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Hills Vet Nurse of the Year 2018 

Screams of delight could be heard at Orange Vet Hospital on Vet Nurses Day, 12th October when we learnt that Tamara, OVH Director of Nursing, had won the Hills Vet Nurse of the Year for 2018. 

Tamara had been nominated for the award, unbeknownst to her, by her co-workers in our Nursing team. No one could be more deserving of this win. Tamara is a dedicated Veterinary Nurse who leads her team by example. Committed to the vet nursing profession, she continues to enhance her own knowledge and skill whilst sharing her knowledge with junior and student Vet Nurses, student Veterinarians and is an integral part of the support we provide our new graduate vets. 

Tamara's passion is providing the highest level of patient care regardless of the species, the time of the day or night or the day of the year. Her organisation is second to none and she keeps our nursing team focused and efficient. 

Tamara encapsulates everything that is desirable in a Veterinary Nurse. We are very lucky that she is part of the team at Orange Veterinary Hospital. 

Congratulations Tam!

Tam and Mashona Vet Nurse 2018

Tamara and favourite canine Mashona

Contents of this newsletter

01  November is desex your cat month

02  Send us your Pets photo

03  Does your pet need a vaccination?

04  Myth busters: kennel cough

05  Is your cat a bit wormy?

06  Tick tock

07  Man's best friend

01 November is desex your cat month
One unspayed cat

Image courtesy www.argospetinsurance.co.uk

Neutering November!

Unwanted kittens? Urine spraying Tom cat? Yowling cat all night? Roaming cats missing for days at a time? 

If any of these sound familiar to you we can help. This November we are offering value plus for cat desexings.

Included in desexing procedures for feline patients during November will be a full vet check, bonus nail clip and worm treatment.

Desexing female and male cats is the best way to limit the huge numbers of unwanted kittens and feral cats in our neighbourhoods. 

Call us to make the most of this offer - 63618388

02 Send us your Pets photo
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"I might need a haircut first!"

We are on a mission to add each patient's photo to their file on our database - can you help us?

Email us the best photo of your pet's face (with a smile would be great!) to orangevet@orangevet.com.au - please add your Pet's name and your surname and we can attach it to their clinical notes.

We look forward to lots of smiling pet photos!

03 Does your pet need a vaccination?
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The Christmas holidays are just around the corner (gasp!) and if your pet is going to be boarding this festive season, now is the time to check their vaccination status. Your pet may very well need a booster before they go into the boarding facility so read on to get all the details. 

You need to act swiftly to get things in order, especially if your pet is overdue for a vaccination or the vaccination is due while they are boarding. After all, you don't want the stress of being turned away from the boarding kennel or cattery when you are trying to leave for your holiday!

The best thing to do is give us a call, we can look up your pet's medical file and determine their vaccination history. We will let you know when their vaccine is due and if you need to come in for an appointment. It's also always a good idea to check with the boarding facility what their minimum vaccination requirements are as some places may differ.

Most boarding facilities require cats to have a minimum of an F3 vaccination. This vaccine protects your cat from Feline Herpes Virus, Feline Panleukopenia (Feline Parvovirus) and Feline Calicivirus.

Dogs require a C5 vaccination, protecting your canine friend from Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Canine Parvovirus as well as two components of canine cough; Canine Parainfluenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica.

Did you know that vaccinating your pet is one of the most important ways to keep them healthy?

Here are the reasons why:

1. Vaccinations protect against preventable diseases.

2. Vaccinations are substantially less expensive than the cost of treatment for the diseases they protect against.

3. Vaccinations protect your pet from transmissible diseases in boarding facilities, at parks and even when they visit us (if your pet has to be hospitalised for any illness, their immune system may already be compromised.)

If you have any questions about vaccinations and your pet, always ask us for the most up to date and accurate information. 

04 Myth busters: kennel cough
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It's not uncommon for us to be asked, "if my dog doesn't go to boarding kennels, why is it necessary to vaccinate against kennel cough?"

It's time to bust some myths surrounding this and here are the facts ...

Kennel cough's correct name is 'canine cough'. It is often incorrectly referred to as 'kennel cough' and this is simply because the boarding kennels are a common place for it to be transmitted (given the high numbers of dogs in one area.)

