Vet Nurse Care at Home

19/08/2024

07/08/2024

🌱🌭 COME AND MEET US AT OUR MEAT-FREE SAUSAGE SIZZLE AT CLAREMONT BUNNINGS BECAUSE EVERY ANIMAL MATTERS!! 🌭🌱

Date: 10 and 11 August 2024
Time: 8am to 4pm
Location: Bunnings, 303 Stirling Highway, Claremont

We're a little nervous about how successful our completely meat-free sausage sizzle is going to be this weekend despite the Veggie Delights sausages being very tasty and healthy!! We believe we may be the first group to host a completely meat-free BBQ at Bunnings . . .

We would love everyone's support to show that every animal matters 😺🐷🐮

We also have lots of cute merchandise for sale, activities organised by Bunnings, pet vouchers for reduced vaccinations at the Pet Practice and lots of educational leaflets!

So why not come on down and enjoy the fun!

26/07/2024

About the size of a grain of rice, a microchip is your pet’s best chance of being returned safely home if they do go missing. However, sadly, 40% of microchips have inaccurate data or aren’t registered.

Remember, should you ever move house or even change your phone number to also update your furry friend’s microchip details.

22/07/2024

Reminder, we are open today for Free Pet Food (Weekly Supply), Flea/Worming Treatments. We also have Cat Litter available and other small animal items.

Register at www.streetaid.social for the address.

We will be open from Midday Today to 2pm.

08/07/2024

Although a stern ‘No’ or spraying a cat with a water bottle seems like an effective way to stop unwanted behaviour, it doesn’t work. Here’s why:

😿Punishment could seriously damage the relationship between you and your cat. Instead of seeing you as someone they trust, your cat could see you as unpredictable and not safe to be around.

😿Your cat might see you as a threat.Making them avoid you or act defensively (growling, hissing, swiping, biting) when approached or touched - putting you and your family at risk of being injured.

😿Punishment doesn’t get to the bottom of why the behaviour occurs, so it will likely happen again. Punishment does not teach your cat anything new or provide an outlet for the behaviour (which may be normal and occurs because the cat’s needs have not been met, or due to an underlying medical issue)

😿For punishment to be effective it needs to happen immediately after the behaviour and every time it happens – this is virtually impossible to do eg, if a cat is shouted at for jumping on a work surface, they will likely just do it when their owner isn’t there.

😿 Punishment could reinforce unwanted behaviours, such as attention-seeking.

😿Cats live in the now, so will not understand if their owner shouts at them for scratching the sofa when they get in from work. Cats do not have advanced cognition like humans, and although they do experience emotions, they cannot think back in time or ahead as we do, so they never perform behaviours out of spite or jealousy.

😿Punishment will trigger protective emotions such as anxiety, fear and stress, meaning your cat will be more likely to perform certain stress-related behaviours such as frequent, unwanted scratching and urine marking in the home.

😿Punishment can impact a cat’s need to feel safe in their home environment, which can result in chronic stress and a poor quality of life.

😺Unwanted behaviours can be managed without punishment. If your cat is showing unwanted behaviours, speak to your veterinary team for advice🩺.

🐾Referral to a veterinary or clinical animal behaviourist is sometimes needed and can be very effective at reducing incidences of unwanted behaviour.

29/06/2024

Do not de-matt your cat at home. These tools (and scissors) are not meant for de-matting cats, let alone cat owners not professionally taught in cat grooming.

Why?
✂️ Cat skin is 1/3rd the thickness of ours and easily cut
✂️A cat's skin is easily penetrated by these tools
✂️When the cat's skin is cut it will tear further like tissue paper
✂️ You are risking the cost of a vet stitch up under anesthesia WHEN it goes wrong
✂️ You are also risking the grooming relationship you have with your cat. A cat being cut or painfully pulled out will not be happy with you in the future
✂️Matting hurts! It is always pulling on the skin and can lead to bald patches and infections at the skin.

