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September 2005 edition
1. Dive into AquaDog Health and Fitness Centre, Opens September 1 2. National Pet Dental month – Free nurse dental checks in September 3. A revolution in arthritis management 4. Tick warning 5. Two's company 6. Special food helps kidneys 7. Seasonal dangers 8. Training: Cat Spin 9. Whale watching |
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1. Dive into AquaDog Health and Fitness Centre, Opens September 1 Opening Offer: to celebrate the long awaited opening of our centre we are offering a free introductory assessment and swim for Coast and Country clients only during the first 2 weeks of September - appointment availability is limited. To take advantage of our opening offer you will need to call AquaDog on 5502-2444 to book your swim. Our vet nurse Megan Williams has spent time training at a pool and hydrotherapy centre in Melbourne and has all the tips on making swimming a pleasant experience for your dog. If your dog has osteoarthritis or has had joint surgery, an assessment by one of our physiotherapists prior to swimming is advised. Please discuss this with us prior to swimming. Our physiotherapists Lindsay Connell and Narelle Stubbs also treat animals at a busy surgical referral practice in Brisbane. We are thrilled with our centre and hope you and your dog will enjoy the AquaDog experience. Our pool is heated and has gently graded entry ramps and in water physiotherapy ledges. The design is based on a highly successful pool is England. Our filtration and water chemistry system is state of the art, using a system that does not require any chlorine or bromine. Call now to take advantage of our opening offer. Back to top |
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2. National Pet Dental month – Free nurse dental checks in September Does your pet have bad breath? Check your pet's teeth at the next opportunity. Check to see if your pet has: • plaque or tartar which appears as a yellow to brown discolouration on the teeth • red gums which represents pain and gingivitis. Dental disease is the number one disease of domestic dogs and cats. At Coast and Country Vets our nurses and vets have adopted a standardised dental grading system so we can provide you with the best dental care and advice. Our aim is to prevent advanced dental disease and scale and polish teeth long before this is likely. Our fee for a scale and polish at the earliest level is designed to encourage pet owners to have their pet's teeth cleaned before disease progresses. A dental scale and polish starts at $139. Book your free nurse dental check in now. Back to top |
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3. A revolution in arthritis management Arthritis is the number one cause of chronic pain in dogs. New innovative technology from Hill's Pet Nutrition slows the progression of the disease and improves mobility in as little as 21 days. There is no need to add joint food, glucosamine, chondroitin, shark cartilage or green lipped mussel or products such as Sasha's Blend or Osteoeze Active. With new Hill's J/D your dog gets the best of both worlds: • The only clinically proven food for managing joint disease • The worlds leading premium food, tested to registered standards We are excited about the potential Hill's J/D provides for your dog's mobility and health and have 2 great offers available until the end of September. • Save $10 on your first purchase of a 4.5 kg bag • Save $20 on your first purchase of a 13.6 kg bag Back to top |
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4. Tick warning June and July rains have led to an early start for this this year's tick season. We've treated a number of cases already. Now is the time to start prevention. A new product has been released and offers new advances in tick control. Advantix both repels and kills ticks. It should not be used on cats and our advice is not to use it in households where there are both cats and dogs. Our preferred products are: • Advantix for dogs • Frontline for cats and dogs • Proban for cats and dogs • Kiltix collars for dogs Call our team for advice on matching the product that best suits your pets needs and lifestyle. Back to top |
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5. Two's company Are you concerned your pet is lonely? Are you spending a lot of time away from the home with your friend left alone in the back garden? One solution more people are turning to is to get another pet. While there are no hard and fast rules on the subject, we generally encourage the practice. Here are some tips: Dogs Dogs are social animals and naturally live in a pack - think wolves and dingoes. Having another dog around can be really beneficial especially if the family is out most of the day. Another dog can help prevent boredom and anxiety developing. In general dogs of different sexes get along better. Having two dogs doesn't mean you can leave them alone in the back garden and expect them to be happy. They still need to interact with you, to go for walks and provide outside experiences. New research shows dogs left in the back garden will not interact with each other if the family is inside – they wait for action from their human family rather than make their own fun. Cats In general it's better to have two cats – especially if the cats are to be confined. And if you can choose, get females as they tend to live together better than do males. In the wild, females will tend to live in groups more so than do males. The best option is to get two female kittens. Having a companion adds another dimension to their lives. For confined cats, the ever present challenge is to enrich their limited environment. They are not able to roam and another cat presents a stimulating variation. They can play, groom one another and simply find solace in having a mate around. Back to top |
