THE RECOVERY OF SMUDGE

We have had a lovely cat in the surgery over the last month. She was extremely unlucky back in August and suffered from an embolism resulting in paralysis in her back legs. She was hospitalised for treatment and unfortunately only the right hind recovered and the left leg became much worse. We had no option other than to amputate the leg to all our sadness.
 
Smudge stayed with us for a further couple of weeks while she recovered from the surgery and appeared to be coping extremely well on only three legs. She has always been an extremely friendly cat and loved nothing more than having cuddles from all the staff. She even got on well with the vet’s pet dogs. All the staff have grown close to Smudge and have been very worried about her throughout her illness.
 
She was back in today for an examination and is doing really well. Her owners are delighted to have her home again and Smudge is still her happy self. She never lets anything get her down. She is now free from vet visits for a couple of months and we are all upset that we won’t be seeing her for a while even though it is good news for Smudge!
 
Her owners are going to keep us updated of progress and we all look forward to seeing her again soon. We will take a photo of her next time so everyone can see how well she is looking. 
 

Amy

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Just returned from a holiday in the French Alps, taking our boxer Leyla for the first time. Don’t let the thought of French bureaucracy put you off, the pet passport scheme is really easy!

At home get the Vet to check your paperwork and make sure that the identifying microchip is where it should be, they can move around in some cases, and that’s it.

We travelled through Eurotunnel. There is no checking at all on the way out. Before you return your pet needs a tablet for tapeworm and the usual back of the neck treatment for tics & fleas between 24 and 48 hrs before your crossing. It’s better to make an appointment at a French veterinaire ( the internet is a great help) The charge is around 50 euros. Be careful with the timing, if you miss this window you’ll have to get it done again!

Coming back is really simple & stress free. Keep to the right in the lanes leading to check-in and you’ll find yourselves at the pet control office. Very friendly staff will check your pet passport and then hand you the scanner to scan your pet. Once they have a positive ID, that’s it – you’re through. You then proceed to the check-in as usual.

The whole thing was a very positive experience, I wish I’d  done it years ago.

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Prevention is better than cure!

We advise regular flea treatments in order to prevent flea infestations as this is much easier than trying to get rid of them when they are in the home. If your pet has a suitable flea treatment on board, when fleas bite onto your pet they are gradually poisoned and die off within 24 hours before they have a chance to lay eggs.

When your pet has no treatments on board, you sometimes do not notice the problems until there are several fleas and by this point the home often needs treatment also which can be time consuming and costly.

If you have any queries on fleas or the flea life cycle, please come in and grab some leaflets. We are also happy to advise you on the products available. 

Amy

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Early treatment;

It is always better to examine and treat pets as early as possible when they become ill. Not just for the obvious benefit to the pet of being prevented from severe illness but also a benefit to the owner as the vet bills are usually cheaper when less severe treatments are required.

Often, if your pet is slightly off colour with some diarrhoea we consider monitoring first and then having them examined by a vet if it does not resolve. This is totally fine and if still no better several hours later sometimes all that is needed is a course of medication and things improve.

If for instance your pet was still the same 24 hours later and was gradually becoming worse but you did not have them examined for another few days, by this point they are often dehydrated and have lost weight. In the this case they are likely to require fluid therapy and lots more medication plus hospitalisation to monitor progress which costs lots more.

Please do not be afraid to ask for advice if your pet is not well and remember it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Amy

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Stewie our overweight, dieting cat came in for his first weight check a week or so ago. His owner was sure the cat was looking ‘thinner’ but the scales told a different story.

Stewie had actually put weight on!! He had put on almost 200g. He did not seem bothered about the weight gain but his owner was mortified – she was convinced the scales would show a big weight loss. We did discover that Stewie’s mammy hadn’t been weighing his new food and that the cat had also been found standing in a pan of stew eating the contents!! This cat is very determined when it comes to finding food. We have photographic evidence of him with his head in a tin of beans! He has been sent packing for another 4 weeks and this time his food is getting measured and he is banned from the kitchen :-)

He is going to have a daily exercise regime – for although his tummy trails the floor, he can still run and jump and loves to chase a laser light around the floor.

