I s sue 16

GREATMONEY-SAVINGOFFERS

Save time,

money & worry

with our

&

Keep on moving

helping your older pets live with arthritis

This time we feature the story of Alfie, a spaniel with an

obsession for chewing! Despite the best efforts of

his owner (our Hannah!), he managed to give himself an intestinal blockage after eating fragments of stick. Fortunately his story has a happy ending, and you can find out what happened on page 7.

We’ve also got some top tips on looking after your pet’s teeth and joints, along with a few special offers to help with the costs of diagnosing and treating some of the issues associated with increasing age in our cats and dogs.

And with Christmas just around the corner, we thought it would be a good idea to remind you of some of the things to avoid giving your pets (either deliberately or otherwise!) over the festive period. Many of the foods we have around can be toxic to our pets, and you can find out more on page 10.

We’d love to hear your thoughts, as well as updates on our patients’ progress, news and photos of your own pets. You can either speak with our reception team, give us a ring, or email us at enquires@arkhousevets.co.uk.

There are some fantastic pictures in the Gallery section of our website, but we’ve always got room for more!

With best wishes to all our friends, from Kate Semple and the team

Welcome to the latest issue of ‘Paws’- Ark House Vets’ quarterly magazine

‘we care like you care’

Here for you, whenever you need usWe continue to work hard to ensure that we are able to see your pet quickly when needed, so we offer long opening hours and a comprehensive emergency service.

Our opening hours are currently:8.00am - 8.00pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am - 3.00pm on Saturdays, whilst our emergency service operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.Did you know that you can also book your pet’s appointment through our website: www.arkhousevets.co.ukSimply request an appointment using our easy online form and we will confirm by email. If you need an appointment within 36 hours (or just like the sound of our lovely receptionists) you can still call us on 01525 373329!

Emergency service: Because we use Vets Now to give you and your pets the best emergency service, we are able to provide emergency clinics in 3 locations to suit your needs the same.1. For our clients who prefer to use Milton Keynes Vets Now in Fyfield Barrow you can call 01908 5095002. Vets Now Barton (Luton from 25th November) 01582 9670893. Vets Now Hemel Hempstead 01442 768484Calling our normal phone number 01525 373329 currently connects you to the Barton Clinic.From 25th November Beds Vets Barton can be contacted on 01582 883013

All of these clinics email through any notes to us at 7am each morning so we will always know what may have happened if you need to visit them.

2

Claire & Stanley

Rushmere

Willow the Eagle Owl

Juliet

Ringo

Callie

Practice news

First of all, a very warm welcome to Anna’s baby daughter, Molly, and congratulations to Anna too of course! We’ve been delighted to see Anna come back to visit us in the practice whilst she is on maternity leave, ‘keeping in touch’ along with Lara.

And after taking time off to have a baby herself, we’re really pleased to welcome Juliet back to Ark House.

The Linslade Canal Festival was once again a great day out, and we were lucky to enjoy some

excellent weather. We scanned loads of microchips (and found some dodgy ones), as well as being interviewed for local radio and chatting to some great folk. We also met the lovely Ringo, a rather fabulous puppy in training for one

of our favourite charities, Dogs for

the Disabled.

There is plenty of baby news at Ark House:There is plenty of baby news at Ark House:

We were also at the LORC Dog Show in July and the Rushmere Country Park Summer Fayre and Fun Dog Show in August, where our Vet Hannah judged the dog show.

Over the course of the day we gave out loads of goody bags and s u p e r - s t y l i s h bandanas, and a great time was had by all!

3

Puppy PlaygroupsPuppy PlaygroupsPuppy Playgroup is as

much for you, the owner, as it is for your puppy!

We hope to equip you with all the skills you need to raise a happy, secure, confident pup-py. This is a unique opportunity for very early socialisation as we accept puppies that have only had their first vaccination (from 8 weeks old).

Puppies can join the class until they are 13 weeks old but if you have a pup between 13 and 16 weeks who may need some confidence boosting please call to see if we can help.

The programme comprises four weekly sessions at £23.20 for the course, and a FREE worming treatment is included. Please call 01525 373329 for the next start date.

At Ark House we’re here to help at every stage of your pet’s life, and we know that in the early days you might need a little more help and advice than usual!

FREE health checks - Is your puppy, kitten or rabbit less than 8 weeks old? They might be too young for his or her vaccinations, but we’d love to see them anyway! Bring your newest family member along for a FREE veterinary health check and plenty of advice – our friendly team are always on hand with handy tips to help settle your new pet into the family and keep them happy and healthy!

