Useful Information
Vaccinations
For puppies, we recommend vaccinating against Parvovirus, Distemper and Hepatitis at 6-8 and 10-12 weeks of age. If the dog will be risk from canine cough this is also done at the second vaccination. We use Nobivac high titre vaccinations which means only 2 puppy vaccinations are necessary and the pups can begin going out into the environment much earlier than previously. After their puppy vaccs, dogs are given annual booster injections with their annual checkup.
Kittens are vaccinated against calicivirus and rhinovirus ( the “cat flu” viruses) and feline enteritis at 6-8, 12-14 and 16-18 weeks of age. Other diseases such as Feline Leukaemia and Feline AIDs virus can also be vaccinated against, if the kitten will be at risk later on. Cats also require annual booster vaccinations.
Because these diseases are contagious, never take your puppy or kitten out of the house or yard until they are fully protected.
Desexing
We recommend desexing for all pets which are not for breeding purposes. This is a surgical procedure, but pets only stay in hospital for the day. It is a complete ovariohysterectomy in females, with both the ovaries and uterus being removed, and in males is castration with removal of the testicles. The procedure can be done from 6 months of age, and animals generally recover much more quickly than humans!
Besides removing the ability to produce or have babies, desexing has some other benefits.
If desexed early, there is a much lower chance of mammary cancer in females, they will not come into season so will not wander as much or attract males. Older female cats and dogs can also suffer from a life threatening condition called pyometra, where the uterus fills with pus, which can not occur if they are desexed. Desexed males tend not to wander as much, and cannot get testicular cancer if desexed. Some behavioural problems can be lessened , such as intermale aggression. Male cats will not wander or fight as much, so tend to live longer as they are less likely to get run over or contract feline AIDS. Female cats will no longer call or attract toms, which is great for neighbourhood peace!
Microchipping
We recommend microchipping your pets. It is the only way to permanently identify a pet and involves implanting a tiny electronic chip under the skin. It can be done awake or whilst under an anaesthetic but doesn’t hurt much at all. Rangers, animal shelters and vets all have scanners to read the chips and many pets are reunited with their owners in this way.
Aneasthetics
All anaesthetics performed in our hospital use the safest possible agents both to reduce risk associated with anaesthesia and to ensure the fastest, smoothest recovery afterwards. We encourage the use of pain relieving drugs intra- and postoperatively to make pets more comfortable and help recovery and also pre operative blood screening tests, especially in older pets, to detect abnormalities which may make the anaesthetic more of a risk.
Flea Treatments (Cats)
Never treat cats with dog flea products, they are extremely toxic to cats. If this does accidentally happen, wash the cat all over with warm water as soon as possible. If signs such as shaking and salivating occur, seek medical attention.
Rat Poison
Rat poison ingestion will not cause any immediate illness. It takes 2-3 days to stop the blood’s clotting ability, and they then begin bleeding internally, which will cause death if left untreated. If you see them eating the bait, inducing vomiting can sometimes remove the poison before it is absorbed. Otherwise, a blood test after 2 days will show if the blood is clotting or not and treatment can be begun. The length of time they need treatment varies with the brand of bait, so it is important to know this for the vet’s information.
Snail Pellets
There are no “pet safe” snail pellets! NEVER use them if you have pets. They cause shaking, fitting, salivation and diarrhea, among other signs, and can easily kill a dog or cat. If your pet is affected, seek veterinary attention immediately.
Snake bites
Snakes bites are quite common in our region from spring to autumn, mainly from Dugites (brown snakes) and Tigersnakes. Animals show a range of signs after being bitten, mainly signs of weakness and collapse, but dogs especially will die very quickly if not treated . If you see your pet get bitten or suspect they may have, immediate veterinary treatment is necessary. If the snake is dead it can be brought too, but do not try to kill it as many human bites have occurred in this way.
Mating (Dogs)
When dogs mate they can get “stuck together” or “tie” for about 20 minutes. This is normal and severe damage to both can occur if they are pulled apart. Conversely, dogs do not need to tie to fall pregnant.
Common toxic/ poisonous risks to pets
- onions ( cause an anaemia due to red blood cell destruction)
- lilies in cats ( eating any part of the plant causes irreversible kidney failure)
- chocolate (especially dark and cooking chocolate)
- rat poison (causes uncontrolled bleeding)
- snail pellets
- mouldy food
- insecticides, in particular, dog flea products should never be used on cats.
- antifreeze/radiator coolant
- petroleum products
- household cleaning products
- 1080 (“fox”) baits ( never allow your dog to eat ANYTHING in national parks or farmland)
- blowfish