Pet safety at Christmas!

      Here are some hazards to be mindful of as the festive season gets into full swing.

The following guide shows you which foods to avoid ( the naughty list) & suitable treats (the nice list).  
   (click on image to enlarge on mobile devices)

    Remember that cats can also be attracted to the foods listed above and as with dogs, are dangerous if eaten.

   Other hazards to look out for include;

    Batteries;

     Ingestion of batteries is more common at this time of year. If the battery is chewed and pierced it can cause chemical burns and heavy metal poisoning. If they are swallowed whole it is possible they will cause an obstruction. All batteries are potentially toxic so if you suspect your dog or cat has chewed or swallowed a battery - please call us.

   Bottle corks, corn on the cob, cocktail sticks, cracker toys, ribbon and tinsel can be dangerous if swallowed. Ensure that they are tidied away or kept out of reach of pets.

             

  

 Our Christmas song is a reminder of the hazards

  at  Christmas time

 ( to the tune of walking in a winter wonderland)

             

   December's here, the decs are glistening.

   The vet's phone rings, we are listening.....

   chewed up fairy lights, chocolates found,

   steal some bites.

Anxious pets? A New Year's party's planned.

The tree sways, glass baubles disturbed,

wanting to play, meows are heard.

Then something goes wrong, Felix falls down headlong
meanwhile Fluffy's eating purple tinsel strands!

In the kitchen,

Christmas cake & gammon ham.

A stretched out paw to reach the turkey crown.

Boiling water carried in a saucepan.

Be sure to keep the kitchen out of bounds!

 So as you begin to tire,

 watching TV by the fire.

    Remember your pets,

 safe and sound they must be kept.

    Our Christmas message we do hope you understand! 

   

     Remember;

     Christmas time often means a busy home, with friends and family coming together in seasonal spirit. Remember that new faces and more noise can be scary for your pet, so it’s a good idea to provide them with a safe room so they can escape and be put at ease if it all becomes too much. Be mindful of the front door opening with guests arriving and leaving. Make sure that dogs can't run out!  It’s also important to maintain your pet’s normal routines, especially with feeding and exercise, to avoid them becoming too unsettled.

  

                                                          

     In an emergency

    If you think that your pet may have eaten something that they shouldn't then swift action is necessary. 

Follow these four simple steps:

   Step 1 - Prevent your pet from eating any more.

   Step 2 - Phone your vet immediately!

   Step 3 -Stay calm and follow your vet's instructions.

   Step 4 -Collect the relevant wrapping and packaging.

     Make a note of our phone number and call us immediately -

01895 633600

                                                                                                     

      DISCLAIMER: 

      The contents of the Arden House Animal Hospital website are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your Veterinary Surgeon with any questions you may have regarding your animal’s medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. 

Pet of the month hall of fame - Frankie ( October)

Meet 12 year old Frankie!

This gorgeous boy is our brave pet of the month after overcoming injuries sustained from being hit by a car back in July.

When Frankie was rushed into the hospital it was clear that he had suffered a nasty injury to his head. Vet Katie carried out an initial assessment of his injuries - his jaw was fractured and his left eye had come out if its socket(prolapsed). He was in shock and pain so he was given some pain relief and intravenous fluid therapy to make him comfortable and help him recover from the shock. The following day Frankie was less distressed and we were able to assess him further. An x-ray was taken of his chest and abdomen to check that he hadn't suffered any internal injuries. Although he had improved a little, his neurological signs from the head trauma were unstable which meant he was not yet fit enough for a general anaesthetic and surgery to treat his injuries.


We continued to provide supportive treatment, he was such a brave boy and let the nurses syringe feed him. Four days after he was admitted to the hospital, Frankie's condition had improved further;  vet Louise carried out an operation to remove his damaged eye (enucleation) and stabilise the fracture to his lower jaw (mandible). This was achieved by using a stainless steel wire to align the jaw and hold it in place.
Frankie had also suffered some nerve damage to his right eye which meant that his eye reflexes were impaired. The nerves to his left front leg were damaged too which resulted in some loss of leg movement. Depending on the level of damage, the nerves can sometimes recover and function be restored.

After recovering well from the anaesthetic, Frankie was feeling a much happier boy. It was important to encourage him to eat so we tempted him with a selection of soft foods along with some cuddles. We felt that he would feel even happier at home with his creature comforts and  TLC from his owner so Frankie was allowed home. He came back in for a check up two days later and Louise was concerned that he was not eating as well as she'd expect. 

Looking at his jaw Louise could see that there had been some movement of the fracture site and Frankie was uncomfortable, so he was admitted to the hospital for further assessment under a general anaesthetic; the wire had loosened causing the fracture site to misalign.

