The Bushfire Tragedy.
We have all been shocked by the devastation caused by the Victorian bushfires.

Our professional body, The Australian Veterinary Association has been involved in the co-ordination of veterinarian, veterinary nurse and volunteer support in the treatment of injured wildlife. One veterinarian has
been quoted as describing the work of vets and nurses in treating injured animals like watching 'energizer bunnies' in action.

Kinglake Veterinary Clinic was destroyed in the fire as was the property of the practice owner. Our practices, The Vets Helensvale and Nerang, Arundel Plaza Vet Clinic and Robina Vet Surgery have donated $4000 towards the treatment and rehabilitation of injured animals. Our hearts go out to all the families, pets and wildlife that have been severely affected by this tragedy.  We send wishes of hope, healing, courage and strength to everyone involved.

Kittens Saved
Meanwhile back on the home front, our pet care team has been working around the clock to give two tiny abandoned kittens a second chance at life. Having used at least one of their supposed nine lives, these two tiny felines have had our dedicated team of nurses as mums for the past two weeks.

The kittens were only about 1wk old when they were found in a nearby factory. The business owners found one already dead and rushed the other two down to us. Their quick response enabled our team to immediately administer life saving veterinary care. Since then the kittens have needed intensive care with our dedicated nurses taking turns in 4 hourly feeding, cleaning, and lots of cuddles around the clock 24/7. 'It was pretty intensive at first as a few of us shared the duties of taking them home overnight and getting up to feed them every 4 hrs'  Lisa our nurse at Nerang shared this of her experience. 'Its all been worth it to see them doing so well now. They are now sleeping through the night and we have started to introduce solids and different textures. They seem to be achieving all the normal kitten milestones and are starting to interact with each other and show lots of interest in their team of mums'.

The kittens have certainly made an impression at Lisa's home with her mini foxie cross, Millie thinking that she is their mum. Lisa laughs 'Millie at 7 months old is still a kid at heart so her parenting role consists of playing and rolling around with them. She is very gentle but no doubt she gets the easy part of parenting'.  Although they seem to be doing well, it is still touch and go and they will require lots of care and parenting over the next few weeks until they are healthy and matured enough to go to a new home.

Stay tuned for updates on our kittens progress in next months newsletter

How do you start your rambunctious puppy out on the right track? Household rules need to be in place as soon as you get your puppy home but Puppy Preschool goes a step further and helps teach your pup good manners and socialisation. This results in a confident and friendly adult dog and a happy and relaxed owner.

Many behavioural problems in dogs are normal behaviours but are performed at inappropriate times or in inappropriate places. Training and socialisation before the age of 16 weeks goes a long way toward keeping your puppy out of trouble.

Our Puppy Preschool’s main aims are:

1. To socialise your puppy so it is comfortable with other dogs and people.
2. Teach your puppy basic commands and good manners.
3. Help provide you with tips for puppy development and basic pet care.
4. To provide fun and help so your puppy enjoys future visits to the vet.

Vaccinations will need to be up to date for your pup to be eligible to join our classes. 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. Secure your place now so you can be confident you are getting your pup started on the right track.

Our 4 week program also includes a puppy water safety class at our indoor swimming facility, AquaDog Health & Fitness Centre. For more information click here

To find out more information about puppy behaviour and nutrition from Hill's Pet Nutrition, click here

Congratulations to all our recent graduates of our Puppy Preschool classes:

At Nerang: Class commenced 14.1.09
Barry Farrelly; Astro Abela; Mia Nishiguchi; Jed Rose; Huey Lutz; Tonka Ryan; Shady Conliff; Grace Newell; Honey Bowdidge.

At Helensvale: Class commenced  1.12.08
Dobby Meiklejohn; Oscar McLellan; Ole Hughes; Bella Coulson; Shadow McConnel; TJ Gallegos; Pearl Smith; Royce Stevens

Thank you to all the enthusiastic puppy preschoolers and their dedicated parents for sharing the experience with lots of learning, 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 class photo.

Sam and Jayne were bringing home their new baby James for the first time and they wondered how Gemma, their Ridgeback cross, would cope.

Here are some tips they followed to help Gemma with the transition:

- During the pregnancy, Sam and Jayne introduced Gemma to child like touch such as gently pulling her ears, tails and feet; they made this playful and rewarded her as she accepted the behaviour.
- Before bringing James home, they allowed Gemma to get used to his new scent by bringing a blanket home from the hospital.
- When James and Gemma were in the same room, they praised and rewarded Gemma. This helped to create a positive feeling about James in Gemma’s mind
- Gemma was never ignored, which is easy to do when focusing on the new child, so she never felt excluded.
- Lastly and most importantly, James and Gemma were never left alone. Statistically, it is children under the age of 5 who are most at risk of being bitten. The family dog usually bites these children, or one they know well, such as a neighbour's.

