Benalla Veterinary Clinic
16 Church Street
Benalla, VIC, 3672
admin@benallavetclinic.com.au
www.benallavetclinic.com.au
Phone: 03 5762 2788

NEWSFEED

Let's talk mozzies, because, let's face it, there's an overabundance of the little suckers this year. Why are they of concern to our pets? Well, apart from causing the obvious bite site irritation and scratching problems, the fatal heartworm disease in dogs and cats is spread by mosquitos and so is the lethal Myxomatosis for pet bunnies. Also of interest to our horse owners is the increased risk this year of Murray Valley encephalitis virus and Ross River fever, both causing nerve and muscle problems. These are also human diseases. So call or drop in for product advice on how to best protect your pets. 

Benalla Vet Clinic is a proud sponsor of the Benalla Festival's 'The Sky is the Limit' aeromodelling competition, held at the Baddaginnie Hall over three seperate days. The festival is running from Saturday 29th October until Sunday 6th November so get involved!

Also a reminder that our annual Pet Parade event is still going ahead this year on Saturday 3rd December at 11am, with the Benalla Spring Show having been rescheduled due to the wet weather. 

We really appreciate your feedback, so if you feel inclined, please click here and add a Google review!

Max is a beautiful  10 year old fluffy tabby cat. He came to us when his owners noticed he couldn’t use his tail and back legs normally (he had been missing for a couple of days).  Very cold and weak, Max was in shock. His only external injuries were scuffed claws on his feet and a floppy tail. We suspected Max had been hit by a car.

In hospital, on a drip, he was struggling to breath. Max’s x-rays showed Dr Stacey Hall that Max’s breathing problems were caused by a tear to his diaphragm.  This reasonably common injury occurs to cats and dogs when they are hit with force in the abdomen. Abdominal organs are then able to find their way into the chest cavity, which makes it very difficult for lungs to expand.  This very serious condition is life-threatening unless surgery is performed.        

Max underwent emergency surgery with Dr Steph Miechel & Dr Stacey Hall on a Saturday afternoon to repair the damage. Veterinary Nurse Jo Campbell assisted in this operation by manually ventilating (breathing) for Max during this tricky operation. Firstly his liver then his stomach and small intestines were carefully removed from his tiny chest cavity and his diaphragm tear was sutured back together.

Max had an uneventful recovery and was breathing much better by Saturday night. Luckily his tail, which had a fractured vertebra, had also regained some movement and he was able to walk. He was discharged to his loving owners the following morning and has been doing well ever since.  

This year has seen a jump in the number of positive cases of ovine brucellosis (OB) in our local region.

OB is a bacterial disease acquired by rams. Infected rams are either infertile or  subfertile, which causes a reduced pregnancy rate in ewes as well as abortions and stillbirths. This can be very costly for producers, with up to a 30% drop in pregnancy and lambing rates. In addition there are the costs of testing the rams and replacing infected animals.

There is no treatment for the disease, and culling infected rams is unfortunately the only option.

After eradicated from a flock up to 30% less rams are required as well as other benefits such as shorter joining periods and gains in lamb marking percentages.

We recommend that if you are in doubt, it is best to have your rams checked by a vet and blood tested for OB.

It is sound advice to purchase rams from accredited OB flocks and to ensure you have excellent farm biosecurity in place, in the form of secure fencing.  

We came across some pretty special photos this month.

Have you ever seen a dog trying to catch a treat mid air?

Click here for some of the best slow motion pics you'll ever see!

Is your pet ready for the Christmas holidays? If your pet is boarding over the holiday period and isn’t up to date with his vaccinations now is the time to get things in order.

Most boarding facilities require cats to have a minimum of a F3 vaccination and dogs a C5 vaccination but it's best to check with the facility your pet is booked in with now - before it's too late!

Vaccinating your pet is one of the most important things you can do to ensure they lead a healthy life.

Our top reasons for vaccinating are as follows:

1. Vaccinations protect against preventable diseases.

2. Vaccinations are substantially less expensive than the cost of treatment for the diseases they protect against.

3. Vaccinations protect your pet from transmissible diseases in boarding facilities, at parks and even when they visit us (if your pet has to be hospitalised for any illness, their immune system may already be compromised so you want to make sure they are protected, otherwise they may have to stay in isolation)

Your pet’s health, lifestyle and where you live may affect which vaccinations are necessary and we will determine the most appropriate vaccination program for your pet.

