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Issue 42, Winter 2009
Welcome to our Winter newsletter. I’m afraid this newsletter is long overdue! We do apologise for skipping the Autumn issue, but have been very busy treating all of your pets! We trust that this newsletter content provides you with some interesting reading over a warm cuppa on a cold winter’s evening.
As always, we’d appreciate any comments that you have on our newsletter, and any suggestions for future issues.
“A little help for our friends”
We all need a little help sometimes……
Internationally recognized author/photographer David Darcy is releasing his fourth dog book entitled “A Little Help for our Friends” in an effort to save lives, raise awareness and help bring about change for some 400 million street dogs around the world. David has dedicated “A Little Help for our Friends” to aid Vets Beyond Borders and, in particular the street dogs that this organisation cares for through its charitable work. With support from Bayer Advantage and Cenvet Australia, proceeds from the sale of each book go to Vets Beyond Borders. For more information on how you can support this organisation call in to our clinic and purchase one of these fantastic books.
Or you can go online to www.vetsbeyondborders.org.
Dentistry should not be thought of as cosmetic, but rather a total health solution for your pet. Periodontal disease can and does affect the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. Bad breath is the first sign! An often quoted figure is 80% of all small animals over the age of 2 have some form of periodontal disease. We have recently updated our dental machine with a great new unit that makes a huge difference to the way we perform dental procedures. The results for your pets teeth are spectacular – clean smooth and white! Why not book an appointment soon to have a Dental health check for your pet, we can advise you about oral care, nutrition, preventative treatments and of course quote you for any necessary dental work that may need to be performed.
Ros attended the VNCA 2009 annual conference which was held at the Crown Promenade Hotel in Melbourne this April. This annual event gives nurses a chance to gain valuable knowledge and skills while attending a wide variety of lectures and interactive workshops on topics such as, medicine, surgery, behaviour, marketing, dental prophylaxis, and human resources. Attendees were also given the opportunity to view an extremely touching documentary on the volunteers that helped the hundreds of animals that were affected by the devastating Victorian Bushfires.
Connie has attended so far in 2009 seminars on: Cushing's disease, Spinal disorder's and opthalmology, Seizures and neurosurgery & Canine cardiology.
Leanne attended a lecture on seizures and neurosurgery.
Mark attended a spinal disorder and ophthalmology seminar.
Liz is currently studying Cert IV at Richmond TAFE.
Late last year we welcomed Liz Cooke to our nursing team. Liz is currently training as a veterinary nurse. Liz has a keen interest in surgical nursing and anaesthesia. It’s been a pleasure to have her on the team.
In May we welcomed Daniel Duncan to our nursing team. Dan comes to us with broad experience within the animal health industry and has a keen interest in obedience training and animal behaviour.
Mel Gorman has decided to leave us in July to have a baby. We wish her well and all the best for her family.
Nicole Stanley is still working part time with us twice a week as well as running our puppy preschool classes on a Wednesday evening.
We have had a number of volunteer workers lending a hand lately. So some of you may have seen a few new faces. We currently allow TAFE students studying Cert II in animal studies to spend 1 day a week in our hospital observing and learning the necessary skills to complete their course.
Puppy Preschool is an early socialisation and basic training program for young puppies (under 12 weeks) and their owners.
Following Puppy Preschool, obedience training should be a continuing part of your dog’s life. Doggie Diploma’s offers an excellent stepping stone after graduation from Preschool, or if your puppy happens to be older than 12weeks of age. Cath Dombroski, Doggie Diploma’s founder and trainer encourages people to have an interconnecting relationship with their dogs using love and leadership.
Puppies are taught socialisation, loose lead walking, street walking, and commands such as sit, stay, drop, come, roll over, high five, jumping up, leave it and take it. The final week of class also incorporates an obstacle course – just for fun!
As a former member of the class I have found Cath’s training techniques to be informative and beneficial. My once boisterous Siberian husky is now on the road to being a loving and obedient family member.
