Westmorland Veterinary Group - Companion Animal News

Is your pet afraid of Fireworks?
Prepare now ready for New Year's Eve.
Check out the link below on what you can do to help reduce the misery for your pet.

LOYALTY SCHEME - We have recently set up a new loyalty scheme where you can gain points for buying any any prescription & lifestyle diets, worming products, flea treatment products and dental care items from us. So the more you buy from us at the surgery the more you can save! Please enquire for more details or click below for further details
Westmorland Veterinary Loyalty Scheme

The newsletter is published in pdf format. You can download the free Adobe reader here if it isn't already installed on your computer.

Please come and visit the practice to receive a complimentary pet smile check up and a free goody bag.

Arthritis Awareness
Over 1 million dogs in the UK suffer from arthritis and up to 650,000 are currently untreated. Westmorland Veterinary Group fully supports encourages clients to bring their dogs in for an arthritis checks. The signs of canine arthritis can sometimes be mistaken for 'old age'. Look out for:

There are very effective treatments of arthritis available that are easy to administer. Please help us get Britains's dogs back on their feet !

Westmorland Veterinary Group are also members of the Dogs Trust neutering scheme. If you require assistant in paying for your dog to be castrated or spayed please contact the surgery or contact Dogs Trust direct on 0845 606 3036. www.dogstrust.org.uk

New From Hills - JD Joint Disease
Getting dogs with arthritis moving again.
Now in stock - for dogs. Available in both canned and dry forumlas. This diet is ideal for mild or moderate arthritis. Prescription diet canine j/d is a clinically proven, complete and nutritious food that also provides a healthy way to help dogs with arthritis. Please ask a veterinary nurse for more details.

Jane Bellas - Veterinary Nurse recalls an interesting case involving a nasty accident and a snapped nose.
Click on Floss's picture (top right) to read all about her.

New - Cat only surgeries are now available - meaning a dog free waiting room for cat and small pet owners, less hassle and stress free for you and your pet - please enquire next time you make an appointment.

Warning for all rabbit owners
We would like to remind all rabbit owners about the importance of vaccinating against Myxomatosis and VHD. A case of Myxomatosis was reported in a pet rabbit in the Kendal area during April & August.

Lethal Lillies
The recent death of a cat from lily poisioning is a stark reminder of the danger some plants and flowers pose to our animals. Act Fast if you think your cat has eaten or come into contact with any part of a lily get him to a vet as quickly as possible (do the same if he/she collapses suddenly, vomits repeatedly, has severe diarrhoea or shows signs of irritation to the mouth or throat).
Be very careful about which cut flowers you introduce to your home or which plant species you introduce to the garden.
Plants to be wary of include: Lilies - any species / cyclamen / poinsettia / amaryllis / laburnum / plants with berries / toadstools. The Feline Advisory Bureau has a list of over 200 plants which are potentially poisonous to cats (www.fabcats.org/hiddendangersofplants.html). Cats are generally careful about what they eat and poisoning is rare - why not give your cat something he/she can nibble on? - Grow a pot of cat grass - you will find growing kits in your pet shop.

How dog vaccination saves lives in the Serengti
In the UK we sometimes take our health - and that of our pets for granted. Vaccination has been around for so long that most dangerous diseases can be kept at bay. However in the Serengti National Park the story is very different. In recent years an explosive growth in the number of domestic dogs has led to frequent outbreaks of rabies, distempter and parvovirus. Rabies has wiped out local populations of the wild dog, and an outbreak of disptemper in 1994 killed a third of the Park's lions. But it's the effect on the local human population that is most devastating - it is estimated that rabies alone kills up to 25,000 people a year in Africa - most are children. Intervet Animal Health who make the pet vaccines used in this practice have supported the project for many years with donations of free dog vaccine - by getting your dog vaccinated, you indirectly help them continue this vital work. www.future-of-vaccination.co.uk

Information for Irish Setters owner
Regulations covering canine leucocyte adhesion deficiency (CLAD) came into force on 1st July. CLAD is an inherited disease in Irish Setters and a specific test has been available in the UK since 2000. The Kennel Club has warned that from 1st July the organisation will only register Irish setters proven clear of the CLAD mutation. No CLAD carriers - or Irish setters where the genetic status is not known will be registered after June 30th. The test can not only diagnose setters affected with this disease but can also detect those dogs which are carriers, showing no symptoms of the disease but able to produce affected pups. It is important to eliminate such carriers from a breeding population since they represent a hidden reservoir of the disease that can product affected dogs at any time. Further details of the CLAD DNA test can be obtained from Dr Nigel Holmes, The Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Hall, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7UU. DNA testing for CLAD is carried out under a screening scheme run with the Kennel Club. Results are made publicly available through the Kennel Club Website www.the-kennel-club.org.uk Contact the practice for more details of the blood test.