Raising Funds for South West Animal Rescue

Raising Funds for South West Animal Rescue

This July, we will be raising funds for South West Animal Rescue (SWAR) at the Eaton Vet Clinic.

We are looking to focus on responsible pet ownership this month, and one of the big things we are looking to promote is desexing pets. Charities such as SWAR and SAFE are inundated with animals that desperately need homes at the moment, and the best way to deal with this problem is by sterilising pets.

For every animal desexed at the Eaton Vet Clinic in June, we will donate 10% of the desexing fee to SWAR. There is no limit on how much we will donate so the more desexing we do during July, the bigger the donation will be.

Apart from the obvious prevention of unwanted pregnancy, some of the other benefits of desexing include:

·         Reduced risk of various tumours such as mammary (breast cancer), uterine and testicular cancers

·         Eliminates the risk of uterine infections in dogs and cats

·         Less wandering and aggression in males

·         Male cats less likely to fight and pick up diseases such as cat AIDS and Feline Leukaemia or develop abscesses from fight wounds

·         Reduces prostate problems in older male dogs

Please take this opportunity to help reduce the stray animal problem while at the same time raising funds for this important animal charity.

7 Questions You Must Ask Your Vet Before They Sterilise Your Pet

7 Questions You Must Ask Your Vet Before They Sterilise Your Pet

1. Do you give pain killers to every animal as standard? We believe every animal undergoing desexing surgery needs good quality pain relief, se we include it in the price we give you.

 2. Does every animal receive intravenous fluids during the surgery? With 85% of animals experiencing low blood pressure during surgery, intravenous fluids are important to help maintain blood pressure, making the surgery safer and the recovery faster.

 3. Will a fully qualified vet nurse be monitoring the anaesthetic?

4. Do you monitor blood pressure, oxygen levels, breath carbon dioxide levels and temperature constantly? This is critical to make the anaesthetic as safe as possible.

 5. Do you use a warm air machine while the animal is under anaesthetic and use heat pads when the animal is recovering as standard? Hypothermia is one of the biggest killers of animals under anaesthetic, as well as delaying wound healing and recovery.

6. Do you provide a collar to stop the pet being able to lick its wound?

 7. Does the price you have been given include all this as standard?

 At the Bunbury and Eaton Vet Clinics, the answer to all these questions is yes.

Cushing's Disease

Senior Pet Problem: Cushing’s Disease.

Does your elderly dog drink more than usual? Is it losing hair or getting pot-bellied? It may have Cushing’s Disease.

Cushing’s Disease, or Hyperadrenocorticism, is caused by the body producing excessive amounts of steroids. We see this dog most commonly in older, small breed dogs such as maltese and poodles, but it can affect many breeds.

It can be a bit of a tricky disease to diagnose. The most common signs owners notice are increased drinking and urination, a pot-bellied appearance and hair loss. This hair loss can show certain patterns such as losing hair along the length of the tail (producing what looks like a “rats tail”), and along both sides of the body.

Cushing’s Disease is most commonly caused by a small, benign tumour on the pituitary gland. This tumour produces a hormone that stimulates the adrenal gland to produce excessive amounts of steroids. A small amount of steroids is normal for the body to produce, but this increased production becomes problematic. There is a less common form of Cushing’s Disease caused by a tumour on the adrenal gland, which produces similar signs.

Diagnosis is by a specific blood test, and in some cases by ultrasound. It can be quite challenging to diagnose in some cases, but with the right tests and experienced vets most cases are diagnosed quite quickly.

There are a couple of treatment options available. The older treatment used to be a tablet that destroyed the adrenal glands. The problem with this treatment is it could potentially destroy too much of the glands, which is very dangerous. The newest treatment works by blocking the steroid production pathways. It is much safer and easier to use, and gives excellent control in most cases.

If your dog is showing any signs of hair loss, increased drinking or looking pot-bellied it should be checked out by a vet. Now is a good time to have it examined with our Senior Pet Month giving a $15 discount on all Senior Pet Consultations throughout June.

Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats

Senior Pet Problem: Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in cats is a relatively common but underdiagnosed problem affecting cats kidneys. It affects a large number of cats, but often goes undiagnosed as many owners don’t realise what signs to look out for.

The earliest signs we see of CKD is increased drinking and urination. Cats have the ability to concentrate their urine more than almost any other animal. When the kidneys start to fail, the ability to concentrate the urine is reduced, so the volume of urine produced is much larger. This leads to increased drinking to make up for the water lost in the urine.

As the CKD progresses, the kidneys can no longer remove the “toxic” body products as they normally would. This creates a build-up of toxins in the body which makes the cat feel unwell. This is where cats can get very sick very quickly. As the toxins build-up, the cat feels unwell so is less likely to drink. This makes the cat dehydrated, which in turn reduces blood flow to the kidneys, leading to the problem getting worse.

CKD is normally diagnosed with a combination of a blood and urine test. It is quick and simple to test for, and early diagnosis can make a big difference.

Treatment can be with medicine, diet, or a combination of these. Specially designed diets help prevent the build-up of toxins, and medications can help improve blood flow to the kidneys.

If your cat is over 10 years of age, now is a great time to have it checked out. With a $15 discount on Senior Pet consults this month, and a discounted Senior Wellness Blood Test available throughout June, we can make sure your cat is in great shape.