Permethrin toxicity

Fleas are annoying insects that thrive on our pets, many products are available on the market to control fleas within our homes and on our pets, and the most common types of insecticide contain pyrethrins and permethrins. The latter has a much greater potential for causing toxicity especially in cats. Permethrin-based products are usually labeled "for use in dogs only". Application of these products to a cat can result in toxic signs including drooling, lethargy, muscle tremors, vomiting and seizures within 6 hours of application. Prolonged seizure can cause brain damage and death if left untreated. To protect your cat from permethrin toxicity, avoid using any of those products if possible, always read labels on packaging thoroughly and never give more than the dosage stated on the packet. Avoid using these products on your dogs if you have cats in your home as your cat can become poisoned by licking the dog or even by sleeping next to your dog. If your cat displays any symptoms of poisoning, seek veterinary attention immediately.

Some safe products you can use on your dogs and cats include Advantage, Advocate, Revolution and Frontline. Even with these products, ensure you read the packet and use the correct type and weight range for your pet. 

Vaccination

Vaccination is important all year round to protect your dogs and cats against serious diseases. Puppies and kittens will be temporarily protected against many diseases by their maternal antibodies (in mother's milk). However, these antibodies decline in the first few months of life and this is why a series of vaccines is necessary. After their initial course of vaccinations, the immunity weakens over time and your pet can become susceptible to diseases again, therefore annual vaccination boosters are necessary to maintain good immunity against these serious diseases.

A consultation with the doctor will be performed at the time of your pets' vaccination. This includes a general check-up, physical examination and this also gives you the opportunity to discuss any concerns or ask any questions you may have about your pet.

In general, our recommended vaccination schedule for a dog is:

Time schedule (age)	Vaccination Coverage
6-8 weeks	Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis (C3)
12-14 weeks	Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis, Para-influenza virus, Bordetella bacteria, Coronavirus and Leptospirosis (C7)
16-18 weeks	(C7)
Every year for life	(C7)

 In general, our recommended vaccination schedule for a cat is:

Time schedule (age)	Vaccination Coverage
6-8 weeks	Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Enteritis (F3) + Leukemia (FeLV) + Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
12-14 weeks	(F3) + (FeLV) + (FIV)
16-18 weeks	(F3) + (FeLV) + (FIV)
Every year for life	(F3) + (FeLV) + (FIV)

Types of vaccination can be different depending on your pet's lifestyle, please ask one of our friendly staff for a tailor-made vaccination protocols for your dogs and cats.

Tick Prevention

The paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) occurs mainly along the coast of eastern Australia, however it may also be found further inland in valleys and forested areas. If you are planning to spend your Easter break in these high-risk areas, the best possible advice regarding ticks is to avoid them- do not walk your dogs in bush areas. Perform a thorough search of your dog's skin and coat at least once a day. Use the fingertips to feel through your dog's coat, ticks or tick craters which can be felt as lumps on skin surface. If a tick is found, quickly remove the tick by a vet or if veterinary attention is not available, remove the tick with a special tick key or tweezers, without squeezing the engorged abdomen. In addition to the daily search, apply a spot-on product such as Frontline Plus or Advantix for tick prevention every fortnight and use a tick collar to reduce the risk of tick paralysis during your trip. Signs of tick paralysis including lethargy, change of voice, vomiting, a grunt when breathing or staggering in the hind legs may occur as early as two days after the tick attachment. If left untreated, the paralysis progresses to the front legs and muscles associated with breathing and swallowing, and death eventually occurs due to respiratory arrest and aspiration pneumonia. Prevention is always better than cure!

Pet Legislation and You!

When owning a pet, it is important that you follow the rules and regulations put in place in society to keep everyone safe including your pet. As pet owners, we all have certain legal obligations which we must abide by under the Companion Animals Act of NSW. Therefore, in this issue we would like to take you through a few facts which you may not know about.

HERE ARE THE FACTS: did you know them?

