Senior Health Checks

Boy the years fly by! It's senior health check time again and I was a little worried that it was now my time to enter into this amazing promo.  Luckily I have one more year left being 6.5, but as of winter I'll be lining up for my annual 'senior health check' as well.

It's actually a very good idea to have these checks though, your people can help prevent some pretty serious health issues developing by catching any early symptoms at these visits plus how amazing is this deal with everything you get for only $79?!

So if you are now in your 'golden years' get your people to pop you into your local Blue Cross clinic this month to take advantage of this furrtastic deal!

.........Cotton

Molar Month

It's Molar Month! Not my favourite time of year I must say but then who really does like going to the dentist?! I had my pearly whites checked just the other day by my vet Ally and as usual passed with flying colours. It was actually pretty painless too. My people have a new UV torch that shows up any tartar or disease so there's no poking or prodding involved! I must say though, what else could my people really expect other than beautiful teeth, as I do take a lot of care - I have my dental diet daily, brush every few days and then there's the constant checking from my staff - I suppose I should probably be thanking them......

So if you're needing a bit of TLC in the molar department get your people to pop you down to your local Blue Cross clinic this month and we will get you sorted!

.......... Cotton

Cosy Beds

Ahhh these new cosy beds at The Veterinary Centre are so snuggle and warm - perfect for these wet and cold days at the moment! Apparently they even have a fabulous 10% off this month which makes them even more furtastic!

Speaking of cold and wet days - one of my fabulous reps was in the other day making sure we are all stocked up on pain relief for those sore, stiff winter joints. She was so lovely in fact I decided I would try and sneak off home with her! I was less than impressed when my vet Felicity tried to take me back inside and I certainly let her know about it!

So if your poor old joints need a bit of easing or you need a nice soft, comfy bed to 'batten down the hatches' in this winter, send your people down to their nearest Blue Cross Veterinary Centre and my staff will get you sorted!

.......... Cotton

Lucky Duck Food

To get some exercise as part of my weight loss programme, I was taking a casual stroll around my Blue Cross clinic the other day, and you'll never guess what I spotted!  I found a new product on the shelves for my feathery friends called Lucky Duck - a specifically formulated mix that apparently the ducks will go 'quackers' over!  I've heard through "the cat line" that bread has now been found to be quite harmful to ducks' digestive systems so this is a fabulous alternative.  Lucky Duck is great value at only $3.60 for a 1kg bag, plus you can also get handheld feeders that keep little fingers away from those sharp pecking beaks!

Pop into the local Blue Cross Veterinary Centre to grab some Lucky Duck and a feeder on the way - I'm sure those friends of mine will love you for it!

.........Cotton

Sunblock for Cats

Summer is well and truly here.  I have to say my humans have been taking fantastic care of me over the holidays, even making sure I've got my sun block on every morning before I head off on my daily adventures!  Me and my furry friends need a special sun block as the human products are far too toxic and can make us very ill.  So if you have a fairer complexion like myself, make sure your people pop into your local Blue Cross Centre to grab you some special pet sun block too.

I'm lucky, my staff are available 24/7 to tend to me and my every need - I hope your humans have you well cared for over the holiday period as well.

Happy New Year! ........ Cotton

Merry Christmas

Tinsel, toys, trees and treats - my humans here at the Blue Cross Veterinary Centre have got so many goodies out on display that would make such fabulous gifts for me and my furry friends.  Bowls that weigh your meals in an array of stylish colours, toys to chase and play with (instead of the tinsel and trees we apparently need to leave!), yummy Christmas treats and even a new topical flea and tick treatment for us felines that lasts for a whole 3 months!

So my festive friends, send your humans down to your local Blue Cross Centre for everything you need these holidays, I can even recommend some fabulous 5 star accommodation ideas should you need to celebrate in style if you humans are away.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Cotton!!

