Blog News

A paralysis tick Already this year our sister clinic, Hall Vet Surgery, and the Canberra Veterinary Emergency Centre have treated pets with tick paralysis. Several of these pets have not been to the coast and neither have their owners. Please check your outdoor cats every day by running your fingers through their fur, checking in their ears, armpits, around their faces and under their tails for ticks. We have other types of ticks in our region too. If you find a tick and are not sure whether it is a paralysis tick or not bring it in for identification. Prevention is much better than cure, especially where ticks are concerned. We recommend Frontline spray, but also suggest Seresto collars, which coastal vets recommend. Watch this video for the signs of tick envenomation.

Thanks to our lovely clients we have been nominated for Vet Practice of the Year! We are one of five practices from all over Australia who have been nominated for the award. Now we need your votes to win Vet Practice of the Year! Please vote here on the Vet Practice tab Our winnings go to Pet Rescue ACT, a very worthy local organisation.

Fat itself is a serious health threat, particularly in small animals like our beloved cats. We don't do our cats - or our wallets - any favours by letting the cats in our lives accumulate fat. Killer Chronic Inflammation - fat cells produce toxic compounds (adipokines) which cause chronic inflammation and damage all over the body Decreased Life Expectancy - pets kept at a lean body mass live an average of 2 years longer and had fewer medical problems. Fat cats suffer more health issues and live shorter lives Osteoarthritis - overloaded joints break down cartilage leading to arthritis but it also appears the adipokines produced by fat tissue compound the problem. Diabetes - obesity leads to diabetes and insulin resistance in many cats, especially Burmese cats Kidney Disease - excess weight in cats leads to high blood pressure, which can directly affect the kidney. Respiratory Disease - trying to breath with excess fat along the chest wall and abdomen is like having a heavy bag pushing down on your chest. It alters the normal breathing pattern and reduces overall activity. Cancer - Obesity causes increased cancer rates in mice and men. Not enough studies have been done on cats to confirm the linkage in cats - but it's only a matter of time.