Rescued Bearded Dragon

Have you ever walked through a pet store, paused by the reptiles and exotics area, had a look in at the bearded dragon or the snake and thought ‘that would make a cool pet’?

Many people have and do not fully aware of the level of commitment required.  Only dedicated and knowledgeable people should take these on as pets.  Many of these pets end up neglected and unwanted.  What happens to these pets?  Well if they are lucky they may be able to find a space with a reptile/exotic rescue charity.  There are not many of these charities around so I would like to highlight the work of the Scottish Reptile and Exotic Rescue.  This is a non-profit charity and they need your help.

Here is a bit from Leanne about what they do:

Roxy, a bearded dragon, has been with us for 3 months now.  You may have seen Roxy on our Facebook page.

When we got the first call it was an adult male Beardie around 3-4 years old who had a slight eye infection and owner didn’t have time to take her to vets. Upon arrival, we realised she was A LOT sicker than the owner made out, both eyes were sealed shut with debris, she was dehydrated and severely underweight and lethargic. I sat up all night keeping an eye in her until I could phone the vets at 8am, after having her seen at 9am, we were told we had 24 hours for the impaction to move out of her or she would just pass away from the stress of it…..more late nights.  That night the impaction came away in 2 parts (dehydrated urates in one part and the other sand).  This gave immense relief to her, her respiration rate increased and she appeared to be more comfortable.  After that it was a case of syringe feeding her baby food every hour (about half a ml at a time to start) and bathing her 3 times a day to increase hydration. She was also given vitamin injections and 2 lots of antibiotics.

This treatment continued for almost 3 weeks until one morning one of her eyes slowly began to open–I literally could have ran round the room lol.  Since then she has gone from strength to strength.  She is gaining weight, chasing her food and using both eyes, she even laid some eggs the other night!

We’ve also had 2 separate incidents of beardies being abandoned at the side of the road:  one incident involved a Beardie named Sunday (she was found at 9pm on a cold wet Sunday night) she was inside her vivarium and sitting on a lonely country road.  Sunday is also thriving now.  The second incident being a wee male Beardie found inside of a hedge, during February, by a dog walker.  Fortunately the person who found her had passed a basic animal care course and knew how to slowly warm him up and offer fluids.

 Our animals come in to us under many different circumstances and in many stages of health.  We have had cases where there owner has passed away or have lost their job.  Each story is different.  

The Scottish Reptile and Exotic Rescue will be taking their pets to the Ayr Branch of Collier and Brock on Saturday 11th May between 11am and 2pm to help raise funds for this worthy charity.  Come see some of their current rescues, have your picture taken with a snake, ask them questions.  Are you thinking about taking on a reptile or exotic pet?  These are the folks to ask for advice.

Some of the weekly costs this charity must pay:

Electricity £70-£100, fresh fruit and vegetables £100-£140, other food stuffs £40-£60, cleaning materials £10-£15.

Veterinary fees which can vary from month to month between £30-£400 per month.

Animals with chronic pain do not show obvious signs and many people put some symptoms down to ‘old age’.

Does your pet:

Exercise less?

Play less than previously?

Seem stiff when they first get up after lying down?

Gain weight but eating less?

Lick one particular area all the time or spends a long time grooming?

Seem less affectionate or even occasionally grumpy?

Seem to want to spend more time alone or has become less social?

Have painful or itchy areas when you touch them?

Struggle to jump into the car or onto a chair or steps?

If the answer to any or all of the above is ‘yes’ then your pet may be showing signs of  pain.

What should you do next?  The first step would be to make an appointment for a thorough assessment.  The initial assessment would be a 30 minute session to examine your pet and start acupuncture treatment if required.

What is Acupuncture?

Definition:  Insertion of a solid needle into the body for the purpose of therapy, disease prevention, or maintenance of health.

Acupuncture has been used in eastern medicine for over 3000 years but it is only within the past 200 years that we in the west have recognized its excellent therapeutic benefits.

Acupuncture is widely used alongside conventional medicine in animals and humans to treat many musculoskeletal problems as well as other conditions such as skin complaints, bladder issues and some stress related problems. Statistics have shown that around 80% of musculoskeletal problems and 50% of allergic skin diseases have a positive response to acupuncture.

Most animals require 4 sessions at weekly intervals to establish their response to acupuncture.

I consult mainly at the Irvine and Troon branches of Collier and Brock.  For more information or to book an appointment please contact one of these branches.

Ellie has chronic back/neck pain due to brachial plexus tumour

This technique provides images of the structure and function of internal organs which gives different and complimentary information to that obtained using X-rays.  

It is popular with clients because it is non-invasive and rarely requires sedation or anaesthesia. 

Dr Brownlie qualified in 1974 and was a lecturer in Small Animal Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College, London for ten years. She has over 25 years’ experience of diagnostic ultrasound examinations for all types of medical problems in dogs and cats. She is also an ex – Chairman and Secretary of the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society and is a member of the VCS Auscultation and Doppler panel for pre-breeding heart examinations in pedigree dogs and cats. Her research interest is heart disease in Irish wolfhounds.

 Angiostrongylus vasorum

All suggestions will be taken into consideration…….

We will be aiming to raise money for Hounds For Heroes so get your suggestions in and start making our staff nervous

This was the outcome of our last event in July 2011:

1.  Is your cat neutered?  Cats will often mark due to sexual maturity and it is advisable to neuter them from 6 months of age.

2.  Is there a possible medical condition?  This should always be ruled out first before treating as a behavioural problem.  A urine sample can help diagnose medical conditions which may be attributing to the inappropriate urinating.

