Autumn 2007 Newsletter

Welcome to the latest issue of our Practice newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what’s happening in the practice.

KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE WITH PRACTICE GOSSIP!

Practice Gossip is a little quiet this time round except for the following

For those of you who do not know – Fiona has given birth to a bouncing baby boy on August 9^th weighing in at a whopping 9lb 2oz.

Mother and baby are both doing really well.

Goes with out saying we wish all the best to Fiona and her family.

Only one other piece of news – We now offer a grooming service at the practice. Kate is available most days. Please enquire at reception for further information.

Other news & thoughts.

FIREWORK NIGHT

Now is also the time to think about our pets on and around November 5^th. It is wise to keep pets indoors in the evenings to avoid firework injuries.  As we are probably all aware, fireworks are no longer just for November 5^th; the noisy celebrations nowadays tend to go on for weeks either side of this date.  Cats, if startled by unexpected loud noises, can run off in fear and become disorientated and lost or become involved in road traffic accidents.  Dogs with noise phobias may benefit from medication to help relieve anxiety associated with fireworks and habituation to loud noises over a long period of time can also be helpful.  DAP diffusers, which release comforting and relaxing dog pheromones, can also be used in stressful situations to good effect. The DAP diffusers need to commence a few weeks before Bonfire Night to gain the maximum benefit.  Please contact us well in advance, as we have fact sheets available and can give you advice on how best to handle the situation.

A Few simple dos and don’ts:

• DO keep your pets indoors if fireworks are going off.
• DO pull the curtains to reduce the flashes of light.
• DO have the TV or radio on to mask the sounds.
• NEVER tell your pet off or shut it away.
• DON’T fuss or comfort your pet, as this will actually reinforce the fear. What you are actually saying is – “‘yes, it is scary, and I’m frightened too’”
• DO try and distract your pet with play or food.

Cats, Dogs & Antifreeze

This is also the time of year that many car owners prepare their cars for winter.  Antifreeze, used in car radiators and screen wash, is extremely poisonous to cats and dogs, yet to them it tastes very nice.  If antifreeze is ingested, even small amounts can cause serious kidney failure and death although your pet may appear normal initially after ingestion.  Please therefore beware of spilt antifreeze on the ground, which your pet may unknowingly drink. Keep antifreeze in a safe secure place. Be careful when emptying your car radiator. Dispose of contents carefully.

Chubby  Animals

Remember – Always to feed for work done! Contrary to popular belief you should not always follow exactly what a manufacturer recommends on packs of pet food. Don’t forget the sooner you use it up – the sooner you are buying a new one, WHICH is just what the manufacturers want!

If the great British weather has let us down again with more rain, with the best will in the world, our pets aren’t going to get as much exercise, as they need to burn off the calories they have eaten.  

So if you know your pet has spent most of the day in bed – don’t be afraid to reduce it’s normal daily ration. They can always have extra another day when it has done a lot of exercise. Following this simple rule should ensure your pet’s weight does not increase over the winter months. If you want to give your dog a treat – try a raw carrot, tasty and calorie free.

Dawn and Dusk 

Dawn and Dusk is a potentially dangerous time especially for cats!

They can be more encouraged to venture out, as prey is more readily available. Road traffic accidents in winter increase during these times. Please try and ensure your cat does not have access to the great out doors during these times. Reflective collars do not always help in such dim light. Similarly dark coloured dogs with owners wearing dark clothing should take care.

Middle Age Male Cats

If you are the proud owner of a middle age male cat – please be more observant of his urination habits. Middle age is a prime time for mature adult male cats to develop urinary crystals, which in turn can block the urethra. This will then prevent the cat from urinating. This is a life threatening condition. The act of straining can easily be confused with constipation. If you see your cat struggling to urinate, or straining or just going in and out of the litter tray, please make an immediate appointment. Better to be safe than sorry!!

What constitutes an Emergency?

Comprehensive listings of emergencies maybe found on our website www.vikingvets.com , just look under emergency!  To help you, here are the categories of emergencies that you may experience with your pet.

Life Threatening

• Unconsciousness

• Conscious Collapse with difficulty breathing or blue mucous membranes

• Severe bleeding

• Prolapsed Eye

• Poisoning

• Convulsions/Fits

• Snake Bites

• Penetrating Wounds

 Immediate Attention

• Conscious Collapse

• Difficulty Breathing

• Bleeding

• Gaping Wounds

• Severe Difficulty Urinating

• Difficulties Giving Birth

 Minor Attention

• Insect Bites

• Insect Stings

• Minor Wounds

• Minor Burns

• Abscess's

• Slight Lameness

• Blood in Urine

Questions the Vet might ask

This section details the important information you should note as you may be asked by the vet. Being able to answer these questions may be able to help the vet and prevent further deterioration of your pets condition. This may seem a lot to think about in a stressful situation. However you being able to provide this type of information will assist the vet in the initial assessment. You need to be able to answer these questions as fully as possible & remember doing something practical will help to allay your fears and panic as well as help your pet.

• What is the nature of the injury?

• What is the extent or degree of the injury?

• When did the accident happen?

• When did you first notice the symptoms of the illness?

• Has your pets condition improved or deteriorated?

• How rapidly have the changes occurred?

• Age, breed and sex of your pet?

• Is your pet currently on any medication, or under veterinary treatment?

• What is the location of your pet?

Remember if you are in doubt, ASK one of the fully qualified nurses that are on the end of a phone here at Viking. They have a lot of experience and will be able to advise you what to do next.

We hope you never need to deal with an emergency with your pet, but it is worth while knowing what to do.

That's all for this edition of the Viking Newsletter, the next edition will be published around the beginning of December – Just in time for the Christmas & the New Year!