Ask A Vet

04/11/2026

Anticoagulants in 60 seconds. 🩸 5 blood thinners, one simple picture each. Save this for your next pharm exam. 👇

🎯 First, the two targets. The whole clotting cascade funnels into two steps: Factor Xa turns prothrombin (II) into thrombin (IIa), and thrombin then knits fibrin into a clot. Every drug here blocks one of those two steps.

1️⃣ & 2️⃣ The heparins. Both work by supercharging antithrombin (AT), your body’s own clot cop.

Heparin (unfractionated): powers up AT to hit both IIa and Xa
Enoxaparin (LMWH): a smaller heparin that hits Xa far more than IIa

3️⃣ Apixaban. Handcuffs Xa directly, no antithrombin needed. Less Xa means less thrombin gets made, so prothrombin stays parked and less fibrin forms.

4️⃣ Dabigatran. Handcuffs thrombin (IIa) itself. No thrombin, no fibrin net, so fibrinogen never gets knitted into fibrin.

5️⃣ Warfarin. Switches off vitamin K. Normally the liver recycles vitamin K to switch on factors II, VII, IX and X (plus proteins C and S). Warfarin blocks the recycler (VKORC1), so new factors come out switched off. Fun fact: many rat baits work the exact same way, and the antidote is vitamin K1.

🧠 The name trick to remember it all: “-xaban” blocks Xa, “-gatran” blocks IIa.

That’s the whole class in one scroll. Save it and share it with your study group. 📚

Approved by Dr. Duncan Houston, emergency vet ✅

⚠️ Educational for clinical learners. Always follow current drug references and dosing guidance.

04/11/2026

04/11/2026

Is your senior cat eating well but slowly getting skinnier? 🐱 That combination is one of the clearest signs that something needs checking. Here are 5 common reasons it happens in older cats. 👇

⚠️ First, the key point: skinny isn’t normal aging. If your cat is eating fine but still losing weight, something is going on inside. And it adds up fast, because losing 1 lb on a 10 lb cat is 10% of their whole body.

1️⃣ Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Always hungry, yet still getting thinner. It affects over 10% of senior cats. Watch for constant begging for food, and more vomiting or yowling at night.

2️⃣ Kidney disease. Drinks more, eats less. It hits around 30 to 40% of cats over 10. Signs include drinking and p*eing more, a pickier appetite, and slow, steady weight loss.

3️⃣ Diabetes. Eats a lot, still loses. Think drinking and p*eing a ton, a big appetite with ongoing weight loss, and some cats even start walking flat on their back legs.

4️⃣ Gut problems. Tummy trouble isn’t normal. Conditions like IBD and gut lymphoma are common in older cats, often with on-and-off vomiting or diarrhea.

5️⃣ Mouth pain or muscle loss. Sore teeth, bony spine. Bad teeth can make eating hurt, and senior cats also lose muscle with age, which often shows first along the spine and back legs.

📏 Your move: weigh them every month. A baby scale catches small changes best. No baby scale? Weigh yourself holding your cat, then subtract your own weight. Write it down every time so you can spot a trend.

🚨 Red flag, don’t wait: if the weight keeps dropping, or your cat stops eating for more than 1 to 2 days, see a vet. In cats, not eating can harm the liver very quickly.

Caught early, most of these are very manageable. The scale is your early warning system. 💛

Noticing weight changes in your senior cat? 💬 You can chat to a certified vet anytime on the Ask A Vet app.

🔗 purrz.com · 📱 get.askavet.com

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Approved by Dr. Duncan Houston, emergency vet ✅

⚠️ Educational only. Not a substitute for in-person veterinary care.

03/11/2026

People ask me why I hold onto these businesses so tightly. The honest answer? For me, this was never just a business. It’s my passion. 🐾

I’ll admit it openly: I worry about losing grip on where these companies are going. That’s exactly why I want to keep everything close, with me and my mom. Because family sticks together, and these are our businesses. My ideas. Built by us.

I don’t want to lose them, because I know exactly what they can become and what they stand for. Top care. Top products. Bringing real technology to animal health. That’s the whole mission.

And the truth is, I love this. I love developing products. I love testing things, tweaking them, breaking them, trying again. I love sitting there thinking through ideas and designing something new. It genuinely lights me up.

The last five years have taught me so much. I know I can run a business far better now than when I started. But the part that’s never changed is the love for it. I’d do this forever.

So no, I’m not going anywhere. The animals, the products, the ideas. This is the work I was meant to do. 💛

🩺 askavet.com
🐕 woopf.com
🐱 purrz.com

03/11/2026

Did you know not all bladder stones are the same? 🪨🐾 Some melt away with diet, and some have to be surgically removed. Here’s a quick guide to the 6 types vets see.

