Vetlife

22/01/2025

Last month at Vetlife Banks Peninsula, a Huntaway momma needed an emergency c-section. She had delivered 3 pups at home, but after over an hour of pushing and no more pups, her owner guessed something was wrong and rushed her in to us.

Our skilled vets, Rachael and Nikki, managed to remove a stuck pup, and then successfully delivered 6 live pups! All of them needed their airways cleared and their tiny faces rubbed to stimulate breathing. After a big group effort, we all had the joy of watching 9 little pups nursing from their brave momma, who recovered remarkably well!

Their owner reports that the puppies are now big and healthy and doing really well!

(Photos of Vets: Nikki and Rachael; Nurses: Sandy and Tara; Vetlife hub manager Tina and customer service Roriana).

21/01/2025

**Edited - further update: The case is isolated to a single property following a horse being transported from the North Island.**

Strangles Alert - we’ve just learned of a Strangles outbreak in North Canterbury (we have no more details than that).
Horse owners, it’s essential to stay vigilant and protect your horses from this highly infectious bacterial disease.

What is Strangles?

Strangles is a bacterial infection which affects the upper respiratory tract in horses. It is highly infectious and can spread quickly through nose-to-nose contact or shared equipment. Symptoms to watch for include:

🌡️ Fever (>38.5°C)
🤧 Thick, pus-like nasal discharge
🐴 Swelling or abscesses around the head and neck (lymph nodes)
🥵 Cough, difficulty eating, reduced appetite
😷 Respiratory noise or breathing issues

How Can You Protect Your Horse?

💉 Vaccinate: A Strangles vaccine can prevent infection in some horses and reduce symptoms in others.
🚫 Limit Contact: Avoid nose-to-nose contact and sharing equipment with infected horses.
🏡 Stay Put: Do not move horses on or off a yard with infected horses.
🚛 Be Cautious When Traveling: Consider the risks of transporting your horse, especially if unvaccinated.

If your horse shows any symptoms, isolate them immediately and contact us for testing and advice.

We’re Here to Help!

If you are concerned you horse may have Strangle or to arrange vaccination please call your local Vetlife clinic to chat with our team today.

18/01/2025

Parvovirus… it’s a diagnosis that every pet parent and vet clinic dreads, and one that can take the life of a previously healthy puppy in a matter of days. Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious viral disease that affects dogs, particularly puppies. It is a serious and potentially fatal illness that can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms and weaken the immune system.

Parvovirus is an easy to prevent disease but if dogs are left unvaccinated, or miss their boosters, the results can be devasting.

01/01/2025

🌞🐾Pawsome Summer Spots Giveaway🐾🌞

Who doesn't love enjoying summer with their best fur mates? To celebrate, we're giving away some PAWSOME PET PRIZES this month:

🐾 Animo activity and behaviour monitor for dogs
🐾 Surefeed microchip pet feeder
🐾 The Dog's Best Friend Game for rainy days!

THE RULES:
➡️For your chance to win COMMENT with a photo of your pet in their favourite summertime spot and tell us when and where it was taken.
➡️Contest ends January 31, 2025. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges and notified by PM within 7 days of the contest ending.
➡️This promotion is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with Facebook.
➡️Terms and conditions apply - see https://vetlife.co.nz/pawsome-summer-spots-giveaway

Feel free to share this post with friends and family who have adventurous pets so they have the chance to win too!

Good luck! 🐶🐱🌟



P.S. Beware scammers - we will NEVER ask you to click on any links if you win. We will message you directly. Stay safe and steer clear of scam pages!

01/01/2025

🎉 Happy New Year from Vetlife! 🎉

We look forward to another year of supporting our wonderful companion animal clients. Your trust and support mean the world to us, and we can't wait to continue serving you in the year ahead.

Wishing you all a prosperous, joyful, and healthy New Year! 🌟✨

24/12/2024

🎄 Merry Christmas from Vetlife! 🎄

An enormous, heartfelt 💝 THANK YOU to all our wonderful clients, colleagues, and supporters - we couldn't do what we do without you!

Wishing you all a relaxing break with your friends and family this festive season. Should you need us, please call your local Vetlife clinic for emergency support on the public holidays when we are closed.

https://hubs.la/Q02_HQbd0

Stay safe and enjoy the holidays! 🎅✨

24/12/2024

🎄 Merry Christmas from Vetlife! 🎄

An enormous, heartfelt 💝 THANK YOU to all our wonderful clients, colleagues, and supporters - we couldn't do what we do without you!

