Small animal newsletter Winter 2015

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1 Small animal newsletter Winter 2015 Welcome to the Bishopton Veterinary Group small animal newsletter. Now that the festive season is well and truly behind us we can start to look forward to the lighter nights and warmer weather. While we are still in the winter months however, there are some issues that we all need to be aware of, particularly as most of our pets enjoy being outside whatever the weather. We will address some of the issues you need to be aware of throughout this newsletter. Cat friendly status Bishopton Veterinary Group has been awarded Cat Friendly Status at our Ripon and Easingwold branches. This award recognises how we have put specific measures in place to make sure you and your cat have the highest level of service and treatment possible. This is a fantastic award and shows that we are doing everything we can to ensure our feline clients really do receive an excellent service every time they visit us. Some of the changes we have made include, completely separate cat and dog wards in our hospital; privacy in the waiting room to help reduce the stress for cats; changes in the way we handle and treat cats; additional training for all clinical staff to ensure we use the latest, most up-to-date methods and treatments. We want your cat s visit to the vets to be a positive experience, please let us know if you feel there are any other things that would help this. Be bright at night! Remember, with the nights being dark, you need to be seen when out walking your dog at night or in the early morning. If you haven t got one, head torches are a great idea as your hands are free to hold the lead or pick up poo; they make sure you can see and be seen. Wear something reflective that can be picked up by car headlights, particularly if you have to walk where there isn t a footpath, making sure you are visible from the front and the back. You could also get a reflective or flashing collar for your dog so that they can be seen as well, there are a huge variety of coats, collars and flashing lights available and they really are a good investment if you walk where there are no street lights. There are also some amazing light-up balls and Frisbees available if your dog still likes to chase toys in the dark. Don t assume that you can be seen in the dark, check your dog-walking clothing and make sure you and your pets stay safe. If you would like advice on staying safe in the dark, come and see one of our nurses for a free chat. Mill Farm, Studley Road, Ripon HG4 2QR, Bridgehousegate, Pateley Bridge HG3 5HN Toft Lodge, Raskelf Road, Easingwold YO61 3LA

2 Bringing your cat to the vet We know that bringing your cat to the vets can be stressful, but there are a number of ways to help make it a more pleasant experience: Regularly perform a mock vet exam at home, touching ears, stroking legs and so on. This allows you to potentially spot problems with your cat, as well as getting your cat used to being examined. Offer treats and make it a pleasant experience at home. Allow your cat to become familiar with the carrier before your visit. Leave the carrier out for a week beforehand, feeding treats or placing favourite toys in the basket. Use a carrier that is large enough for the cat to stand up, turn round and lie down. The ideal carrier is a secure front-opening carrier which can easily have the top section removed too. Placing a large towel inside that smells of home allows for a comfortable ride as well as something for your cat to hide under. Another towel (with a familiar scent) placed over the carrier helps block out potentially scary sights and sounds. Feliway, a synthetic cat pheromone, can be sprayed in the carrier 15 mins before use. Bring treats or a favourite toy with you for your visit. If your cat is going to stay with us, consider bringing some familiar food to be fed. When waiting for your appointment, place your cat carrier in the individual spaces in the waiting room which are designed to prevent animals being in sight of one another. When called in to see the vet, open the door of the cat carrier and let it walk out while, you discuss any concerns with the vet. Sometimes it can be useful to remove the top half of the carrier so your cat can be examined without moving it. Cats will be stressed if their owners are stressed, so try to stay calm throughout your vet visit. Further tips and information can be found at You may have seen our new vet Rachael Baker at the Practice. Rachael joined us for odd days at the end of last year and she became a full-time member of the team at the beginning of January. Watch this space we will do a feature on Rachael in our next newsletter. Vet updates Gemma will be starting her maternity leave in March of this year. We wish her and her husband Richard all the best as they start their family We re also wishing John Smith the best of luck for his retirement from the beginning of February. John has been a favourite with clients and staff throughout his time here at Bishopton, but he has now decided to hang up his stethoscope and pursue some of the things that he has not had time to do whilst working, like running marathons in far flung countries and visiting family across the globe. John will be missed by all but we wish him well and hope that he doesn t forget us working hard back in sunny Ripon. (He will however return briefly in May when he covers a part of Gemma Cuthbert s maternity leave).

