Submitted by Matt Young on 7 February, 2013 - 21:39
What is Heartworm?
Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a potentially fatal worm that is spread by mosquitoes and affects dog and cats. When a mosquito bites the animal, heartworm larvae are injected into the skin . The larvae then develop into small immature worms that travel to the right side of the heart via the peripheral veins. The worms become mature approximately 6 months after infecting an animal and can reproduce inside the infected animal. Heartworms can grow up to 10-30cm long and live for up to 5 years. A dog can be infected with up to 250 worms!
Submitted by Matt Young on 28 October, 2012 - 11:29
A recent episode of Sunday on channel Seven aired a story about toxoplasmosis and I don't think that it really gave a true reflection on what the true facts are about toxoplasmosis. I believe that the story was inspired by this article in The Conversation. It should be noted that the author of this article begins the article by stating:
"I should admit straight up that I’m no fan of cats"
Submitted by Matt Young on 27 October, 2012 - 22:53
Tick Paralysis- what you need to know!
Over the warmer months we see an increase in the number of pets coming in with tick paralysis. Ticks are small insects that feed on animals and there are alot of paralysis ticks (Ixodes holocyclus) in our area which cause a progressive paralysis which will eventually kill the animals. In order to prevent your pet getting harmed by ticks here's what you need to know:
Over the warmer months we see an increase in the number of pets coming in with tick paralysis. Ticks are small insects that feed on animals and there are alot of paralysis ticks (Ixodes holocyclus) in our area which cause a progressive paralysis which will eventually kill the animals. In order to prevent your pet getting harmed by ticks here's what you need to know:
Submitted by Matt Young on 30 September, 2012 - 22:04
The weather is warmer up so the fleas are emergency after being dormant over winter. APPLY YOUR FLEA CONTROL NOW.
Not only can we supply you with great quality flea products that will work but we have the expertise to help you eliminate those nasty pests. In order to understand why your flea control is not working you need to have an understanding of the flea life cycle:
Submitted by Matt Young on 27 September, 2012 - 21:18
Warmer Weather and Man’s Best Friend’s: most Intimate Associates
Somehow, about six months ago, I got caught up in a whirlwind of events involving a sob story, a broken leg, a puppy, and some rather steep financial limitations, and wound up with a dog.
Fleas are socially unacceptable and there’s nothing like desperately trying to eradicate them from a house you don’t own, to really hammer home quite how tenaciously fleas cling to life.
Submitted by Matt Young on 30 August, 2012 - 21:45
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Come and see the inner workings of our veterinary hospital.
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See what happens behind the scenes when your pet is sick.
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There will be a lucky door prize of a basket of wine, beer and chocolates as well as 4 health screen blood tests
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The kids can come and enjoy the free farm yard out in the carpark.
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Lot's of freebies, giveaways and specials
Date: Sunday 2nd September
Time: 10am - 2pm during Dapto Street Fair
Protect both your dog or cat and your family from dangerous intestinal parasites
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Worms in our pets can infect people, especially kids
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Worms can cause ill health in animals such as diarrhoea, malnourishment and anaemia
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The same parasites in people can cause skin irritation, liver & lung cysts & can even cause blindness in kids
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Even animals living in isolation or inside can get worms
How often does My Dog/Cat need to be wormed?
Puppies and kittens should be wormed frequently but once your dog or cat is 6 months old they should be wormed every 3 months for the rest of their life.
What is the Worming Mailout Service?
It's hard to remember to give something every 3 months, so we make it easy for you. Every 3 months we will mailout the worming treatments you need to administer to your pet. When it arrives just administer it. Easy! Nothing to remember! Simply open the package and give the treatment.
In order to organise the payment for the medications we will arrange a direct debit or direct credit. The medication is automatically debited from your account when it is sent.
Submitted by Matt Young on 20 February, 2011 - 21:43
Why have the fleas been so bad this season?
This summer we have had perfect conditions for rapid development of fleas. Flea eggs layed into the environment develop rapidly through the cycle to the pupal stage under warm, moist conditions. In order for pupae to hatch and jump onto animals they need three things:
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Warmth
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Humidity
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Vibrations. These allow the flea to know there is an animal around so it needs to hatch and jump on.
The past few seasons have been quite dry so while fleas have occurred conditions have not been optimal so many of the pupae have sat there and not hatched. The perfect flea environment this year has allowed the fleas to finally take off.
What can I do to prevent this from happening again next spring?
Things are about to cool down as we come into autumn and winter. As they do the flea life cycle will slow and we will all see reduced numbers of fleas on our pets. Fleas may not be as visible during the winter months, however, your lounge, rugs and floors could be home to flea pupae that are waiting out the cooler months in comfort before the warmer weather prompts them to emerge as adult fleas. Flea numbers may be reduced but remember that 1 flea can lay up to 600 eggs in their lifetime. Stopping flea control over winter will result in a buildup of pupae that will lay dormant until the weather warms up.
Missing monthly flea treatments allows fleas to build up in the environment.
Your home is always at risk of flea contamination from sources that you can’t always control. Other animals (such as neighbourhood cats or wild rabbits) that have access to your garden or home may all be on-going sources of flea egg contamination. This means that if monthly flea treatments are missed, there’s a good chance your pet will pick up an infestation from the environment sooner or later. So it’s important to treat all dogs and cats in your home for fleas, every month, all year round with a recommended flea treatment.
