Senior pets

We love to see senior pets! Dogs and cats age seven times faster than humans, so it is vitally important that your senior pet has an annual or twice annual health check.

Health checks in senior pets often identify health problems that owners simply aren’t aware of. For example, we often see untreated dental problems where owners are often mistaken by their pet’s ability to still eat well. Usually, the pet has just learnt to tolerate this painful situation.

Annual blood testing for pets over ten years old is also an excellent way of detecting disease. Animals with diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease and even tumours often do not show signs of the disease until they are very sick. So screenings for diabetes, kidney disease and liver problems are important. Blood can be taken without sedation and test results are received very quickly.

We also often see arthritis in senior cats and dogs. This is a painful disease, but fortunately it’s one that can be easily managed with medication. If your pet has symptoms of slowing down on walks, stiffness after getting up, or reduced activity levels, you should ask your vet about arthritis.

Suffering from high blood pressure? – your cat could be too! High blood pressure is very common in cats and can be associated with elevated thyroid hormones, kidney disease and even blindness. Just like in humans it is easy to measure and can unearth an otherwise silent killer.

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

Dr Kevin’s top 5 tips for our pets to avoid the winter blues

Keep them active. Arthritis is extremely common in our ageing pets and with the colder weather their joints can start aching. Regular low impact exercise is extremely important – the last thing we want is for those joints to freeze up. A visit to your trusted vet may be in order to provide some pain relief. For a natural approach try green-lipped mussel powder, one of nature’s most potent anti-inflammatories.

Keep them lean. Obesity is one of the most common diseases seen in our pets. This can lead to some serious problems, including diabetes, heart disease, tumour development and it can exacerbate the effects of osteoarthritis. If your pet’s activity has dropped off and winter has set in, be sure to drop the calories (I am talking about the dog here). Replacing ¼ of your dog’s dry food with vegies can be an excellent way to shed the unwanted weight.

Mind games. Less activity can lead to boredom for our pets. Boredom can lead to stress and the development of destructive behaviours. Keeping our dogs entertained does not always mean exercise – keep their mind active too! Chew toys, rawhide treats, treat dispensing puzzles (the list is endless). Not only are these great for their teeth, but they will provide endless hours of entertainment. Visit your nearest pet supply store for more recommendations

Travelling north to catch the sun? Be sure to get your pooch up to date with heartworm and tick prevention. Both these parasites can cause serious illnesses. Car travel can lead to motion sickness in dogs too! If your dog’s carsickness is worse than the kid’s, then please speak to your vet for some tailored advice.

Itchy and scratchy? Pet’s skin allergies to dust mites get worse during winter. Be sure to keep up the regular bathing with a natural and sulphate free shampoo, like Ivory Coat, to reduce dust mite irritation and ease discomfort to your companion.

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

Kids looking after their pets

Kids love pets, and studies show that owning a pet creates plenty of benefits, such as encouraging respect for living things and even improved academic performance when a pet is kept in the classroom.

Owning a pet can also foster a sense of responsibility in your children, but only if someone else doesn’t end up doing all the work to feed, wash and tidy up after it! Here are some tips to help children be involved with looking after the family animals.

Create a pet feeding & walking roster

Make a schedule detailing who’s walking, feeding and cleaning up after your pet, then write out a roster and pin it to the fridge. It will be more effective if you keep the days and times as regular as possible, so your child can remember what they need to be doing and when. For example make Sunday afternoon rabbit hutch cleaning time, so it becomes a regular after lunch weekend chore.

Allocate water & feeding duties

Even a kinder child can begin to be responsible for a pet. While they might not be able to fill a bowl with fresh water, they can let you know when the water is dirty. At feeding time show a young child how to measure food and let them pour the food in a bowl. At around ten years of age it is entirely appropriate for a child to be responsible for feeding and watering their pet.

Turn dog walking into a game

Encourage kids to take their dog out for a walk by combining sporty games with pooch walking. Running, catching and chasing games will keep both canine and kids more amused than a pavement stroll. Games like fetch Frisbee will burn off energy for both pup and kid, as well as give your dog extra exercise from jumping in the air.

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

Dr Kevin’s advice on bunnies as pets

Rabbits make great pets. They are lovable, inquisitive creatures that are full of personality. Rabbits are a good alternative to cats and dogs but what else should you know when you’re considering a bunny buddy?

Rabbits can live outside in a run or as house trained indoor companions that can even sit with you on the sofa. Your pet bunny can also be trained to use a litter tray!

Rabbits are excellent for those who maintain a busy schedule throughout the day, but it’s important to remember that bunnies thrive on companionship so if you are not around much they would love another rabbit to hang out with. In fact, rabbits that live in pairs actually live longer.

