Author: Peter Gaunt

Basic Pet First Aid

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

As pet owners, we often need to be prepared for accidents and illnesses will occur with our beloved furry family members. In an emergency, you will want to make sure your pet has the best chance of survival. Emergency treatment and first aid for pets should never be used as a substitute for veterinary care. But it may save your pet’s life before you can get your pet to a veterinarian. In this blog, we are going over basic first aid you can give your pet before heading to a vet.

 

Burns

 

Depending on the type of burn, symptoms can show immediately or take up to 12-24 hours to appear. The most important thing to do is to apply something cool to take the heat out of the wound. You can do this by:

 

  • Running cool water on the wound for at least ten minutes
  • Or, applying a moist cool pack for at least five minutes

 

It’s important to keep your pet warm whilst you are cooling the burn site – you can wrap them in a blanket while applying first aid, then you should take your pet to a vet for further treatment.

 

Light Wounds

 

Sometimes our pets may experience small or large graze type wounds where only the surface layer of the skin may be affected. In this case, you can perform basic first aid for grazes by:

 

  • Flushing the wound gently with saline or clean water
  • Apply a sterile non-adhesive dressing
  • Seek advice from your vet regarding further treatment

 

Puncture/Fight or Penetrating Wounds

 

If your pet has been in a fight and sustained any injuries, it’s important to see a vet promptly to ensure the wounds can be thoroughly cleaned to reduce the risk of infection. Sometimes puncture wounds may appear to be superficial, however, they are often deeper than they seem and cause deep and serious infections.

 

If your pet has sustained severe attack or penetrating wounds, we recommend transporting your pet to our clinic immediately. Do not attempt to remove any penetrating objects, but try to restrict your pet’s movement if possible. In the meantime, you can:

 

  • Apply pressure to any wounds to control bleeding
  • Keep your pet warm
  • See a vet immediately

 

Take care to avoid being bitten or scratched when handling your pets that may be in pain or shock. We recommend using towels to carefully transport your pet, or a carrier if it is suitable to do so.

 

Convulsions/Seizures

 

Seeing your pet having a fit can be very distressing. The most important thing to do is clear any danger away from your pet. Reassuring your pet with your voice can be helpful. While your pet is having an episode, do not place your fingers into your pet’s mouth or try to restrain them as this can be dangerous. If your pet is unconscious, check your pet is breathing and ensure there is no obstruction by examining inside the mouth. Do not attempt to give food or water while your pet is convulsing. After the episode has stopped, bring your pet to your vet promptly.

 

Choking

 

Choking is an emergency as your pet may experience obstruction of the airway. The first thing to do is to check your pet’s mouth immediately to see whether the tongue is causing the obstruction or to see if you can remove the object that may be causing an obstruction. Use caution as a choking pet is more likely to bite in its panic. Don’t spend a lot of time trying to remove an object if this cannot be easily done. If your pet can still breathe, keep him/her calm and get them to your vet immediately.

 

In some cases, it may be necessary for you to attempt the pet version of the Heimlich Manoeuvre by:

 

  • Raising your pet onto their hind legs
  • Place your pet’s spine against the front of your body, ensure you are supporting your pet’s back at all times
  •    Put your arms around your pet just under the ribs
  • Squeeze the chest firmly in and an upward and forward direction

 

For smaller pets, you may try an alternative method:

 

  • Hold your pet upside down by their back legs
  • Firmly deliver a blow using your hand to the abdomen of the pet in the area of the last ribs

 

If your pet has not responded to your attempts to relieve airway obstruction and loses consciousness, start CPR immediately. You should always call your vet immediately for advice.

 

Resuscitation

 

If your pet is not breathing and you cannot feel a heartbeat, you should try to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). It is important to stay calm, as this will give you the best chance to perform CPR effectively.

  • Lay your pet on their right side on a firm surface
  • Check your pet’s throat to ensure nothing is blocking the airway
  • Gently grasp the tongue and pull it forward out of the mouth
  • Close your pet’s mouth (hold it closed with your hand) and breathe with your mouth directly into its nose until their chest rises. Once the chest expands, continue the rescue breathing every 4-5 seconds
  • For medium sized dogs, press down on your pet’s heart about one inch. For larger dogs, you will need to press harder and with more force
  • For small dogs, cats and pockets pets, cradle your hand around the animal’s chest so your thumb is on one side of the chest and your fingers are on the other side. Compress the chest by squeezing between your thumb and fingers
  • You should perform 80-120 compressions per minute for larger pets and 100-150 times per minute for smaller pets
  • Don’t perform rescue breathing and chest compressions at the same time – alternate breathing and compressions or work as a team with another person so one person performs compression for 4-5 seconds and stops long enough to allow the other person to give one breath

 

Being prepared and having knowledge of basic first aid for your pets is a great idea, but always remember that any first aid administered to your pet should be followed by immediate veterinary care. If your pet is injured, appears to be suffering from illness, or if you are ever unsure or are in an emergency situation, call Vets on Balwyn on (03) 9857 8100 so we can provide appropriate advice and prepare for your arrival to ensure your pet receives the necessary treatment as soon as possible.

Dogs, Pet Tips

4 Pet Toxins In Your Home

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

While we may be aware of what can poison us, we can’t always say the same about knowing exactly what will harm our pets – especially since they generally seem willing to give anything a go. Today, we’re assessing some things we might have in our homes that could be bad news for pets.

 

Plants

Some common houseplants that can be deadly to your pets include:

  • Lilies
  • Aloe Vera
  • Bird of Paradise
  • Florida Beauty
  • Devil’s Ivy
  • Yucca

 

There are quite a few more plants that are harmful to cats and dogs. It is vital that you conduct your research before bringing a new plant home.

