News - Page 31

Obesity is a very common disease in cats. It is a serious problem which can lead to other issues, such as diabetes and arthritis. Have a look at this Body Condition Score and see how your cat compares to the healthy ideal. A cat who is of a healthy weight should appear like this:

Sometimes pet owners come to us exclaiming that, despite de-fleaing their pet regularly, their pet is still scratching. We first make sure that they are using the correct flea treatment. Most supermarket flea treatment products are not strong enough to get rid of fleas. It is important to use a safe and effective veterinary recommended flea product.

Our latest recipient of a Big Bear Award is Lola, a courageous West Highland White Terrier. Despite being only 11 months old, Lola has already undergone two orthopaedic surgeries to treat the painful skeletal condition Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head (the ball of the hip's ball and socket joint).

We are excited to have just bought a clever new microchip scanner! The 'Halo Scanner' is quite different from the traditional microchip scanner - it immediately alerts us if the microchip being scanned belongs to an animal that has been reported missing or stolen.

Toby is an 8 year old West Highland White Terrier. Toby is a very happy, active dog but one day on his walks he ruptured the cruciate ligament in his knee. This caused him to limp on his leg, and despite rest and anti-inflammatories this lameness did not improve. Surgery was the next step and the angle in his knee joint was changed in order to stabilise the knee.

We have seen a lot of cases of coughing over the last few days. There is clearly an outbreak of Kennel Cough in the Teddington area. I will therefore write a few notes on what it is and what we can do to prevent or treat the condition.

We're pleased to let you know that we've just extended our hours of opening and consultation times at our Teddington practice.

Our latest Big Bear Award goes to Sammy. Sammy is a 6 month old little girl who was hit by a car. Sammy was rushed in by her owner. Sammy had a severe blow to her right side. She had severe concussion and was showing advanced neurological signs. The swelling and bruising to her brain meant she couldn’t stand and her head was only turning to one side, she was also blind. At that point it was difficult to know whether Sammy would make a recovery or not. Sammy also fractured one of her back legs that needs a cast for 4-6 weeks to help it heal.

Last month, we took a trip over to Bobtails Rabbit and Guinea Pig Rescue in Ewell to vaccinate some of their rescue bunnies in aid of Rabbit Awareness Week 4th-12th May.

Laszlo is a beautiful Hungarian Viszla, who is a regular visitor at Vet4life. He has been awarded a Big Bear Award for bravery following an extensive investigation for an insatiable thirst and consequently a major operation in May.