This month we have featured our mini mascot Kevin sporting his winter coat as a reminder to all pet lovers to check over the condition of your pet's winter woolies, particularly older pets.  

Pocket pets also are so much happier in waterproof and windproof cages which are regularly cleaned so little feet stay healthy and dry! Or keep them inside if possible.

Winter bathing - Why not pop in for a midweek 'salon' visit (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) so your dog can have a nice hot bath and blow dry plus complimentary nail trim. 

Grass tetany  - A reminder to our farmers that it would be wise to organise your preparations for grass tetany prevention soon as the colder days will soon become overcast setting up the perfect conditions for this deadly disease to strike your herd.

Does this sound familiar? Nibbling at feet, incessant scratching, rubbing bellies on the carpet, angry red skin…? Like many of our patients, Mimi (and her owners) know all too well about these ongoing itchy skin symptoms.

Mimi is a delightful 2 year old French Bulldog that has unfortunately had chronic skin problems for most of her life. Her conscientious human parents have tried the works! Everything from shampoo and conditioners, creams, sprays, diet changes, omega oils and steroid tablets. These preparations helped her allergic dermatitis, but she still insisted on scratching.

After undergoing various diagnostic testing to rule out common bacterial, fungal and parasitic skin diseases, Dr Rebecca Hallett suggested that Mimi was suffering from an over-active immune system. She was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (a generalised skin allergy, usually to multiple environmental allergens).

Mimi was recently successfully trialled on a brand new medication (an immunomodulatory drug) which, unlike cortisone, does not come with the serious side effects. The itchy symptoms have been completely resolved while Mimi has been on this medication and the beauty is, over the long term, she can safely take this drug without fear of potentially harmful side effects.

We as veterinarians have been very impressed by this new class of medication and we look forward to being able to use it to relieve both long and short term skin allergy problems.

If you have an itchy pet, make an appointment with one of our vets to get the ball rolling!

Pet's may not necessarily have a limp to be suffering from arthritis (inflammation of the joints). Indeed symptoms are often subtle despite nasty joint pain being present.  And it is not only old timer pets.... even very young growing animals can develop problems such as osteochonditis dessecans (OCD) and hip dysplasia (HD) before they are six months old!.

As with ourselves, there are many ways to ease the pain of arthritis these days. So let us run through some of the important ways we can make a big difference to the quality of our pet's lives.

1.  Diet & Weight Loss

Obesity is a major factor and weight reduction is essential to reduce stress on the joints. Ask us about Royal Canin Mobility diet. It helps to maintain healthy joints and is lower in calories to help reduce obesity. 

2.  Oral Supplements

 - Omega 3/6 Fatty Acids are essential fatty acids not produced by the animal itself. These help relieve pain due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Vet's All Natural make the brilliant Omega Blend Oil.

 - Chondroitin & Glucosamine are key nutrients that make up cartilage. They can assist in the natural repair and regeneration of your dog’s cartilage.

 - Paw-Osteosupport Capsules contain green lipped mussel as well as omega 3/6 fatty acids.

 - 4Cyte is an oral preparation containing Chondroitin & Glucosamine as well as a plant extract ‘epitalis’ that is able to stimulate healthy cartilage regeneration and reduce inflammation and is proving very useful in many animals, including dogs, cats and horses.

3.  Exercise

Apart from helping to lose weight, light activities such as walking and swimming help strengthen muscles while keeping ligaments and tendons flexible. 15-30 minutes regularly is a great start (5 days a week). 

4.  Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

These are pain relieving prescription medications. They are very effective and generally safe for long-term usage. Routine blood and urine testing before commencing treatment as well as annually to monitor organ function (liver and kidneys) is strongly recommended. 

5.  Chondroprotective Injections: Pentosan 

These work to stimulate cartilage repair and inhibit ongoing damage and are mild anti-inflammatorys.  They effectively increase the 'greasiness' of joint fluid to help lubrication and preserve the cartilage. 

6. Warmth - Coats, Bedding, Shelter, Heat Packs & Massage

All are easily achievable, and can really help. Heat packs and massage in the correct locations can be very soothing. Ask us for advice on pet rehab massage and exercises.

7.  Stem Cell Therapy

This is a relatively new modality for veterinary patients.  The effects are due to local down regulation of joint inflammation and promotion of tissue healing. We expect in the near future there will be many advances in this exciting area which is showing great promise. 

It's footy season but your dog doesn't need to be on the sports field to do his ACL!

Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee is one of the most common injuries we see in dogs. This injury can lead to painful arthritis in your dog's knee if it is not treated effectively.

