Veterinary House Hilton

22/12/2024

🐾 Save yourself and your pet a trip to your emergency veterinarian this festive season.
Here are some foods to NOT feed your pet, and what is SAFE to treat them with instead. 🩺✅️

❌️ Food containing grapes or raisins, like fruit mince pies or fruit cake - These fruits can cause kidney failure and severe gastrointestinal upsets.

❌️ Chocolate or products containing Xylitol - Can cause gastrointestinal upsets, tremors and seizures in high enough doses.

❌️ Alcohol - Severe gastrointestinal and neurological issues, cats are especially sensitive. 🐱

❌️ Corn cobs - These cause blockages in the gastrointestinal tract that need to be surgically removed. This is life threatening.

❌️ Bones... Any bones... - They cause major trauma to your pet's mouth, oesophagus and GIT, and cause intestinal blockages and perforations that are often fatal.

❌️ Rich or fatty foods, like fatty braai meat or chicken skin - Fatty/rich foods cause major gastrointestinal upsets as well as pancreatitis, which can be fatal.

❌️ Avocado
❌️ Caffeine
❌️ Onions or garlic
Also refrain from giving any food that has been seasoned and food that is very salty. 🐾

🩺 Here are some safe and delicious alternatives:

✅️ Small servings of plain, boneless, cooked chicken, turkey or duck
✅️ Small servings of boneless, plain, cooked fish
✅️ Small servings of cooked scrambled eggs
✅️ Cooked, unseasoned, whole or pureed fruits and veggies like apple, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin or beans
✅️ Fresh fruit and veggies like apples, blueberries, blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, carrots or broccoli
✅️ Tinned dog or cat food (in moderation)

Always make sure your pet's servings are mindful and given in moderation.
REMEMBER - Any new food that your pet is not used to can make them feel ill if they eat too much. ⚠️

Keep your pets away from the Christmas decorations like tinsel, and keep your garbage cans out of reach. 🎄🗑

❤️ Your pets are super happy to just be with their families, they do not need to be fed from the table to feel loved. Table scraps can often be fatal.
Save your pets, and yourself, the heartache of a vet visit.
Be mindful of what you feed your pets. 🐾🩺

05/12/2024

🩺 Say hello to your new veterinarian at Veterinary House Hilton, Dr Leonard de Freitas!
He joined the team in 2013. Soon after, he became a partner of the Veterinary House Hospital group.

🐾 Dr de Freitas has over a decade’s worth of veterinary experience, taking special interest in diagnostic imaging, surgery and practice management. 🩻

Trusted veterinary care with every visit. ❤️
🩺 Dr de Freitas, Dr Watkins, Dr Hodgson
📍 Hilton, KZN, South Africa 🇿🇦
🐶 🐱 🐄 🐐 🐴 🐰 🦔 🦎 🦜

16/11/2024

⚠️ Stray Alert! ⚠️

This handsome boy was found in the Rotunda area.
He is castrated. 🐾
No microchip.

He is currently safe at the SPCA. ☎️

13/11/2024

⚠️ Stray Alert! ⚠️

This handsome boy was found in the Rotunda area.
He is castrated. 🐾

☎️ Please call 033 343 4316 for more information.

09/11/2024

23/10/2024

⚠️ Great news... We're running a special on over-the-counter calming medication for your pets! This is valid until 2 November 2024. 📆

🥳 Diwali and Guy Fawkes Day celebrations are almost here, and we want to make sure your pets stay safe!
Our clinics are offering a 10% discount on:

- Calmfocus
- Feliway
- Adaptil
- CalmEze
- Pet Remedy
- Zylkene

And more! 💊

🩺 More potent pharmaceuticals are also available, and may work more effectively on short notice. Pets need to be seen by a veterinarian in order to be prescribed these scheduled medication. These anxiety medication consultations are R200.00 and include a pet-check to ensure that the meds can be given safely. 🐾
(Please note - for any other matters, a full consultation will be charged.)

