JULY 2010 - Increase in PARVO cases in area

There is currently an increase in cases of PARVOVIRUS being seen in the Coventry and Warwickshire area.

What is Parvovirus?

Parvovirus is a viral infectious disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract. Mostly common in young unvaccinated dogs, but it can also effect older dogs.

The virus is shed in the faeces during the incubation period and can survive in the environment for over 6 months,

It is a very serious disease that often sadly ends in a fatality.

What are the signs?

Common signs are vomiting and diarrhoea, progressing to harmorrhgic diarrhoea (diarrhoea containing blood). Your dog can be very depressed and off his food.

Clinical signs usually become present 4-7 days following exposure to the virus.

Diagnosis:

Lab test on a faecal sample can test if parvovirus is present.

Treatment:

A dog that has been tested positive for Parvovirus would require isolated hospitalisation with specialised barrier nursing to avoid cross contamination. Re-hydration and maintenance of fluids is essential, and this may include intravenous fluid treatment.

Preventative Treatment:

The best protection is preventation through vaccination. A first vaccination from 8 weeks of age, followed by a second vaccination 2 weeks later will enable the puppy to form an immune system against the virus. Your dog will need regualr annual boosters to ensure continued immunity. Vaccinations can be started at any stage of a dog's life - it is never too late to give your dog the protection he or she needs.

If you have any concerns, please contact your local branch and speak to a member of staff.

New CHEWY TASTY dog wormers!

We are now starting to stock at our surgeries the new wormer from Novartis - the Milbemax Chewy tablet for dogs. Clinical studies have showed that 94% of dogs will eat these worming tablets straight from the hand, making worming your pet easy and not a chore!

Chewy Milbemax tablets still have the uncompromised broad-spectrum efficiency of the previous tablets - delivery consistent protection against the effects of roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, heartworm, lungworm and tapeworm.

We reommend that your pet is wormed every 3 months, and Milbemax makes this very easy by just needing a single dose!

We still continue to run our offer of buy 3 tablets and get 1 free.

As Milbemax is a veterinary presciption medicine, we need to have seen your pet within the last 12 months in order to dispense this medication. Our nurses run free of charge flea and worming health check clinics, so if you wish to try these chewy wormers, then call your local surgery today!

Head Nurse Becky earns physiotherapy qualification

Head Nurse Becky Sidwell CVPhys RVN,  is celebrating after gaining a Certificate in Veterinary Physiotherapy which was hosted at the University of Nottingham Vet School, accredited by the ESPVS (European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Study)

This qualification allows Becky to accept physiotherapy referrals, in particular dogs and horses. The two year Canine and Equine Physiotherapy Training Course comprised of 70 days of on-the-job training and a 6000 word dissertation, which Becky chose the topic of ultrasonography to measure muscle mass in dogs.

Pet of the Month - Updated

Please see the following link for our Pets of the Months. August has been updated:

http://www.rainsbrookvets.co.uk/petofthemonth.asp

They are our little superheroes...

NEW Pet of the Month feature!

Please see our new Pet of the Month feature - you can get to it from the link on the left hand menu on our home page, or click here:

http://www.rainsbrookvets.co.uk/petofthemonth.asp