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January 2007 edition - Happy New Year!
1. Happy New Year! 2. Don’t give your pets Christmas leftovers! 3. Kathryn James - team member of the month 4. New Year’s Resolution – feed your pet well 5. AquaDog Health & Fitness 6. Zoom in for a Groom 7. Australia Day - True Blue animals 8. Puppy Preschool - the beginning of a beautiful friendship 9. Boarding at the Vets 10. Getting to the heart of the matter 11. Great gardens for pets 12. Don't leave me this way! 13. Winners announced |
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1. Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Wishing you and your pets a New Year full of Fun, Health & Fitness and especially lots of Happy summer holidays of play with special friends and family. CHEERS From all the team at The Vets Back to top |
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2. Don’t give your pets Christmas leftovers! Give your pets a great start to the New Year by not feeding them your Christmas leftovers! During the festive season we may often be tempted to share some of our festive cheer with our pets. By this we mean, indulgent festive foods like chocolate, ham, cooked bones, bacon and sausage meats. We talked to Dr Donna Bennett from our team at the Vets, about the dangers of sharing these festive treats with our pets. “Chocolate is definitely on the top of the banned treats list” said Dr Donna, “as even moderate amounts are toxic to your pet and can lead to death. Cooked bones, however tempting, can lead to severe constipation, bowel damage and throat lacerations. Meats such as bacon, pork, ham, sausages and deli meats have a very high fat content and this can lead to a condition called pancreatitis. Signs of this condition include loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain and lethargy and can rapidly become an emergency situation. Fortunately most pets respond to treatment however they may need to go on a low fat diet for an extended period”. Therefore Dr Donna advises prevention is better than cure and suggests there are some really great alternatives. To indulge your pets this holiday season just choose from a wide range of appropriate pet treats, readily available at The Vets. Call in and ask our friendly team about the latest treats available. Back to top |
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3. Kathryn James - team member of the month Kathryn moved to the Gold Coast from Melbourne to join us in March 2005. She has been in small animal practice since 1978 and has increased her skills with postgraduate diplomas in Dermatology, Radiology and Internal Medicine. Now that her children have grown she and her husband are enjoying the coastal lifestyle with their beloved Staffordshire Terrier, Halle. We asked Dr Kathryn how she celebrated Christmas Day and shared some festive togetherness with her pet and family. “Halle's Christmas gift this year was an oversized rope toy as she just loves to play “tug of war” laughed Kathryn. “As Halle is on a special prescription diet, Hills z/d, for her skin and normally treats are limited, she always looks forward to finding an indulgent festive treat of a pigs ear specially wrapped under the tree. Again this year, Halle didn't need any help to unwrap her present and when we sat down to our Christmas pudding, she happily chewed away on her pigs ear treat. Later that afternoon we all worked off our Christmas cheer playing with Halle's new rope toy. Yes! Togetherness and indulgent treats is a very really special part of Christmas for all our family.” Back to top |
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4. New Year’s Resolution – feed your pet well If there's one thing you do for your pet this year, it's feed the best food you can. Most pet foods contain fillers that can lead to poor digestion and large sloppy faeces. When it comes to cleaning up after your pet, who wants to pick up large sloppy faeces? We recommend you feed a premium food. Premium foods are made with the best ingredients, contain no fillers and actively contribute to improving the health of dogs and cats. Reasons why premium foods are best: • Because premium foods contain no fillers, the result is small, firm faeces. That makes for easy cleaning up after your pet • They contain advanced nutrients that have a range of benefits such as producing a shinier coat, healthier teeth and helping to reduce the risk of arthritis • Feeding premium food is economical. A bag of premium pet food goes twice as far as other foods. Once again, this is because there are no fillers and so you only have to feed small quantities. Make the switch to premium food today - drop in to the clinic and we'll provide you with the best food for your pet. Back to top |
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5. Zoom in for a Groom The Vets at Nerang and Helensvale is a great place for your pet to cool off and get a stylish new look for summer. Our professional pet stylist, Lisa is available now to help your pets shed that unnecessary coat for some great carefree summer days of play. Just call us for an appointment. Wishing your pets no more bad hair days, just carefree summer days of play. Back to top |
