New Products Showcase - What was new for 2016

Firstly, I have to thank all of my animalclinic family who support my family and I at Russell Vale Animal Clinic.  

It is thanks to all of you, that we can continue to care for the beautiful animals in our little part of the world.  We cannot continue to do what we do without your support. 

It is because we care about the health and long life of your family pet, that we strive to do the best we can.   We make sure that all of our products and services pass the "would we use it in our pet" rule, that they have a great safety profile, and that they actually do what the marketing says it does.

Read on to find out more about our new products.

OraVet

This was introduced into Australia in October 2016, and it is going well.   What is so great about it? 

Well, it is tasty and it is unique.  There is nothing else like it on the market. It contains a unique medication called Delmopinol which coats the teeth, tongue and gums - this protective layer makes it harder for bacteria and plaque to attach. 

Bye Bye bad breath!

Friendly Dog Collars -

These are unique colour coded dog leads communicate special messages to those around them.  These are ideal for those caring pet owners who have dog's who have special needs, such as deaf, blind, working, friendly etc.

What I like about them? - They are high quality woven leads, designed to last.

Healthy Mouth

Whilst we have had Healthy Mouth since it first came into Australia a few years ago (and how excited were we at that), we are even more excited with the new flavours now available.

Not so much yummy flavours for us, but for our pets.... nom nom!

Wagyu Beef, Blueberry and Peanut Butter, as well as the original flavours.

But it isn't just the flavours that is exciting, it is the fact that this Veterinary Oral Health Council approved product designed to improve oral health is as easy as making up the cordial, and filling up the water bowl.
 

Prime100 Treats
We all love to give treats to our pets, but we do know that some have been implicated in kidney disease in dogs and cats.  We only stock and sell ones which have been shown to be safe, such as Ivory Coat Treats, SavorLife and Prime100.

So next time you want to spoil your special someone, think of these and us.

Glandex

One of our most recent "New" Products, which we are excited to introduce. Imported from the US, this unique product combines fibre, probiotics and natural antiinflammatories to help promote normal anal gland health.

Why is this important?  If you have a pet with anal gland problems, with the leaking, smelling, scooting - you will appreciate the difference this product will make.

Novel Protein Food
As the owner of a food allergic dog, it is frustrating and difficult to find a quality, affordable diet for her. Prime100 food has been a welcome addition for our dog Piper, as well as for all of you who have pets with similar issues.

I am Dr Liz, the mad vet from Bellambi. We have introduced so many new products and services this year (the above is just a few), and hopefully next year will be the same.

Drop in to check us out in Bellambi Lane, Bellambi.(opposite the future Bunnings store - exciting times ahead).

Anal Gland problems in Dogs and Cats - the Annoying Bum Scooting

Once upon a time, there was a dog called Spot.  Spot is a gorgeous happy Pug who just loves his mum and his Nan.

He (sort of) loves his vet too. His vet is me, and I am Dr Liz.

No, this isn't Spot. This is Spot's body double (although not a Pug). Spot was too shy to show his face (or bottom).

He really loves me when I don't need to do anything to his bottom - after all, we now have the infrared temperature thingo (we just point it at the gums and we get a temp).

He knows as well as I do that I do not like to go near the bums of animals - it really does not do anything for me at all.

He (sort of) loves me when I have to see him because he has started scooting again.

You see, Spot has anal gland problems, which means that he needs to visit me on a regular basis (usually 6-8 weeks) to have them "cleaned out".

He knows "Dr Liz's rules - I do something yuck, I do something nice".  This means I give lots of yummy home made liver treats at the front end whilst I am expressing the anal glands at the other end.

Cleaning anal glands is a "Dirty Job", although I have never seen it featured on the TV show!  It should be!

Another cute puppy photo - toy breeds often need anal gland support.

As a vet who loves animals, I am constantly looking into things or ways to help my animal friends, whether it be with the latest in technology, medications, therapies, or nutritional support products.

When it comes to anal glands, things are no different.

But let's get back to the beginning....

What are Anal Glands?  The short version is that they are a pair of tear shaped glands with a narrow duct which opens on either side of the anus (the duct opening is at 3 and 9 o'clock if you look at the bum front on).

What do they do?  Well, there are many theories.  In cats, the information it contains depends on the situation the cat is in - it is commonly released in fear, and is a common warning signal of "danger" to other cats.  In dogs, they are expressed in fear, but it is theorised that their purpose is as a source of information to other dog and "non dog" animals. 

What information they want to share is up for debate, but I suspect it is about territory and ownership.

Why do some pets get problems and not others? Why are toy breeds more likely to have anal gland problems compared to the giant breeds?  Why do pets improve if their allergies are managed better?

It is believed that with pets with allergic skin disease, the allergies causes swelling of the ducts, narrowing it even further, making it very difficult for the muscles around the anal glands to squeeze the material out during toileting.

It is believed that in some toy breeds, the anatomy in the area makes it very difficult to for the anal glands to empty (some vets remove anal glands for that reason).

A cute puppy is much better looking than anal glands.

It is also possible that toy breeds are bred to be more "baby like", and therefore never master the need to empty those anal sacs to mark their territory. Or, it could be that their diet is not as fibre rich as it should be, so those anal muscles do not get the exercise.

