BONESS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER x 7. Our web sites: Phone us: Barton - Flitwick

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1 BONESS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER x 7 NEWSLETTER Senior Well Pet Check This month we are launching a new service for senior pets. Wellness health checks are common place in the human world now we have them for your pets. More information on page 5. Staff Changes We have said Good Luck to Corale Glass who has just started maternity leave and Welcome Back to Jayne Schouten who has just come back from maternity leave! We have also said Goodbye to Julie Ellis after 6 years with us. Julie was originally taken on as a temp for 4 weeks! She has moved onto a completely different job in transport logistics but she is still local and she and her cat, Brian, will pop in from time to time. We are welcoming Barbara Farrow to our 'front of house' team as Client Services Manager. Barbara has not worked in veterinary practice before but she has oodles of experience in national and local companies and we all believe she will be a great asset to our health care team. Have a great month. Jerry Last month's client evening on First Aid was very well attended and a very successful evening. All those clients who attended were promised a pet first aid kit - we expect to be taking delivery of them any time now so please don't think we have forgotten! The talk has proved so popular that we have been asked to repeat it again for one of the local dogs clubs and some people have asked us to publish it. So, as from next month, we will be introducing seasonal first aid tips to this newsletter - no prizes for guessing that the Christmas newsletter will include a section on chocolate poisoning! Julia Contents Page 1 News 2 Christmas Cards 2 Abi on Laboratory Testing 4 Fireworks surprised? 4 Blog and Website Update 5 Senior Well Pet Check - Details Our web sites: Facebook: Phone us: Barton Flitwick Smarty Paws

2 BONESS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2012 Page 2 Laboratory Testing Abi Casey, our resident lab technician and perhaps unknown to many of you, looks after the running of our internal laboratory and manages the relationships and quality assurance with our external laboratory suppliers. [Ed] Did you know that upstairs in the Boness Veterinary Hospital is our in-house laboratory? As the practice Lab Technician, this is where I spend most of my time. What happens in here plays such a key part in the assessment of your pet s health that we felt it important to share with you some of the things that go in the lab, and explain the reasons why our vets recommend lab tests. Our commitment to looking after your pets includes checking they are healthy both inside and out. Where sick animals are concerned speed is often of the essence, so being able to carry out tests in our on-site laboratory has enormous benefits. In emergency cases where a diagnosis is needed immediately it can make a crucial difference, and when patients require extended monitoring onthe-spot analysis is invaluable. We also appreciate how important it is that you have answers as soon as possible, to allay anxiety and to reassure you that the very best choices are being made with regards to your pet. It is important to point out that the quality and accuracy of our in house testing is by no means compromised by the speedy turnaround time. Far from it. The reliability of test results and dependability of the lab equipment is vital which is why a lot of care is taken in maintaining all our lab machines and apparatus to ensure it is running correctly. We have strict internal quality control policies and an external quality assurance scheme all measures taken to ensure the high quality of care your pet deserves. And don t forget our in-house lab service allows us to keep costs lower than using external services. Sometimes more intricate or complex tests are required that cannot be processed in house, or a second opinion might be required if something is ambiguous or needs confirmation by a veterinary pathologist. In these cases we select appropriate and reputable external laboratories for referral of our patient samples. What happens in the lab? The lab is kitted out with state -of-the-art equipment which has been installed for the sole purpose of providing our vets Christmas Cards And soon it will be Christmas! This year we will be sending Christmas cards by and the money we save in postage will be donated to charity. We really hope you will enjoy the new card and it would be great if you could make a donation to one of our chosen charities as well. The Christmas will contain the details but pleas check out our Charity web page: What is a lab test? a procedure..intended to detect, identify, or quantify one or more significant substances, evaluate organ functions, or establish the nature of a condition or disease. Lab tests range from simple to sophisticated. They are commonly used to help establish or confirm a diagnosis. with as much information as possible regarding your pet s health. The more information the vets have at their disposal, the more equipped they are to make sound decisions regarding treatment and medication. Whether you have brought your pet in for a routine health check, or because your pet is poorly, the vet is likely to collect a blood sample. Blood analysis can provide the vet with a huge amount of information about the health status of your pet. Blood biochemistry looking at different chemical substances in the blood can indicate whether an animal s organs are functioning healthily, and potentially detect many diseases and underlying problems which might not otherwise be apparent. Haematology - the study of blood and its formation also identifies diseases and conditions that affect the blood and the bone marrow our lab