• Animal not microchipped. Fine: $165.00 (All animals must be microchipped by 12 weeks old)
• Animal not registered. Fine: $165.00 (All animals need to be registered by 6 months)
• Dog not on lead in a public place. Fine: $220.00
• Failure to take stray animal to the pound/ shelter. Fine: $550
• Owner in charge of attacking dog. Fine: $550 (own or breeding banned dog is illegal)
• Unrestrained pets travelling in a moving vehicle. Fine: over $400.00 and 4 demerit points
• Unrestrained pets in a travelling car in a school zone. Fine: $422.00 and 3 demerit points 

(Under the Preventative Of Cruelty To Animals Act 1979, dogs are required to be restrained in the back of a moving vehicle or enclosed in such a way to prevent the dog falling from the vehicles. Fine: $5500.00 or 6 months in jail).

• Failure to remove dog faeces in a public area. Fine: $275.00
• Failure to notify change of address/ owner. Fine: $165.00
• Cat not wearing identification. Fine: $110.00 

Boarding Recommendations

  

During the holiday season it is common for us all to do just that and "go on holiday!". If you are planning a trip away it is important to think about how your pet will be cared for whilst you are gone whether you own a cat or dog or both! 

There are many options available to you when selecting the right place for your pet to board that will range in price and facility. Despite the cost the most important thing to consider is "how will my pet be treated and cared for?" and "can my pet or both my pets stay at the one facility?".Therefore it is a good idea to go and have a quick look at the place or places you are interested in leaving your pet whilst you are away so that you have a better understanding of where your pet will be held and how much space they have to roam.

  

When boarding it is compulsory that all pets are up to date with vaccination and preventative care such as fleas/ticks and worming prevention; so make sure your pet has been brought up to date with all preventative care. If your pet is on any medications at the time of boarding, then this should also be advised to the boarding facility. At such a busy time of the year, boarding facilities can quickly become booked out so make sure to book well in advance if possible and be aware that sometime deposits may be required to secure your pet's reservation!.  

At CASULA VETERINARY HOSPITAL the spaces for our boarding cattery are running out fast!!! Please remember to book in advance and a non-refundable deposit is required to secure your kitty's spot! If you would like a viewing of our cattery facilities please call our clinic on (02) 9602 9863 and our staff will be more than happy to assist you! 

Swallowing Hazards

  

Every Christmas season the iconic Christmas tree is put up and decorated in a glorious fashion. As such we would like to put some light onto possible hazards that it can pose to pets.

• If a live tree is selected then one must consider watering to keep the lush green colour, this however can be problematic as some dogs and cats like to drink the tree water; the water itself is not poisonous, but some fertilizers can be poisonous to animals causing various signs of sickness.
• Ornaments and lights hung on our trees can often become fun and interesting toys for our pets. They can commonly be chewed and ingested by our dogs and cats. This can become very dangerous especially if the pet becomes electrocuted when playfully biting into the lighting wires or if ornaments are swollowed. Swollowed parts can easily become lodged in the digestive tract and causing obstruction. A lodged foreign body usually requires surgery in most cases to remove it. In addition, glass ornaments and lights commonly leave cuts and lacerations in the mouth if chewed. 
• Holiday decorations like ribbon and tinsel can also cause some problems if ingested by our cat or dog. This is more commonly seen in cats that like to play with string. This type of foreign body may cause the intestine to fold onto itself like an accordion, this in turn causes a lack of circulation to parts of the intestine and may require extensive surgical treatment. Clinical signs of foreign body obstruction include vomiting, lethargy and abdominal pain. If there is any known ingestion of foreign body, the animal should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Raisins and Friut Cakes

Christmas pudding (which contains raisins) is poisonous to your pets. Grape and raisin toxicity is well documented in dogs. Although the exact substance that causes the toxic reaction is not well understood, it has been shown that even tiny amounts of grapes or raisins can be fatally toxic for a dog. Dogs of any age, breed or gender can be affected.

One of the most serious complications in grape/raisin toxicity is acute kidney failure. Signs include vomiting, diarrhoea, inappetence, abdominal pain, lethargy and passing only a small amount of urine or even complete cessation of urine.