Vets4Pets Ridgehaven

18/10/2023

Is your pet losing more hair than normal?
It could be a sign of a dermatological concern.
If your pet is showing this sign, help them by booking a consult with us today.

15/10/2023

Is your furry friend doing the headshake shuffle a bit too often lately? It could be a sign of an underlying dermatological condition.

Let us help your pet find relief and comfort. Book an appointment today, because their well-being is our top priority!

12/10/2023

Today is Vet Nurse Day

Whether you’re a cat person, or a dog person, there’s one thing all animal lovers can agree on, and that’s the fantastic work carried out by Vet Nurses.

On this special day, why not say thank you to your favourite vet nurse, by leaving a message below for them, or a photo of your pet.

08/10/2023

Veterinary Nurse & Technician Awareness Week

This week is all about our Vet Nurses & Technician!

Our vet nurses are vital in the day-to-day operations of Vets4Pets. Not only do they answer your calls & questions, they are actively involved in our patient care. From cuddling the cute puppies and kittens, to helping our vets in emergency situations, they are always part of the action.

Veterinary Nurse & Technician Appreciation Day is this Friday, 13th October 2023.
If you're in one of our clinics this week, please thank our nurses for their hard work and dedication to our furry friends.

You can post appreciation comments below to show everyone how much your pet's favourite nurse means to you

05/10/2023

Does your cat have itchy spots? Skin issues are generally treatable, so if your feline friend isitching, help them by booking a consult with us

05/10/2023

A recent burst of warmer weather signalled the end of what felt like a long and wet winter, and so we ready ourselves for a hot summer.

With the drier weather come grass seeds; our first grass seed case was a couple of weeks ago, and has been followed by an avalanche of similar cases.

The problem seeds measure around 1-2cm, with a sharp point at one end and a flared brush at the other, ensuring that they can burrow into the coat and skin with surprising ease and speed. We retrieve them from many places, but mainly ears and feet, with eyes, noses and other equally uncomfortable spots also presenting.

Often we need to sedate a patient to remove the offending seed, so prevention is certainly easier than cure.

Vigilance after a walk is the best bet: check your dog’s feet and ears for any grass seeds on the surface, and remove them before they dig deeper. And have any sore spots checked out promptly; they may be harbouring an unwanted hitchhiker!

03/10/2023

❤🐢🐕🐴🐖🐂🐅🐩🐄🐀🐼🐲🐘🐧❤ World Animal Day is an International Day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually on the 4th of October.

Help us celebrate by adding some animal photos below that you have taken.

03/10/2023

Is your furry friend licking more than usual?
It might be a sign of an underlying dermatological condition!
Don't wait, schedule a check-up at our clinic today and let us help your pet find relief.

01/10/2023

28/09/2023

🐍Vets4Pets had a number of snake bite patients already this season.

Download this FREE app to know what to do in the event of a snake bite.

🐍🐱Snake bites in cats🐱🐍

Snake bites are more likely to occur from now until the end of summer, as snakes are inactive during cooler weather. Australia has a large number of venomous snakes but the eastern brown snake and tiger snake account for the majority of the snake bites in domestic pets around Adelaide. Cats are bitten slightly more often than dogs (52% compared to 44%) but their rates of survival are 91% with antivenom and rapid veterinary attention. Cat are naturally born to hunt and will stalk anything that moves, as well as tending to wander further from home, making it hard to track down the exact location or type of snakebite. If you live in the outer suburbs or semi-rural areas, keep your backyard clear of long grass, and remove any piles of rubbish. This will help to reduce the number of hiding spots for snakes to reside in.

The signs of snake bite can be varied and cats tends to mask their symptoms until they may be almost life threatening, some not showing signs of being envenomated for up to 24 hours. Cats are most often bitten around the head and limbs, though it is often impossible to locate the actual bite site. Bites to the body can be even more dangerous, as they allow the venom to reach the heart faster. Two stages of snakebite are recognised: pre-paralytic and paralytic.

Pre-paralytic usually occurs 10-15 minutes after the bite and may involve the following:
- Swelling at the location of the bite
- Drooling
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Weakness
- Urination
- Trembling
- Dilated pupils
- Drooping eyelids
- Sensitivity to light
- Increased respiration (breathing)

The paralytic syndrome may also occur immediately or several hours after being bitten. Paralysis generally starts in the back legs and moves towards the heads and includes:
- Dilated and fixed pupils that don’t respond to light
- Muscle weakness
- Change in meow
- Lack of coordination/drunken gait
- Rapid pulse and heartbeat
- Difficulty breathing or increased/shallow breaths
- Blue-tinged gums from lack of oxygen
- Blood or tea-coloured urine
- Coma

If you suspect your cat has been bitten by a snake you should immobilise your pet and try to keep them as quiet as possible. It is vital that you take them to a veterinarian as soon as possible. The sooner your pet is treated, the better their chances of survival. Please take care handling your cat, as they may be very painful and try to lash out. It is important NOT to do any of the following:
- Allow your cat to walk around
- Cut the bitten area
- Attempt to suck the venom out of the bite (this will actually increase blood flow to the area)
- Apply a tourniquet
- Attempt to catch or kill the snake (along with being dangerous, snakes are a protected species)
- Apply ice
- Delay treatment

Veterinary treatment varies with each individual case, depending on how severe the symptoms are and how rapidly the symptoms progress.

Treatment usually consists of intravenous fluids and the administration of antivenom to neutralise the snake venom circulating in the cat’s body. Some animals require multiple vials of antivenom.

Other supportive care may be required – including heating/warming the patient to maintain their body temperature, pain relief, feeding tubes to provide nutrition, or even oxygen supplementation. Cats that are paralysed will need to have their bladder manually expressed until they are able to urinate on their own. All hospital care needs to continue until the circulating antivenom has been neutralised and any bound venom has worn off.

If your pet is given antivenene for snakebite, it is important to remember that it is only being used to neutralise the snake venom in your pet’s system at that time. It does not protect your pet from further envenomation from a snake; it is not a preventative medication.

The majority of cats survive snakebite if treated quickly. The survival rate is much lower however for pets that left untreated, and death can occur.

Recovery from snakebite usually takes 24-48 hours if the pet receives prompt veterinary attention and the snakebite is not too severe. However, some pets will take substantially longer to make a full recovery due to tissue damage to internal organs and will require intensive and prolonged nursing care.

27/09/2023

Ear Infections in Dogs

Skin inside the ear is just an extension of normal skin. Many dogs that have issues with skin can often suffer from ear problems. The ear canal in dogs has different anatomical features from the human ear. It is made of a horizontal and vertical ear canal. The pinna (ear flap) can also occlude the opening of the ear contributing even further to complications.

What causes ear infections?
There are many culprits such as allergy/atopy, ear mites, and foreign bodies, excessive production of keratin in the ear canal, tumours and polyps. Other factors that may contribute to the problem are if the ear canal is too narrow (Shar Pei), overproduction of wax (Cocker Spaniel), floppy and hairy ears, lots of swimming (Labradors), genetic factors, reaction to medication and systemic disorder such as hypothyroidism. Some breeds are more predisposed to this problem such as Poodles, Retrievers, Spaniels and Shar Pei.

What are the symptoms?
Redness of ears, pain, head tilt, smelly discharge, unusual behaviour, scratching ears are often noticed. Head shaking, narrow ear canal, dry skin on in the ear canal and difficulties walking (ataxia) can also be noticed.

Could your dog have an ear infection? If the above sound like your dog, we would suggest having an appointment with one of our vets to have your dog's ears checked.