Dr. Pippa Elliott

Dr. Pippa Elliott

BVMS MRCVS

Dr. Pippa Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS, is a veterinarian with nearly 30 years of experience in companion animal practice. Dr. Elliott earned her Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery from the University of Glasgow. She was also designated a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Married with 2 grown-up kids, Dr. Elliott has a naughty Puggle named Poggle, 3 cats and a bearded dragon.

Articles by Dr. Pippa Elliott

A Labrador eagerly nosing a bowl of JustFoodForDogs fresh food
Nutrition & Diet

JustFoodForDogs for Dogs with Allergies: Limited Ingredient Vet Nutrition Guide

Is JustFoodForDogs a good fit for your itchy dog? Dr. Pippa Elliott explains food allergy vs. environmental atopy, vet-directed elimination diets, and how limited ingredient fresh recipes can help support skin health.

An owner offering her senior golden retriever a bowl of JustFoodForDogs fresh food
Nutrition & Diet

JustFoodForDogs for Senior Dogs: Picking the Right Formula

A veterinarian explains how nutritional needs shift in older dogs and which JustFoodForDogs recipes fit each senior need, from Joint & Skin Support to gentle options for touchy stomachs and vet-directed diets.

A cat sitting on a rumpled white bed with crumpled blankets and sheets, looking up at the camera in a sunlit bedroom
Urinary & Kidney

Why Is My Cat Peeing on the Bed? A Vet-Reviewed Guide

If your cat is peeing on the bed, it is not spite. It is usually a medical problem, stress, or an unhappy litter box, and the bed gets targeted for a specific reason. Here is how to find the cause and stop it.

A relaxed tabby cat kneading its front paws on a person's lap, eyes half-closed and content
Behavior & Training

Why Does My Cat Knead Me? 6 Vet-Backed Reasons

Cat kneading (aka "making biscuits") usually means your cat feels safe, bonded, and content. Here is what each behavior means, when it is normal, and the rare signs worth a vet visit.

A relaxed tabby cat being gently stroked on the cheek by a person's hand, with the cat's ears upright and forward
Behavior & Training

Why Does My Cat Bite Me When I Pet Her? A Vet Explains

Those sudden nips mid-cuddle usually mean your cat is overstimulated, not angry. Learn the warning signals cats give before they bite, how to pet without triggering a bite, and when a sudden change calls for a vet visit.

A relaxed adult cat curled up asleep on a person's chest as they lie on a couch, eyes closed and paws tucked in
Behavior & Training

Why Does My Cat Sleep on Me? 7 Reasons, Explained by Vets

When your cat curls up on your chest or settles between your legs at night, it usually means warmth, safety, and trust. Here is what each sleeping spot signals, when a sudden change is worth watching, and how to gently reclaim your space.

A senior tabby cat standing on a hardwood floor right beside an open, low-sided litter box in a quiet corner of a home
Digestive Health

Cat Pooping Outside the Litter Box? 8 Vet-Backed Reasons

When a cat starts pooping outside the litter box, it is rarely spite. More often it is constipation, painful arthritis that makes climbing in hard, megacolon, or a box your cat has quietly come to dislike. A vet sorts the medical causes from the behavioral ones.

An adult tabby cat sitting on a windowsill with its mouth open mid-meow, looking up toward its owner
Behavior & Training

Why Does My Cat Meow So Much? A Vet Explains Normal vs. Concerning

Some meowing is normal cat conversation; a sudden spike can signal pain, hyperthyroidism, or feline dementia. Here is how to tell the difference and when to call your vet.

A relaxed tabby cat licking its owner's hand while resting in their lap
Behavior & Training

Why Does My Cat Lick Me? 8 Reasons (and When to Worry)

If your cat licks you, it usually means affection, social bonding, and trust, though it can sometimes point to stress or a skin issue. Here are 8 reasons cats lick people, why some lick then bite, and when it is worth a vet visit.

A domestic shorthair cat squatting to urinate on a beige carpet just beside an open litter box in a home hallway
Urinary & Kidney

Why Is My Cat Peeing Outside the Litter Box? A Vet's Guide

A cat peeing outside the litter box is almost always a sign that something is wrong, from a painful urinary problem to stress at home. A vet explains every cause, the emergency red flags, and how to fix it.

A relaxed tabby cat sitting upright with its tail curled, ears forward, and eyes half-closed, displaying calm and content body language
Behavior & Training

Cat Body Language: What Your Cat Is Telling You

Cats say a lot without making a sound. This vet-reviewed guide decodes cat body language head to tail, so you can read your cat's tail, ears, eyes, whiskers, and posture and know exactly how they feel.