Julie

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Earlier this month we recruited a new member to our weight watchers clinic.  He is a very friendly, cuddly 2 year old cat called Stewie.
In March ’09, Stewie weighed in at 4.5kg but just over a year later in now weighs a staggering 7.7kg!   That is a whole ‘extra’ cat he has put on.  His owner does owner many cats and she has double checked that she is not missing a pet. 
Stewie is now on a special Royal Canin obesity food and he loves it, so the days of corned beef hash and other treats are behind him.
He is due in very soon for his first weigh in since starting his diet, so we will keep you informed of his progress

Julie

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Our June Young Ones winner is a gorgeous miniature dachshund called Zeke

Each month an individual pet will be selected at random from the gallery and the owner will receive a voucher worth £10 to spend at St Clair Pet Care. To view our Young Ones click here

Julie

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I start at 8.30am Monday – Friday although I’m usually here before this time so I can tackle my work e-mails and get sorted before we open for the day.

We start admitting patients from 8.30am, this usually involves a consultation with myself (registered veterinary nurse) to explain the consent form, answer any queries, weigh and check the animal over before admitting, the vet checks them over when she comes in as well.

Once we have admitted a patient they are transferred to the cattery, into a warm padded kennel usually with a nice warm heat pad in also, our hospitalisation areas contain Feliway diffusers emitting a pheremone to help ease your cat and make their stay that little bit more relaxing.

The key to a good anaesthetic is to keep the patient calm and stress free. So getting patients quickly settled in their own space and out of the cramp cat carrier will let them relax a bit before we start the morning.

Another of the first, but most important, jobs is to give animals that have been in-patients during the previous night some TLC! Their kennels arecleaned out, drugs and feeds given, as appropriate, temperatures, heart rates, respirations are monitored, then Sarah (the vet) checks them over when she comes in as well.

Between 9 and 11 am consultations take place. They can be anything from boosters to blood tests, or emergency appointments. I may have to help by holding the animals, helping them to remain calm when they are nervous or scared.

Normally, Sarah (our vet) starts operations at 11 am, but of course it can run over if consultations take longer or there’s been an emergency case to deal with.

I ensure that the operating theatre is prepared: drapes, robes, instruments for each surgical procedure and sterilising equipment is checked and anaesthetic machines switched on

Each operation requires a specific set of instruments – it can be what’s called a ‘basic’ kit – that may consist of two pairs of forceps, a pair of surgical scissors, a scalpel handle, four towel clips and a pair of needle holders. We add to that as required – the vet may need some small artery forceps, a different type of scissors, some specialist instruments and so on. An experienced nurse should be able to anticipate what the vet will need for each operation, or at least have items quickly available. All of our surgical instruments are sterilised and stored in special packs that don’t let in any germs. They are carefully labelled and stored in their own place in the instrument cupboards.

Equipment and surfaces have to be cleaned up and kept sterile throughout and animals monitored. Notes and records are updated on the computer for each animal before the afternoon consultations begin.

Next, pre-meds and other medications are calculated and drawn up.

General anaesthetic can be divided into 4 phases:

Premed - is the first part of an anaesthetic. It is usually an injection under the skin of a drug which calms the patient down and makes them sleepy. It allows a smooth easy transition into the unconscious state. This phase usually takes anything from 10min to 30min depending on the individual patient.

Induction – this is when we take the patient from a sleepy state of premed into a managed state of unconsciousness. The vet will usually administer this as an injection into the vein of the front leg, which is clipped before hand to prevent the introduction of infection into the vein when injecting. A tube is placed into her throat and connected to the anaesthetic machine. From now until she is fully awake again Molly will be under constant observation from the veterinary nurse with regular heart rate, respiratory rate, anaesthesia depth and blood oxygen monitoring. This phase takes just a few minutes.

Maintenance - Molly is connected to the anaesthetic machine and a mixture of oxygen and anaesthetic gas is administered through the tube in her throat to her lungs. This allows us to keep her in a state of carefully managed unconsciousness so we can perform her surgery. All surgeons like to be efficient with their operations but care and precision are never sacrificed for speed during a procedure.

