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PATTERSON RIVER VETERINARY CENTRE
15 McLeod Road. CARRUM 3197
Phone: (03) 9772 0777 (All Hours)
Fax: (03) 9776 1173
Patterson River Vet Centre Newsletter
100003622
POSTAGE
PAID
AUSTRALIA
Patterson River Veterinary Centre
Summer Newsletter 2015
Dr. Greg Rodgers B.V.Sc (Hons), M.R.C.V.S.
Dr. Kerrie Rodgers B.V.Sc, M.R.C.V.S.
15 McLeod Rd, CARRUM 3197
Ph: (03) 9772 0777 (All Hours)
Fax:(03) 9776 1173
Summer News 2015/2016
Puppies, fleas, Christmas, grass
seeds, bee stings, family, skin
allergies, kennel cough, beach
walks, fish hooks, sandy cuddles,
heat stroke,
friends, sunburn,
holidays…these are the things that
spring to mind when someone
mentions Summer.
Patterson River Veterinary Centre provides:Î
Preventative health care for
small animals
• Vaccinations
• Heartworm prevention
• Worming
ÎPremium pet foods
ÎSurgery
• Soft tissue
• Orthopaedic
ÎRadiology
ÎCryosurgery
Premium Pet Food
ADVANCE
Buy 10 bags
and get 11th bag
FREE
ÎPathology
ÎHydrobath
ÎDentistry
ÎWeight loss advice
ÎPuppy classes
We are open 9am – 7pm Monday – Friday
and 9am – 12 midday Saturday.
Consultations are by appointment.
Ph 9772 0777
www.pattersonrivervet.com.au or like us on Facebook
Fleas! Fleas!
Fleas!
Phone ahead for
repeat prescriptions.
control for your pets talk to
This allows us to get vet
permission and have the
medication ready for you.
our experienced staff.
It saves everyone time.
If you want the best flea
It really is a fantastic time of the
year for pet owners that live in
our beautiful bayside area. We
are blessed with some of the best
beaches in the world…….and we
get to share them with our four
legged friends.
Welcoming a new puppy into the
family is a very exciting time but
also a big commitment both time
wise and financially. It is a decision
that must be made very carefully.
We do not support puppy farms
and would encourage you to look
at some of the wonderful dog
rescue groups to find your new
four legged friend. There are also
some very reputable breeders if
you are looking for a pure bred
dog. It is a great idea to check out
the temperament of the mum and
dad and always keep in mind that
the first 12 weeks of a pup’s life are
the most formative. A pup that has
been raised in a family environment
has a good chance of being a well
balanced dog. Socialisation and
training should begin soon after
bringing your pup home. If you
would like more advice please give
our experienced staff a call.
We congratulate Meaghan for
obtaining her Certificate IV in
Veterinary Nursing and also wish
her all the very best when she takes
maternity leave early next year.
We know how much fun pet photos
can be (you often need patience
or sometimes you just get lucky and
get the perfect shot)…so we are
running a pet photo competition
with a Xmas theme. Send your
photos to prvet@tpg.com.au. We
are giving away some wonderful
gift hampers and winners will be
announced on 18th December. This
year we have a great range of
Christmas gifts for your favourite furry
friend…call in and take a look.
We would like to wish you & your pets a very
Happy Christmas & a safe & healthy 2016.
With best wishes from…
Our vets:- Greg, Kerrie & Barbara
Our nurses:- Joanna, Fiona, Miriam, Meaghan & Nicole
And of course our beautiful clinic cat Frankie - “meow”
Christmas - A time of intoxication
Christmas in Australia is a time of
sharing, spending time with friends
and family and enjoying the summer
weather. For our four-legged friends,
it is also a time to find plenty of new
things to play with and to eat, often
with less-than-agreeable effects.
Most pet owners are aware of the
common summer hazards their
pets can face over the summer
period such as insect stings, snail bait
ingestion and snakebites. However,
there are a number of added toxic
dangers that we need to be conscious
of as Christmas draws near.
“…most pet owners
are aware of the
common summer
hazards their pets
can face over the
summer period…”
1. Alcohol ingestion. Many households have a greater
quantity of alcohol around the house
during the festive season and pets
can sometimes have accidental
access to this particularly if the bottle
is left under the tree as a gift!
2. Ant baits. Most ant baits are largely made
up of sweet, sticky products, such
as honey, and contain fairly small
amounts of toxic substances. Boric
acid may be incorporated into the
baits, and if ingested by pets, may
cause mild gastrointestinal signs.
