Spring Lodge Vets

Pet of the Month – February 2012 – Eric’s Story

Jo-Anne Parsons — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:38:22 +0000

Eric the German Shepherd

We wanted the first featured pet on our website to be a very special one. Our receptionist Jacqui from the Tiptree branch told us of a beautiful German Shepard called Eric who had a very bad start to life and we immediately decided it should be him!

Eric first came to see us at Spring Lodge after his owners rescued him from the RSPCA kennels with his now best friend, a lurcher called Fred. Eric was at the RSPCA as he was found abandoned by the roadside by the Police and required emergency treatment to save his life. His owners sent me a lovely letter telling us about Eric and their kind and heartfelt words tell his story:

”On the 15th October 2011 we adopted a frightened little lurcher from the RSPCA rescue kennels, this story is not about Fred, who is now a loving cuddly rascal of a dog, while we were at the kennels we said we were also looking for a German Shepherd, and as it happened they had a dog who was at that time in a foster home and was about to be advertised for adoption, and as it happened the foster lady was at the kennels with Eric in her car, she brought him in and the moment we saw him we fell in love with him as we had Fred. We took both dogs to their field to see if they would get on together and it seemed a partnership made in heaven. We took Fred home that day as we wanted to get him settled at home as he had been in the kennels for two and half months and was a stray.

Fred the Lurcher and an underweight Eric relaxing at their new home

We collected Eric the following Friday: Eric was found by the roadside by the Kent Police who at that time thought he was dead, but there was a glimmer of life so they took him to a vet in Kent who put him immediately on a drip ( he was on a drip for ten days). He only weighed sixteen kilos and his hair was so matted it had to be shaved off, so you can imagine he was in a very bad state.

When we collected him on 21st October 2011 he weighed twenty nine kilos, still very much under weight. This lovely dog who obviously had been so cruelly neglected was so amazing he was so friendly, trusting and loving to all who came in touch with him. We fed him four times a day and Reg took him for short walks to build up his strength. Needless to say he gobbled his food as though there was no more food (which obviously had been the case). He did not come into the lounge on the first couple of days just stayed in the kitchen, so I gradually, moved his bed up the hall, so eventually it was at the lounge door, and then into the lounge. His back legs were very weak and could not go upstairs.

Gradually he put on weight and got stronger, and one day I went upstairs and there behind was Eric, he had followed me, and that was it, from then on every time I go upstairs so does he (and Fred). When Reg takes him for his walk they are getting longer now, and he is so obedient, without much instruction he sits when told and walks off the lead and just walks beside Reg looking up to him all the time, has a little snoop around and back to Reg.

We have had his weighed regularly and on Friday 3rd February 2012 he weighed 40kilos. He is a very handsome dog and has two meals a day now, and does not gobble it down in one go, takes his time and does not always eat it in one go, we think he is quite secure enough now to know he well never go hungry again and always be loved and cherished. We consider ourselves lucky to have such a loving and loyal and gentle dog.

Eric - happier and healthier

I must add that Eric and Fred are inseparable, they play together a lot, I don’t think either of them did much playing in their previous lives, we think they have both helped each other to gain confidence. We love them both.”

Thank you to Eric’s owners for allowing us to tell Eric’s (and Freds) story. It is one of the true highlights of our jobs seeing a beautiful dog enjoying the life it deserves after such a poor beginning.

Update on Flea Conrol – 02/02/2012

Jo-Anne Parsons — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:35 +0000

Spring Lodge Veterinary Group Flea Control Protocol 2012

At Spring Lodge over the past few months we have been seeing many animals suffering from fleas and have been looking into why this is and how we can best advise owners on the control of these parasites.

It is firstly important to remember that once a pet has entered the house with just a single flea on it an infestation will start and can take 3 – 5 months to bring under control.

There are two stages to flea control – treating the animal and treating the environment.

The Animal

For the treatment and/or prevention of a flea infestation a suitable ‘spot-on’ treatment as advised by your veterinary surgery should be applied every 4 weeks making sure contact is made with the skin when applying. (Many flea products can advise treating the pet evey 6 weeks but in the case of an infestation rather than provention this is not sufficient.)

Ensure the flea treatment is applied correctly – the whole pipette, onto the skin (not the fur) in one place on the animal. If you are unsure about how to apply the treatment please ask for a complimentary appointment with our veterinary nurses.

Ensure you have the correct size pipette for the animal – check the weight of the animal before applying. (For example, do not use half a large dog pipette on a small animal.)

Do not bathe or allow the animal into water for 48hrs post application.

All animals within the household must be treated along the same guidelines even if they are totally indoor animals.

Make sure the product is stored according to the correct guidelines – not next to an oven or hot appliance.

The Environment

The home MUST be treated with Indorex, Acclaim or Staykill spray. This MUST be done every year even if there are no fleas seen and the animals are being treated with a spot-on treatment. In the case of an infestation or a multi animal household every six months is advised.

The entire house must be treated including:

Carpets
Hard flooring
Laminate flooring
Skirting boards
Soft furnishings
Pet bedding
Carry baskets, cages and crates
Car

Flea eggs are extremely sticky and can be walked around the house by the owner, even into the rooms the animals are not allowed in.

When flea larvae develop into pupae nothing will kill them (even household spray) and they can lay dormant in the environment for up to a year like this. Therefore there is potential at anytime for a flea to hatch out. To encourage them to hatch and be killed by the household spray/flea treatment, vacuum the house daily and create a humid environment (e.g dry wet washing on the radiators).

Finally, wash all pet bedding at 60^oC.

Remember that prevention is better than trying to deal with an infestation. Please conatct our surgery for a complimentary appointment with the veterinary nurse with all purchases of flea products if you need further advice.

