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May 2008 edition
1. What's happening for your pets down at the vets...? 2. A total wellness plan means peace of mind 3. Ralph's run of bad luck 4. Walter’s bloody urine 5. How to keep your pet safe 6. Introducing a new baby into a household with pets 7. Million Paws Walk 8. Aqua Dog swimmer of the month 9. Puppy Preschool …the beginning of a beautiful friendship |
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1. What's happening for your pets down at the vets...? Have you heard our pets talking about it over the fence? In this month's newsletter all the talk is about Total Wellness, with some great information on keeping your pets safe, healthy and happy inside and out. We hear all about Ralph's run of bad luck and his owners' relief and comfort in knowing they were covered for life's unexpected surprises and how Wellness Testing could have prevented Walters unexpected rush trip to the vets. We celebrate motherhood with a Happy Mothers Day wish to honour all our human and pet mums. Some of our very own pet care team families offer first hand advice on introducing a new baby to your pet family. We meet our newest puppy preschool graduates and welcome the newest member of our professional veterinary team, Dr Mat Lawton. Introducing Dr Matthew Lawton, Veterinarian Associate. As the newest member of our veterinary team, Dr Matt is busy getting to know you and your pets at our Helensvale and Arundel Plaza clinics. Previously Matt worked in a mixed practice in Ipswich. Although he enjoyed his time in the diary industry, he is very excited about the opportunity to join a great team specializing in small animals and to practice the high level of medicine and surgery that our clinics offer. Growing up Matt went to boarding school in Toowoomba and graduated with first class honours from the University of Queensland in 2006. Now that Matt calls the Gold Coast home he is able to make the most of the local area and enjoy his outdoor hobbies, which include fishing, hiking and kayaking, in his spare time. So look out for Dr Matt's friendly smile, say Hi and make him feel welcome when you next visit our clinics! Back to top |
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2. A total wellness plan means peace of mind There are two components to keeping your pet in the best health possible. Firstly prevent illness as we read about later in Walter's bloody urine, and secondly be prepared if an unexpected illness occurs as Ralph's owner testifies. In the next few articles we will have a good look at how a Total Wellness Plan can mean peace of mind for you and your pets! Here are the two essential components: Wellness Plan (Problem Prevention) 1. Diet – feed the best available. We recommend a premium commercial food 2. Body weight – keep at optimum body weight for the longest life possible. Recent studies show that dogs can live up to 2 years longer simply by maintaining optimum body weight 3. Prevent and detect illness early Our Essential Ten Step Petcare Plan – includes an annual Top to Tail examination at the clinic when its due, protective vaccinations, as well as flea, tick, intestinal worm and heartworm control, desexing, dental hygiene, microchipping, socialisation and training, and regular Wellness tests for pets over 5yrs. We can provide your pet with excellence in pet care by working together through a check list of ten essential steps to total wellness. Confused? …. What? When? You are not on your own! For most pet owners, knowing what medications to give and when can be confusing. “I don't know what to do!” is a comment we often hear. This is understandable, as there is lots to remember. Most pets require regular worming, flea treatment and heartworm prevention throughout the year. This is in additon to annual health checks and vaccination. To help, we send reminders – both in the mail and via email. The email reminders help by: · Sending you an email when a dose is due. For most dogs and cats, this means an email each month · Being addressed to the pet · Using names of medication to reduce confusion If you are not already receiving email reminders and would like to, please call or email us [use link at bottom of newsletter] Emergency plan An emergency or sudden illness can strike at any time and despite the best prevention, accidents do happen. Serious cases such as being hit by a car, fight wounds and internal organ injuries can require intensive care. In preparing for the unexpected, one option is to take out pet insurance. For those that use pet health insurance, there is peace of mind that the cost of treatment will be met in the event of an accident or unexpected illness. The major pet health insurance companies will cover approximately 80% [up to $5000] of the cost of treatment for unexpected illness or injury. Read our following story “Ralph's run of Bad Luck” for a first hand account of how Pet Insurance saved the day and the bank balance for Ralph's family. For more information about the various Pet insurance available, contact our pet care team at the clinic. Back to top |
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3. Ralph's run of bad luck The following story is a real account sent to Dr Cary and our pet care team at our Arundel Plaza Clinic from one of their patients. It tells of how Pet Insurance saved the day and the bank balance for Ralph and his family. Over the past 12 months, Ralph my labradoodle (who turns two in March '08), has had a run of very bad luck. In February '07, he was savagely attacked by a pit bull while I was walking him on his lead. In June '07 Ralph broke his front left leg while playing with family in the back yard. Then in January '08, he swallowed a marble from a child's board game, which caused a bowel obstruction. These injuries incurred veterinarian bills totalling just over $5500 for surgeries, X-rays, anaesthetic, antibiotics, pain relief and other care needs. Ralph's broken leg alone cost $4000 to repair; he required a plate and we took him to a Veterinarian Surgeon Specialist on the advice of our local Vet. It was a delicate operation. If it wasn't successful and the plate didn't hold the bone together until it healed, his leg would have been amputated. Fortunately, I only had