marc's blog

Rehabilitation after joint or limb surgery

So many dogs these days are rupturing their cruciate ligament in their knee or being born with dislocating kneecaps that need realigning. The surgery to repair the problem is only the start to helping improve your pet’s knee problems. Physiotherapy at home or with a professional could be the difference between a full or partial recovery. Physiotherapy is extremely important for treatment of any joint problem whether or not surgery is involved.

Well what is involved with post operative physiotherapy?

Keeping your pets teeth Clean is essential for preventing disease

We all know that healthy teeth and gums are essential for a healthy body. That is why we brush our teeth at least twice daily and see our dentist every year. What a lot of us don’t know though is that for our pets it is no different. Diseased teeth and gums cause numerous problems to our pets bodies. These range from pain when eating to less obvious problems like damage to their liver, kidneys and heart valves.

How do we go about keeping their teeth and gums health?

Little Lille Lamb Chop

It is not every day that at VetMed we have a baby lamb come in for treatment! Lillie the potty lamb was brought back from the farm as her mother had abandoned her after birth. Lillie was loving her city stay. Fresh milk in he bottle, lots of cuddles and a back yard to run around with her friend Billy . This is where the problem started. Lillie and Billie shared the back yard with 2 pet dogs who loved to chase lambs. One afternoon the chase got serious with Lillie being knocked over and severely bitten by her 2 companions.

The Dangers of Heat Stroke in our Pets

We all know that at this time of year there are dangers regarding the hot weather. As pet lovers, we even know some of the risks and consequences of the hot weather on our much-loved furry friends. But what a lot of us probably don’t know is how big the risks can be and how early they can hit. Dr Marc Simpson, VetMed partner, has put together some information on heat stroke; some of the dangers and what to do and not do if any of our pets are affected.

Last month Sam and I visited the NOISTAR Thai Animal Rescue Clinic on the small island of Koh Tao in Thailand to volunteer our services.  We had a suitcase full of basic surgical equipment & vetinerary supplies donated by VETMED that had been carted on 2 planes 1 boat and quad bike to reach it's final destination.... the huge Thai smiles and gratitude that greeted us made it all worth while!

The power of pets With more pets living in Australia than people, pets continue to be a significant part of our lives. Not only are pets wonderful companions they also provide significant psychological and physiological benefits to owners. In addition, pets engender caring and responsibility in our children, improve feelings of safety and help create social bridges in our communities.

Stolen puppy finds a loving home! A heartwarming tale from VetMed Introducing Little Max, a 10 week old, wire-haired Jack Russell puppy. Max was brought in as a stray twice in the space of a week. We were shocked that anyone could lose such a treasure twice in such a short period of time, as was our client, Andrew Gaffney who found Max the first time. Andrew had taken Max home for a few hours before bringing him in to VetMed for microchip scanning.

GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT PAW WITH YOUR NEW PUPPY

Socialisation
 The socialisation period is the time before 12 weeks of age. It is very important for your puppy to get out and meet new people, and go to different places and have a positive experience. This will reduce problems in the future such as fear and potentially aggression. Meeting other dogs is just as important, and a great place for your puppy to socialize is at Puppy Class.

Toilet Training
 Start off where you want to finish off (i.e. get them to go outside from day 1)
 Consistency is the key

The Winter Chills – What can we do for Osteoarthritis

Have you noticed your pet is finding it difficult to rise on these cold winter mornings? Is your pet walking with a shortened stride or failing to jump properly? Sounds like Osteoarthritis might be affecting the health of your animal.

The story of M.T- Mongy Tripod

On the 30th December 2010 my life and the lives of those at Randwick Vetmed changed for the better. It was a lovely, sunny Thursday when I breezed in to work to find Stephanie, our brilliant receptionist with a swaddled ‘something’ strapped across her chest! This turned out to be the aptly named Mongy Tripod.