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Category: SMALL

The kitten & the dinosaur

At Oakhill Veterinary Centre our vets see many species of animal but don’t expect to come across dinosaurs!

Kodi, a 10 month old kitten presented with intermittent vomiting that had been going on for one week.  During his examination at our Watling Street Road branch, Oakhill Vet Ciara Callan could feel something abnormally firm and knobbly in his abdomen. Concerned that he may have eaten something that had become stuck Ciarra decided to sedate Kodi and take some X-rays.

The xrays didn’t show a bony foreign body but while Kodi was sedated the vet could have a really good feel of his abdomen and could feel there was something very strange going on in there so decided to take Kodi to surgery.

During surgery Ciara found that Kodi’s guts were inflamed and in his small intestine she found the culprit….. a dinosaur! Well the torso of what looks to be a toy T-Rex. 

The dinosaur was made of a soft rubber which is why it didn’t show up on the xray. If the dinosaur had been left Kodi wouldn’t have been able to eat and the results would have been catastrophic.

Kodi is doing very well after surgery, although he doesn’t like resting and wants to go back to playing with his brother.

Thank you to Kodi’s human mum for letting us share this story as warning to other cat parents to be careful with what their furbabies play with (although we have no idea where he found the dinosaur!).

Brexit: Travelling with pets after UK leaves the EU

Pet owners will still be able to travel to Europe with their pet after the UK leaves the EU, whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations. However, in the event of no deal, they may need to take some additional steps to be able to travel with their pet to the EU.

If pet owners are planning to travel after 29 March 2019 the Government will recommend they contact their vet at least four months in advance to check what they need to do.

Those wishing to travel to the EU on 30 March 2019, for example, should discuss requirements with their vet as soon as possible and by 28 November 2018 at the latest.

The requirements for travel would include making sure that pets are effectively vaccinated against rabies before they travel. This involves having an up-to-date rabies vaccination and a blood test to demonstrate sufficient levels of rabies antibody.

The blood test would need to be carried out a minimum of 30 days after any initial rabies vaccination and a minimum of three months before their travel date. This means that pet owners will need to talk to their vet about health requirements in good time to make sure they are able to travel with their pet.

The Government has published further guidance for pet owners on its website.

If you wish to discuss further, please contact us.

Petplan Awards – Vote for us!

Petplan Veterinary Awards – Vote for us!

The Petplan Veterinary Awards recognise the fantastic work that goes on in veterinary practices across the UK. Petplan has worked closely with the veterinary profession for over 40 years and hosts these independent industry awards to recognise the hard work and dedication of veterinary staff caring for our pets.

Does our practice or someone in the team deserve to win a Veterinary Award?

To nominate Oakhill or a member of our team, please visit petplan.co.uk/vetawards

#PetplanVetAwards

New Small Animal reception at Goosnargh

If you’ve visited our Goosnargh branch recently, you’ll have noticed a significant amount of building work happening.

Although the work is not quite complete, the latest developments include the addition of a new, dedicated small animal reception area which some of the team moved into this week, leaving the original reception area dedicated to large animal.

There are also two new small animal consultation rooms and a new dispensary!

Come & see us at the Great Eccleston Show – 14th & 15th July!

Come and see us at the Great Eccleston Show on 14th & 15th July!

The Great Eccleston Show is a two day event showcasing every aspect of rural endeavour and this year our Small Animal Team will be there!

Why not come along to the Oakhill marquee – we’ll have lots of fun activities going on and some fantastic prizes to be won!

There’ll also be some great competitions in the main ring at the show, including heavy horse classes and Holstein classes, some of which are sponsored by Oakhill Equine Vets and Oakhill Farm Vets respectively.

To buy tickets to the show visit: http://www.greatecclestonshow.co.uk

Is your pet travel ready?

As holiday season begins it’s important to check that your pet is travel ready if you plan to take them abroad this summer.

If you wish to travel outside the UK with your pet, the legal requirements vary depending on the other country involved, so you’ll need to check the Defra website for full information: https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/overview.

It’s also a good idea to check with your travel company to see if they:

  • will accept your pet for travel – and how many they’ll accept if you have more than one
  • need any proof that your pet is fit and healthy to travel, for example a letter from a vet or certain information in your pet passport

Remember to leave enough time to get all the necessary treatment and paper work in order before you travel. Pet passports are available from our surgeries to allow cats, dogs and ferrets to travel between listed countries without quarantine.

  • Book an appointment with your vet well in advance of travel to get started on the right medication at the right time
  • Check rabies vaccination and pet passport are up to date
  • Ensure microchip is working and reading correctly
  • Speak to your vet about preventive treatment needed to protect your dog against ticks, sandflies, heartworm and tapeworm
  • Talk to your vet if going somewhere hot to discuss prevention of heatstroke and how to recognise signs of the problem in your dog. 

     


    Please contact your Oakhill Veterinary Centre to make an appointment or for further information.

HEAT STRESS IN DOGS

Overheating and heat stress can be a killer so here are some tips to help your dog have a happy and healthy summer.

 

SYMPTOMS:

  • Panting excessively
  • Drooling
  • Increase in heart rate
  • Reddened/purple gums
  • Vomiting and Diarrhoea
  • Seizures progressing to coma and even death.

TREATMENT:

As soon as possible move your pet to a cooler spot, keep them as quiet and calm as possible. Use wet cool towels to gradually lower the temperature and use a fan if possible. Contact your vet as soon as possible as serious complications may result.

 

PREVENTION:

  • Exercise your dog early morning/late evening to avoid the midday sun.
  • Ensure access to shade in the garden you could even supply a paddling pool!
  • Have fresh cool water available, put ice -cubes in the water if taking some out with you.
  • Be extra careful with either very young or old, overweight or longhaired animals. Some breeds are more likely to suffer including short-nosed breeds such as boxers and pugs etc.
  • NEVER leave your pet in a parked car even on overcast days the temperature can increase dramatically.
  • Clip longhaired breeds.
  • Use a fan in the rooms where you pet likes to settle.