 

While pets generally avoid plants that are toxic to them, there is a chance that they can nibble on these plants anyway out of curiosity (and we all know how that can turn out for cats)! To avoid this, ensure these plants are not accessible to your cats or dogs.

 

Food

We all know that chocolate is bad for your pets. However, did you know that grapes, salt, tomatoes, garlic, onions and avocadoes are also toxic to your pets, with some of these foods even causing death? Xylitol (found in sugar-free gum) is another common and harmful toxin. It is important to check exactly what kinds of human foods can be harmful to your cats and dogs.

 

Human medication

Anti-inflammatory medications such as Advil are a common cause of gastrointestinal ulcers in cats, dogs, birds, and even small mammals like hamsters or ferrets. Again, the best way to prevent this is to ensure that your pet cannot easily access your medication.

 

Other harmful (and common) medications include:

  • Antidepressants
  • Paracetamol
  • Cold medicines
  • Muscle relaxants

 

Rodenticides

Rodenticides – such as rat or mouse bait – are pet toxins because they are designed to attract them. Moreover, the poison can be transferred to your cat if it eats a poisoned rat. For this reason, it is advised that you exercise extreme caution when placing bait. Symptoms such as weakness, coughing and depression tend to appear up to four days after ingestion.

 

What do I do if my pet has ingested any of the above?

It is a good idea to collect any remnants of what your pet may have chewed or vomited (including labels or packaging) in a zip-lock bag. This can help make clear exactly which toxins are involved, and may save the life of your pet.

 

The next thing you should do if you suspect your pet has swallowed any toxins is to contact a vet. Calling a vet as soon as possible is imperative, as some symptoms may take hours or days to show. The Vets on Balwyn veterinary clinic in Balwyn North can assess your pet in a timely manner if you’re concerned for your pet. Call us today on (03) 9857 8100.

Cats, Dogs, Health, Kittens, Pet Tips, Puppies

Keep your pets snake safe

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

October to March is snake season in Melbourne – our pets are most at risk from tiger and brown snakes. To avoid you or your pet being bitten:

  • Control mice and other vermin which may attract snakes (but be very careful if you are using poisons as bait)
  • Keep a tidy, well maintained garden and shed/garage
  • Always walk your dog on a lead and avoid areas of long grass
  • Keep cats inside or in an outdoor enclosure
  • Attract predatory birds to your property-kookaburras love to eat snakes
Uncategorized

Paralysis ticks are in Melbourne

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

Along with all the benefits of living in the most liveable city in the world, not having to worry about the paralysis tick was an added bonus.

Unfortunately, thanks to climate change, they have arrived on our doorstep.

I don’t want to be an alarmist and worry pet owners unnecessarily, the risk is still very low and even lower if you and your pet don’t venture much past our neat nature strips and dog parks.

However, for peace of mind, please follow the tips below and speak to your trusted vet if you have any questions.

Tick tips:

  • Keep your pet’s hair short
  • Ticks hang out in long grass. Keep your pooch out! (snakes hang there too)
  • Check your pet’s coat regularly – ticks need to be attached for 2-3 days before they inject their poison
  • Added tick prevention – 100% necessary for those pet owners travelling with their pet either north (towards the Murray) or east of Melbourne (towards Gippsland)
  1. The Bravecto chew will protect your dog for 4 months from the paralysis tick. It can be used safely in conjunction with most other parasite preventions (Advocate, Sentinel etc.)
  2. Cats – unfortunately, there is only ONE product available. Frontline plus Spray – needs to be applied every 3 weeks.
  3. Other tick preventions – Advantix, Nexgard, Serasto collars – may be recommended.
Cats, Dogs, Health, Pet Tips

Preparing your pets for summer

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

The warmer months provide a great opportunity for us to get out into the sunshine with our pets! With the heat comes a few potential dangers – here are some of the more common things to be mindful of over the summer months:

Heatstroke is a common problem seen in both dogs and cats during summer and is very serious. A few simple tips can go a long way to help prevent it:

Never leave your pet unattended in a parked car. Temperatures in a car can rise to dangerous levels and can rapidly reach more than double the outside temperature even on mild days. Tinting, parking in the shade, or leaving the windows open do not help to reduce the inside temperature significantly.

If you find your dog panting heavily, doesn’t obey normal commands, has warm, dry skin and a rapid heart beat, he may be suffering from heatstroke. Other signs include vomiting, anxiety and high fever. Try to cool them off with cool water, cold packs and a cooler environment; and of course see a vet as soon as possible.

Avoid walking or exercising your dog at the park in the middle of the day. Apart from the outside air termperature, another good test for this is to take a few steps on the footath in your bare feet – if it’s too hot for you, it is too hot for them!

Senior pets and arthritic animals sometimes can’t get themselves out of their hot kennel. Kennels should always be kept in a shaded area with plenty of airflow around it.

Keep them cool – keep inside if possible, frozen pet treats, ice blocks, paddling pools are all great ideas on those really hot days.

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.

Cats, Dogs, Health, Pet Tips, Senior Pets

Senior pets

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

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

Advice from Dr Kevin, Senior Pets

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

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

– 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

Advice from Dr Kevin

Kids looking after their pets

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

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

Advice from Dr Kevin

Dr Kevin’s advice on bunnies as pets

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

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

Advice from Dr Kevin, Rabbits & Pocket Pets

The Easter treat your pets should avoid

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

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

Advice from Dr Kevin, Cats, Dogs, Health