So, what can I do?
🐱See a professional trained cat groomer
🐱You may need to start from scratch in some instances, then you can learn proper grooming techniques to comb your cat at home
🐱 Prevention is the key! Waiting until matting is forming is building a negative association to grooming

Learn how to bath and comb your cat at home preventing matting by removing the causes-
https://learncatgrooming.com.au/p/homecatgrooming

24/04/2024

08/04/2024

BE KIND

Almost every day I see a post or comment in a local Facebook group bashing a vet or vets in general. "If they loved animals they would do it for free", "money hungry", "heartless", "taking advantage of people's sick pets", etc.

To these people: we hear you. Vet care is expensive. You are stressed. Sometimes vets don't have the answer. Sometimes you don't get to see your favourite vet. Sometimes they get it wrong.

Vets are humans not machines. The amount of medical knowledge they have to hold is intense. The stress and pressure they feel to make your beloved pet well again is very real. The anguish they feel when they can't save an animal because medicine just isn't there yet or the owner doesn't have the funds to treat is VERY real.

A vet studies for a minimum of five years full time to become a veterinarian. In that time they have to learn the anatomy and physiology of every domestic species you can think of, what makes them sick, and how to fix it. They are your pet's GP, surgeon, dentist, anaesthetist, radiologist, psychologist, nutritionist, ob-gyn, and more. They are a DOCTOR and they fought to become what they are today. In fact they have a massive student loan as a token of their hard work.

Vets and Nurses are perfectionists and have an impossibly high standard of care. They beat themselves up when they get something wrong. They agonise about not knowing enough. Not being enough. So they study some more, while they work insane 60+ hour weeks to cover their own living expenses.

How can you say they are money grabbers without ever knowing what it costs to run a practice? Vets graduate and get paid peanuts for their knowledge and long hours. And what about the vet nurses and support staff? They don't get paid enough because the clinics are trying to keep costs down for pet owners. Often vet nurses and reception staff have to make it on minimum wage and work 2 jobs. If they were paid what they deserve there would be even more complaints. Don't our vet & nursing staff deserve to have a home? Enjoy leisure time? Raise a family? After all they have done for us isn't that the least they should have? A fair wage and safety from the social media onslaught?

Vets are human. Vets are on social media and they have feelings. They put enough pressure on themselves without being called money grabbing and heartless so PLEASE stop and think about what you're writing and saying

If you don't understand why you are being charged a particular fee, ask. If you would prefer to see the same vet each time, ask. But remember, vets are human. They have sick days. They take breaks (well, they should). If you aren't sure your vet has got it right, talk to them! They appreciate your right and need for a second opinion. They usually ask colleagues for their thoughts anyway! When you take a sick animal to the vet, you have an entire team behind your pet and they will fight as hard as you let them and then some.

pet insurance is a really good idea. If you choose not to have it that's fine, but please don't blame your vet for the cost of treatment when your pet gets sick. Vet care isn't subsidised and it costs what it costs as there is no government support or Medicare . Your vet can do everything for your pet that a human doctor can do for their patient, but the government doesn't pay for it. There's no such thing as socialised health care for animals.

And after all of this they still love our pets just like their own. They take their work home with them. They care. Not just about our animals but about their human guardians as well. They hurt for us when we are sad, anxious, or scared. Vets are human and sometimes their compassion destroys them.

The message here is please be kind. We need our vets and nurses. The reality is the su***de rate in the profession is high and that needs to be addressed. So please show some kindness. There is absolutely no need to bash a vet on social media or to their faces. They read what you write and it hurts. Vets are human.
If you see a post, say something. Don't join in the attack. Don't sit back and let it happen. It's not okay.

💜 😎 🐾 👌🐶

27/03/2024

Hiding places are extremely valuable for cats.

18/03/2024

Retractable leads are dangerous to both the dogs and people.

A little boy was left with the lead 'wrapped around his neck' at a Sydney park after one dog 'went crazy'.

