Austinmer and Helensburgh Veterinary Hospital

25/11/2024

It’s time to stay cool as a cucumber this week! 🏝️

With some extremely hot weather expected, it’s time to get out the paddle pools for your pooch and make the weekend nice and cool. 👙💦

Here are some handy tips to avoid any unnecessary vet visits. 🌊

1. Avoid walking on hot surfaces like roads, foot paths or even sand in the heat of the day. Their paws will burn much like your bare feet would on the hot surfaces. 😎
2. Keep them inside if possible. Like us, they feel the heat too and are much less likely to suffer heat stroke by being inside where it’s cooler.
3. Provide a few more water bowls than usual. Some may use them to paddle in because of the heat so an extra water source is a must to avoid dehydration. 💧
4. Freeze some doggy ice blocks and pop some ice cubes in all water bowls. Dogs love this extra treat on a hot day. 🧊
5. Give them a day off exercise. No walkies are necessary in the heat of the day. If you have a working breed that demands a walk, take them early morning or late evening to avoid the massive heat. Definitely no runs though. 🐕‍🦺
6. If you have a brachycephalic breed(squishy faces), they are more prone to heat stress. Keep them inside in air conditioning if possible as they have smaller airways to cool themselves down as easy as other breeds. 🐶
7. Rabbits, Guinea pigs and birds are also more susceptible to heat stress so where possible set their run or cage up inside for a couple of days of cool comfort. They will thank you for it 🐇🦜
8. If they are due for a bath this will be the perfect time for it. They might actually appreciate being a little cooler 🛁

If you are worried about your pet, please call either clinic ASAP for immediate veterinary treatment. ☀️

16/11/2024

Dr Sarah is smitten for Ralph’s puppy dog eyes.

Ralph recently visited Dr Sarah for desexing surgery and the pair were inseparable. 😍🐾

16/11/2024

If I fits I sits 😍

Mel stole our hearts with his lapdog antics today 💙

14/11/2024

These faces are pawsitively adorable! Congratulations Halo, Bonnie, shape and Peggy! 🐾🐾🐾

11/11/2024

Grass seeds are a common foreign body encountered by vets, often spiking through paws when pets stand on them without anyone noticing.

Hugo, an old english sheep dog x, was the latest pooch presenting to Dr Gail with a sore, swollen paw. Gail anaesthetised Hugo, lancing his abscessed foot and found the offending grass seed, which had punctured between his toes and travelled further into his foot creating an infected pocket. Hugo’s paw was flushed to remove the pus, stitched and bandaged and he was sent home with some antibiotics and pain relief.

Grass seeds can be quite painful but despite Hugo’s sore foot, he still insisted on being Gail’s lap dog until his dad picked him up. 🌾🐾🐶

06/11/2024

Helensburgh had the cutest visitors yesterday….goats!

Midnight and Jack only came for a weigh in but received obligatory pats from all the staff 🐐

04/11/2024

It’s shearwater migration time. These wonderful birds have a large migration distance of roughly 15,000kms and it’s not uncommon for birds which have not gained enough body condition to be washing up on local beaches.

If you find an excessive amount of deceased birds please contact the number below.

If you find a sick or injured bird that need urgent attention, please contact Australian Seabird Rescue on 0431 282 238 who will safely bring the bird in to a clinic or practice extreme safety and bring in to either of our clinics. 🐦‍⬛

Seabird rescue volunteers are urging the community to not touch sick or dead migratory birds with their hands due to the potential risk of bird flu.

No cases of the H5N1 strain of bird flu have been detected in Australia yet, but experts predict it could arrive here with the spring migration of shorebirds and seabirds from the Northern Hemisphere.

Hundreds of dead or sick short tailed Shearwaters have been discovered washed up on Shoalhaven beaches in the past week.

Wildlife Rescue South Coast seabird volunteer and owner of Mudgeroo Emu Farm and Refuge Belinda Donovan has rescued 24 shearwaters so far this season.

She wants people to contact wildlife groups or use gloves to help shore and sea birds when they wash up exhausted and starving from their migration journey.