🔬 First, what are they? Bladder stones (uroliths) are minerals that clump together into stones. They can be triggered by urine chemistry, infection, genetics, diet or medications. And a note worth knowing: urine crystals don’t always mean stones.

⚠️ Signs to watch for: straining to p*e, p*eing often, or blood in the urine. And if your pet can’t p*e at all, see a vet right away. In male cats especially, a blockage is a true emergency.

Now, the 6 types 👇

1️⃣ Struvite. In dogs, usually caused by a bladder infection. The good news is it often dissolves with a special vet diet, plus antibiotics if there’s an infection.

2️⃣ Calcium oxalate. The one that won’t melt. More common in older males, small breeds and Himalayan cats. Diet can’t dissolve it, so it has to come out.

3️⃣ Urate. The “spiky” stone, classic in Dalmatians, Bulldogs and pets with a liver shunt. A low-purine diet plus medication can often dissolve it.

4️⃣ Cystine. Hexagon-shaped and almost always seen in unneutered male dogs. Diet and meds can dissolve it, and neutering can help.

5️⃣ Silica. Rare, and linked to soil or plant-heavy diets. It won’t dissolve, so it must be removed.

6️⃣ Xanthine. Usually a medication side effect, mostly in dogs on allopurinol (a urate med). The vet adjusts the dose, and some stones still need to come out.

Why does the type matter so much? Because it decides the treatment. That’s why vets analyse a stone rather than guessing. 💛

Noticing p*e changes in your pet? 💬 You can chat to a certified vet anytime on the Ask A Vet app, but if your pet can’t p*e, go straight to a vet.

🔗 askavet.com · 📱 get.askavet.com

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Approved by Dr. Duncan Houston, emergency vet ✅

⚠️ Educational only. Not a substitute for in-person veterinary care.

02/11/2026

Meet the 5 tiny bodyguards keeping your pet safe from germs. 🦠🛡️ They’re called antibodies, and each one has its own job. Here’s who’s who. 👇

🔵 First, the basics. Antibodies are tiny Y-shaped proteins made by white blood cells (B cells). Each one locks onto a specific germ, then flags it so the body can destroy it.

1️⃣ IgG, the memory keeper. The most common antibody in the blood. It builds up after infections and vaccines, remembers old enemies, and it’s the one vaccine titer tests measure.

🍼 The pet twist: from milk, not the womb. In people, IgG crosses the placenta. In puppies and kittens, very little does. Most of it arrives in that crucial first milk (colostrum) within 24 hours of birth, which is why those early hours matter so much.

💉 And why one shot isn’t enough. Mum’s antibodies can actually block early vaccines from working, so puppy and kitten shots repeat every 2 to 4 weeks, with the last baby dose at 16 weeks or older.

2️⃣ IgA, the doorway guard. Lives in tears, saliva, the nose and the gut, stopping germs from sticking and getting in. Nose-drop kennel cough vaccines give it a boost.

3️⃣ IgM, the first responder. The first antibody made in a brand new infection. Its big 5-armed shape clumps germs together, and a high level can point to a recent infection.

4️⃣ IgE, the allergy alarm. Sits on mast cells ready to sound the alarm. In pets, allergies often show up as itchy skin, and IgE also helps fight worms and parasites.

5️⃣ IgD, the rookie. Found mostly on the surface of young B cells and may help switch them on. It’s not found in every species and is still a bit of a mystery.

5 antibodies, 5 jobs, all working around the clock to keep your pet healthy. 💛

Due for shots or have a health question? 💬 You can chat to a certified vet anytime on the Ask A Vet app.

🔗 askavet.com · 📱 get.askavet.com

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Approved by Dr. Duncan Houston, emergency vet ✅

⚠️ Educational only. Not a substitute for in-person veterinary care.

02/11/2026

Five years ago I had nothing. No money, just out of surgery, lying on my friend’s floor playing cards because that’s all I could afford to do. 🃏

Back then, I remember being quoted $5,000 to get Ask A Vet started and thinking, how on earth am I ever going to pull that together? I was working myself into the ground and had literally nothing to my name.

Fast forward to today, and the honest truth is I’m millions of dollars in debt, running three companies that are doing okay, and pushing to grow them as fast as I possibly can. 😅

I’ve burned a lot of money, in a lot of different ways. People love to point out that I could own a house in Sydney by now instead. And they’re right, I probably could.

But here’s the thing. If I had that house, and I was working normal hours or night shifts just to pay off a mortgage, I’d absolutely hate myself. I couldn’t do it. That’s not the life I want.

So yeah, I went from nothing to this, debt and all, because I genuinely love what I’m building and the animals it’s for. 🐾

It’s not the clean success story people expect. It’s messy and risky and scary. But it’s mine, and I wouldn’t trade it.

