Spring 2017 | ISSUE 20

1PAWPRINTS | TAH NEWSLETTERAFTER-HOURS EMERGENCIES: 021 91 911 91

TAH ANIMAL HOSPITAL & VETSHOP PAWPRINTS | TAH NEWSLETTER

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER - TAH ANIMAL HOSPITAL & VETSHOP

The advances in technology over the last 50 years have yielded great insights into the causes of disease.

Vaccines have successfully decreased the rate of infection that some practitioners today have never seen the devas-tating impact of diseases that can now be prevented.

What are vaccines? Whole organisms and/or proteins belong-ing to viruses, bacteria and/or parasites are processed into various formats of vaccines which are subsequently injected into our animals. A vaccine teaches the body to produce its own antibodies against infections, with memory and develop-ing immunity even further.

Major diseases in dogs that we vaccinate for are: canine dis-temper (CDV), canine adenovirus (CAV), canine parvovirus (CPV), rabies and leptospirosis; in cats: feline herpes virus, fe-line calicivirus and feline panleucopaenia. We vaccinate to pro-tect , first, the animals we love, second, their off-spring, and last but not least, people against zoonoses (diseases we con-tract from our pets such as rabies & leptospirosis).

Vaccines offer 2 major benefits: (1) Reduce the severity of the illness should we contract the disease, & (2) increase the chances of survival by virtue of the previous benefit.

Note: the best way to test any vaccine, is to challenge the vacci-nated animals with a potent strain of the virus/bacteria/parasite and measure the severity of the clinical signs as well as the survival rates i.e. vaccines are not designed to prevent an animal/person from contracting

a disease, but offer re-sistance to the patient should they get the dis-ease.

There are a lot of fac-tors in the environ-ment which are be-yond our (and the vaccine’s) control that determine whether an animal will contract the disease or not.

A full clinical examination needs to be done to classify the animal as healthy and only then should the vaccine be given. In circumstances where vaccine uptake in a population is significantly decreased it is well-documented that infectious diseases will re-emerge. The most common adverse reac-tions include local inflammation at the vaccination site or general malaise, fever and inappetance lasting 1-4 days. Most of these reactions are self-limiting (require no treatment). The incidence in cats is +0.61/10,000 doses sold and for dogs 0.21/10,000 doses sold. These low incidence rates are widely accepted and published data, and reinforce the relative rarity of adverse reactions to vaccination in these species. In other words, the benefit by far outweighs the risk.

VACCINATING IS A NO-BRAINER

Thanks to bet-ter care and

nutrition, pets are living longer

now than they ever have before.

Regular veterinary ex-aminations can detect problems in older pets before they become advance or life-threat-ening, and improve the chances of a longer and healthier life for your pet. An older pet is more likely to develop diseases such as heart, kidney and liver disease, cancer or arthritis.

Did you know that 1 in 3 cats and 1 in 10 dogs will develop kidney disease?

Although senior pets may develop age-related problems, our diagnostic tests are getting better and better. We now have a new test, called the SDMA test that can pick up kidney disease up to 4 years earlier in cats and 2 years earlier in dogs than our previous test (urea and creatinine). The ageing process is com-plex, it slows pets down both mentally and physically. Owners might see the following signs of ageing:

Spring is around the corner! We can all see the sun rising a bit earlier and setting a little bit later, which means there’s so much more time to get some fresh air outdoors and enjoy some quality time with your dog.

We’ve got a few fun and free activities for you all to try!

Find an open area with plenty of space for your pup to run free! Surely, they en-joyed cuddling by your feet by the fire-place winter, but they will be grateful to be able to stretch their legs, let their tongues dangle, and have their ears flap freely in the wind. How about a long walk on Blouberg strand or Muizenberg

beach to kick start the spring season?

Find a nearby park or trail and explore Mother Nature by taking your pup on a hike. Your dog will thank you for the new smells and the new environments to explore. Don’t forget to check your pups’ paw pads for wood chips, pebbles, or any other irritants after a long walk in the mountain. Try a relaxing walk up Silver-mine nature reserve or a walk through Table MountainNational Park for exqui-site views of Cape Town.

Try creating a fun obstacle course in your backyard and work on agility. Grab your lawn chairs, empty pot plants, spare cardboard scraps, and bed sheets to cre-

ate a safe but fun obstacle course packed with treats to run through with your pup.

Go on doggy dates with your pup. Meet up with other doggy friends, while you and your friends enjoy a picnic. Your dog will love meeting new friends and hang-ing out with familiar ones. Deer Park in the CBD has tons of s p a c e for your pup to r u n wild, and is a great day out for the whole family!