⚠️ Here are some tips to keep your pets safe, not only for Diwali and Guy Fawkes Day celebrations, but for the impending festive season celebrations as well.
🏡 Ensure that your pets are inside your home, secured and comfortable WELL BEFORE the festivities start.
🖥 Play some music or turn on the TV to drown out the sound of fireworks.

If your pet is an outside pet, please make sure that they are in a secure area that they CANNOT escape from. Preferably in a secure garage with comfortable bedding and interactive toys and treats. 🐾

🏡 If your pet manages to escape your yard, please ensure that your pets have well-fitted collars with name tags and are microchipped. Microchips are the first things vets and the SPCA will check for. 💉
If your pet is already microchipped, make sure they have been registered on the microchip database, otherwise the microchip is of no use.

❤️ Fireworks are devastating to pets, wildlife, and even people struggling with anxiety disorders.
Please take others into consideration during these festivities. Think twice before setting off fireworks in your neighbourhood. 🐕🐈‍⬛🐎🐄🐑🐇🦇🦜🐢

16/10/2024

🎈 It’s that time of year again - some of South Africa’s most celebrated occasions! 🇿🇦

Diwali and Guy Fawkes Day celebrations are upon us. While some may enjoy the setting off of fireworks, others may not… 🐕🐈‍⬛🐎🐄🐑🐇🦇🦜🐢
To pets and wildlife, fireworks aren’t fun and games, they are terrifying!

⚠️ Here are some tips to keep your pets safe, not only for Diwali and Guy Fawkes Day celebrations, but for the impending festive season celebrations as well.

🏡 Ensure that your pets are inside your home, secured and comfortable WELL BEFORE the festivities start.
🖥 Play some music or turn on the TV to drown out the sound of fireworks.

If your pet is an outside pet, please make sure that they are in a secure area that they CANNOT escape from. Preferably in a secure garage with comfortable bedding and interactive toys and treats. 🐾

💊 Medical management is also highly recommended.
𝗭𝘆𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗲 is a popular choice, being one of the only faster acting over-the-counter medications for anxiety.
𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗘𝘇𝗲 and 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗲 are also commonly used, but they take 1 - 2 weeks of daily use to take full effect.
𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗹, 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗱𝘆 are great choices to use as sprays or diffusers.

🩺 More potent pharmaceuticals are also available, and may work more effectively on short notice. Pets need to be seen by a veterinarian in order to be prescribed these scheduled medication. These anxiety medication consultations are R200.00 and include a pet-check to ensure that the meds can be given safely. 🐾
(Please note - for any other matters, a full consultation will be charged.)

🏡 If your pet manages to escape your yard, please ensure that your pets have well-fitted collars with name tags and are microchipped. Microchips are the first things vets and the SPCA will check. 💉
If your pet is already microchipped, make sure they have been registered on the microchip database, otherwise the microchip is of no use.

❤️ Please take pets and wildlife into consideration during these festivities. Think twice before setting off fireworks in your neighbourhood. 🐾

14/10/2024

🐾 It is a new chapter at Umgeni Veterinary Clinic!

🩺 After an amazing 14 years of commitment and dedication to the Hilton community, Dr Margie Roach will be leaving Umgeni Vet at the end of November.
She has been an invaluable member of our team and we wish her all the best as she continues her work in physiotherapy and rehabilitation. 🐾

Thank you for all your dedication and compassion to the pets, and families, of Hilton. ❤️

11/10/2024

🩺 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆! ❤️

Vet nurses are 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 of any veterinary team. They care for your pets when they’re away from home. They ensure they get the right medication, the right food and make sure they get enough 𝘀𝗻𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀! ❤️

🩺 Nurses have an 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 to-do-list in their practice. While sometimes overlooked because they work 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀, nurses do much more than you may think…
🩻 Here’s to our 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗽𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗹𝗮𝗯 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝘅-𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝘆𝗴𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝘃𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗽𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗼𝘆𝘀, 𝗷𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 and 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, of people and pets. 🐱

