We’re all very excited about our open day this Sunday, and are hoping and praying for good weather. We want to show our wonderful facilities to the local residents, so we’ve tried as much as we can to get the word out there- through local pet shops, dog walkers, leaflet drops (delivered by us!) and our first tube poster… as shown here. We are dressing up the practice to help show you what we have to offer. We’ll be having a raffle, we have a hotdog stand and face-painting for children, guided tours and we’ll be available to answer any of your questions and will be providing lots of information on pet health. Please come by and meet us and have a look at what we can do for you and your pet. It should be lots of fun and we very much look forward to meeting you. Dogs are more than welcome!
Welcome to our blog
Our Open Day-Sunday 16th May- All invited
Easter Weekend!
Easter weekend is upon us! With it the hope of some warmer weather very soon (hopefully lots of puppies and kittens!) and a few treats around the house which may not be so good for our furry friends.
Lillies and cats just don’t go together. Every part of the plant is poisonous, even the pollen. Affected cats are often obvious because they tend to stain their nose with pollen as they investigate the flowers (cute but scary). Owners are often aware of the dangers, and try to restrict access to the plant. However, cats are very clever getting into places where they shouldn’t be, so it is safer to keep lillies out of the household altogether (and out of your garden as well!).
If you have a dog, then our previous warning about chocolate and raisins/sultanas is again important. Watch those hot cross buns.
If you have an emergency over the Easter break (and we hope you don’t!), the contact details for our emergency clinic are:
55 Elizabeth St Belgravia London SW1W 9PP Ph: 020 7730 9102
We re-open after the Easter break at 7am on Tuesday morning, and we look forward to seeing you then.
In the meantime, we’re thinking about rabbits and the upcoming Rabbit Awareness Week. We’ll be giving away free health checks to rabbits, with plenty of advice on diet and general health care. If you have a rabbit, please phone us to make your appointment. It should be a fun week!
Our first surgical patients
Alice in Surgery
It wasn’t long after we opened that we had a chance to be glad that we have invested in the facilities that we have. In our opening week, we saw Schmitty, a vomiting bulldog who was very unwell indeed. Our digital xray system picked up a collection of spiky lumps in his abdomen and he was immediately taken to surgery, where we removed a chewed up toy that was blocking his stomach. We were able to closely monitor Schmitty’s anaesthetic and keep him warm in surgery with our special warm air blankets which ensure a quick recovery. He also benefited from precise delivery of IV fluids from our drip pumps to treat his dehydration. A few days later, he came bounding into the building for his first post-operative check, a very happy and boistrous patient, tail wagging and so happy to see us. Schmitty has not looked back.
More recently we saw Pepito, a poor kitten who had fallen from the 5th storey of a building in Putney. We were able to treat him for shock with our intensive care cage which delivers oxygen and warmth and with IV fluids to support his circulation. We were able to quickly assess his chest, abdomen and bones using our digital x-ray system. He spent a week in intensive care, benefiting from Belle’s expertise in nursing critical patients. Once Pepito was stable, we took him to surgery and discovered that his fracture was just too severe, and the decision was made to amputate his leg. Pepito was back walking on the day of his surgery, thanks to Alice’s excellent surgical skills and his plucky nature. What a lovely and brave cat.
Molly and Max Opens!
Ella, Alice, Belle and Kathy were very pleased to be able to open the doors of Molly and Max Veterinary Practice on the 25th of January. We have already seen some lovely pets and owners through the doors and have been proudly showing off our fantastic new facilities. The practice is spacious, light and clean and superbly well equipped. Kathy’s dog, Daisy, has been using our kennel facilities and has given them her seal of approval. She especially likes the liver treats that she gets whilst at the practice! We are having photos taken of the practice next week and will post them as soon as they are available, but in the meantime please stop by and say hello. Having your pet visit and have a treat whilst they are well is the best way to make them feel comfortable and safe on their next visit. We can think of nothing better than having relaxed and happy patients!
Pets overindulging at Christmas
We all tend to have a bit too much to eat at Christmas and feel a bit worse for wear. It is not uncommon for many of those fatty scraps to end up in Molly’s bowl. The problem is that this can lead to a very painful tummy due to inflammation of the pancreas, the organ which produces insulin and helps pets digest their food. Some pets become very ill indeed, and in severe cases it can be fatal. So keep the goose fat, turkey skin and crackling to yourself and if you want to give Molly some treats from the plate, try to make it lean turkey breast, ideally saved from the carving board rather than scraps from your plate.
