Hello everyone and welcome to December! Last month of the year already and for many, this is the favourite month of the year due to festivities happening.
While many of us are busy with organizing family get-togethers and presents for Christmas, just a gentle reminder to have your pets up to date with vaccinations. If your dog is going into kennels, please check with them that they are happy with the tri-annual vaccination protocol we are currently implementing. This is the current recommended vaccination protocol by both the Australian Veterinary Association and the Australian Small Animal Veterinary Association. Most kennels are fine but we do know that some kennels have given feedback that they still prefer annual C5 (which cover parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis and kennel cough). If you are confused, give us a call and we will advise you how to ask your kennels.
For your kitties, we recommend annual vaccinations if they are going to stay in a cattery. This is current recommendation from the International Society of Feline Medicine.
Grass seeds are a huge problem this year and we are seeing them on a daily basis now. Grass seeds are sneaky little things and they can burrow under the skin at almost anywhere on your pet’s body. Common areas are in between the toes, inside ears, on sides of body, on their tummy and even near their private areas! If you see your pet licking anywhere on their body more than usual, please do not hesitate to bring them for a check-up. It will usually involve clipping the hair around the area and having a look. If unable to remove, we may then recommend surgically exploration.
For grass seeds in ears, we often need to sedate or anaesthetize your pet as the ear canals are very sensitive and painful. However, if the grass seeds are not too far in the ear canal, we may be able to remove them without sedation or anaesthetizing them.
That’s it for this month. Remember no chocolates for your pets it is poisonous to them and also to make sure your cats do not get to the strings or ribbons decorating your presents! Have a fantastic festive season and we will see you in the new year! Merry Xmas everyone!