Simply call reception on 01525 373329 to arrange a convenient time to drop by.Online advice You’ll find lots of help and advice for your new pet on our website,

www.arkhousevets.co.uk. You can download a simple check list with tips, ideas and a list of key health care needs for your new bundle of joy!

Meet our newsponsored puppy,

Silver!Many of you will know that we have long supported Dogs for the Disabled. We are delighted to tell you that we are now sponsoring

a new puppy, Silver - a very fluffy German Shepherd cross Golden Retriever.

Named after the charity’s 25th anniversary, Silver is currently living with a very experienced puppy socialiser. This early training will ensure that Silver develops into a happy confident young puppy who understands basic instructions - she is given a yummy reward when she gets things right! (We like the sound of that bit!).

We cover different topics week-by-week including body language, parasites, dental health, nutrition, basic training, handling skills as well as house training and fear related issues. Prevention of behavioural issues such as food guarding is discussed and handouts provided to accompany the sessions.Puppy Playgroup is held on Wednesday mornings at 11am and is run by our Pet Health Adviser, Debbie Culley a Registered Qualified Veterinary Nurse with over 30 years of experience who also holds behaviour qualifications.

We’ll bring you more updates on her journey to becoming a working assistance dog in future editions!

Also see details of our new First Steps packages on page 6, we can help you to get your furry friend on the right track, right at the beginning,

and will save you money in the process!4

*The annual saving represents the difference between the annual cost of preventative healthcare and full price veterinary products and services for the average pet, compared with Paws Club membership.

PLUS£1 discount per month for every additional pet registered

• Annual supply of worming treatments• Topical flea treatments all year round• Vaccinations and boosters o For dogs: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza and Leptospirosis o For cats: Flu, Enteritis and Leukaemia o For Rabbits: Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease• Afantastic10%discount*onallotherproductsandservicesatArkHouseVets• Full clinical check-ups twice a year, maintaining good general health and highlighting any problems early• Specialist dietary advice• Optional Accidental Injury Cover• Extended payment scheme for high-cost treatments• Convenient monthly payments by Direct Debit

thesmartwaytokeepyourpet&yourpursehealthyin 2013and beyond...

At ArkHouseVets, we know that prevention is always better than cure. And we understand that sometimes when all those essential treatments and vaccinations are due at once, the cost can be significant.

That’s why we created our Paws Club; helping you keep your pets in the best of health whilst also keeping costs manageable. So it’s better for your pet, and better for you.

HowmuchwillIsave?The annual cost of Paws Club membership is spread across the year for your convenience. Monthly payments vary according to the size of your pet, but all offer great value:

You can find out much more online at www.arkhousevets.co.uk/about-us/paws-club or ask at reception for more details.

What’sincluded?

5

Little Paws First Steps for your puppy, kitten or bunnyGetting a new bundle of fun is so exciting and just as you want to do

what’s best for your little one, so do we!Our new First Steps packages help you to get your furry friend on the right track,

right at the beginning, and will save you money in the process!

Don’t forget that you’ll find lots more advice and information on new puppies and kittens on our website, arkhousevets.co.uk

Puppy First Steps includes: • Vaccination course • Flea treatment • Worming treatment • Microchip • Barking Heads puppy food • Health check at seven months • Advice, vouchers and recommendations plus a gorgeous bandana

And with all this for just £60, you’ll enjoy savings of more than £22 too!

Kitten First Steps includes: • Vaccination course • Flea treatment • Worming treatment • Microchip • Miaowing Heads kitten food • Health check at six months • Advice, vouchers, recommendations plus a fabulous cat nip mini cushion

And with all this for just £60, you’ll also enjoy savings of £29!

Baby Bunny First Steps includes: • Vaccination against Myxomatosis and VHD • Supa Rabbit Excel 2kg • Health check at six months old • Advice, vouchers and recommendations!

And with all this for £30, you’ll also be saving £10!

6

Postop

Recovering at home

Coming unstuck . . .Coming unstuck . . .

Alfie has had three previous surgeries to remove items from his intestine – the fabric cover of a book, bark chippings from the garden and a sofa cover. Because of this, Alfie wears a Baskerville muzzle whenever he is outside off the lead to prevent him eating other things that may cause a blockage.However in April, just three days before his ninth birthday, Alfie needed emergency surgery to remove a fourth blockage from his intestine. Here’s the story....Luckily Hannah knows Alfie very well by now and can spot the signs of a blockage quickly. He had vomited his breakfast in the

morning, not long after having eaten it, and it was immediately obvious that he was not himself: he hid under the table and occasionally adopted a praying or bowing position, due to pain in his abdomen.