The other potential issue to be aware of is Christmas time poisonings. Chocolate can be a big hazard, especially if dark. Raisins and grapes can cause failure of the kidneys. Swallowed bits of ornaments can be a problem for any pet. Lilies can make cats very sick. Anti-freeze from cars is very often fatal if swallowed, and unfortunately pets like the taste due to its sweetness. The British Veterinary Association- Animal Welfare Foundation is currently trying to raise awareness of Christmas dangers and has relaunched their pamphlet on common household poisons and the BVA has launched a press release on the topic. It is highly recommended reading.
Keeping up with your pet’s worming and flea treatments
It can be a bit of a struggle to remember when your pet’s next worming and flea treatment is next due. One is due in a month, one is due in three months, you can’t quite remember the last time you gave it and it all gets a bit confusing.
The problem is that these treatments are actually very important for both your pet and your family. You don’t want your pet uncomfortable, or even worse, ill. You also don’t want your children to be catching any of those nasties, which unfortunately is possible. There is also that horrible new lungworm that dogs can catch which makes them very ill indeed.
Now you can have an email or SMS sent at regular intervals to remind you to do both treatments, if you register your details at www.drontal.com. This is an excellent service for pet owners and highly recommended. You can use this service regardless of which wormer you give your dog. Alternatively, set up a regular alarm though your electronic diary in your computer or mobile phone.
PennHIP arrives in the UK
Today Ella attended the first ever British training day for veterinarians on the PennHIP method of testing animals for hip dysplasia.
Hip dysplasia is a disease that results in osteoarthritis in the hips of a large percentage of medium and large breed dogs around the world, although it can also affect small dogs and cats. It is caused by a loose hip joint which leads to trauma to the joint. The arthritis can develop at any age, in some dogs at less than a year of age, right through to older dogs. These poor dogs are often in pain, become lame, find it difficult to get up and get around.
Currently the British Veterinary Association and the Kennel Club run a voluntary hip scoring scheme in which vets submit x-rays of the hips of dogs for measurements which may indicate that dog’s potential to develop hip dysplasia. Breeders are encouraged to hip score their dogs and only breed from dogs who score better than the breed average. This scheme is far from perfect and progress has been slow. For many years now, an alternative scheme called PennHIP has been available in the United States. This method has been illegal in the UK as it required vets and veterinary nurses to hold the legs of the dog whilst the x-ray was being taken. Now a British vet has developed a hands free method of taking these x-rays which will allow us to use this scoring system in future.
PennHIP, which was developed by the University of Pennsylvania, has several advantages over the traditional tests for hip dysplasia:
1) Puppies can be tested as early as 16 weeks old, as opposed to 1 year of age for the BVA/KC scheme. With pets, this means that we can try to stop hip dysplasia from developing rather than just treat the symptoms once it develops. Breeders can chose the best dogs to breed from at a much earlier age.
2) The heritability is very high, meaning that a dog with hips that score well is much more likely to have puppies that score well and also don’t get hip dysplasia. This means that we can help breed healthier dogs much more easily.
3) A good score almost guarantees good hips, and a bad score also reliably predicts the likelihood of hip dysplasia in future. We can manage these dogs to reduce the incidence of the disease, usually by a combination of diet and hydrotherapy. There is also now surgery available for puppies which can make bad hips more stable for the future. This will lead to healthier pets.
Only PennHIP certified vets are allowed to take these x-rays, to ensure that the x-rays are taken properly. We will be proud to be one of only a handful of private practices in the UK that are offering this service. Dogs that may benefit include breeding dogs, any dogs showing signs of lameness due to pain in the hips, and puppies of 4-5 months old so that we can catch this disease early and stop it in its tracks. If you are interested in PennHIP, please ask us for further information.
Helping Your Pet to be Safe on Holidays
So Max has had the microchip, the rabies vaccination, the blood test and you’ve bought his ticket to southern Europe. You’ve even booked him in to see the vet a day before you fly home for the all important tick and tapeworm treatment. All sorted, right? Well, almost.
As our pets fly further afield, they become exposed to a number of ‘exotic’ diseases that we don’t see here in the British Isles. We protect against some of these diseases by just getting onto the pet passport scheme (rabies and ecchinococcus tapeworm), but really the scheme is more about protecting other pets (and people) still in the UK.