Recovery – Time to wake up! Surgery over and all is well, the anaesthetic gas is turned off and The patient continues to have oxygen delivered via the tube in the throat. As patients starts to come round from a state of unconsciousness to sleepiness the last of a painkiller injections are usually given, the tube is removed from the throat and the patient is returned to the kennel. As the patient is awake now and holding their head up we can leave them to recover from their anaesthetic, but the vet and nurse in charge of kennels always keep a quiet eye on all recovering patients. Recovery time is hugely variable on the individual and procedure involved sometimes taking minutes, sometimes a lot longer. We always aim for a quiet steady recovery back to normal, much like waking up from a long deep sleep. This can be helped a lot by keeping the recovering patient in a warm, quiet, dimly lit area, with as little fuss as possible. Some pets can have quite dramatic responses during their recovery from an anaesthetic. As many of the drugs we use have a similar affect as alcohol has on human behaviour, on occasion, we may see staggering about the kennels, seeing imaginary objects or vocalising (“singing”) from some patients, sometimes called “the happy drunk recovery”!

After patients have recovered, I offer the patients a small meal as they will have been starved overnight so they are probably very hungry by now

I then clean, package and resterilise surgical instruments, we use an autoclave in practice to sterilise our instruments using steam sterilisation. I then ensure all surfaces etc. are clean and ready for use, re-stock supplies, syringes, needles etc.

In-patients are monitored constantly throughout the day as most of my work is undertaken in the room directly next to the cattery, and if the door is closed there is a large window so I can keep a close eye on all the in-patients.

Post operative instructions are then completed ready for discharge. I ensure that all clinical notes are up to date and the account is ready for the discharge appointment. We ask owners to normally call around 2pm for an update and find out what time their cat is ready to go home.

I then arrange a discharge appointment for owners to collect their cats and I can explain post operative care and answer any questions they may have. In all cases we like to keep all patients in for as long as possible post anaesthetic to make sure there are no problems with the surgery and to monitor for signs of pain or discomfort. This care has to continue for the first night at home so we always advise to make provisions for a familiar warm and quiet place to let your pet sleep off the effects of their anaesthetic. In most cases after the first 12hrs they are back to normal, but in some cases it can take a bit longer.

Then, there’s more tidying and cleaning ensuring that everything has been cleaned thoroughly and all equipment has been put away correctly and is ready for use next time.

There’s a lot of time spent tidying up! More importantly, though, there’s a lot of time spent with the animals-they can be a bit groggy after the anaesthetic and need reassurance. When the owners come to collect them, we like to spend some time with them, to talk about their pet’s operation and after care and make sure they are OK too!” That is one of the main attractions of a small veterinary practice; we know our patients and clients by name. We are aware of pets’ backgrounds and health-often caring for them from birth to death

There is a great misconception about qualified veterinary nurses and student veterinary nurses. On average it is thought we cuddle animals all day and clean up after them. I have put up some of the going on to clear up the misconception but decided to put up a bit more information on exams.

Well we do a lot of cleaning up but as to cuddling animals all day.
Inpatients need temperatures, pulses, respirations checked, kennel’s cleaned, body functions monitored, medications given.

Veterinary nurses are the anaesthetists for the vet and at times scrub in as assistants usually to hold pull or do whatever is required by the vet. We carry out lab work, and basic vein puncture for various tests or to place intravenous catheters.

If we are on nurse clinics that means discharges, post op checks, pre op admits, geriatric clinics, dental checks, general cat care, diet clinics, anal gland express, nail clips etc.

In smaller veterinary practices we are also cleaners and receptionists..

Being a qualified veterinary nurse is not a role to be taken lightly.

Here is a basic outline of some of the modules I studied to become a veterinary nurse.

Year one

• Relationships and accountability in veterinary nursing practice
• Health and Safety in veterinary nursing practice
• Anatomy and physiology
• Maintaining animal health
• Essential veterinary nursing skills
• Nursing support in the provision of veterinary services
• and last but by no means least 2 written exams papers

Year two

• Application of veterinary nursing care
• Practice and principles of diagnostics
• Laboratory practice
• Diagnostic imaging
• Pharmacology and pharmacy support
• Surgical theatre practice
• Anaesthesia
• and last but by no means least more written exam papers and practical exams.

I also had to complete portfolio of case studies in each year of my studies. On all areas of veterinary care including; surgical, medical, behavioural, exotics, health and safety, pharmacology, client care etc.

A registered veterinary nurse (RVN) is required to complete mininmum of 45hrs CPD (continuing professional development) over 3 years.

Badge presented to all qualifed veterinary nurses.

Claire

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“VN Week has become an important date in the calendar, helping to push nurses into the heart of their community, to promote pet ownership issues and, of course, the role of the nurse themselves,” says Dot Creighton, RCVS VN Council member.

