With the heat of summer and bushfire season upon us, Victoria's wildlife and rehabilitation groups need your help. Operation Aviary involves you dusting off and donating that unused cage or aviary in the garage. These items are vital in the daily rescue and transportation of our wildlife and our volunteers are in desperate need of more.

The volunteers will even arrange to pick up the donation and if you don't have an aviary, cash donations help too, with just $10 enough to help feed a baby koala for the day.

To read more about Operation Aviary click here

Teeth are a very important part of your dog's digestive system.  Keeping them clean and healthy is essential for your dog's wellbeing. As your dog chews, debris can accumulate on the tooth surface and attract plaque. This plaque can then harden on teeth, forming a yellow/brown build-up known as tartar. Left untreated, gum and tooth disease can occur and your dog may start to suffer bad breath, inflamed gums or even have difficulty chewing.

To prevent serious dental disease, your vet may recommend therapies such as cleaning your dog's teeth under anaesthetic, brushing your dog's teeth at home and feeding a diet with dual dental care benefits. Eukanuba Adult and Senior Dog Foods help clean teeth in two ways: both as he eats, crunching through the kibble; and between meals, with special micro-cleansing crystals helping to repel plaque and tartar.

To meet the different life stages and unique needs of your dog, Eukanuba offers this advanced dental benefit in 24 premium nutrition formulas.

Please ask any of our friendly staff members which Eukanuba formula would best suit your dog's needs.

Soda is a 7 and 1/2 year old black miniature poodle. She had been for a walk the day before she came in to see us at Hobson's Bay vet clinic and had lots of burrs and grass seeds caught in her coat which her owners removed. Her owners brought her in to see us because she suddenly started shaking her head and crying out a day later. Her owners were concerned that a grass seed had got into her ear.

Dogs can get grass seeds caught in their ears or they can get ear infections. Usually they show signs such as shaking their head or rubbing at their head or they can develop a discharge from their ear. If your pet ever shows any of these symptoms they should be checked by a vet.

When we examined Soda she was very sore in her right ear and would not let us examine it properly. Soda was given some sedation to allow us to check her ears more thoroughly. We could not see any sign of infection in her ears and no grass seed was found as far as we could look with the otoscope but we still were not sure what the cause of her problem was. She was sent home that evening after an injection of anti-inflammatory and antibiotic and we thought she may need to have a trip to the specialist with more specialised equipment to look further inside her ear.

That evening whilst her owner was nursing her as she recovered from her sedation  a 4 to 5cm long centipede crawled out of her right ear and after that she was much more comfortable and back to her normal self almost instantly. This was a most interesting case with a great outcome for Soda and her owners!

Have you heard about the dog who likes to be groomed with the vacuum cleaner rather than a brush? What about the cat who is fascinated with the fax, stealing anything that is printed and shredding it with her claws!

Our pets are very entertaining and sharing these stories with others is a favourite pastime of ours. We want to hear your stories! We have plenty of great prizes up for grabs and we'll even publish the best stories in upcoming newsletters.

Email us your funny, sad or memorable pet tale (less than 200 words) by clicking here.

We would love to see any funny photos or videos of your pet so feel free to email these too.

Did you know that having a pet around the workplace is reported to increase productivity, help coworkers get along better and even reduce the rate of absenteeism?

The presence of a pet can be entertaining, calming and reduce stress. Many employers feel that having a pet around breaks down communication barriers and makes employees work harder. An animal in the office can also be a great icebreaker for new clients.

There's no need to pay a pet sitter, feel anxious about getting home to walk the dog and for people working long days, an element of their home life can be brought into the workplace.  

Two of the best work places in the world, Google and Amazon have canine friendly policies. The policies are even used to attract future employees.

Here are some key recommendations:

1. Only allow sociable, well trained pets that are up to date with vaccinations and flea and worm control

2. Keep pets on a lead and don't allow them to wander

3. Restrict access to the kitchen and bathrooms

4. Consider implementing a roster and having cat friendly days so everyone is happy

Click here to read more tips. You may even want to send them to your boss.

Does your dog suffer from any of the following?

• Chewing at the feet
• Scratching and itching the body
• Recurrent ear infections
• Anal gland problems
• Flaky and red skin

Your dog may be suffering from a condition known as Atopy. This is the doggy form of hay fever but instead of a runny nose and sneezing, the allergy causes problems with the skin. Dust mites (pictured on the left), moulds and pollens inhaled by your dog produce an allergic response. This results in red and itchy skin especially under the forelegs, in the groin and around the bottom. Unfortunately Atopy can cause your pooch continual discomfort.

What can we do?
If your pet is itchy, a consultation with us is required. It is important to clear up any infection with a course of antibiotics. Hormonal diseases as well as flea and mite problems need to be ruled out. We have a great range of options when it comes to controlling the itch including a product called Atopica that helps to reduce the body's allergic response.

It is difficult to stop your dog inhaling the allergens but thankfully there are a few things in addition to medication that can help. Soothing oatmeal shampoos can settle the skin and diets rich in essential fatty acids or fatty acid supplements help nourish the skin and prevent dryness. We will help advise you on the best products for your pet.

Ask us for more information.

Do you ever notice an abnormal smell coming from your pet? Consider the possibilities below:

Anal Glands:  These are located at the anus and each time your pet produces a poo, the glands release a liquid scent as a marker for other animals. The glands can become blocked, causing irritation and a very smelly bottom. Ask us to empty the glands and to discuss ways to prevent the problem. Diet is especially important in maintaining healthy anal glands.

Ear infections: The ear is a mini environment and if the balance is upset with moisture and humidity, such as after swimming, bacteria and yeast may flourish. Ears can become very greasy and smell horrible; medications are needed to control infection.

Skin problems: Allergies, flea bites, mite infections and hormonal diseases can lead to a greasy and very smelly coat.

Flatulence: Poor quality diets which are low in digestibility, food allergies and a sudden change in food can produce wind in your pet. We can recommend a diet that will help reduce the problem.

Bad breath: Bad breath is a sign of dental disease. Your pet could be in pain and the unhealthy teeth may be causing disease elsewhere in the body. Ask us for a dental check today.

We all know that the flea can make our pets itchy and uncomfortable but here are some interesting facts about this pesky pest that may intrigue you:

Fact 1: Fleas have been around for 100 million years, they have been found as fossils dating back to the dinosaur period!

Fact 2: Fleas can live without a blood meal for 100 days

Fact 3: Female fleas consume 15 x their body weight in blood daily

Fact 4: After a meal, eggs are laid within 36 hours

Fact 5: One female flea can lay 2000 eggs in her lifetime (usually 2-3 months)

Fact 6: Some fleas can jump 150 X their own body length- that's equivalent to a human jumping more than 300 meters - higher than some of Australia's tallest buildings

An important fact: Fleas love the warmer weather so make sure you keep up with regular prevention over summer. We will recommended a suitable product for your pet.