Sweetener Can Poison Animals |
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20/08/2010 13:44
A common artificial sweetener, used in many human food products has been linked with an increasing number of poisonings in dogs. The sweetener Xylitol is used as an artificial sugar in many sweets and biscuits and cake, but is also found in chewing gum, dental hygiene products and medicines.If eaten by dogs, Xylitol causes a sudden release of insulin, which can lead to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), intestinal bleeding and liver failure. Signs of low blood sugar can include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, trembling or even fits. Immediately veterinary attention should be sought if your pet show any of these signs. It is thought that cats and ferrets could be vulnerable to poisoning by the substance. However as cats do not taste "sweet" in the way we do, they are less likely to seek it out, although they might be attracted to dairy products such as ice cream which could contain it. We would advise all our clients to be careful what sort of human food their pets have access to. Do not feed your dog any human food containing Xylitol, and of course avoid other toxins such as grapes, raisins and chocolate. Poisonings often occur because dogs raid unexpected sources of food; beware breath freshening gum, or that emergency bar of chocolate which lives in your handbag.  |
Rabbits and Guinea Pigs |
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18/08/2010 15:48
We've seen a lot of rabbits and guinea pigs at the surgery in the last few weeks. They make fantastic, friendly pets for both adults and children and with many of them living in the house, they can be a real part of the family.It's best not to mix rabbits and guinea pigs together. They're both friendly creatures and are best to be kept with company, but rabbits can often bully guinea pigs, so stick to rabbits or guinea pigs in one hunch. It's important for both of them that they have plenty of fibre in their diet. Many of the rabbits and guinea pigs we see have dental problems and these are often preventable with the right diet. Their main diet should be good quality, dust free hay, with a small amount of a complete food, such as Burgess Excel rabbit or guinea pig pellets. They should also have fresh vegetable daily, such as cabbage, kale, winter greens, cauliflower leaves. A full list can be found at here. This is a fantastic website for general information on rabbits and their care. Guinea pigs have a dietary requirement for Vitamin C, so it is especially important that they have fresh fruit and vegetables and in some cases need a vitamin supplement. Rabbits should be vaccinated annually against myxomatosis and Viral Haemorraghic disease, even if they are indoor rabbits as diseases can be spread by biting insects. There are currently no vaccinations available or necessary for guinea pigs. Male and female rabbits or guinea pigs can be kept together, but it is necessary to neuter (spay or castrate) them, to prevent unwanted babies. We recommend neutering all pets to prevent health problems. Veterinary care for both rabbits and guinea pigs is advancing year on year, allowing vast improvements in their treatment. Modern, up to date veterinary care can be lengthy and expensive, so we would advise all rabbit and guinea pig owners to consider insurance. Companies offering suitable policies include Pet Plan and Exotics Direct.  |
Giacomo Goes to School |
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14/03/2010 20:39
Giacomo and I recently visited the playgroup at Gurnos School, Ystradgynlais to talk to the children about pet owning and veterinary care.The children enjoyed using a stethoscope; looking at X rays, including dogs, cats and tortoises and using a scanner to find a microchip in both a teddy bear and later in Giacomo. He was real star, allowing himself to be stroked by all the class and giving them a chance to get some hands on experience with pets.  |
BBC Discusses Pet Bereavement |
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13/01/2010 16:36
Many of you would, no doubt, describe your pet as your best friend. However the subject of pet bereavement is not often discussed in the mainstream media. An interesting article was published on the BBC website today, discussing the loss that many people feel when a much-loved pet is put to sleep.People who do not own pets, or have not felt a real bond with an animal, can be unsympathetic to the loss of a pet, so I'm grateful to anything which brings the subject to the attention of the public. If it means that people are more understanding, it can only help. Our staff are of course sympathetic to your loss; we all understand what it is to lose a pet and what it feels like. Some of our staff have gone further and have trained as pet bereavement councillors, so we are able to offer as much help and support as we can.  |
Owner of Starving Dog Banned From Keeping Animals for Ten Years |
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22/11/2009 20:03
 This story was featured in last week's Merthyr Express. (please click on the article to see a bigger, easier to read picture) We at Ash Veterinary Surgery are pleased to help stamp out animal cruelty. Our vets have been involved in giving evidence in a number of animal successful cruelty prosecutions.  |
On The Buses |
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18/09/2009 22:50
I was heartily amused by the story of Casper, a cat from Plymouth in Devon who gets on a bus when he fancies a rest and settles down to sleep on the back seat. You can read the story here.A client pointed out a similar story about a white cat called Macavity who takes the bus 400m down the road to the fish and chip shop. His story is here. I'm intrigued now. We've got plenty of patients who arrive by bus for treatment, but I've yet to meet one who comes by bus on his own. Perhaps it's just a matter of time.  |
Obesity in animals |
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10/07/2009 09:04