🇿🇦 Here’s to Sr Nadia, and all the 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 all around the world putting their patients, your pets, first every single day. 🐾

❤️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂! 🩺

17/09/2024

🩺 Dr Carmen and Sr Nadia have recently taken on a huge responsibility... apart from being superstar veterinary professionals, they have also been fostering puppies! 🐕

Meet the squad:
🐶 Xue - He highly desires to be a lap dog. Always wants to be cuddled and likes to sit on his favourite people. He is the chunkiest of the bunch and loves his food.
He tends to hide his intelligence most of the time, but it does make an appearance occasionally. 🤓
🐶 Xylio - He started out as the weakest of the bunch but has now overtaken Xenos in body weight. He is a more independent than his siblings, but loves to cuddle and hates sleeping alone. 🥰
🐶 Xenos - He is the most active of the boys and is very affectionate. He needed some extra care as a baby but is now fit and healthy. He has strong opinions and is not afraid to make them known. 🤩

🐾 These adorable pupperinos are available for adoption through Pmb Animal Rescue & Rehome (P.A.R.R.) - NPO 207-130.
☎️ Please contact Tina for more information - 071 883 1457.

08/09/2024

🦅 Yesterday was International Vulture Awareness Day, and we have only great things to say about these magnificent birds.
Dr Margie and her team at Umgeni Veterinary Clinic have been working very closely with FreeMe Wildlife for a number of years, often treating vultures. 🩺

Vultures play an invaluable part within our fragile ecosystem. They are one of the world’s most efficient clean-up crews. 🦴

Their value has been widely underestimated and is largely unappreciated.
If vultures ever went extinct, it is feared the devastating loss will lead to the spread of deadly old and new diseases, including plague, anthrax, and rabies. 🦠

🦅 In reality, vultures serve us in ways that we are only beginning to understand. One being their remarkable hand in keeping ecosystems and pathogens in check.
Some major threats to these creatures include habitat loss and malicious poisoning. Vultures are poisoned and hacked to pieces for traditional medicine and trade.

🇿🇦 In the most rural areas of South Africa, and many other countries, a large proportion of humans are reliant on nature to provide most of their basic needs. Due to their heavy dependence on nature, local communities benefit hugely from the role of vultures to protect them. 🌾

🦅 If you come across an injured vulture, or any wildlife for that matter, phone a veterinary clinic, phone FreeMe, get into contact with the Endangered Wildlife Trust or phone park rangers or Nature Conservation. And if you cannot help them, just don't harm them or take them into your home without speaking to professionals first.

❤️ These birds are too valuable to lose to human greed and misinformation. 🤝

06/09/2024

Rodenticides affect more than just rats. 😞 These poisons have a devastating impact on wildlife and pets.
Think twice before using rodenticides in and around your home. 🐱 🐶 🦅

The horrors of poison ❌‼️

When this juvenile Barn Owl died in our care from anti-coagulant rodenticide poisoning, we were ready to share the gruesome necropsy photos to show just how these poisons cause horrific internal bleeding, resulting in their victims either dying of shock or choking to death on their own blood filled lungs.

But, this face should be enough to bring the message home to even the most hard-hearted people. This is what we had to deal with moments before this innocent little creature closed its eyes forever. 💔

To those of you who use anti-coagulant rodenticide poisons, please take a good look at the pain and suffering you cause every time you put those baits out. May this be on your conscience.

Thank you to the kind people who found the owl, wrapped it up, and brought it through to us. We are just as sorry as you are that it was too late to save it. 😔

We love what we do, and how we do it... ❤

24/08/2024

UPDATE - She has been found, thank you! ❤️

⚠️ Urgent! ⚠️

Twinkles has gone missing from her home in the Mountain Rise area at around 05:30 this morning.
She is microchipped.