“Listed and Registered Veterinary Nurses may specialise, for example, in intensive care, and can legally undertake minor surgery and give medical treatment under the direction of a veterinary surgeon. During VN Week, the profession has the opportunity to join together and widely promote this vital role in practice.”

Listed nurses are fully qualified, and may have advanced professional qualifications. In addition, those listed nurses who are also registered commit to keeping their skills and knowledge up to date, and to work within the tenets of the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses.

What is Veterinary Nursing?

Veterinary nursing is the supportive care of animals receiving treatment within a veterinary practice. A veterinary nurse works as a member of the veterinary team, providing expert nursing care for sick animals.

Veterinary nurses also play a significant role in the education of owners about maintaining the health and welfare of their pets. They carry out technical work and are skilled in undertaking a range of diagnostic tests, medical treatments and minor surgical procedures, under veterinary direction.

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 Every year the staff at St Clair get together for our annual bbq. It normal takes place the night before our annual charity dog walk. The location of this event is top secret but I can say it is on the beautiful Northumberland coast line. Staff and family members get together for a relaxing evening of food, wine, a walk along the beach and then we finally settle around a roaring fire.

The location is very remote and it is not possible to get cars anywhere near so the evening starts with a half hour hike along the beach, carrying food, drink and coats (just in case the weather changes!). Once there, the alcohol or pop (for the kids and drivers) starts to flow.

Whilst the chef preps the bbq, the rest of us go for a more leisurely walk along the beach. Some like to paddle whilst others regress to childhood and pick up every shell, crab or anything that they think looks interesting!! After our walk, we are all ready for our food!!

Later that evening the bonfire gets lit and whilst most of us are happy to laze around the fire, some of the others like a game of football. We did have some disappointed faces this year as the tide was in and their ‘football pitch’ was somewhat waterlogged!

As the evening drew to a close, we prepared ourselves for the hike back to the car. This can be quite a task as we only have the moon to light the way – inevitably someone needs the toilet!!! We also managed to lose Cassie, the vets dog on the way home. She decided that she wanted to go back and see if the party was still on!! After a few minutes of panic, she came back to us and we continued our hike.

 A good evening was had by all

Julie

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So we’re getting to that time of year when we get the barbeque out and remember to have the dog clipped but what of our long-eared companions?

Summer can be a risky time for rabbits for several reasons:

• Rabbits and guinea pigs overheat much more easily than their feline or canine companions. Always ensure plenty of water is available. If your rabbit is indoors or in a hutch make sure there is plenty of ventilation and the rabbit has access to a cooler area – overheating KILLS
• Myxomatosis is more prevalent in Spring through to Autumn as it is a disease carried by biting insects and there are so many more of those in the hot weather! Remember to get your rabbit vaccinated twice a year against Myxomatosis
• Flystrike. One of the nastiest of diseases. Rabbits who have wet bottoms are at high risk from flies laying ears in their fur. When the maggots hatch they eat the rabbits flesh. Sadly this is often a fatal problem. You can lessen the risk in various ways – rabbits more likely to have mucky rear-ends are those that are overweight, have sore backs, have diarrheoa or urinary scald. Also long haired rabbits need to be carefully groomed and checked. If your rabbit has any of the above problems please make an appointment to see your vet. Check your rabbit TWICE a day to ensure its back end is nice and clean – if at all messy get it washed and dried as soon as possible. Products available from your vet such as Rearguard prevent flystrike. If your rabbit is very matted, again I would advise a check to find out the reason why and then have the rabbit clipped if necessary
• Also in hot weather vegetables and fruit that you give your rabbit can quickly go off – always ensure they only have access to clean, fresh vegetation.

Other than that – enjoy this weather while it lasts!

Shona

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Bunnies in Summer

So we’re getting to that time of year when we get the barbeque out and remember to have the dog clipped but what of our long-eared companions?  Summer can be a risky time for rabbits for several reasons.

