The 3 P’s
Volume 1
Spring/
It’s here—the peak Paralysis Tick Season!
Although these little ‘good for nothing’ parasites are with us all year round, Spring is
the time when they are at their most active—feeding, moulting, feeding, moulting,
reproducing. But in the process of all this
our animal friends become accidental
couriers (hosts) providing them with a
blood feed to moult and develop, but at the
same time the host can suffer from the
venom produced whilst they are attached!
PREPARE—PREVENT –PROTECT!!

They may have difficulty walking
properly with their back legs and will
wobble as a result.

They may experience vomiting,
heavy breathing or grunts and changes
in their vocalisation when barking or
meowing.

Usually paralysis is progressive,
so pets lose the use of their back legs
followed by their front legs.

Some animals, cats particularly,
may become distressed, anxious and
confused.

The Woof & Whiskers
K E EN
S TR E ET
V E T ER IN A RY
C L I IC
We are now well into it, and have already
treated over 120 patients!!
Gradually animals will be unable to
breathe in enough oxygen as the lungs
become congested and the chest muscles become paralysed.
The ascending paralysis over 24-48
hours can result in death of the animal.
So, 3 words of wisdom, need to reach every animal owner residing on the east coast
of NSW & Qld. Quickly spotting the warning
signs of attachment of a paralysis tick on
your pet may save their life. Dogs and cats
may develop immunity to ticks, but this
requires repeated exposure to ticks – each
time with the risk of paralysis and death.
PREVENTION PRODUCTS & OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Dogs: ADVANTIX APPLIED EVERY
14 DAYS.
KILTIX, PREVENTIC OR SCALIBOR
TICK COLLARS.
between the toes and under
the arms, legs and tail, the
vulval folds or prepuce. The
majority of ticks will attach to
the animal from the ribs forward, but can attach anywhere
on the body!
If you find a tick, don’t stop
searching. Often animals have
more than one tick on them!
Owners please try at least once
a day or more often!
As you can see, the lower the
stage of paralysis, the more
likely a positive response to
treatment would result. Treatment is involved and expensive, both on the wallet and on
the pet’s life! Remember, treatment is not a guarantee of
recovery. Owners need to keep
this in mind and maybe put
some money aside in case of
this, or have Pet insurance.
Please do not be offended if we
refuse credit for treatment. A
deposit of $200 is requested
once your pet is admitted, and
full payment would be required
at the end of treatment. Our
Vets and Nurses work extremely hard providing a high level of
intensive care for any patient
that is hospitalised.
Unfortunately where immunity does occur it
is very short-lived. There is currently no
vaccination against the toxin produced by
paralysis ticks.
FRONTLINE ORIGINAL EVERY 2
WEEKS OR SPRAY EVERY 3 WEEKS.
SIGNS OF TICK PARALYSIS:
TICK SEARCHING
Gently feel your animal’s skin all over,
going against the grain of the fur.
Look inside and along the lips, nasal
cavity, ears, the corners of the eyes,
REMEMBER—PREVENTION
IS YOUR BEST & SAFEST
OPTION
THIS TICK SEASON!!
BLEPHAROSPASM—now say it really
quickly !
This condition is a rapid blinking of the
eye due to involuntary contractions of
the orbicularis oculi muscle of the eyelid. This is a quick type of spasm,
sometimes appearing as if the eyelid is
closed. The pet may also show tearing
or other discharge from the eye, and
be reluctant to look at bright lights in
addition to the blepharospasm. It is
not a disease in and of itself; it is a
clinical sign that something is
wrong with the eye or eyelid in most
cases.
When to seek Veterinary advice:
 Discharge from the eye (tears, pus,
blood)
 Redness, inflammation or swelling

