Ponsonby Tails - October 2005

In this issue:-

• Special Offers

• De-Sex in the City

• Firework Phobias

• New Barcode System

• Continuing Education

It's October - the middle of Spring - and I feel that I am in the depths of winter. Rain is driving horizontally passed the windows and the thoughts of walking Jasper in the park are not exactly pleasant. However one of the things I love about Auckland is that although it is horrific outside I will probably be bathed in sunshine within the next 5 minutes. As an added bonus I may also get to view yet another stunning rainbow and I am getting the feeling it is time to change Auckland's tag line from "The City of Sails" to "The City of Rainbows".

Despite the weather it is time to start thinking about summer and how this can affect our pets. Key points are: protection from the sun, flea control, not leaving them in cars and if you are going away at Christmas booking them into a cattery or a kennel.  Also don't forget to check your pet's vaccination records and the boarding establishment's requirements if you are going away. It is much better to check this now rather than at the last minute.

If you are going away at Christmas I am afraid our cattery is fully booked - I appologise if we havn't been able to fit your cat in this year. We have always kept a small number of cats so that we can minimise their stress and look after them to a high standard. This does mean that we do fill up quickly for public holidays.  We recommend that all cat's that are boarding over Christmas and New Year have a vaccination 3-4 weeks beforehand as this provides them maximum protection at this busy time of year.

The other main event coming up soon is Guy Fawkes day on the 5th November. This falls on a Saturday so I suspect the firework displays will be even more marked this year. Melinda has written an article in this newsletter discussing your options to reduce your dog's anxiety including a great new product called D.A.P. which has reduced firework anxiety in dogs overseas significantly.

The SPCA is currently running a neutering campaign which they have called "De-Sex in the City". This is a fantastic campaign which we are very happy to support. Jane has written an article highlighting the benefits this campaign is going to provide.

The Pet Travel Guide has been relaunched this year after a year off and it is great to have it available once again. If you have not seen this guide it is a useful reference to accomodation around the country which are happy to accept pets, an essential if you are planning a trip away. We currently have the book in stock which retails for just $19.95.

Jay of Petropolis in Grey Lynn has recently decided to close doors after some recent health issues. We understand he is now feeling better and is due to take a much needed holiday. It is a great loss to our community that Petropolis has closed. Although we cannot replace his service, if Jay stocked a product that you particularly liked, we will be happy to source it for you and for the same price. Jay has very kindly passed on the names of his stockists to make this easier for us. In addition we are honouring all food loyalty cards from Petropolis. So If you or a friend used to purchase your food from Jay you won't miss out on your free bag. If Jay used to keep your loyalty card please let us know, as he is helping us reunite them with his clients.

Wishing you and your pets the best of health

Dr Oliver Young B.V.M.S., M.A.C.V.Sc (Emergency Medicine and Critical Care)

Special Offers

1. We are honouring all of Petropolis food loyalty cards.
2. Advance are giving away a free snuggle blanket with any purchase of Advance cat foods.
3. Rogz are giving away a free key ring with any dog collar or lead. These are very cool.
4. Eukanuba are giving away free 900g tubs of treat biscuits (worth $17.85) with any Eukanuba dog food purchase of 6Kg or more.
5. Win A Premium Pamper Pack worth $100. With every packet of Frontline Plus purchased at Ponsonby Veterinary Centre go in to win this great giveaway. This campaign started on the 10th October and finishes on 30th of November.

All of the above free offers are only available while stocks last or during dates of promotion.

SPCA "De-Sex And The City" Campaign 24th-30th October

Book in to have your pet neutered during the SPCA's desexing week, which runs from 24th-30th October and be in the draw to win some fantastic prizes. Not only that, but if we de-sex your cat during that week, we will apply a FREE treatment of 'Revolution', protecting your cat from fleas, worms and ear mites for a month (worth ~ $11.50). Dogs that are neutered will receive a FREE dog toy from Petware.

The campaign is being run to try to reduce the large number of strays and abandoned animals in and around Auckland. If you are still unsure whether or not to have your pet neutered, just look at these benefits:

• Reduced risk of disease such as cancer and diseases of the reproductive tract.
• Female cats can become exhausted from having multiple litters.
• Less chance of your pet wandering /fighting/getting lost or injured (we see a big increase in cat fight abscesses during the spring and summer breeding season).
• Eliminates sometimes messy 'heats' in bitches.
• Reduces male dogs urge to mount females, also people and furniture!
• Dog registration is cheaper for neutered animals.
• Stops unwanted litters.

  At Ponsonby Vet Centre we recommend neutering from around 6 months old. It is a very routine operation which pets recover from very quickly. We use modern anaesthetics, electronic monitoring equipment, hospital standard sterility and an anaesthetist (one of our qualified nurses) is with your pet at all times from induction to recovery. Intravenous fluids are given where appropriate and all our neuters receive post-operative pain relief.