3.  Cleaning the areas which have been urinated on:  the most common mistake people make is when cleaning the areas soiled by urine a household detergent such as bleach is used.  This will actually encourage your cat to go back to the same area to urinate again as it will bring out a strong ammonia scent.  The best way to treat these areas is by using a biological washing powder solution, rinsing with clean water then after it has dried use a surgical spirit sprayed onto the area.  There are also many preparations you can purchase from pet shops or your vet for use instead of this.

4.  Stress can cause your cat to urinate inappropriately, the cause of the stress is not always apparent.  The most common causes of stress include moving house; changes to the household such as new people or pets, decorating, new furnishings, new cats to the area; competition for food can also cause stress.  Provide your cat with a safe environment away from other pets or people–preferably a quiet room with high resting places and perches, scratching poles, food and water available in this area–try to keep the food in a separate area from the water.

5.  Ensure you keep fresh cat litter available.  Cats do not like toileting in overly soiled litter.  Use different types of substrates to find which one your cat prefers.

6.  If your cat is getting older, arthritis can cause discomfort getting into and out of litter trays.  Find a suitable low litter tray for ease of use and phone your Vet to have your cat checked as there are NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) available to help keep your cat comfortable in his/her old age.

Please remember that inappropriate urinating can be the sign of potential medical conditions and it is advisable to have your cat checked at your vet surgery to ensure this is not the case before assuming it is behavioural.

You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, Category V, (POM-Vs) from your veterinary surgeon OR ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy.
Your veterinary surgeon may prescribe POM-Vs only for animals under their
care.  A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or
immediate treatment is necessary.
You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be
dispensed for your animal.
The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring
repeat prescriptions every 6 months, but this may vary with individual
circumstances. The standard charge for a re-examination is £17.95.
The current prices (excluding VAT) for the ten POM-Vs most commonly prescribed or supplied during January-March 2012 (a typical three-month period) were:

Metacam Oral Suspension 32ml £13.82

Metacam Oral Suspension 10ml £5.73

Fucithalmic Eye Drops 3g   £6.61

Alfaxan 10ml £2.92 per ml

Canaural Ear Drops 15ml £9.28

Propalin Syrup Drops 30ml £10.28

Metacam Oral Suspension 100ml £34.32

Fuciderm Gel 15g £9.54

Fortekor 2.5mg tablets per tablet £0.62

Metacam Oral Suspension for Cats 15ml £12.62

Dispensing Fee (single item) incl VAT £3.86

Dispensing Fee (multiple items) incl VAT £5.54

Prescription Fee (single item) £8.93

Please note the above prices are for guidance only and other charges may apply for follow-up consultations, second opinions, extended consultations and consultations for other species, or where more than one animal is involved.

Our staff are happy to discuss fees and to provide estimates for any procedures/medications.

Amber developed a soft tissue lump on her right hind leg in 2010.  At this time for a number of reasons, both medical and surgical intervention in the early stages was not considered to be in Amber’s best interests.  There was a large area of attachment to the leg and it was felt that the chance of regrowth after surgery was quite high.

Amber and her lump lived in relative harmony for some time until around 12 months ago the lump took on a life of its own and steadily grew.  Amber’s owner and the vet (Mr Galbraith) discussed the options and reached a decision that if the lump was causing problems and affecting Amber’s quality of life then Euthanasia would probably have to be considered.

Amber coped remarkably well until June 2012 at which point the lump had virtually doubled in size and was now affecting her quality of life.  After much soul searching, Amber’s owner and Mr Galbraith decided to give Amber a chance and go for surgery.

Mr Galbraith surgically removed the lump at the end of June 2012, the operation went very well.

There is a very high chance of regrowth so the story is not completely over but for now Amber is enjoying her life again, unburdened by the massive growth.

–we had a spot inspection at the Irvine branch by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to ensure we were maintaining the standards set under the RCVS Practice Standard Scheme which we passed

The RCVS Practice Standard Scheme is a voluntary initiative to accredit veterinary practices in the UK.  The practice must undergo a thorough inspection every 4 years and is subject to spot inspections at any given time.

The standards include, but are not limited to, full compliance with Health and Safety, maintaining cleanliness, infection control, and sterility; the continuance of professional development by all qualified staff to ensure that skills and knowledge are kept up to date with all the latest advances; equipment and premises are maintained to high standards; that the storage, supply and administration of all POM-V/POM products meet the legal requirements governed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

As a summary without all the official language, we meet the high standards set by the RCVS to provide a safe, caring and dedicated veterinary service for your pet.

We have seen two dogs already in the last couple of weeks with Hyperthermia.

Hyperthermia, or Heat Stroke as it is commonly termed, is when the heat-dissipating  mechanism in the pets body can not cope with the external heat factors.  This is a very dangerous condition and is potentially life threatening as can cause multiple organ failure, unconsciousness and can be fatal.

How to prevent your pet getting Hyperthermia:

• Never leave your pet in the car in hot weather, or even or sunny days when it does not feel that warm outside.  It does not take long for a car to become extremely hot on the inside for example if it is 22 degrees celsius outside it can reach a temperature of 47 degrees celsius inside the car within an hour.  Opening the windows will not help.  In the temperatures we have been getting 5 minutes can be too long to leave your pet in the car.
• Always have plenty of fresh water available for your pet and access to shade.
• Do not walk your dog in the hottest parts of the day, aim to go onwalks early in the morning and late in the evening.

What to do if your pet overheats:

• Immediately put your pet in a bath and douse with cold running water.
• Phone your veterinary surgery for advice.