Our Vets Keeping Up With The Play

My vets like to 'keep up with the play' and recently three of them headed away to the 2016 New Zealand Veterinary Association Conference.  My people are now updated on the exciting research and advances made in the veterinary world.  They have been telling me all about what they learned and how excited they are to put it into practice.  It is important for my vets to be the best and to continue offering a gold standard service to all of you, my furry friends.....

......... Cotton

Springtime!!

Daffodils, lambs and calves everywhere, I love spring!  The birds are out chirping in the sun, oh how I love bird watching.  My humans put this silly cat collar on me with a dingly bell so I cannot catch them anymore though.  Because we are out and about more now it is warming up, we are more likely to pick up fleas and bring them inside so remind your humans it is time for a spot-on flea treatment.  If you have scratchy skin and it isn't fleas, how about dragging your human along to sign you up for the 'Skin Special' (see circular) and get your itch sorted before summer.  Yay!  I love October for another reason; Poetry Competition!!  Did you know I am one of the judges for this and I just looooove reading over your entries, you kids sure do have some amazing pets!!  Catch you next month......

.......Cotton

FIV Tests

You may remember from a few months ago that my humans managed to secure funding to investigate the prevalence of FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus - like HIV in humans) in our area.  My humans have now tested 200 healthy adult cats and found that 11% of them were FIV positive.  That's pretty scary considering they felt otherwise fine!  The males amongst us have it especially rough - 18% of them were positive while only 3% of the females were positive (probably because they fight so much!)  Now that my humans know they are infected they can help them to make some lifestyle changes to keep them well for as long as possible.  They have also been able to protect cats at risk by vaccinating them.  Thank you to all my cat friends who agree to be tested - we couldn't have done it without you.

..........Cotton

Clean Teeth

I love how the team here at the Vet Centre do those extra little things to look after me.  Little things like putting Aquadent in my daily drinking water which keeps my breath smelling fresh.  I also have my teeth brushed regularly with my own special tooth brush.  The best part though is the dental biscuits and dental treats I get - they are sooo delicious.  Did you know nearly 80% of animals over three years old have some form of dental disease?  My vets can give your teeth a scale and polish which will make your mouth feel much better and protects us from dental disease.  So remind your humans that we need dental care too!

..........Cotton

All About Cotton....

I am Cotton and I am the boss here at the Veterinary Centre in Oamaru!  I have just had my 40th recently (5.4 of your human years).  I was born on Christmas Eve of 2010.  One of my roles here at the Veterinary Centre is donating blood to car crash victims (I am Type A blood group) but mostly I am also cheif cat food/treat taste tester!  It's not a bad gig!  The worst accident I ever had here was when I was just young and still trying to negotiate those electric doors, I got my tail stuck in them and had to have the tip of my tail amputated.  Lucky I have the very best vets on hand to sort me out when I do dumb things like that.

.........Cotton

FIV in Cats

My 'humans' here at the Blue Cross Veterinary Centre are industry leaders.  They have secured funding to investigate the prevalence of FIV in our area.  FIV is a disease which attacks the immune system, much like HIV in humans.  They are screening 'healthy' adult cats that haven't been vaccinated for FIV before (it is not one of the usual vaccinations).  They will find out if FIV is something we should be more vigilant about in our area and whether we should routinely vaccinate against it.  It can be a nasty disease and can kill us, but careful management can help extend our life.  As soon as my people here have done all the hard work and collated all the data I will be sure to get back to you with their findings....watch my space......

.......... Cotton

Neutered Cats

Did you know a female cat can produce 15-20 kittens a year?  The world is incredibly overpopulated by stray cats....those poor souls have no homes to go to, no beds to sleep in and no humans at their beck-and-call!

My humans lead the way in responsible pet ownership and make sure that our Tiny Tigers are neutered when they leave here for their new homes!  Being neutered means ovarian and testicular cancers are impossible.

Neutered pets tend to be happier, friendlier and less territorial so please make sure "your people" bring you in to talk to one of my Blue Cross vets about this routine surgical procedure!