In regards to health, most of the problems we see with bunnies are associated with their diet. It is really important that they are fed a diet full of hay, grass and leafy greens (seeds and pellets are treats only). Give us a call when you are thinking about getting your bunny and we can organize a health check and a discussion about diet, vaccinations and general care.

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

The Easter treat your pets should avoid

The best part of Easter is the sweet treats that fill your house, but not for your pet! Cats and dogs should avoid the types of Easter foods you’ll be snacking on.

Every year we warn pet owners on the seriousness of chocolate poisoning. But why is chocolate so bad? Surely a little bit won’t hurt?

The truth is, even a small amount of dark or cooking chocolate can cause very serious problems. No matter what those dark brown eyes are telling you – give them something safer! It’s not worth it.

Chocolate poisoning is caused by excessive intake of the methyl-xanthine alkaloid, theobromine. Although dogs are the most susceptible, the toxin has been known to affect or kill cats, birds, rodents and reptiles as well.

Different types of chocolate contain different concentrations of this dangerous chemical. The biggest threat is from cooking chocolate, followed by semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, and hot chocolate.

The symptoms of poisoning in your pet may include vomiting, diarrhoea hyperactivity, tremors, irregular heart rate and seizures. Heart failure, weakness, coma, and death can occur 12 to 36 hours after intake.

If your pet has ingested chocolate, get your pet to [Vets on Parker / Vets on Balwyn / Vets in Cranbourne] immediately. We will be able to get your pet to vomit, which will hopefully remove most of the ingested chocolate from their system. In some more serious instances, pets need to be hospitalised or treated for cardiac problems or seizure activity.

The best way to keep your pet safe is to keep the chocolate well out of reach!

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

Scratch your pet’s itch

As veterinarians we can always give medicines to stop that itch, but not all of these medicines are safe to use long term. What we need to do is work together (pet owner and vet) to find out why they are itching.

Below are some simple tips and first steps to help reduce that itch:

1: Monthly flea control

All dogs and cats with sensitive skin benefit from a good quality flea control. Pets that are allergic to flea saliva only need one flea to bite them once a week to set off an intense allergic reaction. You don’t need to see fleas for them to be the cause of the problem.

Flea collars, flea powders and flea shampoos do not cut it! Ask your trusted vet for advice on what flea control you should use.

2: Bath time

If your pet has been scratching, but the skin isn’t raw or showing signs of inflammation, you can administer a lukewarm bath with a medically approved anti-itch shampoo to relieve the symptoms.

3: Fish oil supplementation

Supplementing your pet’s diet with fish oils can be incredibly beneficial. Not only will this natural anti-inflammatory aid in managing your pet’s skin problems it will also provide additional benefits for their joints, cardiovascular system and kidney health! We recommended 1000mg fish oil per 10kg body weight daily or utilizing a special skin support diet which has fish oil added already.

What your vet can do

Whatever the cause of itching, it’s important to take your pet to see a vet for peace of mind. If your pet has badly scratched themselves there may be an infection or painful sores that need professional care.

Your vet is likely to check for fleas, take a skin scraping to check for signs of mange and take an earwax sample to rule out ear mites as the cause. In some cases your vet may also perform a fungal culture to rule out the possibility of ringworm.

Once the cause has been found most cases can be resolved so that your furry family member can return to a scratch free life.

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

Introducing: The pets behind the vets

Meet Macy

Macy is an Airedale Terrier, who is almost five years old.

Her best trick is a classic – it’s where she pretends not to hear Dr Kevin’s call or instructions. That is, until the treats come out and then her ears are magically open!

Macy is relatively healthy aside from a sensitive stomach and allergies. Dr Kevin has to keep her diet relatively bland, despite her insistence that she would be fine with leftover lamb, otherwise she develops colitis (inflammation of her bowel) for a few days. Macy is also allergic to fleas, if she misses her monthly flea treatment the itching of her backside and licking of her feet becomes quite intense.

Macy’s favourite toy is a very squeaky and noisy rubber hedgehog. Dr Kevin has to keep a supply of them at home otherwise when she exhausts the squeak the fun is over!

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

Pups on the beach

Cooling off at the beach is a great way to turn your hot dog into a cool dog. As long as it isn’t too hot and you have plenty of water on hand, a trip to the beach with your dog can be an amazing way to spend a summer’s day. Below we have listed some of the best dog friendly beaches in Melbourne.

Port Melbourne Beach

This beach is between Lagoon Peir and South West to Dow Street, St Kilda. It’s a popular spot and a great plays to socialise your pup.

Ruffey Lake Park – 99 Victoria St, Templestowe, 3106

Not technically a beach but this reserve has large areas where your dog can enjoy some off-leash freedom and a dip in the lake.

