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February 2006 edition
1. Pet Photo Competition winners announced 2. Dogs on the beach 3. Have fun losing kilos 4. Aussie vets lead the way: brain surgery |
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1. Pet Photo Competition winners announced Thankyou to everyone who entered the Photo Competition in the December newsletter and those that then voted for the major winners in January. We were swamped with so many fantastic entries and it's great to see the variety of personalities coming across in your photos. We were especially overwhelmed with just how much everyone loves their pets, the evidence is clear in these snaps. The tough choice of choosing the major winners was made by you – by voting in last month's newsletter. Each of the four major winners won a year's supply of Hill's* Science Diet* - a terrific prize. To see the major winners, click on the red button below. In addition, the staff here have chosen their favourite – and we can tell you it wasn't easy! Our winner is Bohdi [see image at left] and the prize is a Village Cinemas Double Pass. Thank you to everyone who participated. Even if you weren't a winner this time, we loved your entries and appreciated the effort. We will have more competitions soon – so keep reading the newsletter to win! Back to top |
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2. Dogs on the beach Dogs love the beach and it's an excellent place for them to exercise, swim, socialise and explore. However, beach access is no longer a given for dogs – in many places it's restricted. Here are some tips on helping to make your walk a positive and fun experience while also helping to keep the beach open for other dogs: • Use the sand to the best advantage: play seek games by burying favourite toys or food and letting your dog dig to recover them. • It's your responsibility to keep your dog under control. When off lead, prevent your dog from harassing others and always pick up the poo. There can be some real benefits of this behaviour - a local dog walking group successfully lobbied their council for improved beach access after they showed how their dogs were well behaved • Keep dogs off dunes and native vegetation areas where possible. Shore breeding birds such as oystercatchers, plovers and terns nest in the beach “wrack” [the dried seaweed band along the high tide mark] and will not breed if disturbed. Signs are often posted on beaches to warn you of sensitive nesting areas. If you want to get involved in a project to rehabilitate beach habitat, contact Coastcare. Coastcare is a division of Landcare and they manage projects all round the country's coastline - to find out more click here Back to top |
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3. Have fun losing kilos The obesity epidemic striking adults and children has spread to pets – obesity is now the number one malnutrition issue in pets. Recent studies show that 40% of dogs and 33% of cats are obese. Most pet owners don't realise this, with 76% saying their pet's weight was “just right”. It's something that creeps up on you; it only takes a pet to eat 1% more calories per day for obesity to set in by middle age. To raise awareness of the issue the search is now on for overweight pets to enter the 2006 Hill's Pet Slimmer of the Year competition. Last year's national canine winner Kaylah from Melbourne lost a massive 20 kilograms after being weaned off a diet of fish and chips, and Gold Coast moggy Amber is feeling great after shedding one-third of her bodyweight and a stomach that swept the floor. To register your pet, call us and we'll organise it. There are fun rewards for reaching weight loss milestones and each entrant will be in the running for the state and national titles with great food and cash prizes. Hill's* Science Diet* premium brand pet food and Hill's* Prescription Diet* therapeutic brand pet food provide the most complete range of products specially formulated for the successful weight management of dogs and cats. For more information click here. Back to top |
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4. Aussie vets lead the way: brain surgery Australian vets continue to lead the way with a world first in brain surgery carried out in late 2005. The patient, Bundy is a 16 month old cross breed dog who was diagnosed with epilepsy earlier in the year. Epilepsy in young dogs is unusual and can be difficult to control. In Bundy's case nothing was working. His vet had tried all the normal medical options but Bundy was so unwell his owners were considering euthanasia. Fortunately, he was referred to a veterinary surgical specialist who was prepared to undertake a world first – a procedure that involved splitting a part of Bundy's brain in an effort to reduce the seizures. This procedure is undertaken in humans with significant success but had never been done in dogs. The difficult surgery was carried out using a 1.7mm scope to visualise the area of the brain where the split was to be performed. Within 24 hours of the operation, Bundy was up and trotting around the hospital. It will take some months to determine if the seizures are gone for good but all indications to date are promising. The hope is that Bundy can now live as close to a normal life as possible – without the debilitating effects of epilepsy. Back to top |
The Vets Nerang Unit 5/90 Spencer Road Nerang 4211 ph 5596 2322 fx 5596 0549 Helensvale Unit 7/14 Sir John Overall Drive Helensvale 4212 ph 5529 8011 fx 5529 4133 www.thevets.com.au |
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