to pay $100 for each injury as I maintain a pet insurance policy with an annual fee of $320.This policy enabled us to get the best care and medical procedures currently available to give Ralph the best chance of a full recovery. I recommend to all pet owners to give serious consideration to taking out pet insurance because you will never know when you may need it. It eased the financial pressure as I was re-imbursed by Petplan Insurance within 3 weeks of the operations, which meant that I only had to concern myself with Ralph's post-operative care. As we see in Ralph's case, unfortunately sometimes accidents DO HAPPEN and often we can't predict them. We can however plan for those unexpected & unfortunate events. As Ralph's family discovered having a comprehensive pet insurance policy can give you and your pets peace of mind when it comes to lifes little unexpected surprises. For information about the various policies available contact our pet care team at the clinic. Drop in and pickup a Petplan insurance application to receive introductory offer of 4 weeks FREE insurance. Back to top |
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4. Walter’s bloody urine It was a Saturday morning before a family wedding and Walter was being walked out on the nature strip. As he peed on the telegraph pole, his owner Robert noticed there was blood in the urine. Not a good time to get unwell but you can't plan these things. Walter was brought to the vet. His examination revealed nothing abnormal, which is often the case with male dogs when they have urinary problems. The most likely cause of the red urine was a urinary tract infection and he was treated with antibiotics. This is done on the proviso that he is brought back after the course of medication for a urine test. Walter improved dramatically and just over 2 weeks later he came back for his urine test. The urine test helps to rule out other causes of blood in the urine. The results showed that Walter did in fact have a problem – small crystals had formed in his urine. An x-ray was then carried out and showed that large stones had formed in the bladder, and these would have been the cause of the bleeding. Walter had surgery to remove the stones and was put on a special food to help prevent the recurrence of stones. He's now home and doing really well. We recommend urine testing for all pets over 7 years old, even if they don't have a noticeable problem. It can help us find these problems early, preventing painful disease later on. It's simple and easy! Talk to our pet care team today about Wellness testing for your pet. Back to top |
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5. How to keep your pet safe With regard to pet safety, it's much easier to prevent a pet getting lost than trying to find a pet once they've gone. However, modern pet identification systems mean returning a pet safely to home is much more likely than in the past. Here's a checklist to help you ensure your pet is safe and if lost, has the best chance of coming home: Enclosure: For cats, building an enclosure is a good long term solution. While it can be expensive to install, the benefits are longer lived and healthier cats. Enclosures prevent cats from roaming and so eliminate the risk of being run over or infected with the lethal Feline Aids virus. Fences and gates: a secure yard to house your dog reduces the risk of car accidents and is required by local councils to prevent wandering Walk on leads: use a lead at all times while walking unless you are in a safe “off lead” area. Too many dogs have been run over walking to and from the local park. Training: Being confident your dog will come back to you may save his life. It's worth practising this and if you are having trouble, please ask us for help. Collar and tags: For both dogs and cats, a collar and tag is a practical way to identify your pet. For pets that get lost locally, a tag with contact details is usually what ensures a quick trip home Microchip: This is a rice grain sized sterile data chip that is implanted under the skin. Once a chip is implanted, it cannot fall off or wear out, unlike a collar tag. In most parts of Australia, new pets are required to have microchips by law. Ask us about our Special Chip Snip & Dip offer when you book your pet's desexing. Save $10 on the Chip and receive a FREE Dip with your pet's Snip Back to top |
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6. Introducing a new baby into a household with pets We asked our pet care team!! Many pet owners at some stage introduce a new baby into their household. Managing the change in dynamics that occurs with the new person arriving is important and will help ensure a smooth transition to a happy, bigger family. Our very own pet care team have recently welcomed some new little members to their families and understand the importance of managing those changes of dynamics with their valued family pets. Dr Tony, Monique and Sam introduced little Oliver to their family pets Golden Retriever dogs Lochie & Byron, and Burmese cat Mowgli. Of course these guys were old hats at it this time having experienced Sam's arrival a few years before. Margaret and Hamish have also introduced baby Liam to their family pet Penny. Most recently Meagan & Rowan introduced baby Lucy to their canine family members, Bindi and Spike. Meagan's advice was to prepare your pets well in advance. In Meagan's case, Spike and Bindi had always slept inside so she made sure they were settled into sleeping out on the verandah well before Lucy's arrival. “That way they wouldn't associate Lucy's arrival to being moved away from us” explained Meagan. As Leah and Dean prepare their two cats, Asha & Cappi for the arrival of their new baby all our pet care team agrees the following advice and considerations are not only important but invaluable in ensuring a bigger happier family for pets and babies alike. When a baby enters the family, pets can become dislocated and feel put out if thought is not put into their well being. Here are some tips: · Introduce your pet to child-like touch such as gently pulling ears, tails and feet; make this playful and reward your pet if this contact is accepted · Before bringing your baby home, allow your pet to get used to the new scent