A relaxed adult dog trotting close behind its owner's heels through a sunlit living room, looking up attentively
Behavior & Training

Why Does My Dog Follow Me Everywhere? A Vet-Reviewed Guide

Dogs follow their people for love, food, instinct, and curiosity, but constant shadowing can sometimes signal anxiety or illness. Here is how to tell normal velcro-dog behavior from a real problem, and exactly when to call your vet.

A healthy adult dog calmly nibbling a few blades of fresh green grass in a sunny backyard
Behavior & Training

Why Does My Dog Eat Grass? Vet Reasons and When to Worry

Most grass eating is normal dog behavior, not a sign your dog is sick. Here's why dogs eat grass, what's normal versus concerning, what to do, and the warning signs that mean it's time to see a vet.

A relaxed dog standing on grass with a soft open mouth, neutral ears, loose wagging tail, and a wiggly body showing friendly, calm body language
Behavior & Training

Dog Body Language: A Vet Guide to Reading Your Dog

Your dog is "talking" to you all day with their tail, ears, eyes, mouth, and posture. This vet-reviewed guide shows you how to read the whole dog, in context, so you know when they're happy, anxious, or asking for space.

Just Food For Dogs Joint and Skin Support, a Vet Support Fresh Frozen recipe for senior dog joint health built around pork, quinoa, kale, marine microalgae oil, and pork-stock collagen
Nutrition & Diet

Best Senior Dog Food 2026: 10 Vet Picks for Joints & Cognition

The 10 best senior dog foods of 2026, vet-vetted. Just Food For Dogs Joint & Skin Support (board-certified veterinary nutritionist formulation), Open Farm, Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind, Hill's, and more.

JFFD Sensitive Stomach Fresh Frozen recipe served in a stainless steel bowl with visible ground turkey, brown rice, and supporting whole-food ingredients
Nutrition & Diet

Best Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs: 9 Vet-Reviewed Picks

The 9 best dog foods for sensitive stomachs in 2026, vet-vetted. JFFD Sensitive Stomach and the JFFD Fish & Sweet Potato recipe, Hill's Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin, and more compared.

JustFoodForDogs Healthy Weight fresh dog food (pork, brown rice, and vegetables) served in a bowl beside the product pouch
Digestive Health

Food Intolerance in Dogs: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Allergy Differences

Food intolerance in dogs is a non-immune digestive reaction to specific ingredients, distinct from a true food allergy. Learn the symptoms, common triggers, diagnosis, and treatment.

Just Food For Dogs Sensitive Skin, a Fresh Frozen wild-caught white fish recipe enriched with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to nourish skin and support a healthy coat, for dogs with food-related skin sensitivities
Nutrition & Diet

Allergens in Dog Food: Top 9 Triggers and What to Feed Instead

The most common allergens in dog food are beef, dairy, chicken, wheat, and lamb. Learn which ingredients trigger food allergies in dogs, how to recognize the symptoms, and what to feed instead.

Homemade dog food ingredients: chicken, rice, and fresh vegetables prepared for veterinary nutritionist-reviewed canine nutrition
Nutrition & Diet

Homemade Dog Food Recipes: 5 Templates and Vet Safety Guidelines

5 homemade dog food recipes adapted from veterinary nutritionist source materials, with safety guidelines, ingredient warnings, and AAFCO balance considerations. These are starting points for veterinarian-guided feeding, not complete daily diets.

A pet owner using a fine-toothed flea comb to part the fur at the base of a calm dog's tail, checking the skin for fleas and flea dirt
Parasites

How to Get Rid of Fleas on Dogs: Treatments That Actually Work

Learning how to get rid of fleas on dogs takes more than one bath. This vet-reviewed guide covers fast-acting flea medicine, a four-step home plan, honest home remedies, and how to keep fleas gone for good.

A pet owner parting the fur on a dog's neck to inspect the skin for a small red tick bite during a tick check
Parasites

What Do Tick Bites Look Like on Dogs? (With Pictures)

Wondering what tick bites look like on dogs? This vet-reviewed photo guide shows you how to spot a fresh or healing tick bite, identify an embedded tick, recognize the main US tick species, read the warning signs of tick-borne illness, and remove a tick safely.

A dog owner pressing the back of a hand flat against a sunny sidewalk to test the pavement temperature before a summer walk
Pet Safety & Emergencies

Hot Pavement and Dog Paws: How Hot Is Too Hot?

Hot pavement and dog paws are a dangerous summer combination, and the ground can burn your dog at air temperatures as low as 77 degrees. Learn the 7-second test, the air-to-pavement temperature chart, the signs of burnt paw pads, simple first aid, and how to protect your dog's paws.

A person using fine-point tweezers to grasp a tick at the skin and pull it straight out of a dog's coat
Parasites

How to Remove a Tick From a Dog (Safely, Step by Step)

Learn how to remove a tick from a dog the right way: fine-point tweezers, a straight-up pull, and no twisting or squeezing. This vet-reviewed guide covers the exact technique, what to do if the head gets stuck, disposal, aftercare, and the symptoms to watch for.