Wishing you all a relaxing break with your friends and family this festive season. Should you need us, please call your local Vetlife clinic for emergency support on the public holidays when we are closed.

https://hubs.la/Q02_HKbg0

Stay safe and enjoy the holidays! 🎅✨

21/12/2024

UPDATE: Huntaway has been found, unfortunately deceased, possibly hit by vehicle

Sharing on behalf:

Missing huntaway from Millers Flat Central Otago - please keep an eye out for him.
He’s a special dog from Lloyd Smith breeding given to us as a gift from Lloyd
If you could share that would be amazing
Call Angus Ross if anything turns up
0274990273

19/12/2024

🎄 Holiday Closure Notice 🎄

Just a reminder that our teams will be enjoying a well-deserved break and our clinics will be closed on the public holidays.

Help is just a phone call away should you need it - simply call your nearest clinic to be put through to our emergency after-hours service.

https://hubs.la/Q02_HR3h0

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season! 🎅✨

19/12/2024

🎄 Holiday Closure Notice 🎄

Just a reminder that our teams will be enjoying a well-deserved break and our clinics will be closed on the public holidays.

Help is just a phone call away should you need it - simply call your nearest clinic to be put through to our emergency after-hours service.

https://hubs.la/Q02_HSTg0

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season! 🎅✨

17/12/2024

🐾 Pre-Order Your Pet's Medication! 🐾

Don't forget to ensure your furry friends have all the medications they need! If your pet is on any regular medications, make sure you have enough to last the entire trip. 🐶🐱

Vetlife have clinics from Otago to the top of the South - with support available and afterhours call lines 💛
https://hubs.la/Q02_wQw20

14/12/2024

☀️Baxter loves a holiday as much as we do☀️
Planning a getaway with your furry friend? 🐶🐱 Make sure you have everything you need for a stress-free and fun holiday! Here's a checklist to help you out:

📌Food & Water: Pack enough food and treats for the trip, plus a portable water bowl.
📌Medications: Don't forget any necessary medications and a first-aid kit.
📌Comfort Items: Bring their favorite blanket, bed, or toy to make them feel at home.
📌Leash & Collar: Ensure you have a sturdy leash, collar, and ID tags with up-to-date information.
📌Emergency Contacts: List of local vets and emergency contacts at your destination.
📌Plan for Breaks: Schedule regular breaks for exercise and bathroom needs.

Happy travels and enjoy your holiday with your beloved pet! 🐾✨

11/12/2024

🎄Great tips from CANZ for this festive season🎄

https://hubs.la/Q02-DtMg0

Companion Animals New Zealand

07/12/2024

🌺 Christmas Lilies Alert! 🌺
As we deck the halls this festive season, let's be mindful of our furry friends. Those beautiful Christmas lilies might brighten up your home, but they pose a serious risk to pets. Lilies are highly toxic and can cause severe damage in cats. While they are also poisonous to dogs, the effects are much more severe in cats.
Keep your beloved pets safe by opting for pet-friendly flowers this Christmas! 🐾❤️

02/12/2024

"Giving Tuesday" proud partner of SPCA https://hubs.la/Q02-3K-H0

01/12/2024

All dogs on farms where sheep graze must be dosed regularly with tapeworm treatments.

01/12/2024

Maeve had the pleasure of meeting Lawrence at the RDA. 🐎
He's incredibly knowledgeable and fascinated by international culture, accents, and geography. The RDA invited Maeve to share a cúpla focal (a few words) with him! 🍀

29/11/2024

💉 Be Summer Ready Top Tip #3🐛

🐾 Keep Your Pets Safe and Healthy! 🐾

Whether you're planning a family getaway, boarding your pet at a kennel or cattery, or enjoying a staycation, make sure your furry friends are up-to-date with their preventative treatments!
Vaccinations: 🐶🐱
• Ensure your pets have their vaccinations up to date. Catteries and kennels require proof of vaccination, with a minimum of 10-14 days between vaccination and admission.
• Don't forget to bring your pet's vaccination book when dropping them off!
Flea and Worm Treatments: 🐾
• Warmer days mean peak flea season! Protect your pets with effective flea treatments.
• Treat your pets against worm infestation at least a month before your visit. This keeps both your pets and family safe.

Vetlife's Veterinary Team is here to assist with all pet vaccinations, and worm, flea, and tick control throughout the year. 💛

27/11/2024

🚗 Be Summer Ready Top Tip #2🚗

Travelling with Pets? Keep these tips in mind 🐾
📌Always have water available for your pets during car trips. Never leave them in the car in hot weather, even with the windows down 🚫

📌If your pets get travel sick, book an appointment with your local vet to get the necessary medications 💊

23/11/2024

🐾 Meet Inka! 🐾

Inka is a lovely wee dog who has been experiencing some musculoskeletal pain. To help her feel better, it was recommended she try acupuncture with Yvonne, one of the vets in Oxford who is trained in animal acupuncture. 🩺✨

Acupuncture helps release tension in the muscles and alleviate pain. Inka was the perfect patient for her first treatment, allowing Yvonne to place the needles without needing any sedation—just a few treats! 🍖🐶

