Small Animal Newsletter August 2019

5 stress-free tips
when bringing your cat to the vet

1.  Visit regularly for preventative nurse check-ups – A trip to see us doesn’t always have to be about getting injections!  In addition to annual vaccinations, your cat will also benefit from a free dental check, a weigh-in or for older cats, an overall health check by our nurses. Reward your cat with treats and positive attention when you get home.
2.  Choose the right cat carrier – If your cat is particularly stressed, a top-loading carrier means we can perform some of our examination on your cat whilst they remain in their carrier. Don’t tip your cat out of the cage – allow them to walk out by themselves or remove them gently from the carrier.
3.  Practice at home – Include your cat’s carry cage as part of your household furniture in a spare room or in the laundry. Leave the cage door open so your cat can investigate it or even play in it allowing him/her to develop a positive association with the cage.
4.  Create a safe place – Feeding your cat meals and treats in his/her carrier creates a positive association and reduces anxiety associated with the cage. Put your cat’s favourite bed in the cage to create a safe and familiar environment for your cat. In the car, drape a blanket or towel over the carrier to reduce motion sickness and help your cat feel safe.
5.  Smells – Avoid strong-smelling chemicals such as bleach or ammonia-based products – not only do cats dislike the smell, they may think another cat has marked the territory! Wash the cat carrier with soap and water or water with a small amount of white vinegar added. You can also spray the cage and bedding with Feliway ‘happy pheromone’ spray at least 30 minutes before using the carrier to create a reassuring environment and help reduce stress.

For more information about Feliway talk to staff or visit their website here.

Indy’s Chemotherapy Journey

Indy has a remarkable story. Recently adopted by one of our nurses Kate, her owner’s circumstances had changed and they were no longer able to keep her. Kate took her on and this story is about how a little old dogs gets a new chance at life.

Indy is a 12-year-old Fox Terrier who presented to the clinic urinating small amounts frequently. Indy was urinating so often that it was hard for us to ultrasound her bladder because it was always empty.  All symptoms pointed to a bladder infection, or cystitis, so Indy was placed on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory. After two weeks, Indy wasn’t showing signs of improvement, so we knew we had to investigate further.

Indy was brought into the clinic for the day and kept in her cage until her bladder was full enough to ultrasound. On ultrasound, we could see a growth in the neck of her bladder at the start of her urethra (the tube which takes urine from the bladder to the outside of the body). Indy was then given a general anaesthetic, and a catheter was inserted into her urethra and up into her bladder.  A sample of the lump was obtained by using the ‘traumatic catheterisation’ technique, where the catheter is used to scrape/suck cells off the growth.  The sample was then sent to the laboratory. Unfortunately, our suspicions were confirmed. The growth was a malignant transitional cell carcinoma.

Due to the tumour being in the neck of the bladder, surgery wasn’t an option.  Our two options were trying an anti-inflammatory and/or chemotherapy. In some dogs, a certain type of anti-inflammatory and chemotherapy can help slow the growth of the tumour, or in some cases even shrink the tumour.

For Indy’s chemotherapy, she has a blood test beforehand to make sure her body can cope with having the treatment.
A catheter is then placed into a vein in her front leg and saline ran through a drip to make sure there is no fluid leaking around the vein.

The chemotherapy is then injected into the dripline. Indy is very patient and sits still for the whole procedure. Animals tend to handle chemotherapy exceptionally well, but Indy was still given anti-nausea medication for a few days.  Every animals’ chemotherapy plan is different depending on what type of cancer they have.

For Indy’s type of bladder tumour, she has to come in once a week for four weeks then has a break week off, then starts again. We will continue to ultrasound Indy’s bladder to monitor the size of the tumour. She is an absolute sweetheart of a dog and some ‘frequent flyers’ at the clinic will have noticed Indy behind reception ‘helping’ out the team. She happily sits on her bed, watching all the people and animals come and go.

Thanks to Kate for sharing her dog’s story with us. We will keep you updated on Indy’s journey in the next few newsletters.

Feeding your parrot

In the wild most parrots eat a mixture of fresh seeds and grasses, insects, flowers and fruits. Seed on its own is not the best diet for your parrot. It doesn’t contain many of the major vitamins and minerals that your bird needs to maintain good health. Offer your bird a good range of foods while it is young and still developing its tastes. Lorikeets and other honeyeaters have special food requirements and there is a separate information sheet for them.

The easiest way to feed a balanced diet is to use the pelleted or crumbled prepared foods that are now available. These are foods designed to contain all the vitamins and minerals your bird needs. Your bird is also less likely to become obese if you are using them. Introducing birds to these diets must be done carefully as it takes a while for some birds to recognise them as food. If you cannot use these diets then you should try to feed no more than 50% of the diet as seed.

Try to get your bird to eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits.

• Green leafy vegetables are good sources of Vitamin A, which is particularly lacking in seeds.
• Frozen vegetables are not as good as fresh ones but can be useful if you are too busy to prepare fresh food.
• The only fresh foods to avoid are rhubarb and avocado, which are both potentially toxic.
• Lettuce has a very high water content and doesn’t have much nutritional value.
• Overfeeding with cauliflower and broccoli can bind up the iodine in a bird’s body causing goitre.

Also, some foods can be used as entertainment – corn on the cob, peanuts in shell etc. Most human foods (such as cereals, pasta and cheese) can be fed in moderation. You can make special treats for your bird such as fruitcakes and muffins.
Do not give your birds salty foods, fatty foods, chocolate or alcohol. The birds have a much smaller body mass than we do and these foods can be toxic to them even in small amounts. Parrots should also have access to clean fresh water which is changed daily.

Iams Winner

Here are our last month competition winners ‘Theo’ and Charlotte collecting his year’s supply of Iams. This was one of the promotions we ran where any purchase of Iams Cat or Dog put you into the draw to win a year’s supply.

Big thanks to Mars NZ who sponsored this promotion and for supplying such a wonderful prize. We have already had reports ‘Theo’ is enjoying his freebies!