Russell Vale Animal Clinic

26/11/2024

Can puppies and kittens go into boarding? 🐕🐱 With the right preparation: yes!

We’d recommend that young pets only attend boarding facilities once they have received all their puppy/kitten vaccinations, to ensure that they are protected against common infectious diseases. You should also double-check the specific vaccination policies of your boarding facility to confirm that your pet meets their admission criteria. ✅

Additionally, it’s important to ensure that your pet is up to date with effective parasite prevention and will remain covered for the duration of their stay.

For personalised advice on the safest infection protection for your pet, consult our knowledgeable veterinary team!

21/11/2024

If you’re planning to leave your cat in care whilst you go away on holidays 🏖️, it’s sensible to take a few precautions to ensure they’ll be able to receive prompt veterinary treatment if required.

Have a discussion with the cattery staff (or individual pet sitter/carer) regarding any pre-existing health issues your pet has, and provide the contact details of your regular veterinary clinic. 🐾

It’s also a good idea to clarify your basic wishes for if your cat were to suffer an emergency illness or injury – this may involve a monetary limit that you would automatically consent to for any urgent veterinary diagnostics or treatment.

For more information about emergency care for your feline friend, consult our helpful team.

19/11/2024

With pets and people getting out and about more in the warmer weather ☀️, we’d like to remind dog owners about the importance of consistent parasite prevention for helping to keep your pet safe!

Any dog that goes outdoors should be kept up to date with regular flea and intestinal worm prevention.

🐶 If you and your pet live in or visit a region where ticks and heartworm are present in the environment, they should also receive consistent protection against these potentially life-threatening parasites too.

For personalised advice on the safest and most thorough protection for your pet, consult our parasitology-proficient team!

14/11/2024

If you’re planning on booking your feline friend into a cattery, 🏨 you will be required to ensure that their vaccinations are up to date. What does this involve?

Most catteries require adult cats to have received at least an F3 vaccination (against feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus and feline panleucopaenia) within the last 12 months. Ideally, this should have been administered at least 14 days prior to boarding to ensure maximum protective effect. 🐱

Vaccination requirements for young kittens can vary, so it’s a good idea to check with the cattery as to their individual policies.

For more information on feline vaccination, consult our knowledgeable team!

12/11/2024

Have you heard of CIRDC in dogs?

CIRDC refers to Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex - a newer term for the contagious respiratory illness traditionally known as kennel cough. 😷

This new name alludes to the fact that the disease can be caused by a variety of different viruses and bacteria, and that dogs can contract this respiratory illness even when not attending a boarding facility.

For a personalised assessment on your pet’s risk of contracting CIRDC and how you can help to protect them, consult our cough-conscious veterinary team. 🐾

11/11/2024

"The best Vet in the Illawarra no contest.
We couldn’t be happier with the care our pets receive at this incredible veterinary clinic. From the moment you walk in, it feels so warm and family orientated.
Liz and Dirk are so compassionate and understanding and have made every visit a positive experience over the years, for both us and our furry. children.
They have been so accomodating toward us and helped us tremendously.." says Cory on Google

★★★★★ The best Vet in the Illawarra no contest. We couldn’t be happier with the care our pets receive at this incredible veterinary clinic. From the moment you walk in, it feels so warm and family orientated. Liz and Dirk are so compassionate and understanding and have made every visit a...

10/11/2024

Major changes are underway at Russell Vale Vets- to bring in an amazing 2025 and beyond.

Firstly, we are doing major internal renovations - well - whilst no walls are being demolished, we are organising some paint work and general maintenance for December.

Dirk and I will be taking a two week holiday at this time as we know how hard it is to work around such major work. I will be also working, but there are some days where I will take time off - for example, when we are at Port Arthur and at Kangaroo Island.

As usual, ,I will be contactable via email. Our reception team will be available Monday to Saturday, with Nurse Tegan being available several days a week to supply any medications (under my authority) .
I will update you the final plans in the weeks ahead.

08/11/2024

"Great service and treatment. Full explanation. Very good follow up." says John

★★★★★ Great service and treatment. Full explanation. Very good follow up.

