Margaret River Veterinary Hospital

30/01/2025

We have received our first delivery of Delicate Care! 🥳
At this stage, we only have the Skin and Stomach range in Kangaroo and Duck in both the 15kg and 3kg.
Stock is limited while they get back up and running, so if you are after one of these bags, please give us a call and let us know.
Food in their other range won't be too far away so we will keep you updated as they arrive!

14/01/2025

🐶 Puppy Class! 🐶

We have a couple of spots left for our first puppy class of 2025, starting this Thursday evening at 6pm.
If you have a puppy under 13wks of age and would like to join, please give us a call on 9757 2163!

22/12/2024

SUMMER EMERGENCY PT II

The latter half of the week hasn’t eased up for our pets! Here’s some vet tips from cases this week:

1. HEAT STROKE: it’s hot and the brachy breeds feel it the most (pugs, frenchies, bull dogs, short nosed staffys) - the most effective way to cool down your pet is to hose them to soaking wet and put a fan on close by. Please do NOT cover with a wet towel. Do this BEFORE arrival at the clinic if possible.

2. SAND INGESTION: if discarding cooking oil please do it on grass then hose away or discard in an area where dogs cannot ingest the oily sand. Sand ingestion can lead to mild gastro signs to severe with obstruction and sepsis.

3. KANGAROOS: urbanisation and the dry heat mean that the Roos will be closer to walking trail / residential areas. If your dog has a strong prey drive or is just too curious - please keep them on the lead while kangaroos do their thing. Wounds inflicted by kangaroos defending themselves are often extensive and 90% of the time will require surgical repair.

4. SNAKES: we have had 4 snake envenomation cases in 10 days. These have all been from the KARRIDALE area - but we know there can be snakes in town center back yards.

5. FISH HOOKS: we see plenty of fish hooks in dogs (and some cats!) - generally all require a minimum of sedation to remove - these are generally in the mouth or snagged in a foot. Ingested hooks can require abdominal surgery. Take care with where you store fishing gear.

This is Koda who is feeling much better after his dugite 🐍 encounter.

17/12/2024

SUMMER EMERGENCY

Thank you to those that moved your non urgent appointments to accommodate two snake envenomation daschunds and a seizuring dog yesterday (on top of our ‘normal’ summer busy period).

It’s been a hectic few weeks for our Margaret River pets with a spike in Gastro cases, insect bites reactions, airway obstructions and other illnesses.

It’s also been a tough few weeks for staff and clients saying good bye to too many of our golden oldies.

Happy to report our three emergency dogs from yesterday are much improved and on their way to recovery.

This is Biggie who was silly to take on a tiger snake.

15/12/2024

Today is our staff Christmas celebration.
We will be closed and no afterhours service will be available. Our phones will be diverted to a triage company where registered Vet nurses are available to offer advice 24/7 should your pet require assistance.
Thank you for your understanding while our team has a well earned day off!🎉🥳

05/12/2024

CHANGES TO OUT OF HOURS SERVICING

Please note we are currently in the process of changing how our after hours servicing is conducted. As previous our after hours service is between 5-10pm and 6-8am.

To help the on-call vet and our patients we are employing an external phone triage service. This service is already being utilized by the limited number of vet clinics still providing an after hours service.

If deemed urgent the triage service will redirect the call to the after hour vet.

Please note - We have been having some phone line / voicemail recording hiccups in the transition so apologies to anyone affected and bear with us over the next week.

As you are likely aware the last 4 years has seen a significant reduction in clinics providing an a/h service in the south west. Currently we are lucky enough to be able to keep the service going within the most urgent hours. Clinics within Busselton surrounding are sharing a/h servicing to ease the load and there is no a/h available in Bunbury.

Please be mindful that the su***de risk in veterinarians is four times the national average. Emergency veterinary work is very rewarding but very demanding and can be highly emotive for all pet family members and veterinary staff. It can be very difficult to find vets willing to partake in after hours servicing as it can be challenging and often removes them from their family commitments. Veterinary staff are generally required to work the next day even if up all night as there is no pool for urgent locums.