(i)                  Rabbits and guinea pigs overheat much more easily than their feline or canine companions. Always ensure plenty of water is available. If your rabbit is indoors or in a hutch make sure there is plenty of ventilation and the rabbit has access to a cooler area – overheating KILLS

(ii)                Myxomatosis is more prevalent in Spring through to Autumn as it is a disease carried by biting insects and there are so many more of those in the hot weather! Remember to get your rabbit vaccinated twice a year against Myxomatosis

(iii)               Flystrike. One of the nastiest of diseases. Rabbits who have wet bottoms are at high risk from flies laying ears in their fur. When the maggots hatch they eat the rabbits flesh. Sadly this is often a fatal problem. You can lessen the risk in various ways – rabbits more likely to have mucky rear-ends are those that are overweight, have sore backs, have diarrheoa or urinary scald. Also long haired rabbits need to be carefully groomed and checked. If your rabbit has any of the above problems please make an appointment to see your vet. Check your rabbit TWICE a day to ensure its back end is nice and clean – if at all messy get it washed and dried as soon as possible. Products available from your vet such as Rearguard prevent flystrike. If your rabbit is very matted, again I would advise a check to find out the reason why and then have the rabbit clipped if necessary

(iv)              Also in hot weather vegetables and fruit that you give your rabbit can quickly go off – always ensure they only have access to clean, fresh vegetation

Shona

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There have been reports of rabbits being stolen from hutches in and around the Blyth area. Please be very careful when leaving caged animals unattended. It may be worth having them inside a secure enclosure overnight or even bringing them into the house or garage for the next few weeks until the culprit is caught.
 
Additionally as the weather is getting warmer your bunny is at an increased risk of fly strike. Basically you need to check your rabbits bottom at least twice daily and remove any faeces that may have become stuck in the fur in and around the tail. Otherwise flies may lay eggs in this faeces leading to an infestation of maggots.
 
Flystrike is very serious and can very rapidly kill rabbits. There is a product available at the surgery called Rearguard. You rub this all over that area of the coat and prevent flies landing on the bunny. For more information or advice on this please contact the surgery on 01670 365536.

Amy

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St Clair’s would like to announce the winner of our April Young Ones competition.  He is a cute, cheeky chappy called Nesta.  Nesta’s owner is overjoyed that her puppy has won a prize

Julie

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For this week only we are offering discounts on rabbit products and services at St Clair Pet Care. In addition to this, all rabbits seen will receive a free goody pack. Please contact us at the surgery for more information on this.

Amy

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This is a topic I have covered before but once again can I stress the importance of staying on top of dental hygiene in dogs and cats. An easy to use product called Logic Oral Gel is available at the surgery in both small sample packs in addition to tubes. It can either be applied to a tooth brush and used like a toothpaste daily, or can simply be applied to your pets mouth daily without actually brushing. It is different to a toothpaste as that only works with mechanical action.
 
The sooner you get on top of dental hygiene the better as it is easier to train both you and your pet the earlier you start as quite quickly you will find that your pets teeth start to yellow and their breath starts to smell. Unfortunately for pets to have their teeth cleaned by way of a scale and polish involves giving them an anaesthetic which is both risky for them and costly for you. The earlier you start to care for their teeth the better.
 
Please contact the surgery for more information or for a leaflet on using Logic.

Amy

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Here at St Clair’s we run a weight watchers clinic to assist your cat, dog or rabbit in losing or gaining weight (depending on the problem). If you are concerned your pet may be getting a little too heavy or you find it difficult to keep weight on your active working dog please contact us for information. You cannot usually enrol with weight watchers until having a full health check by the vet to rule out medical conditions causing the problems. If the vet is happy the problems are food and lifestyle related you can join weight watchers which is totally free.
 
You come and have a consultation with the nurse who runs through what you are currently feeding and advises you on the best plan. She then arranges to see your pet every so many weeks until the target weight is reached.
 
Please contact the surgery for information on this.

Amy

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Please consider when you last wormed and flea treated your dogs and cats. Both should be done routinely throughout the year but it is often easy to forget. As the weather is starting to improve and you will likely be spending more time outdoors with your pets, now is the time to get back up to date with this and hopefully stay up to date throughout the summer months.
 
Neither is pleasant and worms can be passed on to humans in some cases. Fleas can irritate you in your home if they decide to bite you. We have leaflets to help available in the surgery along with various different products.
 
To name a few we have spot on treatments such as Effipro, Frontline Combo and Advocate which are applied to the skin on the back of the neck in addition to tablets against worms such as Drontal and Milbemax and sprays for the home. Many are available singly also to save you needing to spend a fortune stocking up with a years supply.
 