It may seem that you pet has something stuck in their throat, generally they will
cough or gag.
Cats: FRONTLINE SPRAY EVERY
21 DAYS.
Wink, wink...
The eyes are the window to the soul! A
quote I have heard quite a few times. These
amazing structures are super sensitive &
delicate. They can often be injured by debris, trauma or infection, or there can be
inherited defects of the eyelids, retinal degeneration, or links to glaucoma or cataracts.
Common eye diseases of dogs, including
Cherry Eye, Eyelash Problems, Entropion,
Ectropion, Conjunctivitis and more. If your
pet is pawing at, rubbing, blinking, tearing or
shows signs of pain or irritation around the
eyes, it is really important to seek Veterinary
attention. Untreated eye problems can manifest quickly and can lead to expensive treatments and even loss of vision.
 Squinting or blinking
 Cloudiness or discolouration
 Bulging or sunken eyeball
 Rubbing or pawing at the eye

Please note: Do not apply any medication to
the eye/s without Veterinary advice! Call US!!
Inside this issue:
Special points of interest:
TUMMY TROUBLE?
2
New Faces
2
CLINIC CAPERS
2
What’s Up Doc?
3
‘FLOP BOTS’
3
Keep cats ‘flea free’
4
BACK PAGE DEALS
4
 Avoid feeding fatty tidbits to your pets!
 COMFORTIS now for cats!
 Tis the season for FURBALLS!
 Look deep into your pets eyes!
 TICK SEASON IS HERE!
 Snakes are on the move!
 Spring/Summer super saving deals!
TUMMY TROUBLE?
There are many different types of digestive
disorders that occur in pets. Causes can range
from eating something other than dog or cat
food, to food allergies / intolerance, infections,
or lack of digestive enzymes. Some dog
breeds are more prone to particular digestive
problems. Commonly diagnosed conditions
include:
Acute gastroenteritis: Inflammation or infection of
the gastrointestinal tract, mainly the stomach and
intestines. Acute gastroenteritis is usually short-term,
caused by a pet eating spoiled or rancid food, fatty
foods, swallowing foreign objects, eating toxic plants,
internal parasites, stress, food allergies or substances not intended as pet food.
Colitis: an acute or chronic inflammation of the
membrane lining the colon. It is most frequently
caused by whipworms (a parasite), tumours or
polyps, a change in food, allergies (including those to
food), swallowed foreign objects and certain other
diseases. It is more common in younger pets and
causes inflammation of the large intestine resulting in
frequent, painful passing of faeces. Diarrhoea may
contain mucus and blood.
Constipation: This has several causes, including lack
of exercise, dehydration and eating indigestible materials such as bones or other foreign objects, or very low
fibre foods.
Diarrhoea Caused by infections, internal parasites,
stress, a change in food, table scraps or rich snacks,
eating spoiled food from the garbage and body organ
dysfunction.
Pancreatitis: An inflammation or infection of the pancreas (an elongated, tapered gland that is located
behind the stomach). Potential causes are feeding
foods high in fat or rich table foods, infections, disease
or trauma.
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency: weight loss, increased appetite and large amounts of soft faeces.
Small intestinal malabsorption: Inflammation of the small
intestine impairs nutrient absorption and results in persistent
diarrhoea, weight loss and loss
of appetite.
Our Clinic receives many calls
from concerned owners when
their pet suffers from
DIARRHOEA. Over the phone
advice is freely available from
our Nurses, but most often a
visit is required, especially if it is
accompanied with vomiting.
Warning Signs That Diarrhoea Needs Medical Attention

Black, tarry stool, or stool with fresh
blood (bright red)