Free and fun spring time activities:

Geriatric pets• Cognitive changes: your pet is confused

by ordinary things like how to find their bed, or is barking for no reason

• Bad breath, red swollen gums, difficulty chewing, changes in eating habits

• Naps become more appealing than ac-tive play, running or jumping and your pet does not socialise with you as much as before

• Signs or discomfort, lameness or pain, difficulty rising from rest

• Impaired kidneys: drinking more than usual, urinating more frequently, losing weight, loss of appetite, vomiting, diar-rhoea and weakness

• Loss of control over urination and defaecation

• Coughing, panting more often, short-ness of breath and tiring more rapidly

• Sleeping patterns have changed with more awake time during the night

• Dull coat, lumps or bumps, skin odour, excessive scratching, licking or chew-ing, poor grooming

• Ageing starts at the cellular level around the age of 7, therefore nutri-tion needs to change as well. Hill’s now have a prescription diet called “k/d + Mobility” that helps geriatric pets in the following ways:

• Supports pets’ natural ability to rebuild lean muscle mass

• Controlled phosphorus and low sodium to support renal and heart health

• High levels of omega-3 fatty acids for kidney, heart, joints and to control inflammation

• Glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate to support the building blocks of cartilage

• High levels of antioxidants to maintain brain function.

Please pop in to your nearest TAH branch if you’ve noticed any of these symptoms in

your dog or cat. Earlier detection means earlier intervention, which can give your pet the best chance at a longer, happier

and healthier life.

DO DOGGY DatesOur pets don’t care how

much we know, they only know if we care!

aNiMaL HOspitaL& VetsHOp

www.tah.co.za

Brackenfell Hypermarket CentreTel: 021 981-7080

Kloof St, Cape TownPalmhof CentreTel: 021 423 2917

UitzichtGraanendal CentreTel: 021 979-2068

Durbanville16 Plein StreetTel: 021 976-3015

Goodwood107 Vasco BoulevardTel: 021 591-2571

Moorreesburg26 LangstraatTel: 022 433-4883

Bellville1 Kontiki Rd, Glen IveTel: 021 919-1191

Darling17 Main RdTel: 022 492-2545

Kenridge78 De Bron Ave021 914-0886

Green Point 86 High Level RoadTel: 021 434-5475

Parow20 Frans Conradie DrvTel: 021 939-7102

Somerset WestBright St, Audas EstTel: 021 851-5739

Sonstraal Heights10 Verdi BoulevardTel: 021 975-1870

BraNcHes

FOLLOW Us TygerbergAnimalHospital tah_animal_hospital VetsHOps

Van RiebeeckshofVan Riebeeckshof MallTel: 021 913-9066

DurbanvilleD’Ville CentreTel: 021 979 1660

KuilsrivierIpic Soneike CentreTel: 021 903-8946

PAWPRINTS | TAH NEWSLETTER TAH ANIMAL HOSPITAL & VETSHOP

32 TAH ANIMAL HOSPITAL & VETSHOP PAWPRINTS | TAH NEWSLETTER

I spent my childhood in the USA and moved to Austria at the age of 11. I studied at the veterinary university in Vienna and graduated in January 2014 after writing a thesis on South African abalone. My husband Rowan and I met while I was working on that research project. After graduating, I worked as a locum for a small animal referral clinic on the outskirts of Vienna. Later that same year I moved to South Africa to move in with Rowan and also to start a research-based MSc at Onderstepoort on rhino anatomy under the supervi-sion of Dr Johan Marais. In the year 2015, I sat and passed the SAVC board exams which qualified me to work in South Africa. While still focusing on my masters, I also worked in a practice in Hermanus up until earlier on in this year. Rowan and I got married in March 2017 (with our dog as our ring-bearer) and a month later I started working at TAH as a night shift vet.

From a young age, I have enjoyed taking care of all types of furry, feath-ered, scaly, slimey and 8-legged crea-tures. I am very interested in learning more in the exotics field and have done many practicals including preceptor-ships at two renowned zoos (St Louis Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo) in the USA. One of the wonderful things about be-ing a vet is that there is such a variety of areas to learn about, which is excit-ing but humbling at the same time. Feline disease processes, emergency

medicine and wound treatment are areas that a I specifically enjoy in my daily work at TAH.

My first pet was a cat called Petzi. She was already an adult and had been badly- mistreated before we got her. When we adopted her, she was highly aggressive and wouldn’t trust men or children. She taught me patience, since it took three years until she would approach me and we were in-separable until the day we euthanized her at the age of 21. Rowan and I now have a medium-sized, ever-smiling crossbreed called Jazz and two Koe-koek chickens called Henrietta and Chicita.