Please consider getting on top of this now before you get an infestation as prevention is always better than cure. Please do not hesitate to contact the surgery on 01670 365536 for more information.

Amy

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Julie

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1.Clear large space on table for wrapping present.
2.Go to wardrobe and collect bag in which present is contained, and close door.
3.Open door and remove cat from wardrobe.
4.Go to cupboard and retrieve rolls of wrapping paper.
5.Go back and remove cat from cupboard.
6.Go to drawer and collect sellotape, ribbons, scissors, labels, etc.
7.Lay out present and wrapping materials on table, to enable wrapping strategy to be formed.
8.Go back to drawer to get string, remove cat that has been in the drawer since last visit, and collect string.
9.Remove present from bag.
10.Remove cat from bag.
11.Open box to check present, remove cat from box, replace present.
12.Lay out paper to enable cutting to size.
13.Cut the paper to size, trying to keep the cutting line straight.
14.Throw away first sheet because cat tried to chase the scissors and tore paper.
15.Cut 2nd sheet of paper to size by putting cat in the bag the present came out of.
16.Place present on cut-to-size paper.
17.Lift up edges of paper to seal in present, wonder why edges now don’t reach, and find cat between present and paper. Remove cat and retry.
18.Place object on paper, to hold in place, while cutting sellotape.
19.Spend next 20 minutes carefully trying to remove sellotape from cat with pair of nail scissors.
20.Seal paper down with sellotape, making corners as neat as possible.
21.Look for roll of ribbon; chase cat down hall and retrieve ribbon.
22.Try to wrap present with ribbon in a two-directional turn.
23.Re-roll up ribbon and remove paper that is now torn, due to cat’s enthusiasm in chasing ribbon end.
24.Repeat steps 12-22 until down to last sheet of paper.
25.Decide to skip steps 12-16 in order to save time and reduce risk of losing last sheet of paper. Retrieve old cardboard box that you know is right size for paper.
26.Put present in box, and tie down with string.
27.Remove string, open box and remove cat.
28.Put all packing materials in bag with present and head for lockable room.
29.Once inside room, lock door and start to re-lay out packing materials.
30.Remove cat from box, unlock door, put cat outside door, close door and re-lock.
31.Lay out last sheet of paper. (Admittedly this is difficult in the small area of the toilet, but try your best!)
32.Seal box, wrap with paper and start repairs by very carefully sealing down tears with sellotape. Now tie up with ribbon and decorate with bows to hide worst affected areas.
33.Label, then sit back and admire your handiwork, congratulating yourself on making good of a bad job.
34.Unlock door, and go to kitchen to make drink and feed cat.
35.Spend next 15 minutes looking for cat, before coming to obvious conclusion.
36.Unwrap present, untie box and remove cat.
37.Retrieve all discarded sheets of wrapping paper, feed cat and retire to lockable room for last attempt, making certain you are alone and the door is locked.
38.At time of handing over present, smile sweetly at receiver’s face, as they try and hide their contempt at being handed such a badly wrapped present.
39.Swear to yourself that next year, you will get the shop to wrap the things for you.

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DOORS: Allow no closed doors in any room. To get door opened, stand on hind legs and hammer with forepaws. Once door is opened, it is not necessary to use it. Once an outside door is opened, stand halfway out and think about several things – a particularly good idea during the coldest weather or mosquito season.

CHAIRS AND RUGS: If you have to throw up, get on to a chair quickly. If there is no time, get to an expensive Oriental rug.

BATHROOMS: Always accompany guests to the bathroom. It is not necessary to do anything – just sit and stare.

HELPING: If one of your humans is busy and the other is idle, stay with the busy one. This is called ‘helping’ and here are the rules: – Cooking: To supervise, sit just behind the left heel of the cook. You can’t be seen and thereby stand a better chance of being stepped on, then picked up and comforted.

Books: For book readers, get in close under the chin, between eyes and book, unless you can lie across the book itself.

Knitting and Paperwork: Lie on it in the most appropriate manner so as to obscure the most important part. Pretend to doze, but every so often paw the pencil or knitting needles. The worker may try to distract you – ignore it. To give the greatest help, first, sit on the paper being worked on. When dislodged, watch sadly from the side of the table.

