Lexi learns to love the vets again!

Transcription

1 issue 22 Lexi learns to love the vets again! Welcome back Jasper - reunited thanks to his micro chip Save money & keep your pets healthy & happy with our special seasonal offers Keep it RAW with Rabbit Awareness Week What will you change? Getting the point of vaccinations

2 Welcome to the latest issue of Paws - Ark House Vets quarterly magazine Well it certainly seems that spring is well and truly springing now; the clocks have gone forward, the evenings are getting lighter and temperatures are slowly on the rise! Unfortunately, as the weather warms up, many owners report an increase in flea activity, and so it s important to maintain a regular regime of flea treatment with all your pets. You might therefore like to know that during April we re offering 25% off all flea treatments. Time to stock up! To highlight the forthcoming Rabbit Awareness Week, from the 9th - 17th May, we have some reminders about some of the basics your rabbit needs in order to stay healthy and happy. The RAW campaign focus this year is One small hop - what will you change? You ll find some ideas about the simple ways you can make a positive difference to your pet s life on page 8. At Ark House we are committed to keeping every pet in the very best of health, which means promoting routine preventative care as standard for every cat, dog and rabbit that we are privileged to care for. We work hard to keep our prices fair and bring you ways in which to save money - our Paws Club, the First Steps programme and a forthcoming vaccine amnesty ( 10 off all vaccinations during May) are all ways in which we help you take the best care of your pet, whilst offering great value - find out more on page 7. As always, we love to hear from you with updates on our patients progress, news or photos of your own pets. You can speak with our reception team, give us a ring, or at enquires@arkhousevets.co.uk. There are some fantastic pictures in the Gallery section of our website, but we ve always got room for more! With best wishes to all our friends, from Kate Semple and the team Here for you, whenever you need us We continue to work hard to ensure that we are able to see your pet quickly when needed, so we offer long opening hours and a comprehensive emergency service. Our opening hours are currently: 8.00am pm Monday to Friday & 8.30am pm on Saturdays, whilst our emergency service operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Did you know that you can also book your pet s appointment through our website: Simply request an appointment using our easy online form and we will confirm by . If you need an appointment within 36 hours (or just like the sound of our lovely receptionists) you can still call us on ! EMERGENCY SERVICE Because we use dedicated emergency services to give your pet the best care when we re not open we are able to provide emergency clinics in 4 locations to suit your needs. In an emergency call our normal number You will be given a choice of four clinics who can help. We will connect your call to them directly. Vets Now Milton Keynes, Vets Now Luton, Beds Vets Barton, Vets Now Hemel Hempstead All of these clinics through any notes to us at 7am each morning so we will always know what may have happened if you need to visit them. 2 we care like you care

3 Team News The stork has been hard at work at Ark House again, and we wish Lara and Laura all the very best with their upcoming maternity leave - keep in touch! We d also like to welcome a new Vet to the team - meet Jenny, an Jenny & experienced Vet who grew up locally and lives nearby. Whittle She is pictured here with her gorgeous cat Whittle. And we say Welcome back to Melissa, who has returned to the practice as part of her Student Veterinary Nurse training for the coming year. Sadly we are saying goodbye to our Vet Nurse Leanne - we wish her all the very best for the future. Also leaving us is Front of House team member Michelle - goodbye and good luck. The Ark House team have been busy keeping up to date with the latest developments in veterinary medicine, technology and practice management over the last few months. The team have attended several courses, including advanced venous access, mental health, heart disease, intensive care and customer care. We ve also been hard at work updating our Investor in People accreditation, with an emphasis on the health and wellbeing of our staff. We have recently had an assessment of our Veterinary Nurse training, and we re pleased to tell you that we got a glowing report! And finally, the rehoming afternoon which we held together with Cats Protection on 21st March was very successful with 9 new forever homes found on the day! - thank you so much to everyone who helped! Puppy report for Sonny, our sponsored Dog for the Disabled Vicky, Sonny s Puppy Coordinator sent us this update now that Sonny is ten months old: Sonny is progressing well through his puppy socialising. He is increasing in confidence all the time and is no longer as sensitive as he once was. This was very evident during his kennel break. He adapted to the change easily, which is exactly what we are looking for. He loved playing with the other dogs, particularly his brother Sherwood who he shared a kennel with. They had lots of fun playing together and with the numerous toys they were given. Sonny loves people and is a very sociable young dog. He enjoyed meeting some of the trainers who he will be working with in a few months time when he begins training at the centre. He won everyone over and certainly enjoyed all the fuss and attention that he received. I hope that with his loving nature and willingness to work, he will become a very lovely assistance dog, helping an adult or child with a physical disability or a child with autism. 3