If you would like more information on Cath or her training program, please don’t hesitate to contact the clinic.
Old Blanket's and Towels required
Donations of old towels, blankets and sheets are urgently required. Our stocks are running low at present. We use them to keep your pets warm whilst hospitalised and or recovering from anaesthesia. So why not have a clean up of that overflowing linen cupboard. We can put all your old linen to good use!
We are now open all day on Sunday’s. Recently we extended our opening hours. You can now make an appointment to see one of our vets from 10am till 5pm. Please also note that our consultations on Sunday’s will incur a small surcharge.
Novartis Animal Health have released new tasty chews for their Sentinel and
Interceptor Spectrum range. We currently have some of the old flavour tablet stock left but will be slowly phasing in the new tasty chews over the coming months. We trust that this change to your dog’s Heartworm preventative treatment will have next to no effect on your pet, in fact he/she should love the new tasty treat! If you have any concerns or questions about the new formulation please feel free to enquire with any of our staff.
Down below the water’s surface, a master of disguise lies motionless on a rock, its skin an exact match of its surroundings. As it drifts slowly over sand, the skin changes to a rough, sandy texture… then instantly to a smooth brown hue as it hovers over nearby kelp. At the first sign of danger, it freezes, followed by pulses of dramatic dark clouds that roll over its skin. In a final moment of glory, it ejects water rapidly through a tubular siphon, giving it jet propulsion straight to safety, leaving only a cloud of ink in its wake.
Cuttlefish are amongst the most intelligent of invertebrates. They belong to a class of mollusc known as “cephalopods”, literally meaning “head-foot”, with a ring of tentacles attached directly to their heads!
Why question the existence of aliens when we have our own on earth? Their blood contains a copper-based pigment known as haemocyanin… giving them blue-green blood! If that’s already too hard to come to grips with, just imagine an animal with 3 hearts… truly tentacular!
Let us focus on the Australian Giant Cuttlefish, the largest known cuttlefish in the world, growing to a metre in length. Sadly, they only breed once in a season, with a lifespan generally no longer than 18 months.
For those of us who yearn for their partners to love them so much they would die for them, you will find the next part satisfying and sweet… but sad. During their courtship displays to win all 3 hearts of their pod-ential mates and to intimidate their rivals, males will battle it out in autumn/winter with spectacular shows of pulsating colours and patterns. In June last year, I watched in awe as two males hovered side by side, eyeing and sizing each other up, and displaying clouds of colour that strobed like streaks of lightning across their skin. The female looked on, waiting to determine who would win the fight as her ‘fish in shining colours.
The largest and most impressive generally succeed, but that is not always the case, as their smaller counterparts are armed with a sneaky skill up their sleeve.
They will change their colours and shorten their tentacles, a tactic which effectively enables them to appear female. These cross-dressing mimics will sneak to the other side and quickly mate with the ladies before the larger males have even finished their fight!
Cuttlefish mate face-to-face and males pass an encapsulated sperm package known as spermatophores into a sperm receptacle under the female’s mouth. Eggs are laid in a safe sanctuary under rock ledges or in deep crevices. There are no parental instincts, and the mating season sadly ends with the death of females and larger males.
Congratulations to our recent graduates: “Sook” Turner/Thompson, “Xena” Field, “Jessie” Hill, “Buddy” Whalam, “Frank” Valpiani, “Jasmine” Parker, “Max” Shannon, “Lizzie” McPherson, “Millie” Chadwick, “Kaiser” Truelove/Einhaus, “Koda” Wilson, “Bella” Villareal, “Max” Pearce, “Max” Pokorski, “Truffles” Cheyne, “Miya” Duffey, “Cooper & Bella” Morrison, “Elmo” Woods, “Tugga” Colley, “Pumkin” Wade, “Ziva” Guile, “Lamb” Sallis.
Our Puppy Preschool classes have undergone some changes recently. These changes are made as a result of recent studies undertaken by the creator Dr Kirsti Seksel, and also as result of the changes our society goes through, as society changes, so does the expectations we have of our pets. Puppy Preschool previously focused mostly on the social interaction of the puppies enrolled, now we aim more to educate you, the owner, on understanding your Puppy and teaching him how to be a calm and well behaved member of your family.
For more information on Puppy Preschool, please contact any of our nursing staff.
Recently we became the first practice in Australia to purchase a new oxygen supply system. It is a fully self contained unit producing almost pure oxygen, with any excess stored in a tank that can hold up to 1000 litres. It is both very cost effective and reliable. The obvious advantage is never running out of oxygen, even if an anaesthetic machine was left on all night, the only cost would be a small amount of electricity. We also save time in not having to order oxygen, then meet the delivery and process the invoices and payments. We are also eliminating our OH&S cylinder handling issues.
The Siberian husky is a small, light breed of sled dog. They are elegant, agile, athletic and a tireless worker. This breed seldom barks, but engages in communal howling much like wolves. The Siberian husky’s coat occurs in a profusion of colours, and it is one of the few breeds that can have blue, brown, hazel or non-solid-coloured eyes. The Husky’s country of origin is Siberia, they were first used in the early 1900’s for sled pulling. Today they are used as companion dogs or for sled racing. Their life expectancy is 11-13 years and they are also known as the Arctic Husky. The husky’s weight range is 16-27kg and their height ranges from 51-60cm. Husky’s are content to live and sleep outdoors, they thrive in cold climates and require a lot of stimulation and physical activity. The breed is dignified and gentle and makes a very pleasant companion.
Canine cough is an infection of the upper respiratory tract by several highly infectious viruses and bacteria. Among the infectious agents associated with canine cough are the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica and the canine viruses Parainfluenza and Adenovirus.
Affected dogs have a dry, choking or gagging cough known to persist for several weeks. The cough can be severe. It can be very distressing to the dog – and often to the owner too! In rare instances, it can progress to severe pneumonia particularly in young puppies and older dogs.
There are other conditions which can cause a similar type of cough including heart disease and non-infectious airway disease such as collapsing trachea so it is important to have a check-up to make sure there aren’t any other causes of why your dog is coughing, particularly if the cough isn’t resolving or getting worse. In most cases, time is what is needed for the cough to resolve but occasionally, antibiotics or cough suppressants may be required.
Canine cough can be easily spread wherever dogs come into close contact with each other. The disease is particularly common in boarding kennels, hence the name "kennel cough" but this is only one of the possible sources of infection. Other at risk areas include dog pounds, animal shelters, dog shows, training schools and dog parks. However, because canine cough is so infectious, dogs can pick up the infection from walking down the street or even though contact with another dog through a fence or gate.
Fortunately, there is a vaccine for canine cough. The canine cough vaccination works similar to the human ‘flu’ shot. Vaccination will not prevent infection but will help lessen the length and severity of disease if your dog is ever infected. It also helps reduce transmission, particularly in high risk places like boarding kennels.
We recommend that ALL dogs should be vaccinated yearly against canine cough. The following guidelines will help you asses the risk for your dog:
High Risk:
Boarding kennels, dog pounds, animal shelters, training schools, dog parks
Moderate Risk:
Public parks, streets, grooming parlours, contact with other dogs
Low Risk:
Confined to your own house or yard
Although some dogs are at low risk, you never know when they will be in an unexpected situation. Please note that the canine cough is required by most boarding kennels prior to entry so ensure your dog has been vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to boarding.
If you have any concerns or questions about the canine cough vaccine, don’t hesitate to speak to us at your dog’s next vaccination or simply just give us a call.
Been thinking about desexing your pet?
For many of you, your pet’s desexing operation will be the only surgery he/she will have in their lifetime (hopefully anyway!). Whilst these operations are considered routine procedures, we take numerous precautions before, during and after the surgery to ensure your pet’s safety and comfort. We understand that it is only natural to feel anxious or concerned about what happens to your pet when they come in for their desexing surgery, so we hope to provide you with a glimpse of what happens behind those closed doors to reassure you that they are in the best of hands!