A white short-haired dog wearing a lightweight UV sun shirt rests in the shade of a beach umbrella on a sunny day
Skin & Coat

Can Dogs Get Sunburn? How to Protect Your Dog's Skin

Can dogs get sunburn? Yes, and pale, thin-coated, and hairless dogs are most at risk. This vet-reviewed guide covers the warning signs, when sunburn becomes an emergency, safe at-home and veterinary treatment, the best dog sunscreen, and how to protect your dog's nose and skin from lasting UV damage.

A veterinarian using a fine-toothed flea comb on a calm tabby cat lying on an exam table
Parasites

How to Get Rid of Fleas on Cats: A Vet's Step-by-Step Guide

Learning how to get rid of fleas on cats means treating two things at once: the fleas on your cat and the much larger population hiding in your home. This vet-backed guide walks you through fast relief, the best flea treatments, safe home cleanup, and what to skip.

Pet owner vacuuming a living room carpet thoroughly while a dog and cat rest nearby, illustrating daily flea control in the home
Parasites

How to Get Rid of Fleas in the House and Yard

Learning how to get rid of fleas in the house means treating your pets, your home, and your yard on the same day, then repeating for several weeks to outlast the flea life cycle. This vet-reviewed guide walks you through every step and explains why fleas keep coming back.

A worried owner pouring cool water over an overheated panting dog lying in the shade beside a garden hose
Pet Safety & Emergencies

Dog Heatstroke: Warning Signs and What to Do Right Away

Dog heatstroke is a life-threatening emergency that can damage organs in minutes. Learn the warning signs, the right way to cool your dog, what not to do, the recovery timeline, and when an emergency vet visit can save your dog's life.

A dog drinking fresh water from a clean stainless steel bowl held by its owner on a warm day
Pet Safety & Emergencies

Dehydration in Dogs: Signs, Causes, and How to Help

Dehydration in dogs happens when your dog loses more fluid and electrolytes than it takes in. Learn the signs of dehydration in dogs, the home skin-pinch test, what causes it, how to safely rehydrate your dog, and when it is a vet emergency.

Dog owner parting the fur between a calm border collie's shoulder blades to apply a topical flea-and-tick spot-on treatment
Parasites

Best Flea and Tick Prevention for Dogs in 2026: A Vet's Guide

The best flea and tick prevention for dogs is the vet-recommended product your dog actually tolerates and you give on schedule. This guide compares oral chews, topical spot-ons, and collars so you can match protection to your dog's age, lifestyle, and region.

Gloved hand scooping a modern open-top litter box with slate-grey clumping litter, with a curious gray-and-white short-haired cat watching attentively beside it
Urinary & Kidney

When Changes in Litter Box Habits Signal a Medical Problem

Changes in litter box habits often reveal urinary, kidney, or metabolic problems long before other symptoms appear. Here's how to tell medical from behavioral, and when it's an emergency.

Long-haired ragdoll cat with blue eyes sitting in a clean white open-top litter box with light beige unscented clumping litter, in a bright neutral-tile bathroom corner
Urinary & Kidney

What Does Healthy Cat Urine Look Like? A Vet Explains

Healthy cat urine is pale yellow to amber, clear, and consistent in volume. Here's what normal looks like, what color changes may mean, and when urine changes are a vet emergency.

Healthy silver tabby cat drinking from a modern white ceramic pet water fountain on a sunlit kitchen counter beside a small herb garden
Urinary & Kidney

Preventative Care for Feline Urinary Health: A Vet's Guide

Preventative care for feline urinary health comes down to steady habits: hydration, nutrition, stress reduction, and daily litter box monitoring. Here's a vet-informed guide to each.

Veterinarian in blue scrubs gently palpating the abdomen of a calm orange tabby cat on a stainless steel exam table, with a stethoscope and urinalysis test strips on a tray beside them
Urinary & Kidney

How Veterinarians Diagnose Urinary Problems in Cats

Veterinarians diagnose urinary problems in cats through a layered process of physical exam, urinalysis, imaging, and blood work. Here's what that looks like at the clinic and how to spot urgent signs at home.

Calm modern multi-cat household with a black cat lounging on a sofa, a tortoiseshell on a rug, and a cream-colored cat in a basket, with multiple open-top litter boxes visible across the room
Urinary & Kidney

How to Monitor Urinary Health in Multi-Cat Households

Multi-cat homes make urinary symptoms harder to attribute. Here's how to set up litter boxes for visibility, narrow down which cat is struggling, and know when to call the vet.

Relaxed dog curled up on a cozy beige blanket in a sunlit corner of a home with familiar toys nearby
Behavior & Training

Anxiety Relief for Dogs: Helping Anxious Dogs Settle at Home

Anxiety relief for dogs often starts with small changes in routine and environment. Learn how predictable schedules, calming spaces, and familiar feeding experiences can support calmer behavior.

