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July 2006 edition
1. Important Clinic News 2. Meet our staff: Veterinarian - Tony Goldstone 3. Aquadog News 4. Kid's Club 5. Who did a whoopsie in my beret? 6. Working dogs: Bill and Banjo work off steam 7. Brain ageing case study - Tammie the Labrador 8. Organ donor saves Max's leg 9. Carnival of Camels |
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1. Important Clinic News We've got some important news for you. As you may have noticed our business name has changed from Coast and Country Veterinarians to The Vets. Over the next month we'll be progressively changing our name on all stationery, documents, signage and our website. There's no change to our: • phone numbers and contact details • vets and nurses • ownership • website address Why have we changed? • We haven't done large animal work for many years and the “country” part of our name was related to that. • We wanted to come up with a name that was simple, short and easy to remember. • Our domain name has been www.thevets.com.au for a number of years. At The Vets the only changes you'll notice will be to our name. Our team remain dedicated to making The Vets, a great place for pets. If you have any questions feel free to call us at Nerang or Helensvale. Prescription medications: All prescription medications dispensed require authorization by a vet. To avoid disappointment, please call ahead prior to collecting repeat prescriptions. Back to top |
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2. Meet our staff: Veterinarian - Tony Goldstone Dr. Tony Goldstone graduated from the University of Queensland in 1988 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science with Honours. After graduating he moved to Melbourne and then on to NSW where he worked in the Blue Mountains in mixed practice for 2 years. Like many veterinary graduates he then worked in England spending 2 years in small animal and mixed practice. In 1995 Tony made the Gold Coast home and with Monique purchased Coast and Country Veterinarians, Nerang and Helensvale. During his time as a vet he has developed a keen interest in Ophthalmology, Dermatology and Surgery and has a strong focus on the development of systems related to high quality client and patient care. Tony and Monique's four pawed family includes Mowgli the Burmese cat and Lochie and Byron the Golden Retrievers. Back to top |
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3. Aquadog News SPECIAL SWIM OFFER FOR FIRST TIMER SWIMMERS SAVE 50 % ON AN INTRODUCTORY SWIM SESSION! If you have an older dog that may suffer from arthritis some relief may be just a visit away. We are getting fantastic results with some of our older friends who see our physiotherapist and /or commence a swim program with our nurses. Physios can teach you some great exercises that you can use at home to improve your dog's mobility and even one visit can get your pet on the road to moving better. A swim program tailored for your pet's needs improves mobility and muscle tone. We can help older dogs with arthritis. Call Aquadog on 55022444. Back to top |
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4. Kid's Club Our next in house kids club night is on Monday the 31st of July at 6:30pm. We have the RSPCA Emu van here so ring now and reserve you spot PH: (07)55962322. See you on the 31st for an evening of fun! Back to top |
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5. Who did a whoopsie in my beret? Cats have been known to poo in the shower or pee in the toaster – frightening experiences that most cat owners must face at one time or another. How to deal with it? Calm your temper and channel your energies into a prevention strategy. After you've cleaned up, here's what to do: 1. Have a vet check done Your cat may have cystitis [inflammation of the bladder] or diarrhoea, both of which can result in incontinence. 2. Examine the cat's environment If a cat is all clear on the vet check, then we need to do some detective work to identify the reason or reasons. With defecating problems, the litter tray is often involved. Problems include the tray not being accessible when needed. Doing faeces just outside the tray usually indicates the cat is finding the tray repulsive e.g. the tray is not clean enough. If you have more than one cat, always have one tray for each cat, plus a spare. The same can apply, but less commonly, to urinating. However, with urine we need to distinguish between normal emptying of a full bladder and spraying. Urine spraying is usually the depositing of small volumes whilst the quivering tail is backed up against a vertical surface, such as a wall. The most common cause is anxiety. The anxiety-prone cat is the more likely candidate. Factors that can increase anxiety include sharing the house with other cats and the sight of an intruder cat outside the home. Identifying the cause of these problems can be a diagnostic challenge. We'll help find a solution and for the more tricky cases, we may even get a veterinary behaviourist involved. Back to top |
