Spring is about to be upon us, and summer is just around the corner. With this beautiful weather comes an increase in ear and skin problems.The most common ear problem we encounter in pets is otitis externa, which is inflammation and/or infection of the outer ear. This can present with head shaking, scratching at ears, smell from the ears, visible discharge at the canal opening or holding the ears abnormally.

We are so excited to offer our pet owners our new service with the opening of our "Visitation Room". We have created a seperate space where pet owners can visit their pets in hospital/ wait for procedures to be performed or even wait with their pets while sedation or premed takes effect, have the surgery/ procedures performed and then wait with their pets during the final stages of recovery before being discharged. This can benefit those pet owners whose fur-babies are super stressed staying at the vet.

Skyy is a very special patient of ours and her parents have been extremely committed to her care and treatment. Her story begins not long after having a cruciate ligament surgery repair when she began losing weight. Investigations and finally intestinal biopsies revealed a condition called inflammatory bowel disease. Treatment was initiated but in spite of this Skyy continued to lose a lot of weight in the face of a ferocious appetite.

Rabbits are cute, cuddly and very unique, especially when it comes to their health. Digestive health and diet are critical in keeping you r rabbit as healthy as possible. And something that impacts this greatly is dental health.Rabbits have 4 incisor teeth at the front of their mouth, 2 peg teeth behind and 22 molar teeth set back from these with pads of gum in between. The teeth are continuously growing throughout their life and therefore must be worn down through good chewing of proper foods.

Did you know that dental health in our pets is as important as it is with us? Yet how often do we brush our pets’ teeth? Over time plaque accumulates on the tooth surface and once there long enough, it forms calculus or tartar (this is the brown, rock-like substance seen in this picture). Bacteria continue to accumulate and eventually cause gingivitis. This then leads to gum recession and periodontal disease which begins to loosen the tooth

Dental disease in pets is an extremely important part of their health and one that is often neglected. Did you know that 70-80% of pets over the age of 3 have some form of dental disease. Plaque adheres to the tooth surface and if not removed, very quickly forms tartar (a hard, rock-like brown coloured material that is strongly adhered to the tooth surface). Where this tartar or calculus meets the gum, bacteria congregate and gingivitis develops.

Dental disease in pets is common yet often overlooked, affecting 70-80% of those over 3 years old. Plaque hardens into tartar, leading to gingivitis and potentially severe periodontal disease. An anaesthetised ultrasonic scale and polish can prevent this progression. Why anaesthesia? It allows a thorough exam, essential for diagnosing conditions like FORLs in cats and performing necessary dental treatments like extractions. Here's how you can look after your pet's dental health.

When an emergency situation arises we can feel helpless when it comes to being able to help our pets. And certainly in these situations the most critical thing is to get them to a vet as soon as possible. But you, as a pet owner, can also prepare yourself to be able to respond quickly and helpfully, especially during the summer months when we tend to see emergencies such as bee sting reactions and snake bites.

This quarter from 1st July through to 30 September we will focus on our senior pets, a senior pet is classed as a pet 7 years or older. Just like humans, our furry friends need a little extra attention as they start to get older. A nutritious diet, gentle exercise regime and regular vet visits will help keep your pet happy and healthy during this time. We all slow down as we get older, so it is important that you are sensitive to what your senior pet is experiencing as it matures.

Bell, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, came in to see Dr Bek last Thursday morning after struggling to pass her large litter of pups. She had had 7 puppies naturally at home but was very tired after 14 hours of labour. After trying an oxytocin injection to help her contractions without success, it was decided to go to caesarean as there were still 5 pups in utero.

Today we had an unexpected visit from the gorgeous Kiah who is now back to full health. Recently Kiah unfortunately spent a few days in hospital with us due to contracting Parvovirus. When we first saw her, Kiah weighed only 13.6kgs. She was very weak and shy. After 4 days of hospitalisation and round the clock treatment and monitoring by our nurses and vets, Kiah was discharged to her very anxious parents! Today Kiah is doing very well, currently weighing an impressive 23kgs (only a month since being discharged!). She enjoys her multiple walks and playtime every day.

Last Friday night, the bright and bubbly, six month old English Mastiff "Marnie" was doing what pups do best ..... getting into mischief. While some meat was being shared around amongst the human family members, Marnie thought she would help herself and accidentally swallowed a bone into the bargain.Thanks to her clear thinking parents who realised she was unwell, she was promptly taken to see us at Drovers vets.

It’s our Dental Focus Time again! For the first 3 months every year, we run our annual Dental Focus. What we want to do here for our dear patients is to promote awareness of dental diseases in cats and dogs. Our fluffy friends, unlike us, tend not to show any outward symptoms of dental pain. They will hide it and this makes it hard for you to know that your pet is suffering from dental disease.

This guide outlines essential dos and don'ts for keeping your pets safe and happy during the festive season. Learn what foods to avoid—like onions, chocolate, and cooked bones—that can be harmful to your furry friends. Discover safe practices to ensure your pets don't scavenge for dangerous table scraps or play with small objects that could pose choking hazards. On the positive side, find out how to shower your pets with love, include them in family moments, and ensure they're secure and comfortable while you're away.

Today is the 11/11/2015 we know this day as Remembrance Day. At 11 am on 11 November in 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after years of continuous warfare. On this day we remember and pay tribute to all the people who lost their lives, both in the Great War and in all conflict since then.We would like to give a thought also to our military service animals in particular today the dogs of war.