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6. Special food helps kidneys New research shows that dogs with chronic kidney disease can live twice as long if fed a specially formulated food. Kidney disease is a one of the leading causes of death in dogs and cats and so this research is great news for our older friends. The special food works by reducing kidney workload through protein restriction and lower sodium. It slows ongoing kidney damage by restricting phosphorus and providing essential fatty acids. What to look out for that may indicate kidney disease: • Increased drinking or urine production • Bad breath [halitosis] • Poor coat condition • Vomiting • Apathy and weakness It's best to detect kidney disease early - before any of the above signs are evident. This is done with annual blood and urine testing at the clinic as part of the annual health check. If detected, we can implement a management program which will help slow the deterioration of the kidney and allow the pet to live a happier, longer life. Hill's Prescription Diet k/d is specially formulated by veterinarians to help manage dogs with kidney disease. For more information click here. Back to top |
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7. Seasonal dangers Spring has sprung and it's that time of the year when we start working in the garden again. New plants, chemicals and compost are all part of the process of rejuvenating a garden but they can also pose a risk to pets. Each year we see pets who have become unwell as a result of eating the wrong thing in the garden. Here's what to look out for: Compost: Some dogs love to eat it. This can cause ataxia [wobbliness] and shaking. Many cases come in as emergencies and need to have a gastric lavage [stomach pump] to remove the toxins. The solution is don't leave it lying around. Use an enclosed composter and spread it thinly on the garden or keep your pets off it for the first few days of laying it down. Snail bait: This can be lethal. Dogs and cats die each year from eating snail bait. The problems arise when they eat handfuls of the poison although for cats very little is needed. If you want to control snails, here are some options: 1. crumble the pellets and sprinkle around plants in very small amounts. Fence off the area from your pet using wire, plastic fencing or a similar product. 2. use a natural snail controller, such as a snail trap 3. go out at night and remove snails manually Most importantly, ensure any snail pellets are stored out of reach in a snibbed cabinet. The most serious cases are where a pet has eaten large amounts directly from the packet. Ticks: keep lawns short and cut back any over hanging branches to reduce the risk of tick infestation. In addition it's important to: • maintain tick prevention medication throughout the tick season • check your pets daily. Be systematic, check the whole body and focus especially on the head, ears, neck and front of the body Back to top |
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8. Training: Cat Spin Here's a neat trick you can teach your cat – how to spin. Spinning is a natural movement for dogs and cats and incorporating it into your training regime adds variety and fun. To see a short video of how to spin click here [1.01MB]. Here's how: • Start with a hungry cat. • Get your cat's attention using a food reward. Pay her with food rewards as she locks her attention on you. • Once she knows you have food in your hand and is watching it, take your hand in a slow arc around her body. She should follow, if only partially. • Practice this movement until she makes the full circle back to where she started. Give her the food reward immediately she completes the circle. • Repeat this action several times, have a break and then come back to it either later in the day or the next day. • Once she's making a full 360 degree turn reliably, you can reduce the food reward. Begin with no reward 1 in 5 times. Then when she's reliably doing the spin at this reward rate of rewards, drop to no reward 2 out of 5 times and so on. [Research shows that intermittent rewards are the most motivating for your fantastic feline.] Have fun! Back to top |
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9. Whale watching As you read this article, whales are cruising along the coast as part of their annual round trip migration from Antarctica. They're there for all to see and now is the ideal time for whale watching around the country. They come to have their babies in the warm, shallow and safe waters of our coastline. It's a long way to come but the waters are too cold down south to rear the calves. Mothers and babies return to Antarctica at the end of the breeding season to feed on the rich, krill laden waters. Whale watching is an activity for all the family and for all budgets. Whether you're watching from the shore or on a guided boat tour, you are guaranteed to be moved by these gentle giants. There are some great whale watching opportunities in Queensland, here are a few: • Hervey Bay is a popular site for boat based whale watching (between mid July to October) • Frequent breeding and calving areas are located from Fraser island to south of Townsville. • Less frequent breeding and calving areas are from south of Townsville to Cape Melville, north of Cooktown • Dwarf minke whales can be found along ribbon reefs north of Cairns. If you are interested in learning more about Whale Watching or you'd like to see a terrific animated map that brings the migration to life, please visit IFAW Whale Watch Australia. 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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