My hobbies are walking, Jazz, hiking, water sports, traveling, reading, movies and watching my succulents grow.

Q: How do you find the dogs that needs to be spayed / neutered? A: People bring their animals to our FAW containers for treatment, vaccines and or bathing and dipping. They then either ask for sterilisations or we approach them with the option. When we drive through the town-ship, we stop and ask around if there are any animals that have not been spayed.

Q; What happened on the day of FAW’s inaugural spay? A: Dr. Alex (who is community service vet) fetched two dogs to be spayed. These were the first spays too take place in Fisantekraal Animal Welfare Organisation’s own theatre.

Q: What’s Terra’s background? And what are we teaching him to do? A: Terra is a young Xhosa man who stays in

Fisantekraal with his mother and 2 sisters. He has 3 of his own dogs. He is our eyes and ears in Fisantekraal and often has to go and check on something for us when we are not around. He is also invaluable when it comes to the language barrier. Unfortunately, he struggled at school but is very eager to learn about animals, as he has a big love for animals. Firstly, we try to teach him to be a responsible 19 year old, and we are also teaching him how to properly handle the animals, and how to treat minor injuries.

Q: What exactly did TAH sponsor FAW with? A: TAH realised that FAW’s dream to have their own theatre on site. So TAH sponsored an oxygen concentrator, air compressor and an anesthetic machine. We usually had to take the animals to one of their branches for any operations. We went to either their

Durbanville or Bellville branches, and it was very time consuming.

Q; How often does TAH get involved by doing spays and neuters? A: TAH spays up to 10 animals per week for us at a reduced cost.

Q: What are the future plans for FAW? A: Firstly, the future plans were to establish a theatre where we can take animals to be spayed and treated, and this has already materialized. Now the big challenge is to make full use of the facility this year and in the years to come. We need to expand our volunteer base to be able to cope with the growing number of people and animals that are coming into the new area, called Green-ville. We will try and reach the magical 70% sterilisation rate to try and win the breeding battle.

What year did you qualify? 2014

Did you study fur-ther? No, after 7 years of studying, I felt that it was time for a bit of a break. What did you do after qualifying? I started working at a large mixed animal practice in Vereeniging, Gauteng for two and a half years before joining TAH. Where are you originally from? I was born in Port Elizabeth and spent the first few years of my life on a farm outside Humansdorp. I did however spend the majority of my life growing up in the Jacaranda city- Pretoria. What is your special interest in the veterinary world? I enjoy the vast majority of the Veterinary world. It’s an ever-changing exciting profession to be in! In particular, I love knowing that I am helping people AND their pets. What was your first pet, and what was its name? Vlekkie, and incredibly intelligent and loving Border Collie Do you have pets now, and what are their names? Two cats, which behave more like dogs. Their names are Haruki and Schatzi. What do you enjoy? Other than being a vet? I enjoy spending time in nature, hiking and photog-raphy. On occasion, I have been known to pick up a guitar and make music. And yes, I do like to braai, too.

TAH has a close working relationship with the Fisantekraal Animal Welfare Orginasation (www.faw.za.org), and we were present when they had their first sterilisation recently and asked them some questions:

Fisantekraal Animal Welfare

Terra is listening carefully to

the dog’s breathing. Terra is just so happy when he gets to learn something new.

Dr. Alex, Sr. Norma and Terra all working together to ensure the success of the spay.

Norma and Terra preparing the doggie for her operation, all whilst Dr. Alex keeps a close watch.

A happy team is a winning team.

FAW’s new theatre.

Sponsored products for the use in preparing the doggies for surgery.

FAW’s very own anaesthetic

machine, sponsored by

TAH Animal Hospital.

Sr. Norma using FAW’s brand new clipper to shave the doggie’s paw.

Warmer weather also means uninvited guests finding a new home on your pet. That’s right, it’s flea and tick season.

Once fleas have settled onto your pet it’s only a matter of time before they lay eggs on the pet, which then are shed onto your car-

pets, furniture and garden. Soon fleas hatch-ing in the environment re-infest the pets and start setting their sights on you and your family – a new source of food!

These sorts of infestations are a lot harder to man-age and can be extremely expensive and incon-venient to rectify, often requiring the services of professional (and costly) fumigators that may even require you evacuating your own home while they work. So, aside from the obvious and kind benefits to your pets, keeping them clean of ticks and fleas will benefit your home and family in the long run too.

Please make sure to pop into you nearest TAH branch or vet shop to get your pet some flea and tick medication.

Tick and Flea season cares

MEET OUR NEW STAFF Dr Esther Meusel

Q &A

DR Michael Ferreira