In December, our Endeavour Hills vet sees a lot of patients with tummy upsets which can often be traced back to too many rich festive foods. Ideally, pets should not ever be fed processed foods as their stomachs have not evolved to digest them and so eating them often leads to diarrhoea and/or vomiting.

 

However, there are some festive ingredients (and inedible) which can cause more serious health issues including:

• Candy wrappers/toothpicks/skewers: If something smells good, your pet will eat it, even if it’s not edible. These are just some of the things that can get swallowed and stuck in your pet’s oesophagus or intestines.
• Poinsettias: These traditional flowers are toxic to dogs and cats, so keep them out of reach or out of the house altogether if your pet likes to nibble on plants.
• Raw or undercooked meats: The bacteria in raw or undercooked meat makes pets sick too! If you do give your pet some meat over the festive season, it should be boneless and without seasoning- lean cuts like chicken breast are ideal.
• Dough: Once ingested, the raw dough will continue to rise in your pet’s stomach and it can cause life-threatening bloat or alcohol poisoning (from the yeast).
• Alcohol, tea and coffee: Whilst tea leaves and coffee are only likely to cause a stomach upset, alcohol is toxic to pets and can be lethal even in small amounts.
• Sage: Toxic to cats, this herb can cause central nervous problems.

Has your pet consumed any of the above? We recommend you book an appointment with our Endeavour Hills vet clinic immediately.

During summer, most of our pet patients visit our Narre Warren North veterinary clinic because they have been overexposed to the harsh sun. In this blog, we are explaining the different health consequences that this exposure can have on your pet. We’ve also put together a quick 5-step grooming guide for owners to care for their pets during summer.

Sunburn

Pets can get sunburnt too! Whilst any breed of animal can get sunburnt, pets with white or lightly pigmented hair are particularly susceptible. Sun damage usually occurs where your pet’s hair coat is at its thinnest. For cats and rabbits, sunburn is most common on the tips of the ears, eyelids and noses; for dogs, sunburn is most common on muzzles, armpits, abdomens and groins.

Like humans, sunburnt pets will have skin that looks red and flaky. Longer term sun damage shows up as thickened or scarred skin with ulceration and crusting. This skin is also susceptible to secondary bacterial infections and sun cancers may also develop.

 

How to protect your pet from the sun – slip, slop, shade

• If you have an all-white or light coloured dog, or they have a thin coat, invest in sun-protective clothing. (Yes, they make sun shirts for pets!) Just make sure they don’t overheat in them.
• Use a pet-specific sunscreen (available in our East Kew veterinary clinic) to ward off sunburn. Apply as directed to vulnerable areas twice a day.
• Try to keep your pets out of the sun between 10am and 4pm. UV rays are at their strongest between these times so keep them in a well-shaded area of your yard or inside under the air con.

 

Pad burn

Did you know: When the air temperature is 25°C, the temperature of asphalt in the sun is 51°C. You can fry an egg at 55°C so imagine what that feels like on your dog’s feet!

The pads of your dog’s feet are as thick as the skin on the soles of your own feet, so walking your dog on surfaces like asphalt, concrete and brick during the summer months can burn the skin in as little as 60 seconds.

The best way to test if the pavement is too hot for walking your dog is to press your own hand onto the surface for 7-8 seconds. If it’s uncomfortable for you, then it will be uncomfortable for your dog.

Other summer walking tips to keep in mind:

• Walk your dog in the morning rather than the evening, as asphalt retains heat.
• Walk on dirt or grass paths which don’t soak up the heat at the same rate.
• Consider investing in protective booties for your dog.

 

Our summer grooming guide

1. Get your dog a summer cut but make sure they are not shaved all the way down to the skin as this makes them susceptible to sunburn.
2. Cats typically do not need to be shaved unless they are unable to groom themselves.
3. Bathe your dog once every few weeks using pet-friendly shampoo. Bathing more often or with products meant for humans can cause irritation.
4. Check in between your dog’s paw pads after they have been playing outdoors – burrs and grass seeds can work their way into the skin and cause irritation or infection.
5. Summer is flea and tick season! Make sure your pet is up to date with their parasite control and chat with your vet if you’re planning on taking your pet to the beach (other parts of Victoria and Australia are home to different kinds of parasites).

Vets in Endeavour Hills is a Narre Warren North veterinary clinic that is dedicated to supporting our community with helpful veterinary advice and services. Please don’t hesitate to book an appointment at our clinic today!

Keeping your pet safe is not just about feeding them the right kind of food. It’s often about looking around your own house and removing risks that can potentially harm their health. But how do you know what’s classified as a risk for your pet? Well, today, we’re giving you some examples of common household items that you should be wary of.

 

Plants

While houseplants might seem perfectly harmless, certain varieties can be very harmful to your pets. You should always research whether the new plant you’re planning to buy is harmful to your cats or dogs before you purchase it. If you find that you already have a plant that is potentially harmful, keep it in a place that your pet cannot access.

There are many toxic houseplants on the list, which is why it’s important to do your research and talk to your vet. Here are just a few common houseplants that can be deadly news for your pet:

• Lilies
• Aloe Vera
• Bird of Paradise
• Devil’s Ivy
• Yucca

 

Rodenticides

Rodenticides, commonly known as Rat Sac, are designed to smell appealing, and unfortunately, they don’t just attract rats and mice. Your pet might be drawn to them and decide to chew them – which is obviously extremely dangerous for the health of your pet. Therefore, it’s vital to place traps in areas that your pets can’t get to, and only set traps if it’s absolutely necessary.

You should remember that even if your pet doesn’t chew a rodenticide, they can still be poisoned if they choose to attack a rodent that has been affected by the rodenticide. Thus, your best option to get rid of the rodent problem without harming your pets would be to contact a professional exterminator.

 

Food

For a full list of foods that can be harmful to cats and dogs, you should get in touch with your vet.

The most common toxic foods include:

• Chocolate
• Grapes and raisins
• Macadamia nuts
• Onions and garlic
• Salt
• Caffeine and alcohol

 

Human medication

Always keep your medication in areas your pets cannot reach. If human medication is easily accessible to your pets, they can be severely impacted. A medication as simple as Advil is a common cause of painful gastrointestinal ulcers in cats, dogs, birds and ferrets.

Some common medications to keep out of reach include:

• Antidepressants
• Paracetamol and anti-inflammatories
• Cold medicines
• Muscle relaxants

 

What to do if your pet comes into contact with a toxin

You should follow this three-step action plan if your pet has chewed, vomited or ingested anything that resembles a household toxin:

• Immediately collect any packaging as this assists your vet in identifying the toxin.
• Collect what you can of the toxic substance, even if it has been chewed or vomited. This also helps with identifying the toxin (particularly if there was no packaging).
• Get in touch with your vet straight away; symptoms of poisoning may not show immediately and it is safer to be proactive.

 

If you need to take your pet to an Endeavour Hills veterinary hospital, your first port of call should be Vets in Endeavour Hills. We take the health of your pet very seriously and getting in touch as soon as possible could save your pet’s life. Please do not hesitate to call us on (03) 9700 2264 if you are worried about your pet.