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6. AquaDog Health & Fitness A great place for your pet to cool off and get fit this summer. Our Aquadog indoor heated swimming pool offers a fun and safe environment for your dog to cool off and get fit this summer. The pool features gently graded entry ramps, in water safety ledges and a state of art water chemistry and filtration system that only requires minimal chemicals. Our On Duty Lifeguard is a specialist trained veterinary nurse providing expert safety and assistance for you and your pet. We also offer initial fitness assessments and swim programs specially tailored to your dogs needs, age, fitness level and health status. Aquadog also offers hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, weight loss swimming programs, DIY hydro-bathing and puppy pre-school swim classes. Aquadog is right next to The Vets at Nerang. Call our friendly team at Aquadog on 5502-2444 to arrange an introductory swim. Swim passes of 10 or 25 swims are also available. So make time now for your dog to splash into summer with some safe, fun swimming this holiday season. AquaDog Swimmer of the month Meisha Morrow is a 9 year old Staffy who dislocated her elbow and also suffers from advanced arthritis in that elbow. When Meisha first began physiotherapy and swimming at Aquadog in September she had a noticeably painful, limping front leg. Meisha swims 2 to 3 times per week and she can't wait to get in the pool and have some fun while doing her therapy! She has now strengthened her muscles and joints so much, you can't even tell which leg is her bad one! Back to top |
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7. Australia Day - True Blue animals January 26 is a time to celebrate what it means to be Australian and what's great about this country of ours. Animals play an important role in our identity – both native and introduced. They feature in our stories, legends and myths. Here are 3 very different Australian animals: • The Waler – the horse that built a country. From the days of the First Fleet, the Waler was used by explorers, farmers and, most famously, the Anzacs. Walers, named for their New South Wales origins, were the horse of choice in the early days because of their ability to survive the often harsh conditions early Australians found themselves in. After leading the charge of the Light Brigade during World War One, the Waler was forgotten for many years. More recently they've come back into our consciousness with the formation of the Waler Horse Society. For more information click here • The Funnel-web spider – this creature has struck fear into the hearts of Australians for years. Interestingly, the venom is most toxic to primates – and that is why people are so at risk - but dogs and cats are relatively resistant. The good news is that since the introduction of anti-venom, no one has died from a Funnel-web bite. For more information click here • The Moggie – although not originating in Australia the Moggie has found a place in our hearts and minds – they're found in 85% of homes with cats. Many of us grew up with a Moggie at home or knew a friend with one. Moggie is a term of endearment for a cross bred cat. They come in a variety of colours and often have the most wonderful personality. Back to top |
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8. Puppy Preschool - the beginning of a beautiful friendship Our puppy pre-school is a fun way for puppies and families to learn all the skills required for a rewarding life together. Under the expert guidance of our qualified nurses, parents can enjoy being involved in developing their new puppy's social skills to ensure they become polite and well behaved canine citizens. Congratulations! to our most recent puppy pre-school graduates and their dedicated parents. Helensvale Puppies: Kuto Woodyatt Daisy Gellatly Diesel Kordic Pig Kruger Stella Kruger Penny Gower Morerag Sutherland Panda Webb Lilli Tronc Nerang Puppies: Mac McDonald (Jack Russell) Monty Williams (Border Collie) Prada Jager (Jack Russell) Zed Murray (Staffy X) Benji Bellgardt (Maltese XShihtzu) Foster Gray-Smith (Aust Bull Dog) Saxon Pratt Arundel Puppies: Lou Lou Sager (German Shepard) Bruiser Malone (German Shepard) Jackson Crawford (Rottweiler) Bindi Jessop (Shihtzu X Maltese) Classes are held once a week for 4 weeks 6.30 - 7.30pm. To join our next class, please call the location that suits your family and ask our friendly staff for more details. Back to top |
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9. Boarding at the Vets The Vets is a great safe place for your cats to stay if you are away over the New Year holiday period. We have a limited number of places available for short- term stays over the New Year holiday period. For details please call The Vets Helensvale; PH (07) 5529 8011 The Vets Nerang: PH (07) 5596 2322 or Arundel Plaza Vets: (07) 5594 0533 Wishing you a relaxing break and the peace of mind your cat is safe. Back to top |