Gardeners Creek Reserve Burwood- Sixth Ave, Burwood 3125

Again, not technically a beach but this fenced in dog park offers an off leash play area that includes sand and water.

Brighton Dog Beach – 19 Seacombe Grove, Brighton 3186

Located in Melbourne’s southeast, this dog beach allows for off-leash playtime in a fenced off area. It’s a popular pup destination so is also great for socialising.

West Beach St Kilda – 330A Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda West 3182

West Beach is close to the City and offers off-leash fun with plenty of space for playing and splashing in the water.

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

Dr Kevin’s top 5 tips for summer!

Our very own Dr. Kevin provides 5 top tips for keeping your pets happy this summer.

Build the exercise up slowly

The New Year is here, and it’s time to step back into our exercise routines (or start new ones!). Australians love Summer and so do our dogs. More daylight means more hours to spend at the park, longer walks and the chance to hit the beach too. But take heed – exercise related injuries are very common in spring. Remember that your dog’s fitness might have dropped off just like yours, so make sure you don’t go too hard too early.

That prickly feeling – Grass seeds

A sore paw, an itchy ear, a new lump and even sneezing – all problems which can be caused by grass seeds. Needless to say, I spend a lot of my time during summer treating problems like these.

My number one tip – check your pet’s entire coat thoroughly after a visit to the park. Pay particularly close attention to the feet, ears, under arms and groin. Keeping your pet’s coat short in summer also reduces the chance of them picking up grass seeds at all.

The summer heat!

Did you know that the only way dogs and cats can lose body heat is through panting? Heat stroke is a common problem seen in both dogs and cats during summer and is very serious. So how do you prevent this from happening to your pet? The good news is that it’s an easy fix:

  • Keep them out of the car
  • Avoid walking your dog or taking them to the park in the middle of the day
  • Senior pets and arthritic animals sometimes can’t get themselves out of their hot kennel. Kennels should always be kept in a shaded area.
  • Keep them cool – frozen pet treats, ice blocks, paddling pools are all great ideas to help your pet
  • Is your four-legged friend a Pug, Bull dog, Mastiff or Chow Chow? Dogs with short muzzles like the breeds just mentioned are even more susceptible to over-heating, so as their owners you need to be even more careful.

Australian wildlife

I am going to be totally honest with you here – wild snakes are not my favourite. Not because they are slithery and slimy, but because they kill our pets. Tiger snakes and brown snakes are the most common species which envenomate our pets. See my tips below on ways to reduce the risk:

  • Keep the grass directly around the house short
  • Control mice and other vermin, which may attract snakes, however be VERY CAREFUL if using poisons as rat bait.
  • On walks keep dogs on lead and avoid areas of long grass.
  • Keep cats inside your house or in an outdoor cat enclosure.
  • Use snake deterrents – available online
  • Attract kookaburras to your property – snakes are one of their favourite food

Swimmer’s Ear

Who doesn’t like a swim to cool down during summer? Like many dog owners, I think there’s nothing better than seeing my Macy pounce into the water after a ball or better yet, swim out with me at the beach. However, be warned of the dreaded post-swim ear infection – it’s really common. Any water getting inside your dog’s ear may lead to an ear infection. That’s why I clean Macy’s ears with a gentle ear cleaning solution after swimming and after a bath.

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

An elephant adventure

Jacinta from Vets on Parker spent a week helping sick and mistreated elephants at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai Thailand last month. Read on to follow her adventure.

As some of you may know, I spent an eye opening week volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai Thailand last month.

The park itself is home to 64 semi-free roaming elephants (some of which had long term injuries and illnesses, or had been poorly treated), over 500 cats and dogs, over 100 water buffalo, as well as horses, cows, goats and even two gibbons!

The founders of the park are amazing people who help out any and every animal, but their main goal is to to educate visitors and volunteers about elephant treatment in Thailand.

I honestly wasn’t aware of how badly elephants can be treated and how they have their ‘spirits broken’ in order for humans to control them. What makes it even worse is the fact that elephants are one of the biggest tourist attractions in Thailand.

As part of the vet program I got to ride in a motorbike sidecar (holding on for dear life) while the vets/nurses drove to each elephant requiring treatment.

I helped out in the morning and afternoon rounds and participated in treatments such as flushing abscesses, cleaning wounds, taking temperatures, administering rectal fluids, medicating and even x-raying an elephant’s foot.

The hardest part of the trip came after the park, when I saw working elephants in Phuket. That’s when I realised how huge a task it is to stop the exploitation and mistreatment of these beautiful creatures.

If you’d like to know more about the Elephant Nature Park and all the good work they do you can visit https://www.elephantnaturepark.org

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice