Category: vet blog

Each year as the weather starts to get warmer and warmer, snakes are out and the danger for your pets is very real. Over just the past few weeks, we have treated 7 dogs due to snake bite and we wanted to share with you some important information that could help save your pet.

The most common type of snake bites we see in our area are from the eastern brown snake and the king brown snake.

Symptoms

Several factors will determine what sort of reaction your pet has to a snake bite:

*The type of snake (some species of snake are more venomous that others)
*The amount of venom injected (depends on the size and maturity of the snake)
*The site of the snake bite (the most common area for dogs and cats to be bitten is on the limbs and around the head)

The most common signs of snake bit by a venomous brown snake are as follows:

*Shaking or twitching of the muscles
*Sudden weakness followed by collapse
*Seizures
*Dilated pupils not responsive to light
*Vomiting
*Blood in the urine
*In the later stages paralysis may occur – this usually starts from the ind legs.

IMPORTANT!!! Please note that while your pet may initially show symptoms of snake bite, it is quite common for them to to appear to make a quick recovery, leaving you wondering if perhaps they were not bitten after all, or if they even need any treatment.

Unfortunately this decision can ultimately mean the difference between life and death. If it imperative that you ignore this apparent period of calm if you suspect they were bitten as they will rapidly deteriorate if they in fact have been bitten.

Veterinary Treatment

*Examination – we will assess the clinical signs they are showing and determine the best treatment from there
*Diagnostic tests may be required to determine if your pet has actually been bitten
*Treatment usually consists of intravenous fluids and the administration of antivenom to neutralise the snake venom in the pet’s body. Some patients require multiple vials of antivenom.
*Ongoing veterinarian and nursing care in hospital will be required until the pet has recovered sufficiently to go home.

The winner of our cutest pet competition was recently announced by the HITZ FM 93.9 team and we were very  excited to meet “Oaky” the talking Quaker Parrot  and present his owners   with their prize of a free consultation as well as a  $250 gift voucher to spend in-store.

We would like to thank everyone who took the time and effort to enter this competition – this is the second year we have been involved with this competition and it was fantastic to see all the great photos coming in.  We were very happy we didn’t have to choose as they were all worthy winners!

 

 

We are very happy to be able to offer our clients a free Drontal worming treatment with vaccinations given during the month of January.

Just one Drontal Allwormer tablet every three months will keep your adult dog and your home free from worms. These tablets are safe for dogs and puppies of all ages, from as young as two weeks.

Ideally puppies should be wormed from 2 weeks of age once every fortnight until they are 12 weeks old, then once monthly until 6 months old and after that just once every 3 months.

Drontal Allwormer kills and protects against all types of gastrointestinal worms that are common in Australian dogs, including hookworm, roundworm, tapeworm and whipworm. Most adult dogs only need one tablet every three months, but if your pet has hydatid tapeworm, you should increase the frequency to every six weeks.

The mode of transmission for most worm infestations in dogs is through ingestion of infected animals or faeces. If your dog has worms, the worms reside in the gastrointestinal tract and pass eggs out through faeces. As you can see from the diagram below they can also  simply by you or your dog walking over the microscopic eggs and unknowingly transferring them.

 

 

Please phone us to make an appointment if you would like to take advantage of this offer or if you would like more information.

We would like to let all of our lovely clients know that for the month of September we are able to offer a fantastic saving for you on all Drontal worming products and Seresto flea and tick collars!

SERESTO FLEA AND TICK COLLARS  – FOR DOGS AND CATS

 

For the month of September, you can save 50% on the normal price of Seresto flea and tick collars if you trade in an old tick and flea collar.  The old collar can be of any brand, the only requirement being that it is a flea/tick collar. Seresto collars last 8 months for fleas and 4 months for ticks, and with this deal, you will only pay $27.65. 

Not only does this collar last longer than any other flea/tick prevention on the market, it is convenient, water safe and odourless.

 

DRONTAL WORMING PRODUCTS – FOR DOGS AND CATS

 

 

All Drontal worming products will be sold at 25% off for the month of September.

Drontal Allwormer Tablets kill every important common type of intestinal worm found in Australian dogs, including roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and tapeworm.

Drontal not only protects your dog from worms, it also provides protection for the whole family from gastrointestinal parasites.

 

We are lucky enough to see lots and lots of cute pets every day and along with Hitz Fm we are running a cutest pet competition.  The prize is a full health check and $250 to spend with us. So whether you have a dog, cat, bird, horse, rat – whatever the species – if you think they’re cute, get entering!

It is super easy to do – simply follow this link to the Hitz939 Cutest Pet page:

https://www.hitz939.com.au/win/136890-hitz-939-s-cutest-pet

Then follow the instructions!  We can’t wait to see all the entries.

Nominations close on Wednesday 19 June and voting opens on Saturday the 22nd June.

With winter now approaching it is important to consider how the cold weather can affect your dog.  Dogs exposed to the cold can experience a range of problems including chills, respiratory problems and particularly arthritis.  As a general rule, the smaller and older your dog is, the more help they will need to keep comfortable and warm because their body cannot generate heat as quickly as larger or younger dogs.

The photo below shows one of the gorgeous coats we have for sale. Please call in and see us and check out the great range of coats and blankets we have.

For this reason, it is important to provide them with blankets at night time and a place where they can snuggle in to keep as warm as possible. We sell “Snoozy” blankets  which are great dog blankets and very easy to wash and dry.  It is also very important to consider providing them with a dog bed that is not in direct contact with the ground such as the hessian dog beds (see below) or the snooza type beds.  These beds are great for both winter and summer as in the warmer months, air can circulate beneath them, thereby keeping your pet cooler whilst in the winter months, the dog is not in direct contact with the cold, and often wet, ground.

To measure your dog for a coat, you can either bring him/her in and our friendly staff can help you to choose the correct size, or you can measure your dog from the base of the neck to the base of the tail to get the measurement you will need.  See the photo below for instructions.

Exercise is also important because it will get your dog’s blood circulating more rapidly which in turn stops them getting too cold.  This can also mean increasing their food intake during winter, as they use more energy keeping warm.

When dogs get cold, they will often bark to let their owner know about it, so it will help both the dog and you to get a good night’s sleep if they are comfortable and warm.

If your notice your dog suffering any discomfort such as difficulty with movement, such as standing from a sitting or lying down position it is important to bring him/her in for a check-up with our vet.  There are extremely good medications and supplements available now which  help give relief from arthritis.

Consider a Think 12 Preventive Care Plan for your dog:

There is an effective way to keep your dog protected against not only heartworm but a whole host of nasty diseases and other parasites for a full year.  Simply book an appointment to ask us about a Think 12 Preventive Care Plan today.

Ask us about our free heartworm prevention injection for your puppy – normally $45.00.

Think 12. http://www.think12.com.au

You’ve probably heard the saying “prevention is better than cure”.   When it comes to heartworm this couldn’t be more true.  In fact, it’s because heartworm is so difficult to treat that vets recommend continuous 12-month protection for all dogs.  If you’re concerned about heartworm, book an appointment to talk about your heartworm treatment options today.

We are also offering a free puppy proheart injection for those of you who have just got a new puppy.  This would normally be at a cost of $45.00.  Please phone us if you would like to make an appointment or if you would like to know more about this promotion.

Think 12.http://www.think12.com.au