Plenty of dogs will 'snap' the ligament after suddenly jumping off a height or turning quickly. These dogs won't be able to stand on the injured hind leg. Cruciate ligament disease can also be a degenerative condition and older dogs may present with an intermittent lameness and a thickened knee joint.

Veterinary examination of the dog under sedation or general anaesthetic will enable diagnosis of a ruptured ACL (we feel for inappropriate movement of the knee joint). Radiographs will identify any evidence of swelling within and around the joint and any arthritic changes that may indicate progressive disease. In some cases arthroscopy is the best way to determine that nature of the cruciate injury and identify and fix any damage to meniscal cartilage. 

Surgery to stabilise the joint is the best option for treatment. Instability in the joint resulting from damage to the cruciate ligament ensures that these dogs will develop arthritis rapidly without surgery.

There are different surgical techniques available and we will be able to give you more information on the most suitable surgery for your dog.

If you think your pet might be injured please call us for advice.

Is your pet starting to age a little?

Did you know that cats and dogs are considered senior citizens after they reach 8 years old on average? As they reach their golden years there are a few things you need to watch out for.

Obvious changes might include:

• forgetting toilet training
• hearing loss
• stiff legs
• weight loss or gain

It's crucial to arrange more regular check ups with us during these senior years.

We will monitor your pet closely for:

• sore joints
• new lumps
• dental disease
• vision changes
• heart changes

We may also suggest blood tests, urine tests and blood pressure measurements to make sure your pet's organs are all healthy. Diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, thyroid disease and arthritis can be successfully managed if detected early.

We firmly believe that older pets are safer with TWO check up examinations per year. 

Ask us for more information about keeping your senior pet happy and healthy and we can organise a Senior Health Check for your older pets.

Caring for a senior pet is an important job and your furry friends are relying on you to guide them through their twilight years.

Here are our top three tips for senior care:

1. Keep your eyes open for changes in behaviour, weight, appetite, thirst and urination. The presence of a cough, a change in sleeping habits, stiff joints, smelly breath, a new lump and accidents around the house can all be a sign of underlying illness. Instead of putting these changes down to 'getting old' arrange a check up with us.

2. Choose a premium diet suitable for a mature pet. These help to maintain ideal body condition and will improve longevity. Ask us for a specific recommendation for your pet.

3. As mentioned above, a regular senior health check (ideally every 6 months) is absolutely essential for your ageing pet. Your pet can experience significant changes in a single year (equivalent to 6-8 human years). A veterinary examination will allow us to pick up on any issues as soon as possible and start treatment if necessary.

Phone us if you have any questions about your senior pet, as we will always be able to give you the best advice.

With flu season in full swing, now's a good time for us to answer the common question, can my pet get the flu?

The answer is yes - but unlike in humans, there isn't really a flu season for dogs and cats and infection can occur at any time of the year.

Dogs might contract canine cough (often referred to incorrectly as kennel cough) and cats can suffer from cat flu (commonly caused by a herpes virus).

Canine cough

Is a highly contagious disease that's passed from dog to dog by moisture droplets. Your dog might be infected at the local park or at a boarding kennel due to the large number of dogs in one area. Vaccination is given annually and is very effective at protecting your pet against the worst strains of this disease.
Your dog may still contract a milder form of canine cough, even if he is vaccinated, but this usually resolves by itself or requires only a short course of antibiotics.

Cat flu

Is also highly contagious and 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 and are an important way to help keep your cat stay happy and healthy.

To check if your pet is protected against these diseases, please call us and we can easily look up your pet's vaccination history and give you the best advice. 

As the temperature drops across southern Australia we should be aware of the effect cold weather can have on our horses.

Horses tend to drink much less in cold weather but they need to eat enough to meet their normal energy requirements and also stay warm. If a horse has not been drinking enough and they are consuming large amounts of dry feed they are at increased risk of impaction colic.

Impaction colic is caused when digested feed becomes lodged in the large intestine, usually just in front of the pelvis where the large intestine does a 180 degree turn.

An impaction is one of the less severe causes of colic and if recognised early it can usually be treated successfully. Treatment for an impaction colic consists of anti-inflammatory pain relief and fluid therapy provided as electrolyte solution via a stomach tube, or intravenously in severe cases.

The symptoms of impaction colic are:

• slight increase in heart rate
• dry gums
• intermittent mild colic signs such as pawing and lying out flat
• reluctance to drink water, resulting in dehydration

Providing access to green pasture where possible, constant access to clean water, soaking dry feedstuffs, maintaining good dental health, and keeping your horse warm with shelter and rugs are good ways of minimising the chance of your horse developing impaction colic this winter.

Call us immediately if you notice any signs of colic in your horse