Newsletter Summer 2003 |
Summer 2003
Practice Facilities
Surgery hoursMonday-Friday Saturday 24 Hour Emergency Service |
Keep your pet healthy with a life-stage diet!
The situation for our pets is very similar! Just like us, they require a healthy balanced diet and, like us, their requirement for particular nutrients, vitamins and minerals changes throughout their lives. With this in mind life-stage diets have been developed, controlling excess nutrients and offering the correct diet for each stage of your pet’s life. Growing puppies and kittens require a balanced diet with higher (but not excess) levels of energy, protein for muscle development and fatty acids for a healthy shining coat. The growth requirements for large and giant breeds of dog are different and they require their own special formulations of puppy food.
Older dogs and cats also require carefully balanced diets. As your pet becomes older, internal organs such as the kidneys may work less efficiently. Diets for the older pet often contain lower levels of nutrients such as salt and phosphorus to avoid extra work for the kidneys and other internal organs. Feeding your pet the correct life-stage diet for their age can make a real difference to their long term health. Please let us advise you on the best diet for your pet! |
Don’t get hacked off with the cough!
The disease is caused by a mixture of viruses and a bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica. These infectious agents easily pass from dog to dog as a droplet infection and dogs can pick up infectious bronchitis wherever they congregate — in boarding kennels, dog shows, training classes, or simply out on walks. Annual booster vaccinations offer protection against many of the viruses but only intranasal vaccines offer protection against Bordetella bronchiseptica. Don’t take any chances with kennel cough — contact us now to ensure your dog is vaccinated! |
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Most
pet owners know the importance of eating a correctly balanced diet
— but what about our pets? 
Adult
dogs and cats require a carefully balanced diet to maintain
them in optimum health. However many of the nutrients mentioned
above are now required at lower levels since the major growth phase
is now complete. 
Infectious
bronchitis (otherwise known as ‘kennel cough’)
is a very contagious disease of the respiratory tract affecting
dogs of all ages. Affected dogs typically develop a very harsh dry
hacking cough which can often last several weeks.Is your rabbit vaccinated? |
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Rabbits are members of the family and just like dogs and cats, we need to see them from time to time for routine health examinations and vaccinations. Did you know that unless they are regularly vaccinated, rabbits are at risk from two potentially fatal infectious diseases? Myxomatosis is a very distressing viral disease spread by blood sucking insects such as rabbit fleas. The disease causes puffy swellings around the eyes usually leading to blindness. Affected animals become very ill, often suffering from pneumonia, and even with medication and nursing care most will die as a result of the disease. |
| Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) is a very contagious virus disease, spreading easily between rabbits or via contaminated hutches, bedding or food. It can also be inadvertently transported by people or birds. Affected rabbits may show a range of symptoms including loss of appetite, lethargy and nose bleeds. Sadly most will die. Happily, we can now offer vaccination against both of these distressing diseases. Please contact us for further information on any aspect of caring for your pet rabbit. |
 Female flea laying an egg (length about 3 mm) |
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Keep
your pets safe this summer! |
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Fleas are an all year round problem and are the cause of many skin irritations. Ticks are often a problem in the summer months. They commonly live in long heath-land grasses waiting to attach themselves to passing pets. Ticks are a nuisance for two reasons — firstly they can cause abscesses where they attach and secondly they can transmit serious diseases such as Lyme disease. |
Flies are a summer hazard for rabbits. Throughout the summer months rabbits should be inspected daily for fly eggs and maggots.
| The sun is also a hazard for many pets. Cats with white ear tips are particularly at risk from sunburn which often leads to localised skin cancer of the ear tips. Sunblock can be applied to the ears to reduce this risk. |
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 (length about 10mm) |
Grass seeds (awns) easily attach to dogs’ coats and can work their way into the pads or become trapped in dogs’ ears, usually causing severe head shaking. In view of this, thorough inspection of the coat for grass awns is recommended following walks. |
Please contact us if you would like any further information on caring for your pet and also for the best method of controlling ticks and fleas. Finally, never leave any pet in a car on a hot day.
Bad breath — is your dog affected?
A typical healthy mouth has strong smooth white teeth and shrimp pink or pigmented gums.
However if plaque bacteria are allowed to accumulate on the teeth and gums, they cause a marginal inflammation of the gum tissue — called gingivitis. This is frequently accompanied by the accumulation of calculus (tartar) on the surface of the teeth and also very bad breath. If gingivitis is allowed to continue unchecked, the inflammation will? eventually spread down below the gumline, destroying the tooth supporting structures, leading to tooth loosening and loss — a condition called periodontitis. If your dog has bad breath — don’t ignore it, come and see us for a dental health examination
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