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46-48 Pollen Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland |
 In this issue:
Settling inWe have now made Pollen St our base and the initial hiccups (mainly our phones) have worked themselves out very nicely. The clinic is working brilliantly with much better flow and a lot more room throughout. The final part of the reception area (the seating) is being finished off, our cages have arrived from the UK and are providing much better accomodation for our inpatients. Our critical care unit is working well, especially with our new oxygen cage and fluid pumps. In fact we are loving our new surroundings. They are providing all that we hoped they would, and judging by our client feedback, you do too. Common Household Poisons Part 2.Last month was the first in a series on common poisons, this month I am going to go through some more poisons that you may have in your house and some of the problems they can cause:
Puppy Tail Docking BanDiane Yates MP has announced that she will sponsor a Private Member's Bill, the Animal Welfare (Restriction on Docking of Dog'sTails) Bill, to restrict tail docking of dogs. The campaign to launch the Bill started in Auckland on Sunday the 1st of February, and provoked a spirited response from the NZKC. The Bill restricts tail docking of dogs, by clarifying that it is a restricted surgical procedure that may only be carried out where the procedure is necessary when tails have been damaged by injury or disease, and is not to be performed for The NZVA (New Zealand Veterinary Association) has posted the 'facts' on the NZVA website along with NZVA comment. These are well worth a read for anyone interested in dogs. New CatteryOur new cattery is now completed and looks great as these photos show. We have had a fantastic response from people who have seen the new cattery, but even more satisfying is how The cattery is also fully air-conditioned allowing optimal comfort throughout your cat's stay. In fact the new cattery has proved so popular that it is already fully booked for Christmas and New Year. If you are looking at going away over any long weekends or during the skiing season, it does pay to book as early as you can to avoid dissapointment. GreeniesAt the recent American Veterinary Dental Association Conference Dr. Lesley Rausch-Derra presented research that showed giving one Greenie daily reduced calculus accumulation by 75-100% with an average of 87% in dogs. When I first read about this I was left with 2 thoughts: 1. that Greenies sounded pretty amazing, and 2. Wondering if they would ever make it to New Zealand. Thankfully they have now arrived in New Zealand and we are stocking the complete range. The prevention of tartar formation is twofold firstly the mechanical act of chewing and secondly they contain a natural chemical that binds with calcium (the building block of tartar).The green colour comes from chlorophyll (the same green pigment in plants that are involved in photosynthesis) and this decreases bad breath. Greenies are also very palatable and nutritious. Dogs prefer them to raw hide chews and other chew treats (although usually not as much as pig's ears!). They are also all natural, low in fat and highly digestible and so are fine for diabetics or dog's who have had pancreatitis. However, Greenies should not be fed to dogs who are on a low protein or low salt diet (e.g. to treat kidney, heart, liver or bladder stones). So what are the bad points - well almost none. However they will turn your dog's faeces green! They also need to be chewed so they are not ideal for puppies, dog's with missing teeth, toy breeds or dogs that gulp their food without swallowing. For these dogs there are "Lil' Bits" which are small pieces of Greenies that you sprinkle on your pet's food. These can even be used to entice a fussy dog to eat by increasing the palatability of the food. 
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cosmetic or prophylactic purposes. The Bill is opposed by the New Zealand Kennel Club, which has posted some 'facts' on its website.
relaxed the cats seem. The cattery is considerably bigger than the old cattery providing more space, a jungle gym and viewing windows so that can watch people in reception.
