Download Summer 2016 - Banstead Village Vets

Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery
170a High Street, Banstead, Surrey
SM7 2NZ
01737 210011
www.bansteadvillagevets.co.uk
Baby news!
BVVS are pleased to announce
a new addition to our family
and offer congratulations to
Julie and Mark on the arrival
of their baby boy, Ethan
George, born 13th April,
weighing 7lb 6oz.
New nurse
We would like to introduce
our new nurse Sophie Bevins
who will be covering Julie’s
maternity leave. Sophie
qualified as a veterinary nurse
in 2006.
After 7 years working in
emergency and critical care Sophie decided to
make the move back to 1st opinion practice
having previously worked for us at BVVS.
Sophie has a menagerie of animals at home
with her 2 dogs Poppy and Dragon, 2 cats
Rooney and Gerrard, 6 chickens and her son’s
2 horses Pickles and Fred. In her spare time
Sophie is often out competing with her son’s
ponies.
Although this article is something we repeat every summer, sadly, every year dogs die in cars. We urge pet
owners to avoid leaving animals in cars, conservatories, outbuildings or caravans during warm weather, as
temperatures can quickly rise to life threatening levels.
Heatstroke can be fatal. Do everything you can to prevent it.
Some dogs are more prone to heatstroke, for example, dogs with short snouts (eg Bulldogs), fatter or heavily
muscled dogs and long-haired breeds, as well as very old or very young dogs. Dogs with certain diseases are
more prone to heatstroke, as are dogs on certain medications.
Top tips for warm weather
 Your dog should always be able to move into a cooler, ventilated environment
if he/she is feeling hot.
 Never leave your dog alone in a car. If you want to take your dog with you on a
car journey, make sure that your destination is dog-friendly – you won’t be able
to leave your dog in the car and you don’t want your day out to be ruined!
 If you have to leave your dog outside, you must provide a cool shady spot where he/she can escape
from the sun at all times of the day.
 Make sure your dog always has a good supply of drinking water, in a weighted bowl that can’t be
knocked over. Carry water with you on hot days and give your dog frequent small amounts.
 Never leave your dog in a glass conservatory or a caravan. Even if it is cloudy when you leave, the
sun may come out later in the day and make it unbearably hot.
 Groom your dog regularly to get rid of excess hair. Give long-coated breeds a
haircut at the start of the summer, and later in the season, if necessary.
 Dogs need exercise - even when it is hot. Walk your dog early in the morning or
later in the evening. Never allow your dog to exercise excessively in hot
weather. This is especially important for short-nosed dogs as exercising when hot can be fatal!
Insurance changes
We would like to remind our
clients to check the
wording of your pet
insurance policies to
ensure you have the right policy for your
needs. BVVS have been advised that policies
from Moreth>n, Tesco and associated
companies now have a list of preferred referral
centres. They can charge you a supplement if
another referral centre is used. Insurance is an
agreement between the client and insurers so
you should address any queries regarding this
information direct to them.
New look
We are occasionally asked for dog leads and
collars and, whilst we are able to order specific
items for you, we have decided
to stock a small range of items
in our dog waiting area. So
come along and have a look
and treat your pooch to a
summer makeover!
We also now stock a wide range of
dog shampoos to complete the look.
After a warm, wet winter, ticks are not only active earlier than ever, they are also potentially carrying a harmful
disease called Babesiosis, which is new to the UK. Babesiosis occurs worldwide, but has never been seen in the
UK before. It is carried by a certain species of tick, and is spread to dogs by tick bites. The parasite enters the
bloodstream, and then the red blood cells, and in the process of trying to kill the parasite the dog will actually
destroy its own blood cells. It therefore causes a potentially fatal anaemia. Symptoms include a lack of appetite,
weakness and lethargy, pale gums, enlarged abdomen, weight loss, red urine and jaundice. If left untreated it
can be fatal and vets have needed to perform emergency blood transfusions to stop the disease.
The outbreak is of huge significance as the expectation is that it will spread throughout the country. At present it
has been found only in a very well defined area in Essex. The problem in the future is that every female tick will
lay a couple of thousand eggs and all those offspring will also carry the disease.
As mammals move around they will start spreading the disease. Although dog walkers have been advised not to
go there, it's possible that foxes and other animals will transport these ticks to other areas of the country,
though thankfully, this is unlikely to happen quickly.
