Forrestfield Vet Hospital

21/06/2024

🦷 When was the last time you checked your pet's teeth? 🦷

Did you know dental disease is one of the most common diseases found among pets, with 80% of pets developing some stage of dental disease before the age of 3 years? That's 8 out of every 10 pets! 🙀

Bacteria, coupled with food particles and saliva, form plaque which adheres to the surface of teeth. Over time, if not removed, the layers of plaque will begin to harden and calcify into what's called calculus (or tartar).

With so much bacteria accumulating in the mouth and coating the teeth, it's only a matter of time before bacteria invade underneath the gums, causing inflammation (gingivitis), gum recession, and leading to loose and rotten teeth.

In addition to dental disease affecting the mouth, the increase in bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause heart disease, kidney disease, and/or liver disease, which can shorten a pet's lifespan.

Signs of potential periodontal disease:

- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Changes in the color of your pet's teeth
- Red or inflamed gums
- Changes in eating habits/difficulty eating
- Pawing at the mouth
- Excessive drooling
- Blood on toys (excluding teething pets)
- Facial swelling

How to maintain dental hygiene:

🦷 Aim to brush your pet's teeth daily with pet-specific toothpaste and a finger brush or a soft-bristled children's toothbrush. (It is important not to use human toothpaste as it is not designed to be swallowed and may contain harmful ingredients for your pet.)

🦷 Dental biscuits, treats, and toys: These are specifically designed to have a hard, abrasive surface which will mechanically brush the teeth when chewed upon.

🦷 Food additives: Products such as 'PlaqueOff' are designed to prevent plaque from forming and adhering to teeth, and work to soften and break down existing plaque on the teeth.

🦷 Regular check-ups: Schedule appointments at least once a year (preferably every 6 months) with your vet to monitor your pet's teeth and catch issues early.

🦷 Professional clean: Sometimes, a dental scale & polish performed under anesthesia is necessary to thoroughly clean the teeth and underneath the gum line, to keep those pearly whites happy!

See below for stages of periodontal disease! 👇

17/06/2024

Hospital Case:

This absolute bundle of sweetness is Nala...
She stayed with us for the day to have a lump removed and an Aural Hematoma surgically corrected.

An Aural Hematoma occurs when blood vessels are ruptured due to trauma such as hard knocks to the ear due to shaking the head vigorously and hitting a surface. This results in blood accumulating in the pinna of the ear causing a swelling. This swelling must be reduced by draining the blood then, using multiple stitches, tacking the two sides of the pinna back together to keep the haematoma from reforming.
Stitches remain for 3 weeks before removal to allow proper healing.

Is is common for pets to feel uncomfortable after this surgery and most want to continue to shake their heads. This can cause further trauma. Sometimes it is nessecary to place a bandage to hold the ear flap to the head for the first day.

Nala enjoyed the time she had with our Vets and Nurses with lots of chats, cuddles, head scratches and kisses! Nurse Ruby was smitten!

14/06/2024

What is Dr Khloe looking at under the microscope? 🧐

Our trusty microscope helps us observe bacteria, parasites and cells that would normally be impossible to see with the naked eye. 🦠

Skin scrapes as well as blood and urine samples are commonly placed under microscopes for better identification. 🩸🔬

Flick through our photos for more details!

11/06/2024

Indy came in for her sterilisation and was just the sweetest little sausage! Look at her snoot 🤎

07/06/2024

DID YOU KNOW a**l glands are filled with secretions containing a unique (and pungent!) smell specific to your cat or dog? 🐈 🐕

The purpose of the secretion is to mark an animal's territory. Animals are able to identify a lot of information about the 'host' from the secretion coating the stools.

Most pets are able to express their own glands when they p**p. However, it's not uncommon for pets to require extra assistance - especially smaller breed dogs.

If your pet is scooting, excessively licking/biting around their a**l area, sitting uncomfortably, or if you notice a pungent fishy / musky odour, this may be a sign that they have full glands.

