Vaccinations

Vaccinating our pets is a part of responsible pet ownership. By vaccinating we have seen a reduction is these infectious diseases and therefore see less sick pets with them. It doesnt mean that the diseases are not still ‘out there’ – so to keep on -top-of-it we feel in is important to continue with vaccinations into adult hood.

What we vaccinate dogs against:

• Canine Parvovirus – This is a horrific disease that can affect dogs of all ages but it is our younger and older pets that are at the most risk. This virus is really difficult to eradicate out of the environment and we cases in Albany every year. It affects the intestines causing your dog to get bloody diarrohea, uncontrolled vomiting and severe abdominal pain. Dogs that present with this virus often die, despite very intensive veterinary care.
• Canine Distemper – is a highly contagious virus that affects dogs of all ages. Puppies and immune comprised dogs are more likely to be affected. Symptoms are varied but can include high temperature, coughing, sneezing vomiting and diarrohea. Muscle tremors, fits and eventually paralysis resulting in death can occur. Recovery rate is really low.
• Canine Hepatitis- is much like Distemper is that it is extremely infectious and often fatal. Symptoms include high temperature, depression, anorexia, vomiting, and diarrohea and acute abdominal pain In severe cases death occurs.
• Canine Bordatella and Para influenza – are the causative agents of Canine Cough. These microorganisms are highly contagious which can be spread quickly when dogs are in close proximity to each other like kennels, parks training etc.. It is rarely fatal but flu like& symptoms can persist for a long time, which is distressing for both your pet and yourself.
  What we vaccinate cats against:
• Feline Enteritis – this is very contagious and often ends in tears, especially for young cats. It can cause pregnant queens to abort or kittens to be born with abnormalities. Symptoms are depression, uncontrolled vomiting and diarrhea, often with blood and severe abdominal pain.
• Feline Respiratory Disease – can effect cats of all ages but particularly the young and oriental breeds eg Siamese and Burmese. It is highly contagious and causes sneezing, coughing, runny nose and eyes, anorexia and tongue ulcers.
• Feline Leukaemia – is a serious disease for cats as it affect the immune system. Symptoms are numerous and varied, they include anorexia vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss, apathy, pale gums and reproductive problems, but many cats can carry the virus with out having any symptoms at all.
• Feline Immunodeficiency Virus – Feline AIDS affects our cats the same way AIDS effect humans. The disease can not be transferred to humans. It is almost always transmitted from bites form an infected cat. The symptoms that your cat may display could be weight loss, lethargy, diarrhea, anorexia and swollen lymph glands. Eventually the immune system becomes to weak to fight off other infections. Unfortunately many Australian cats, currently 1 in 4 cats in WA, are carrying this terrible virus.

Nutrition

The correct nutrition is an important key in your pets health and well being, and along with regular exercise assists in a well balance pet.

Our pets come in all different sizes, shapes and breeds and predisposition to difference diseases – this in turn means that although the basic requirement of protein, carbohydrates,fats and vitamin and minerals remain the same- other nutritional requirement will differ.

We strongly recommend that you:

• Feed a ‘premium diet’ These diets are made will quality ingredients, by companies that do extensive research into maintain pet health through diet. The two companies we stock are Royal Canin and Hills.
• Ensure plenty of fresh water is available at all times. Always feed the recommend amount for the size of your fury friend.
• Please don’t feed ‘people’ food. Their digestive system is different to ours and changes in diet can easily give them a serious tummy ache.
• Feed a diet that is age appropriate. Puppies and kittens, for example, need to have a high energy/ high calcium diet.
• Any of the team will be happy to talk to you about which diet is the most suitable. Just give us a ring we are more than happy to help.

Parasite Prevention

Fleas and ticks

We see flea problems all year round!! They are pesky little critters who make our pets life misery.

Only a small portion of the flea population live on our pets – most of the actually live in the environment. The fleas eggs and larvae can be in the environment for a long time before they ‘hatch’ into adults.

Sometimes they are really hard to see but biting, scratching and hair-loss, especially at the base of the tail and the back are a good sign that you pet is being bothered by fleas.

To ensure that your pet isn’t being bitten by fleas all the pets in the household need to be treated routinely.

The most effective treatments are given monthly and we have an extensive range of topical and oral treatments.

Some of these treatments will also kill ticks- either paralyzing or brown/kangaroo ticks. We are lucky to not have paralysis tick in WA but if you are travelling or have been in contact with anyone or animals that have been travelling you need to make sure that your pet is covered.

Come in and have a chat and we will be able to help you choose the product that suits you and your furry family the best

Intestinal Worms

Most animals can be effected by intestinal worms, including humans. Some intestinal worms are zoonotic- which means that you can catch them cuddling your pet.