It should be noted that as well as the pain and discomfort of the tick bite itself, ticks can also spread another
fatal disease in the UK called Lyme disease.
The risk of both of these diseases in Surrey is thankfully low at the moment, but as always, prevention is better
than cure! There are some very effective products available which repel and kill ticks, thereby preventing the
vast majority from attaching to our beloved dogs. Our product of choice is the Seresto collar, which provides
protection from tick bites for up to 8 months.
OFFER EXTENDED - Seresto collars are still 10% off, or 20% off for our VIP Healthclub patients!
‘Your local caring vet’
It isn’t just dogs who need extra care during the summer months. As we eagerly await long hot sunny days we must remember our pets and how
best we can keep them safe and comfortable, including our cats and small mammals. So what problems might they encounter and how can we
help them?
SKIN CANCER…..affects white animals and those with white ears and noses, especially white cats’ ears! To protect them from the sun’s
harmful rays apply sun block daily and if you notice any change in skin colour or scabbiness then seek veterinary advice.
GRASS SEEDS….these mainly cause a problem in dogs, especially those with hairy feet and dangly ears. Sharp grass seeds commonly
penetrate the skin on the feet or become lodged deep in ear canals. It’s a good idea to keep your dog’s feet clipped short, and to check
ears and feet after every walk, especially in late summer.
FLEAS….prolific breeders during the summer months, they can cause severe scratching and skin disease.
What about rabbits?
Flystrike (myiasis) is a common, extremely distressing, and often fatal disease of rabbits, occurring usually
during the warm summer months. Flies lay their eggs on the soiled coat of the rabbit, usually around the
rear end, and the emerging maggots burrow their way into the rabbit’s skin, feeding on poor bunny’s flesh!
Rabbits at highest risk are those suffering from obesity, dental disease, diarrhoea, arthritis and skin wounds.
The flies are also attracted to dirty housing conditions.
You should check your rabbit at least twice daily in summer and use an appropriate treatment which repels flies and inhibits the development of
the emerging larvae (maggots). Some products are effective for 8-10 weeks and should be repeated throughout the summer until October.
If you notice fly eggs or maggots on your rabbit, you should take it to the vet immediately … a flyblown rabbit can get ill very quickly and it can
prove fatal. It is also important to vaccinate your rabbit against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease, both of which are frequently fatal.
Please ask a member of our healthcare team for product advice.
Lungworm is still in the news. Although it is easy to think that lungworm is a wet weather parasite and we should all be concentrating on fleas and
ticks now the weather is warmer, summers in this country can be notoriously wet and it is still essential you continue your dog’s protection
against lungworm with regular use of ADVOCATE. Most of us are great at collecting our parasite control but unfortunately, as one day seems to
roll into the next, it’s so easy for forget that in order to be completely effective, ADVOCATE must be applied each and every month. We now
operate a FREE reminder system whereby you will be sent a text or E mail each month to remind you to apply your parasite control. These
reminders also contain a link which will enable you to order more supplies as required. For our VIP members, parasite control will be ordered
every 3 months automatically. Please let us know if you want to change the date that you receive these reminders.
The lungworm Angiostrongylus vasorum (also known as French Heartworm) is a parasite that infects dogs. The adult of this particular lungworm
lives in the heart and major blood vessels supplying the lungs, where it can cause a host of problems. Left untreated, the infection can often be
fatal. One of our patients recently tested POSITIVE for lungworm so this is a very real and constant threat. Fortunately, we were able to deal with
this quickly and the patient made a full recovery and is now lungworm free.
The lungworm parasite is carried by slugs and snails and problems for our dogs can arise when dogs purposefully or accidentally eat these
common garden pests when rummaging through undergrowth, eating grass, drinking from puddles or outdoor water bowls or picking them up
from their toys.
Foxes can also become infected with this lungworm and have been implicated in the spread of the parasite across the country.
Dogs of all ages and breeds can become infected with lungworm.
Lungworm infections can result in a number of different signs which may easily be confused with other illnesses.
There are some dogs which don’t initially show outward signs of lungworm infection. If you are concerned, we can perform tests which help
detect if your dog is infected with the lungworm parasite.
Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery
170a High Street Banstead, Surrey, SM7 2NZ
TEL: 01737 210011