Meridian News March 2010

Stressed pets Our pets can display a variety of behaviours that are stress related, for example, aggression, scratching, hiding, urine spraying. Please do not hesitate to come and speak to one of our vets or nurses if you are concerned about your pet. Natural pheromone anti-anxiety products like FELIWAY and DAP may be very beneficial in some circumstances. You may have seen "The Purple Cat" adverts by Feliway on television. A nutraceutical product called ZYLKENE has also been proven to reduce stress related behaviours in pets and is useful for both recent and chronic problems. These products provide a desirable alternative to other drug treatment for example valium. The management of phobias can be a long frustrating process. If you think your pet would benefit from treatment please do not hesitate to contact us. We will do all we can to help.

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'When the time comes' February was a difficult month for the practice - we have 'said goodbye' to a number of our longstanding and well loved patients.  The loss of a pet is something terrible which all pet owners have to face at some time.  As the staff here have pets of their own and understand how difficult this can be, we try to do everything we can to make this time more bearable. In our reception we have a leaflet entitled 'When the time comes' which you may find helpful.  The Blue Cross Animal Charity provides a pet bereavement support service via telephone 0800 096 6606 or email pbss@bluecross.org.uk.  Their website www.bluecross.org.uk also offers pet owner's a place to remember a pet with a photo or poem in the 'pet memorial' section.

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FOLLOW THE SIGN! We are pleased to announce that the route to the practice building is now signposted from Greenwich Way down Roderick Avenue to Edith Avenue.  The sign posts were installed 9th February 2010.

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In our thoughts We were all very sad to hear about the accidental death of a well loved and well known patient of ours. He tragically fell while walking along a cliff top and, despite the very best efforts of the lifeboat rescue service, sadly died. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.  The staff here at Meridian will remember him as a gentle giant. Samson We were asked to also mention a very special patient who recently had to be put to sleep. He was found in a rescue centre and the owner discovered he had already been homed but then returned back to the centre.  She offered Samson a place with her and he lived to a ripe old age of 15. Despite many health problems he always soldiered on, and was a faithful and loving companion to his owner Donna.

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Learning never stops… Our Nurses attended an evening talk on Lungworm last month. Vets Andrea and Neerja met with other vets at an evening lecture on Prostatic Disease. Stephen will be attending an "ECG workshop" in March. Here at Meridian we use our ECG to help diagnose heart problems, and Stephen welcomes this opportunity to work with such a well known heart specialist as Nuala Summerfield.  All our staff are dedicated to continued professional development so that we can provide the best up to date care for our patients.

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ORAL CARE MONTH This month you may see in the press and pet magazines that one of the well known pet food companies are promoting 'oral care month'. Dental disease is incredibly common in cats and dogs, and the problem increases dramatically as our pets age.  This is hardly surprising when you consider that most adult people have a number of fillings, and it is very rare for a person over 60 not to have lost some if not all of their teeth.  Imagine how much worse this would be if we were not able to brush our teeth every day! Sadly, dental problems in pets are often overlooked as owners rarely get the opportunity to look in their pets mouths. Also our pets are very good at "putting up" with any pain or infection.  We could compare the mouth pain our pets experience to us having constant dull toothache! Most of us would get that dealt with as soon as possible. That's why we believe we should try and do the same for our pets. Sometimes owners may notice signs of a problem, e.g. a bad smell from the mouth, dribbling, or a swelling on the face caused by an abscess. However, most often dental problems are noticed at the time of a routine veterinary check up [another reason why an annual health check is so valuable]. When a vet recommends dentistry it is usually to remove damaged or infected teeth which are causing discomfort.  Generally there is little value in just removing dental tartar [the brown crusty debris that builds upon the tooth surface] as it will rapidly reform unless the teeth are brushed daily. Dental operations are time consuming and skilled procedures.  If an operation is appropriate for your pet, the vet will discuss the details thoroughly with you beforehand. Cats and dogs cope extremely well following tooth removal as the foods they are fed are gulped down with a minimum of chewing.  Even dry foods tend to be swallowed whole.  In fact pet owners invariably say how much better overall their pets are after dentistry, reflecting the fact that they are no longer dragged down by discomfort and infection. Clients often ask how best to keep their pets teeth in good condition.  Ideally every dog and cat should have its teeth brushed daily using a special veterinary toothbrush and paste.   Although a great idea, very few clients have a sufficiently compliant pet to make this    practical! Other measures that may help include special diets, chews, mouthwashes and gels although none of these provide a complete solution to the problem. If you are concerned that your pet may have a dental problem, please contact the surgery for an appointment with one of our vets.  Alternatively if you don't think there is a problem but you would like your pet's mouth checked just to be sure, you can ring and book a nurses appointment.  Our nurses will gladly perform a free dental assessment, and be able to offer help and advice with the teeth cleaning measures mentioned above.