Senior dog with a greying muzzle leaning into a low ceramic bowl of soft, slow-cooked fresh food, gently chewing in a warm sunlit home
General Wellness

Dog Dental Health: Does Food Texture Matter for Oral Issues?

Dog dental health plays a major role in comfort, chewing ability, and eating habits. Learn how oral health affects feeding behavior and whether softer foods may help dogs with dental sensitivities.

A stainless bowl heaped with high-protein dog food (grilled chicken, beef, salmon, peas, brown rice) with a senior yellow Labrador watching attentively in the background.
Nutrition & Diet

What Is the Right High-Protein Food for Senior and Active Dogs?

High-protein dog food can be a powerful tool for maintaining muscle, supporting recovery, and managing weight, especially in senior and active dogs. Learn what actually counts as high protein, which dogs benefit most, which dogs should avoid it, and how to choose a quality formula with the right protein level for your dog.

A golden retriever eats enthusiastically from a stainless steel bowl on a hardwood kitchen floor while a hand reaches down with a measuring scoop.
Nutrition & Diet

How Can I Improve My Dog's Appetite at Mealtime?

A veterinarian explains the most common reasons dogs lose their appetite, when it's an emergency, what to feed a reluctant eater, and the mealtime strategies that actually help your dog start eating again.

A stainless steel dog bowl filled with slow-cooked dog food, showing visible pieces of chicken, sweet potato, green beans, and brown rice, on a wooden kitchen counter.
Nutrition & Diet

What Is Shelf-Stable Fresh Dog Food and Is It Good for Dogs?

A veterinarian explains what shelf-stable fresh dog food is, how it's made, and whether it's a good choice for your dog. Plus how to feed it safely.

Whole-food dog nutrition ingredients arranged on a wooden cutting board around a stainless steel dog bowl: chicken, salmon, carrots, peas, brown rice, sweet potato, and blueberries.
Nutrition & Diet

What Makes a Dog Food Complete and Balanced? A Vet's Guide

"Complete and balanced" is the most important phrase on a dog food label, but also one of the most confusing. Learn how to find and interpret the AAFCO statement, understand life-stage nutrition, and read dog food labels so you actually know what you're feeding.

A wire-haired terrier sits on a hardwood kitchen floor beside a stainless bowl of fresh visible-ingredient dog food, head tilted with a skeptical expression.
Nutrition & Diet

What Food Is Right for Picky Dogs? A Veterinarian's Guide

Wondering what to feed a picky dog who sniffs the bowl and walks away? Learn how to tell if your dog is truly picky or has a medical issue, which types of food most finicky dogs prefer, and the feeding strategies veterinarians use to get dogs eating again, without creating bad habits.

why does my dog stare at me
Behavior & Training

Why Does My Dog Stare at Me?

Do you ever think, "Why does my dog stare at me?" Dogs are known for their endearing and often peculiar behaviors, one of which is staring intently at their owners. You may be well acquainted with those curious eyes following your every move, and sometimes, it can leave you wondering about the reasons behind such behavior.

do cats think you are their mother
Behavior & Training

Do Cats Think You Are Their Mother? Understanding Feline Bonding and Behavior

The Formation of Feline Bonds: Early Socialization and Nurturing Connections

aggressive cat behavior of two cats
Behavior & Training

Managing Aggressive Cat Behavior: An Insightful Guide

Explore the reasons your cat is aggressive toward guests and discover effective strategies to manage it, ensuring a peaceful environment for everyone

does my cat like me as woman pets cat's head
Behavior & Training

Does My Cat Like Me? 9 Signs of Feline Affection

Yes, your cat likely likes you. A vet-informed guide to the 9 clearest signs of feline affection, from slow blinks to sleeping on you, plus how to strengthen the bond.

why does my kitten follow everywhere around with woman holding her
Behavior & Training

Why Does My Kitten Follow Me Everywhere?

Have you recently adopted a kitten and noticed that they seem to be following you around like a puppy? Why is my kitten following me you may wonder?

what do cats dream about as kitten sleeps
Behavior & Training

Inside Feline Dreams: What Do Cats Dream About When They Sleep?

Explore the mysteries of the feline dream world: understand their sleep patterns, identify dreaming signs, and learn how to react to nightmares

can cats sense death
Behavior & Training

Can Cats Sense Death of Another Cat?

A Deep Dive into Feline Reactions to Sickness and Death

how to keep your cat quiet
Behavior & Training

How To Keep Your Cat Quiet While You Sleep 

A cat owner’s guide to ensuring a restful night’s sleep and keep your cat quiet.

cat is trying to escape kennel
Behavior & Training

Help! My Cat Is Trying To Escape: What You Should Do