By following these tips, Sam and Jayne found that Gemma coped well with their changed family dynamics, resulting in a smooth transition and a happy family.

Heartworm - this is the disease that nightmares are made of! Spread by mosquitoes, the worms can mature to 30 cm long and become lodged in your dog’s heart eventually causing heart failure and death.

The prevention of heartworm disease is one of the most important things that you must do for your dog. Heartworm is the most dangerous of all the worms, and an intestinal ‘all wormer’ tablet does not prevent heartworm infection.

Prevention is best as cure is rarely successful. Getting your dog started on the right heartworm medication can be confusing, especially with so many choices on the market.

Thankfully there is a preventative injection available that uses sustained release technology to protect your dog. It is safe and effective and can be given to puppies. A booster is required yearly at your dog’s annual health check and vaccination.

So you can now forget monthly treatments and know your dog is protected against heartworm. Call the clinic to arrange a heartworm injection for your dog and for more information click here.

RECEIVE $10 off your next VET CONSULTATION when you purchase any bag of Hills Science Diet dry food during your visit.

The VETS team takes on a new challenge....from on the job to on the field. Our fabulous team of vets and nurses have taken to the field recently to fearlessly attempt a new challenge together. Our newly formed Touch Football team called The VETS have signed up to play the season at the Coomera Comets Touch Football Club.

A yearning to get back into playing a sport again gave our sports crazy nurse Michelle the idea to form a touch football team with our already successful pet care team. Not surprisingly she didn't have much trouble convincing others to join her. The team consists of a great mix of talent made up of vets, nurses, partners and family and our cheer squad is just as talented at rallying around at every game to support the players (and of course catch up with friends).

The VETS team has played three games so far and have seen a dramatic improvement in the fitness and skills of all players. Much to the joy of every member of the team and the sideline cheer squad, they have even managed to score a few tries recently. The excitement and enthusiasm is building and some of the really dedicated players are even meeting up to train on a Sunday!!  No matter how serious the game becomes there is always something to laugh about. Like the time when Paul got mud in eyes right on the half-time hooter. Unable to see properly, all the team ran off unknowingly leaving Paul to attempt to feel his way off the field. We finally found Stephanie, his wife too busy chatting with her cheer squad friends on the sideline to notice anything was wrong.

Congratulations to The VETS football team for some great 'on the field' team work. I think we can say our great pet care team work on the job has proved to also be great on the field...not to mention the fun and fitness value.

A big thanks to The VETS Tony & Monique, Paul & Stephanie for their sponsorship of the team. Thanks to all the dedicated sideline supporters and cheer squad.   Goooooooo ................The VETS!!

Our Aquadog coaches are always on the look out for new talent to try out for champion swim team and experience the health benefits and fun of swimming for fitness. The proven benefits to heart, muscles and joints are terrific for dogs of all ages. We'd like to thank our existing dedicated swim team and in the true spirit of Christmas experience the giving, sharing and togetherness of summer fun at the pool.

Make a splash together! Share some summer fun. Bring a friend for an introductory swim and receive $20 to spend at AquaDog.

Just tell your friends to say that you sent them or bring them along for a swim and you will receive a $20 credit each time one of your friends join the Aquadog summer fun experience. For more information click here

Call our friendly swim team at Aquadog on 5502-2444 to arrange an introductory swim NOW.

It is not long until the Easter bunny arrives and it is time to start planning for your pets at Easter.

Easter means chocolate - and chocolate means danger for dogs. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine - toxic for pets and can lead to death. Hide chocolate out of reach of your dog as they have a strong sense of smell and can find chocolate anywhere! There are treats available for your dog such as “doggy chocolate” which uses carob, a safe alternative and is a yummy treat. If your dog ingests chocolate, call us immediately.

Did you know that the popular Easter lily (and other species of lilies) are poisonous to cats? Ingestion causes kidney failure so if you own a cat we suggest you keep the cat away from lilies or remove them from your garden.

If you are planning a trip away, book accommodation for your pet now as kennels and catteries quickly fill up at this time of the year. Make sure your pet’s vaccinations are up to date well before your booking. Speak to us and we can recommend accommodation for your pet or check out pet friendly accommodation at http://www.holidayingwithdogs.com.au/.

When clients notice their pet has a sore eye they often call to ask what they can do at home and if they need to visit the clinic. Below are some basic rules to get you out of trouble and keep your pet’s eyes safe.

You need to see a vet if your pet:

- has one or both eyes closed or is squinting
- has swollen eyelids
- has redness noticed on the white of the eye
- has a sudden increase in discharge
- is continually rubbing its eye

Only ever wipe your pet’s eyes with a damp cotton wool ball.

NEVER put your own eye drops in your pet’s eyes as this may damage the eye.

Call us for more information.