Author: Peter Gaunt

Scratch your pet’s itch

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

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

Advice from Dr Kevin, Cats, Dogs, Health

Introducing: The pets behind the vets

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

Meet Macy

Christmas Foods to Avoid

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

Advice from Dr Kevin, Dogs

Pups on the beach

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

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

Advice from Dr Kevin, Dogs

Dr Kevin’s top 5 tips for summer!

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

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

Advice from Dr Kevin, Cats, Dogs, Health

An elephant adventure

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

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 http://www.elephantnaturepark.org

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

Advice from Dr Kevin

Festive foods that are bad for your pets

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

We all love a treat over Christmas, but making sure your pet has the right ones is important.

It’s normal to go a bit over the top with food over the festive period, but whist you’re being merry it’s important to make sure your pet doesn’t join in. The following items are bad for your pet and should be kept away.

Chocolate

Most people know that chocolate can be toxic for cats and dogs, but with the sweet stuff likely to be floating around over the season it’s important that it is out of their reach.

Raw or undercooked turkey

For many it’s a tradition to have turkey on Christmas day, but as you’re preparing the bird it’s important to make sure your pets don’t get near any raw or undercooked meat. Should they have any of your cooked turkey make sure it is boneless.

Alcohol

Those who will be celebrating the end of the year with a glass of champagne should be vigilant none gets near their pet as alcohol can lead to a lot of nasty symptoms, including vomiting and breathing difficulties.

Wrapping paper

Wrapping can lead to intestinal obstructions if a pet digests it. It is also important to keep any plastic bags or covers out of reach as pets can suffocate if they get stuck in them.

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

Advice from Dr Kevin, Behaviour, Cats, Dogs, Health, Kittens, Puppies

The “Hay & Veggies” diet for your rabbits

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

Did you know about the “Hay & Veggies” diet?

Offer an unlimited amount of fresh grass, grass hay and weeds to your rabbit.

The “Hay and Veggies” diet consists of lots of hay, fresh grass, weeds and fibrous grasses, plus a large and varied selection of greens and vegetables every single day. This is undoubtedly the most natural way to feed your bunny and is highly recommended.

Examples of green foods (offer in large quantities)

Broccoli (leaves and top)

Brussel Sprouts

Spinach

Celery (leaves are good)

Dandelion greens (and flower)

Herbs

Swiss chard (any colour)

Leafy green lettuce (NOT iceberg)

Parsley

Carrot/Beet Tops

Water cress

Baby greens

Go with the seasons and offer a large variety of vegetables – especially leafy green items. Do not be tempted to offer only the favourite veggies!

Follow the same guidelines as listed for selecting and using green foods with the exception of the amount. Only offer a small amount (up to a handful) of any combination of the foods below. You will note that these are mostly fruits:

Kiwi Fruit

Peach

Capsicum

Raspberries

Cherries

Strawberries

Pear

Blueberries

Apple

Peas in the pod

Melon

Mango

Blackberries

Cranberries

Edible flowers from the garden such as roses, nasturtiums, day lilies, pansies and snap dragons. We do NOT recommend feeding bananas and grapes as some bunnies become addicted to these foods! Avocado is best NOT fed at all as some toxicities have been reported.

Forbidden Food for Rabbits

Never feed any commercial rabbit treats or high carbohydrate snacks that include those found in the following list;

Dried Beans

Cereals

Breads

Oats

Seeds

Refined Sugar

Chocolate

Dried Corn

Cake

Nuts

Dried Peas

Wheat…….or any other grains

Via:: Dr Kevin Pet Advice

Advice from Dr Kevin, Health, Rabbits & Pocket Pets
Preparing For Surgery

Preparing Your Pet For Surgery

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

Vets on Balwyn provides the highest quality of care for your pet. As your pet has been booked in for surgery or anaesthesia we would like to inform you of the extra-care options available.

Intravenous fluid therapy

General anaesthesia or heavy sedation causes a pronounced drop in blood pressure. Coupled with surgery this can have serious consequences. Intravenous fluid therapy maintains your pet’s blood pressure during anaesthesia, helps protect your pet’s kidneys, reduces recovery time and provides an immediate way to administer drugs in the case of an emergency.

Intravenous fluids will be started a few hours before surgery at the same time your pet’s pre-medication is given. The intravenous fluids will be tailored to your pet’s needs, continued throughout the procedure and tapered off before your pet is discharged.

The cost for surgical intravenous fluid therapy for your pet is $92.40

Pre-anaesthetic Blood Tests

The more information we have about your pet’s health the better we are able to look after them. It is for this reason we recommend a blood test before any anaesthetic or surgical procedure. Pre-anaesthetic blood tests investigate the function of your pet’s major organs such as the kidneys and liver. Even in apparently healthy cats and dogs, pre-anaesthetic blood testing can pick up underlying medical conditions prompting modifications to their anaesthesia.

Vets on Balwyn has a sophisticated in-house blood analyser which enables us to process your pet’s blood and receive the results the morning of their procedure.

The cost for a pre-anaesthetic blood profile for your pet is $90.70.

Do not feed your pet from 10pm the night before the planned procedure and remove water first thing in the morning. Please keep your pet indoors the night before admission.

Questions? – We have the answers

Now you can get answers to all your pet questions, quickly and conveniently. Simply ask your question here!