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10. Getting to the heart of the matter When Bill noticed his dog Mandy lagging on their daily walk recently he didn't think much of it – it was one of those hot, dry days. It was only when she kept on lagging on her walks – even as the days got cooler, that he thought something was amiss. Mandy is a 8 year old Cocker Spaniel and has been in fantastic condition her whole life – she'd never been unwell. Bill took her to the vet where she was examined and admitted for further investigation. Over the next day X-rays were taken and an Ultrasound performed to try to get to the bottom of the problem. These tests revealed that Mandy had heart disease. One of her heart valves was not working properly – reducing the effectiveness of the heart and causing fluid to build up in her lungs - which was causing her to pant more than normal. Mandy was prescribed two heart medications and a special food. One medication helped her heart pump more effectively and the other helped clear the fluid in her lungs. The food, Hill's Prescription Diet* h/d*, also helps her lungs with its low salt content, has controlled protein levels for older dogs and other nutrients such as taurine and carnitine, which can help the heart muscle in some special cases of heart disease. Bill picked Mandy up the next day and was surprised at how much she'd already improved. Now she's running around like a pup again – something she hasn't been doing for some time now. Bill is over the moon – he's got his old dog back. Hill's Prescription Diet* h/d* is specialised for the management of heart disease in dogs. For more information click here Back to top |
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11. Great gardens for pets In our series on creating gardens for pets, this month we ask renowned garden designer Andrew O'Sullivan for practical tips for making gardens more pet friendly. Andrew appears on the ABC's Gardening Australia – here are his tips: • Cat shelves attached to walls and fences allow your cat to move around the garden above ground level. The shelves create ideal resting places where cats can watch their territory in safety • Spy holes in garden fences and gates provide dogs with a view through to the outside world, helping to prevent boredom • Build retaining walls wide enough to function as outdoor seating for pets. Stepped walls also create interesting pathways for dogs and cats • Steps made from tile or wood can be slippery when wet and can be hazardous for older or stiff limbed pets. Textured surfaces offer all weather grip • Where space allows, reduce the height of steps and increase the width of the tread. This makes negotiating steps easier for older pets. The wide tread also provides space to display pots and containers • Fencing around an entertaining area or a child's play area means you can choose to exclude your dog from these spaces when needed • Cover your child's sandpit when not in use as cats will use it as a toilet. Create a small area of gravel and sand, surrounded by grasses or shrubs for privacy, and this will soon become the preferred toilet place for both dogs and cats. You must remember to clean this area regularly • Strategic planting of prickly foliaged plants will stop dogs and cats entering a particular area. This is an ideal way of creating safe habitat for wild birds. Indigenous plants work well - they're often both prickly and provide a food source for birds • Fish in a pond control mosquito larvae and are totally safe from cats and birds providing there are lots of water plants to hide in. Watching the fish will also be interesting for your pets, while the water feature will provide them with a constant supply of drinking water. Back to top |
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12. Don't leave me this way! Christmas and New Year are a great time for pets – the family's around and they love the attention. The flip side is that when members of the family start going back to work or school, pets left at home can become lonely. Loneliness can lead to anxiety – which is a medical condition and needs to be treated. Look out for the following signs: · Excessive chewing, digging and scratching near doors and windows · House soiling · Whining or howling (only when the owner is not present) · Pacing · Excessive grooming · Diarrhoea, vomiting and/or salivation When the owner returns, the dog is exuberant to excess, often refusing to leave the person alone. Cats show similar but less overt signs. To prevent anxiety separation, make an effort to maintain your pet's routine as much as possible when you go back to work. Keep up regular play – such as chasing a ball or sitting down for a pat. When you're away, provide interactive toys such as a Kong to help occupy the hours – or hide treats around the garden. If your pet is showing any of the above signs, seek our help immediately. The quicker we act, the better the response. Treating separation anxiety involves the use of special training techniques, pheromones and sometimes medications. Back to top |
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13. Winners announced Congratulations to the winners of the cinema tickets from the competition run in the December newsletter edition. Winners have been notified and can look forward to a great night out. Perhaps in keeping with the animal care theme they will see "Happy Feet" - a wonderful story about life and the state of the planet. 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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