.........Cotton

Sunblock on Cats

Holidays are all about relaxing right?  Nothing better than a good book or a snooze outside soaking up the sunshine.  Because of my pale complexion I must be very careful not to get my ears and nose sunburnt.  "My humans" have a special sunblock for me called Filta Clear which means I am well protected from getting skin cancer.  Human sunblock is too toxic for us animals so if you are sensitive to the sun like me then send "your people" in to your nearest Blue Cross Veterinary Centre for some animal friendly sunblock today.

I am lucky because "my staff" are available 24/7 over the holidays.....I hope "your humans" have you well cared for if they are away........

..........Cotton

Merry Christmas

These humans are really good at spoiling my fun! They say it is for my own good! they have hidden all the Christmas chocolates and lollies so I cannot get into them (apparently they can make me really sick). They have even put the Christmas tree and all that fun, sparkly tinsel out of my reach-they say it can be dangerous for me too! I guess I should thank them really....they say that they love me lots and they just want to keep me safe and healthy. Remember that there is ALWAYS someone here with me at the Blue Cross Veterinary Centre over the holidays so make sure your human calls us on the emergency line (0800 VET 111) if you get into any trouble....we are here to help!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Cotton!

Guy Fawkes

Guy Fawkes time again...... I'm a pretty sassy lady and nothing much scares me but I must admit that those loud bangs really do terrify me.  I am lucky here to be inside, warm and safe with my stereo turned up extra loud to drown out the scary noises.....  Please look after your pets this fireworks season!  Have you liked our Facebook page yet?  (Veterinary Centre - By the Big Blue Cross).  There are a heap of good tips about looking after your pets at Guy Fawkes on there!  There are also specials, freebies, clinic contact details, new products, lost and found pets, competitions and MOST importantly....my monthly musings!!!!

......Cotton

Sensitive Skin

Now that spring is merrily upon us, we see a few beloved animals coming in here with annoying itches - urgh there is nothing worse is there? If you have sensitive skin like me then send your human in to talk to one of my friendly vets about enrolling you in my amazing skin challenge.  This challenge is designed to rid you of all those frustrating itches and have your skin and coat purrrrfect for Summer......

......Cotton

Spring Time

Spring is here!  Daffodils and lambs everywhere!  Hopefully we are in for some warmer weather and I can get out sun-bathing again soon.

Apparently my body is not yet bikini ready - my humans think I am carrying a little extra winter weight and have cut out all my treats and put me on a special weight loss diet - turns out I like the taste and know how to access my own treats round this place anyway!

Spring does seem like a good time to get back into my exercise regime and get in shape for summer though so I guess.....maybe......my humans might be right occassionally......

.......Cotton

Bird Watching

One of my favourite pastimes is "bird-watching".  Lately I have been watching all the wax-eyes snacking on Topflite's wild bird food range.  Cakes, truffles, pellets and logs which are berry and peanut flavoured.  They also have their own holders and feeders so your human can hang them in the trees to bring the birds to you.  They look really delicious!  And I don't mean the birds.....

I can't catch them anyway, my people at the Blue Cross Veterinary Centre have put a "Trouble 'n' Trix" collar on me that has lots of jingly bells on it, so the wax-eyes can hear me coming!

You should send your human down to your Blue Cross Veterinary Centre to check out the Topflite wild bird range BUT don't tell them about the awesome range of cat collars available....it makes catching birds impossible....

........Cotton

Cats and Rat Bait

I have heard my humans moaning about how their cats at home are more worried about curling up by the fire napping than chasing mice or rats - and why not I tell them!!  Napping is a favourite pastime of mine also!  It can be a lot safer at this time of year too... I have seen many cats and dogs coming in lately very sick from eating mice and rats that have eaten that rat bait you humans put out in winter.  It is just as poisonous to us as it is to rats.  It can stop our blood from clotting and can kill us very quickly.  My vets work very fast when an animal comes in after eating rat bait to make sure they live!  Early action is essential.  Please remember to store rat bait securely and lay it out of your pets reach.  Enclosed bait stations are best.

........ Cotton