Gawler Gossip - Veterinary Business Support Program Ju… · Jenielle Burgess (VN Cert 4) Alex Bennett (VN Training) Katrina McDonald ... as well as providing veterinary consultations

How does rat bait affect my

pet? Rat bait affects the liver and

stops it producing essential fac-

tors involved in blood clotting.

This takes a while to occur and

even with blood tests we cannot detect this clotting deficiency

until three days after eating the

rat bait. Even at this time we

see no signs. Generally, signs of

poisoning develop between 4-8

days after eating the rat bait. By

this time, the pet is unable to

clot their blood, and starts bleed-

ing freely – they can bleed into

their stomach, lungs, joints or

abdomen, hence the varied signs

we may see. Unfortunately, we

do see several pets die each year

from rat bait poisoning.

This year has seen a large

number of mice and rats invad-

ing our suburbs, including areas

where they are not normally

seen. Although we should be

getting to the end of this inva-

sion, many people are still hav-ing problems with mice and

wanting to put out rat bait.

Please be very careful when

using rat bait in houses with

pets. Not only can your dogs

and cats be poisoned directly by

eating the bait, they can also get

‘secondary’ poisoning from

eating a poisoned rat or mouse.

How do I know if my pet has

been poisoned? This can be difficult. Rat bait

works very differently to other

poisons, such as snail bait, that

cause vomiting within a few

hours after ingestion. Most pets

after eating rat bait are normal

for several days. Please don’t

assume that this means your pet

will be fine!

When we do see clinical signs, they can be rather vague.

You may notice your pet is le-

thargic, tired or out of breath.

Sometimes you may see limping

or swelling of a leg. Occasion-

ally you see blood in vomit or

faeces. However, by the time

clinical signs are seen, it is very

serious and many pets won’t

make it through the first 24

hours of treatment.

If you have any suspicion that

your pet has been exposed to rat

bait, please see your veterinari-

an as soon as possible.

Toxic Rat Bait:

I N S I D E

T H I S I S S U E :

3-year

Vaccinations

2

What Vac-

cines are

Available?

2

Yearly Re-

minders

3

Clinic News 3

We’re 60! 4

Pets on the

Move

4

Opening

Times

4

J U N E 2 0 1 2

G A W L E R

V E TE R I N A R Y

S E R V I C E S

Gawler Gossip THE newsletter for furred or feathered creatures, and their two-legged friends

What is the Treatment? If you suspect your pet has

eaten rat bait within the last 1-2

hours, we will start by inducing

the dog to vomit to clear any

undigested poison out of the

system. Once this period has

passed but no clinical signs are yet visible, we begin on a certain

vitamin treatment that helps the

liver produce enough of the clot-

ting factor. This vitamin treat-

ment may continue for several

weeks until the body has been

able to clear the rat bait from the

system.

However, once clinical signs

are seen, this vitamin treatment may not be able to start working

quickly enough to save the ani-

mal. In these cases, emergency

care is required and the pet may

require a blood transfusion to

pull it through. Therefore, the

earlier we can start treatment, the

more likely we are to have a

successful outcome. It is better

to give the vitamin treatment as a precaution if you have any suspi-

cion that your pet may have eat-

en some bait.

P A G E 2

Staff:

Veterinarians:

Dr Tony Atyeo

BVSc

Dr Yvonne Pawson

BSc, BVMS (Hons)

Dr Michelle Starr

BVSc (Hons)

Dr Andrea McKinley

BVA, BVSc (Hons)

Dr Duncan Borland

BVSc, BAnimSc

Dr Trudi Power

BVSc

Receptionists:

Angela Hay

Connie Barker

Nurses:

Jenielle Burgess

(VN Cert 4)

Alex Bennett

(VN Training)

Katrina McDonald

(VN Cert 4)

Michelle Clark

(VN Cert 4)

Kate Hannaford

(VN Cert 2)

Lynda Bell

(VN Cert 4)

Kylie Armitt

(VN Cert 4)

Yvette Gasson

(VN Cert 4)

Katrine Milne

(Vet in Training)

Amy Dunn

(VN Training)

Practice Manager:

Chris Coad

G A W L E R G O S S I P

As many of you will have al-

ready been advised, we have

recently changed our vaccination

schedule to incorporate new 3-

year core vaccinations for dogs

and cats. We understand that

such change can be confusing, especially since different vac-

cinations are given at different

frequencies. Hopefully the fol-

lowing information will help to

clarify these changes.