Alfie was brought in to the surgery and given a general anaesthetic so that we could have a good feel of his

abdomen. When he was relaxed we could feel a firm area that could

be an impaction, so the next step was to take an x-ray. This did indeed show a typical picture of an intestinal blockage, with lots of gas in the intestine behind the solid-looking blockage. So Alfie was taken into surgery, and sure enough we found a blockage within his small intestine.We managed to remove it through one small incision, and ‘it’ turned out to be lots of pieces of stick! It seems that Alfie had managed to eat lots of small fragments through the holes in his muzzle. Due to his previous surgeries, Alfie’s intestine has formed “adhesions” - small strings of tissue that hold his intestines together in abnormal positions and make it more difficult for things to pass through. The fragments of stick may have passed through a normal intestine, but had become stuck in Alfie’s.

It happens to vets’ dogs too! Alfie is a nine-year-old English Springer Spaniel who belongs to Hannah, one of our vets as well as our in-house behaviourist. Alfie is a bit of a special case - he came to Hannah through rescue at six months old, but unfortunately he had been weaned too soon and this has left him with a bit of an obsession with eating things. Not just food, but fabric, tissues, socks - anything that will fit in his mouth!

The advantage of having a mum as a vet meant that Alfie could go home pretty soon after surgery whilst still on his drip – a makeshift kennel was set up in the living room and Hannah spent the night on the sofa to keep an eye on him. After ten days’ strict lead rest (very difficult for an active spaniel!), the stitches came out and Alfie was back and bouncing! Except that he now has a new muzzle, worn over the top of the old one, to try and protect him from himself!

7

abdomen xray

What Alfie had eaten

Prevention is always better than treatment, but if your pet is already showing some of these tell-tale signs, don’t delay coming to see us, things will only get worse!

What’s the problem?

Dental disease is a big issue, as poor dental hygiene in pets can, just as in humans, trigger a series of health problems: •Pain from toothache. This often goes unnoticed because pets carry on eating even when in pain. •Inflammation of the gums (Gingivitis) and of the deeper periodontal space (Periodontal disease) •Bacterial infection spreads from the mouth through the blood stream to affect other organs such as the kidneys and heart valves. •Bad breath or ‘halitosis’

What are we looking for?

When we examine your pet’s teeth we are looking for: •Rednessofthegumsassociatedwithinflammation •Badbreath •Bleedinggums •Looseorfracturedteeth •Calculusor‘tartar’buildupontheteeth •Pusinthepocketsaroundtheteeth •Swellingofthefaceandgums •Furstaining.

During October, you can take advantage of our special fixed price dental package - please see the offers section for more details.

What do we do about it?

Many animals require dental treatment under anaesthetic to remove the build up of tartar that, if left, will lead to gum and periodontal disease. Any diseased teeth are extracted and the remaining teeth cleanedand polished.

How can it be prevented?

Brushing with pet toothpaste and appropriate toothbrushes is thebestthing–afterall,that’swhatwedoourselves.Butthereare also special chews, foods, plaque reducers and other ways to reduce your pet’s chance of developing serious dental disease. Our Veterinary Nurses are all qualified in and knowledgeable about dental care and the different ways that oral health in pets can be managed. They can demonstrate cleaning techniques and the use of other products and food to keep your pet’s mouth, and therefore your pet, as healthy as possible.

8

Osteoarthritis is a common problem, particularly in our older pets, with about 70% of dogs and cats showing some degree of arthritis by the age of eight. ‘Arthritis’ refers to inflammation in one or more joints, which causes stiffness, pain and discomfort, particularly after resting. Sometimes the early signs can be very subtle, and over time they will become more noticeable, as the discomfort increases.

Wear and tear throughout your pet’s life can damage the cartilage covering their joints, leaving areas on the underlying bone exposed. New, irregular bone may then

develop around the joint, which becomes sore, swollen and inflamed, and the range of movement may be reduced.

Joints that have been damaged in a previous injury are especially prone to becoming arthritic a few years down the line. Dogs with specific problems such as hip and

elbow dysplasia often also start showing signs of arthritis at a surprisingly young age.

Why is earlydiagnosis important?

Once arthritis has started, it can’t be cured, but if we notice the signs early and manage it carefully, we can slow down the progression of the disease and greatly reduce the symptoms. Changes to weight, diet, exercise and medication can all be of huge benefit, and enable your dog or cat to live a happy, comfortable life for much longer.

Animals can’t grumble about their aches and pains, so it is important to recognise the signs:• Limping or stiffness (even just for a few steps), especially after a period of rest. • Difficulty with stairs in dogs, or jumping onto surfaces in cats.• Becoming less keen to go for walks. • Playing less. • Having trouble getting to his or her feet. • Excessive licking of limbs or feet. • Change in character (becoming more anxious, restless, withdrawn, clingy or grumpy). • Change in appetite. • Panting in dogs. • Development of a poor coat in cats.

