Federation Vet Newsletter June 2011
1 Cartrophen: A great treatment for arthritis in pets
Well the cold weather is well and truly with us, and humans and animals alike are feeling their aches and pains more than ever. The worst affected are the older members of our pet community, especially those aged over 10 years.
Arthritis affects a large proportion of dogs of the medium and large breeds, and is more likely to affect those that are overweight. Some breeds are more at risk than others, and this includes labradors, golden retrievers and German Shepherds. Pets who have had joint injuries or surgery earlier in their lives are also at high risk. Many cats also develop arthritis as they get older.
Early signs of arthritis are reluctance to get up in the morning, stiffness when moving around, and inability to get up steps or into the back of the car. This may progress to yelping in pain and even dogs being unable to get up at all in the morning.
Arthritic animals should always have a warm comfortable place to sleep with plenty of bedding to protect sore joints. A weight loss program should be commenced if weight is an issue.
We use several classes of medication to help ease the pain of arthritis, and among these have found Cartrophen to be very effective. Cartrophen is given as four injections over four weeks, with some patients requiring monthly injections thereafter.
Cartrophen acts directly on the joints, and can ease the symptoms of arthritis within days. There are no side effects and the benefits can stay with the animal for as long as 12 months.
So if your four legged friend is struggling with the cold weather, give us a call and talk to us about your treatment options.
2. Lungworm in cats.
Over the last few months a few clients have asked us about lungworm infection in cats. Lungworm is a complex parasite which is picked up by cats when they eat birds or small mammals like mice. We are unaware of the local prevalence of this worm, however we are carefully investigating all cases of coughing and respiratory disease in cats. The extremely high number of mice available at the moment may increase the likelihood of this parasite being present in a cat.
Happily, the infection is easily controlled with readily available wormers. So if your cat has developed any sort of respiratory symptoms, particularly a long term cough, please contact us for advice.
3. Acupuncture at Federation Vet with Dr Rob Willis
We are very pleased to announce that Dr Rob Willis will be now be consulting at Federation Vet on a regular basis
Rob is based in Albury and is available for consultations in acupuncture and musculoskeletal manupilation. Acupuncture is a growing field in veterinary medicine, and can be very beneficial to animals with spinal and hip problems. It can also be helpful in particular cases of internal disease such as urinary incontinence, dry eye and separation anxiety.
Rob’s passion lies in acupuncture and he completed the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society Certificate run by the Australian Veterinary Acupuncture Association in November 2010. Since then he has dedicated his veterinary work to acupuncture only. .
If you would like to book an appointment with Rob, or would like to discuss with us the suitability of your animal for acupuncture, please give us a call between 8.30 and 5.30, Monday to Friday.
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4. Hills food back in stock.
Many of us have been inconvenienced recently by supply shortages of the Hill''s Science diet and Prescription diet ranges.
We are pleased to announce that most of these shortages have been overcome, and new supplies of Hill''s diets are arriving daily. We expect the full range to be available very soon, so if you have been waiting on a particular product please call the clinic and we''ll let you know if it is in stock.