If you have any questions about vaccinations please ask us for the most up to date information. We are more than happy to discuss what your pet needs and why, so call us today.

If you keep horses then you’ve probably seen colic before - but what causes it and how do we deal with it?

Colic simply refers to the signs we associate with abdominal pain. There are over 70 recognised causes of colic ranging from rapid ingestion of water to incurable abdominal cancer. The most common causes of colic seen in practice today include blockage of the digestive tract with dry feed or a hyperactive digestive tract.

Horses with colic may paw at the ground, roll, get up and down frequently or kick at their abdomen, or just lay flat out on the ground. Learning how to take a heart rate from your horse and being familiar with the usual colour of their gums will enable you to relay this important information to us over the phone.

Many cases of colic can be managed with sedation and pain relief. Other veterinary treatments such as electrolyte solutions and/or laxatives given by stomach tubing may be useful in some cases. 

The importance of a timely veterinary examination of a horse with colic cannot be emphasised enough. A ‘wait and see’ approach is strongly discouraged. 

Early recognition of surgical causes of colic and prompt referral to a surgical facility is paramount to maximise the chance of a good outcome in these cases.

If you suspect your horse may have colic - please call us right away. 

We often refer to kidney disease as the silent killer as it can sneak up on your pet and signs may be subtle and hard to notice. This type of kidney disease is referred to as chronic kidney disease and is something we may detect in an older cat.

In other cases, kidney disease can come on quickly following an insult from a toxin, a certain drug or a disease. This is referred to as acute kidney disease and might for example occur in a dog who has eaten grapes or sultanas that contain a kidney toxin.

The kidneys contain thousands of little factories called nephrons and their job is to work out how much water should be conserved in the body. Once damaged or destroyed, nephrons do not function properly and can't regenerate. As a result, the body doesn't conserve enough water so your pet will urinate more and will drink more to stay hydrated. Surprisingly, your pet may not show any changes on routine blood tests until 75% of these nephrons are damaged. However, the good news is, as of earlier this year, we are able to now detect renal disease much earlier (25% nephron damage) with a new blood test called SDMA. This means we are able to greatly extend the lives of kidney disease patients by earlier treatment. 

 Signs to watch out for:

• increased thirst
• increased urination
• weight loss
• vomiting
• lethargy

Measuring your pet's water intake over 24 hours and bringing us a morning urine sample are two things you can do to get the investigation process started. A blood test, urine testing and a measure of your pet's blood pressure may then be necessary. If we detect the kidneys are not working properly, the earlier we initiate treatment with diet modification the better.

There is also now a new medication available that can help reduce protein loss through the kidneys and can help slow the progress of this insidious disease. Ask us if your pet requires this medication.

If you are worried about your pet you should phone us for advice. 

There have been recent reports of deadly paralysis ticks showing up in metropolitan areas in Melbourne and locally, we have had confirmed cases in the Goughs Bay area (south of Mansfield). The paralysis tick is usually found along the eastern coast of Australia but this is a good reminder to be alert for these little critters anywhere as they can easily hitch a ride on pets or people who have visited these areas.

Watch out for:

• a change in bark or meow
• coughing
• excessive salivation
• vomiting or regurgitation
• increased or laboured breathing
• weakness in the hind legs, progressing to the forelimbs
• reluctance to get up or walk

If you notice any of these symptoms you should seek veterinary attention immediately. Treatment of paralysis tick starts with tick anti-venom, which needs to be administered as soon as possible. Other treatments used depend on the severity of tick paralysis, but might include: intravenous fluids, sedation to prevent breathing difficulties, oxygen therapy, antibiotics for treatment of pneumonia and drugs to reduce salivation and vomiting.

Prevention of tick paralysis is essential if your pet lives in or is visiting the eastern seaboard of Australia. There is a range of excellent products available to repel and kill ticks (including some great new products) but none are 100 per cent effective and the ideal prevention depends on your pet's lifestyle.

Ask us for the best recommendation or if you have any questions relating to paralysis ticks.