Spring into September!

This month we discuss care for your senior pets and have an introductory offer for our new Senior Care Package!

We also tell a story of our friend Kenzie and her unfortunate tennis ball dilemma!

Lastly, we announce our $200 winner for our Facebook competition and intorduce our new theme!

Is your pet over 7 years old? 

While no one wants to think of their pet as ‘senior’ or ‘elderly’, your pet now may be at the age where they require extra support for their comfort. At this age providing them with nutritional support best suited or senior pet’s need is essential to maintaining their overall health and well-being. The good news is that there is extensive research into the problems which face older pets and how their owners and veterinarians can best handle their special needs.

We have listed some points below so you can determine if your pet is entering into their golden years. If you answer yes to these questions we highly recommend you talk to us to ensure their changes needs are being meet.

• Has their behaviour changed or are they interacting less with your family
• Are they sleeping, eating or drinking more / less than usual
• Has their weight changed
• Are they having accidents indoors
• Do they tire easily or lag behind while on walks
• Do they have difficulty jumping or climbing
• Are they easily frightened or have difficultly with their sight or hearing
• Has their skin or coat changed

Keeping them young 

• Portion sizes: To control weight, limit portion sizes at mealtimes and consider a senior specific dry food. Only give them the occasional treat with high quality natural ingredients.
• Adequate water - Help your dog meet their daily water requirements of 1072ml for a 20kg dog; provide multiple bowls of fresh water or try a pet fountain for dogs attracted to running water.
• Regular exercise - Help your dog maintain muscle mass, mobile joints and a healthy heart with regular short exercise sessions; gentle exercise such as walking and swimming is best.
• Dental health - Keep a close eye on the dental health of your dog; try dental chews, daily brushing and a professional clean where required.
• Treat Fleas & Worms - Keep on top of your parasite control. As your dog’s immune system will become weaker with age, fleas & worms ticks can pose greater health risks.
• Safeguard environment - keep clear paths for your dog by removing any potential hazards and use a pet gate to confine them into a space when you are unable to supervise
• Supportive bed - As your dog ages, having a supportive bed is important to the comfort and eases of getting up and down; try an orthopaedic memory foam bed & a heating pad to provide warmth & ease joint pain.
• Hand signal training - If your dog struggles with hearing loss, use hand signals and body language to communicate with them.
• Affection - Show love to your dog with touch and affection; massage can also provide relief for joint pain, while brushing will help your pet with grooming.
• Mental stimulation- Keep your dog’s mind active with food mazes, treat puzzles & interactive toys.

At Mount Vet Hospital, one of our goals is to maintain excellent quality of life for our senior patients for as long as possible.

We are excited to introduce our new range of Senior Care Packages for pets over 8, which is designed to proactively address the needs of your senior pet by providing comprehensive preventive and wellness care.

We also understand that the cost of providing this care for your dog can be significant. This is why we have created a package which offer an overall discount for these important services. 

The Package includes:

• Physical Exam - A complete physical exam is important for identifying and addressing problems early.
• Complete Blood Count - This health screen will look at
• Urinalysis - Urine testing is an important part of screening for kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, urinary tract infection and much more.
• Blood Pressure - Blood pressure abnormalities can be common in senior dogs, the blood pressure will be measured during the visit.
• Electrocardiography (ECG) - Electrocardiography is the process of recording the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time. This 2 lead, non-invasive scan will allow the Veterinarian to see if your pets heart is beating the way it should.
• Eye Fundus Exam - The fundus of the eye is the interior surface of the eye opposite the lens and includes the retina, optic disc, macula, fovea, and posterior pole. The fundus is examined by opthalmoscopy which is crucial to check the overall health of the eye.
• FREE Toenail Trims - Toenail trim (if needed) will be performed during the visit.
• $50 credit for any necessary Dental Treatment – A $50 credit will be put on your account for any required dental treatment booked on the day of the visit.

​Package price is $95 - that saves you $165

Kenzie’s Triple Dip.. Lucky or unlucky?!

Kenzie, the beautiful Great Dane was in one day for a routine gastropexy* and ovariohysterectomy (spay). On admitting Kenzie for the day, the nurse went over details with Kenzies family regarding important information for us to know before any surgical procedure is performed.

Everything was sounding good so Kenzie’s premedication was administered. The premedication includes morphine for pain relief which often induces vomiting in dogs.

This is where it all begins…

Kenzie had vomited large parts of a tennis ball! The ball was removed from her cage and a nurse pieced it together to make sure that we had a whole ball of pieces! Her owners were called and they were not aware of a missing ball, they were informed that a large piece was still missing.

The missing piece was large enough to cause fatal issues in even a dog of Kenzies size. Kenzie was now prepared for the spay, the gastropexy and opening her stomach to remove the foreign object.

Fortunately, the piece was easily located and once the procedure was finished, Kenzie could now consider herself as one lucky dog!

Kenzie has now recovered fully and is home with her loving family… Funnily enough, tennis balls have been banned from the house!

*Canine gastropexy is a surgical procedure performed most commonly in large breed dogs to prevent gastric dilatation volvulus, commonly known as torsion bloat. Torsion bloat is a life-threatening condition in which the stomach flips over and expands, trapping air and gases in the stomach. 

And for the Golden Oldies - The Human Kind

We are offering 10% off all services and treatments for your pets in the month of September*

*Can not be used in addition to the Senior Care Package. Excludes vaccinations and regular, ongoing treatments.  

Congratulations to Jeroen and Luna!!

You have won our $200 Facebook competition of

 "SNUG AS A BUG IN A RUG!!"

Mount Vet Hospital offers FREE FLEA AND WORM for any KITTEN or PUPPY'S desexing or vaccination.

Interspecies Besties!!

This photo has inspired our new $200 Facebook competition!

Upload a photo of your 'INTERSPECIES BESTIES' to our Facebook to be in to win $200!!

The winner will be announced in December.

Terms and Conditions:

Does your pet hate the Vet??!!

        ...Don't worry, we aren't offended!

The Mount and Mobile Vets offer a mobile service where we can come to you!

With competitive prices, this is a much sought after service for anyone with a pet who isn't particularly fussed on Vet Clinics or for people who simply can't make it in!

Our ambulance is also fully equiped to perform routine surgeries such as, desexing or dental work, and Blood testing.

Call us today to make an appointment!

24/7 HOTLINE ( Ring 0800 VETCALL )

We provide a dedicated out of hours service. We don't use answerphone messages, which means you will always be able to talk to a real person.

We appreciate it if you use the emergency service only for GENUINE emergency calls so as not to block other callers trying to contact the emergency vet. 

See you next month!

From the Vets and Nurses at Mount Vets!

Date: 3rd / September / 2016                                                                       Issue Number 21