When activity proceeds nicely, roll around on the papers, scattering them to the best of your ability. After being removed for the second time, push pens, pencils, and erasers off the table, one at a time. When a human is holding the newspaper in front of them, be sure to jump on the back of it – they love surprises. Embroidery and Needlework: These projects make great hammocks in spite of what the humans may tell you.

WALKING: As often as possible, dart quickly and as close as possible in front of the human, especially: on stairs, when they have something in their arms, in the dark, and when they first get up in the morning. This will help their coordination skills.

BEDTIME: Always sleep on the human at night so she/he cannot move around.

Laura

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I often find people are fascinated to discover foods which are toxic to their pets. So I thought I would share the following blog with you that I read by Pete Wedderburn.

Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet twenty-five years ago, and now spends half his working life writing newspaper columns. He lives in Ireland with his wife, two daughters and a menagerie of dogs, cats, poultry and other furry and feathered companions. Pete answers readers’ queries about their pets’ health in his video Q&A – he is also on Twitter as @petethevet and has a Facebook Fan Page.)

“After I blogged recently about pets with peculiar tastes in food, a number of readers asked me to produce a list of human foodstuffs that are toxic to pets.  Everyone’s heard the message about chocolate being toxic to pets, and hopefully Easter has passed without too many canine fatalities across the UK (and yes, they do happen: it isn’t just media hype).  But what about other food items that are safe for humans, yet capable of causing severe or even lethal intoxications in animals?

Well, co-incidentally, I’ve just come across an article reviewing this precise subject in the European Journal of Companion Animal Practice, so with thanks to the authors, here’s a brief review of the main food items to avoid giving to your pets:

Chocolate contains the stimulant theobromine. This gives humans a pleasant buzz, but the lethal dose  is around 1 to 2.5 grams for a 10kg dog. This could be as little as two ounces of dark baking chocolate.

Coffee and tea contain caffeine: for my 10kg dog, the lethal dose is around 1.5g (a cat, at 5kg, could be killed by half of this amount).  An cup of filter coffee could contain as much as 150mg of caffeine, so my dog would need to drink 10 cups (5 cups for the cat), so this is an unlikely occurrence.  Dark tea may contain up to 100mg caffeine, so again, a dog would have to be very thirsty to drink a toxic dose. Nonetheless, owners should go easy when offering these types of drinks as “treats”.

Onions and garlic contain so-called organothiosulphates, which can lead to destruction of red blood cells. Pets rarely eat enough of these substances to fall ill (the quantities used to flavour human meals are generally safe), but there are recorded cases of cats falling ill after drinking onion soup and dogs becoming anaemic after grazing on fields of spring onions.

Grapes and raisins seem innocuous, but in 2001 the first article was published in the USA about their potential toxicity to dogs, and since then, the phenomenon has been recognised across the world. In the UK, there were 23 cases between 2003 and 2005.  The toxic agent remains unknown but it can cause severe, fatal renal failure, after ingestion of relatively small quantities of grapes or raisins.  The lowest dose that has been known to cause problems is  20g/kg of grapes (perhaps 20 grapes for my 10kg dog), or 3g/kg of raisins (about 20 – 30 raisins for my 10kg dog).  In one study, 60% of dogs that ate substantial amounts of grapes  were poisoned: it’s now recommended that every dog that has eaten grapes or raisins should be treated intensively to reduce the risk of complications.

Avocado is consumed by people all over the world, but all parts of the avocado tree and fruit contain a component called persin that can cause damage to cells in the heart and the mammary gland in birds and animals. Mashed avocado is known to have killed canaries and budgies, and there was one case report in 1994 of two dogs that loved eating avocados that died of heart failure. It’s not a big risk to feed occasional teaspoonfuls to dogs, but still, it’s best avoided.

Macadamia nuts also contain a toxic compound that has not yet been identified; they’ve been associated with lethargy, weakness and collapse in dogs when eaten in moderate amounts (between 2.2 and 64g/kg: if one nut weighs 3g, my 10kg terrier would need to eat between 7 and 20 nuts). All affected dogs have made a full recovery, but it’s still best to avoid feeding these to your pets.

Hops has sometimes been eaten by dogs when they’ve had access to waste that’s been left over after home brewing; it contains a number of compounds that may be toxic.  Affected dogs suffer from a syndrome known as malignant hyperthermia, with the body temperature shooting up soon after hops ingestion. Emergency treatment is as important as if a dog has overheated due to being left in a parked car on a sunny day.

