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| a great place for pets - www.thevets.com.au | |||
May 2006 edition
1. Blood Donors - the gift of life 2. Kicking those heels up! 3. Senior pets in the spotlight this May 4. Celebrate pets at the Million Paws Walk 5. Animals beat the winter blues |
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1. Blood Donors - the gift of life To donate blood to save a life is an amazing gift – and it's something that pets are doing more and more. Advances in veterinary science mean that we can now save many more lives from severe illness – and blood donations often play an integral role. Whether the problem is trauma, autoimmune destruction of red blood cells, poisoning by rat-baits or inherited disorders of blood clotting, sophisticated treatments that involve blood or blood products are increasingly being used with great success. The demand is so great that blood banks are being set up to provide 24 hour access to the life saving blood products. The first blood bank was set up for dogs at the University of Melbourne Vet School. Called the Canine Blood Bank, its sole purpose is to provide blood products for vets across the country. Donors live at the blood bank or are pets in the community. The ideal donor profile for a dog is: · Must be in good health with a current vaccination and heartworm programme · Ideally be between 2-8 years of age · Weigh over 20kg (medium to large breed) · Have a good temperament Newsflash: close on the heels of the dog blood bank are plans to create the first feline blood bank. This is great news for cats everywhere because like dogs, they too benefit from transfusions at time of serious illness. Back to top |
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2. Kicking those heels up! Last month we introduced the exciting new sport Canine Freestyle, a form of organised canine boogie. We showed a video of the basic steps and now, click here for a video of the advanced level [This video is 4MB in size and may take a few minutes to load]. Click here to watch the video of the basic steps again. Participants begin with the introductory steps to get the basics bedded down. Then come the advanced steps which, when strung together, form the basis of a complete dance. Key moves are backing [going backwards is not as easy as it sounds for most dogs], spinning, jumping and marching. The dogs love the event; it builds confidence and provides exercise that's enjoyable and brain stimulating. A good example is Henry, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. Before he began dancing classes, he was frightened of everything - even his own shadow. The first couple of times he came to the hall, he wouldn't even go into the building. His owner persisted and gradually Henry went through this remarkable transformation. Now he can't wait to dance; it makes him, and his owner, so happy. The great thing about Canine Freestyle is that with some basic training, anyone get down on the dance floor with their best mate and shake a tail feather! For more information please contact the clinic. Back to top |
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3. Senior pets in the spotlight this May With the high quality of veterinary care and nutrition available today, pets are living longer and are thus at higher risk of developing old-age diseases such as arthritis, kidney disease and canine Alzheimer's. Warning signs of these problems include bad breath, sleeping more, increased urinating and drinking, and changes in weight and behaviour. Symptoms of old age diseases are often only evident once there has been significant internal damage, so don't wait until your pet has visible warning signs before switching to a 7+ [7 years and older] diet and scheduling a health check with us. Senior health checks are valuable as they detect disease in 23% of 7+ pets despite those pets otherwise appearing healthy. Appropriate care of 7+ pets, including a simple switch to a food specially formulated for senior pets, can slow down ageing and help prevent the development of old-age diseases. This means our pets can be with us for longer which is great news. A 7+ diet should contain higher levels of antioxidants, high-quality protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and optimum levels of fibre. It should also be enriched with glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate to help support healthy joints and cartilage. May is national Hill's Senior Pet Month, a nationwide campaign to educate owners on how best to care for pets aged around seven and older. Hill's Pet Nutrition offers foods specially formulated for senior pets with the Science Diet Mature Adult 7+ range. For more information click here Back to top |
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4. Celebrate pets at the Million Paws Walk Pets are a big part of our families but did you know the impact pets have on our lives has been measured? The power of pets is great and to prove it, research here and overseas shows that: · Pets reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension as well as cholesterol levels in others · Older people with pets tend to have better physical health and mental well being than those that don't · People with pets visit the doctor less and use less medication · A 2002 study showed that 92% of respondents derived significant health benefits from their pets · Human heart patients have a much better chance of long term survival if they have a pet So taking all this into account, it's time to celebrate the Power of Pets – a great way is to get out and join in the Million Paws Walk on Sunday 21st May 2006. To find out more go to www.millionpawswalk.com.au Back to top |
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5. Animals beat the winter blues Thinking of how you're going to deal with the cold this year? With winter just around the corner we thought it would pay to check out how wild animals cope with extreme weather conditions. Here are some of the best: Bears live in climates with severe winters and can hibernate - a reaction to lack of food. Many animals that hibernate still maintain a body temp close to normal but drop their heart and respiratory rate down to save on energy. Black Bears in North America can hibernate for up to 7 months to cope with the lack of food in winter. Their body temp only drops a degree or two and they have an extremely thick winter coat. They'll bed down in a nest of leaves and their heart rate will drop from about 60 beats per minute to around 8. The Blue-tongued lizard bruminates in cold weather to cope with its inability to self regulate body temperature. Reptiles bruminate when it gets cold, despite there being food available. Conversely, frogs that live in hot dry climates can aestivate - a metabolic reaction common in animals found in deserts. It helps to conserve body water and save energy during times of low food availability. A good example is the Spade Foot Toad (found in the deserts of south western USA). Adults spend 8 to 9 months in mucus lined mud caves and only come out to feed and breed during the rainy season. When the rains come, the toads emerge, breed and lay eggs in the temporary pools and streams. Those eggs can hatch as quickly as 1 to 2 days and will go from tadpole to toadlet in 3 to 4 weeks. 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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