most common diseases in dogs and cats: UK veterinary practices diagnose it in about 12.5% of dogs and 15% of cats in a given year, and detailed examinations under anesthesia find it in 44–100% of dogs. Left untreated, it can destroy the tissues that hold the teeth, causing bone loss and eventually tooth loss. PerioVive is a hyaluronic acid gel used as an add-on during dental procedures — not a stand-alone treatment.

In a 2024 report, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) found that the Finnish market for small-animal veterinary care had concentrated heavily through acquisitions over the previous ten years and was led by two chains owned by foreign private equity investors — Evidensia and Vireä. Measured by 2023 revenue, Evidensia had 40–50% of the private small-animal market nationally and Vireä 10–20% (KKV gives ranges to protect business secrets). Eläinklinikka Saari is the only family-owned small-animal clinic in Vaasa, and we want to explain why that matters to us.

Gum (periodontal) disease is one of the most common health problems in dogs and cats. Thorough examinations under anesthesia find at least early gum disease in most adult pets, often by two to three years of age. It causes pain and infection and has been linked to heart, kidney and liver disease. Daily tooth brushing is the most effective way to prevent it at home — and many pets learn to accept it.

Grain-free pet food became a major trend, marketed as more “natural”. But in July 2018 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an investigation into heart disease (DCM) in dogs eating certain foods, many of them grain-free. Here we review what the research shows — and what we recommend.

Diarrhoea is one of the most common reasons for a veterinary visit. Most cases are mild and settle within a few days — but diarrhoea can also be a sign of serious illness. Here is what causes it, how to care for your pet at home and when to contact the clinic.

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is one of the most common congenital heart defects in dogs. The ductus is a blood vessel that connects the aorta and the pulmonary artery before birth; it should close soon afterward. If it stays open, it overloads the heart, and most untreated dogs develop heart failure within their first year or two. When PDA is found early and closed, it is usually cured.

Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease is one of the most common causes of hind-leg lameness in dogs. The ligament usually weakens gradually and often tears partially before rupturing completely. The unstable knee is painful, and osteoarthritis develops in the joint. TTA (tibial tuberosity advancement) stabilizes the knee surgically without replacing the ligament.

Ear infections are among the most common reasons dogs see a vet. A hand-held otoscope is enough for most ear examinations, but swelling and discharge can hide the eardrum. In video-otoscopy, a thin endoscope with a camera shows a magnified view of the ear canal on a monitor.

Pain management is one of the most important parts of any surgery. At our clinic, a pain-relief infusion is a routine part of larger operations, such as dog spays and orthopedic surgery. It is known as a constant rate infusion (CRI), also called a continuous rate infusion. Rather than relying only on separate injections, a CRI delivers pain medication into a vein at a steady, precisely controlled rate, usually after a starting dose. We start the infusion before the first incision and continue it throughout the operation.