Rottweiler Entropion

Rottweiler Entropion http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/rss Topsy's battle with Breast Cancer http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Topsy-s-battle-with-Breast-Cancer-/ <img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage200149-Masterctomy-Topsy_2.JPG" width="200" height="149" alt="" title=""/>Did you know October was breast cancer awareness month?
Did you know that animals can get breast cancer, better known as mammary cancer?
Did you know that desexing your animal can greatly decrease their chance of getting mammary cancer?
Breast health in our animals is just as important as breast health in humans. Every time a female animal goes through a “heat” cycle, it increases their risk of developing breast cancer dramatically. Just like in humans, whilst a male animal can get breast cancer it is much more common in females. Dogs are also at a much higher risk than their feline counterparts.
Unfortunately Topsy, a 10 year old kelpie recently discovered this.
Topsy was brought in by her mum feeling generally unwell but with nothing specific going on. On examination it was found that Topsy had multiple, firm lumps running up and down her mammary glands on both sides. Topsy was diagnosed with mammary tumours.
Topsy’s owner booked her in for a diagnostic workup and surgery the following week.
<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage200149-Mastectomy-2.JPG" width="200" height="149" alt="" title=""/>On the scheduled day of surgery Topsy underwent a full blood screen along with chest x-rays to screen for any evidence of the spread of the mammary tumours, also known as metastases. Luckily, both of these screening tests were all clear and Topsy was taken into surgery to have a one-sided mastectomy.
A one sided mastectomy is a big surgery and involves removing some or most of the mammary tissue on one side. This is where one side or chain of breast tissue is removed. Dogs and cats have “two chains” of mammary tissue. Due to the amount of skin &amp; tissue being removed at the time of surgery, we only remove one side. After a period of healing &amp; allowing the skin to stretch (normally 6-8 weeks), we then surgically remove the other mammary chain.
Most dogs also undergo desexing at the time of surgery as some studies have shown that it may help to prevent the occurrence of new tumour development and reduce the aggressiveness of any existing tumours.
<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage200149-Mastectomy-4.JPG" width="200" height="149" alt="" title=""/>Topsy is currently recovering well at home. But the ordeal is not over for poor Topsy. In 6-8 weeks when she is fully recovered she will have to come back and have the other mammary chain removed. This time, to remove the mammary tumours on the other side.
Once these tumours have been removed, Topsy should hopefully lead a very happy &amp; long life with her family. Thu, 02 Nov 2017 14:23:18 +1100 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Topsy-s-battle-with-Breast-Cancer-/ Bruiser's and his Chemo treatment http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Bruiser-s-and-his-Chemo-treatment/ Congratulations Bruiser!!! Your Chemo treatment is done!!!
Bruiser came in to see us when his owner noticed that he had big lumps under his jaw and on his shoulders. We took samples of the lumps and sent them to the lab for testing and the results came back with a diagnosis of Lymphosarcoma, a nasty cancer of the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are found all over the body and are an important part of the immune system.
When Bruiser was first diagnosed his lymph nodes were 5cm in diameter (about the size of manderins!), that’s pretty big when you are only 8kg. Now after 15 weeks of treatment, they can barely be felt and feel smaller than a pea.
Lymphosarcoma is a very rapidly fatal tumor in dogs, without treatment most dogs will only survive about 1 month. The only treatment available is chemotherapy, so that is what we did for Bruiser. A week after his diagnosis was confirmed we had contacted a specialist oncologist (a veterinarian who deals exclusively with cancer patients) who developed his chemotherapy protocol and Bruiser started on his treatment.
Chemotherapy can be complicated; it requires very specific doses of potentially toxic drugs which must be administered correctly. When it is given, we have to dress up in full protective gear to ensure we do not accidentally come into contact with the drugs ourselves.<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage300224-Trembath-B-chemo-14.JPG" width="300" height="224" alt="" title=""/>
Bruiser handled his chemotherapy with ease; he passed every blood test with flying colours and never once showed any side effects to the chemotherapy drugs. After 15 weeks of treatment Bruiser has been declared to be in remission!