4 Hannah and Henry were fortunate enough to attend Crufts this year with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). They took part in a members demonstration, designed to show what dogs can be trained to do using kind, fair and effective methods. Henry show how it s done! Hannah demonstrated how to teach a leave cue and a watch cue using food rewards and Henry s favourite toy his ball. Both of these exercises involve teaching a dog to turn his attention away from something he wants, and towards the handler instead. Leave means come away from something (whether it s dropped food on the floor or a dead rabbit in a field) that you don t want the dog to have. Watch means, turn your eye contact from what you want (in Henry s case, his favourite ball) and direct it towards me instead, in order for me to gain access to the ball. Teaching dogs using these methods involves focusing on what you want the dog to do and not on what you don t. Dogs brains (and ours for that matter) are not good at processing don t ; for example, if we offered you 10 if you don t imagine a blue monkey, what is the first thing that comes into your head? Exactly a blue monkey! If instead we said imagine a pink elephant, this helps you to not imagine the blue monkey. Focus on what you DO want and not what you DON T. Hannah and Henry had a great time demonstrating on the APDT stand, not to mention a spot of shopping and visiting around the show afterwards! Visit the APDT website for more information on their recommended training methods, or our website for plenty more information about our Behaviour Service. Photography by Calum McConnell Need help with chewing? Biting? Jumping? And the rest! These behaviours are really common and part of your puppy's normal development but can be hard to cope with at home. Let us help you manage this behaviour in a positive way. Call us on

5 What is Puppy Playgroup? Very simply, it's an hour-long session of fun and advice that takes place at the Ark House Vets practice in Leighton Buzzard. We'll help you to socialise and train your puppy so that you both become happy, secure and confident together. You will learn a wide range of skills in a friendly and safe environment, invaluable in helping your new arrival to settle in, both into your home and your life. What will my puppy learn? We cover different topics each week, including: Body language Parasites (fleas, worms, ticks and so on) Dental health Nutrition Basic training Handling skills House training Fear-related issues Behavioural issues such as food guarding Perhaps most importantly, the weekly playgroups are a unique opportunity for early socialisation - puppies are welcome as soon as they have had their first vaccination (from 8 weeks old). Puppies usually join the class up to the age of 13 weeks, but Playgroup can be helpful for puppies up to the age of 16 weeks - please ask for details. When is Puppy Playgroup? Puppy Playgroup takes place for an hour on Wednesday mornings from 11am. Ark House Vets Pet Health Adviser Debbie Culley, a Registered Qualified Veterinary Nurse with over 30 years of experience, runs the session. Debbie also holds behavioural qualifications. A course comprises four weekly hour-long sessions and offers fantastic value at just 25, including a FREE worming treatment. Please call to find out the next start date and register for a place - we'd love to meet you and help your new puppy on the next stage of his or her journey! "A huge 'Thank you' from me and Skye for the brilliant puppy classes. Debbie Culley is full of really good information, lots of which I'd forgotten from twelve years ago with my last puppy! You feel you're in the company of someone who wants your dog to be the best it can be - if you have a new puppy, go along! You won't regret it." Gwen and Skye 5