Why are we using the 3-year

vaccinations? Veterinary associations world-

wide are recommending less

frequent vaccination, with an

increase in the number of pets

being vaccinated.

The 3-year vaccinations have

been developed to help reduce

the incidence of vaccine reac-

tions and vaccine-related health

concerns, from mild lethargy to

hives and other forms of allergic

reactions. In the United States

especially, several vaccine reac-

tions are seen, including skin

masses at the site of injection that need to be surgically re-

moved. To try to reduce the

incidence of such reactions, the

vaccine companies have com-

pleted modification and further

testing of the core vaccinations

to produce vaccines that provide

a minimum of three years protec-

tion.

While reactions such as skin

masses have not been reported in

Australia, we as a clinic are do-

ing all we can to reduce any ad-

verse vaccination reactions by

changing onto the 3-year vac-

cinations currently available, and

by only vaccinating for those

diseases seen in our area of Aus-

tralia.

What does this mean for me? The core vaccinations – C3 for

dogs and F3 for cats – can now be given on a 3-year vaccination

schedule. However, other vac-

cinations including kennel cough

for dogs and FIV for cats will

still be given yearly.

Although we offer the 3-year

vaccinations, this is not compul-

sory if you would prefer to con-

tinue with yearly vaccines.

Please discuss your preferences

with your veterinari-

an and we will

tailor the best

solution for each

patient.

3-year Vaccinations

What Vaccines are Available? For Cats:

F3 Core Vaccination - covers:

Feline Rhinotracheitis virus (one cause of

cat flu)

Feline Calicivirus (one cause of cat flu)

Feline Panleucopenia virus (causes bloody

diarrhoea and vomiting).

This vaccination starts with 2 injections over 1

month, a booster 1 year later, then boosters

every 3 years.

FIV Vaccination – Non-core vaccination for

Feline Immunodeficiency virus – the cat AIDs

virus that is spread through fight wounds from

feral cats. This vaccination starts with 3 injections over

1 month, then yearly boosters.

For Dogs:

C3 Core Vaccination – covers:

Canine Parvovirus

Canine Infectious Hepatitis (canine adeno-

virus that causes liver failure)

Canine Distemper virus (severe infection

that may affect intestines, chest or brain)

Starts with 2 injections over 1 month, a booster

1 year later, then boosters every 3 years.

Kennel Cough – Non-core vaccination that

can be added to the above C3 vaccination to

make a C5 vaccination. Covers:

Bordetella bronchiseptica

Canine parainfluenza virus

Starts with either 2 injections over 1 month or a

single dose of a liquid up the nose, then yearly

boosters.

Tetanus Vaccination – Non-core vaccination

that is recommended for farm dogs or those

likely to get several wounds from fencing mate-

rial. Starts as 2 injections over 1 month, a booster 1 year later, then boosters every 5

years.

For Rabbits:

Calicivirus Vaccination – This is a yearly in-

jection to protect against Calicivirus.

Unfortunately, although there is a vaccination for

myxomatosis, the vaccine is banned in Australia.

The best way to protect rabbits against myxomato-

sis is to keep rabbits out of any areas where affect-

ed rabbits have been housed, and to keep rabbits in

mosquito-proof runs.

For Ferrets: Ferrets are given a smaller dose of a C3 vaccine to

cover for distemper virus, which is fatal in ferrets.

This is given as a yearly injection.

Even if your pet is only requiring vac-

cinations every 3 years, we strongly

recommend a yearly health check.

Since each year is approximately equiv-

alent to 7 of our years, many things can

change during this time. At the yearly

health check, we will check and discuss any changes in:

Skin

Teeth

Eyes

Heart

Lungs

Temperature

Weight

Joints

Kidney

Liver

Bladder

The yearly health check is also a good

chance to discuss any concerns you may

have about behaviour, diet, worm and

flea control, and general care of your

pet.

We also offer basic blood and urine

tests at the yearly health check to check the function of essential organs such as

the liver and kidneys. These blood tests

are especially recommended for pets

over 7 years of age, or when changes in

health or behaviour have been noticed.

The sooner we can detect changes, the

better we are able to offer treatment to

help you keep your pet healthy and hap-

py.