☎️ If someone sees her, or knows where she may be, please call her owner on 083 282 5877. ⚠️
If you have found a similar looking puppy this morning, please take her to your nearest vet to have the microchip scanned.

Her owners are very concerned and we are worried for her safety. 💔

23/08/2024

🤩 It's such a privilege to work so closely with the amazing people of FreeMe Wildlife!

09/08/2024

Boy, are we lucky to have so many incredible women on our team. 🐾
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” - Michelle Obama

Happy Women's Day to all the amazing women out there. 🤍

30/07/2024

⚠️ Rabies is a very serious viral disease in our country. It is a zoonotic disease that infects mammals, including humans, dogs, cats, livestock and wildlife. 🇿🇦
Dog bites are the most common cause of rabies transmission to humans. Sadly, 40% of human infections occur in children under 15 years old.

🦠 Rabies spreads through saliva, usually through bites or direct contact of saliva with mucosa or broken skin (e.g. eyes, mouth, or open wounds). Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹.
Initial symptoms of rabies include signs like fever, pain and unusual or unexplained tingling, pricking, or burning sensations at the wound site. 🚨

There are two forms of rabies:
🦠 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗲𝘀, where patients experience hallucinations, erratic, aggressive behaviour, fear of water and lack of coordination.
🦠 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗲𝘀, which accounts for about 20% of the total number of human cases. This form of rabies is less erratic and usually runs a longer course than the furious form. Muscles gradually become paralysed, starting from the wound site, leading to a coma and eventually death.

🔬 How is rabies diagnosed? Unfortunately, the only way to receive a sure and conclusive diagnosis is to have brain tissue tested of the deceased suspected rabid animal. 🧠

💉 Rabies cannot be cured, but it CAN be prevented. In South Africa, pets are 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 to be vaccinated against rabies. 🇿🇦
In terms of The Animal Diseases Act (Act No 35 of 1984), owners of dogs and cats MUST have their pets vaccinated against rabies between the ages of 3 and 7 months old, receiving a booster within 12 months of original vaccination. Pets must also receive rabies boosters at least every 3 years thereafter. In rabies endemic areas, like KwaZulu-Natal, pets must receive boosters every year. ⚠️
We strongly recommend yearly boosters for all pets, all over the country, as one can never be sure where the next rabies outbreak will occur.

🩺 Our nurses are offering 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 rabies vaccinations at our 3 branches:
🕐 13:00 - 14:00
📆 Monday - Friday
⚠️ 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 - Please make an appointment for these consultations. ⚠️

☎️ Veterinary House Hospital - 033 342 4698
☎️ Veterinary House Townbush - 033 347 2504
☎️ Umgeni Veterinary Clinic - 033 343 4316

🚨 What to do if someone has been bitten, scratched or licked by a suspected rabid animal - 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗔𝗜𝗗:
💧 Immediately wash the wound/area with running water and soap for at least 15 minutes. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘢 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴.
🏥 Go to your nearest clinic or hospital immediately thereafter. Be sure to tell the staff that the bite came from a suspected rabid animal. If emergency treatment isn't given fast enough, it will be too late.

🩺 Report the incident to your nearest state veterinarian or private veterinarian.
Rabies is a state controlled disease, and all suspected cases must be reported.

If you are at all concerned about your pet after exposure to a possible rabid animal, or if your pet is showing unusual or concerning symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately. 🐾

❤️ Given the recent rabies scare, please make sure that your pets are fully vaccinated against rabies, ensuring that they are safe from harm. 🇿🇦

20/07/2024

❤️ What a privilege to witness first hand the way our community comes together in times of need.
We would like to say thank you to everyone who donated food, blankets and other goods to the SPCA Pietermaritzburg this Mandela Day. 🐾

🇿🇦 "It is in your hands to make a better world for all who live in it" - Nelson Mandela

Thank you for making the world a whole lot better for the most vulnerable in our community. 🐶🐱🇿🇦