In short- please do:

1. Call the after hours mobile number if you have an emergency and need to seek urgent vet assistance

2. Do not wait until after 10pm if your pet is very unwell prior as services within the South West will be limited and you may be required to drive to Perth

3. Make an appointment online if non urgent

4. DO NOT call regarding wildlife and refer to our website for local wildlife contact numbers and instructions on how to care for wildlife overnight

Although this service will be used by a small percentage of client base and holiday makers it can be life saving and provide peace of mind.

04/12/2024

PATIENT OF THE MONTH

Meet Cyrus!
Cyrus is a 50kg lovable and beyond-bouncy American Bulldog mix that has had an unfortunate number of surgery’s in his 8 years.

Both his knees required fairly involved orthopaedic repair to keep him comfortable (TPLO cruciate surgery) and a few others minor procedures for lumps, bumps and teeth.

Always obliging and never knowing how big he really is - a crowd favourite amongst the staff.

His Dad and grandparents forever doting upon his needs.

This is another excellent painting by local artist Amanda Evan’s which will be given to Cyrus’ family after display at our Margaret River and Augusta Clinics.

04/12/2024

PATIENT OF THE MONTH

Meet Cyrus!
Cyrus is a 50kg lovable and beyond-bouncy American Bulldog mix that has had an unfortunate number of surgery’s in his 8 years.

Both his knees required fairly involved orthopaedic repair to keep him comfortable (TPLO cruciate surgery) and a few others minor procedures for lumps, bumps and teeth.

Always obliging and never knowing how big he really is - a crowd favourite amongst the staff.

His Dad and grandparents forever doting upon his needs.

This is another excellent painting by local artist Amanda Evan’s which will be given to Cyrus’ family after display at our Margaret River and Augusta Clinics.

23/11/2024

Willow had a check up at the vet today and all the puppies came along for the ride. Vet checked all the puppies over and all the staff got lots of cuddles from the puppies 🖤💙🐕

16/10/2024

🎆FIREWORKS! 🎆
A reminder to everyone in the Margaret River area that there will be fireworks at 8pm this Saturday 19th October at Gloucester Park (behind Mitre 10), to end the Margaret River Agricultural show.
If your pet struggles with such events, it is important to ensure they have a safe and secure space. Taking precautions such as, keeping them inside with music playing to help drown out as much noise as possible and providing them with their creature comforts and enrichment activities to help them feel as safe and relaxed as possible.

If you know your pet needs some extra help during this time and usually requires anti-anxiety medications for such circumstance, please ensure you have these ordered with ample time for delivery and collection.

11/10/2024

🌸Today we celebrate our Vet Nurses 🌸

Those who work tirelessly everyday to ensure their patients along with their humans are cared for with compassion and understanding at every stage of their journey.

🌸Your warmth, knowledge, compassion and professionalism are true assets to the practice.
Happy Vet Nurse Day 🎈🌸

10/10/2024

🌻🐝Spring has sprung 🌸🐝

Now that the weather is warming up we are seeing an increase in dogs showing reactions to Bee and other insect stings.

Severity of reactions can range from mild to severe depending on the dog and can lead to anaphylaxis.
Things to look out for if your dog has been stung!

Mild reactions:
Localised swelling at sting site
Sudden itchiness or licking
Hives
Facial swelling

Moderate-severe reactions (anaphylaxis)
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Collapse
Pale Gums
Can lead to death if left untreated

Mild reactions can be self limiting but may still require treatment especially if your dog is irritated. It is always recommended if your dog is stung to contact us and we can advise best treatment options. In severe reactions the quicker your dog gets treatment the better. Some dogs can require quite intensive treatment especially if they are having a severe anaphylactic reaction.

26/09/2024

🐣Spring is here! 🐣

Now is a great time to remind everyone that as the weather warms up, more and more baby birds will be seen leaving their nests to start learning to fly!
If you see a fledgling bird on the ground, please do not immediately pick it up. Keep your pets away and check your surroundings. If not in immediate danger (from cars, dogs, or visibly injured), leave them where they are.
You might not see them, but mum and dad are nearby keeping an eye on and feeding their baby, that can take up to 2 weeks to learn to fly.
If they are in danger from predators, place them in the nearest tree available and monitor them.
If you notice visible signs of injury, please take them to your nearest vet hospital and take note of where you picked them up so that, once rehabilitated, they can be released back to their home.

