Heat Stroke!

   

Spring is here! And with it comes the warm weather and longer sun-filled days. This is the perfect time to get out and be active with your pet; going for walks, or for a day out at the park or the beach.

However, it is important to remember to keep your pet cool and hydrated as the weather warms. Heatstroke in animals can be sudden and often fatal. Signs to watch out for are excessive panting, lethargy, collapse, and high temperature.

Short faced (brachycephalic) animals, such as staffies, pugs, and bulldogs are at increased risk of heatstroke and should only be exercised during the cooler hours of the day. Dogs that are long-haired, obese or have diseases affecting their airways are also at increased risk. 

If you think your pet may have heat stroke, it is important to contact the vet hospital as soon as possible. 

How does your pet keep cool?

Tell us how your pet likes to cool down in the warm weather! Or better yet, show us! Post a picture on our Facebook page of your furry friend keeping cool in this lovely spring weather! 

  

Blackie (below) loves to play with his toys in the water!

  

Pugsley's Weight-Loss Journey!

For those of you who have not met him; Pugsley is the Casula Veterinary Hospital's resident blood donor cat! Due to some overindulgent nurses, poor Pugsley became a whopping 6.08kg, which for his body type was considered obese. As Pugsley is an older cat, maintaining a healthy weight range is important as it reduces his risk of developing serious conditions such as diabetes and arthritis.  Over the course of 12 weeks on the Royal Canin Feline Obesity Diet, Pugsley lost a total of 1.42kg! He is now a healthy 4.66kg! Pugsely is now happy and healthy with much more energy, and loving his new lease on life!

Pet Dental Health Awareness

DOGGY BREATH - There is no such thing!

  

DID YOU KNOW that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over 3 years have dental disease that requires treatment? Pets too, require dental care - imagine if we stopped brushing our teeth for a month, how would our teeth feel? Brushing your pets teeth can be a huge help in preventing tartar build up.

Have you ever had a toothache? Do you remember how sore it was to eat normally and how quickly you made a trip to the dentist to have it looked at? Pets don't know that they require dental care and therefore it is our job as owners, to do it for them. Tartar build up can be uncomfortable and painful for our pets, however they do not always show this to us until the pain is so severe that they stop eating. By the time they stop eating, the mouth is full of loose and infected teeth which can cause a number of other health issues. Our aim is to prevent the dental disease getting to this stage by developing an individual dental hygiene regime for your pet. This may include a dental scale and polish, regular brushing and/or special dental treats to help prevent further tartar build up.

Learn how to brush your pets' teeth by clicking on the link to our Dental Guide PDF. This guide also discusses what happens during a dental scale and polish and when this may be required.

Find out more about some home dental care products available, how they are used and why - Just click on the following Link - Dental Care Products

DON'T FORGET TO FORWARD THIS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS SO THEY CAN BENEFIT FROM BOTH THE INFORMATION ON DENTAL HYGIENE AND THE AUGUST SPECIALS!

What grade is your pets' teeth?

Grade I

There will be a small amount of plaque present on the molars and mild gingivitis which may no be grossly visible. Home dental care is required and the veterinarian may recommend a dental scale and polish of the teeth within the next few months

 

Grade II

The gumline will be red and inflamed. The mouth will have a noticeable odour and there will be some discomfort. A dental clean and scale is required as soon as possible (some extractions may be required) and a home dental health plan will be made for your pet to help prevent further tartar build up and maintain good dental hygiene.

 

  

Grade III

The gums will be cherry red and you may notice occasional bleeding. There will be a build up of calculus present and a painful infection of the gums. A dental clean and scale is required immediately and some extractions are likely to be required. 

Grade IV

There will be chronic inflammation and infection of the mouth causing bad breath and loose teeth. Severe dental calculi will be present on the teeth causing pain and discomfort. The bacteria present in the mouth can spread through the body via the blood stream and can potentially cause damage to the kidneys, liver and heart. A dental scale and polish is required immediately. The doctor may recommend for your pet to start antibiotics prior to the dental scale and then continue for another 7-10 days after the dental treatment. 