Loss of appetite
Marked lethargy
Frequent vomiting

Signs of abdominal pain (bloating, groaning, panting rapidly or avoidance response
when belly
is
touched).
Persistent diarrhoea can rapidly weaken puppies and geriatrics, or dogs with chronic diseases. Parvovirus is also a concern in young
animals and is highly contagious.
Between the two extremes of bowel habits
lies a multitude of variations which all need to
be investigated. Normal bowel habits should
be monitored so that any change or variation
is easily recognised and action can be taken.
If you do notice a change in toilet behavior,
note it’s appearance, consistency, frequency
and any other accompanying symptoms of
and intestinal upset. And remember, we are
a phone call away if you need some professional advice.
HAPPY GUTS = HAPPY PETS =
HAPPY OWNERS!
Clinic Goss...
Well, the annual glut of Veterinary Conferences is
over, and our Vets are all up to date with all the latest
information, techniques and current practices for
Veterinarians in Australia and abroad! Along with that
comes some Practice Policy changes for our Clinic.
We are making sure that the best procedures, hospital care and medical strategies are in place for our
VIP’s (that’s Very Important Patients!). We know you
guys want the best for your pets, and we want to be
able to offer it!
Hospital in Beerwah (not in a cage) learning new
techniques for assessing sick koalas. He brings
this knowledge back to our local area koala population working with Friends of the Koala, trying to
revitalize the health of these endangered little
creatures.
Keen Street Oz Tag team have been in action! The
season kicked off on 17th September. The Men’s A
grade team made it to the 2014 finals—losers!! Mixed
team C grade will do better this season!@#@?
James & Kylie C have been busy transporting kids to
footy and athletics carnivals. Kids are under no pressure whatsoever to win!! Kylie’s eldest son is sitting
for his HSC as this is in print! Go Sam!
Ray has spent some time at the Australian Wildlife
amount of days off for him since, like, ‘ever’. Ray
and the team had to battle the spring influx of tick
and snake cases along with all the calvings and
associated cattle disorders at this time of year.
Now that he’s back to good health, he realizes
that maybe he should take more days off!! The
bug also got me...was all organized to go on a
NSW roadtrip, the week prior- bowled over by a
virus. So headed off with the fam feeling not so
hot, but recovered in the hills of the Snowy Mountains—poor me@#! Great 3 week road trip,
mountains, south coast and the outback. Lots of
fun had! Always good to return to work—hahaha!
Also, we welcome back to casual work this
month—Kylie D. She joins Shelly on Mondays.
Her little boy is now 4 mths old!! Time flies by
doesn’t it!
Daryl has been sick (very unusual for our DD)
with a viral disease...the most consecutive
Only 2 months til Christmas...unbelievable! Stay
safe and well...til next time!
New Faces:
Some of you may have come across these
two new faces at the Clinic over the last few
months.
Please meet Lauren (left in the picture) our full
time Veterinary Nurse . Lauren is a recent
graduate of Cert IV VN. She has experienced
working life in the Byron area and has a special interest in companion animal health and
wellbeing. Lauren is a dedicated cat owner.
Her 2 cats ‘Valley’ & ‘Kimba’ are well and truly
spoilt, as are our feline patients at the Clinic.
She loves movies, shopping and plans to
travel the globe in the future. She loves all
aspects of Veterinary Nursing, even all the
washing!! Make sure you introduce yourself to
Page 2
her when she is on Front Reception with
Sam.
Katelyn (right of the pic) is our Friday/
Saturday Vet Nurse. Katelyn has been a Vet
Nurse for 2 years and has fantastic companion animal product knowledge. She is a
proud owner of her dog ‘Archie ‘, her kitty cat
‘Ursula ‘ and a Lorikeet called
‘Chomp‘ (name suit??). TV and reading fill in
her spare time. She has had the opportunity
of visiting Vietnam (Daryl’s fave holiday spot)
and has visited a lot of Australia’s beautiful
places. Katelyn loves her Vet Nursing career
and wants to develop further knowledge in
the pathology side of Veterinary Care.
T H E WO O F & WH I S KE R S
What’s Up Doc?
We have had a fairly busy winter season, with a variety
of cases to keep us on our toes. Diabetes, Hyperthyroidism, Cruciate ligament damage, fracture repairs,
caesarians, eye injuries, and Arthritis cases just to
name a few!
We have seen a number of older entire female dogs
suffering from a condition known as PYOMETRA, an