6 Little Paws First Steps for your puppy, kitten or bunny Getting a new bundle of fun is so exciting and just as you want to do what s best for your little one, so do we! Our new First Steps packages help you to get your furry friend on the right track, right at the beginning, and will save you money in the process! Puppy First Steps includes: Vaccination course Flea treatment Worming treatment Microchip Barking Heads puppy food Health check at seven months Advice, vouchers and recommendations plus a gorgeous bandana And with all this for just 60, you ll enjoy savings of more than 22 too! Kitten First Steps includes: Vaccination course Flea treatment Worming treatment Microchip Miaowing Heads kitten food Health check at six months Advice, vouchers, recommendations plus a fabulous cat nip mini cushion And with all this for just 60, you ll also enjoy savings of 29! Baby Bunny First Steps includes: Vaccination against Myxomatosis & VHD Supa Rabbit Excel 2kg Health check at six months old Advice, vouchers and recommendations! And with all this for 30, you ll also be saving 10! Don t forget that you ll find lots more advice and information on new puppies and kittens on our website, arkhousevets.co.uk 6 Annual supply of worming treatments Topical flea treatments all year round Vaccinations and boosters o For dogs: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza and Leptospirosis o For cats: Flu, Enteritis & Leukaemia o For Rabbits: Myxomatosis & Viral Haemorrhagic Disease the smart way to keep your pet & your purse healthy in 2015 and beyond... At Ark House Vets, we know that prevention is always better than cure. And we understand that sometimes when all those essential treatments and vaccinations are due at once, the cost can be significant. That s why we created our Paws Club; helping you keep your pets in the best of health whilst also keeping costs manageable. So it s better for your pet, and better for you! What s included? PLUS 1 discount per month for every additional pet registered A fantastic 10% discount on all other products and services at Ark House Vets Full clinical check-ups twice a year, maintaining good general health and highlighting any problems early Specialist dietary advice Optional Accidental Injury Cover Extended payment scheme for high-cost treatments Convenient monthly payments by Direct Debit You can find out much more online at or ask at reception for more details.

7 Protect your pet with reduced cost vaccination 10 OFF a vaccination course During May May is our Vaccination Month - the ideal time to restore your pet s protection against the most important infectious diseases. Because if your dog, cat or rabbit hasn t been vaccinated in the last 15 months, its immunity to any or all of the diseases below may have lapsed. Each are dangerous, unpleasant diseases, as many owners will testify. These diseases are still seen in the UK and we have seen too much Parvovirus, cat Flu and Myxomatosis in the Leighton Buzzard area. Diseases that affect dogs: Parvovirus is a severe and contagious disease that s often fatal. Parvo is the most serious infectious disease threat facing British dogs today. Spread by a virus which survives for many months in the environment, it causes severe vomiting and bloody diarrhoea. Once the cause of major epidemics, in recent years parvo has made an unpleasant comeback in many areas. Leptospirosis is caused by a relatively common bacterium found in ponds, rivers, waterways and damp environments, spread through the urine of infected rats as well as dogs. It attacks both liver and kidneys and causes Weil s disease which can be fatal in humans as well as dogs. Infectious hepatitis is a severe and typically fatal disease that affects the liver. Now fairly uncommon in the UK thanks to vaccination. Distemper is a highly infectious viral disease, debilitating and often fatal. It causes diarrhoea, respiratory problems and severe neurological signs. Now well controlled by vaccination, the main threat comes from abroad where the disease remains common. Diseases affecting cats: Feline leukaemia causes tumours, anaemia and weakening of the immune system. It is spread from cat to cat in the saliva and other bodily fluids during grooming, feeding and fighting. Feline panleucopaenia causes severe vomiting, anorexia and fever with a high risk of death. Spread in the faeces, the virus can persist in the environment for many years and can also be contracted from dogs. Cat flu is a widespread and common disease, causing sneezing, nasal discharge and weeping eyes, as well as fever and an unwillingness to eat. It spreads easily between cats and infection can persist for the rest of a cat s life, with a significant proportion becoming carriers. Diseases affecting rabbits: Myxomatosis is almost always fatal and causes much suffering. Common throughout the UK, it spreads from the wild rabbit population. The disease is widespread and is seen year round, although the biggest risk period is late summer and autumn. Viral Haemorrhagic Disease is a calicivirus which is also fatal to rabbits and easily spread on clothes and shoes. For the month of May we are offering 10 OFF a vaccination course for cats, rabbits and dogs. Just call to give your pet the protection he or she deserves. 7