All desexing operations require a brief stay in hospital and a general anaesthetic. Unless advised otherwise, we require all pets to be fasted from 10pm the night before the surgery. Water can be left with them until the morning of the surgery. Fasting your pet prior to surgery is critical. If you cannot be sure they have been fasted, we will recommend the surgery to be postponed.
Admission to hospital generally takes place between 8am to 9am (Monday to Friday, we do not perform desexing operations on weekends). Please allow 10 minutes for your admission appointment. During this time, your pet will receive a vet check where they will be weighed, their heart and lungs will be examined, as well as checking for other problems (such as hernias, retained baby teeth, retained testicles and hind dew claws) or anything else that may affect your pet’s surgery. A modified anaesthetic plan may be recommended for higher risk patients (eg very young animals, older animals etc).Your pet’s records will be checked and reviewed. Any concerns about the surgery will be addressed.
Next your pet is admitted into hospital and placed into their own cage or run. It is important to realise that your pet will not be operated on straight away. We allow your pet to acclimatise to the hospital environment. In addition, there is a lot of preparation involved in setting up for your pet’s surgery. The exact time of your pet’s surgery will vary depending on the number and types of other operations to do on that day. We usually ask you to call us at 5pm for an update on your pet’s progress if you have not heard from us already.
Once your pet is feeling more settled, we will give them a light sedative combined with a strong painkiller approximately 30-40 minutes before their surgery (we call this the “premed”). This calms your pet, provides “pre-emptive” pain relief (so that pain relief is already on board when their surgery commences), reduces the overall dose of anaesthetic needed and helps smooth out their anaesthetic recovery.
Once their premed has kicked in, their anaesthetic will begin. An intravenous (“IV”) catheter will be placed into a vein (usually from their foreleg) to help administer the anaesthetic. The IV catheter also provides easy access to circulation during anaesthesia. A carefully calculated dose of anaesthetic is given intravenously. Within a few seconds, the anaesthetic makes your pet relax and go to sleep. A special tube (endotracheal tube) is placed into their trachea (windpipe) which is then connected to a machine that delivers oxygen and precise amounts of anaesthetic gas to keep them asleep. Intravenous fluids are given via the IV catheter to help their circulation and maintain blood pressure.
Your pet will be monitored throughout the procedure by a dedicated nurse anaesthetist. As well as this, monitoring devices will be used to monitor your pet’s oxygen saturation levels, heart and pulse rate continuously. We also have continuous core body temperature monitoring and ECG monitoring.
Your pet will be prepared for surgery. This includes clipping away the fur around the surgery site. The skin is carefully sterilised with special skin disinfectants. The surgery is then performed by one of our veterinarians. Sterilised surgical equipment is used for each patient. Your pet will be kept warm throughout the surgery with heating pads, via the heated surgical table or other warming devices.
Your pet is then recovered in a warmed recovery cage. These cages are located in our main treatment area so that we can keep a close eye on them as they wake up. They will then receive a second pain killer injection which provides pain relief for the next 24 hours. In cats, this injection will provide pain relief for up to 3 days. For dogs, they will receive additional pain killer pills to take home for another 2-3 days to ensure they have continued pain free recovery at home.
In most cases, your pet will have made an uneventful recovery and should be fine to go home the same evening. Occasionally if your pet is too sleepy, we will recommend for him/her to stay overnight. We will go through everything you need to know about caring for your pet after surgery, caring for the surgical wound and what to look out for. The stitches from surgery are removed after 10 days.
The vet check, general anaesthetic, intravenous catheter placement, intravenous fluids, surgery, pain relief, surgical wound rechecks and suture removal are all included in the cost of desexing. Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have any other questions or concerns, or if you would like a quote for desexing your pet.