08/11/2024

For those who are out and about, SASH - Small Animal Specialist Hospital have something special going on this weekend.!

07/11/2024

Should you book boarding or a pet sitter for your dog when you go away on holidays? 🌞

Staying consistent with a familiar, high-quality holiday care environment will help your pet to settle in more quickly and easily.

If your pet is a social butterfly, 🐕 they will likely enjoy attending a boarding facility where they get to play with other friendly dogs. However, if your pet is on the quieter side or has any significant behavioural or health issues, it may be worthwhile employing a pet sitter (or wheedling favours from a responsible family member or friend!) who can care for them in a calmer home environment. 🏡

For more advice on safe holiday care for pets, consult our caring team.

05/11/2024

Safe and comfortable car travel for cats? We’ve got you covered with our team’s top feline-friendly travel tips:

📋 Line your cat’s carrier with an absorbent “puppy pad” (and bring along a few spares in a plastic bag), in case of toileting accidents 🚗
📋 On the morning of travel, offer your pet only a very light meal to reduce their chance of car sickness
📋 Ensure your cat’s carrier is securely fixed in the car, but situated where it will receive good ventilation
📋 Ask our team about the use of safe calming aids and supplements for cats 🐱

For more advice on low-stress transport for cats, consult our knowledgeable team.

26/10/2024

Dirk and I had a great time with our grandkids grandparents day at their daycare on Friday.

We thank you all for understanding why we were closed in the afternoon.

A big shout out to my reception team who are just there for us all the time.

Dirk was helping Jacob make a pie. ( in the sandpit kitchen)

24/10/2024

Dirk and I had to go to the official launch of the new food for dogs which is designed to improve their cognitive health and reduce seizure activity with less reliance on drugs.

Of course being told that over 16 % of dogs older than 8 years have cognitive decline and vets are s**t at discussing it or recognising it is certainly a wake up call.

Denial, as humans, is what we do with our loved ones whether human or furred family.

24/10/2024

It’s important to always keep an eye on children whenever they are around dogs. 👶🐕

Even the sweetest dog can be put in an uncomfortable position by an energetic toddler and do something they wouldn’t normally. Teach children to respect animals and treat them gently and never leave dogs and young children alone together. Socialising dogs early can also help increase tolerance of children. With a little care and understanding, children and dogs can grow to be best friends. 🐶💕

23/10/2024

What can I say, but to say that on Thursday, Dirk and I are going to be attending a very very exciting event in Sydney.

I have been following closely the dietary options for dogs with epilepsy with the research at the The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in the UK, and I was so excited to hear that the diet may actually make it to our Aussie shores.

So we will be closing early on thursday to make it to North Sydney (always fun drive during the end of business hours).

Then comes the next exciting news - more exciting on a personal level, is that we will be going to grandparents afternoon tea with Jacob and Lachlan at their pre-school!

This will be on Friday, so we will be closed all day Friday to enjoy time with our grandkiddies.

Our amazing reception team will be taking calls from 9 am to 5 pm, and do know how to contact us if needed, however, there will not anyone physically in the building at this time, other than Pandora and Pumpkin.

This week, we have received so many kind words of support and generosity, understanding when we are running a bit late, or not responding to phone calls as promptly as we would like.

So thank you - for being the kind, generous, and honest souls you all are.

22/10/2024

"The best vet we have used in the Illawarra. We have never had such personalised care for our animals like this before. We are so happy with the service." says Kristy on Google

★★★★★ The best vet we have used in the Illawarra. We have never had such personalised care for our animals like this before. We are so happy with the service.

22/10/2024

Training, like diet, can be controversial as everyone has their own take on what works best. However, we strongly believe that, based on the research, positive reinforcement training results in the best short- and long-term outcomes in dogs. 🐶🏅

Positive reinforcement training relies on rewarding good behaviour rather than punishing the bad. Punishment can be effective in the short term, but it results in fear and anxiety in pets.

Training pets should be fun! Start your positive reinforcement training today and see the difference in your dog’s behaviour! 🐾