17/03/2024

⛳️Sorry your cat is too stressed to groom today
⛳️Sorry your cat is in too much pain to manipulate to clip
⛳️I’d recommend pain medication before the next groom
⛳️ I will not force a groom on your cat

All green flags! Showing you groomer cares and advocates for your cat’s health and welfare. 🐈🐈‍⬛
Advocate for the cats. They don’t have a voice.

17/03/2024

Please don’t take to your cats knots with scissors!

15/02/2024

Why do dogs get CORNS ?

Ever thought about it ?

I spent the first few years wondering why on earth these things occur and like everyone else was fixated on how to “ FIX” the corn.

But in actual fact, the CORN which is similar to a glorified thick CALLOUS, tells a clear story about what other injuries the dog currently has that is causing the animal to SHIFT their body weight onto the leg which has the corn.

If I use a human comparison to help - if I have a sore right knee, I will automatically shift more of my body weight over to my left leg - to try and take some of the load off the sore right leg.

If I have very small feet then shifting this weight over to the left leg will over time, cause a callous to form under my left foot - IF the pain right knee is not addressed.

When a dog gets a CORN, it’s important as an owner to think about why this has occurred.

1. Is there pain or an injury that you don’t know about that is causing the dog to stand a certain way this causing the corn to occur ?

Most dogs I have seen so far, have had awful awful toe sprains and arthritic joints in their toes or ruptured tendons that had not previously been picked up on vet exam.

If your dog has stubborn CORNS, please consider having a physiotherapist to examine your dog to see what is the CAUSE of this ( preferably before chopping off any toes or cutting any tendons, as that makes my job a lot harder).

08/02/2024

Please don’t walk dogs in the heat!

With the heatwave conditions and warmer weather we are experiencing, please make sure to protect protect your furry friends from hot surfaces! 🐾🔥

Sand and concrete can get scorching hot and cause burns on your pet's paws. To keep them safe, take walks early in the morning or late in the afternoon when it's cooler. Opt for grassy or shaded areas instead.

Let's keep our fur babies happy and comfortable! 🐶❤️

03/02/2024

29/01/2024

It still surprises so many people -- even cat parents themselves -- that cats are trainable and behavior problems can often be solved easily with a little work.

25/01/2024

There seems to be a recent trend in cats being transported in backpack carriers 😕 No doubt there will be a surge in popularity again due to the new Argylle movie 😿

They may seem like a fun way to move a cat from one place to another, but I would urge caregivers to take a moment to think about their cat's wellbeing before purchasing a backpack carrier - the bubble carriers are particularly unpleasant for cats.

Issues with backpack carriers include:

😿They are usually too small for cats to turn around in and position themselves in a way they feel most comfortable

😿They move around a lot during transportation, which is stressful and uncomfortable for cats - most of these carriers are not very sturdy either

😿There is no opportunity for cats to hide, they are almost forced to look out through the bubble window. This means cats have to face lots of things they might find frightening during their journey, such as dogs, unfamiliar people and cars

😿The carrier is facing backward, which can be very disorientating for cats - some will experience nausea and vomit

😿 The carriers are not easy to clean, making them less hygienic

😿 Air circulation is poor, which can make cats overheat

😿Cats can arrive at their destination in a high state of arousal due to experiencing intense emotions of anxiety, fear, or frustration - this makes examinations by the veterinary team more difficult, which could impact the effectiveness of any care that cats receive (and need)

Although there are some differences in these types of carriers (ie some are a bit larger or stronger), cats can be trained to use different types of carriers and every cat and their caregiver is different, most backpack carriers are not cat friendly for the average cat. Unless this is the only way a cat can be transported to the vet in an emergency they should be avoided 🚑

😻There is plenty of useful information on what type of carrier to choose and how minimise stress during travel on this International Cat Care webpage👇 https://icatcare.org/international-cat-day/icd-2022/travel-tips/
Or visit this webpage to access the International Cat Care guides, which includes a handy downloadable guide on taking your cat to the vet 👇
https://icatcare.org/advice-cat-carer-guides/

21/01/2024

Forms

07/01/2024

01/01/2024

Services and Prices
From Jan 1st 2024

SERVICING ALL AREAS OF PERTH

Microchipping: $50 per animal.
$40 per animal for a litter.
Includes registration on the day.
Dogs and cats only.

