| Pet Fire Safety | Dry Jul- eye 2012 |
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Greetings!
 Jul-eye is here. The year has flown, and Santa is going to be here before we know it.
Some of what we do as animal carers can be difficult, but we always enjoy the unconditional love and trust that animals give us. They trust us (you and us) to do the best we can possibly do for them.
This month is Jul-eye, and we are focusing (sorry) on eyes. Dry Eye is a condition which affects 1 in 22 dogs, and most of these are undiagnosed and untreated until too advanced. This month is also Fire Safety Month. Many of you may know that we have a "Sick Pet Helper" site on our page, with a section on Emergency First Aid. In the past few years, Australia has been rocked by some horrid disasters, and animals have equally been affected. What plan do you have in place for your pet? As Feline Aids is on the increase in Australia, an alert is going out to all cat lovers whose cats are indoor/outdoor, and who occasionally get into a scuffle!. Read more on this below. Dear Pandora letters are slowly coming in, but we need more. Any question, you can email Dear Pandora.
Yours Dr Liz |
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| Contact Us | | |
17 Bellambi Lane
Russell Vale, 2518
02 42 845988
Mobile contact for out of normal hours - 0401349849
Email contact: lizvet@animalclinic.com.au
russellvalevet@gmail.com
Do you have a smart phone? We have a smart phone friendly website too -
go to www.animalclinic.com.au (don't forget the au)
Online Booking is now available for non urgent visits or surgical procedures.
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Click what service you require, what date and time, and then follow the instructions.
Keeping it Simple!
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Fire Safety
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The Inaugural National Pet Fire Safety Day began in America in 2009.
The 15th of July each year is dedicated to a nationwide awareness to all pet loving people (not just owners) about potential risks when pets are left home alone. We have bad bush fires in Summer (although the past few summers have been very wet), and in winter, our fires are usually as a result of heating. Are you prepared for an emergency? If a fire broke out in your home, would you and your family be able to get out safely? Accidents do happen, but here are some tips from the Fire Experts to make sure they don't happen to you. Do not risk your own safety for your pet, no matter how much you love them. -
Pet proof the home - Look for areas where pets might start fires - such as loose wires, stove knobs, heaters with nearby blankets. -
Keep pets near doorways if left indoors - this makes it easier for the firemen to find them -
Know your pet's hideaway spots - make a map of them and have them with your emergency kit - in a fire, your pet will also be terrified, and will go to their "safe place". -
Practice escape routes with your pets - (and family) - keep leads easily accessible for you and for the firemen if they need them. -
Pets left alone at home cannot escape a burning house - even with outdoor access - if you have home security, upgrade it to include smoke detection too. -
Affix a Pet Alert Window Cling - these are available from your Security company, and they are available online too. We had some available a few years ago too. -
Get your Emergency Pet Kit updated each time you check your smoke detector. Not sure what to put in it?- we have it all ready on our website - it is a word document you can download, fill in, and keep on file with all of the information you need.
Click here for the Emergency Pet Page
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Dear Pandora -
As a fellow cat, I know you live at the vets, but I really hate going there when there are lots of dogs about. I know I need to see Dr Liz regularly, but my whole body shakes at the thought. And this stresses my Mum and Dad too. What can I do?
Scaredy pants.
A:Dear Scaredy pants,
You are not a scaredy pants, but just a normal cat, going through a normal cat reaction to something different. Feliway helps me alot (Dr Liz always has it going at the vets so that is why I am a chilled cat!)/ Your cat basket should be sprayed with that before you travel.
I can tell you that even before I read your letter to Dr Liz, she has been pondering on a solution to this dilemma. She has come up with several solutions, but she needs help from you guys to know what will work for you all.
She says she will put a poll on Facebook for the first two weeks of July, so scaredy pants, get your cat friends together, and help Dr Liz find a solution!
Link to the Poll on Website:
Don't forget that if you are ever evacuated for any reason, we will help if we can with emergency pet accommodation.
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Jul-eye Tips
General Tips:
- Make sure your pet's first aid kit is current and ready to go - make it well stocked with eye flush solutions, ice packs, and muzzles (in case eye is painful).
- Warm compresses work well for cases of mild conjuncitivitis
- Always flush eyes out with saline eye drops after a trip to the beach (Allergan Refresh or Bausch & Lomb Eye flush)
- All pets with exposed eyes (like pugs, chihuahuas), or that are in high risk groups of dry eye (like shih tzu, cocker spaniels), or those with a lot of hair on the face (such as poodles) should get daily tear drops for extra protection. I recommend Allergan Optive drops.