04/06/2024

Praia came in for her sterilisation and as you can see, she had many fans! She just wanted some attention and Dr Hobin, Dr Chloe and Nurse Ruby were very happy to provide it!
She was all cosy after her anaesthetic and stayed bundled up in her blankets, she even covered her head somehow 🤣

03/06/2024

31/05/2024

👁 Keep an eye out for your pet's eyes 👀

Eye ulcers can be quite painful—just ask our patient Bella!

Eye ulcers are most commonly caused by—but not limited to—trauma, such as a scratch or poke, followed by eyelid abnormalities like entropion (where eyelashes grow towards the eye) and dry eyes. If left untreated, they can lead to serious complications.

To help us identify any ulcers, we add a few drops of special dye to the eye and shine a UV light. If there is an ulcer, it will take up the dye, making it easy to detect. This allows us to choose the appropriate course of action.

🧐 What to look out for:
• Squinting
• Redness
• Rubbing of the eye
• Weepy eye
• Cloudy appearance of the eye

Certain eye medications can worsen ulcers, so it's always best to consult your veterinarian before applying any eye drops or ointments to your pet's eyes.

24/05/2024

⚫️⚪️ KITTEN HAS FOUND A HOME! ⚪️⚫️

We need a name for our kitten!

This gorgeous boy has been in our care for a number of weeks - along with his siblings - while we waited for them to grow big and strong enough to go off to their new homes.

All of his siblings have left the nest and now he is the last one!

We'd love to get him into his purr-ever home as soon as we can, but first - we'll need to come up with a name for him!

Here's a little bit about him:
He's very outgoing, confident, inquisitive, and playful. As soon as he makes eye contact with anyone, purrs start rumbling out of his little chest, and he'll reach out for a cuddle. He can never get enough of cuddles!
He loves running around and feeling the wind through his fur as he leaps and bounds off his cat bed and toys.
But most importantly, he loves a relaxing snuggle and a nap, to recharge and do it all over again!

If you can think of a suitable name, we'd love to hear it! 👇

And if you're interested in meeting this little guy, please call the team on 9453 1290 to organise a meet-&-greet. We promise you won't regret it! 😻

Adoption fee: $197.00
Includes first kitten vaccine, microchip and pre-paid sterilisation
❌️ Sorry, no holds

21/05/2024

Hospital Case- Tobi
Tobi decided to chow down on some paracetamol while his family was not home...
With the amount he had consumed, he was at risk of liver toxicity and Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) which means the eye surface is dry and can become red, irritated and painful. If not treated, KCS can also cause loss of vision.
Dr Khloe needed to induce vomiting to expel any drugs in the stomach and Tobi was also fed activated charcoal to bind any remaining toxins to be excreted in the faeces.
He took the charcoal well and looked mighty proud of his achievements that evening.
Tobi was sent home for observation with his family and did not need to return for any further treatment.

16/05/2024

Urinary stones, also known as uroliths, can form when an animal's urinary pH level is too low or too high. Certain conditions can allow for crystals to develop, which can then lead to the crystals sticking to each other, creating a solidified stone!

Bladder infections and diet are a couple of factors that can cause changes in pH levels. Whether the urine is too acidic or too alkaline, will determine the type of crystals and stones that develop.

🚨 Signs to Watch For:
Frequent attempts to urinate
Blood in urine
Straining or discomfort during urination
Licking of the urinary opening
Changes in behaviour or appetite

🩺 What to Do:
If you notice any of these signs, it's important to schedule a veterinary visit promptly, as a blockage may be imminent.
Urinary stones can be diagnosed through physical exams, urine tests, and imaging techniques like X-rays or ultrasounds.

🔬 Treatment Options:
Depending on the type and size of the stones, treatments can vary from dietary changes to dissolve the stones by influencing pH levels or
surgical removal in more severe cases.

❤️ Prevention Tips:
Ensure your pet stays hydrated with plenty of fresh water sources.
Feed a balanced diet tailored to your pet’s specific needs.
Regular veterinary check-ups to monitor their health.

