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Welcome to the latest issue of BVS e-News. In this Issue
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Well, it's been years in the planning but finally our new clinic is nearly ready for us all to move in. We are very excited about it, especially 'Trappa' who has overseen most of the tradesmen's work over the last 8 months and, like us, he is also very impressed with the fantastic job. At this stage we are on track to move over sometime in August, or possibly September, but we will keep everyone informed. Canine Artificial Insemination 
This article has been written by Sean McGrath, final year Veterinary student from Charles Sturt University, who we were fortunate to have here doing a clinical placement for 2 weeks in May. Artificial insemination (AI) is a useful tool in dog breeding programs. Pre planning is very important to a successful AI program as it is a step by step process. Initially the type of semen to be used should be identified, with the most common options being fresh and chilled. Fresh semen can only be used if the dog and bitch to be inseminated are in the same place, but natural service can not occur for whatever reason. Chilled semen is generally used when bitch and dog are geographically separated. The semen is collected, chilled and arrives at it's destination ready for immediate use. As both of these types of semen require immediate use it is important that the breeder knows if the bitch is at the right stage for fertilisation. A bitch is able to be seen “in season” due to external changes such as bloody vaginal discharge, swelling of the vulva and licking the genitalia. For approximately the first 9 days the male will be attracted but the female will not respond. Once the bitch is receptive to mating, ovulation is imminent and it is this event that we need to try and predict. To accurately predict ovulation and therefore the timing of AI, regular blood testing of progesterone levels can be done. In the early stages of a season this hormone will be constant but will gradually increase and peak at around the 9-10 day mark, just prior to ovulation. This progesterone peak is the gauge on timing of insemination as it gives the best indication of when fertilisation will be possible. Timing of insemination depends on the semen to be used. Key points to discuss with your veterinarian: Pictured is Ilsa, a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback with her litter of our first successful AI puppies. Although 'Dad' isn't in the photo, Fanning would be upset if we didn't at least mention he played a very important role too! Thanks Lisa for the great photo. 
A young woman was travelling with her infant son on a train when a man walking down the aisle abruptly halted in front of her, did a double take, and exclaimed, "That's the ugliest baby I've ever seen." The woman burst into tears, and the conductor who heard her crying tried to console her. "Don't worry about what inconsiderate people have to say; they're just being uncouth. Here, here's a banana for your monkey." 
Dr Lucy Parker (pictured right) recently made the difficult decision to leave us here in Bungendore and make the move closer to Sydney to spend more time with her partner. Lucy has been such a wonderful, friendly, caring and compassionate member of our team, her boots will be very hard to fill! We know she will not only be missed very much by us; her clients and patients will be very sad to lose her too. Lucy leaves Bungendore in mid July so feel free to pop in and say goodbye. Our Saturday vet Dr Kalyna Harasymiv (pictured below right) recently graduated from the Australian National University in Medicine and is now working at the Canberra Hospital. This unfortunately means that she is now too busy to commute to Bungendore on weekends to see furry patients. We are all so very proud of what Kalyna has achieved and although we will miss her greatly, we wish her all the best with her career in human medicine! 
Another six months has passed, we are half way to Christmas again! So much has happened here at the clinic since our last newsletter. Sonna gave birth to a beautiful baby boy Cody, way back in January and both are doing really well. We would like to welcome nurses Nancy Jobst and Paula Wood, who have joined our team recently. Nancy was a veterinary nurse in Colorado, in the United States for many years before moving out to Australia with her husband. Paula was head nurse in a very busy city practice, though now spends most of her time looking after her two young boys. You will more than likely find Nancy and Paula working on Saturday mornings, so pop in and say hello. Both Nancy and Paula are highly qualified veterinary nurses with years of experience between them but have never used our computer system for bookings, so we would just like to ask our clients to please be patient while they are learning our system, particularily on busy Saturday mornings. Jaimee has just completed her first semester of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney and is liking the big city life and Uni culture very much. Only 4 1/2 years to go, Jaimes!! Luckily, since she is now a poor university student, Jaimee still likes to come back here and work when her timetable allows it , so you will see her here at the clinic occasionally. Many of us have attended courses over the last few months, keeping up to date with an ever changing profession is very interesting. Jack went to Brisbane recently for the Pan Pacific Veterinary Conference and attended a day of lectures and a day at a wetlab (hands on workshop) on Equine Ophthalmology. Perin also has attended a seminar on looking after geriatric cats and she has written an article about this very interesting topic in this newsletter. Michael went to The University of Sydney in March for their wetlab on Canine Stifle surgical techniques, including the quite common cruciate ligament repair. Naomi and Kay attended an informative evening seminar with a physiotherapist regarding the latest therapies for pets.
