Ponsonby Tails - October 2004

In this issue:-

• Photo Album
• Auckland City Council Brings In New Dog Control Rules
• Common Poisons Part 3 - Plants
• This Months Special Offers

Winter is finally slipping behind us, I am very pleased to say, now I would like what's left of Spring to have some decent weather to make up for the last few months. With the humid and reasonably mild winter we have seen an abundance of fleas on pets, which does not bode well for this summer. So if you want to try and keep the fleas out of your home start now with good flea control. We recommend Advantage, Frontline and Revolution all excellent flea controls; if the fleas are already in your house we also carry the Indorex range of foggers and sprays.

One of the biggest problems of flea (and worming control) is remembering when to re-apply the next treatment, so if you havn't started using our e-mail reminder system this is a good time to start. By registering on our website (look for the elephant on the left) an e-mail will be automatically sent to you when the next treatment is due - I designed this as I always forgot when to treat my own pets. 

 In July Jocosa, one of our nurses, left us and at the same time Melinda had surgery on her ankle - this left us a little short staffed! As with many industries there is a shortage in qualified profesionals, in our case veterinary nurses and especially locums. This resulted with myself needing to fill in as receptionist/nurse at times over the last couple of months. This has been a very rewarding experience and I now understand in more detail how much the job entails, and how hard it is!!! Respect!

The good news is that Mel's surgery has gone very well, and she is now back at work with her leg looking better and better. She even found time to fly to Christchurch for a conference on critical care nursing and she has brought back some excellent information for all of us. 

In addition Victoria Johnson has joined us as a locum through to January. Victoria is a qualified British veterinary nurse with a wealth of experience and knowledge (she has studied for the surgical nursing diploma). Victoria has worked in Australia and UK including referral specialist practices.

Photo Album

We have now started a photo album at the clinic. This is for our clients so you can leave a picture of your pet and any comments you would like to write. This is designed as a bit of fun and to celebrate those pets we share our lives with. If you would like to include your pet in the album just take a photograph of them in their favourite pose, then either post it to us or pop-in to place it in the album and write something special. This album will be kept at reception for all to enjoy. 

Auckland City Council Brings In New Dog Control Rules

With labour weekend behind us and summer fast approaching we thought it was the ideal time to advise you of the changes Auckland city council has made to its dog policies.

These changes were made under the Dog Control Act 2003, which required councils to review their dog policies and make any necessary amendments to bylaws. They state that:

• Dogs can have off-leash access to city beaches between 4pm and 10am from the Tuesday after Easter Monday until the Friday before Labour weekend.
• Dogs can have on-leash access to city beaches between 7pm and 9am from labour weekend Saturday through to Easter Monday. The exception is Mission Bay where dogs can have on-leash between 9pm and 9am during the summer months.

Under the new policy, the council will also promote dog obedience classes and it will review the size and availability of off-leash dog exercise areas every three years.

For more information see http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/.

Common Poisons Part 3 - Plants

In the last couple of newsletters I have covered many of the common poisons you will come across in your house. This month with the advent of spring and a time to consider some gardening I thought I would cover some common plants that are poisonous to your pets.

•  Easter Lily (Lilium, Hemerocallis).

This group includes tiger, common turk's cap and various daylilies and they have been incriminated in causing kidney failure and death in cats. Even minor exposures (a few bites on a leaf, ingestion of pollen etc) may result in poisoning and should be considered seriously. Please note not all plants with the word lily in them are true lilies e.g. Calla 
Cats that are affected will often vomit within a few hours, this usually subsides, and may act normally or depressed and off food. Within 1-3 days of exposure kidney failure develops, this will show up as vomiting, depression and being off food. In addition cats may become disorientated, uncoordinated, have paw and face swelling, difficulty breathing and seizures.

• Cycad Palms (Cycas spp.)

These are often known as Sago Palms. Most parts of the plant are poisonous, but the seeds (nuts) are especially so. Eating one or more seeds has resulted in severe signs and death in dogs.
The most common signs are vomiting, diarrhoea and neurological signs (weakness, lethargy, seizures, coma). Signs of poisoning can be seen within a few hours or may not show up for 3 days.

•  Azalea, Rhododendron & Laurels (e.g. Bay tree) 

The poison is found in the stems, leaves, flowers and nectar. As few as 2 leaves may cause serious poisoning in small animals, and people have even been poisoned from the honey made from the nectar from these plants
Signs in dogs and cats include vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, weakness, heart problems, respiratory problems and seizures. Signs usually occur within 4-12 hours and can last several days.

• Oxalate-Containing Plants

These include Dieffenbachia spp. (dumb cane), Caladium spp. (angel wings), Monstera spp. (fruit salad or swiss cheese plant), Philodendron spp., Spathiphyllum spp. (peace lily, white sails), Syngonium spp.(arrowhead vine), Xanthostemon spp. (black penda) and Zantedeschia spp. (Arum Lilly), mother-in-laws tongue. 
These plants contain calcium oxalate needles, and when chewed these are ejected into the mouth causing irritation and swelling. These signs are usually immediate and include salivating, swelling of the mouth and pawing at the mouth. In sever cases vomiting, difficulty swallowing and swelling of the throat can be seen.
For mild exposures wash the mouth with cold water or milk. If signs are more than mild then you should see your vet for further treatment.

• Cardiac Glycoside-Containing Plants

There are over 400 different poisons in this group that have been recognised in various plants, the most well known is digitalis, which is used to treat heart conditions in people and animals. The plants include oleander, lily-of -the-valley, foxglove, certain milkweeds and squill. In general all parts of the plant are poisonous even if dried. Even small amounts of plant material may cause significant problems.
Signs develop within several hours and may persist for 1-3 days. They include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, off food, weakness, heart problems, tremors, difficulty breathing and coma. If you suspect this poisoning your pet should be taken to the vet as soon as possible.

• Onions & Garlic (Allium spp.)

This group includes chives and leeks. All parts of the plant are poisonous including dried forms (e.g. Onion powder - this is often found in baby foods).  The poison affects the red blood cells,  dogs and cats are more susceptible than other species (especially cats and Japanese breeds e.g. Akita). In New Zealand we often see this after a sausage sizzle when the leftover onions are fed to a dog.
Signs develop within 6-24 hours with difficulty breathing, weakness and blue colour to gums. Your pet will need to be treated by a vet and this may even include blood transfusion.

This Months Special Offers

Frontline yeast treats and blankets

 - We have some pet blankets to give away with every 6 pack of Frontline cat flea control, and all Frontline dog comes with a packet of yeast treats. We also have a draw to win a Dyson vacuum cleaner with each packet of Frontline.

Revolution

- If you purchase a packet of Revolution flea control, it comes with an instant scratchie. Every card is a winner with 3 windows to choose from. If you choose the right one you will win either a cat toy mouse or one of the excellent Rogz cat collars.   

Catlogic book 

 - Proplan have given us some excellent books on cat breeds to give away. In order to get one of these books, which are worth around $35, you only need to buy 3 x 3Kg Proplan cat food (we have special cards to mark your purchase, so you don't need to buy them all at once).  

IAMS cat beds

 - Iams cat foods has given us some orange cat beds to give away. In order to get one of these all you need to do is purchase a 3kg bag of Iams.

All of the above offers are strictly whilst stocks last.