Check out some of our urolith retrieval collection! 👇

14/05/2024

Little Lulu Tinkerbell was brought in for a vet visit by her parents for suspected battery ingestion.
They could not find the tiny button batteries anywhere at home and needed to be sure they were NOT in Lulu Tinkerbells body!
After consultation, Dr Po performed screening Xrays.
With the composition of batteries in general, the Xray would be very obvious if there were any in the gastro-intestinal tract.
NO BATTERIES WERE SEEN! 🥳
Lulu Tinkerbell went home soon after but, not before discussing her Xray with Dr Po 😆

09/05/2024

Thinking about gifting flowers? 💐

While lilies are a beautiful thought, they can be extremely dangerous to our feline friends, causing kidney damage if any part of the flower (or vase water) is ingested, leading to kidney failure. Protect your purr-fect family members by choosing pet-safe flowers to bring into the home. 💕🐱

06/05/2024

Lola... L-O-L-A Lola...

Big girl Lola came in to have a lump removed on her hind leg. She was such a good pupper and enjoyed hanging out with the team after recovery.

02/05/2024

The molar, the merrier? No thanks! 🦷

As our kittens and puppies grow, their adult teeth will soon erupt and replace their baby teeth (also known as deciduous teeth). Sometimes, adult teeth will grow behind or alongside the deciduous teeth and fail to push the baby teeth out.

This can lead to serious problems such as overcrowding, forcing teeth out of alignment (malocclusion), damage to the adult tooth, or trapping food/bacteria between teeth, which encourages early peridontal (gum) disease.

There is no benefit to retained deciduous teeth, so it must come out! The removal of teeth is performed under anaesthetic and routinely done at the same time as sterilisation.

30/04/2024

Sweet little Cora came in for her sterilisation was ready for her photo op! 📸

26/04/2024

Fun Facts Friday: Tongues!

😺 Cats can't taste sweetness! Our friendly felines lack the taste receptor gene that allows their brain to process sweet tastes. Other animals that also aren't able to taste sweetness include - spotted hyenas, Asian otters, sea lions and certain species of seals!

🐶 A dog's tongue shapes the sound of their bark! Smaller dogs tend to produce a higher pitched bark, whereas bigger dogs tend to produce a deep, powerful bark (this is also in relation to their vocal cords and oral cavity). A dry tongue can cause an unclear bark, while a moist tongue will help create a smooth, clear bark. Woof!

😺🐶 Both cats and dogs have special, sensitive taste receptors for water! While humans can taste certain hints of flavour in water, it is much more flavoursome for our four-legged companions. !

22/04/2024

This beautiful soul is Gryphon. He has been in recently for a few troubles but always enjoys a good pat and cuddle with the Vets and Nurses when he drops in! Look. At. That. Face. 😍

12/04/2024

Happy Firday! Let's play a game.

What is in this photo? (Answer in Comments)......

This is Xiao Mei (Mei Mei) the Hungarian Pulil dog. She is a sweet little girl with a very unusual hairstyle! The Hungarian Pulis' fur grows with controlled matting where the outer and inner coats intertwine naturally. This gives a "dreadlock" appearance.

Just like humans and their dreadlocks, if properly groomed and cared for, the fur stays well kept and does not smell.

Loyal, energitic and smart, the Hungarial Puli, when well trained can be an excellent working dog and loving household pet.

It was a joy having a play with Mei Mei when she stayed with us in hospital for a workup of a suspected tail injury. Xaio Mei later went home with a bounce in her step and some medication.

Do you have an unusual looking pet? Show us a photo in the comments!

08/04/2024

🐝 Loki's run in with a spicy sky raisin 🐝

Baby Loki presented to us after his attentive owner heard a scream from the cat run, followed by Loki displaying abnormal behaviour. It wasn't long before his chin started to swell up!

Loki's mum immediately bundled him up and brought him down to see Dr Po, who managed to find a bee sting in Loki's bottom lip!

After removing the stinger, Loki received another sting 💉 (antihistamine injection), and was sent home to be closely monitored.

Poor babykins!

26/03/2024

This is Kobe. To say he was a little high after his anaesthetic is a bit of an understatement.
He had a castrate performed with soothing cuddles after but there is not a thought in the world behind those eyes...

18/03/2024

Moose would like to show off his fashionable "post castrate accessory". His slick electric blue inflatable collar is all the rage in Paris right now (or so we tell him...)