I found some fleas on my pet. What should I do?

Fleas are everywhere, and are especially prolific in the warmer months. All animals and the home environment must be taken into account when trying to control a flea problem. There are lots of different products around - our experience is that the supermarkets carry cheap flea control products using older insecticides that fleas often have developed resistance to. The new generation insecticides carried by vet clinics work much better, tend to be a lot safer for your pet, and you, and prove more cost effective. 

What is microchipping?

A microchip is a tiny electronic chip, about the size of a grain of rice, encoded with a unique number. It is inserted just under the skin, either between the shoulder blades or under the ear. When inserted, the microchip number is recorded along with the pet's and owners' details to provide a permanent means of identification. If you would like your pet chipped while conscious, either as a puppy before it gets desexed,or an older dog that will probably not be having an anaesthetic in the near future the cost is $74.70,this includes the registration paperwork and local anaesthetic used to numb the skin for the large needle used to insert the chip. All microchipped animals in South Australia should be tattooed with the letter "M" in the right ear - this requires the pet to be heavily sedated as it can be a sensitive area. It costs $58 if your pet is microchipped and tattooed while under sedation or general anaestheic for another reason. There is an extra charge for sedation if you require your pet to be tattooed while undergoing implantation of the chip. This charge depends on the size of your dog but may be up to $70 extra. 

What is heartworm and should I treat my pet for it?

Heartworm is a parasite that lives in the blood of some mammals. It is transmitted from animal to animal by mosquitoes who carry the larvae in their saliva. It is more of a problem for dogs than cats. The larvae grow up into adult worms over a period of about 3months. These adults then 'stick' inside the large chambers of the heart and start to cause the dog's heart to dilate and the muscles to weaken as they struggle to push blood around the body. Eventually the dog will start to show signs of cardiac failure: coughing; weakness; exercise intolerance;panting; bloated belly and possibly even sudden death. Heartworm infections are rare in south australia fortunately but in August 2007 we diagnosed a local dog with clinical heartworm disease, he was already unwell with coughing and lethargy. Luckily for Bear he was diagnosed early enough to be able to initiate treatment to stop further infection and kill off the baby heartworms he had in his blood.This disease can be easily prevented by using heartworm preventative medication. There are various preparations available from the practice. Once monthly tablets, which can also treat gut worms, spot on preparations which treat gut roundworms, fleas and even mites as well, or once a year injections. To choose the best regime for you and your dog have a chat with the vet or veterinary nurse! 

Why should I get my pet desexed and when should I book the operation?

Desexing (castration for males, speying for females) is a common surgery carried out by vets. There are many medical reasons that vets recommend this procedure for your pet. In females especially it prevents unwanted pregnancies, womb infections, breast cancers (if carried out early enough) and unwanted male attention when the bitch is in season. In males castration (removal of the testicles) is found to often reduce male aggression towards other dogs, decrease the chance of your pet roaming excessively and fighting over territory, prevent prostatic disease and prevent testicular cancers in later life. Desexing your pet rarely 'changes' your pet's character in any way, although some animals are more prone to weight gain because it does slow their metabolism (ability to burn calories), careful diet control can stop this happening. Some breeds of dogs may develope a slightly fluffier coat too! We recommend desexing your cat anytime from 5 and half months of age, female cats can get pregnant as young as 6months so if you have a boy and a girl book it early. We recommend speying female dogs before their first season, usually 6-7mths of age for most breeds, so again arrange the operation for 5-6 months of age. Male dogs are also better castrated before they have reached puberty to avoid the testosterone effects on their behaviour towards other dogs.