infection of the uterus. Pyometra is defined as an
infection in the uterus. It is considered a serious and
life threatening condition that must be treated quickly
and aggressively. After many years of oestrus cycles
without pregnancy, the uterine wall undergoes the
changes that promote this disease. Pyometra usually
occurs two to eight weeks after the last oestrus or
‘heat’ cycle. There are two types of pyometra, closed
and open. In open pyometra the cervix of the animal
remains open while in closed pyometra the cervix is
closed. Closed pyometra is more severe due to the
fact that there is no way for the uterus to drain the
infection inside it. This is one of the many reasons why
we recommend desexing! Not a pretty picture is it?
Diabetes is a complex disease caused by either a
lack of the hormone insulin or an inadequate
response to insulin. After an animal eats, the
digestive system breaks food into various components, including glucose—which is carried into
the cells by insulin. When the pet does not produce insulin or cannot utilize it normally, the blood
sugar levels elevate. The result is hyperglycaemia, which, if left untreated, can cause many
complicated health problems. Diabetes is considered a manageable disorder—and many diabetic
patients can lead happy, healthy lives. Currently
we treat and monitor 7 diabetic patients, with one
in remission!
some values in regards to fluid balance, red blood
cell levels or anaemia, all factors to consider before
any surgery. We recommend PRE-ANAESTHETIC
BLOOD TESTING. The extra charge is well worth it.
Why?
Enjoy peace of mind – testing can significantly reduce
medical and anaesthetic risk
Detect hidden illness - healthy looking pets may be
hiding symptoms of disease or ailment. Testing helps
detect this kind of illness so we can avoid problems
during an anaesthetic
Reduce risks and consequences - if the pre-anaesthetic
test results are normal, we can proceed with confidence If not we can alter the anaesthetic procedure
or take precautions safeguarding your pet’s health
Protect your pet’s future health – these tests become
part of your pet’s medical record, providing baselines
for future reference. Preanaesthetic blood testing
allows us to check for problems and if necessary
modify our anaesthetic regime, or if more serious,
delay surgery until your pets problem can be treated.
“Ralph” - our Diabetic cat
currently in remission! Yay!
*Closed Pyometra—surgical removal of
pus filled uterus of a middle aged female
dog.
The Clinic has invested further on the Laboratory
side of things. We rely heavily on our in-house
pathology as it gives us an insight into the health
of our patients—diagnosis, treatment, & maintenance. In recent times, routine pre-anaesthetic
blood testing has revealed some major health
concerns in several pets. All our patients admitted for surgery will have a PCV (packed cell
volume) test prior to anything further. This is all
part of our pre-surgical procedure and gives us
*Our brand new automated blood profile machine—allows our Nurses to
Nurse and not be tied up to the Blood machine! Better time spent with
your pets!!
Laugh Out LOUD!
A Labrador dog and a
Dalmation were sitting in
an Internet cafe and the
Dalmation said to the Lab,
“Hey, check out my web
site!”
The Lab asked for the
address and the Dalmation responded,
“www.dalmation.dot-dotdot-dot-dot-dot-dot-dot”.
A tom cat and a tabby cat were courting on a back
fence at night. The tom leaned over to the tabby with
pent up passion and purred "I'll die for you!" The
tabby gazed at him from under lowered eye lids and
asked... "How many times?"
Trickywoo’s ‘Flop Bot’ Syndrome
Caught your attention have we?
If you have ever watched or read any of the James
Heriot series, you will probably know of Mrs
Pumphrey and her Pekingese, ‘Trickywoo”. I was
reading a chapter the other day, and it seemed
relevant to work, so I have decided to elaborate on
one of “Trickywoo”s worries!
What on Earth are Anal Sacs? ‘the proverbial
pain in the butt!’
Anal sacs are two small glands just inside your
pet's anus. The material secreted into these sacs is
thick, oily, stinky, and is best described as smelling
very fishy. Most wild animals can empty these
glands voluntarily for scent marking. Domestic
animals have largely lost their ability to do so.
Walking around and normal defecation serve to
empty the sacs but some animals become unable
to empty their sacs on their own at all. The sacs
become impacted and uncomfortable.
VO L U M E 1 IS SU E 3
Dogs with impacted anal sacs usually scoot their
rear on the ground in an attempt to empty the