First Aid for Eyes What to do:
- If the eye has been dislocated from the socket (proptosis) or if the lids cannot close over the eyeball, you need to keep the eyeball moist with eye wash solution, saline, or even water if necessary
- If the eye was injured by a chemical or other irritant, flush the eye with eye wash solution, saline, or water for a minimum of 15 minutes
- If the eye has been hit, ice packs or cold cloths applied immediately will help reduce bruising and damage.
What NOT to do:
- Do not attempt to treat the eyes, or remove any foreign objects yourself - you could cause more damage
- Do not try to push a proptosed eye back into its socket, this needs to be done under anesthesia to prevent causing damage to the interior of the eyeball
- Don't put anything into your pets eye that you would not be happy to have in your own eye (such as home made salty water solutions).
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No Dry Eye in Jul-Eye
The appearance of Dry Eye can be quite varied and can be subtle, especially early in the disease. It is better for the health of your dog's eyes to pick up the problem early, so that more tear tissue remains and less changes to the eyes have developed. The earlier the problem is diagnosed and treated, the better the long term outlook for your dog's eyes.
Specialist ophthalmologists recommend testing virtually all sore eyes for Dry Eye, to make sure the condition is diagnosed as early as possible.
If your dog has any of the following signs, you should make an appointment with your veterinary surgeon. Remember to tell your vet if your dog has experienced any previous eye problems.
Signs to look out for
- Uncomfortable eyes - your dog may blink excessively, rub the eyes or hold the eyes closed
- Eyes red and inflamed
- Discharge from the eyes
- Dry looking eyes
- Frequent conjunctivitis, eye infections or corneal ulcers
- Dark pigment on the surface of the eyes
- Prominent blood vessels on the surface of the eyes
As dogs with Dry Eye are prone to getting eye infections and conjunctivitis, specialist ophthalmologists recommend testing for Dry Eye in all dogs with more than one infection in a 12 month period. Otherwise, Dry Eye could be missed and the dog only treated for the infection, and not the ongoing underlying problem.
| | Select "A dry eye in July " |
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Did you know -
Australia has one of the highest FIV infection rates in the world. This is a criminal statistic in our pet lover society!
Why is it so? I believe it is because many people do not realise that it is out there, and those that do, do not realise that there is a vaccination that may protect their cat against infection.
Many of the cats I see are mostly indoors, and if indoor/outdoor cats, rarely get into fights. At Russell Vale vets, in every cat dental procedure and every (almost) cat abscess therapy that requires surgery, we perform pre-anaesthetic blood tests, which include an FIV test. We have seen positive cases, although fortunately, the majority of the tests are negative (awesome!).
Our FIV test is a triple combo, which means it also tests for Heartworm and Feline Leukemia Virus. A simple blood test can give us peace of mind that your cat is healthy. And even better, a vaccination is available. It involves three injections at two weekly intervals, and then annually.
Whilst stocks last, each cat visitor will get a free FIV collar (with or without an FIV vaccination).
Read On
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Did you know
We are animal lovers through and through, and we are deeply passionate about every pet's welfare.
With this in mind, we are excited to be a finalist in the 2012 Illawarra Local Business Awards. As a shy person, this kind of attention feels uncomfortable, but we hope that it raises the communities awareness of what Russell Vale Animal Clinic offers all of the pets in the Illawarra.
Whilst our fingers are crossed for when winners are called in August, we consider ourselves already to be winners in living our passion for our pets.
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Synovan Injections
for arthritic signs in dogs
Synovan is a VET only treatment for dogs. It is for treating
| | Select "Arthritis Injection |
existing joint disease in dogs, as well as reversing early damage due to trauma (sprains).
It requires a series of four injections, with boosters each 2 to 12 weeks. (I didn't realise that Cartrophen injections also require boosters each month to six weeks after the initial course in many dogs for maximum effectiveness). |
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Until Next Time.....
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Save 25%
off a four week
course of
Synovan (Cartrophen for cats) |
Get the fourth injection for free!
If your pet has had Cartrophen injections in the past, or if your pet is feeling the winter stiffness blues, then Synovan is the treatment for you. | | Select "Arthritis Injection" |
Conditions: A vet check is required at the first injection to be sure this is the right treatment for you, unless we have seen your pet in the past six months. | | Limited Offer Expires: 30th August 2012 |
Only $10
(usually $35) |
No Dry Eye in Jul-Eye
 Dry Eye affects 1 in 22 dogs. Signs are not always typical, but diagnosis is easy with a Schirmer Tear Test. In Jul-Eye we are offering a comprehensive eye examination, including Schirmer Tear Test And Eye Pressure measurement (for glaucoma) for only $10.00. | | Select "A Jul-Eye" |
Conditions: A vet check is not included and is required if your pet has not been examined in the past six months at Russell Vale Animal Clinic. Vet Check Fee is $40.00
| | Limited Offer Expires: 30th July 2012. Maximum Two pets per family. |
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