“Most people just respond because they see a gorgeous little bird not doing too well,” she said.

“But people should be mindful of themselves, they should be wearing gloves when they pick up seabirds.”

01/11/2024

With ears like this, Buzz the Jack Russell misses nothing.

Nurse Grace promised chicken afternoon tea and she must deliver 😆🐾🍗

29/10/2024

Meet Lulu….

She chose to eat 6 nicorette chews. Apparently she was on a mission to drop her cigarette habit.
After all, being a labrador makes anything irresistible.

Dr Jarrod induced vomiting to bring up Lulu’s haul to minimise the toxin exposure.

Nicorette contains ni****ne which is dangerous to dogs because it affects their nervous system, heart, and muscles. Even small amounts can cause symptoms like vomiting, drooling, rapid heart rate and tremors. Dogs are especially vulnerable because they metabolise ni****ne more slowly than humans.

Nicorette chews also contain artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners, especially xylitol, are very dangerous to dogs. When dogs consume xylitol, it causes their blood sugar levels to drop rapidly, leading to weakness, vomiting, and loss of coordination and in severe cases even death.

Thankfully nicorette chews contain aspartame which is most likely to only cause diarrhoea but as Lulu is an already diagnosed diabetic,
Dr Jarrod had to take extra precautions making sure to apply a blood glucose sensor to allow her owner to read her blood sugars at home and come in if they plummeted.

Thankfully Lulu is doing great despite her ordeal and is still a happy, bouncy labrador. 🦮🐾⚠️

28/10/2024

Congratulations Peggy, Mack and Ace on your puppy preschool graduation. You are all so clever 🐾🎓

25/10/2024

Everyone has a favourite- Boondie’s is nurse Katrine. ❤️

21/10/2024

UPDATE- He is reunited 🥰

Do you recognize my handsome face? I’m lost and need to find my owners. Please call Austinmer vets ASAP on 42683353 if he is yours.
(Microchip is not on database)

19/10/2024

Did you hear ear infections are more common in the hot and humid months?

While dogs with floppy ears are more predisposed, dogs that love an ocean dip, pets with narrow ear canals or skin allergies are also prone to regular outer ear infections.

While it is tempting to use old ear drops from home, veterinary diagnosis is crucial beforehand for the following reasons.
Firstly, the vet will take a swab to identify the cause of the infection we are dealing with as they all require different medications to treat.
Secondly, the vet will look down the ear with a special instrument to assess if the ear drum is ruptured. Quite a few medications are unable to be used with a burst ear drum risking middle ear infections, ototoxicity or even neurological issues.
Thirdly, sometimes they can be quite painful requiring pain relief or even sedation to clean the ears thoroughly.

If your pet has red or swollen ears, shaking their head, scratching at their ears, smelly ears or any discharge in the ears give either clinic a call and book an appointment for a vet check. 🐕 🐾

18/10/2024

Double trouble in the burgh today 🐾💜🐾💙

10/10/2024

Happy International Vet Nurse day 2024!

Today we celebrate our amazing team of nurses.
These talented nurses are compassionate, knowledgeable, intelligent and caring.

It takes a very special person to fulfill this role and we say a big thank you for everything you do!
❤️🦜🐍🐈🦮🌼

08/10/2024

Exciting news!!!!

Do you want a full year of flea and tick protection for dog in a single dose?

✅️A injection that protects against paralysis ticks for 12 months.

✅️Brown dog ticks for 11 months.

✅️Treatment and prevention of flea infestations for 12 months

✅️Control of flea allergy dermatitis

( unfortunately not available for cats )

If you would like to know more please call either clinic and our friendly staff would be happy to help answer any questions that you may have.

Austinmer Veterinary Hospital: 4268 3353
Helensburgh Veterinary Hospital: 4294 2508

07/10/2024

Something new and exciting is coming!! Stay tuned.

06/10/2024

We are closed for the public holiday today ☀️

Please call 📞 42683353 for the emergency vet contact details.

We will be back as normal at 8am tomorrow. 🐕🐕