glands. Some dogs will lick their anal area and
other dogs will chase their tails. Cats often lick
the fur off just under their tails. Some animals
are simply vaguely uncomfortable, holding their
tails down, shivering, showing reluctance to walk
(or stopping mid walk as in ’Trickywoo’s case) or
hiding. Recurring anal gland blockage is also
increasingly common. It is relatively easy to
diagnose, and may often be noticed during a
routine check up or vaccination. Expressing the
gland(s) is an unpleasant job, for both dog, owner, and Vet. It is achieved by physically squeezing the glands per rectum, and manually removing the secretion build up. It can be quite uncomfortable for the dog if the glands are very
blocked, or infected. And the smell…
aaaagh !! ....it doesn’t get much worse, and I’ve
smelt some pretty bad things, as a vet nurse!
Infection is always a concern and often antibiotic
treatment is required, but worst case scenario
is that an abscess will develop and/or rupture!
If the problem is obviously too severe, then
the only other choice is to surgically remove
the glands. This procedure is not easy, and
not without potential complications, but usually eliminates the problem forever!
So, you can’t always blame the fleas, the
worms or the allergies when your pet starts
scooting across your best floor mat! It may be
that these little
glands are the
concern!
When in doubt—
check it out!
Page 3
furballs...
Super news for cat owners!
Comfortis is now registered for use in cats!
One little flea can't possibly be a problem, can it? It can. A
single female flea can produce up to 50 eggs a day, turning
“one little flea” into a full-blown infestation before you even
know it's there. Comfortis® (spinosad), now available for dogs
and cats, starts killing fleas before they lay eggs and provides
a full month of flea protection to help prevent future flea infestations! Comfortis is easy to administer. A flavoured tablet is
administered orally, so no residue, no worries about washing
off after swimming, bathing, or grooming. We love this product and have seen the benefits to pets that use it monthly!
We sell individual doses for our patients, or you can purchase
a pack of six. WEIGH YOUR PET BEFORE YOU BUY SO
YOU KNOW YOU’RE GETTING THE RIGHT DOSE!
You're watching your favourite t.v. show and you hear it...
Oonka oonka oonka gwwaaahhtt! The sound of your kitty coughing up
a hairball. Cats are meticulous groomers, often washing themselves
several times a day. As they lick, they naturally swallow a bit of their
own hair. When enough of this ingested hair collects in a cat's digestive
tract, it forms a hairball. Most hairballs are harmlessly coughed up or
passed through your cat. Cats with long hair and those that shed heavily or groom excessively are especially prone to developing hairballs.
Spring is the time when cats tend to shed their winter coat so now is the
time to prevent hairballs.
What can you do?
Brush your cat regularly and thoroughly to remove loose hair and
mats. Long-haired felines should be brushed every day and those
with short hair, once a week
Give your cat a daily food specially-formulated for hairball control.
Dose them with Cat Lax.
Cat Lax is a laxative paste
for the prevention and
removal of hairballs in
cats. It is enriched with
vitamins to help give your
cat a healthy skin and
coat which also helps
prevent hairballs
Zoom Groom or Furminator
your cat. Rubber groomers such as the Zoom
Groom gently pulls out old
hair whilst massaging the skin at the same time. Most
cats love that! The Furminator hair tool is a great investment. It gently removes & untangles the hair preventing knots and further shedding.
Signs of a problem:
Presence of hairballs - expelled from your cat's
mouth or present in the litter box
Frequent hackling, coughing and gagging
Constipation or loose stools
Decreased appetite
NEED MORE INFORMATION...LET US HELP YOU
HELP YOUR CAT!
Spring to these Specials...
NOVEMBER ONLY….
ONLY TIL STOCKS LAST…
Starts 27th October 2014
$20
SAVE $$$
With any 6 pack
purchase of
Comfortis or Panoramis
Get $10 eftpos card
PLUS
An extra $10 off from us!
Purchase any 2kg or larger bag of cat or
dog food from our range in store and receive a genuine FUZZYARD feeding bowl
FREE!
Assorted designs—you get what you get!
We only have a limited number available so
get in quick!
YOU SAVE $7.95
That’s a massive $20 SAVING!
27TH OCTOBER TIL 20TH NOVEMBER….
ROYAL CANIN FOODS
These tick collars will offer protection for
up to 12 weeks! Dogs only!
ACT LOCAL, BUY LOCAL
Offer ends 20.11.2014
Offer ends 30.11.2014