8 Keep it RAW with Rabbit Awareness Week This year, Rabbit Awareness Week takes place between the 9th and 17th of May, and the theme is One small hop - what will you change? Here at Ark House we want to help you take the very best care you can of your rabbits, and sometimes making just a small change can have a huge impact on your rabbit s health and happiness. With this in mind, here are some top tips for all you rabbit owners: Diet: Rabbits are herbivores and require a high fibre diet - hay and/or grass should therefore make up three quarters of your rabbit s food intake. Cereal-based diets are generally high in sugar and lower in minerals so should be avoided. Carrots, spinach, watercress, broccoli, celery, apples and dandelion leaves are all good foods instead, and of course fresh water must always be available. Vaccinations: Myxomatosis is almost always fatal and causes much suffering. Found throughout the UK, it spreads from the wild rabbit population, usually via blood-sucking insects such as the common rabbit flea. The disease is widespread and is seen year round, although the biggest risk period is late summer and autumn. Rabbits should be vaccinated once a year. Viral Haemorrhagic Disease is also fatal to rabbits and yearly vaccination is recommended. This May we are offering all our clients 10 off vaccinations, so now is the ideal time to get your bunny booked in! Neutering: There are many benefits to neutering your rabbit, apart from the obvious! Neutered rabbits will get on together better, they will be less territorial, easier to house train if required and males will be less likely to urine spray. Neutering is generally carried out from six months of age. Flystrike: Now that the weather is starting to warm up, rabbits are at risk of developing flystrike a painful and potentially fatal condition spread by insects. Regular grooming is essential, removing any matted fur or faecal matter around the bottom, and checking regularly for sores. Immediate attention from a vet is required if you suspect your rabbit may be suffering from flystrike. Companionship: Rabbits evolved to live in groups, and really enjoy the companionship of their own kind. Give your rabbits plenty of things to play with, such as cardboard boxes, plenty of hay and plastic tunnels, and provide a large, secure hutch for them to sleep in, with access to a covered run where they can exercise freely each day. 8 We d really like to see YOUR bunny for a health check and a cuddle, whether you are a regular visitor to us or if you have never brought your pet to a vets before. Just call to book your appointment or visit our website where you can book online. We look forward to seeing you and your rabbit in May! One small hop - what will you change?

9 Lexi learns to love the vets again! For some pets (and therefore their owners!), visiting the vet can be a traumatic experience. Meet Lexi Ovenden, a beautiful three-year-old Hungarian Visla who had always been happy to see us for her yearly check ups. Unfortunately, on a previous visit Lexi had had to come in with a lump on her back, and she was quite nervous. She really panicked when it was time for an injection, and so we felt that a Desensitisation Behaviour Programme at the practice might help. Lexi came in for twice-weekly appointments for behaviour training, where we used clicker training and rewards to teach her that certain experiences are always associated with something highly rewarding, like food or games. After lots of hard work by Lexi, her owner and Debbie from our Behaviour Team, Lexi was eventually able to tolerate her injections. T he HUGE reward was hot roast chicken, which she really enjoyed. So did we - the aroma in the waiting room was mouth-watering, and we won t ever forget it! We re pleased to report that Lexi is now a very happy dog when she visits the practice, and her owners are delighted to have these previously stressful visits transformed into positive experiences. Hannah & Debbie with Lexi If you d like to find out more about Behavioural Training, please visit our website or simply speak with Debbie or Hannah 9

