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| a great place for pets - www.thevets.com.au | |||
August 2006 edition
1. Time to check your chompers 2. Beau, don't take the bait 3. Happy pets 4. Share hugs, not bugs! 5. All aboard! Christmas is coming |
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1. Time to check your chompers Dental care for pets has come a long way. Today, we know that 85% of dogs and cats over the age of 3 have an infection in their mouths called Periodontal Disease [POD]. This is painful for pets, causes their teeth to fall out and can shorten their lives by infecting vital organs. POD is caused by plaque, which is invisible, so pets need to have their teeth checked by us. August is Hill's Pet Dental Health Month; a time when we can focus on helping you keep your pets' teeth in top condition. During Dental Month, look for the following signs. If your pet is showing any of these, please let us know: Bad breath Red and swollen gums A yellow brown crust of tartar around the gum line Pain or bleeding when you touch the gums or mouth A change in eating or chewing habits Pawing at the face or mouth Preventing oral disease means keeping your pet's teeth clean either by brushing, not always an easy task, particularly with cats and older dogs, or by feeding specially formulated foods which work like a squeegee to clean the animal's teeth as it eats. These foods are convenient and effective, and have been proven to combat plaque, which is the major cause of gum disease. To win a one month's supply of Hill's* Science Diet* for your pet, click on the button below. Hill's Pet Nutrition* have the only foods with the VOHC [Veterinary Oral Health Council] seal of approval for plaque and tartar control. For more information click here Back to top |
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2. Beau, don't take the bait Finding your dog collapsed and shaking on the floor is something we hope you'll never have to face but it's what happened to Graeme and Shirley. Sitting at the kitchen table, they were shocked to see their beautiful Beau stagger in from outside and fall over twitching. Beau, a German Short Haired Pointer, had never been unwell. Shirley rang the vet while Graeme grabbed a rug, wrapped their convulsing dog and rushed him to the car. At the clinic Beau was immediately attended to. He vomited and there were snail pellets in the vomit. Ingesting snail pellets can cause collapse and death in dogs and cats. Beau was quickly transferred to the surgery where he was anaesthetised and given a gastric and colonic lavage. Large volumes of snail pellets were flushed out from both ends. From here, he was hospitalised and his general anaesthesia maintained until he was able to metabolise the snail pellet chemicals and thus stop the seizures. He required overnight care and 24 hours later, he was fortunate to have made a significant recovery. He went home a day later. Back at home, Graeme found the culprit - a pack of snail pellets ripped open on the floor of the shed. He had presumed they were out of reach on a high shelf - but the cat must have knocked them over. In addition to snail pellets, the springtime safety check includes keeping pets away from fresh compost and fertilisers both of these, if ingested, can lead to gut upsets and seizures that require intensive treatment. Back to top |
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3. Happy pets Pets help make us happy - whether it be as a friend or indirectly by helping foster relations with other people. This is why we value pets so highly. They do a great job making us happy but, in turn, what do they need to be happy? Recent research shows that environmental enrichment is the key - this means giving your pets a variety of things to see, do and smell. In technical terms, this involves offering a variety of small challenges to a pet challenges that are achievable. Conquering these challenges leads to happiness. Conversely, a lack of challenges can lead to frustration. How it works: Pets that are able to achieve small hurdles begin to realise they have some control over their own environment in effect they can change it. This leaves them feeling satisfied and, well, happy. What you can do: There's a range of simple and easy things to do most do not require expense or a lot of time, but just some thought. One of the easiest is to give your pet access to vegetation. One of the strangest findings of recent animal welfare research is that of all the things in a back garden, vegetation was one of the few that pets interact with. They rub up against bushes, sniff, dig and just like to spend time nearby. There's no clear reason why but it is probably to do with the insect life, the smells and perhaps chemicals exuded from plant leaves. Stay tuned because in upcoming issues, we'll be giving you more fun tips on how to enrich your pet's environment to ensure his or her happiness. Back to top |
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4. Share hugs, not bugs! Do you share your couch with your pet? Or perhaps your bed? Many people do and it's all part of having pets as members of the family. We encourage living close to pets there are so many benefits. At the same time, it's important to ensure your pets are up to date with intestinal worm and flea control. This is for the benefit of their health but also yours pets can pass some of these illnesses onto people. Here's a list: Roundworm migrating larvae of this worm can cause damage to the eye especially in children, leading in some cases to blindness Hookworm migrating larvae can cause a dermatitis known as summer eczema as they burrow through skin. Affected areas include feet, hands, bottom and legs Tapeworm hydatids are a tapeworm, usually found where dogs interact with sheep. Hydatid cysts are dangerous and can only be removed with surgery Keeping your pets free of these parasites with the appropriate oral or topical preparation is the best way to keep your whole family safe. Talk to us about a solution that suits your family and pets best. Back to top |
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5. All aboard! Christmas is coming If you're going away at Christmas, it's time to organise your pets' boarding good kennels and catteries can be booked out by the end of August. In preparation for boarding there are several jobs to do: Annual Health Check and Vaccination: Dogs and cats cannot be boarded at reputable facilities unless their vaccination is current. This is to ensure the safety of pets while boarding. If vaccination is due it should be done at least 2 weeks before boarding to ensure maximum protection from the vaccine. We will carry out the annual health check at the time of vaccination One of the jobs of the vaccine for dogs is to protect against Canine Cough [also called Kennel Cough]. Canine Cough is a disease that is easily passed between dogs during social interaction such as in the park. It is non-lethal but can make a dog feel very unwell and is accompanied by an unpleasant, hacking cough. The vaccine is similar to the flu vaccine in people it does not guarantee the dog will not get the disease but in the unlikely situation where he or she does, it reduces the severity of the condition. Heartworm make sure your dog's heartworm protection is current before heading off to boarding. Heartworm is a life threatening disease, which can now be easily prevented. If you're having difficulty remembering to give a monthly treatment, ask us for the once-a-year heartworm injection. It can be given at the same time as the vaccination and means you don't need to think about it for another year. The heartworm injection can now be given to puppies from 12 weeks old. Please call us if you'd like to confirm when your cat or dog's annual health check and vaccines are due. 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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