Snugglesafe Microwave Pet Heat pad - this is a wonderful product designed especially for use in animals' beds. It is a 210mm round disc that is heated in any microwave oven and then provides warmth to your pet for the next 10-12 hours. This product is a great idea as there are no electrical cords to worry about and no scalding water that could potentially leak out. The outer casing is made of tough plastic but each disc also comes with a soft washable cover. We have been using one of these pads in the clinic for convalescing animals, but they would also be great for use at home by elderly pets or young puppies and kittens. Its hard to imagine many cats not curling up on one of these pads on one of our cold winter nights either! Weatherbeeta dog rugs - speaking of cold winter nights, we are also keeping a range of dogs coats at the surgery. Weatherbeeta dog coats come in a range of styles from shower-proof ultra warm jackets, to quilted soft indooor coats, to a very stylish pink moleskin coat for the girl about town. We have most sizes in the surgery, so you can try them on your dog and we can order in a particular style and size if it's not on hand. Older dogs in particular can benefit from a coat at this time of year, particularly if they are starting to develop any arthritic signs. Microchip cat flaps - these are battery powered cat flap doors that can be fitted in most door types, including glass. They are set to recognise your cat's unique microchip and will open only for them. Each cat flap can store up to 32 different microchip numbers. This allows your cat/s to come and go as they please, but will not allow other animals to enter your house.
by Perin Patterson I recently attended a one day conference here in Canberra focused solely on the care of older cats. It was a really inspiring day and I thought I might share a few of the interesting points with you. How old is my cat? The following information is used by the Melbourne Specialist Cat Clinic to give approximations of cat age in human years. Life Stage Age of Cat Human Year Approximation Kitten 0-3 months 0-4 years 4-6 months 4-10 years Adolescent 6-18 months 10-20 years Prime 2-6 years 20-40 years Mature 7-10 years 40-56 years Senior 11-14 years 60-72 years Geriatric 15-17 years 76-84 years 18 + years 85-100+ years In the 1970s and 80s, 'old' for a cat was considered to be about 12 years of age but since the 1990s many cats are living well into their late teens. No one is really sure why but popular theories include the improved nutrition offered by commercial diets and an increasingly indoor lifestyle. Diseases of Older Cats Geriatric cats are more considerate of their veterinarians than dogs and the majority stick to a fairly short list of illnesses when they do eventually become sick. Common conditions to watch out for in older cats are kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and cancer. Finding some of these conditions before they cause major illness can markedly improve quality of life - and lifespan. Symptoms to look for in your cat that might provide clues they are being affected by one of these conditions are: drinking and urinating more than usual, weight loss, increasing appetite, dry poor coat, frequent vomiting and diarrhoea. Some of these medical conditions can be easily diagnosed or excluded with a single blood or urine test. Osteoarthritis in Cats Of most interest was the information presented on osteoarthritis (or OA) as it appears that both vets and owners frequently fail to notice this condition in cats. This is a shame because dogs have benefited greatly from increased treatment for arthritis and I suspect many cats could continue to be active throughout more of their lives if we recognised their discomfort and provided effective treatment. Some of the signs that a cat is suffering from OA include: Changes in their jumping behaviour - avoidance of jumping, reaching their favourite high spot via a series of smaller intermediate jumps, changing their favourite high spot to somewhere lower, hestitation before jumping, reduced frequency of jumping, misjudged jumps and increased falls. Change in movement - limping, moving less fluidly, moving differently up and down stairs. Poor grooming - especially of the back half of their bodies. Aggression - especially when patted over the lower half of their spine. Poor toileting - failure to get wastes into the litter tray. Decreased activity - no longer playing with favourite toys, increased sleeping. Not all treatment for arthritis will involve medication as things such as weight loss, environment modification, dietary supplements and physiotherapy can make significant differences to arthritic cats. Physiotherapists who have completed extra study in treating animals are now available in the Canberra region. If medication is considered likely to help your cat, there are an increasing number of products available for them. Top Tips to Keep your Older Cat Healthy 1. Regular dental care - reduces the incidence of heart and kidney disease. 