Veterinary Centre's Pig Spey!

At the Veterinary Centre, we regularly spey cats and dogs. We spey rabbits less frequently. Our vets have even speyed guinea pigs and rats. We are now excited to report that last week, for the first time in the Veterinary Centre's history, we speyed a pet pig.

Pigs make wonderful pets that can live long and full lives. Speying female pigs eliminates the significant changes in behaviour that can be seen every three weeks with their hormonal cycle. It also minimises the risk of hormonally driven cancer.

Our pig's procedure required a unique medical and surgical approach. Pigs have a much more winding reproductive tract and a very deep abdomen. 

For much loved pigs that need the best of care, the Veterinary Centre will be only too glad to have this surgical opportunity again.

Murphy's Menacing Molar

Murphy was visiting the Veterinary Centre for a routine check-up when his owners mentioned that he had quite bad breath. An oral examination revealed he had a bit of a build-up of tartar on his teeth and he was admitted to the hospital to give them a good clean and polish. During this procedure, it was noticed that the gum around one of his molars was a bit inflamed. An x-ray of this tooth revealed an abscess at the root of this tooth meaning it needed to be removed. After his dental, Murphy's owners reported he has a new lease on life, is playing more, wagging his tail and is generally much happier. They had no idea that he was suffering from chronic pain associated with a tooth root abscess and are amazed at the difference in him. Dental disease is extremely common in our pets and may be the cause of significant pain that goes un-noticed. Please don't hesitate to bring your pet into your Blue Cross Veterinary Centre for a dental check-up to ensure they are not suffering in silence.

Clem's Waterworks

Clem is a speyed 7 year old German Shorthaired Pointer. Her owners noticed she was having some 'water works' problems. She was squatting excessively to wee while out for walks and was constantly wanting in and out at home to go to the toilet.

Clem was brought into her local Veterinary Centre to be assessed by one of our Blue Cross team. She was admitted into the hospital. A urine sample was collected and her bladder ultrasounded to find out the cause of her behaviour.

No obvious issues were found so a sterile urine sample was collected. A microscopic analysis at our hospital lab revealed large numbers of bacteria in the sample which was determined to be the cause of her troubles.

Clem was started on a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. We saw her back the next week for a follow up check. Her owners happily reported her urination frequency had returned to normal. A repeat urine check was also given the all clear.

Problems with your pets 'water works' can be caused by numerous things - so it's always important to have them checked out to ensure the correct management/treatment can be instigated.

Skin Cancer in Cats

Even as winter approaches there is still some heat in the afternoon sun.  Cats with a light coloured coat are prone to skin cancer, particularly on the nose and ears.  The first thing that may be noticed is redness, ulceration and scabbing of these areas which eventually become thickened, and may bleed or become infected.  Whilst this cancer is locally destructive, it is generally very slow to spread.  Tiny lesions can be treated with electrocautery or liquid nitrogen but more advanced cases may require surgical removal.  Removal of the ear tips or nose may be needed.  This may leave the cat looking less than fabulous, but these structures are not required for survival or a good quality of life.  Mini, is one of our brave patients who recently underwent surgery to remove the tip of his nose after being diagnosed with more advanced skin cancer.  He is currently in remission and living happily.  Please contact the Veterinary Centre by the Big Blue Cross if you see any suspicious lesions on the nose or ears so that the problem can be addressed early.

Tramp's Close Brush with Tree Nettle

Tramp, a healthy, young working huntaway was out mustering with his owner when he suddenly began salivating and convulsing.  Thirty minutes earlier, Tramp had run through a patch of tree nettle (Ongaonga), a poisonous weed that is common in the South Island.  Tree nettle is one of New Zealand's most poisonous native plants.  It can cause neurological problems, respiratory distress and has been responsible for deaths in dogs, horses and one person.  Fortunately Tramp made it to the Veterinary Centre in the nick of time.  He was in severe shock and unresponsive on arrival and needed to be placed onto IV fluids and an induced coma overnight to stop his seizures.  He also received anti-histamine, steroids and antimine (an antidote) after his quick thinking vet, Luke recognized the symptoms of tree nettle toxicity.  Fortunately, Tramp responded very well to treatment and is now expected to make a full recovery.

Milli's Misplaced Micturition*

Meet Milli one of our recent superpooch patients:

Milli suffered from a wet bottom due to constant dribbling of urine (urinary incontinence) since she was a young pup and her owners were understandably keen to get to the bottom of her problem.  Blood and urine tests at the Veterinary Centre revealed a urinary tract infection which was treated with appropriate antibiotics.  However, Milli's dribbling persisted and further investigation was needed.  An excretory urogram was performed which involves a special dye being injected into Milli's blood stream and x-rays used to monitor its path through the kidneys and into the bladder.  Milli was diagnosed with an ectopic ureter!  This is where the tube that normally transports urine from the kidneys to the bladder, instead by-passes the bladder and empties into the vagina causing constant dribbling.  Milli's vets performed a surgery to move this tube back to its correct location - a first for Veterinary Centre Oamaru!  Milli has made an outstanding recovery and now has a nice dry bottom and is back to enjoying life on the farm with her family.

* Micturition is the ejection of uring from the urinary bladder through the urethra to the outside of the body

Stephen Hawking's Broken Leg

Stephen Hawking the harrier hawk arrived at the Veterinary Centre Oamaru after a courier driver found him on the road with a broken leg.  Stephen was otherwise unharmed.  Felicity, one of our orthopaedic surgeons took on a challenging task of repairing Stephen's leg.  She repaired the fracture using external fixator.  He then spent 3 months in a rehab facility until x-rays showed the leg had healed.  Stephen is currently at a second larger centre learning to fly again before he can be released back into the wild.  Thanks to the courier driver and Felicity's surgical skills his prospects of a full recovery are excellent.

Taz Gets a Gut Ulceration from Human Medication

Taz visited the Veterinary Centre in Waimate as he was pale, lethargic and had black faeces.  Taz had a sore leg and had been given a human pain medication Sonaflam.  Unfortunately, this medication is highly toxic to dogs and can cause gut ulceration and kidney failure.

Taz's gut ulceration caused such bad bleeding that he had lost approximately 3/4 of his red blood cells by the time one of our vets examined him and he was in danger of dying due to severe anaemia.  Taz required a blood transfusion as well as medication to help heal the ulcers.  Thankfully, blood tests showed that his kidneys had not been affected and Taz went on to make a full recovery.

There are many human medications that can make our pets very ill or even lead to death.  It is important to only ever give medications that have been prescribed for your pet and to ensure you stick to the recommended dose.  If you are concerned your pet may have had access to other medication or been given the wrong dose of any medication, always contact your Blue Cross Veterinarian for advice.