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Pet insurance, is it really worth it?

Matt Young's picture
Penny Lane

What is pet insurance?

It's not life insurance for pets, Pet insurance is medical cover similar to a combination of Medicare and private health insurance in the things that it covers.

Is it worth it?

If nothing ever goes wrong with your pet you will probably feel like it was all a waste. But, when things do go wrong they can be very expensive. In the past week I  have had to refer 2 dogs for surgery with a specialist which will probably end up costing between $3000 and $4000. This is just an average week for us. This sort of scenario is not a rare thing!

Is chocolate your poison of choice? Don't make it your pet's!

Matt Young's picture
No chocolate for dogs

Easter is that time of year when there is alot of chocolate around. While chocolate is yummy and has alot of positives there are 2 things that are bad about chocolate:

  1. It makes you fat
  2. It is poisonous to dogs and cats

I can't do anything about the first problem for you but I can help you with the second issue. 

How does chocolate poison dogs and cats?

Chocolate contains theobromine which acts as a nervous system stimulant in dogs and cats. Whether or not they are affected depends on:

Getting old can be a sign of illness

Matt Young's picture
Sydney playing with Sarah

Our cat Sydney had been losing weight over the last 12 months. He was having difficulty moving around and was just generally stiff for some time. About 12 months ago we ran some bloods on him as I suspected that something was wrong but the tests were all normal.

2 weeks ago we reran the blood tests because his appetite had become ravenous. He's always been food obsessed but this was just ridiculous:

Living with Arthritis: your Vet, your Pet and You.

Matt Young's picture
Old dog on bed

 

It’s winter, and that’s the worst time for aches, pains and twinges.

Think of arthritis as an incurable, chronic disease.   But, rather than accepting nothing can be done, it means that it’s up to you to make your friend as healthy, happy, and comfortable as possible with the joints that nature, nurture and time have dealt them.

It basically breaks down to a three pronged attack:

  1. how you can make your pet better equipped to live with arthritis
  2. what you, directly, can do to make the disease easier, and
  3. how we, the vets, can help support you both in making life better.

Snake Bites in Dogs and Cats

Matt Young's picture
red belly black snake

Red Bellied Black SnakeAs the weather warms up, so do reptiles. Snakes are now on the move and slithering into our backyards. In our area the most common snake seen is the red-bellied black snake. There are also smaller numbers of brown snakes and tiger snakes. 

If your dog or cat does encounter a snake and are bitten it is very important to seek assistance straight away, even if your pet is not showing any signs of envenomation. If they have been bitten on a limb a compression bandage can be applied to reduce the absorption and circulation of the venom. Do not try and remove the venom or apply a tornique. 

The signs of snake bite vary according to the type of snake and the amount of venom injected. Brown Snakes and Tiger Snakes have a very potent neurotoxin in their venom which causes a rapid paralysis which will quickly lead to paralysis or the respiratory muscles and death. It is really important to get immediate veterinary help. 

Free Pet Dental Month Checkups

Why get a dental check?

By the time dogs and cats show signs of dental disease such as bad breath or having trouble eating they generally will have advanced dental disease, and quite often will end up needing to have teeth removed. Having a dental check can allow us to detect problems in the mouth and discuss preventative measures that can taken to stop or slow-down plaque formation before it results in periodontal disease.

If your dog or cat has smelly breath, or is having difficulty eating, or is drooling, they may have periodontal disease and need to have their mouths checked. During August we are offering free dental checks on your pet. Book an appointment and have your pet's mouth examined to find out if there are any issues with their teeth that need to be dealt with.

Rabbits need dental care too!

It's not just dogs and cats that have problems with their teeth. Rabbits get dental disease as well. Rabbits teeth grow continuously and are vital to ensuring that food gets broken down for digestion. If the teeth are not properly aligned they will not wear properly and this can lead to difficulty eating. Rabbits also qualify for a free dental check.

Dental Disease Treatment

If your pet does need dental treatment we can perform scaling, polishing and dental extractions at our hospital.

Without proper dental care 80% of dogs and 70% of cats will show signs of oral disease by age 3

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