2. Maintain healthy weight - obesity will put your cat a much greater risk of diabetes and arthritis. 3. Encourage activity - respond to your cat when they want to play and see if you can get them interested in the odd game. 4. Encourage water consumption - put more water bowls areound their environment, offer wet food regularly (commercial or natural), offer lactose free pet milk if your cat likes it. 5. Regular grooming - will help reduce fur balls and thus the incidence of constipation and inflammed bowels. 6. Presenting your cat to a vet promptly if you notice signs of increased drinking and urinating. Diabetes in cats is frequently reversible if it is caught early and those with kidney disease often live for many years once their diet has been modified appropriately.
This article has been written by Stacey Wehmeier, a client of Bungendore Vet who was eager to pass on her feelings and views about euthanasia, a subject which no-one likes to think about, but most people will face at one point in their lives. We hope it may help you if or when that time comes for your pets. Pictured is Stacey's beloved 'Echoe' who passed away this year. This is a hard article to write. So many things have happened since we were asked to do this that were heart breaking, but none have changed our views about 'when is the right time to let go'. As humans, when we become terminally ill we are so very privileged to be able to say “I’ve had enough, let me go, no more treatment please”. Those that love us find it hard to obey our wishes mainly because they hope for a miracle or just can’t face the change ahead of them. Those kinds of thoughts are not about the one whose life is affected – they are about the pain of the ones who must remain here. That is the issue we need to put aside. Remaining behind is surely the most painful thing but loving our pets enough to let go is the most loving thing. In the end, that is what we would all ask for I am sure. All lives are finite, we all want to live forever but our bodies are not designed that way. So when it comes time to acknowledge that your pet, whom you love so intensely and dearly has reached the point where it is time to let them go, how do you make that decision? Essentially you are put in the role of playing God and determining what happens to your pet's life. We have been faced with this choice on a number of occasions. Our Bull Terrier had a stroke at 11 years of age. We had her put to sleep because when she looked at us, we knew she was done. We then many years later had a Bullmastiff baby suffer a stroke at 7 months of age. We were told she would most likely die, but there was fire in her eyes and today she is a happy and boisterous 3 year old living the good life fishing and rounding up the horses. We aren’t always given the blessing of the decision. But if you find yourself in this position, please ask yourself this one question: “If I was a creature wild at heart, would I want to be living this crippled and miserable life? Or would I want to be set free from the never endingness of it?” Please love them enough to give them joyful and wonderful lives. Then when it is time (and we all know when it is time even though the temptation to hide from it is so strong) love them even more by letting them go. Let them go like we would like to go, with dignity. With pride. That is what counts in the end. Your heart will never fully heal, that is part of loving so deeply, but you will find comfort in being able to be brave enough to end the suffering of the one you love so dearly. Base your decision on their happiness and quality of life - not your own pain and fear of loss. You owe them at least that much after a lifetime of love. Be loving in your decision and self-less in your choices. In that road lays peace and acceptance and a greater kindness for those we love. That is our gift in return for all they give us. |
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