Quick Response Saves Hank

Hank, the hard working Huntaway, came into our Veterinary Centre Oamaru clinic after his owner noticed he had drunk a small amount of sheep footbath. He had rapidly become unwell, was vomiting and very depressed. The footbath contained a highly concentrated zinc solution and it was calculated that only 50mls was a lethal dose for Hank. Zinc damages the red blood cells causing anaemia, as well as damaging the kidneys. Our blue cross veterinary team acted quickly giving Hank high volumes of intravenous fluids and medications to stop any more zinc from being absorbed from his gut. He responded to treatment very well, and although he stayed at our Oamaru veterinary hospital for nearly a week for blood tests to monitor his anaemia.

Hank has now returned home to do the work he loves on the farm. If you ever suspect your animal friend has eaten or drunk something toxic, contact us straight away for advice, as Hank’s owner did. The faster we treat any toxicities, the better chance they have of recovering.

Beau and the Grass Seed

Earlier this month Beau the dog presented to the Veterinary Centre Oamaru with a sore eye. A few days prior he had been playing out in a grassy field and had face-planted into the mud. Since then both eyes were weepy but the left eyelids were also very swollen. Despite Beau’s owners’ best efforts wiping the eyes a few times a day with plain lukewarm water the left eye was not improving.

On presentation to the clinic, Beau’s left eye was very sore and the eyelids were still swollen so it was decided he would be sedated to allow a thorough examination of his eye. Dogs and cats have a third eyelid, called the nictitating membrane which pathology can hide behind. A large barley grass seed was found wedged in behind the third eyelid and the eye causing inflammation and scratching the top surface of the eye. This had led to a corneal ulcer which was caught early enough to treat medically. With the seed removed and the eye treated, Beau was back to tip top shape and ready to continue enjoying summer.

Beau’s case is a timely reminder to us all to be vigilant during the grass seed season. After taking your dogs out, a quick once over to check and remove any grass seeds. These seeds have been known to travel within the body so speedy removal is important. Although, if eyes are involved checking with your vet is a good first approach.

Punch & his Diabetes

This year Punch came to our clinic because he was no longer his bright bubbly self. His owner had noticed that he was drinking and urinating more than usual, eating lots, losing weight and not wanting to go for his regular walks. After a couple of blood and urine tests at the clinic, he was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes is a disease where there is either a lack of insulin production or the insulin that is usually made by the body is not working properly. This causes weight loss, low energy levels and an increase in drinking and urination.

To help treat Punch’s diabetes, he was started on insulin therapy. Over the next 4-5 months he was monitored closely by the vets at the Waimate Veterinary Centre. During the duration of his treatment, he also developed cataracts and pancreatitis (both being complicating factors of diabetes). We were fortunate enough to be able to refer Punch to an eye clinic in Christchurch for cataract surgery and managed his pancreatitis with a low-fat diet. Since then, Punch no longer displays any signs of diabetes or pancreatitis. Punch will be continually monitored for the rest of his life, and he will be enjoying a sugar free Christmas with heave restrictions on ham.

Binty's Eeling Adventure

Recently, we met a lovely dog called Binty, who had decided that the bait used on the family eeling excursion looked quite tasty. Unfortunately this meant she ended up with two big fish hooks in her stomach, and a piece of fishing line out of her mouth! Luckily for Binty, her owners rushed her in to the Vet Centre, and she had a quick surgery to remove the hooks before they could cause problems. She is now at home with her family recovering well and looking forward to her next eeling trip.

Bella's Bladder Blockage

Late last year Bella, the Affenpinscher had surgery to remove several urinary stones. Her owner had noticed her struggling to urinate normally and an x-ray confirmed the stones. Initially, Bella was placed on a special diet to try to dissolve the stones. Unfortunately after a month on this diet, one of the larger stones had passed into her urethra where there was a danger of it causing a life threatening blockage.

Bella's vet Sarah, performed surgery to remove the stones. Most challenging was the removal of the urethral stone because of its hard to reach location. Fortunately, everything went well and after a short stay in hospital and plenty of TLC from her nurses, Bella has made a great recovery and is back to her normal spirited self.

Bella's stones were sent to America for analysis and the results showed that they were struvite stones. Struvite stones are the most common urinary stones seen in dogs, occurring as a consequence of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Bella has continued to do well and remains on a special diet with regular monitoring for UTIs to prevent the stones from re-occurring.

