Welcome to Spring From your Vet Team

Waiting for consistent warmer days? - They are coming!   It may not feel like that in Melbourne yet - however warmer weather is on the way and our gardens are beginning to show it.  Our pets instinctively know it as well - and are outdoors a bit more now.  Spring is a perfect time for walks - as it's not too hot to ramble and stay out doors and just enjoy the warmth of the Sun.  

At this time of the year we get lots of calls about found baby possums and fledglings.  We give you some great practical information on what to do if you find  a Joey or a fledgling.   Take advantage of October's special saver offer as well.    In our Pet Education Section we highlight why vets do blood testing and give you the info on the types of tests they recommend and why. 

We hope you enjoy the read. As always we welcome you all to drop in and see us and if you have a quick question, we are always happy to have a chat.

Enjoy the newness of this season and Enjoy the Read.

Cheers

Ivor and the Team

What to do if you find a Ringtail Possum on the ground

Here are three of the most common wildlife emergency calls we receive in Spring, and some tips on how to help if you come across these situations.

Ringtail Possums

Ringtail possums typically have between 2 and 4 babies which are called joeys.  Joeys eventually outgrow their mothers pouch and start riding around on her back, but if something scares Mum and she runs away quickly the Joey’s often fall off in the process.

How you can help

If you find  a ringtail Joey the best thing to do is to try and reunite them with their Mum.  If it’s daytime, get a soft towel and gently pick up the Joey using the towel.  Alternatively you can use a soft beanie and place the Joey in a box in a warm, dark, quiet place. 

It’s really important to keep the Joey warm because young possums cannot regulate their body temperature so if it’s cold you may need to fill a hot water bottle with warm (not boiling) water and wrap it in a towel and place it next to the Joey for the Joey to snuggle up against.  Please DO NOT try to feed the Joey.

Once it’s dark outside, take the Joey back to where you found it to see if you can locate Mum.  You’ll usually find they will call out to each other, which should help you to determine where to put the Joey so that its Mum can collect it.

If the Joey appears weak or injured when you find it, or you can’t find Mum within 2 to 3 hours please call us  on 9879 2803 or Wildlife Victoria on 13 000 94535.

What to do if you find a Baby bird on the ground

Flight training begins in spring for  most of our native birdlife, which is when we start getting calls about young birds on the ground who are unable to fly or look like they have a broken wing. 

How you can help:

If you see a baby bird on the ground, it’s most likely its parents are nearby and still looking after it. 

The first thing to do is determine it it’s a nestling or fledging.

Nestlings are fuzzy or have naked skin and don’t have their feathers yet.  They’re too young to survive long out of the nest.

We’ve all heard about how birds will reject their offspring if humans touch them, right? Well, it turns out its not true!  If you can reach the nest, the best thing you can do is to gently pick up the nestling and put it back in.

If you cant reach the nest, try fashioning a makeshift one out of an old hanging planter – just make sure water can drain out if it rains – and hang it up in the tree high enough to avoid predators.

Fledglings have most of their feathers and it’s quite common for them to fall out of their nest and spend several days hoping around on the ground while learning to fly.

Their parents will continue to feed them and distract potential predators by swooping anything that comes near – which can be terrifying if they think you’re a predator, but a lot more understandable when you know they’re just protecting their babies!

If you see a fledgling on the ground or in low bushes and there isn’t any immediate danger then the best thing you can do is leave it alone. Keep pets and kids away, and keep an eye on it from a distance.

In either situation, if you think the baby bird is injured or in danger, give us a call or you can call Wildlife Victoria.

Here are the numbers to call:

Ringwood East Vetcare  

9879 2803

Wildlife Victoria              

  13 000 94535

Pet Ed Section - Blood Tests - are they really necessary?

Why has the vet recommended a blood test?   

Just like we humans - there is a limit to how much a doctor can diagnose through only the physical examination during a medical appointment.   Blood testing naturally complements the physical examination that vets always perform as part of a regular vet consultation.  Pets cannot tell us how they feel and because nature has designed them (particularly cats) not to show outward signs of illness as an effective way of convincing predators.  What is happening internally in your pet can best be diagnosed through taking a small  sample of blood and testing if for a range of disease processes.

