The Coldicott Veterinary Clinic Newsletter
                                                    Issue 21

                      Merry Christmas and 
         a prosperous New Year to all our clients. 

    Please remember to keep dogs out of the chocolate boxes, too much is poisonous

                                             Booster Reminders

We will be sending all future booster reminders as a text message rather than the current post card system.  Please ensure that we have your current contact details! 

                                                    Diarrhoea

Recently we have seen large numbers of dogs with diarrhoea and/or vomiting. It is important that we see your pet quickly after the onset of vomiting or diarrhoea as dehydration is a real risk and can very quickly cause very serious complications and even death in severe cases. Just 24hours delay in treatment can significantly affect your pet’s chances of making a full and rapid recovery, we have recently seen several dogs that would likely have just required simple treatment if treated early, but due to delay have required hospitalisation and lifesaving treatment. Most, but not all, of the diarrhoea we have seen recently is caused by non-specific viruses and once the appropriate treatment and nursing care are started will resolve relatively quickly. Please don’t delay if your pet starts to have diarrhoea or vomiting, rapid treatment is better for both your pet and you!!

                                               Calf pneumonia

The warm and occasionally damp weather this autumn has resulted in many farms suffering outbreaks of pneumonia in cattle. Prevention is as important as control in this instance although the weather is not helping matters!! Good airflow through housing, without drafts, is crucial to both prevention and recovery from pneumonia outbreaks.  Other things to consider include quarantine of newly brought in animals, not mixing different aged batches of animals, minimizing dust, and ensuring all stock are wormed.  Anti-inflammatories and antibiotics should be used carefully and at the correct dose rates inaffected animals. A wide range of vaccines are available if disease is persistently problematic and may help to minimize problems next year.

Nurse training

As part of her training our student nurse Shelley Cocks will be running clinics for weigh-ins, stitch removal, wormers, flea control etc. If you would like some professional advice but are not quite sure that your pet needs to see a vet then come to a nurse clinic for advice and treatment or referral to the vet if required.

                                                  Geriatric Checks

   Just a quick reminder that we are still running FREE geriatric checks on Thursdays.

                                 Wormer Resistance / Resistant Worms

Modern wormers for horses, cattle and sheep are good at killing worms, but worms are even better at developing resistance. There are now areas of worms resistant to many groups of wormers throughout the county. Routine worming is no longer the best control measure. If a faecal worm egg count does not show many eggs there is only a low level of worms and no worming is advised. If a high worm egg count is found a repeat worm egg count 2 weeks after worming is advised to check worms have been removed ie no resistant ones. Special price for WEC in December/January for single sample £10 + VAT, for multiple samples £8 + VAT each. Repeat sampling every 2 months will save you money on expensive wormers! 

                                                       Fleas

We have seen huge numbers of pets affected by fleas this autumn, mostly due to the mild weather! The problem is exacerbated as some of our owners are finding that Fipronil based products, available from pet shops and supermarkets, are no longer effective.  If this is the case in your household please do not despair!! We have a number of alternatives which are proving to be very effective at eliminating fleas. Don’t allow your pet and yourself to suffer the effects of fleas, come to see us!!!