Lymphosarcoma will frequently reoccur following chemotherapy, so we will monitor Bruiser closely with the help of his dedicated mum, to catch any re-emergence of the cancer early.
Well done Bruiser for being such a great patient &amp; well done to Bruisers mum for taking such amazing care of him! Fri, 25 Aug 2017 17:20:04 +1000 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Bruiser-s-and-his-Chemo-treatment/ Bess's fight for life http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Bess-s-fight-for-life/ <img class="left" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage225300-Bess.JPG" width="225" height="300" alt="" title=""/>When Bess arrived at the Leeton Vets, she was very cold, pale &amp; lethargic. Her owners suspected that she had eaten some rat bait but they were not sure. Rat bait acts as an anticoagulant (prevents the blood from clotting) by depleting the body's supply of vitamin K. Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin which is essential in the formation of clotting agents in the blood stream. It can take anything from 1-5 days after ingestion to begin to see the signs of intoxication. We wanted to run a blood test that can tell us if her blood had lost its clotting factors but she was so cold and her blood pressure was so low, that we couldn’t draw blood from her veins to perform any tests.
Bess was placed into a heated bed for a couple of hours while she warmed up enough for us to put a IV catheter into her vein to get bloods for testing as well as to be able to give her intravenous fluids.
The blood test we performed was called an Activated Clotting Time test. We take a small amount of blood, place it into a special test tube to check how long the blood takes to clot. This is a quick &amp; simple test that we can perform as part of your pet’s diagnosis as we have a result in about 2min!
Bess’s blood did not clot at all so we determined that she had in fact eaten some rat bait in the days leading up to her being so sick. She was put onto intravenous fluids, given some antibiotics and also a very large dose of vitamin K to help her blood develop its clotting factors again.
While Bess had been stable all day ,in the late afternoon,she took a turn for the worse. Our team rushed into action to give her oxygen as she was having trouble breathing and her colour had gotten paler indicating that she was losing more blood internally. We began to give Bess a blood transfusion (thanks to Dr Brian's pet corgi "Abbey") which helped to replace her red blood cells which treated the anaemia she was suffering from and they are also important for helping deliver oxygen to the body. The platelets &amp; plasma in the blood contain clotting factors as well which help to counteract the action of the rat bait.
After a couple of hours on oxygen, Bess was breathing better on her own and more importantly, she was maintaining her oxygen levels on her own once we took the supplemental oxygen away. We continued to give her the blood transfusion &amp; intravenous fluids and she settled in to fight for her life overnight. She was checked on a couple of times through the night by our vets and while she was still very quiet, she was thankfully stable.
The next morning when we arrived at work, Bess was sitting up in her bed and happily wagging her tail. She was still not the bouncy kelpie she normally is but it was an incredible improvement from less than 24 hours before! She was eager for her breakfast and wanted to make up for the missed meals the day before as well.
She spent the weekend in hospital for some more rest before going home. Bess has to stay on antibiotics &amp; vitamin K for a couple weeks and then her blood will need to be tested again to make sure her clotting factors are working again. If they are not, she will need another course of the vitamin K until she is well enough.
It can take several days for the signs of rat bait poisoning to become evident. The signs to look out<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage268259-Bess2_2.JPG" width="268" height="259" alt="" title=""/> for are lethargy, weakness, loss of appetite, blood in the urine or faeces, pale gums, bruising, seizures, vomiting or diarrhoea and respiratory problems. If you suspect your pet may have eaten rat bait, the best thing to do is to contact us immediately so that we can start treatment straight away. Often if you know your pet has just eaten the bait, we can give them a drug to make them vomit which can prevent absorption of the poison. The sooner treatment is started, the better for your pet’s chances of survival. Fri, 28 Jul 2017 16:58:57 +1000 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Bess-s-fight-for-life/ Fat, Fatter, Fattest! http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Fat-Fatter-Fattest-/ Obesity is the number one health problem seen in domestic animals, just as it is the number one health problem in humans. Just as in humans obesity in our pets increases the risks of other diseases or health concerns such as heart disease, osteoarthritis, stroke and some types of tumors. Obesity also places increased strain on health conditions which are already present. Obesity worsens arthritis, increases the risk of cruciate ligament rupture and in short faces dog breeds it can severely worsen any respiratory issues they have.
