CATTERY NEWS
Supermarkets were selling Hot Cross buns in February this year - which means that Easter can’t be far away. Easter and Christmas are times when our cattery is always under pressure, so please put some thought into whether you need accommodation for cat between April 6th-9th very soon.
We run a waitlist system on a ‘first come first served’ basis and are happy to put you on the list to ensure your spot. Call us on 385 7773 to get on the list.
Please note that cattery prices will be going up from May 1st. However we will honour any booking made BEFORE May 1st at the current price up until the Christmas break.
Expect prices to rise by $1.50 per day, to help cover increased operational costs.
CASE STUDY - Chemotherapy for pets.
We wanted to run a medical feature on how chemotherapy can help prolong and improve the quality life your cat enjoys.
To give you an owners perspective the Campbell’s kindly wrote some words about what Chemotherapy has done for their cat Hamish. Unfortunately Hamish passed away before we made it to print last year
We have decided to still run the Campbells words, with their blessing, because with this treatment the Campbell family had two years with Hamish they might not have otherwise.
Unlike human chemotherapy, chemo in animals is much “gentler”. We are trying to improve quality AND quantity of life for our pets, so we do not treat as aggressively, and therefore try to avoid causing the vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea and hair loss commonly associated with human chemotherapy. The Campbell’s words follow….
“When Hamish was diagnosed with cancer in August 2004, aged 8, our decision to give treatment a go was based on the fact that we considered him a member of our family and up until then he'd been a very healthy cat. We didn't really want to consider the financial commitment too much as we felt that it was irrelevant to our decision making - we would finance it somehow.
Now, two years later, we don't regret our decision at all as he continues to have a wonderful quality of life.
However, it has meant a huge financial, time and personal commitment by the whole family. This has included regular trips to both our local vet and specialists, administering medications, monitoring carefully at home, and having to hospitalise him if we went away.
Of course Hamish's input to this process has been as equally important - he is obviously a fighter and has a very strong will to live. We have always said that we'll keep going as long as his quality of life is good, and recently after a change in drugs it has been so good he's revisiting some of his old annoying tricks again!”
We are discussing chemo in this article because cancer is becoming more commonly diagnosed as we take better care of our animals and they live longer. In fact, it is now the leading cause of death amongst our pets. A diagnosis of cancer does NOT have to mean the end of your animal’s life. We hope the Campbell’s article shows you that chemotherapy should be something to consider if your pet is diagnosed with this all too common disease.
Chemotherapy Treatment
- Can be very effective depending on type of tumour
- Does require a significant time and financial investment, but this may vary depending on type of cancer and size of animal also.
- Does NOT cause the “classic side effects” of chemo (e.g. vomiting) we see in humans.
CARDIOLOGY SEMINAR - Dr. Natalie Reports…..
In December 2006, I went to Christchurch to attend cardiology seminar. Over 2 days we learnt about early and accurate diagnosis of cardiac disease, and ways to treat it effectively.
One of the main problems with cardiac disease in animals is that it can progress over a long period of time without showing any overt signs. You might think your older dog is slowing down because they are getting older, when in fact, they have developed cardiac disease, and they can’t deliver blood around their body effectively.
The single most important thing you can do to help identify heart disease in your pet is to ensure your pet has regular check ups. These should be annual checks for young pets, and as they become senior patients (over 8 usually), every 6 months.
Signs your animal may have a heart disease are coughing (especially at night), general reluctance to exercise or slowing down on walks, inability to walk as far as they used to, and fainting or collapse.
Foodle - premium pet food delivered to your door!
Finding it a hassle to get to the vet clinic to pick up more food? Very soon you will be able to order your pet food online and have it couriered directly to you.
While many of you already pick up the phone and have food couriered to your home, we have upgraded our service to include online ordering at www.foodle.co.nz.
Users will be given their own account name and the food will still be sent from Tasman St. We can keep track of your purchases to make sure you are getting your frequent purchaser benefits, and we can even send you a reminder when you are running low on food.
In addition we will have plenty of cool accessories available for your pet.
Think of the time savings when your food gets delivered straight home or to your work! No more fighting the 5pm traffic. That has GOT to be a good thing.
Well that’s all from us - thanks for reading! We look forward to seeing you next time at Tasman St Vet Centre.