The early phases of some diseases such as diabetes, kidney and liver disease and thyroid problems can easily be missed. Symptoms for these diseases are often very subtle initially and our busy fast paced lives do not always give us opportunities to observe subtle changes in our pets’ health.

Some of these problems can be controlled if diagnosed early, so the value of a regular blood test such as a wellness profile can never be underestimated.

Here are the most common blood tests vets recommend:

Pre-anaesthetic Blood Tests

The greatest concern of many pet owners is anaesthetic and surgical safety.  Looks can be deceiving…If your pet is up to date with vaccinations, heart and intestinal worm prevention, is a healthy weight, has a normal level of activity, appetite and drinking habits, and is normal on physical veterinary examination…..it usually means that your pet is 100% healthy…….but this is not always the case.

It may only be when your pet needs to be anaesthetised that early organ dysfunction becomes apparent - manifested through anaesthetic complications. These complications may occur during an anaesthetic - or more commonly delay anaesthetic recovery or develop some weeks following a procedure.

The likelihood that your pet is masking sub-clinical disease increases with your pet’s age. Pets over 7 years of age are considered seniors and are at the greatest risk of anaesthetic complications.

What can a blood test can tell you that an examination can’t?

A pre-anaesthetic blood evaluation provides your vet with a window inside your pet - assessing liver and kidney function and protein levels - which are responsible for the safe metabolism and elimination of anaesthetic agents and therefore a safe recovery. Red blood cell counts are also included in pre-anaesthetic tests which will influence surgical risk in major procedures where bleeding is a possible complication.

Dysfunction of the liver and kidney will really only be apparent clinically when disease is advanced. Blood testing will pick up problems much earlier than an examination ever could.

It is in the best interest of your pet’s safety to pick up any abnormalities before they are anaesthetised.

What happens if the results are abnormal?

The results of a pre-anaesthetic test will help us to select the most appropriate (safest) sedation and anaesthetic for your pet. It will also influence the duration and volume of fluid therapy and the choice of pain relief given to your pet. In some cases where blood abnormalities are significant, your pets anaesthetic may be delayed until further investigation is performed or even cancelled in extreme cases (where the risk of anaesthesia is outweighed by the benefits of the scheduled procedure).

How long does it take to get the blood results back?

Pre-anaesthetic blood tests are run on-site with results obtained within 10 mins of blood collection. Tests can be performed on the same day of a scheduled surgery, or in cases where underlying problems are suspected (especially senior pets), days in advance of the procedure.

Wellness Profile Blood Test - What’s a wellness profile and why should my pet have one?

A Wellness profiles are a blood test which sample targeted body enzymes that reflect the functional statues of the liver, kidney and other metabolic systems.  They are essentially a “snapshot” of metabolic health and give us : - a reference point (this is essential as part of your pets health record as it will be the basis from which other test will be compared) - gives peace of mind that all is well on the inside.

Senior Profile Blood Test– for pets over 7 years of age. - What’s a senior profile and why should my pet have one?  

Senior Profiles are blood tests similar to wellness profiles, but a more comprehensive sampling of enzymes to give a more detailed interpretation of body function.  Senior profiles include urine analysis and thyroid function, and should be preformed at least annually in pets over 7 years of age.  In elderly pets with diagnosed problems such as kidney or thyroid disease, monitoring may need to be more frequent for optimal management.

Thyroid Issues - more common than you think

Did you know that Hyperthyroid disease is the most common hormone disorder in cats and Hypothyroid disease the most common hormone disorder in dogs. 

Give your pet the best health outcome and help them live a long healthy life. 

We are offering some amazing deals on thyroid testing for your pets for the month of October, for just $35.  The test is carried out in a few minutes and you get a take home test result. 

If you decide you’d like your pet to have a full wellness profile completed (you also take these results home) – then the thyroid test is FREE.

Special Saver Offer – October 2016 Only

Limited Stocks

Call to Book 9879 2803