Owners can give animals milk to
help coat the gastrointestinal tract
and dilute the toxin.
3. Chocolate ingestion. Chocolate contains theobromine,
a member of the methylxanthine
family. A large amount of
chocolate needs to be ingested
to cause clinical signs and in
most cases these are fairly mild.
Dark chocolate and cooking
chocolate contain more of the
toxic ingredient.
4. Essential oils. These volatile oils are rapidly
absorbed orally and via the
skin. Clinical signs in animals exposed
to concentrated essential oils on their
skin include weakness, ataxia, muscle
tremors, depression and behavioural
abnormalities. Signs often occur
immediately but may be seen up to
8 hours after application. Signs after
ingestion include vomiting, diarrhoea,
ataxia, muscle tremors, depression
and behavioural abnormalities.
5. Plant toxicities.
a. Christmas trees: Most Australian Christmas trees are
from the pine family. These plants
are generally benign if the family pet
chews only a few needles. Mostly
you will just see a mild gastroenteritis.
Ingestion of pine cones or large
numbers of pine needles may
cause gastrointestinal obstruction in
animals foolish enough to eat them.
Christmas trees that are placed in a
water-filled base may be seen as a
new source of drinking water but this
is not advisable as it can lead to mild
to severe gastroenteritis.
b. Grapes/raisins:
There have been a number of
cases of kidney failure in dogs after
ingestion of grapes or raisins. Beware
of Christmas cakes and puddings.
c. Holly:
The leaves and berries contain several
toxins; however, ingestion is mostly
limited due to the spiny nature of the
leaves. The gastrointestinal tract is
irritated physically by the leaves and
also by one of the toxins. Signs include
vomiting, diarrhoea, salivation, head
shaking and smacking of the lips.
d. Lilies:
The types of lilies known to be toxic
to cats include the Easter lily, tiger
lily, day lily, Japanese showy lily and
the Asiatic lily. These lilies can cause
acute renal failure.
cont…
e. Macadamia nuts:
Toxic signs have been seen with
doses of 1 nut per kg.. The toxic
mechanism is unknown but signs
will be seen within 12 and 24 hours
of ingestion. Dogs have hind limb
weakness, depression, vomiting,
tremors, abdominal pain and
possible fever.
f. Poinsettia: The milky sap has irritant properties.
Skin contact can cause skin irritation
and itching. Ingestion can cause
hypersalivation,
vomiting
and
occasionally diarrhoea. The signs are
usually mild.
6. Salt water ingestion. This most commonly occurs in dogs
that have ingested large quantities
of sea water while swimming
at the beach. Signs occur 2-24
hours after ingestion and are due
to gastrointestinal irritation and
occasionally increased sodium
levels. (salt toxicity can also occur if
the dog ingests home made play
dough).
Summer loving…
Here are a few tips to help you
through the summer with your pets.
c Please remember ‘A pet is for life
and not just for Christmas’. Summer
is the time when we see lots of very
cute kittens and puppies in the pet
shop windows and advertised in the
paper. Do not make a rash decision
on the spot. Do your research first
and if in doubt have a chat to one
of our staff to see if you are ready for
such a long commitment.
c Fresh clean water each day is
essential for your pet’s well being.
c Your pet also needs a cool shady
spot to escape the heat.
c Do not allow your rabbit to be a
‘hot cross bunny’. Rabbits are very
prone to heat stress and will die on
very hot days. Ensure the hutch is
in a cool shady spot with good air
ventilation or have your rabbit inside
an air conditioned house. A water
spray bottle is also beneficial to
cool down a hot rabbit.
c Left over Christmas food is okay in
small amounts but do not allow your
pet to overindulge as we frequently
see gastrointestinal upsets and
pancreatitis related to overindulged
Christmas pets. Chocolate and fruit
cake are definite no-no’s.
c Young dogs and cats do like
playing with Christmas decorations
but if swallowed they can cause
obstructions and other problems.
cSwimming at the beach is a
wonderful activity with your dog.
Take care with jelly fish/puffer fish
ingestion and be careful around
rocky areas as we do have blueringed octopus in the area. It is a
good idea to rinse off the salty water
after a swim especially if
your dog is prone to skin
problems.
Enjoy Summer, it is a
wonderful time of the year
to enjoy our wonderful
bayside area.
This year we have a great range of
Christmas gifts for your favourite
furry friend, call in and take a look…
“…enjoy Summer,
it is a wonderful
time of the year to
enjoy our wonderful
bayside area…”