CLINIC NEWS

July Newsletter 2015

Well, it's official! We're over halfway through the year and entering a very chilly winter. Just like us, our pets can suffer from the change in temperature, with older pets especially feeling the cold. It's at this time that we may recognise changes in our pets with the weather causing extra challenges to overcome and aggravating existing conditions.

You may notice that your pet seems reluctant to be active, especially first thing in the morning, with dogs experiencing intermittent lameness and a reluctance to run, and cats having difficulty jumping up on to funiture and grooming themselves. This can be a sign of arthritis - a problem that isn't exclusive to old pets. The most common form of arthritis found in pets is degenerative joint disease, which is a progressive condition that can occur due to age, past injuries, or genetics, but there are many options availble to manage it. If you believe your pet may be showing signs and you'd like some more information, you are welcome to contact the clinic to book in an appointment with your vet to discuss the range of supplements, specialised diets, and medications available to decide the best course of action for your pet.

Clinic News:

* One of our wonderful vet nurses, Jade, is off on her next big adventure: preparing to welcome her first child! Jade went on maternity leave mid-way through June and she and her husband are very excited for the arrival of their baby. From all of the team here at Whangaparaoa Vet Centre, we wish her the very best and we can't wait to meet the newest addition to Jade's family!

* In other good news, our brilliant vet Monique is back after having a knee replacement! It has been a painful road to recovery for Monique, but she has taken it all in her stride with great determination to get herself back to work. We are very happy to have her back with us!

* We still have time left on our Vaccine Amnesty that runs until the end of July, designed to help you get your pet back on track with their vaccinations. If your pet hasn't been vaccinated in the last 15 months, their entire vaccination programme is invalid and will need to be restarted. To help with this, we are offering the first vaccination at the normal price ($65 for cats - Tricat vaccination, $92 for dogs - DHP/Lepto vaccination) with the second booster needed in four weeks time being FREE. The first vaccination needed to restart the programme must be given before the end of July in order to be eligible for the free booster.

Stay warm out there!

All the best,

The team at Whangaparaoa Vet Centre