We're so proud of Inka and grateful to Yvonne for her gentle care. 💖

If you want to know if acupuncture is right for your pet, get in touch with Vetlife Oxford to speak to Yvonne today!
☎️ 03 312 4882

06/11/2024

The team from Vetlife Marlborough are looking forward to seeing you all this weekend, make sure you stop by our tent to meet our adorable working dog mascot 🐶

04/11/2024

We are closed today for Marlborough anniversary ☀️
We hope all our clients enjoy this long weekend - the clinic is open as usual from tomorrow morning at 8:30am.
Should you need to speak to an emergency vet before then, please call the clinic on the usual number; 03 578 6965 ☎️

31/10/2024

🎃Things are looking spooky at the clinic! 👻

🍭 Whilst the chocolate and sweets that are sure to be flowing tonight will be loved by the kids, please remember to stash them safely away from pets. Even fully wrapped sweet treats have been known to disappear down a dogs throat, so if in doubt err on the side of caution and pop in a safe cupboard or up on a high surface.🍫

🐶 As many people are now aware, chocolate is toxic to dogs - but did you know that chewing gum, grapes and raisins can also be very dangerous? This includes when they are used as ingredients, as well as being fed by themselves 🧙‍♀️

☎️ Give the clinic a call if you are worried that your pet has ingested anything they shouldn’t have.🤢

🦇 And have a spooktacular Halloween! 🐈‍⬛

30/10/2024

🎆 Firework night is rapidly approaching and although it is exciting for us, the loud bangs and bright lights can be really frightening for your pets. 😿

Thankfully we have some top tips to help prepare, which will hopefully make the evening as stress free as possible. 🧨

· If possible, stay at home to reassure your pet
· Keep animals indoors (lock the cat flap)
· Walk dogs early before any fireworks start
· Close windows, doors and curtains to soundproof your home and shut out bright flashes
· Turn on the radio or TV to help drown out the loud noises
· A few days to a week before, create a safe & comforting hiding place for pets with their favorite treats and bedding. Get them used to going into it as a relaxing space on nights where there are no fireworks so they already feel safe there when the bangs start.
· Try a compression wrap for dogs e.g. a thunder shirt.
· Utilise a calming pheromone diffuser e.g. Feliway or Adaptil.
· Try ‘Calmex’ calming tablets for dogs.
· Make sure your pets are microchipped with up to date contact details. This means it is easier to reunite you with your pet if they are startled and escape.

🎇 If you would like further information on any of the above, please get in contact with the clinic this week to discuss. Some of the suggestions need to be put in place in advance for best effect so if you know your pet is badly affected, lets make a plan to give them as stress free a night as possible.😸

‼️Don’t forget we are closed on Monday for Marlborough day - so please make sure you are well prepared for the start of the bangs on Tuesday‼️

27/10/2024

🌟 Labour Day 🌟
Our clinic and store are closed today. In the event of an emergency please call our usual number 03 578 6965 to be put through to our out of hours vet.
We are open as usual from 8:30 tomorrow morning for all routine queries.

25/10/2024

🌟 Labour Day 🌟
Our clinic and store will be closed on Monday.
Please call your local Vetlife clinic to be put through to a vet in an emergency. https://hubs.la/Q02VNTYY0

23/10/2024

Sarah and Emma had a fantastic day judging at Renwick school’s pet day today🐮 Perfect weather and so many fantastic pets to choose from! ☀️ Huge thanks to the school for having them along.

Congratulations to all the participants and their creatures - from Guinea pigs to calves - all shapes and sizes were well represented!🐰

We were also really pleased to sponsor prizes for the day - Lu took along bags of goodies which we hope will be enjoyed by all the winners🏅

22/10/2024

Mr Tomcat came to see us recently and had some lesions developing on his face. Unfortunately being a white cat, he is prone to developing skin cancers in our sunny Marlborough climate.☀️

Unpigmented animals of all species are much more likely to develop skin issues when exposed to lots of UV - luckily we have handy tubes of animal friendly sun protection cream available in the clinic.🧴Filtabac is easy to apply, gentle on the skin and gives good protection against those strong UV rays. 🥵

Pop in if you have an animal that needs some sun protection, or if you are concerned about a lesion developing. Just like us, animals needs to watch their UV exposure and make sure they drink plenty on these hot days that seem to be signalling the start of summer! 😎

17/10/2024

🐕 Is your dog up to date with sheep measles prevention? It is the focus of our Spring clinic board this year so make sure you have a look next time you’re in the clinic! 🐑

For all dogs who may have contact with pasture that sheep graze, it’s really important that they are kept protected with a monthly treatment. 💊

As you can see from the lifecycle, the worm passes between sheep and dogs, and for this reason many farms with sheep display the pictured signage. 🪧 Please respect this whenever you see it, as a single infected dog can cause hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage to a flock, without the owner having any idea!

