Northmead Veterinary Clinic

03/11/2021

Summer Diseases (Part II)
Canine Parvo Virus aka "Cat Flu"

This is a deadly and contagious disease of unvaccinated dogs that can be spread via direct contact with an infected dog or indirect contact via contaminated objects e.g. toys, food bowls, collars and leashes etc. Humans can also be a source of infection if they get in contact with infected dogs.

Infected dogs shed the virus 4-5 days post exposure and can continue shedding the virus even upto 10 days post clinical recovery. It is therefore important that unvaccinated dogs are kept separate from recovering to minimize infection. Outdoors the virus can survive for atleast 1 month and even upto a year. Proper cleaning of environment and objects is advised.

Symptoms include:
Foul smelling diarrhea, Bloody diarrhea, Vomiting, Fever, Lethargy, Anorexia, Weight loss, Weakness, Dehydration, Depression etc. As soon as you see these signs, it is advised that you visit the Clinic because the earlier your dog is attended to, the higher the chances of survival he/she will have (NB: Parvo has 50:50 survival chance).

Prevention
Vaccination is the only effective preventative measure to be taken. Below is the preferred schedule though it can be done at any age from 6weeks old:

1st Vaccination: 6weeks old
2nd Vaccination (1st booster): 9 weeks old
3rd Vaccination (2nd booster): 12 weeks old

04/09/2021

Summer Diseases (Part I)

Tick Borne Diseases
These are diseases are brought about by a number of different Rickettsia parasites that are left in your baby's system by ticks when they feed on them. You may or may not see any ticks on your baby but one bite from the tick is all it takes to get them sick. Different diseases may present differently, but in most cases the signs are similar and the Vet will help you in getting an accurate diagnosis.

Some of the common Tick Borne Diseases are: Biliary Fever (most common), Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasma, Hepatozoonosis etc.

Usually Signs and Symptoms:
Fever, Loss of appetite but drinking lots of water, Vomiting, Dehydration, Lethargy, Pale mucus membranes (anemia), Runny eyes and nose, Fast labored breathing and Jaundice amongst many other.

Prevention:
Take good care of your baby by implementing a good tick and flea control method. There is a wide range of Spot-on formulations, Sprays, Dips, Powders, Shampoo and Impregnated Collars that can be used.

28/06/2021

Did you know?
Smaller dogs are more likely to develop dental issues than bigger dogs. This is thought to be partly because of the size of their teeth in relation to their mouth.

Signs of Dental Problems:
i. Swollen/Red gums
ii. Trouble chewing
iii. Loose teeth
iv. Pawing on mouth

Solutions:
i. Brushing
ii. Dental Chews and treats
iii. Water additives and gels
iv. Dental cleaning

Our pets don't have cleaner mouths than us, they still require ongoing dental care.

10/06/2021

Did you know?

Cuddling your furry baby is good for both you and their health. It reduces levels of cortisol which in-turn reduces stress, anxiety as well as breaking down. As a result with low cortisol in your system you feel more happier and relaxed. 😍

09/06/2021

LOST AND FOUND
Picked up yesterday (08/06/21) along N12, between Atlas and Bunyan Rd.

08/06/2021

Routine "Park Dates"🩺 always make our babies feel great💯

02/05/2020

Some weekend laughter

25/04/2020

19/04/2020

A friendly reminder to our valued clients as we start a new week. Feeding fur babies table food is strongly discouraged, as different foods may either contain toxic/harmful substances, or may fall well short in daily nutritional requirements. We urge owners to make every effort to avoid these and other listed foods from their fur babies' rations.

We wish everybody a lovely week. Stay healthy. Stay safe

09/04/2020

Canine parvoviral enteritis, commonly called parvovirus or "parvo", is a highly contagious disease that affects dogs.

While it may affect dogs of all ages, the following categories of dogs younger than 4 months are most susceptible to severe disease:
1) unvaccinated dogs,
2) incompletely vaccinated dogs.

Parvovirus is transmitted by the fecal-oral route (when susceptible dogs ingest material contaminated with the vomit and faeces of infected dogs)

The disease attacks the gut, causing diarrhea and vomiting which may quickly result in weakness, dehydration and death.

It is important that you present your fur baby to the clinic as soon as possible if you suspect this disease.

Treatment for parvovirus is aimed at controlling secondary bacterial infections, decreasing gut inflammation and rehydrating the animal until recovery.

There is no specific cure. The most reliable way of protecting your babies from parvovirus is to ensure that their vaccinations are always up to date.

Please consult Northmead Veterinary Clinic if your pet is due for vaccination.

06/04/2020

A reminder to our valued clients and our furry babies, that we are operating in line with our regular schedule through the lockdown period. You can pop in anytime between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. and consult our reliable team.

We are also on hand to attend to emergencies 24 hours a day. Just give us a call.

We wish you all good health amid the global public health challenge. Stay safe.

05/12/2019

30/11/2019

Hello everyone! Here at Northmead Veterinary Clinic we take enormous pride in our work and aim to provide the best service to both our patients and their human counterparts. We are a small animal practice located in Northmead, Benoni and we have a walk in policy.

We are open 7 days a week, but please see our consulting hours for more details.