25/09/2024

PATIENT OF THE MONTH

Meet Mr Putin! Putin is an 11 year old Russian Blue (hence the name) that comes in monthly for treatment to help keep his poorly kidneys going. His owner was gifted Mr Putin from a friend after passing who loved the cat dearly.

Chronic Kidney Disease affects an estimated 30-40% of cats over 10 years and 81% of cats over 15 years. This truly highlights the necessity of periodic blood testing in our older feline patients.

Mr Putin does well in clinic tolerating his overnight stays and his medication – he is a pretty chatty guy!

Local artist Amanda Evans can be found on IG: mandyevanspaints or 0428 208 996

09/09/2024

4 of our Nurses attended the annual VNCA regional event held in the beautiful setting of One Herd Equine Facilitation.
Attending lectures on Triage/first response, signs and management of shock in small animals and wrapped the day up with a lecture on Equine colic management.
Karen from One Herd, assisted by her horses and their calm energy, guided the class through a mindfulness journey.
Mel Giles our Nurse Manager is heavily involved in the VNCA and helped facilitate this event along with many other continuing education events throughout the year.🐴📚📚

23/08/2024

A good reminder from our colleagues at Foothills Animal Hospital-WA about safety protocols and reducing stress for our patients, clients and staff.

📣 IMPORTANT SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT 📣

At Foothills Animal Hospital, we love caring for your pets and we strive to always provide a safe working environment.

We place the safety of our valued clients and their pets alongside with our team as our highest priority.

We sadly had a traumatic incident last week, where two of our team members, a Veterinarian and a Nurse, suffered a severe and unprovoked dog attack, one of them requiring emergency surgery for a broken bone. They were fortunate to receive excellent medical care and are now thankfully recovering, however, this incident has highlighted again the importance of our safety.

At our hospital we help many large, unsociable and aggressive dogs that present a danger to our team. These dogs often do not venture outside their properties, nor do they encounter other dogs or people. It is important for the owners of these dogs to understand the stress a vet visit can cause. Due to the unpredictable nature of our interactions, we need the Owners of these pets to have full control of their animals while visiting our hospital including the carpark and particularly in the small confines of their consult room where a pet is more likely to feel trapped and stressed.

With this in mind we would like to share our hospital guidelines to help minimise the risks associated with working with animals.

• Please understand the risks we take at work and never be dismissive of a team member that is careful around your pet, until we know your pet, we might be cautious and that is ok.

• Never dismiss a Vet or a Nurse that is cautious around your pet, they might have had a traumatic experience in the past.

• When making an appointment, please advise if you have any concerns about your pet’s past behaviour and experience at home or in a public setting. We will tailor your pet’s care to ensure they feel comfortable and at ease.

• A friendly pet can behave very differently at the vets as fear overrides their trust.

• Please warn us if a pet is likely to bite or has snapped in the past.

• We ask that you bring all dogs likely to bite muzzzled, and to call ahead so that we can plan your visit in the safest manner.

• Chat to our team about calming pills for your pets to reduce their fear and make our interactions safer.

• Help us by always having your pet on a leash whilst at our hospital or safely contained in a pet carrier.

• Always present your pet with the most capable handler and never send a pet to the hospital with a minor.

• Our team will always advocate for your pet. If at any time during your visit with us, a team member advises that we need to stop what we are doing, please understand that this is in the best interests of your pet.

• If you fail to disclose the risk, you are putting our team directly in harm’s way and can be held responsible.

Our team are trained to handle pets with compassion, aiming for a fear-free experience that fosters a positive and reassuring atmosphere. We implement various measures to provide a high standard of care whilst keeping our patients’ stress levels to a minimum.

PLEASE HELP KEEP OUR TEAM SAFE SO THAT WE CAN BE AVAILABLE TO KEEP CARING FOR YOUR TREASURED PETS.

Thank you,
Foothills Animal Hospital 🐾