3 Mission Rabies: Lucy Preece Our vets not only help animals in this country but also get involved in work overseas. Lucy Preece spent part of last summer in India helping out with a charity hoping to eradicate rabies. Here is a brief summary of what she got up to. A UK veterinary charity is working to try and eliminate human deaths from rabies by the year a massive undertaking considering in India alone, around 24 people die from rabies every day. In 2013 I spent a month in India vaccinating street and pet dogs against rabies. This September I went back to neuter dogs, to help keep the population at manageable levels. Neutering also helps prevent deaths from wounds following dog fights, or in giving birth, giving the dogs a longer life expectancy. We neutered the dogs at a local animal welfare charity. Our operating theatre was similar to a car port - I've never operated outside before but it was a lot cooler than out in the sunshine! The facilities were basic and I couldn't help comparing them to the excellent facilities I am used to, but the Indian street dogs are robust. They generally recover very well from surgery and are usually returned to their own territory the next day. The days were long and we saw many dogs. It was easy to get attached to them though. My favourite dog was called 'Minnie'. She was a street dog who had actually made the operating 'shed' her home and lay by our feet as we operated. She was very animated at lunchtime as there was always someone to beg food off! She had a severe case of mange and almost no fur, but was such a character. During the fortnight I was there, 6 or 7 rabid dogs were brought in. One was a 3 month old puppy, another a pet Labrador. Unfortunately, once clinical signs show (in dogs and in people), there is no cure. It really showed me what a terrible disease rabies is and why the project was so important. Since the Mission Rabies project started, nearly 109,794 dogs have been vaccinated against rabies and 26,133 dogs neutered. There's a massive amount of work to do, but if so much can be achieved in 1 year then elimination of rabies may be possible. If you want to know more about Mission Rabies please visit Wildlife alert Please be aware when lighting bonfires or moving piles of logs etc. in the garden that hedgehogs and other small mammals like to hide in such places. At this time of year hedgehogs will sleep under log piles or leaf mounds during the day, oblivious to the fact that this is a potential site for a bonfire. Before lighting any garden rubbish or wood piles, please have a look through and encourage any lurking creatures to move somewhere a little pets@bishoptonvets.co.uk Find Us on Facebook

4 Is your pet micro-chipped? From 2016 it will be compulsory for all dogs in the UK to have a microchip implanted and registered to an approved database company. From April 6 th 2016, all dogs from the age of eight weeks old must be chipped and adult dogs that currently have no microchip will have to be chipped and registered by 6 th April If a dog is not microchipped after 6 th April 2016 the owner will be served with a notice to get them chipped and registered within 21 days. If this is not done they will receive a minimum 500 fine. There are no exceptions to this unless a vet certifies that a dog can t be microchipped for health reasons. Owners will also have to keep their details up to date with the registration companies. It will be extremely important if you move house to ensure you have contacted your chip company and changed your details otherwise you could be liable for a 500 fine. Cats and rabbits can be chipped as well although it will not be compulsory to have them done. It is however, a good idea to keep all pets microchipped as it is much easier to identify them if they stray. They can then be reunited with their owners more quickly than if there is no identification on them. To help all our clients comply with this legislation and have their pets microchipped and registered we are offering 25% discount on all chipping through February, March and April 2015 (microchipping is free under the Pet Care Plan), so please give us a call or pop in to make an appointment for your pets to see the nurse and get chipped for their security and yours there have been a number of dog thefts in the area recently, if pets are chipped they are much easier to trace. Chipping is very quick, the chip is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin at the back of the neck and although some pets may feel a little discomfort, this is only for a couple of seconds. If you have any questions about microchipping, come and speak to one of our practice nurses and they will answer them for you. Pet Care Plans Have you signed up to our Pet Care Plan, the easy way to care for your pet s basic needs by spreading the cost of paying into 12 monthly, manageable chunks? There are Plans available for cats, dogs and rabbits, all offering free micro-chipping, savings on vaccinations, flea and worm treatments and discounts on neutering, pet foods, toys and other products bought in the surgery, plus a variety of other excellent savings. For more information on how you can join the many clients already signed up to the Pet Care Plans, please speak to one of our receptionists, nurses or vets.

