Our blog

Here's an original Christmas gift - the Best in Show card game, featuring beautiful illustrations of pedigree dog breeds by author and illustrator Polly Horner. Written and researched by canine expert Emma Aguado, they're informative, too. Each breed is scored for things such as top speed, grooming requirements and how easy they are to train.

And if you're a Petplan customer, you could win one of 10 sets. Just click here and enter your policy number. What's more, if you really can't wait, there's a 35% discount.

Entries close 31 January 2012.

If you miss your cat when you're out at work or down the shops, Cats Protection have come up with a clever solution - their MyMog app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

MyMog allows you to create your own digital cat, with his own colours, style and facial expressions. You can share your cat with friends by uploading him to Twitter and Facebook, equip him with useful things like glasses and a top hat, and even give him a calming stroke by running your fingers across the screen. He'll purr if he likes it, and hiss a warning to you if he doesn't - just like the real thing (but without the claws).

November is Pet Diabetes Month, so it's an ideal time to check for the warning signs of the disease in your pet.

Cats and dogs suffer from diabetes mellitus, or sugar diabetes. This is the result of a shortage of the hormone insulin, which affects the concentration of glucose (a type of sugar) in the bloodstream: a lack of insulin means that the body cannot absorb glucose properly. It affects an estimated one in 200 pets, and those over six years old are most at risk. And with dogs, there are several breeds - such as German Shepherds, Labradors and Terriers - that are more susceptible than others.

Five symptoms that could mean your pet has diabetes

1. It is always thirsty or is drinking a lot of water
2. It is tired, lethargic or less active than normal
3. It has lost weight
4. Its coat is thin, dry and dull
5. It is urinating more than usual or having 'accidents' in the home

If your pet shows any of these symptoms, you should have it checked by a vet as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is vital, as untreated diabetes can result in serious illness or even death.

However, if your pet is diagnosed with diabetes, you needn't worry. While it will need twice-daily insulin injections and will need to eat a low-fat, high-fibre, high-carb diet, there's no reason why it can't continue to enjoy a full and active life.

Do you have anything to add? Just let us know by commenting below.

Last week, Dr Ian Billinghurst told us about his view that dogs should only eat a Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet. Now here's the other side of the argument, from vet Brian Faulkner"The BARF diet is based on the assumption that dogs are the same as their ancestors: wolves. But they are a domesticated species with different DNA to wolves; a distinction going back many thousands of years.Furthermore, all dogs are not the same. A Great Dane or a St Bernard may grow more in one week than a Yorkshire Terrier will grow in its whole life. The nutritional requirement of these dogs is significantly different.