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RSPCA MILLION PAWS WALK

Once again Orange Veterianry Hospital will be supporting the RSPCA Million Paws walk.  This great fund raiser is on Sunday the 18th May 2014.  OVH will have face painting, pet portraits, balloons and pupcakes available all for gold coin donation to the RSPCA.

The walk itself kicks of at 11.00am, so grab the lead and come down to say hi and support this worthwhile cause.

Our very own Andrew Litchfield will be opening the event.

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Contents of this newsletter

01  A Cat on Wheels.

02  If your dog told you he was in pain would you want to help?

03  Cats get arthritis too

04  'Is Piper pulling the wool over my eyes?'

05  What can you do to make your arthritic pet more comfortable at home?

06  One very agile pooch!

01 A Cat on Wheels.
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"Rummy" greeting her owners in her new cart and ready to go home.

Never Say Never

We would like to share a story of recent patient of ours and her dedicated owners. Rummy was a 12 week old kitten that presented as an emergency late one night in January. Rummy was unfortunately attacked by a dog who eventually threw her into a swimming pool. Her very dedicated owners brought her straight in where she underwent emergency surgery to close the holes in her chest left by the dog’s teeth. Recovering in hospital over the next five days it was found that the spinal injury she sustained would result in her not being able to use her hind limbs. Her owners spent the next few weeks performing daily physio exercises with frequent revisits at the clinic. After three months of rehabilitation Rummy was fitted for her own set of wheels – red in colour as apparently red goes faster! Today Rummy is coping really well with improved voluntary movement in her hind limbs. She is able to move independently around the house and her owner even reports her climbing the curtains.

02 If your dog told you he was in pain would you want to help?
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Dogs are very good at hiding pain. It is a matter of survival, as in the wild, a weak or sick animal is easy prey. Add to this your dog's desire to please you all the time and it is not uncommon for pain to go unnoticed.

One of the most painful conditions in dogs is arthritis and as the weather is getting cooler we will start to see many more painful arthritis cases raise their ugly heads.

Your dog MAY be trying to tell you he has arthritic pain and you need learn to look out for some of the warning signs:

  • Difficulty jumping in to the car, up on the furniture or climbing stairs
  • Stiffness especially in the morning
  • Difficulty getting up or lying down; you may notice your dog slowly lower himself down
  • Reluctance to walk, play or chase the ball
  • Sleeping or resting more
  • Lethargy
  • Less excitement when greeting you
  • Muscle loss over spine, hind legs and shoulders 

The good news is that there are PLENTY of tools we have up our sleeve to help your dog. Many people are surprised at the change in their dog's personality after we start a treatment plan.

If you have any inkling your dog might be in pain arrange a check up with us as soon as possible.

03 Cats get arthritis too
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Arthritic cats often have a scruffy and unkept coat as they have trouble grooming themselves

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image: www.memegen.com

Because cats are relatively small and very agile they are even better than dogs at hiding or covering up mobility difficulties caused by arthritis. We generally don't take cats for a walk around the block so it is hard to see a limp or change in gait. Pain commonly goes unnoticed in our feline friends so watch out for these subtle signs:

Mobility

  • Your cat may hesitate when jumping up or down from your lap or from the furniture
  • She may not land very gracefully when jumping down
  • Will be reluctant to climb the fence or climb trees
  • Will be unwilling to move freely in and out of cat flap 
  • She may no longer use the litter box, especially if it has high sides 

Temperament

  • She may be less tolerant around people and be reluctant to be picked up or moved
  • Hissing, scratching or even biting when touched
  • More withdrawn and less likely to interact with you or other pets she usually tolerates

Appearance

  • Matted or scruffy coat; she may be too sore to turn around and groom herself
  • Your cat’s nails may not wear down as quickly as they once did simply because she is less active
04 'Is Piper pulling the wool over my eyes?'
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Piper, the boisterous eight year old labrador had always loved his walks. He had slowed down a bit during summer but his owner Sue thought it was just due to the heat. When the days started to cool off, Sue became confused as Piper seemed even less enthusiastic about his walks.

Every time Piper and Sue went for their usual 6km morning walk he had started to want to turn back at the end of the street.

Sue was convinced Piper was being just being a bit lazy and stubborn and asked her vet if Piper could be pulling the wool over her eyes and trying to get out of going for a walk?

A vet examination revealed Piper had sore hips, and X-rays confirmed early arthritic changes in the hip joint. Sue was shocked - wasn't Piper too young to be developing arthritis? He had never had a limp, he wasn't whimpering and he still jumped around at dinner time!

It is sometimes a surprise to owners when we tell them their dog is in pain. Remember, dogs won't always whine or yelp, particularly with chronic pain - they simply learn to live with it.

Piper was started on a course of anti-inflammatories, a special joint diet and arthritis injections. Within two weeks he was a new dog - Sue couldn't believe it! And he was loving his walks again.

If you've noticed a change in your dog's personality or habits he might be trying to tell you something!

 

05 What can you do to make your arthritic pet more comfortable at home?
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If we have diagnosed arthritis in your pet we will have worked out a suitable treatment program to help relieve your pet's pain. As well as medical treatment, there are plenty of things you can do at home to improve your pet's quality of life.

Here are our top tips:

  1. Keep your pet’s weight in a healthy range to reduce the load on the joint
  2. Provide a dry and comfortable bed, away from draughts and with plenty of padding
  3. Heated beds can provide relief in winter
  4. Coats and jackets will help prevent your pet feeling the cold
  5. Reduce the number of stairs your pet must climb - use a non slip ramp
  6. Use a portable ramp to help your dog in and out of the car
  7. Make sure food and water bowls are easily accessible
  8. Provide an additional piece of furniture so your cat doesn't have to jump so high to reach his favourite sunny spot
  9. Exercise your pet in moderation; gentle daily walks for dogs help keep the joints moving and muscles toned

 

06 One very agile pooch!

This dog doesn't seem to have any mobility issues...yet! Oh, and we don't recommend your dog attempts all of these moves at home!