A lovely little Shih Tzu named “Toby” came to us at Drovers two weeks ago with an ear infection that had been bothering him for a while, and previous treatment at another clinic had not helped.Both ears were infected, one ear much worse than the other and quite sore. The left ear had a very creamy thick discharge. We performed a cytology examination in hospital by taking a swab from the ear and looking at cells etc. under the microscope. We found a very nasty collection of bacteria, and with the owner’s permission sent a swab away to an external pathology laboratory for culture of the bacteria

Due to increasing knowledge and tools of modern veterinary medicine, our pets are living longer and hence we are seeing more cases of osteoarthritis. Pain from osteoarthritis is well documented in human beings and dogs. Cats do not show pain as cats are masters at hiding illnesses and/or pain. Cats do not limp or cry like some dogs do when they are in pain.

We sometimes get asked by owners whether they can catch a certain disease from their pet …or sometimes they ask if their pet could catch say a flu from them.These are very good questions and thankfully in domestic pets there are only a few disease conditions that can be transferred between our pet dogs/cats and humans. It’s good to know that dogs and cats cannot catch the human cold or flu. Dogs can suffer upper respiratory infections i.e. Canine Cough and cats can catch Cat Flu but the causative agents are species specific.

Jack came in to see us at Drovers Vet hospital as he had chronic diarrhoea that just was not responding to numerous previous treatments at his regular vet. Clinical examination was normal and tests were run to try and determine the cause of his diarrhoea. An abdominal ultrasound was scheduled which showed severe thickening of his small and large intestinal walls as well as enlargement of his lymph glands which drain the intestinal tract.

It’s that time of year when the weather is beginning to warm up, snakes are waking from hibernation and we have already seen our first snake bite cases of the warmer season here at Drovers. It is very important to obtain veterinary attention if your pet has been bitten by a snake. The following information has been compiled to assist pet owners who have any concerns about snake bite.

So, you've decided you're ready to get a dog. "Now what breed should I get?", is a question often asked. There are many factors to consider when adopting or purchasing a dog and choosing the breed of dog. These things should always be considered before you acquire your new pet. If not considered, the implications could be huge. Some of these might be..

Last weekend, Dr. Caroline hatched some chickens from some fertile chicken eggs. The eggs were incubated in an egg incubator at home. It takes 21 days to incubate chicken eggs. At day 20, the chicks begin to hatch – they can be heard peeping inside their eggs and then begin to pip through the shell with their beaks. The process of hatching can take from one hour up to 24 hours, and is fascinating to watch as the chicks peck all the way around the egg and push their way out.

Have you ever suffered sciatic pain? One minute you're moving around freely and the next you are gripped by a pain so debilitating and excruciating, you can't move. If you're fortunate, after a few days or weeks of rest, the pain dissipates. A similar nerve pain can affect dogs. There are a number of causes for back or neck pain in dogs that are due to nerve impingement. It could be a breed-related disease e.g. in Dobermans and Dachshunds, or be related to degenerative changes in the spine over time.

It is always a very exciting time for the family involved when it comes to breeding their female dogs and then having wonderful cute little puppies, if everything goes well. However, we have seen plenty of pregnant dogs have problems giving birth due to a wide variation of reasons. They would eventually need a caesarean section. These almost always present as emergencies as puppies can be distressed if they are not delivered as soon as possible.

We love seeing your puppies here at Drovers Vet! It is great to be part of their first weeks with you settling in to the family. The first course of vaccines as a pup is critical for your dog.This primary vaccine course will set up your pup's immunity to serious diseases such as Parvovirus and Distemper, which are life threatening when they occur. Vaccines also provide protection against Kennel Cough, a debilitating respiration infection. Recommended vaccination schedules may vary between vet clinics.

We are very proud to have been given an opportunity like this to engage with a group of enthusiastic students and to share our experiences. It also confirms for us that our vision and journey is the correct one as we seek to provide facilities, services and patient care that is of not only a high standard, but also seen to be esteemed by one of Australia’s top universities.

Our Dental Focus is nearly over and boy have we had a busy time performing dental procedures across all our hospitals! From Wednesday next week we move onto our next quarterly focus; arthritis. This focus will run for three months beginning from the 1st April until the 30th of June 2015.Arthritis is one of the most common conditions we diagnose in older pets and can be an extremely debilitating disease.

One our core values is excellence and we pride ourselves in being able to offer a very high standard of care in our hospital. There is no better demonstration of our commitment to this than with these specific anaesthetics. First up, all our surgery patients for the day receive a full clinical exam by one of our vets. Pre-anaesthetic blood tests are always recommended as they enable us to diagnose early disease. We run these test on-site and can have the results within half an hour.

"Prince", an 11 month old Welsh Corgi cross pup presented to us at Drovers Veterinary Hospital, on 8th January with a history of vomiting for 24 hours. He had been to the emergency vet the night before but continued vomiting during the night and was quite unwell when he came to us. It was obvious "Prince" needed supportive care with pain relief and intravenous fluids but would also need x-rays to rule out a bowel obstruction. When x-rays were performed an interesting radiodense (a white shadowing) object was apparent in the intestinal tract.

Here at Drovers Veterinary Hospital we will always welcome you when you come to visit us with your fur-babies of all sizes. However we do undertake maintaining your pet's safety and the safety of all of our clients very seriously. We would like to remind all our clients to please remember to keep your dog on a secure lead and your cat or small pet in the safety of a pet carrier whilst here with us.