So don't delay, book your pet in with us now and be in with a chance to win one of these great prizes:

• A night for two at Aucklands Heritage or City Life Hotels plus cuisine from Peter Gordon valued at $100
• A night for two adults and two dogs at the Canine Coastal Retreat including a double spa bath and views of the stars.
• Two nights accomodation at Kotare Lodge on the shores of Lake Rotorua.
• A weekend away for you and your pet at Russell's Beachfront Estate, Wairoro Park.
• Plus TV's, NPC Jersey's, beauty vouchers and passes to Kiwi Valley Farm Park.

Jane Craker V.N.

Firework Phobias

Whizz, bang, flash… snap crackle pop.

Yes everyone it's that time of year again. As you gaze out the window amazed by the lovely flashes of colour lighting up the sky… What's Sam doing? Where's Jess? As much as we love to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day by letting off fireworks, unfortunately many of our pets don't enjoy this noisy and scary event. As dog owners ourselves, we are only too aware of the distress caused to pets every year by fireworks. This is a huge problem, which is not only distressing for the pets but also the owners.

How do I know if my dog has a problem? The most common signs you'll notice are running away, cowering under a bed, shaking, panting, becoming extremely anxious and pacing around the house.

For many years the only solution we had was a sedative/tranquillising drug. Their use short-term can be helpful but with the prolonged firework season these days we cannot sedate our pets for weeks on end.

It's only natural to want to comfort and re-assure our pet in times of distress or when they're frightened. "It's ok, you're alright, and everything will be ok". What you are actually telling your pet is that it is ok to be frightened and scared. It is better to play ball and ignore the noises around as if they don't matter. Easier said than done!

Acclimatising your dog to fireworks is done with a sound de-sensitisation programme. This is where a CD with all the bangs, pops and whizzes is played on a regular basis, starting at a low volume and gradually increasing over a number of weeks. This should be performed under the guidance of one of our trained staff members or an animal behavioural specialist.

Thankfully there are a couple of products on the market these days that help our pets:

D.A.P. Diffuser - science has come a long way! Scientists have identified the pheromones emitted by bitches from the mammary glands during lactation. These pheromones reassure puppies that this is a safe and secure place. Pheromones cannot be detected by the human nose, and are natural chemical messengers that re-assure your dog and lets them know they're in a comfortable environment. DAP is natural and will not effect other pets (or plants). It's easy to use, just plug-in the diffuser where your dog spends most of his time and do not switch the power off (each diffuser lasts approx 30 days and refills are available). Ideally you should start now so by the time the dreaded 5^th November comes along; your dog will already have a stress-free environment.

Pheromones are species specific. There is also one for cats called Feliway. Pheromone diffusers can be helpful for many other stress-inducing situations e.g. introducing a new pet to the household, spraying etc.

Sedapet - a homeopathic remedy. Comes in the form of a spray to be applied into the mouth/onto the tongue or even up the nose. It is recommended you give it 30 minutes before the event (i.e. dusk) and it can be given at regular intervals throughout the night. This will not cause sedation but helps to "take the edge" off your pet and relaxes them.

For those pets who are extremely anxious, the best thing you can do is book them in for a health check and the veterinarian can inform you of the best choice for your pet. There are a number of extremely effective medications that can be safely used in combination with pheromone diffusers for extra comfort during this stressful time.

Melinda Weir V.N.

New Barcode System

As some of you have noticed already we now have a new stock ordering system in place. Each item has an individual barcode and by using a scanner, we can determine what needs to be ordered and how much. This will reduce the number of unavailable products so each time you come in you should find exactly what you're looking for. Unfortunately we still cannot get around the problem of the wholesaler running out of stock!

If there is ever any product/toy/treat that you have seen or heard about and would like to know if we can get it for you; please don't hesitate to send us an email, drop in and have a chat or pick up the dog and bone.

Continuing Education

Ponsonby Veterinary Centre's ephasis on striving to offer the best possible care continues with all of our nursing and veterinary staff attending 1-3 day courses over the next couple of months.

This kicked off with Jane, Melinda and Kelly attending a 1 day course on CPR, blood transfusions, fluid therapy and general emergency medicine. Everyone came back with enthusiasm about new techniques and procedures. We have been adapting these into our regular CPR drills - always with the hope that we will never need these skills - but ensuring we are prepared.

In November Oliver is attending a conference by Dr Greg Ogilvie on oncology. Dr Ogilvie is considered to be the world's foremost specialist in pet oncology - literally he has written the book. We are very lucky to have a specialist of his calibre to talk in Auckland and an opportunity not to be missed. 

In December Michael is heading to Palmerston North for a conference on Radiology and new topics in medicine. This is a great platform for Michael who is aiming to sit the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists examination in Radiology in 2007.

And of course both of the vets are regular attendees of Journal Club, Medicine Journal Club, Auckland Veterinary Society and Veterinary Specialist Group meetings.