Have you heard our pets talking about it over the fence?

Talk about respect for your elders, this month's newsletter is all about Celebrating our Sensational Seniors.

With a real focus on keeping healthy & warm this winter and especially helping older pets keep comfortable in the colder months, this edition is packed with great information, including a range of nutrition specially formulated to help our mature pets get the most out of life. 

We have Cute ‘n cosy Slippers to give away for the human folk when they buy Hills Science Diet for us mature vibrant oldies to Live Longer and Live Better!  And you know what they say?  "Warm feet ...warm hearts"  means lots more cozy cuddles with the family this winter! 

THIS MONTH ONLY

Slip into this great Winter Deal from Hill's Pet Nutrition. Receive a FREE pair of CUTE ‘N COSY SLIPPERS when you purchase any product from the Hill's Science Diet Senior 7+ range . *Offer available while stocks last.

Winter is a time for snuggling up and getting cosy in front of an open fire. It's also a time when ailments such as arthritis can affect our pets, causing pain and discomfort.

Here's what to look out for that may indicate your pet is suffering from arthritis:
- Trouble climbing stairs
- Difficulty getting up after a rest
- Lack of interest in exercise
- Yelping or snapping when the back or a leg is touched
- Not interested in food

Arthritis can be well managed in pets with a combination of medication, weight control and exercise. In addition, a new arthritis food is making a signifcant difference. The food contains:

• Special ingredients that cleverly shut down the damaging arthritis enzymes
• The correct blend of fatty acids are added to soothe the joint, reducing the inflammation that flares up in arthritis
• Other components to provide the building blocks that help rebuild the joint and any damaged cartilage
• L-carnitine which helps burn fat and thus take weight off the joints

Hill's* Prescription Diet* Canine j/d has a unique formula for the management of arthritis in dogs. For more information go to www.hillspet.com.au

Guys, if you've tried - and failed - with chocolates, roses or champagne, a Golden Retriever or Labrador may be just the thing you need.

According to the results of a recent online survey for the Petcare Information and Advisory Service, 81% of women said that they found a man who owns a dog more appealing than a man who does not. A further 38% of women selected a Golden Retriever or Labrador as the most appealing dog for a man to own.

82% of women who responded to the survey agreed that the type of dog a man owns reflects his personality. According to the results of the survey, it appears that Labradors and Retrievers are associated with being a responsible family man.

And it seems that whatever women might say about liking sensitive men, it doesn't necessarily hold true. When asked to nominate the type of dog that would be least appealing for a man to own, Pugs, Shih Tzus and Poodles received the highest score - 51% of the votes. These dogs were also nominated by 62% of women as likely to be owned by sensitive men.

It just goes to show there's much to be gained from walking your dog. Try it today and see what happens...

Just like puppies and kittens, older pets benefit from foods tailored to their needs. We consider dogs and cats over 7 years to be senior. At 7, a pet is approaching 50 in human years. While that's a considerable age, there's no reason why with the right care, most pets can't go on happily for another 7 years. New developments in food mean that many older age conditions of pets can be prevented or managed. Areas that food can help include:

Brain ageing: as the brain gets older, the natural byproducts of thinking, free radical molecules, increase and cause damage. This leads to Alzheimer like conditions if not addressed. New additives in senior foods help to mop up the free radicals and can result in improved learning by older pets: they actually seem to get smarter!

Obesity: with lower levels of activity but appetites that still want more, older pets often put on weight. Fibre additives in senior foods help with gut function and controlled energy levels help to keep the body trim, rather than becoming round and tubby.

Heart and kidneys: controlled mineral levels in senior foods help to promote a healthy heart and kidneys.

Arthritis: in addition to keeping weight down, adding special ingredients such as chondroitin and glucosamine help prevent arthritis. These additives nourish the joints, allowing the pet to remain active well into the twilight years.

Help your Sensational Senior Pets get more out of Life and Live Healthier Lives Longer.  Respect your Elders with our Winter Warmer Special...see "Whats on at the vets" above for more details.

The annual Top to Tail health check is probably the most important thing you can do for your pet. If vaccinations are due in winter, we'll do the annual Top to Tail check at the same time. The Top to Tail health check is the equivalent of our annual check up at the doctor with one big difference - pets age the equivalent of 7 years in one year. So much can change for a pet in one year. This makes these checks essential; they're our only way of picking up diseases early and this can help save lives.

The Top to Tail health check involves a thorough clinical examination. We take a history from you - to understand how your pet has been over the last year. We'll also examine your pet from head to toe and make a record of any changes. Putting this information together allows us to understand how well your pet is and to work out how to fix any problems found. We strongly recommend more regular six monthly health checks and regular wellness tests for our mature pets over 7 years.