 What can be done to help? 
There are many published and anecdotal strategies.

NEW for 2016  at Russell Vale vets - Glandex

1. Improving the quality and type of fibre in your pet's diet

2. Regular vet checks to ensure that your pet's anal glands need emptying

3. Hypoallergenic diet (food allergies have been implicated in some dogs)

4. Short course of prescription medication to reduce inflammation

5. Probiotics - to improve digestive health

Next time I see Spot, I am going to share with him some great news about a yummy chew that combines 1 and 4, with a natural antiinflammatory, which I am sure is going to give him peace.

I am Dr Liz, the mad vet from Bellambi, and Anal Gland Expressor Extraordinare.

As for those who are thankful that I didn't write about Piper again, sadly, she also did suffer from anal gland problems as a puppy.

Yes, she is the gift that keeps on giving!

We were able to solve her problem through the strategies listed above.

Five things To Help your Noise or Thunderstorm Phobic Pet

Why is it that less than 25 % of pet owners ask their vet for help with their pet's anxiety or fear, yet when asked specific questions on their pet's behaviour, over 50% of our pets are affected?

The answer is easily complicated - pet owners often use the phrases
- we have tried everything
- nothing seemed to have worked
- I didn't know there was anything that could help

There is only one truth in the care and management of a pet (or any sentient being with a phobia) - that is that it is a behaviour that cannot be cured with a pill or that can be "snapped out of".  

But... many pets can be helped if they are identified early enough, help sought and steps taken to help them.

I will use our dog Piper as an example - 

She was 10 weeks old when she joined our family.  We adopted her from the RSPCA in Sydney.  On the second night with us, we had a horrendous thunder and lightning storm. Poor Piper was frantic, and we had a very bad sleepless night.  It had been a long time since we had a puppy, and I had never had one so scared like this one was.

This is what Piper does now through a storm! Snoozing in her favourite place!

Closing the curtains and isolating her to one room stopped her anxiety with the light flashes. Putting the TV on helped reduce the suddenness of the noise.  It was still a sleepless, difficult night.

What should we have done?
 
We should have used alot more food and games during the storm, to help her form the association that "storms = fun stuff". 

What did we do then? 

Fortunately, we had several thunderstorm and noise CD's, which we played constantly throughout the house - starting at low volume, and then increasing the volume over the ensuing weeks.  She wore an Adaptil collar, and we spent time having fun with the scary noise in the background.

Piper is still anxious with new noises, but fortunately through her previous training, she has learnt to calm down very quickly.

Have a range of foods and distractions available

"Coping with Noise" strategies falls into " Immediate  "(i.e a scary event is happening now, and something needs to be done now)  to " Long Term "  (i.e we know we have a problem, what are our strategies to deal with it).

Five Immediate Strategies to Help

1. Environmental 
- Consider Crate Training your pet
- Allow them to have a safe place (for my previous dog, Teddy, his safe place was under the kitchen nook (it was dark and cosy)
- keep them inside or any place where you know they feel "safe and secure".
It's like us being scared, but climbing into bed and putting the doona over our head.  We are still scared, but feel a bit safer.

2. Supplements 
 - Adaptil sprays, collars or Diffusers  for Dogs or Feliway for cats - I am a big fan of pheromones in helping reduce arousal or anxiety in our dogs and cats. 
- Homeopet Anxiety medication - this does work in a fair percentage of anxious pets, and in some it isn't enough. 
- Vitamin B and Tryptophan supplements - Tryptophan is the precurser to the calming neurotransmitter Serotonin.


3. External Support Items
- Thundershirts are great for many dogs and cats.  Available in many sizes. 
- There are many available head masks and sound reducing head phones (some are not available in Australia), 
- White noise -  There are radios which emit a noise which counteracts the frequencies of the thunderstorm/fireworks. 
- Background noise - such as a favourite TV show or radio.
- Thick, high quality blackout curtains.


4. Distractions
- Games, toys, food, fun, walks, romps in the rain
- Training - a perfect time to distract with training games such as "Touch" or "Tug of War".

5. Medications 
Over the past 25 years, I  have seen the progressive change in the types of medications used in our pets, ranging from medications that make a dog outwardly calm, but inwardly increases their sensitivity to noise (not a good thing) to medications that induce an outward and inward calm (ideal).

This is still a work in progress - currently, we are trialling two new medications for all dogs, so if you have had no success in the past, do not hesitate to call us on 42845988 or email me on russellvalevet@gmail.com to discuss what this may mean for you and your pet.

We are always watching out for new medications and strategies to help our scared dogs and cats, so please do not give up if something hasn't worked in the past. Keep in touch with us by signing up to our Animail Tails.

Click on the image below to find out more about anxieties, fears and phobias in dogs.

 I am Dr Liz, the mad vet from Bellambi. I have been a vet for over 26 years now, and during that time I have treated many pets with anxieties.

We do stock and sell the medications, the supplements and external support items, with our personal successful experience of dealing with this with Piper and other pets, so do drop in to visit us.

One thing I have learnt, is that I have had greater success if I see the pets early, with owners dedicated to trial different medications at different dose rates.  I also have had tremendous failures, part due to me choosing the wrong medication for that pet, and part due to the owner unwilling to work with me to individualise their pet's management program.

There are no quick fixes when it comes to mental health.