We welcome one and farewell another

We recently said farewell to one of our loved veterinarians, Dr. Nikita, who has made the move to Sydney to continue her career in veterinary medicine within a small animal clinic. We are sad to see her go but wish her all the best for her future endeavours and know how lucky her new patients and clients are to have her. We will miss her dearly. We would like to welcome Dr. Tameka to the CSVC team. Dr. Tameka grew up in regional Victoria and completed her veterinary training at James Cook University. She has a particular interest in equine medicine and is excited to be working with both large and small animals. Make sure to say hello when you see her friendly face in the clinic.

Snakes love the heat

As the days continue to heat up, we are still seeing many snake bites come through our doors. If your dog has been bitten by a snake they may experience collapse, vomiting, and excessive salivation. They then might seem to get better quickly and soon after, deteriorate quickly. In cats, we tend to see generalised weakness and in coordination, excessive vocalisation, and breathing difficulties. If this is the case, then it is likely that your pet has received a lethal dose of venom and will need immediate veterinary care.

The most important treatment is administering anti-venom accompanied by IV fluids. The sooner the animal is admitted for treatment, the higher the chance of survival and reversing the life threatening clinical signs. At Clinton Street Veterinary Clinic we use multi-snake anti-venom which is effective against Tiger, Brown and Black snakes. These are the three most common types in Goulburn and surrounds.

What you can do in the event of a snake bite:

• Don’t get bitten yourself! We do not need you to identify the snake. 
• Try to keep your pet calm, quiet, and still.
• Try to stay calm yourself, your animal will pick up on your stress.
• Call the clinic on your way so we can ensure that we have everything set up for your arrival.

Snake bites can be fatal, but quick action can increase the likelihood of survival. Please contact us immediately if you think your pet has been bitten by a snake.

Have you heard of ticks? How about heartworm?

With the warmer weather, many head towards the coast for a summer getaway. Whilst a weekend to the coast is fun, our pets need some extra care before the big trip to ensure they remain safe and healthy. On the coast there are two particular parasites that can cause devastating illnesses in our pets: the paralysis tick and heartworm. Both can be fatal if left untreated. The paralysis tick tends to attach themselves to your animal whilst walking through long grass or shrubs.

Symptoms to pay attention for are a sudden onset of heavy breathing or panting, coughing or trouble swallowing food, vomiting and excessive salivation, wobbly legs, collapse or the inability to walk. Whilst symptoms of a paralysis tick are sudden, those of heartworm are not. It may take years for your animal to show signs. Heartworm is a parasite that is contracted from infected mosquitoes. A mild but persistent cough, reluctance to exercise, fatigue after only minimal exercise, a decreased appetite and weight loss paired with a swollen belly are all typical symptoms of heartworm. If left untreated, heartworm can cause heart failure in your animal.

In Goulburn and surrounds, we are lucky to have neither parasite. However, they are unfortunately in abundance along our coastline. We have had a number of cases present at our clinic this season. We recommend if you are planning your trip to use preventative measures. We stock chewable and topical treatments. Giving your animal a head to toe check over twice a day is also a good way to ensure no ticks have burrowed into your furry friend. If you are concerned your animal has been affected, immediate veterinary care is recommended.

Could worms be a problem in your herd?

After such a wet winter and spring, the warmer weather is always welcomed.

However, these conditions are perfect for livestock worms. These worms can cause devastating effects within your herds. Using an appropriate drench, paired with routine pasture management and rotation can prevent infestations. We are able to perform in house faecal egg counts for all livestock to determine any worm burden within your herds. After examining the faeces under the microscope, the egg count result will help us determine whether or not your livestock would benefit from a drench. We recommend a recheck is performed 10-14 days after drenching to check how effective the chosen drench has been.

Grass seeds – more sinister than you think

Over the summer we have seen an abundance of dogs with grass seed abscesses or grass seeds within their ears. Whilst grass seeds can be found all over the body, they are more typically seen between the toes, in the ears and nose, or even within an animal’s eye. A grass seed abscess often occurs when a grass seed pierces the skin, becoming embedded and causing a local inflammatory reaction wound. 

Grass seeds also have the ability to move underneath the skin due to their arrow like shape; often moving from between toes to further up the carpus, or in severe cases, from the chest into the lungs. To rectify this, we need to perform surgery to find and remove the grass seed before such things occur. By checking regularly between your dog’s toes and keeping their fur short, you can help prevent these seeds becoming an issue.