by bringing a blanket home from the hospital · When your pet and the baby are in the same room, praise and reward your pet. This creates a positive feeling about the baby in your pet's mind. Ignoring your pet, which is easy to do when focussed on a new child, can lead to your pet feeling excluded. Meagan and Rowan especially found this helpful with their pets. They always praise and reward Bindi and Spike when they are all together as a happy family with Lucy. Meagan said “We actually find ourselves giving them more attention when Lucy's around so they associate Lucy's presence with happiness and affection and really look forward to her being there” Lastly and importantly, don't leave young children alone with any dog. Statistically, it is children under the age of 5 that are most at risk of being bitten. These children are usually bitten by their own dog or one they know well, such as a neighbour's. [With thanks to the Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Vic. For more information and to view their very useful kids and dogs pamphlet click here]. Happy Mothers Day - our Pet Care Team would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Mums a Happy Mothers Day this month. That goes for the mums of our pets too. May your special day be filled with gifts of appreciation and being treated by the family. Although our pet mums won't expect expensive wrapped gifts may mountains of unconditional love, cuddles, licks, nudges and purrs be the best present of all. May we leave you with this thought… My Mum is a neverending song in my heart of comfort happiness and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. Graycie Harmon. Back to top |
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7. Million Paws Walk Sunday 18 May is a day to grab the lead and with your best mate, join Australia's largest dog walk, the Million Paws Walk. Created 15 years ago to promote the benefits of pet ownership and to raise funds for the RSPCA, the aim is to have “one million paws” walking. Last year, 40,000 people and 17,000 pets turned out at 60 locations across the country. This year even more are expected, including some of the country's most popular celebrities. The event serves to highlight how pets can improve our health. Some powerful facts: • People who own pets are more active and exercise more then those who don't - particularly if they own dogs • People report feeling safer when walking alone if they have their dog with them • Elderly people who own pets are more able to maintain daily activities and are more active • Pet owners are more likely to know their neighbours, be involved in community activities and be interested in local issues • Pet owners have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels which reduces their risk of cardiovascular disease As well as the walk, there are heaps of activities including vet checks, displays, entertainment and stalls. Walks are generally between 2 and 5km. Register online at www.millionpawswalk.com.au Back to top |
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8. Aqua Dog swimmer of the month Halle is a 5 year old staffy, the best friend by one of our vets, Dr Kath. If anyone should know what is the best for their pets' total wellness and happiness it would be our very own member of the veterinary team Dr Kath. In 2003 Halle suffered an unfortunate accident injuring her knee joint and Dr Kath performed the necessary surgery to repair her cruciate ligament. Since then she has been bringing Halle into Aquadog for exercise at least once a week to help her joints and also to strengthen her back legs. Halle is a typical staffy, active, excitable and loves to run but could risk injuring her knee joints again if she is allowed race around too much like this. As Swimming is low impact and 10mins is equivalent to a least an hour of walking Dr Kath feels this is the best fun and fitness that she can provide for her best friend. Dr Kath knows that swimming Halle once or twice weekly at Aquadog, will keep her fit, healthy and happy more effectively than trying to walk her. Halle started off only doing 8 laps on lead with a vest on. Now she is swimming 20 to 24 laps!, having lots of fun and her joints are doing really well. You wouldn't even know that she has had any surgery, that's how happy and energetic she is. Kath ticks all the boxes of our Ten Step Pet Care Plan and completes Halle's total wellness by feeding her Hills Prescription Diet Zd as she has very sensitive skin. Call our friendly team at Aquadog on 5502-2444 to arrange an introductory swim. Back to top |
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9. Puppy Preschool …the beginning of a beautiful friendship Puppy Preschool is where we “Love, Listen, Laugh and Learn". It's 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, families can enjoy being involved in developing their new puppy's social skills to ensure they become polite and well behaved canine citizens. Classes are held once a week for 4 weeks 6.30 - 7.30pm at our Nerang, Helensvale and Arundel Clinics. To join our next class, please call the location that suits your family and ask our friendly staff for more details. Our 4 week program includes a puppy water safety class at our indoor swimming facility, AquaDog Health & Fitness Centre. For more information click here Congratulations to our recent graduates: At Nerang: Commenced 5.3.08 Molly Mulaimovic; Bailey Michael Plumridge; Georgie Girl Panitz; Kyben Smyth; Matilda Chapman; Dougal Walpole; Nellie Haney, Tane Wallace, Shylo Felisiak At Helensvale: Commenced 10.3.08 Chocolate Goode, Pele Burton, Holly Sumner – Williams, Buster Lawrance, Lotte Brown, Abby Copp At Arundel: Sophie Barram, Lolli Pop Bell, Summer McEntee, Jetson Scott. Thank you to all the enthusiastic puppy preschoolers and their dedicated parents for sharing the experience with lots of love and laughter. We hope you will enjoy the memories of your time together at Puppy Preschool by printing your class photo to display in the frame provided. To print your class photo or to email to friends and family go to our website by clicking here then go to E Cards to find your framed photo. 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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