Breathe Easy

Brachycephalic breeds are those which have short noses, such as Pugs, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, Shih Tzus and Boxers. This shortened face shape can resut in the syndrome known as brachycephalic airway syndrome (BOAS). BOAS may be charaterized by narrowing of the nostrils, a small windpipe, and excessive soft tissue structures at the back of the throat (the soft palate and laryngeal saccules).

Symptoms of the syndrome vary but can include, loud and rapid breathing, snoring, exercise intolerance, retching and collapse.

For minimally affected pups, a regular exercise routine, healthy diet and avoiding overheating will help with breathing and ease other symptoms. Early surgical intervention to widen narrow nostrils will also reduce the risk of deterioration of the airways that can lead to severe BOAS. In more severe cases surgical removal of excessive soft tissue in the back of the throat can also be performed to inprove breathing ability.

Both Rocco the Pug and Angel the English Bull Dog are patients that have recently undergone airway surgery to improve their breathing at the Veterinary Centre Oamaru. We are happy to report that both are doing well, are more active and snoring less.

Izzy

Izzy is a miniature pincher who came to see us at Veterinary Centre Waimate tremoring uncontrollably, stressed and panting heavily. She was a new mother with a litter of 4 week old puppies in tow.

Izzy had eclampsia, which is a low blood level of calcium. Calcium is vital for muscle and nerve function. It is often seen in larger breeds with very large litters causing too much of a calcium drain through their milk production.

After a physical exam it appeared that Izzy was also fighting off an infection which compounded the problems and likely tipped her over the edge of being able to regulate her own calcium levels.

Izzy was admitted into our Blue Cross hospital and treated immediately. Luckily for Izzy after a period of intensive care she responded well to the calcium treatment and within a few hours was bouncing around her kennel and wanting to go home.

Pregnancy and lactation are a major drain on whelping bitches. Ideally they should be on a good quality diet prior to whelping and right through lactation. If you have any expectant pooches or have any questions feel free to come and talk to any of our veterinary professionals at the Veterinary Centre.

Motz's Heartache

Motz, a dog in his senior years, got into a bit of a fighter with another dog. None of his wounds were too serious so after a clean-up his owner didn’t think too much more about them. He presented to the clinic a few days later because some of his wounds weren’t healing as expected and he had started to become unwell. He was admitted into the Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital for supportive care and antibiotics. Within a day he developed a quiet heart murmur that continued to worsen. We performed an echocardiogram (a cardiac ultrasound) which showed that he had a growth of bacteria (endocarditis) growing on one of the valves of his heart. The infection from his bites spread via his bloodstream, causing his heart to work less efficiently. Motz was promptly put onto intravenous antibiotics and some supportive heart medication to which he responded amazingly. Motz has made a good recovery and is back to enjoying his daily walks with his owner around their farm.

Ivan's Weight Loss Journey

You will remember back in March we had our weight loss competition.

Recently we caught up with the winner Ivan, an 11 year old Sheltie owned by Mr James Glucksman. Ivan’s first weigh in was in February this year where he was 26.7kg. After a month he was 26kg and Ivan continued his steady gradual weight loss of 5kg by the end of May and is now an amazing 20kg. The great thing about Ivan’s weight change is that it has been gradual and continuous. Premium scientific petfoods such as Royal Canin’s Satiety Diet are great options for clients who are struggling with their dogs weight and we see regular success from owners who choose them.

Congratulations to Ivan and James for continuing on from the great work achieved in the competition.

Molly's Lumps

Molly’s owners were concerned about several hard lumps growing quickly on her tummy. Her owners brought her into Veterinary Centre Oamaru where her vet, Aroha was suspicious of mammary tumours.

Mammary tumours are the most common type of tumour in female dogs. Up to 25% of entire bitches will develop mammary tumours in older age. Some are fast growing while others may not be noticed for some time. The prognosis for these tumours is generally good with early surgical removal.

Spaying dogs and cats before their first heat greatly reduces their risk of mammary tumours.

Unfortunately, a biopsy of Molly’s lumps revealed cancer. An urgent mastectomy was performed to remove the cancerous tissue. Molly has recovered well and is now back to her playful self but still visits Aroha frequently to monitor her health closely.

It is important to monitor your dog regularly for any lumps and book an appointment to have these checked. Any lumps or bumps are certainly worth investigating and the sooner the better. Don’t wait until it’s too late - pop into your local Blue Cross Veterinary Centre to see one of our professional veterinary team.