Advice from Dr Kevin

Toilet Training 

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

When you think about it, it’s amazing that any pet learns housetraining manners at all. When your pet’s bowels say ‘Now!’, your pet has to put into motion several complex thought patterns; where to go, how to get there, and how to let its owner know if it needs to go outside. What if there is a high flight of steps, if the weather conditions make the garden an unattractive option, or if it has a stomach upset that causes diarrhoea?
There can be many barriers making it difficult for a pup to develop the correct habits and which may thus persuade the pet to take the easy route and deposit nature’s call in the house.

The ‘Wee Time’ Program

If you are a parent, how long did it take you to toilet-train your children? It probably took months before the nappies were hung out to dry for the last time. Most dogs and cats can be toilet-trained as pups or kittens in a week or two. That just goes to show how clever they really are!

The program to use is called ‘Wee Time’. Try it and you will find your pup is housetrained in no time.

Step One: Select a toilet spot in the garden

Rather than allow the pet to soil anywhere, it makes it easier for the pet and you if they have a particular toilet spot. Select a toilet spot and clearly demarcate the area by surrounding it with rope or string or with a simple timber barrier for a short while.

If the pet defaecates inside the house, collect the droppings and place them in the toilet area to decay for a day or two. Hose the droppings into the soil. The smell will give the pup the message that this area is the toilet.

Step Two: Predicting the need

It will help if you can predict when your puppy is likely to want to go outside. The alarm bells should ring when the pup gets that ‘I wanna go now!’ expression on its face. You should also take it for a wee walk when it hasn’t been to the toilet for an hour or two or after a nap. It is at these times that its bowel or bladder are likely to be full.

Another alarm time is when it has just eaten or had a drink. It will want to go to the toilet within 15 minutes of eating. A regular feeding schedule will help greatly to make the bowel action more routine.

If your pup is from six to eight weeks of age, you will probably be feeding it three to four times daily. This means that there is a minimum of three to four times when toileting is likely to be predictable and this in turn makes the training much easier.

Step Three: Catch and reward the desired behaviour

At the above times, take your pup for a walk to the toilet spot and attempt to ‘catch and reward’ the toileting behaviour.

You may need to take the pup to the toilet spot every two hours for a day or two so it gets the message. Issue a command such as “Do Wee” in a light encouraging voice. Eventually your words will match up with the pup’s toileting and you should them immediately and enthusiastically praise this wonderful event! Repeat this as often as possible and you will find your pup will soon get the message.

Try setting the alarm on your microwave to beep every hour to remind you to take the pup to the garden. This will help you to catch and reward the desired behaviour.

Step Four: Disciplining house-soiling

It is never correct to punish a pup for soiling. Forget smacking or yelling at the pup and never rub the pup’s nose in its mistakes. While that may make you feel better, it has no training value at all.

If a mistake occurs, quietly clean it up and continue with the program above.

Be patient with your pup. It still has lots to learn and but your gentle guidance will get it there.

Advice from Dr Kevin

Dental Care for Pets

Posted on by Peter Gaunt

Protect the health of your cat or dog with expert dental care from Vets on Balwyn pet dentist services More than 80% of dogs and cats in Australia are silently suffering from painful dental disease. Tartar and calculus build up on our pet’s teeth occurs due to lack of chewing and tooth overcrowding. This leads to tooth decay, tooth loss and pain. Over time, the heavy bacterial burden within the oral cavity can adversely affect other important organs such as the heart and kidneys.

Signs of dental disease include:

  • Inflamed gums (gingivitis)
  • Bad breath
  • Discoloured teeth
  • Loose teeth
  • Excessive drooling
  • Reluctant to eat hard food or chew
  • Facial swelling
  • Changes in behaviour (aggression, disrupted sleep patterns)

How can I keep my pet’s teeth free from dental disease?

Free dental check at Vets on Balwyn

In addition to your pet’s regular health assessments, Vets on Balwyn offers free dental checks and advice provided by our trained Veterinary Nurses. Please contact Vets on Balwyn if you would like to book a Dental Care Consultation with one of our trained Veterinary nurses.

Encourage regular (ideally daily) chewing

  • Raw meaty bones (chicken wings or necks, lamb necks)
  • Manufactured products (dental chews, Greenies)
  • Dried pigs ears

NEVER FEED YOUR PETS COOKED BONES. THESE MAY SPLINTER AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY.

Dental Diets – Hills Science Diet T/D

This is the gold standard in dental care.

Each piece is substantially larger than standard dry kibble and has properties to reduce tartar and calculus build up. It is ideally used daily as part of your pet’s complete diet.

Tooth brushing and anti-bacterial mouth rinses

Some pets will allow you to brush their teeth. This is most successful when started early (i.e. when your pet is a puppy or kitten). Soft small toothbrushes and specifically designed toothpastes are available from Vets on Balwyn. Human toothpaste is not suitable for dogs and cats.

Vets on Balwyn also recommends the use of an anti-bacterial mouth rinse. When used daily this rinse kills the bacteria which contribute to bad breath and periodontal disease.

Veterinary dental care

As part of your pet’s regular health assessments provided at Vets on Balwyn, your vet may recommended a professional dental scale and polish to:

  • Prevent the onset of irreversible dental disease and tooth loss; and
  • To extract infected and damaged teeth

Vets on Balwyn utilises sophisticated ultrasonic cleaning equipment and other facilities to provide the best dental care for your pet. After an ultrasonic clean has been performed, the dental care team at Vets on Balwyn will formulate a dental care plan tailored to your pet’s needs.

For the best dental services in Templestowe, Eltham, Bulleen, Doncaster, East Doncaster & beyond contact Vets on Balwyn today.

Advice from Dr Kevin, Dogs