Cherrydown Vets launches new support groups: Tri Paw Pals and Animal CanCare
Infectious Bronchitis – otherwise known as ‘Kennel Cough’, is a very contagious disease of the respiratory system, which can affect dogs of any age. At best it is somewhat uncomfortable and in extreme rare occasions can be fatal. The disease is caused by a mixture of viruses and bacteria, which pass easily from dog to dog as a droplet infection, wherever dogs congregate – in boarding kennels, dog shows, training classes, or simply out on walks. Unfortunately a wet, warm summer and winter will allow kennel cough to flourish so conditions at the moment are ideal for the bacteria to grow and spread. Kennel Cough needs to be treated early to avoid it giving rise to more serious health concerns. Coughs can also be transferred so owners should avoid their pet coming into contact with other animals to prevent the spread of the disease. Boarding Kennels for example will not take an animal with Kennel Cough and this is one of the reasons that they will ask to see that your pet’s vaccinations are up to date on arrival. With the summer holidays just around the corner and many people intending to put their pets into kennels, now is a good time to check your pet is fully vaccinated and that boosters are up to date.
This is part 3 of our The Vet Says series on fly strike in rabbits - you can read part 1 here and part 2 here. The wrong diet can increase the risk of your rabbit suffering from fly strike in a number of ways. If they are fed too much food they will become obese which means they will not be able to groom themselves properly. Also, the wrong diet greatly increases the risk of them developing dental disease which again can lead to failure to groom and a soiled perineum. Finally, simply overfeeding can result in rabbits not performing caecotrophy and getting a soiled back end. As well as fly strike, many of the problems we see in rabbits every day is caused by poor diet. So what constitutes a good diet for your rabbit? Remember that domestic rabbits are no different from wild rabbits in terms of their digestive system, so mimicking a wild rabbits diet is a good place to start. The most important component of their diet needs to be hay. Rabbits in the wild are grazers and only eat grass and other plants. They are designed to eat lots of low quality, high fibre food. This is vital for the health of their digestive system and helps to wear down their teeth, that grow continuously throughout their life. You should feed your rabbit at least its own body size in hay each day. They also can eat grass but must never be fed lawnmower clippings as these can make them ill. Secondly, you should feed your rabbit fresh vegetables. A handful morning and evening is about the right amount. In the wild, rabbits do not eat fruit or root vegetables. Green vegetables are the best to feed such as broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, kale, celery leaves, parsley, spinach. Despite the common idea that rabbits should eat carrots, they are high in sugar and should only be fed sparingly. The green carrot tops are ideal though. There are some plants that are very dangerous to your rabbit and must be avoided. These include: Amaryllis, Bindweed, Bracken, Elder Poppies, Foxglove, Laburnum, Yew, Lily-of-the-Valley, Lupin, Most evergreens, Oak leaves, Privet, Ragwort, Rhubarb leaves. If in any doubt ask your vet. Finally, you can feed some commercial rabbit food. What are the different types of commercial rabbit food you can feed? Find out next time!
Ted came to our Wickford branch, with a slightly delicate problem. Emma Ruggles saw him. See Ted's story in this video.
In this video series meet the staff at Cherrydowns Vets. The first of the series sees our director Jonathan Nurse in the hot seat, with a tale of a dog who ate something he shouldn't have
The good news about snakes is that we only have one native venomous species in the UK - the Adder (Vipera berus). Even better news is that they're largely elusive creatures who are about as keen on running into you as you are of running into them.
Read more: The Vet Says...what to do if your dog is bitten by a snake
In Part 1 we talked about what fly strike is, in Part 2 we talk about what signs you should be looking for and how to prevent fly strike. The first thing an owner must do to prevent fly strike is regularly check their rabbit. This may seem like a very obvious statement but it never ceases to amaze me how many people do not handle and interact with their rabbits on a daily basis. Just putting some food in the cage once or twice a day is not properly caring for your rabbit! It is essential that the rabbit’s perineal area (area underneath the tail around the bottom and vulva/penis) is checked on a daily basis. In a healthy rabbit, this area should be completely clean and free from faecal matter and urine. Any urine soaked fur or faecal material is abnormal and should not be ignored. If the perineal area is found to be dirty then it is a real concern. As a minimum the owner should clean the area by bathing, but ideally the rabbit should be checked by a vet to determine why it is not grooming properly.
They say "there's an app for that..." and they mean it. We were really chuffed to find out there's now an app designed for the pet owner. The RSPCA has launched its My Pet app, which - amongst other things - includes: * RSPCA news * A diary to store your pet's info as well as reminders for key dates like vaccinations, flea treatments and pet insurance renewal (we like this!) * Pet care facts and tips for cats, dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs * A scrapbook where you can choose background images and photo frames to create a gallery of your pet’s best pictures * You can also share news on Twitter and your scrapbook pictures on Facebook. The RSPCA My Pet app is free to download from iTunes. It is currently available for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users only. Find out more about the RSPCA My Pet app
June is National Microchipping Month, and if you haven't already done it you should seriously think about it. If your pet went missing how sure are you that you would be reunited? Where would your best friend wind up? Collars and name tags of course can tell the person who finds your pet where they live, but they're not foolproof. The most effective way of ensuring your pet's safety is microchipping. If she does go missing and they wind up in one of the many animal welfare shelters around the country, a quick scan and a phone call could save you the unimaginable anxiety of not knowing where they are, or who they're with. The procedure itself takes seconds, is painless and cheaper than you might think. In fact at Cherrydown in June we're taking 50% off microchipping. Normally you'd pay £20, but this month it's just £10. Small price to pay for peace of mind wouldn't you say? Call our reception on 01268 533636 to arrange an appointment in June. At Cherrydown Vets, we choose to use Petlog, the UK's largest Microchip Registration and Reunification Database - as we want to ensure our Clients and their pets get the best possible service.
Read more: Dude...Where's my cat? National Microchipping Month
This is the shocking story of an all too common occurrence. Cherrydown vet Catherine treated a dog at the end of May who was incredibly malnourished and nervous. The dog's name is Tilly, and this is her story. "On Friday 27th May 2011 our son Andrew was aware of a 4x4 vehicle rushing down the street with a brown coloured dog chasing after it. He managed to get hold of the dog and brought it to us. As you can see by the photos she was really underweight and very timid. "We managed to get some food inside her, but it took 2-3 hours before she would drink any water. We have had her for two weeks now and she is putting on some weight but is still very thin. Although the photos don't show it clearly she had cuts to her leg and it looked like she had been just thrown from the vehicle. "We are not very happy with people who dump dogs like this and hope this might help to stop this sort of thing happening." Mr & Mrs J. We work closely with the RSPCA at Cherrydown Vets and hear about this far too often. Please, if you know of this happening in your area, contact the police and/or the RSPCA, and give them as much info as possible. The mistreatment of dogs needs to stop.
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