Obesity is not just a problem for people, many animals are becoming overweight as well. Some surveys of veterinary surgeons suggest that almost half the animals we see are overweight.When told that their pet is overweight, some owners do not feel that this is a problem, but being obesity can lead to joint pain, heart conditions, liver problems, cystitis and diabetes. Overweight animals cannot exercise and enjoy life as much as their slimline friends. Recently a man in Brighton has been prosecuted by the RSPCA for animal cruelty because his dog was seriously overweight. Details can be found in http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8048356.stm The hope is that this publicity educates the public and makes people treat obesity in animals as it deserves; as a serious medical condition. We at Ash Veterinary Surgery are very concerned about obesity and offer free nurse clinics to help your overweight pet lose weight. We have a range of special diets, behavioural therapies, advice and even drugs if necessary to help with the weight loss.Please phone to make an appointment and we will be delighted to help. If you are not sure if your pet is actually overweight, please book a into our nurse clinic and they will be happy to advise you. More advice about weight loss and healthy lifestyles for your pet can be found at http://www.petsgetslim.co.uk/home/  |
Is It Worming Time? |
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24/06/2009 17:20
When did you last worm your pets? Can you remember, or was it "some time ago, I can't remember exactly when" like most of us?Generally we remember to worm our puppies and kittens regularly. When you are doing it every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old, then every month until they are 6 months, it's not too hard to remember. But adult dogs and cats? Then it gets more difficult. Adult dogs and cats should be wormed every 3 months. No matter how organised you are, it's easy for this to slip your mind; we're all terribly busy after all. Even if you buy our year's supply of wormers and get the 25% discount you still have to remember to give them.Novartis, the manufactures of our milbemax wormers have provided a website to help you remember. If you log onto their website, you can arrange to have emails sent by either text message or email. Just look at http://www.wormfree.co.uk/worming_reminder/en/treatment_reminder.shtml That's one less thing for us all to remember.  |
Helping Ty Hafan |
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05/05/2009 22:04
 At Ash Veterinary Surgery we don't just help animals, we're interested in helping people too. Last weekend Leanne, one of nurses, and I took part in Ty Hafan's first sleepwalk. The 8 mile walk started at midnight in the Millennium Stadium and went all the way to Cardiff Bay and back. We raised over £350 in sponsorship between us, contributing to a total amount of £54,000 for the night. It costs Ty Hafan £2.5 million pounds a year to keep running, but this goes some way towards their costs. Many thanks to everyone who sponsored us, from both of us.  |
Is Insurance Worth It? |
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14/04/2009 14:33
After our insurance training session last week, I started to wonder just how much money I had saved by having my pets insured.I sat down with a calculator and worked out exactly what I had spent in the last year Giacomo has bee  n the most expensive of the cats, especially after his argument with a car a fortnight ago. (He's doing very well by the way. He's walking as normal now and really can't understand why he has to be confined in a cage or a room at all times. His tail has now stopped itching, as the hair is growing back, which has also improved his mood!)He has started physiotherapy again to build up his muscles after the accident. In the last 9 months, since we got him, he has suffered from the following Diarrhoea £369.65 Hip Dysplasia £514.09 here at Ash £661.00 for physiotherapy Respiratory Infection £1642.01 Road Traffic Accident £809.74 for initial treatment £1336.30 for specialist surgery This means I would have spent a total of £5332.79 in the first year of his life. However, because he is insured with Petplan, I have only spent the excesses of £60 per condition; a total of £240. How much does his insurance cost? Well he has the Supercat Cover, which means that he is covered for up to £12,000 on each individual condition per year. We pay £13.89 per month; a total of £166.68 per year. This is the most expensive of the Petplan policies and cheaper monthly premiums can be arranged. As well as covering you for illnesses and accidents involving your pet, Petplan also cover for other related problems. For example; we were supposed to be going to London to see a show the weekend that Giacomo had his accident. If we hadn't managed to cancel the travel and hotel we had arranged, they would have reimbursed us for that.  The other cats haven't been cheap either. Bellini has had the same respiratory infection which cost £2486.53 to treat. As this was a single condition, I paid only £60 excess on this treatment. Rungo is slightly more expensive to treat. Because he's 12 years old, I have to pay the first £90 of treatment fo  r each condition and 20% of each claim after that.He has been treated for Arthritis £601.14 here at Ash £551 physiotherapy Oral Pain (including dental treatment) £272.95 This is a total of £1425.09, of which I have paid £429.02 He has the Budget Plan insurance, which means that he is covered for up to £4000 treatment on each condition, and this costs £12.79 per month for a cat his age. So as you can see, I'm very grateful to Petplan for the level of cover they provide for all my pets. If your animals are not insured, then it is well worth thinking about. How would you manage if you were faced with bills like these? Insurance companies will not cover what they all pre-existing conditions. This means they will exclude diseases which your pet suffered from before you took out the policy. This is why we recommend insurance to everyone with a new pet. They will also charge an excess on any condition treated. However, even with these criteria, it's worth your while insuring your pet in most cases.  |