Louise repositioned his jaw and tightened the wire. Following the procedure, Frankie was a sleepy boy so he spent a night in hospital. The following morning he was bright and comfortable and managed  to lap some food by himself! - Frankie was able to go home.

From this point on-wards, Frankie has continued to get better. He's had a few trips to see us so that we can assess his progress.  He is eating well and the nerve damage to his eye and his leg have improved. Overall he is enjoying life again!

Frankie has certainly been through the mill and we are so pleased that this gorgeous, friendly boy is well on the road to recovery.

Pet of the month hall of fame - Suggsy (August)

SUGGSY    

At the end of June Suggsy was brought in by her owners after falling ill after a walk.

On the day of the walk, Suggsy was her usual happy, bouncy self and was enjoying running around when she suddenly appeared out of some bushes and vomited a large amount of a white substance. The following day it was apparent that Suggsy was not feeling very well so her owner brought her in to see vet Melanie. Her abdomen was very sore and she was very lethargic. Suggsy was admitted to the hospital for blood tests and supportive treatment which involved intravenous fluid therapy and injections that provided pain relief, a medicine to stop her feeling nauseous and an antibiotic.

We ran the blood test in our in-house laboratory and the results were quickly available. Suggsy was suffering from acute kidney failure and she was gravely ill. It was important that she remained on intravenous fluids. The fluids ensured that Suggsy stayed well hydrated and they helped to dilute and flush out the excess toxins in her blood. Following the history given by Suggsy’s owner of how quickly she’d become ill and analysing the results of her examination, blood test, and abdominal ultrasound, Melanie concluded that Suggsy had quite possibly eaten something toxic. 

Over the next few days, Suggsy remained on supportive treatment. Our aim was to keep Suggsy as comfortable as possible and to continue to support her kidneys to give them a chance to recover. She was unable to stand so we needed to frequently change her resting position to reduce the risk of bed sores and pneumonia.

After four days in the hospital we were encouraged to see a little improvement with Suggsy. She was showing more interest in her surroundings and even managed a little potter around the garden.

Vet Cathy repeated some blood tests and her kidney measurements were improving. Further test results showed that Suggsy’s liver was not functioning properly. An ultrasound scan revealed that her liver was enlarged and swollen (hepatomegaly). The liver is a highly regenerative organ and in some cases a dog can recover from acute liver disease, so supportive treatment for both her liver and kidneys was continued. After 8 days in the hospital we were delighted when Suggsy began to eat some chicken and we could see a little sparkle in her eyes. By day 12 of her hospital stay, Suggsy was well enough to go home. Her owners have been  bringing her in regularly for check ups so that the vets can assess her response to the treatment. Suggsy's liver is less swollen and her abdomen is more comfortable. Her appetite is slowly improving and her blood test results have shown an improvement in both her liver and kidney function.

We are over the moon to see that the beautiful Suggsy is a happy little dog again, she has been such a brave, sweet girl throughout her stay with us.💚

Pet of the month hall of fame - Tigger (June)

TIGGER

Our June pet of the month is the lovely Tigger who unfortunately got hit by a car about six weeks ago.  During a busy Friday evening we received a phone call from a lady who’d seen a cat get hit by a car. She’d managed to pick the cat up and came straight down to the surgery. Our nurses carried out an initial assessment. He was breathing rapidly and was very sore around his back end.Student nurse Avril checked him for a micro-chip and we were delighted when the scanner detected one. We found out his name was Tigger and we were able to get in touch with his owners.

Vet Joanna examined Tigger and concluded that he would need some x-rays taken as he was unable to stand on his hind legs. He would also need an x-ray of his chest and abdomen to check for internal injuries. Tigger’s condition was stable and with some pain relief he had a comfortable night. The following day vet Karolina sedated Tigger in order to take the x-rays. His chest x-ray was clear and importantly she could see that his bladder was intact.  Looking at the bones of his pelvis and hips, Karolina detected a pelvis fracture and a partial dislocation to the sacroiliac joint; this is where the pelvis attaches to the lower part of the spine (sacrum). 

Treatment for this type of injury depends on a number of factors. In Tigger's case we opted to treat him conservatively with confinement and rest. The pelvic bones are completely surrounded by large muscle masses which act as a natural splint to help keep the bones in place.The first most important step was to ensure that the nerves that run through the pelvis had not been damaged so that Tigger could still pass urine and faeces. Tigger was a very worried boy when in the hospital so we sent him home with strict cage rest,  with his owner's monitoring his toileting. We were pleased to hear that he'd managed to pass urine at home. Tigger came back in for a check up two days later and had been much happier out of the clinic, but he still required regular careful monitoring as he was having a bit of trouble passing motions and he was still not using his left leg. The vet was suspicious that Tigger's sciatic nerve might be damaged, but after discussing Tigger's injuries with a specialist orthopaedic surgeon it was decided to give Tigger more time rather than consider surgery. Often these types of injuries will improve on their own with just supportive treatment.