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6. Working dogs: Bill and Banjo work off steam To watch the agility video click here [video is 3MB] For those of you with dogs of working dog heritage, you'll know how hard it is to occupy them and tire them out by the end of the day. Bill is one such example – a true blue Cattle Dog – he lives in town but his genes are in the bush. His owners are faced with an abundance of energy and in looking for ways to keep him happy, have begun agility training. Agility is a competition for dogs similar to the equestrian Show Jumping event – dogs must, with the guidance of their handler, complete an obstacle course. Points are deducted when errors occur. Bill and his friend Banjo, a Labrador, completed their basic obedience training and set about to conquer the world of agility. Bill, with the support of Banjo, has set about this new task with gusto. He has some particular challenges – including learning some of the commands in Gaelic – the native tongue of his owner. An example of the tasks he must learn is the A-frame. On command, dogs must scale the ramp and stop at the bottom – front feet on the ground, hind feet on the base of the A-frame. While Bill is happy with his performance, there's still room for him to refine his technique to extract maximum points. This is all about dogs learning to be aware of their hind legs rather than simply using them for locomotion. To see all the obstacles Bill and Banjo will encounter click here No one expects a dog to be perfect at this – and it takes a lot of practice. The great news is that agility is fun and stimulating, leading to a quieter dog around the house. Now that's an achievement! For more information on agility, contact us. Back to top |
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7. Brain ageing case study - Tammie the Labrador Tammie is an 11 year old Labrador and a loved member of the March family. Over the last couple of months, her family had noticed she was beginning to behave strangely – sleeping during the day, howling at night and every so often, going to the toilet in the house. Unpleasant as this was, owners John and Rose saw it as inevitable “old age” changes. They admitted, thinking they could do nothing for her, that they were just waiting for the inevitable to happen. All this changed when they had a chance conversation with a neighbour about new treatments for old age dogs. Tammie was examined a couple of days later at the vet and found to have a condition called Doggy Dementia [Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome] which is like Alzheimer's in humans. The treatment included eating a special food designed to protect the brain from free radical molecules. Free radicals are a natural by-product of brain metabolism but cause damage leading to brain ageing effects. Tammie's response was startling – within weeks she was back to her old self and the problems had virtually gone. Her family knows that she won't be around for ever but are so grateful that they could do something now to make her more alert and happy. To find out if your dog could be showing signs of Doggy Dementia, click on the red button below. Surprisingly, 50% of dogs aged 8 years and older show one or more of these changes. Hill's* Prescription Diet* Canine b/d is the first and only nutritional product to provide a reliable management for signs of Doggy Dementia and age related behavioural changes in dogs. For more information click here Back to top |
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8. Organ donor saves Max's leg A seriously ill dog has been given a new lease of life after a rare bone transplant. Max, an 8 year old Rottweiler, was diagnosed with bone cancer in the hind leg and faced the prospect of amputation. However, thanks to an organ donation, he was able to have his cancerous bone replaced rather than lose his leg. There is no structured organ donation programme for pets in Australia, so when the Wilson family said goodbye to their terminally ill dog, Dougall, they were asked if they would consent to donating a bone in his leg for Max the Rottweiler. Despite the distress about Dougall's demise, the Wilson family were glad to help. The thought of their beloved Dougall donating to help another dog somehow made his loss more bearable. The complex surgery involved the removal of Max's cancerous tibia in his right hind leg and its replacement with the donor bone. Max recovered well and is now receiving physiotherapy to help get him back on his feet. Because of the aggressive nature of the tumour, Max can be expected to live another 18 months. That may not seem much but considering that without any treatment, he wouldn't have lived very long, it's a real bonus. We wish Max all the best with his new lease of life. Back to top |
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9. Carnival of Camels We don't talk about camels much in this newsletter, but this year something special is happening – it's the 10th year anniversary of the famous Boulia Camel Races. Boulia, a town of 300 in outback Queensland, swells to 3,000 on the weekend of the races as people are drawn to the festivities and the characters that make up this event – the camels. One of the drawcards is Major – twice winner of the event and the first local to do so. Apart from winning The Boulia Camel Cup, he's won in Charleville, Moree, Forbes, Bedourie and Byrock. His estimated prize pool is approximately $25,000. But it's his personality that has made him the “people's favourite”. He's well known for his little quirks. Owner - trainer Gary said Major is not keen on sharing his space with humans - “He has been known to throw a few jockeys.” But perhaps Major's biggest notoriety is his racing style. Ever since his racing career began Major has never run a race without zigzagging up the track. “He won't run in a straight line,” says Gary. “Almost without fail every race, Major starts from the barriers at full force, leading the pack. Then without warning he 'goes bush'. One year he came straight out of the barriers and ran through the tape until he was right outside the racetrack. He then proceeded to run his race around the outside of the track, through the car park (with jockey still onboard) until the end of the race when he attempted to make his way back into the track.” Who knows what adventures this year will bring? Boulia Camel Races are on the weekend of 14 - 16 July 2006; for more information click here 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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