Nail clipping: $35 for cats/rabbits/guinea pigs
$40 for dogs
2 or more cats/rabbits/piggies $30 each
2 or more dogs $35each

A**l Gland Expression: $45 per animal
Dogs and cats only.

Cat Grooming - Clipping Only
Mat removal only: $45 - $65 depending on severity of mats
Lion Clip: $110 ($20-$30 surcharge for severe matting)
Tummy Clip only: $35
Chest Only: $45 (includes underarms)
Bottom Clip only: $45
Tummy + Chest: $70
Tummy + Bottom: $60
Tummy + Chest + Bottom Clip: $75
Nail Caps: Two paws only $30 all four paws $45

*Please note that all grooming services will require a 50% deposit to be paid at the time of booking.
Any cancellation of bookings must be made more than 48 hours prior to the appointment or deposits will be non refundable.
This excludes re scheduling appts once only or personal emergencies.

Medication administration: $40 per visit.
North of the river only
(Special arrangements can be made south of the river if short term).
Includes giving:
Intestinal Wormers
Antibiotics
Injections eg Insulin and arthritis injections
Subcutaneous Fluids
**Medications must be provided by the client however I can supply intestinal wormers if needed at an additional cost.

Short Term Pet Sitting
Maximum of 3 weeks - North of the River Only - See map in comments for areas I cover.
Includes:
Feeding animals
Litter tray cleaning/pooper scooping
Dog walking (30 mins)
Medication administration
Grooming
Plant watering
Bins in/out
Mail collection
Animal cuddles 🙂
Each visit per day: $35 regardless of number of animals and any medication requirements.
Live in is $40 per day with a max of 3 weeks for this service.
Dog Walking Visits Only: $45 for up to 1 hour with max 2 dogs

See map in comments for areas I cover for this service.

All prices include travel costs.

PLEASE NOTE: As a Vet Nurse I cannot give Vaccinations.

To book for any of my services please SMS Only 0409587240
OR
PM the page

CANCELLATION POLICY:
When you book an appointment you agree that any cancellations made less than 48hrs before the appt time will incur a $20-$30 cancellation fee per animal booked or result in the loss of your deposit - see details under grooming section.
Services are booked for the required time needed for them to be completed and changing the appt to a lesser service on our arrival may result in being charged for the service originally booked.
This is because we could have booked other appts in the time we are no longer required.

31/12/2023

There are lots of ways to celebrate the new year, and although fireworks are a favourite among humans, they can be pretty terrifying for our furry and feathered friends.

Here are a few things you can do to make sure your best friends are kept safe on NYE ✨👉 https://animalsaus.co/3TCNLfd

15/12/2023

Terms and Conditions apply

14/12/2023

❌ PLEASE LEAVE THEM IN THE SHOPS ❌

Just a little warning regarding the Christmas treat many stores are now starting to stock for dogs at Christmas.

Many of these so called treats end up with the dog "enjoying" some time in a veterinary surgery over Christmas.

The vast majority of these rawhide products and treats come from China.

The chews are made from cattle or horse hides and their journey starts with the hides being soaked in a toxic sodium sulphide to remove the hair and fat. More chemicals are used in order to split the hide into layers which is then washed with hydrogen peroxide to give the white "pure" look and remove the rancid smell. Now comes the pretty festive colours and the glue to form cute shapes. On testing, these chews have shown traces of arsenic, mercury, chromium and formaldehyde.

If that wasn't bad enough, they regularly cause intestinal blockages, poisoning from chemical residue and choking. The chews go slippery when wet and are near impossible to get hold of to save a choking dog.

Leave them in the shop where they belong or if some well meaning person buys them for your dog put them safely away for later, then dispatch in the bin!

Please be safe with your dogs! 🐾

13/12/2023