The best way to find out which diseases are prevalent in the part of the world you are travelling to is to ask a local vet. But in the meantime, if you’re travelling to southern Europe, you’ll probably need to think about:
- tick prevention, and checking daily for ticks whilst away
- sand fly repellent (and staying in at dusk and dawn)
- heartworm prevention
Even with these measures, you may not be able to completely mitigate the risk. If the local vet advises that there is a particular problem in their area, it may be worth discussing with us whether it would be better to leave Max at home this time.
To improve awareness of these exotic diseases, the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation has released this pamphlet on protecting your pets against these diseases.
Please email us if you have any further questions regarding the pet passport scheme- we are more than willing to help!
FAB for Cats!
Everyone has heard of the RSPCA and most would know the Blue Cross, the PDSA and Cats Protection, but have you heard of the Feline Advisory Bureau? The FAB really does an amazing job and here at Molly and Max it is one of our favourite charities. We think they do such a great job in promoting the health and welfare of cats that we sincerely wish there was an equivalent for dogs!
The FAB helps owners, breeders, catteries and vets. If you have an interest in cats- they will have something for you. One of their initiatives is the Cat Friendly Practice, which advises vets how to make their practice as nice a place to be for their feline patients as possible. We had these guidelines very much in mind whilst designing our premises and we really believe that it’s made a big difference. The FAB also makes recommendations for catteries and has a list of approved catteries which follow their guidelines. For owners, they will keep you up to date with feline health, behaviour and general cat care, publish cat-friendly books and even hold conferences!
One of the FAB’s more recent initiatives is the Well Cat programme. This helps owners and vets to monitor cats’ health from kitten to old age, giving key recommendations for preventative health care for all life stages. You can order a health log booklet, where your cat’s health can be recorded for your own reference and, at the end of your cat’s life, can be submitted so that the FAB can build a knowledge base which will aid future generations of cats.
The FAB is a member of The Cat Group, which brings together feline veterinary and charity groups to further knowledge about caring for cats. The Cat Group publishes guidelines on the care and keeping of cats. The FAB also has close ties to the European Society of Feline Medicine and the ABCD (the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases).
Please come and see us at Molly and Max when we open to ask us about any of these initiatives and how they can help your cat!
Pet Smile Month- Don’t forget the rabbits and rodents!
It is pet smile month in September, a national initiative to raise owner awareness of the huge importance of caring for the dental health of their pets. Absolutely brilliant, but it focuses only on cats and dogs. It is easy for owners to forget to think about the dental health of their rabbit, guinea pig, or chinchilla.
These pets are unique, in that their teeth grow continuously throughout their life. In fact, their tooth growth is very fast at a rate of several mm per week in the rabbit, for instance. It is the grinding action of chewing food that prevents overgrowth and wears the teeth down to their normal length. Because the grinding action of chewing is so important, so is the diet that we feed these pets:
- hay and other course fibre should be by far the largest component of the diet, followed by leafy greens (think grass and lettuce, rather than carrots). This will also help your pet’s digestive system to stay active.
- pelleted food is nutritionally balanced, but actually changes the action of chewing and so may predispose your pet to unevenly growing teeth. It is recommended that this is used as a treat.
- cereal based foods lead to selective feeding and are not good for any of the ’small furries’- stay away!
- root vegetables and fruit are high in sugar and should be used only as treats.
It is also thought that Vitamin D may play a role in rabbit dental disease- especially in house rabbits that don’t see much sun!
It is important that your pet is brought in to the vet for regular dental checkups. Conscious examination will pick up only about 50% of dental disease in these herbivorous pets. The other 50% is picked up only under general anaesthesia, which would be performed if dental disease is suspected on the basis of the history and physical examination. Signs to look for include not eating, drooling, elongated front teeth, bumps under the jaw, discharge from the eyes, diarrhoea, weight loss and general ill-health. Sometimes you won’t find these symptoms until dental disease is very advanced. Chinchillas in particular will pretend to be healthy until they are very ill indeed.
Overgrown cheek teeth can grow spurs, lacerating the tongue and cheeks, which is extremely painful (no wonder they stop eating!). These will need to be burred away. The roots can also grow too long, creating abscesses that are very difficult to treat and blocking the tear duct. These pets will alter how they chew and eat, upsetting their digestive system. In the worst cases, the problem can be fatal.
So do keep an eye on your pet’s teeth, and have a good chat about diet and dental health at your next appointment at the vet. Your pet will thank you for it!
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