Even though we'd like to think they can, our pets can't always tell us where it hurts, and we can't always see what's happening on the inside.  A pet that appears healthy on the outside at their Top to Tail examination may be hiding internal signs of disease.  A Wellness test is one way of detecting early signs of kidney or liver disease or diabetes.  The presence of anaemia or inflammation detected by the simple blood test may alert us to the possibility of an infection or tumour.

Is your pet due for their Top to Tail health check? If your pet is over 5 years of age a Wellness test can help us check that they are healthy inside and out. Call us today to find out more and make an appointment.

This was highlighted recently with a patient who came to our clinic to see Dr Kath for their annual Top to Tail health check.

Jake Davy, a 12 year old happy and seemingly healthy staffordshire terrier came in for his annual check up and vaccination. His owners were happy to agree to a Wellness test, recommended because of his age.

The blood test revealed significant increases in his liver enzymes, which indicated a disease affecting his liver. An abdominal ultrasound conducted by Dr Sonya found an abnormal area in one of Jake's liver lobes, and the pathology results of a fine needle aspirate showed cancer characteristics in the sample.

The next step for Jake will be exploratory surgery to remove the abnormal area. It is hoped that Jake will make a full recovery, especially as the abnormality seems to be confined to a single liver lobe. He certainly has a much better chance as the problem was detected early thanks to his owners choosing to have a Wellness test performed. 

It's about now that we head off to our own doctor to get the flu injection - and the same applies to pets. If your pet's annual vaccination and health check up is due, it's a good idea to get it done now to help prevent the onset of winter coughs and colds. Dogs get Canine Cough [Kennel Cough] and Cats get Cat Flu. Although they can get these conditions any time of the year, they're most common in winter.

Canine Cough: is a highly contagious but non-lethal disease that's passed from dog to dog by moisture droplets. If not vaccinated, it's most likely your pet will catch this in the local park from another dog. Vaccination is simple, effective and given annually.

Cat Flu: is also highly contagious but unlike Canine Cough, can cause severe illness, especially in elderly cats or kittens. Vaccination is highly effective and while it won't always prevent cats from developing flu, it helps reduce the severity of the condition. Flu vaccinations are given annually.

If you're unsure about whether your pets are currently protected against these conditions, please call us.

Sheeba the Belgian Shepherd is a 14yr mature lady who suffers from arthritis in both her hips and her knees. She started swimming with us at AquaDog in June 2007. When she started about 12mths ago, she was quite stiff in her joints when she walked and had a slight limp in her hind legs. The Vets recommended a course of injections to help her arthritic joints combined with hydrotherapy. A comprehensive swimming program at AquaDog was designed specifically for Sheeba's treatment.

When she first started swimming, she could only manage to swim 5 laps, and that was wearing a floation vest! Now however, Sheeba swims 3 laps without the vest and an amazing 14 laps wearing the floation vest. Her mobility has improved dramatically and better still she loves every minute of it! Afterall, where else can she have so much fun fetching her ball while doing rehabilitation on her joints and all without even realizing it? It's fun, fitness and rehab all at the same time!

Sheeba's proud owners, Rebecca & Steve are thrilled with her progress and especially with how much Sheeba enjoys her rehab sessions. They told Kaia, our AquaDog hydrotherapy co-ordinator, "Sheeba goes crazy every swim morning and can't wait to get into the pool.  Swimming is one of her favourite things to do. She also loves seeing Kaia every week".

Get in the Swim with fun and fitness for your mature dog. Call our friendly team at Aquadog on 5502-2444 to arrange an introductory swim NOW.

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 go to www.thevets.com.au

Congratulations to our recent graduates of our Puppy Preschool classes:

At Nerang:
Class commenced   2.4.08
Juggy Norman, Smokey MacPherson, Armani Lambert, Zonda Smith, Iggy Parry, Tequila Love, Jack Middleton, Luka Wilks, Winston Drennan
Class commenced   30.4.08 (pictured)
Moey Stuart, Zari Fitzgerald, Jazz Heddle, Daphne Buys, Sooty Bishop, Terry Whant, Kya Appleby, Obi Caera, Luka Hall

At Helensvale:
Class commenced  14.4.08
Mahli Norton, Barney Flanagan, Rex Lee-Whelan, Rusty Mizerak, Scooby Goodman, Honey Perry, Hunter Mitchels, Alfie Edwards, Chelsea Ashmore

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 www.thevets.com.au then go to E-cards to find your framed photo.