When you first get your new puppy or kitten, worming is one of the first things you will need to attend to. Young animals are particularly susceptible to infestation.

Intestinal worms come in many shapes and sizes but the most common ones are; Roundworm,Tapeworm, Whipworm, and Hookworm. They can all cause serious problems.

If your pet is infected with worms it may find it difficult to put of weight . In some cases it can cause vomiting or diarrohea.

At Albany Veterinary Hospital we recommend that you worm your new house mate at 2 weekly intervals until they are 12 weeks old, then monthly until they are 6 months. After 6 months, depending on the product you choose, usually every 3 months is required.

Heartworm

Heartworm is a parasite that our cats and dogs can get from infected dogs via mosquitoes. Your beloved pet doesn’t even need to leave the house or contact other pets to get it.

In the early stages there is often no visible way of telling that your pet has been infected. As the parasite matures it grows into a worm which can lead to signs of heart failure often death. Heartworm is in most states of Australia.

But there is easy ways to prevent heartworm. Just give us a call to discuss which method suits you and your pet the best.

Microchipping

Micro chipping is a permanent form of identification for your pets. It is law in WA to microchip all cats and dogs.

The microchip that we use is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin in between the shoulder blades. It has a number on it which is unique to your pet. This number can be easily read with a scanner that all vets and most City Rangers now have. This number is stored with a central data base so we will be able to reunite you if your pet is lost or stolen.

It is a quick procedure and not particularly uncomfortable for your pets.

We have been instrumental in returning many stray dogs to their loving homes after scanning them for a microchip- especially after thunderstorms or fireworks.

If you wish to confirm which company your furry friend is registered with or change your contact details go to www.petaddress.com.au

Grooming

We are lucky enough to have some fantastic dog and cat breeds in Australia. Almost almost of them require some grooming, but the non-shedding breeds require frequent attention to keep them healthy and comfortable. Poodles,Schnauzers and Maltese are examples of non -shedding breeds which require grooming every 6-8 weeks.

We offer a full range of grooming from a simple bath to a full clip with the works! We groom all breeds both dogs and cats.

When you arrive for your appointment one of our friendly staff will go through a grooming check list with you, to ensure that we get it right. We will discuss the length of the coat, face and tail, which shampoo your pet requires, whether nails need clipping or ears need plucking. There is a lot involved to ensure your beloved pet returns looking well groomed so that both of you feel special.

Our groomers frequently attend training to ensure that our skills are updated and we keep up with all the latest trends.

So please come in or ring for an appointment.

We all need some pampering now and then.

Canine training

We offer three levels of training at Albany Veterinary Hospital.

Puppy Pre-school is a must for any owner wanting a well behaved, sociable companion. These classes are designed for puppies between the ages of 8-16 weeks and provide early socialisation training and owner awareness of all things ‘puppy’.

We also have a Good Manners class which is offered as a small group or one-on-one training sessions. This class offers refined obedience training techniques.

And finally, we have our Behavioural Consultation. This is when you have a specific behavioural problem that you need some help to resolve. It is one-on-one with our trainer. We empower owners with the skills to identify the triggers for inappropriate behaviour and design a Behavioural Modification Plan(BMP) to suit.

Pet Insurance

Pet insurance is becoming more and more popular in Australia. It offers you peace of mind as it covers some or all of the treatment costs if your pet was ever involved in an accident or suffers a sudden illness. There is no equivalent of Medicare for pets, thus often treatment costs exceed what an equivalent problem would cost for a human patient.

Did you know that 24 hr emergency care for animals can cost over $1,000 per day? Some surgeries such as repair of fractured bones or exploratory surgery can also add up to thousands of dollars and that does not even include the recovery and aftercare treatment. It is a heartbreaking situation to have to choose between the health of your pet and financial constraints, so for peace of mind we strongly recommend that your pet is insured.

There are several companies that offer pet insurance and we can help you find one that best suits your needs and your pet.

What does pet insurance cover?

Individual packages vary in the type of treatment covered. However, they usually include most accidents and unexpected illnesses.

You need to consider the differences between policies, in particular the claim excess amount, proportion of treatment costs covered, annual claim limit, age restrictions, pre-existing illness exclusions and policy costs.

We highly recommend pet insurance and encourage you to discuss it with us at your next visit.

Euthanasia

If you are facing this decision, this is not an easy time for you. The decision as to whether you should euthanase your pet, and especially when it should be euthanased, is one of the most difficult decisions you are likely to make.

We try to ensure that it is as stress free, calm and gentle as is possible.