Canine cough is commonly spread via water droplets through the air and can be transmitted between ANY dog. Common sites of transmission include the park, at the groomer, doggy daycare and even walking down the street! As it can be spread through water droplets, a communal water doggy bowl at your local cafe may even be a potential source.

Vaccination is essential as it protects your dog against the worst strains of the disease (the ones that can typically cause nasty pneumonia). BUT it's important to realise that dogs can still contract a cough even if they are vaccinated. Thankfully the disease is never as bad as if they aren't vaccinated.

If you have any questions about vaccination and your pet, we are the best people to ask for advice.

05 Is your cat a bit wormy?
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When it comes to intestinal worming, it's easy to forget about your cat. Sometimes just the thought of giving your cat a tablet can give you nightmares! Never fear, we are here to help. We can either give your cat their worming tablet (they need to come and visit us but it's also a good time for a weight and dental check). Or we can provide you with a topical worming treatment so there's not even a tablet involved!

Don't ignore intestinal worming - it's an important part of caring for your pet. You might also want to familiarise yourself with the most common intestinal worms in cats, they are all rather interesting (in our opinion!)

1. Roundworms: These are common intestinal parasites and can affect cats of all ages. Eggs from these worms can be passed in the faeces and remain in the environment for several years. A cat may become infected after directly ingesting the eggs or after eating an intermediate host (such as a rat or mouse who has ingested the eggs). Some of these worms can even be passed from mother to kitten via the mother's milk.

2. Tapeworms: These long and flat worms are made up of many segments. These segments contain the tapeworm's eggs and are passed in the cat's faeces (they look like little grains of rice!). All tapeworms require an intermediate host (such as a reptile or rodent) to complete their life cycle. Some tapeworms are transmitted by cat fleas and infection can occur when a cat swallows an infected flea during grooming. Did you know that it is assumed any cat infected with fleas also has tapeworm?!

3. Hookworms: Hookworms can cause damage to the lining of the intestine and this may result in weight loss, bleeding and anaemia. Cats may become infected by ingesting the eggs from the environment, or from eating an intermediate host. In some cases, the larvae of the hookworm can even burrow through the cat's skin!

When it comes to protecting your cat against these ghastly intestinal worms, ask us for help, your cat's health depends on it.

06 Tick tock
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This is Annie. Annie is a 2-year-old Jack Russell Terrier Cross who has all the energy in the world and always loves a cuddle on the couch at the end of the day. This Christmas she will be travelling to Mallacoota on the east coast for the quintessential Australian family Christmas.

BUT, there's a danger lurking along the coast and it could be potentially fatal... the paralysis tick. This creepy critter usually loves hanging out along the east coast of Australia (who wouldn't?!) and especially loves dense bush areas. 

Why does the paralysis tick cause so much trouble? Once the tick attaches to a host (such as your pet) it engorges itself with blood and injects a toxin. As the tick slowly grows in size, it continues to inject the toxin over days to weeks so symptoms can be gradual in onset.

Signs to watch out for:

- A change in voice; the meow or bark becomes softer
- Weakness in the back legs
- Vomiting, especially if it happens several times in a day
- A moist cough and difficulties breathing

If the tick is not removed and an anti-serum administered to your pet, your pet can die due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles.

Thankfully there are lots of tick preventatives on the market and Annie has been dispensed a treatment to start before she leaves for her holiday. If your pet needs tick prevention, it is best to discuss the most appropriate product with us. It is also important to realise that not one product is 100% effective so knowing the early signs and performing tick checks on your pet is essential.

Oh, and these little critters can also 'catch a ride', and are sometimes found in areas away from the coast. This is just another reason to make yourself familiar with the signs of tick paralysis. 

Ask us for more information if you have any questions about tick prevention (or any parasite prevention for that matter). We are always here to help. 

07 Man's best friend
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The term 'man's best friend' may be even more appropriate than ever. Recent research by an American psychologist has revealed that up to 42 per cent of middle-aged men are more likely to turn to their dog for emotional support during the tough times than they are their human friends or their partner. 

The psychologist, Dr Chris Blazina, suggests that men are often reluctant to seek help - either from their social circles or via medical treatment but a strong bond with a canine friend might, in turn, help isolated men reconnect with people. 

We think this just highlights another one of the great benefits of owning a pet. 

You can read more about this on the ABC website here or even listen to an interview with Dr Blazina via RN radio on Life Matters here.