10 Welcome home Jasper! Six months ago, we were upset to read this post on the Facebook page of one of our clients: Our beautiful, blue whippet Jasper is missing, in suspicious circumstances. We d be grateful to anyone with information that helps us to find him. He is a funny, bouncy, loving dog, and it s heart-breaking to think that someone has stolen him. Jasper first came to us as a cute little bundle when he was 8 weeks old. His lovely owners made sure they did all they could to start him off on the right track - getting him vaccinated, treated against fleas and worms and microchipped. Jasper also made lots of friends at our Puppy Playgroup (pictured left)! In September last year, he disappeared in suspicious circumstances and his family searched tirelessly for him, to no avail. However, a couple of weeks ago Jasper s owners got the call they had been waiting for - he had been found running amongst traffic in West Sussex. A lovely dog owner had taken him to a local vets to be scanned, where his chip had revealed his true identity. Jasper was reunited the next day with his delighted family and he seems pretty unscathed, if a little skinny. It appears that he was stolen and then sold on, before escaping from his unsuspecting new owners to be reunited with his family in Leighton Buzzard. So it seems that dreams do come true! We re so happy that this story has a happy ending, because without his microchip, Jasper would never have been found. Jasper s story shows just how vital it is to microchip your pets, and during National Microchip Month in June, a microchip fitting will cost a mere 10 at Ark House. Recommend a friend and get 5 OFF your next treatment!* We always like to welcome new faces to Ark House, so when you recommend a friend, we ll give you both a 5 voucher to spend in the practice! Once your friend registers with us, we ll give you a 5 voucher and they will also receive the same discount off their first transaction. 10 Ask at reception for further details, or your friend can fill in their details quickly and simply online at mentioning your name on the registration form.

11 25% off all flea treatments during April Although fleas can live all year round in centrally heated homes, as the weather warms up the life cycle becomes shorter so there are more and more of the little horrors around. Fleas feed by sucking blood from dogs, cats and rabbits and also spread tapeworm. Their saliva often causes irritation and some animals can develop serious skin disease. Effective treatment will treat and continue to prevent further infestation until the next treatment is due, that s why short acting treatment like shampoos and powders rarely work. Spring Offers Using your preferred flea treatment regularly will prevent you and your pets from being bitten, and with our voucher you ll save 25% on all flea treatments this April Check and Chip during National Microchip Month this June Jasper s story (page 10) highlights the increasing problem of dog theft in the UK. Along with the fact that micro chipping will be compulsory for dogs from 2016, we are using June to highlight the importance not only of micro chipping your pet, but also of checking those chips regularly. Micro chipping is an inexpensive and simple way to identify your dog, ensuring that he or she can be identified and reunited with you if you are separated. Of course this process requires two parties working together: You, the owner, must get your dogs micro chipped (we re happy to do that for you and during National Microchip Month in June, it s only 10). For our part, we promise to regularly scan the pets that come into the surgery, not only to ensure that the chips are working well but also so that we can identify any pets that have been stolen and then sold on - just like Jasper was. To join us in our Check and chip campaign this June and book your pet in for a microchip appointment, simply call or visit our website. Vaccination amnesty There are a number of highly infectious (and potentially fatal) diseases that can affect your pet. Many of these a v 10 cou acc OF rse inat F Ma Duri ion y ng diseases have no effective treatment, and in extreme cases, young animals that catch them can die. However, for many of these conditions there is a simple protection in the form of vaccination and regular annual boosters, and as May is National Vaccination Month, now is the ideal time to restore your pet s protection against the most important infectious diseases. Throughout May we are offering 10 off a vaccination course for cats, rabbits and dogs. To take advantage of this special offer, and to book your appointment, just call Did you know that you can now save money with Ark House online on a wide range of foods and accessories, as well as having your purchases delivered?...perfect for those heavy bags of food! Why not visit and take a look today? 11

12 issue 22 Surgery hours Monday to Friday Saturday 8.00am pm 8.30am pm 22 Hockliffe Street, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 1HJ Tel: Fax: enquiries@arkhousevets.co.uk Out of hours emergencies In an emergency call our normal number You will be given a choice of four clinics who can help. We will connect your call to them directly. Vets Now Milton Keynes Vets Now Luton Beds Vets Barton Vets Now Hemel Hempstead All of these clinics through any notes to us at 7am each morning so we will always know what may have happened if you need to visit them. Designed and produced by Onswitch Limited