3 BONESS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2012 Page 3 Normal White Blood Cell Blood under the microscope haematology analyser will give an accurate indication of the composition of your pet s blood in the form of a cell count. This is followed by examination under the microscope to identify any abnormalities, for example infection, anaemia, poisoning, and some cancers. Urine analysis - can provide a huge amount of information about your pet s health. By looking for a variety of indicators in the urine we can assess the health of the structures involved in filtering waste products from the blood, including the kidneys, the bladder, and the tubes that link these organs and take the waste away. Conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, dehydration, urinary tract infection, and cancers can be picked up by examination of urine. Bacteria in urine Abnormal White Blood Cell The microscope is perhaps the most important tool in the lab. The microscope is used for blood and urine analysis, and is also invaluable in identification of parasites in skin, hair and faecal samples, as well as in swabs taken from ears, eyes or the throat. These parasites could take the form of bacteria, fungi, mites, ticks or fleas. The sooner we find them, the sooner we can get rid of them! Louse If antibiotic or antifungal treatment is required we can ensure the most effective medication is prescribed for your pet by culturing bacterial/fungal samples in the lab. Flea If my pet is healthy, why do lab tests? Doing a lab test is not a waste of time and money as lab diagnostic tests help us establish and understand your pet s health status. Even when an animal is healthy it can be hugely beneficial to obtain standard measurements since these will provide a baseline against which future tests can be compared. If at a later date your pet becomes unwell, or indeed as it ages, current lab test results can be compared to the previous baseline values to help identify any changes. At Boness it is standard procedure to undertake lab tests to avoid complications, for example pre-anaesthetic testing of blood chemistry or monitoring your pet s medication to evaluate efficacy and dosage as well as checking for possible side effects. At Boness Veterinary Hospital we promote preventative health care for your pet. If there are underlying problems the quicker they are detected the better. The preventative health care at Boness includes blood and urine analysis (part of Buster s Pet Health Club and Senior Well Pet Checks available to all Boness clients). Our vets will only ever recommend tests that will be of value to your pet, and if you are left with any doubt about the benefit of having lab tests remember this: prompt diagnosis means prompt treatment, and of course you can never put a price on peace of mind. Abi Casey Laboratory Technician

4 BONESS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2012 Page 4 The Boness Blog After much debate and a long gestation period we have decided it is time to start our own blog. The blog is available on our website at: Here is a picture of the main player in our first blog! A reminder also about our new website in general. The new website went live last month with a fresh new style and some new content. In particular there is now a video introduction presented by Julia on the home page. You can register yourselves and your pets on the site and book an appointment. For those of you who registered on our old site, we have move your registrations to the new one you will need a new password so just click the Forgotten your password link and we will send you a new one. If you have the time, please send this newsletter to your friends and neighbours. Just hit the Forward button on the . Many thanks, Jerry. Now The Fireworks Have Started... Here are the seasonal tips for November Lead your pet to a hiding place and encourage him/ her to stay there. Do not get cross with your dog as this will make him more frightened. It is tempting to try to soothe your dog to relieve his fears but this is the worst thing you could do. It confirms to your dog that there is something to be frightened of, and may reward him for being scared. Also, if your dog thinks of you as the only person who can soothe his fears, he may panic when you are not around. Ignoring this advice is one of the reasons that so many dogs become more and more frightened each year. Ignore your dog when he is looking frightened and only show attention and affection when he has begun to relax. Then you could play a game or give food treats as a reward. If you can, keep your dog in a happy mood by playing games and doing little bits of training using food rewards, but if he is too anxious to take part just ignore him. Ignore the noises yourself and try to appear happy and relaxed. It can help if you can play a game with another pet in the household, because the frightened pet may be tempted to join in. Never try to force a frightened pet to play. If your dog is very frightened, we can help with medication. If your dog has not been seen by us very recently, we will want to do a check up, to ensure that we provide the right medication at the right dose. Finally, remember that the key to helping your pet cope with fireworks is preparation, so please talk to us as soon as possible about 'Sounds Scary', Adaptil, Feliway or any concerns you have about your pets at this time of the year. Make this a November not to remember!

5 BONESS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2012 Page 5 INTRODUCING SENIOR WELL PET CHECK INCLUDES: Annual booster vaccination Full 12 Body System examination Blood Test with next day result Urine Test with next day result Weight,dental checks, and claw clipping. Any Cat or Dog over 7 years of age is eligible How old is your Cat or Dog? In human years 7 is about 50 years old and that is around the time when we think about health problems. Humans get screened for all sorts of health problems from 50 years onwards so why not our pets? Our new Senior Well Pet Check offers you a considerable saving when compared to our normal consultation and laboratory testing charges and will give us a unique opportunity to look inside your pets body and pick up any early signs of health problems that your pet may be hiding from the outside. Just as in ourselves early detection of diseases gives us a better chance of successfully treating them. Its great to know that my pet is perfectly healthy and free from any problems, I ve no need to worry now Cats or Dogs - Just Saving Over 30 PLEASE ASK ANY STAFF MEMBER FOR FURTHER INFORMATION SWPC01 3/11/2012