Weight Loss and your pet

 

How heavy is your pet?  Do you notice any weight loss recently?

Obviously if your pet is on a diet for being overweight, weight loss is expected.

If your pet has unplanned weight loss, there are a few

simple things to check at home:

1.          Have you changed your pet's diet?

•    Different quality pet food contain varied amount of nutrients.  One cup of diet A does not necessary provide the same energy to your pet compare to one cup of diet B.
•    Your pet could also be a bit fussy and does not like the new diet as much as the old one.

2.          Do you have any new additions to the family?  

•    New pets in the household can cause stress to some animals.  Sometimes your pet is just too stressed to eat around the new comer and they might even compete for food. 

Decreased appetite is the most common reason for weight loss.  Dirty food bowls, change of diet or dental problems may cause inappetance.  Stress in the environment could also be another cause.  Assess your pets' environment and daily routine carefully may give you a lot of valuable clues. 

If there are no changes in the routine and your pet has noticeable weight loss, you should bring your pet to see a vet. There are a lot of diseases that can cause a pet to have lost weight, to name a few:

-              Dental disease

-              Overactive thyroid glands in older cats

-              Diabetes

-              Kidney disease

-              Liver disease

-              Tumours

Simply wait and see is not the recommended approach for any pet with noticeable weight loss.  Animals with significant weight loss are weak and could deteriorate very quickly.  If you notice any weight loss in your pet, please make an appointment with your regular vet to investigate the problem.  Relatively simple problems like dental disease could be treated with dental procedures and prevented with prophylaxis.  Others may require blood, urine or other tests for diagnosis depending on what your vet finds on physical examination.

"My pet is thin simply because he/she is old; I don't think we need to see a vet"

Remember, getting old does not cause one to lose its weight but diseases would.   In most cases, there are treatments to control the disease.  If the problem is incurable, there may be something we could do to help your pet live comfortably for the rest of their life.

 

What to do if your pet eats chocolate

Dogs are known for eating things they are not suppose to. They have an excellent sense of smell and can  find our Easter eggs quite easily if given the slightest opportunity. 

This Easter, remember that chocolate is a killer! Ensure that all Easter eggs are kept out of reach of your dogs and cats.

If you find your pet has managed to eat some chocolate, there are a few steps you will need to take:

1. Act quickly! Remove any more chocolate from your pets' reach immediately.

2. Call your local or 24 hour emergency veterinarian. They will want to know the weight of your pet and approximately how much and what type of chocolate your pet has eaten.

3. Transport your pet to the vet immediately for examination. The vet will then advise you of what treatment is required for your individual pet.

Make your home a flea-free zone!

  

As the cooler weather sets in, it may be tempting to think that the need for flea control diminishes. Indeed, cooler outside temperatures may reduce (but not eliminate) flea re-infestation from outdoor environments. However, warm winter homes remain a perfect environment for on-going flea development and infestation of pets.

During winter, flea pupae that developed from flea eggs laid up to 6 months earlier, could be present waiting to emerge as new fleas to infest you pet. Once on your pet, fleas will feed, mate and lay eggs. An adult flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day, which falls off your pet's coat resulting in long term flea contamination of your home. Therefore, winter is also a key time to protect our furry friends and home from flea infestation.

Remember, the adult fleas on your pet only represent 5% of the problem. The other 95% is made up of eggs, larvae and pupae that are hidden in and around your home. For every flea that you see, there could be hundreds lurking in your carpets, between floor boards, on your furniture and even on your bed.

Thankfully, FRONTLINE PLUS has 2 active ingredients to protect your pet against all stages of the flea life-cycle. Using Frontline Plus all year round will control any existing flea problems, as well as prevent new infestations from occurring, even during winter.