We have a handy program at the clinic called ‘Dogtrax’ through which we automatically send out these monthly treatments plus the regular 3 monthly wormer. We can even add flea treatment on for full protection! 🐶
The handy booklets pictured can then be filled out every time you administer a treatment to keep a clear record of what treatment animals have had and when. Many landowners will request to see this if you are taking dogs onto their property.📓

Please get in touch with the clinic on 035786965 if you would like to discuss either Sheep measles or our Dogtrax program in more detail🪱

15/10/2024

Today is International day of Rural Women 👩‍🌾 and we want to celebrate all the amazing women that make up our colleagues as well as our clients!👩‍⚕️
This day recognises the crucial role and contribution of women in the rural sector, so we thought we’d give a little insight into what the ladies in our rural team have been up to today:

Liesl and Emma have been out on farm taking bloods from cattle for disease and trace element testing 💉
Sarah has been Metricleaning for some of our Dairy herds to make sure the girls are in top shape for breeding season 🐄
Kelly has been busy as usual keeping the rest of the team on schedule, booking calls, advising farmers who visit Blenheim clinic and keeping an eye on our product stock levels 💊
Grace has been out on farm working with our Deer clients to monitor mineral levels in their stock and ensure their paperwork is up to date for the year 🦌
And Sarah at our Rai store has been kept on her toes preparing orders for our Rai farmers at this busy time 📦

Huge thanks to these ladies and all those we are lucky enough to work with, for all you do. 🙌

11/10/2024

🐾 A heartfelt thankyou to the wonderful Vet Nurses & Techs at Vetlife this NZVNA Vet Nurse and Vet Tech Awareness Week 2024! 🐮

We are incredibly fortunate to have a team of devoted vet nurses and techs who dedicate themselves to caring for your animals. We want to extend our deepest gratitude for everything they do; whether they’re hands-on in the clinic, on farm, or providing vital support behind the scenes.

Our veterinary nurses and techs are true heroes of animal care. They assist in surgeries, administer medications, monitor patients, run lab tests, carry out a huge number of on farm jobs and generally keep the clinic running like clockwork. Their deep understanding of animal behavior helps create a calming environment, easing the stress of vet visits for your furry friends.

They also play a crucial role in educating pet owners about health care, nutrition, and preventive measures, ensuring your pets lead happy, healthy lives.

Without these amazing professionals, clinics simply couldn’t function.

Please join us in celebrating by sharing your stories of how our wonderful vet nurses and techs have made a difference in your animals’ lives! 🐕🐑🦌🐈🦜🐇🐄🦙🐖🐎

02/10/2024

Donald is one of our hard working farm dogs 🐑 Unfortunately he was recently attacked by another dog and had to have some time off to recover. 🤕 Our small animal Vet Nic stitched him up and he then sported an imaginative bandage to keep his wound covered.
A little while later on whilst on farm, large animal Vet Grace was able to give Donald the once over to make sure he was fully healed and able to get back to doing what he does best 🩺 As you can see Donald is now back on his feet! 🐾
We are so pleased to see him fully recovered - he loves to show our team his tricks and get a belly rub when we visit so it’s great to have him back giving us his paw 🐕

30/09/2024

🦆 al’Orange paid us a visit last week (top marks for the best duck name we reckon!)
Unfortunately she was struggling to pass not one, but two eggs 🥚
All the usual ways to assist an egg bound bird had been tried - warm water baths often being a good first step - to no avail.
Vet Liesl subsequently discovered that al’Orange had a bit of unusual anatomy, as the eggs were actually trying to come out of two different holes, where there should only be one! 🧐
As you can see, Liesl managed to remove the eggs with a bit of manoeuvring. Hopefully al’Orange will feel better and won’t have further issues due to her physical difference, which has previously never caused her any problems 🤷
Just goes to show that like us, animals are all unique!

26/09/2024

Does your dog have issues with a sensitive gut? If so we have a wide range of diets that have been specifically formulated for them. 🐶

We know that hypoallergenic treats especially can be difficult to source, so keep an eye out for this addition to the foods we stock in the clinic 🥘
For our intestinally challenged friends it’s really important that their diet is consistent, so it’s crucial that treats are as hypoallergenic as their main diet.

We also stock a wide range of foods formulated to assist with various conditions- from liver issues, kidney disease and joint issues, to diabetes and bladder problems. 🦴

Pop in and have a chat to one of our experienced team if you feel your pet isn’t thriving on their current diet, or you’d like more information on our prescription foods 🐕
And don’t forget the treats! 😹

24/09/2024

Adoption of Cow Collars is growing as is our knowledge of what this technology can tell us about our dairy cow health.