As I write this, the sun is streaming in through the windows and its a toasty 21 degrees outside. Though spring may still throw some wild weather at us, it seems summer is well on the way! Thinking towards Christmas, don’t forget your pets waistlines can be affected as much as yours by all the food! If Fido receives extra leftovers, make sure to cut back their daily dose of dog food. Please also remember to never give cooked bones to your pets. If you are heading away, book now if your pets need their vaccinations to be able to go into a kennels or cattery. We also have an amazing table of Christmas sale items for all pets - come see the amazing prices! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to pop into the clinic. Otherwise we wish you a warm and enjoyable summer From the team at SWVS

Introduction

“Women and

cats will do as

they please,

whilst men and

dogs should

relax and get

used to the

idea”

SOUTH WAIKATO

VETERINARY SERVICES

Inside this issue:

Teething in

young pets 2

Kittens &

Toxicities

3

Senior Cats 4

2014

Summer Newsletter

www.swvs.co.nz

Teething and Tooth Loss in puppies and kittens Getting a new puppy or kitten is exciting but don’t

be surprised if you start to find little teeth around

your house! Between 3 -

6 months of age your pet

will start to loose their

temporary teeth as they

are replaced by their

permanent adult teeth.

At this age puppies especially may be busy

chewing everything they can get their teeth into so

you will need to take extra care to make sure you

don’t leave shoes or other expensive items lying

around! There are a number of dog toys that can

help with teething such as Kong toys, Nylabones

and Rope toys. Remember to rotate your puppies

toys to keep them exciting, and praise them for

chewing on their toys

(rather than your

furniture!)

If your puppy or kitten

seem to loose their

appetite you can try softening their food (just soak

their biscuits in water) or offer jellymet to kittens.

However if your pet is happy to munch on biscuits

then this is good as it can often help speed up the

process!

Some puppies and kitten’s don’t loose all their baby teeth on their own. If this happens the baby

teeth can stop their permanent teeth coming

through at the correct

angle. They can also

cause tartar build up

and sore gums. In the

picture to the right the

puppy has two canines!

The ‘baby’ tooth is

sitting behind the adult

tooth. As you can see already this puppy has

plaque build up on his teeth and his permanent

tooth is starting to point at a strange angle as the

baby tooth is in it’s way!

If you suspect this is happening in your puppy or

kitten it is a good idea to get it checked out as

sometimes they will need dental surgery to

remove the retained tooth. This can be easily

done at the same time as your pet is desexed.

Page 2 SOUTH WAIKATO VETERINARY SERVICES

Changes to our flea products We are currently in the process of changing over some of the flea treatments we stock.

For Cats:

Frontline Plus (fleas only) & Broadline (fleas & worms) - both spot ons

For Dogs:

Frontline Plus (fleas only) & Revolution (fleas & worms) - spot ons

Nexguard (monthly) & Bravecto (3 monthly) flea tablets

2014 Page 3

We are actively rehoming kittens via our clinic, and these cuties are still in need of permanent loving new owners! If you have been looking for a new pet, come and check these cuties out….

All kittens that come from us will be desexed, flea treated, wormed and have had their first vaccination done

Kittens Available!

The top FIVE toxins for dogs and cats

1. Rodenticides (rat bait) - there are several different types however most commonly these poisons work by causing death via internal bleeding.

2. Human food such as grapes, raisins, onion and xylatol (artificial sweetner). Grapes and raisins cause kidney failure, onions cause a severe anemia and xylatol can cause liver failure.

3. Chocolate causes vomiting, diarrhoea, and eventually seizures and death.

4. Slug and Snail bait is extremely toxic to pets causing seizures and rapid death. Although these products usually contain a bittering agent to deter pets eating it, we have found that most dogs will still eat it regardless. Thus it is safest not to use at all.

5. Many Human m e d i c a t i o n s e g panadol, nurofen and ADHD medicat ions. These medications can be very dangerous to your pet. If you suspect they have eaten any of the above items please contact the clinic for futher advice!

10 Tips to Keep Your Senior Cat Happy & Healthy

Page 4 SOUTH WAIKATO VETERINARY SERVICES

1 Take her in for regular dental checkups

Cats mask discomfort and pain, and it’s often hard

to tell if your cat has dental problems unless her

breath is horrific, or her face swells from an

abscessed tooth. We offer free dental checks

here at our Tokoroa Clinic.

2 Groom her often

The benefits of grooming extend beyond keeping

her cot tidy. Grooming your cat daily will help you

learn your cats body to such a degree that you’ll

be able to recognise tender spots or lumps early

on.

3 Encourage play

It’s easy to forget to interact with older cats, since

they sleep most of their days away and don’t

seem like they want to play. But it’s worth trying to

engage them in play - try a new toy with some

catnip and see what happens!

4 Buy bed steps

Older cats often have difficulty jumping up on the

bed. If she's accustomed to sleeping with you and

no longer can get up on the bed to do so, she

might feel depressed and alienated.

5 Provide a heated bed

Older animals feel the cold more, and appreciate

a warm place to sleep

6 Evaluate accessibility and make changes

Consider providing a litterbox indoors for your cat

to use, or making her food and water bowls easier

to access.

7 Create a stable

environment

Change is difficult for

a lot of cats,

especially as they get

older. For example,

adding a kitten to the

household may be

difficult on an older

cat, especially if she’s long been an only cat.

8 Consult with your vet about supplements

Supplements or special formulations of food can

provide additional Omega 3 fatty acids, glucosamine

with chondroitin, immune system boosters or other

supplements that may offer benefits to your cats

health.

9 Switch to a senior formula cat food

Talk to your vet to determine if your cat might

benefit from one of the many senior formula cat

foods on the market. These foods typically provide

an optimal balance of appropriate protein, fat,

calories, vitamins and minerals for older cats.

10 Provide an appealing source of water

Cat fountains are very popular with cats and may

encourage your senior cat to drink more. Keeping

your cat well hydrated is especially important for

proper kidney function and overall health. Also note

that cats prefer their drinking source to be in a

different place to their food bowl.

19 Swanston Street, Tokoroa (07) 886 64 13 75 Tirau Street, Putaruru (07) 883 30 18 108 SH 30 Whakamaru (07) 882 86 85