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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!
We have a new member of the nursing team to
introduce to you:
Michelle Cox
Michelle joins us as a 2nd year student and is hoping to qualify after her
final exams in December of this year. Michelle has previously worked at
Green Pastures in Weston-Super-Mare for 2.5yrs – and before that as a
butcher!
Michelle has a huge menagerie of animals. They include 6 horses and a stray
cat that decided Michelle’s house was a good place to put down his roots.
During her spare time Michelle likes to socialise, go to the cinema and she
runs a small dog and cat sitting business near to Weston-Super-Mare where
she lives. Michelle also has a huge chocolate cake addiction.
We would all like to welcome Michelle to Viking Vets and wish her well for
her final exams in December.
Sarah our other student has decided to leave us and return to college to
finish her degree. Once Sarah has completed her degree she is planning on
returning to Devon. We all send our best wishes to Sarah and hope all goes
well with her future plans.
The latest piece of equipment the practice
has invested in is an ultrasound machine. Fiona will become our
ultrasonagrapher guru. As many of you will know, ultrasound is commonly used
to confirm pregnancies in humans, amongst other things. In small animal
medicine, ultrasound is frequently used to have a look at kidneys, liver
spleen etc, which often saves on invasive procedures, as well as diagnosing
animal pregnancies.
Other
News and Information
With the onset of cooler autumn weather, we look at some of the issues
facing our pets at this time of year.
Although the temperature is dropping and the nights are drawing in, it is
important to remember to continue with anti- parasitic treatment. Fleas are
tiny, wingless creatures which are a source of intense irritation to both
animals and owners, and with our centrally heated homes, they are a year
round menace! Harvest mites are another parasite often seen in late summer
and autumn. These red mites are picked up in long grass and tend to
congregate on the ears, eyelids, feet and underside of the abdomen. Like
fleas, these mites can cause intense itchiness in susceptible individuals at
this time of year, with itchy, crusty lesions developing on affected areas.
We recommend the regular application of Frontline to control both these
parasites – contact us for further details. And also, please make sure your
pet is regularly wormed too.
Now is also the time to remember to keep pets indoors in the evenings to
avoid firework injuries. As we are all aware, fireworks are no longer just
let off on November 5th; 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 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. D.A.P diffusers, which
release comforting and relaxing dog pheromones, can also be used in
stressful situations to good effect. Please contact us as we have fact
sheets available and can give you advice on how best to handle the
situation. D.A.P diffusers work best if they are started 2-3 weeks before
the stressful event.
Some 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.
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 palatable. If
antifreeze is ingested, even in small amounts, it can cause serious kidney
failure and death. If seen at the vets within 12hrs of ingestion there is a
high chance we may be able to save the cat/dog. Please therefore be aware of
any spilt antifreeze on the ground which your pet may unknowingly drink, and
clean it up as soon as possible.
Finally, old dogs and cats tend to feel their joints more in the cold
weather. Make sure they have plenty of warm bedding, but ensure they don’t
snuggle up too close to the radiator or burns can result. Keep an eye on
older pets’ mobility and contact us for an appointment if they are getting
stiff and sore.
We will be having our annual winter food collection for the Bristol Dogs &
Cats home again later this year. Watch out for the collection bin appearing
quite soon. ALL donations will be gratefully received.
Bonfire Night and Hedgehogs. With bonfire night approaching, if you are
building a bonfire, please check it before igniting! Hedgehog’s are not
aware it’s a bonfire in the making and will see it as a nice cosy warm and
safe place to sleep, and not a raging inferno.
That's all for now, there will be a small Christmas edition of the
Newsletter in early December.
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