Salt is safe as a seasoning agent, but when pets eat large quantities, they can be fatally poisoned. This only happens rarely: case reports include a Boxer that drank huge amounts of salty water while swimming in the sea, a group of dogs that ate play dough,  and a Doberman that was given 10 teaspoonfuls of salt by her owner in an effort to make her sick after she’d eaten chocolate.

Xylitol is produced naturally by many fruits, and is also produced synthetically: it is used as a sweetening agent in human nutrition (it’s known as “E976″). It’s common in toothpaste, chewing gum and lozenges: it has plaque-reducing properties, and it produces a cooling effect on the tongue. The first recorded case of toxicity in a dog happened in 2004, after a 9 month old Labrador ate around 100 pieces of a sugar-free chewing gum.The dog collapsed, suffering from a dramatically reduced blood sugar, but she made a rapid recovery after treatment.  Since then, many other cases have been reported, and some have died.  The message: if you’ve a dog with a big appetite, keep your chewing gums stash out of reach.

There are other foodstuffs that can cause problems. Adult pets lack the enzyme to digest lactose, so large quantities of any dairy products commonly causes diarrhoea. Raw egg whites can also upset the digestion, so should be given in moderation, if at all.  The stones of many fruits (apples, pears, plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines and cherries) contain a compound that can be toxic if they’re cracked open and swallowed. Some raw vegetables (including cassava, common beans and runner beans) contain substances than can damage the digestive tract.

Finally, alcohol can be poisonous for pets, just as for humans. A couple of measures of whisky would be more than enough to cause severe poisoning to my 10kg dog. In one bizarre case, reported in 2008, a dog in Austria suffered from alcohol poisoning after eating half a kilogram of raw yeast dough. The fermentation of yeast in the digestive tract had produced enough ethanol to cause the dog to have a blood alcohol level higher than the legal limit for driving.  (By the way, raw dough is best avoided for another reason: it can expand inside the digestive tract, causing a blockage.)

Cats are less commonly poisoned than dogs: they’re more fastidious in their eating habits. Dogs, especially some breeds (you know who I mean, Labrador-owners) can have unstoppable appetites, with no discernible “off-switch”, which makes them particularly prone to problems.”

written by Pete Wedderburn http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peterwedderburn/100032752/dont-feed-your-animals-barbed-wire-and-other-tips-to-avoid-problems-with-pets/

Claire

Categories: St Clair pet Care Veterinary Clinic
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We have some new additions to St Clair Pet Care as one of our clients ‘Ellie’ the West Highland White Terrier gave birth to five gorgeous puppies.

Claire

Categories: St Clair pet Care Veterinary Clinic
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Mr Gallagher was overjoyed when we told him his gorgeous puppy, Mushka, was the February Young Ones winner. A £10-00 voucher is on its way

Julie

Categories: St Clair pet Care Veterinary Clinic
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Pet Insurance

It is really important to consider pet insurance. This can often help us provide the best possible treatments for our pets as we can do whatever is best in order to make them better if they become unwell.

It is vital to look into the policies properly before taking one out. Some of them exclude certain things and avoid paying out if possible.

We advise to take out a ‘Cover for Life’ policy. This means that if your pet should develop a problem the company cannot simply stop paying for it after a 12 month period. For instance, if you dog got an ear infection this could go on for some time and could be related to a skin problem. Potentially the company may exclude all skin conditions when they renew the policy at the end of the year. If you then try to go to a new company, because your pet has already suffered from these complaints they too may exclude them, or at least for a certain time period. With ‘Cover for Life’ your pet will still be covered against that particular problem, but you will need to pay a new excess annually should you wish to claim back the treatment costs.

You also need to consider the amount of money the cover is offering each policy year. Some companies give so much per year, and others give a value per pet. For instance, your cat may have a £6000.00 cover. It may take 18year to use that amount of money. However, if you had the same value on your St Bernard, you may reach that amount after 2 years due to the size of the pet.

These are all important things to consider. At our practice we promote Petplan insurance as we believe they are a good company offering good cover.

To learn more go to this Pet Insurance  link on our main web site:

If you have any questions on insurance, please email or phone us and we will do our best to assist you.

Amy Williams (RVN)

Categories: St Clair pet Care Veterinary Clinic
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