If you think your pet may be suffering from arthritis, why not take advantage of our FREE Arthritis Check in November and receive an initial course of arthritis

medication free of charge!

helping your older pets live with arthrit

is

Keep on

moving

9

Hard to believe that it’s almost that time again, but Christmas will soon be here!

And whilst there’s sure to be plenty of eating, drinking and just generally being merry over the festive season, don’t forget that many of

the foods we like to eat at this time of year can be dangerous for our pets.

Ark House Vets would like to wish you all a happy, healthy Christmas and New Year!

Mak

e it a happy, healthy Christmas

Chocolate is poisonous for all pets - even a tiny amount of chocolate (for example, a couple of squares of dark chocolate for a small dog) is likely to make them ill. It causes vomiting and diarrhoea, and sometimes even fatal convulsions. Keep chocolate well out of reach, but if your pet still manages to get hold of some, contact us for advice straight away.

Grapes (also raisins, sultanas, currants) are incredibly toxic to some dogs and cats, causing serious kidney failure, whilst others appear to be fine. It’s not worth the risk to find out. Don’t forget that Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies all contain lots of raisins, currants and sultanas.

Nuts can cause stomach upsets, twitching and convulsions.

Onions (raw or cooked, also garlic, leeks, shallots) can cause an upset stomach and can trigger anaemia. Don’t forget that stuffing and gravy may contain onions too!

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener, which is often found in sugar free chewing gum, medicines and processed foods. It’s really dangerous for pets even in small amounts, causing fatal liver failure.

Fatty foods of many kinds will give your pets an upset stomach. With a particularly large excess, they could get pancreatitis, which is a very painful inflammation of the pancreas.

Bones, especially cooked poultry bones, can get stuck in the throat or intestines. This is very painful, and is likely to need an anaesthetic and operation for the bone fragments to be removed. Make sure that the bones from your turkey are disposed of safely, and that the bin is secure!

If your pet does accidentally eat

any of the foods listed, or is unwell at all over

Christmas, please call us on 01525 373329.

We run a full emergency service throughout the

holiday period.

10

Recommend a friend and get £5 off your next treatment!*We always like to welcome new faces to Ark House, so when you recommend a friend, we’ll give you both a £5 voucher to spend in the practice! Once your friend registers with us, we’ll give you a £5 voucher and they will also receive the same discount off their first transaction. Ask at reception for further details, or your friend can fill in their details quickly and simply online at www.arkhousevets.co.uk, mentioning your name on the registration form.

During November we’ll give your senior pets a free check-up to look for the

early signs of arthritis.To take advantage of this special offer, and to book your

appointment, just call 01525 373329.

Once again we’ll be giving out some special Christmas treats to your pets when you come to see us during December,

so make sure you’ve been good!

Back by popular request is our Fixed Price Dental month.During the month of October your pet can benefit from: • Pre-operativehealthcheck • Pre-anaestheticbloodscreening •Generalanaesthetic •DentalScaleandPolish • Professionaldentalexamination •Anynecessaryextractions • Painreliefandantibioticsasrequiredforthedentaltreatment • Postoperativecheckup

December Offer

Here comes Santa Paws!

October is Dental Month!

All for the special fixed price of £180 for dogs and £150 for cats. Paws Club members pay even less, £162 for dogs and £135 for cats.

This offer is always very popular so book early to avoid disappointmentas we only perform a fixed number of dental procedures per day.

11

Designed and produced by Onswitch Limited © 2013. www.onswitch.co.uk

I s s u e 1 6

Find us on Facebook and Foursquare ‘we care like you care’

22 Hockliffe Street,Leighton Buzzard,Bedfordshire,LU7 1HJ

Tel: 01525 373329Fax: 01525 852354Email: enquiries@arkhousevets.co.uk Surgery hours

Monday to Friday 8.00am - 8.00pm

Saturday 8.30am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 3.00pm

Out of hours emergenciesWe work with Vets Now to give you and your pets the best emergency service. There are emergency clinics in 3 locations:

Milton Keynes Vets Now 01908 509500Barton Vets Now (Luton from 25th November) 01582 967089Hemel Hempstead Vets Now 01442 768484Calling our normal number 01525 373329 currently connects you to the Barton Clinic.From 25th November Beds Vets Barton can be contacted on 01582 883013All of these clinics email through any notes to us at 7am each morning so we will always know what may have happened if you need to visit them.

www.arkhousevets.co.uk