After 6 weeks of rest and TLC, Tigger is on the mend and doing really well, albeit still a little wobbly!

Rabbit awareness fortnight!

Calling all rabbit owners!

We are supporting rabbit awareness week by offering two weeks of free rabbit checks with a vet between Monday 19th June - Saturday 1st July.

Please call and book an appointment! 

This year's campaign is focusing on the importance of feeding hay - rabbits need 85 - 90% of good quality hay and fresh grass every day, that's equal to their body size every day!

• HAY is high in fibre that promotes digestive health
• HAY stimulates chewing which is good for dental health  
• HAY encourages bunnies to forage for emotional health 

#hoptohay

Click on the link below for lots of bunny care advice and tips!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk/

Pet of the Month Hall of Fame - Toby ( April)

Toby was first brought in to see vet Akvile because he had been sick and was not quite himself. After an examination, Toby was given some medication to settle his tummy and antibiotics to combat any infection. Toby also had a blood sample taken to help determine the potential causes of his symptoms. The blood test results gave Akvile an indication of how well Toby's organs were functioning and ruled out some conditions that can be present with the symptoms that Toby was showing. Toby was brought back in for check ups over the next few days. He was quite bright and alert and was no longer being sick although his appetite had not completely returned.  Toby then took a step backwards in his recovery and started to be sick again, so he was admitted to the hospital to be placed onto an intravenous drip and to have an x-ray taken of his abdomen.

Akvile was looking for signs of a foreign body or tumour in the gastrointestinal tract.  With nothing obvious detected from this, Toby remained in hospital on supportive treatment. Although no signs of an obstruction were seen on the x-ray, some foreign objects do not show up, so this could not be ruled out completely at this stage. Toby was gradually improving, he was no longer being sick and was eating more readily. He was happy to sit having cuddles with the nurses. Head vet Cathy reassessed Toby and although she was pleased with his progress, Cathy was still concerned that his tummy was a little tender when touched. After a chat with Toby's owner, Cathy decided to allow Toby home for a day to see how he got on but if he started to deteriorate again then he would need an exploratory operation to check for the cause.

Poor Toby was back in the next morning having been sick again so Cathy admitted him for the exploratory operation. Toby was given a general anaesthetic and taken into theatre where Cathy discovered a small corn on the cob in his stomach! The size of the cob meant that it was freely moving about in the stomach, causing a partial obstruction of the stomach outlet to the small intestines. This is why Toby's symptoms waxed and waned. 
Within a few hours of waking up from his operation to remove the foreign body, Toby was already a much happier boy and ate some chicken. One more night in hospital and Toby was ready to go home. Back at home, Toby continued to improve and he recently had his final check up with Cathy. We are so pleased that this lovely boy is all better. 

For being such a brave and sweet boy, Toby is our pet of the month!  

With the BBQ season not too far away, Toby's story is a reminder of the hazards that our pets can encounter if they eat something they shouldn't. Whether you are in the back garden, out on a picnic or indoors because of the weather, remind guests not to leave corn cobs and cooked bones sitting on their plates and ensure that you bag up leftovers and store them out of reach before disposal.

Charity Canoe Challenge!

Our head vet Cathy Siddle and her daughter Alison are embarking on a four day charity canoe trip along the Zambezi River! This water-safari challenge will take place between 2–10 September 2017. They'll be paddling 12–24km a day, but will have plenty of opportunity to marvel at the stunning landscapes of Zambia and get up close (but not too close!) to the incredible wildlife, whilst raising money for the worldwide veterinary service (WVS). They will also get to spend a day at an elephant orphanage in Lusaka that WVS supports, where many of these animals are rehabilitated, ready for their eventual release back to the wild. 

About the charity;

The Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) is a UK based charity which works to promote the welfare of animals on a global scale, as well as providing disaster emergency response. By collating veterinary resources and funds and helping with training and education of vets, they are able to provide a sustainable resource for deprived areas. They help to support over 800 smaller worldwide charities dealing with domesticated, feral and wild animals. In an average year around 150,000 animals are treated, 100 teams are deployed, 850 aid parcels are sent, 500 vets are trained and 250 charities are supported. 

From dog shelters in Thailand, to the welfare of donkeys in India, WVS are in action worldwide, running neutering and vaccination programmes, sending veterinary supplies out to animals in need as well as providing a fast action emergency response to animals affected by natural disasters or other life-changing situations.

If you would like to support both Cathy and Alison and their chosen charity, you can donate via their 'Just Giving' page  - simply click on the link below or drop into the practice. The money raised will go towards the charity's continued work in animal welfare.

    

  'thank-you for your support, every donation is greatly appreciated '- Cathy & Alison xx