Easter Hours: Please note that the clinic is closed for the Easter holiday this year from Good Friday (14th April) until Easter Monday (17th April). We reopen on Tuesday 18th April at 8.30am.  If you have an emergency during this time please call the vet on duty at all hours on 5762 2788. Make sure to leave your name and return phone number on your voice message.

Calving season is well under way again  -  click this link for more information about when to call the vet for calving problems.

Easter can be a dangerous time for our pets and there's a few things you need to keep off limits. Take note of the following!

1. Chocolate cannot be metabolised by our pets (particularly dogs). See our article below for more information.

2. Hot Cross Buns contain sultanas and raisins (and grapes!) can contain a toxin that causes kidney damage in dogs. 

3. Easter lilies if ingested can cause kidney failure in cats. The stems, leaves, flowers and stamen are all dangerous, as is the water the flowers are kept in.

If your pet ingests any of the above over Easter call us immediately for advice. 

Dr Steph calves down another cow. Photo by Daniel Johnson.

Vet nurse Peta Kelly with her new baby (4 months) Flemish Giant Easter bunny - Peter!

Several weeks ago, Lou the super Kelpie sheep dog, had been doing the rounds of the farm on the back of the ute. Being super smart, Lou normally dives off the slow moving ute in order to help her owner move a mob of sheep. On this day she did exactly that again, however unbeknownst to her owner, she had a bad landing and must have hit the dirt with her chest instead of her legs!  A typically brave Kelpie, she continued to work all day, but next day was observed to be a little slower than normal. 

After a few Xrays the next day at the Euroa vets it became apparent that Lou had a deflated lung on her left side and a string of abrasions along the front aspect of her teats and a suspected diaphragmatic hernia (damage to the diaphram between her chest and her abdomen).  She was then referred up to Dr Stephan Miechel the following day for surgery. 

Lou was anaesthetised and taken to theatre for an initial 'keyhole' thoracoscopic examination using a 5mm telescope (thoracoscope) whereby the severe nature of her injuries quickly became apparent. She had suffered total collapse of her left lung, some marginal areas of the right lung were also deflated, as well as extensive bruising around her heart and of the ribs at the front of her chest. See our keyhole surgery video.  Her diaphragm was intact so the rest of the surgery involved an open thorocotomy incision for accessing the left side of her chest and determining if she still had leaking lungs.

Throughout her surgery our vet nurse Peta Kelly continually ventillated her lungs as Lou could not breath once her chest had been opened.  Luckily her lungs were not found to be leaking and had in fact healed during the three days before the surgery. So after filling her chest with warmed saline there was no evidence of air leakage.  Gradually her left lung lobes were sucessfully re-expanded and the saline was removed with suction. Dr Miechel placed an indwelling chest drain before repairing the large chest incision. Finally he introduced the thoracoscope back into the chest again to check on her lung function - which was now normal.

Lou remained in our hospital for a further 3 days - having her chest cavity continually drained. After a week the chest drain was removed because the fluid leakage had resolved, and she continued her recovery back at home for the next week, feeling very frustrated when she heard the farm noises outside around her!  A final check up at the 2 week mark saw Lou cleared for a return to light duties, and the very next day she was up and at those sheep again, as if nothing had ever happened.  Watch her in this amazing video showing Lou in action just 2 weeks after the surgery - not quite what her doctor considered light duties! A true hero of the sheepyards.

Just like humans, horses are affected by Ross River Fever. The Ross River virus is transmitted by mosquitos when the seasonal conditions are suitable such as what we have had in the last six months with our wet spring and summer. There has certainly been an epidemic of human cases in the Benalla region and we have also seen several cases of this disease in horses. 

As with humans a fever is usually seen together with stiffness and swollen joints and sometimes coughing and incoordination. There is no specific treatment because it is viral and most horses, given supportive care and anti inflammatories, will recover in 2-5 days. 

Diagnosis is by way of a blood test and because of the recent human outbreak the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP) has offered funding to help offset the cost of blood testing. 

We recommend anyone who has a horse who is showing any of these clinical symptoms contact our clinic and organise a vet visit. 

As the Easter Bunny gears up to make his deliveries, it is our job to remind you keep ALL chocolate out of paw's reach.

Our canine friends are specifically designed to seek out any morsel of chocolate - big or small, wrapped or unwrapped!

The problem is, chocolate contains a derivative of caffeine called theobromine and dogs have trouble digesting this ingredient.

Scarily, theobromine ingestion can be fatal in some dogs. 

Watch out for:

• Hyperactivity
• Tremors, panting and a racing heart
• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Seizures

As a general rule, the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is - but if your dog finds your Easter egg stash, it's best to call us immediately as ANY amount of ANY type of chocolate (white and milk included) can cause a problem.