If you’re building something and it’s hard right now, I see you. Keep going.

The three I’m building, every day:
🩺 Ask A Vet → askavet.com
🐕 Woopf (dogs) → woopf.com
🐱 Purrz (cats) → purrz.com

02/11/2026

From bump to puppies in just 63 days. 🐶💕 Dog pregnancy moves fast, so here’s what’s happening inside, week by week. 👇

📅 First, the timing. About 63 days, give or take, but that’s counted from ovulation, not mating day. Measured from the mating date, it’s roughly 58 to 68 days.

🥚 Week 1-2 (days 1-14): A tiny start. The eggs are fertilised and travel to the womb. Mum looks and acts completely normal.

❤️ Week 3-4 (days 15-28): First heartbeats. The embryos settle in and organs and the spine begin to form. An ultrasound can spot heartbeats around day 25.

🐾 Week 5 (days 29-35): Now they’re puppy-shaped. Toes, tails and little faces take shape, and her belly may start to round out.

🍖 Week 6-7 (days 36-49): Big growth spurt. Fur, claws and bones start to form. Mum gets hungrier and her teats get bigger.

🩻 Week 8 (days 50-56): Getting into position. The puppies gain weight and line up for birth, and an X-ray can now show how many to expect.

⏰ Week 9 (days 57-63): Any day now. She nests, pants and may skip a meal. A temperature drop below 37.8°C (100°F) usually means labour within about 24 hours.

🚨 During birth, call your vet right away if:
⏳ Hard straining for 30 minutes with no puppy
⌛ More than 2 hours between puppies
🟢 Green-black discharge before the first puppy arrives

A pregnant dog should be under veterinary care throughout, so work closely with your vet from the start. 💛

Expecting a litter and have questions? 💬 You can chat to a certified vet anytime on the Ask A Vet app.

🔗 woopf.com · 📱 get.askavet.com

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Approved by Dr. Duncan Houston, emergency vet ✅

⚠️ Educational only. Not a substitute for in-person veterinary care.

02/11/2026

Is your older dog suddenly up at night, pacing, panting or just unable to settle? 🌙🐶 It’s easy to feel frustrated at 3am, but this is a change to notice, not to scold. Here’s how to help.

🔍 Notice the pattern, skip the scolding. Are they pacing, changing spots or asking to go out? Make a note of when it started and what else has changed. New or repeated panting or restlessness at night deserves a vet check. Please don’t just write it off as “old age” or anxiety, because it can point to pain, heart or cognitive changes.

🏠 Make evenings feel familiar. Keep bedtime predictable. Offer a quiet toilet break before bed, a comfortable, supportive bed, and an easy, well-lit path to water. Stay calm, and let your dog choose whether they want to be close to you or settle on their own.

🤝 You don’t have to figure it out alone. Tell your vet about any changes in your dog’s sleep and behavior. Those small observations you make at home are genuinely helpful, and often the key to understanding what your senior needs, whether that’s pain relief, a check of their heart, or support for an aging mind.

🚨 And don’t wait if you see: struggling to breathe, collapse, or pale or blue gums. That’s an emergency, so seek veterinary help immediately.

Growing old is not a disease, and a restless senior isn’t being “difficult.” They’re telling you something. Our job is to listen. 💛

Noticing changes in your older dog’s nights? 💬 You can chat to a certified vet anytime on the Ask A Vet app.

🔗 woopf.com · 📱 get.askavet.com

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Approved by Dr. Duncan Houston, emergency vet ✅

⚠️ Educational only. Not a substitute for in-person veterinary care.

01/11/2026

Adopted a pet and feel like you did your part? That’s wonderful, but here’s the honest truth: rescuing one animal doesn’t fix the bigger picture. 🐾

The shelters and rescue agencies doing this work need help too, and most of them need it constantly.

A lot of people assume these places are fully covered, or that adopting is the only way to help. It isn’t. These are usually small operations started by people with really big hearts, running on very little, and the day-to-day burden is heavy.

The best thing you can do? Just reach out and ask. 💬 A simple “Hey, I’m not looking to adopt right now, but how can I help you out?” goes a long way. Every shelter needs something different, so let them tell you what’s actually useful.

And it rarely needs to be fancy or expensive. You’d be surprised how many shelters are desperate for the simplest things 👇
🧺 Old towels and blankets to keep pets comfortable, the kind that just go through the washing machine
🐾 An hour of your time to walk dogs, clean, or socialise cats
📣 Sharing their adoptable animals and posts so more people see them
🛍️ Donating food, supplies or whatever’s on their wish list

None of that requires taking an animal home. All of it makes a real difference.

So if there’s a rescue near you, send the message today. They’ll be so glad you did. 💛

Know a local shelter that could use a shout? Tag them below 👇

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