Lost Doberman 31/01/12

Jo-Anne Parsons — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:05:39 +0000

New for 2012 – Golden Oldies Clinic

Jo-Anne Parsons — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:20:19 +0000

Is your pet over 8 years old?

If so come and join our new Golden Oldies Clinic to support you and your pets as they enter their later years.
This is a complimentary service, which can provide early diagnosis of age related conditions. This can dramatically improve your pets wellbeing and quality of life.

Come along and your pet will receive:

Regular clinical examinations with a qualified Veterinary Nurse Pet Health Counsellor.
Dietary advice and a customised health plan.
Discounted blood tests and analysis including thyroid checks.
Telephone support for any age related health concerns.

If you are interested then contact your nearest Spring Lodge Clinic to book your initial health check.

We look forward to seeing you!

A Warning to all Cat Owners

Jo-Anne Parsons — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 07:57:09 +0000

On a Monday morning at the beginning of December we were presented with a young cat who was uncontrollably shaking and drooling and unable to stand. Her extremely concerned owner rushed her straight to our Hospital in Witham where emergency treatment was started.

The owner had treated her dog and cat the night before with a flea treatment bought from a pet shop. Unfortunately as the treatment was bought without any advice from qualified members of staff and the packets were not clearly labelled, the incorrect flea product was applied to her cat.

The flea treatment contained a drug called Permethrin which, even in small quantities is extremely toxic and potentially fatal to all cats. After exposure to Permethrin the signs of poisoning usually develop within a few hours and require immediate veterinary attention.

Permethrin is often found in inexpensive and widely available flea treatments. Is it extremely easy to apply these products incorrectly if you do receive any advice at the time of purchase. Unfortunately we see several cases of Permethrin poisoning each year at Spring Lodge which all require large amounts of emergency veterinary care.

Luckily, due to the quick actions of her owner and our vets our patient survived but many cats are not so lucky. Our Vets and our patients owner would urge everyone to spread the word about the risks of Permethrin based flea products to all cat owners to prevent this situation happening again.

For more information go to http://www.fabcats.org/owners/poisons/pemethrin/article.html

Edwardian Night Success

Jo-Anne Parsons — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:44:16 +0000

On Thursday the 24th of November the staff at the Tiptree Spring Lodge Centre ran an extremely successful stand at the Tiptree Christmas Edwardian Fayre.

The stand sold raffle tickets for a chance to win thirty different prizes including a free pet microchip, a free yearly vaccination and many amazing pet accessories.

All proceeds from the raffle are to be donated to the local charity ‘Hedgehog Haven’ who are based in Tiptree and who provide a vital service throughout the year rescuing and caring for young, sick and injured hedgehogs.

They raised a fantastic £150 on the night and this combined with a chance to have a mince pie and a glass of wine with our wonderful clients made the evening a complete success.

Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket and supported us.

Golden Jubilee for Veterinary Nursing

Jo-Anne — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:54:42 +0000

Did you know that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the veterinary nursing qualification.

Those who achieved the first qualification, back in 1961, became known as registered animal nursing auxiliaries (RANA). The term ‘veterinary nurse’ was not used until over twenty years later, in 1984.

Today, veterinary nursing is thriving. The RCVS List/Register of Veterinary Nurses includes 1,715 listed veterinary nurses, and 8,101 who have gone a step further to become registered veterinary nurses (RVNs), which means they agree to carry out continuing professional development, abide by the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses, and, from 1 April this year, are prepared to account for their professional practice by means of a complaints and disciplinary mechanism.

All nurses in the Spring Lodge Veterinary Group are Qualified or working towards their nursing qualification.

We also very proud have three nurses who hold the Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing, a nurse with a Foundation Degree in Veterinary Nursing and a nurse with a Batchelor of Science Degree in Veterinary Nursing.

June is National Microchipping Month

Jo-Anne — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:59:03 +0000

For the month of June you will be able to have your pets microchipped for a reduced cost of £15.00 (normal price £23.38) as part of National Microchipping Month.

The microchip will be placed by a Qualified Veterinary Nurse and will be a high quality, advanced Bayer microchip and your details registered on the 24 hour Petlog database.

During June you will also be able to update your details for FREE on the Petlog database. It is vital that you check these details are correct or we you will not be able to be contacted if your pet is found.

Go to www.nationalmicrochippingmonth.org.uk

Preventative Healthcare for Pets

Jo-Anne — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 06:02:49 +0000

Did you know that your Veterinary Surgery offers so much more than dealing with poorly animals? At Spring Lodge Veterinary Hospital we offer a comprehensive Preventative Healthcare Programme for all of your dogs, cats and rabbits.

As well as attending the vets every year for your animals vaccinations you can visit your practice nurse for regular flea and worm treatment advice, monthly puppy checks, senior pet checks, dental care advice, nutritional guidance and obesity management. The Practice Nurse is qualified in all aspects of pet care and we encourage you to use these complimentary services. The service is not limited to just dogs and cats, the nurse will happily advise on rabbit care and we highly recommend your pet rabbits receive regular health checks.

It is important to form a bond with the staff at your veterinary surgery so that if you ever need them in an emergency you know the staff and have confidence in them when they are caring for your pets. By using the Preventative Healthcare service it allows you and your pet to become happier when making a visit to the vets and it is proven that your pet will be healthier.

Kennel Cough Warning

Jo-Anne — Thu, 26 May 2011 07:11:52 +0000

In the past week we have seen a large increase in the amount of dogs being bought to us suffering from Kennel Cough. This is an airbourne disease that is easily passed between dogs causing a harsh sounding cough. You dog does not have to have been in a kennels to catch this disease. We [...]