If you have any questions about the

new vaccines, please don’t hesitate to

call us.

Why am I still receiving Yearly Reminders?

P A G E 3

G A W L E R G O S S I P

Bone to

Remember:

Regardless of the

vaccinations your pet

is receiving, a yearly

health check is

important for their

general health.

Clinic News: We would like to offer our congratula-

tions to Connie Barker nee Stanton on her

marriage to Russell in February. She had

a beautiful wedding day and an enjoyable

honeymoon on a cruise, and is now back

at work. We wish them joy and happiness

in their married life.

We also offer our congratulations to Alex

Bennett on her engagement to Graham.

We wish her all the best for the upcoming nuptials.

Drs Duncan and Glenene Borland are

very excited to announce the birth of their

first daughter, Gabrielle Theresa, on the

7th of May. We wish them

much joy in their new addi-

tion to the family.

You will also see Dr Trudi

Power around the clinic more

as she starts to get back into

work following the birth of

her second daughter, Honor, late last year.

We also have a farewell to make. After several years with us, Leanne is leaving at

the end of May. We wish her well in all

her new adventures.

We welcome Katrina McDonald, com-

monly known as Kat, to our nursing staff.

She has completed her Certificate 4 in

veterinary nursing. We are sure she will

settle well into our practice, mainly work-

ing at our Gawler clinic.

What Vaccines are Available? The Companion Animal Health Centre at the Veterinary College in

Roseworthy is establishing a weekend emergency service, covering

from Friday evening to Monday morning, and public holidays.

This service will provide weekend supervised care of hospitalised

patients, as well as providing veterinary consultations and care for

emergencies. In the case of an emergency, please call our clinic

and you will be given the best number to call for afterhours care.

Breaking News:

These forms of restraint

are also ideal to transport

your pet to the vet when a

check up is required. We

advise all clients coming

into the clinic to ensure they

have full control of their animal prior to entering the

clinic, as other animals may

already be waiting in the

clinic. For cats, we recom-

mend either bringing your

cat in in a carry cage or on a harness.

And for dogs, a collar and lead, harness

or halti collar is recommended.

Pets have now become an integral part

of people’s lives, and we know you like

them to be able to travel with you. Un-

fortunately, we do hear several stories of

animals escaping from people’s arms or

out of the car while travelling or coming

to the vet. For the safety of both your pet and the people around you, it is best

to keep your pet restrained when on the

move. Fortunately, there are now many

different types of restraints available to

suit your situation, from leads and har-

nesses, to pet seat belts, to specially-

designed transport cages, all with the

view to keep your precious pet safe.

Pets on the Move:

Opening Times Gawler Veterinary Services: Smithfield Veterinary Clinic:

3 Bright Street, Willaston Shop 5 Cnr Anderson Walk and Queen St

Phone: 8522 2055 Smithfield

Open Mon-Fri 8am-7pm Phone: 8254 1000

Saturday 8am-12pm Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

Tanunda Veterinary Clinic: Saturday 9am-12pm

21 Murray Street, Tanunda

Phone: 8563 0235

Open Mon-Fri 9am-6pm

Saturday 9am-12pm

FOR ALL EMERGENCIES: RING GAWLER ON 8522 2055

IF THE CLINIC IS CLOSED, YOU WILL BE GIVEN A NUMBER FOR AFTERHOURS SERVICE.

EMAIL: [email protected] FAX: 8523 3541

WEBSITE: www.gawlervet.com.au

G AW L ER

V ET ER IN AR Y

S E R V I C E S

become more and more a part of our

practice, until we decided to change to

a purely small animal practice in 2002.

We will be celebrating this achieve-

ment at the Gawler Show this year, held the first weekend in September.

Keep an eye out for further infor-

mation, and come along to celebrate

with us.

We are very excited to be celebrating

our 60th anniversary this year. Yes, it

was back in 1952 that Gawler Veteri-

nary Services was first established at

the Willaston site, becoming the first

veterinary clinic in Gawler, and at the

time the only veterinary clinic north of Gepps Cross, including country South

Australia and the Northern Territory.

Dr Bruce Eastick initially started

with a mainly farm animal based clinic,

but over the years small animals have

We’re 60!

Bone to

Remember:

Please ensure your pet

is secure before

bringing to the vet or

travelling with them.

G A W L E R G O S S I P

P A G E 4