5 Puppy and dog training Have you signed up your puppy or older dog for our amazing classes? We run courses for socialisation and general puppy behaviour and for older dogs that may have a naughty streak or a behavioural problem. These classes are also fabulous for rescue dogs that might need a little more time spent with them to make sure they settle into your home and your life in a stress-free way. It is sometimes difficult knowing what your rescue dog has been through before coming to you and coming along to our classes will give you the opportunity to train them to deal with a variety of situations, be comfortable around people and other dogs and to get advice on a specific problem that you may be experiencing. Here are some comments from owners that have brought their dogs to our training courses: Excellent, expert tuition; very relaxed and informal, we really enjoyed this class; great reassurance and positivity, not made to feel I was getting things wrong (even when I was!) A fun and informative course; the classes are a huge asset to the Practice Helen was very good, excellent course, would recommend everyone to do it. If you would like to book your dog onto one of our courses or are getting a new puppy/ rescue dog, give Helen Bratley a call to find out what would be best for you and your pet. Clients on the Pet Care Plan get a discount on all training classes Training case study: Django Django was an adolescent dog that came for help with his self-control. He is a beautiful big black Labrador that couldn't possibly understand why you wouldn t want him to jump all over you! When he came for his first session, it became apparent that he was worried by certain noises and also being handled around his neck and chest area. This made it difficult for the owners to deal with him on a daily basis. With a little help, he has improved massively - all credit to the owners for putting in the hard graft at home. He still has some way to go, but is happier about certain noises and can be handled and have his harness and collar put on. His self-control has improved so much he can now even leave items of food that fall on the floor! We are very proud of Django and his owners for putting in the hard work that is owning an adolescent dog!

6 Suggestions please! In each of our surgeries, Ripon, Easingwold and Pateley Bridge, we have suggestion boxes on the reception desks. We would really value your comments on any aspect of our service, good or bad. Please take a few minutes to fill in one of the feedback sheets and post it in the box. We can only continue to improve if we get regular feedback from you, our clients telling us what we are doing well and where you think we could make changes. We look forward to hearing from you. Post-Christmas Podge As Christmas is now a dim and distant memory, have a quick look at your pet. We all like a treat over the festive period, chocolates, cakes, biscuits, a little tipple but all of these are harmful for pets. I m sure most people treated their pet to an extra pack of festive chews! but did they over-indulge and have that extra turkey, portion of cheese or pigs in blankets? If you feel your pet has put on a few extra pounds over Christmas book in with one of our Nurses for a free weight check and advice on appropriate diet and exercise to get them bounding through 2015 fit and healthily. Poisons Alert: E-CIGARETTES Please be aware that e-cigarettes are very harmful to pets. They have an extremely high nicotine content and if chewed or swallowed by pets can have devastating effects. If you use e-cigarettes, please keep them well out of reach of pets can your dog dig through your bag and find them, are they kept on a shelf that is accessible to pets, think about where you put them when removing them from pockets before putting clothing into the wash. If you suspect your pet has chewed or eaten an e-cigarette please ring us immediately for advice and if asked to come to the surgery, bring with you the packet that they came in so we can see what ingredients may have been ingested and we will have a better chance of helping your pet. Also be aware that washing liquid tabs that go into your washing machine can look inviting to a curious puppy, these too can be harmful if swallowed, please keep them away from nosey snouts! As with any poison, if you think your pet has swallowed something it shouldn t, always bring any packaging with you to the surgery so we can check the ingredients and target treatment straight away, it is sometimes those vital few minutes spent trying to establish what is in the swallowed item that can be the difference between life and death.