Rabbit Owners Alert Spring is here and it is time to vaccinate your rabbits against Myxomatosis. This is an extremely distressing and fatal disease which is spread by the rabbit flea. There is no real cure for myxomatosis so vaccination is our only means of defense against it. The vaccine does not really last for a full year so it is best to vaccinate now, at the start of the flea season, to get the highest levels of immunity when the disease challenge is greatest. The fullest protection is provided by vaccinating twice a year. This year there is a vaccination amnesty whereby you can get a free vaccination in the autumn to follow your routine spring vaccine. To see details of this special offer log on to www.vaccinationmonth.co.uk. This offer only lasts for March and the early part of April so ACT NOW.

Our Ayr branch has recently undergone a ‘Spot Check’ by the Royal College under the practice standards scheme. After a few minor changes we are looking forward to the ‘all clear’ very soon. We are proud to be able to say we are accredited in all the branches. The details of the scheme can be viewed on www.rcvs.org.uk and follow the links to Practice Standards.

Valentine’s day saw the launch of the Scottish veterinary co-operative. We have been pleased to be involved in setting up this new group which will try to maintain high standards of care for pets in Scotland. Initially it was locally based in the Glasgow / South West areas but it is already drawing members from further afield.
Initial details of this organisation can be seen on www.scottishvets.co.uk, the Scottish Veterinary Co-operative website.
The co-operative website will be expanding over the next few weeks and months.

TRANSFUSIONS.

	A recent happy story concerned one of our patients, a whippet called Snowy (left). Quite out of the blue Snowy became ill during the summer and blood tests revealed that she had a severe anaemia. This was caused by her immune system getting confused and recognising her red blood cells as being a foreign material. The immune cells then started to destroy her red blood cells and initially our treatment was unable to stop the process fast enough.
As she has done in the past, Lara Collier (right) stepped up to the task and we took about a pint of blood from her and transfused it into Snowy. Since then Snowy has never looked back and the treatment controlling her over exuberant immune system has now been withdrawn. Snowy’s owners report that she has been ’springing’ on to beds since her illness which they assume to be due to the new blood from a Springer Spaniel !
	As a footnote to that Transfusion story we can give an update that Snowy has been off all her treatment for some weeks now and is still doing really well. Lara donated blood to another whippet, Rea (left) in Ayr at the end of last year. Again the treatment has been successful. Rea is doing very well and is almost off her treatment.