In most cases, if we are able to make your dog vomit we can prevent any nasty follow on effects. 

Don't forget: sultanas and raisins can cause acute kidney failure in dogs so you'll also need to keep hot cross buns off their menu this Easter. 

If you are worried about your pet this Easter you should ask us for advice. 

Jimmy is a 9 year old Maltese cross. This boisterous little man was thirstier than normal and had suddenly started to wee in the house. His owners noticed he had a bit of a pot belly but had put this down to Jimmy getting older.

A veterinary examination was just what the doctor ordered and blood and urine testing revealed that Jimmy had an endocrine disorder known as Cushing's disease.

Cushing's is a common endocrine disease seen in dogs. It is slow and progressive and is caused by the overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol.

Cortisol is a normal hormone produced by the adrenal gland and is essential for normal body function. However in some animals this gland produces too much cortisol and this can have a serious impact on your pet’s quality of life.

Sometimes Cushing's can be caused by an external source of cortisol, such as the long term administration of cortisone.

Common symptoms of Cushing's disease include:

• Excessive thirst, appetite and urination
• Pot belly
• Skin problems, thin skin and hair loss
• Heat intolerance and excessive panting
• Lethargy

Jimmy has now commenced daily medication and requires close and careful monitoring but he is thankfully doing very well.

This is just another reason why we need to perform regular health checks on your pet. If we are able to detect and commence treatment early we can slow the progression of diseases and help your pet live a longer and healthier life.

If you have any concerns about your pet, please call us to arrange a check up. 

The poison used to kill rats and mice interferes with blood clotting. These products are just as toxic to dogs and cats, and alarmingly your pets may even seek these poisons out.

What to do if your pet finds rat bait:

If you know that your pet has eaten rat bait, have them checked a vet as soon as possible. If seen immediately, your pet can be made to vomit which reduces toxin absorption. Sometimes blood tests, or administration of an antidote may be necessary.

If your pet is showing signs of bleeding, they may require supportive care, transfusion of blood products and the antidote.

Clinical signs are usually present anywhere from 1 to 7 days after ingestion (depending on type and amount of poison ingested).

How to know if your pet has eaten rat bait:

• Your pet may be quiet or lethargic
• A cough or breathing problems (if they bleed into the lungs)
• They may collapse
• Sometimes there will be visible signs of bleeding (in urine, nose bleeds)

If you think your pet might have eaten rat bait, please phone us immediately for advice.

Sadly, we often see pets that have eaten rat bait. This can be extremely upsetting especially when ingestion can often be prevented. 

Here are our top tips for prevention rat bait toxicity: 

1. The first, and probably most obvious, is do not have rodenticide products on your property. And what about your neighbour's place? If you've moved to a new property, have you thoroughly checked it is safe?

2. Ensure that places you visit with your pet (friend's houses, holiday rentals) are rat bait free. That means always check for rat bait before letting your pet loose in a new environment.

3. If you must have rat bait, please store packets of these poisons in a secure place away from animals and children.

Don't forget that your pet may actively seek out rat bait - dogs have knack for getting under the house and cats love to explore the ceiling.

We are always here to offer advice and help - phone us if you are worried.  

Ovine brucellosis (OB) is a bacterial disease affecting rams. It is still a common occurrence among Australian sheep flocks - a recent survey of OB in the Riverina by Senior District Veterinarian Dan Salmon found 31% of flocks tested positive for the disease. Infected rams are either subfertile or infertile, which causes moderate to severe reductions in the pregnancy rates of ewes.

A recently infected mob will usually experience a 30% reduction in pregnancy/lambing rate. This alone is an enormous cost to the business, before even considering the loss of infected rams needing replacement. On the other hand, once OB is eradicated from a flock, ram percentages can drop by up to 30%, joining periods decrease by up to 50% and lamb marking percentages increase by 30%. Clearly this is a disease worth managing out of your sheep flock.

There is no treatment or vaccination for rams already infected with OB, therefore it is prudent to:

• Have sound farm biosecurity – good fencing, ram paddocks etc.
• Get a Sheep Health Statement from the vendor, check that consigned sheep are from a flock in an OB scheme and check their flock accreditation number
• Communicate with neighbours regarding stray rams
• Don’t buy rams from saleyards or dispersal sales unless you have checked the relevant status and done your own risk assessment
• Know your own flock – learn to palpate your own rams or get a qualified vet to help
• Eradicate the disease if you are one of the 31% of flocks with it present

For help managing OB out of your flock, please give us a call.