What is obesity? In dogs and cats we consider an animal obese if it is 30% or more over its ideal body weight. Ideal body weight can be estimated from their 3 and 6 month body weights. It can also be assessed through the application of ‘Body Condition Scoring’, which is a physical examination and assessment technique to determine how much body fat the animal has. These score can be measured on a 1-5 or a 1-9 scale, with one being ‘severely underweight’ and five or nine being ‘morbidly obese’.
A small percentage of overweight and obese animals have a genetic or medical issue causing their obesity, and these should be considered and ruled out by veterinarians prior to diet alterations. Most cases of obesity in dogs and cats are related to ‘over loving’ and over feeding our pets.
Many people believe or have been told that de-sexing makes animals fat. This is only partially true. De-sexing reduces the metabolic requirement for our pets by up to 25%. So if you keep feeding your dog or cat the same amount of food after it has been de-sexed it will become fat. Following de-sexing, particularly in fully mature dogs caloric intake should be decreased by 25%, this will prevent your pet from becoming overweight. In younger dogs who may not have yet reached their mature body weight food intake should only be monitored and possibly modulated at the recommendation of your veterinarian to ensure they are still receiving appropriate nutrient intake for their continued growth.
As in many cases prevention is better (and easier) than cure. Ensure that your pet maintains a healthy body weight throughout its life. If you are unsure about your pets weight consult your veterinarian, we are happy to advise you on appropriate diet and exercise regimes. There is very little difference in weight problems between breeds of cats, however there are big differences in dog breeds. Sight hounds such as greyhounds and whippets have high base metabolic rates, so rarely become fat even with some over feeding. However other breeds such as Labradors are almost famous for being fat. So much so that many people now have a misperception about the appropriate weight of a Labrador, there are so many fat ones around that people think it is normal.
If your pet is overweight or obese there are things you can do to reduce their weight.
- Firstly have your veterinarian rule out medical conditions such as an underactive thyroid and get appropriate treatment for any diseases
- Increase the amount of exercise your animal gets. Cats can be taught to walk on a lead or just encouraged to play with toys. In the case of dogs longer or more vigorous walks, playing chase or fetch or going for a swim will help to increase their energy output. In animals with underlying health problems discuss appropriate exercise with your veterinarian
- DIET. In almost all cases of obesity it is related to the amount and/or type of food being fed. Changing your pet onto a low fat, or mature food, cutting out or reducing treats and ensuring that the correct amount of food is being given. The measurements given on dog food packets are only a guide. Dogs with sedentary lifestyles and older dogs often require much less food than what is recommended on the packet. If you have any questions or problems with measuring and calculating food volumes talk to your veterinarian.
 One of the most common comments people have when they start their pet on a diet is that their dog is always hungry. It is important to differentiate between an animal that is hungry and an animal that just wants attention. Studies have shown that owners of overweight animals tend to recognize any interactions with their animals as a request for food, and it’s a rare animal who will turn down a meal even if they aren’t hungry. Setting structured meals, not leaving food out for them to graze on through the day and only giving pets their daily allowance of food will help reduce their weight. If you want to give a treat, a bone or a dentastix then make sure you take the caloric equivalent out of their daily allowance. It’s often the little things which tip dogs over the edge or prevent their ability to lose weight.
If you want to weigh your pet our scales are free for use and our vets and nurses are always available for advise regarding diet and exercise in pets. Should you have any concerns, please call our friendly team on 69533111 or come in and have a chat with us. Wed, 21 Jun 2017 16:14:47 +1000 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Fat-Fatter-Fattest-/ Easter Bunnies in Danger! http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Easter-Bunnies-in-Danger-/ The rabbit Calicivirus was initially, intentionally released into Australia in 1995. It was released as a follow up to myxamatosis in an attempt to control the wild European rabbit population in Australia.
Calicivirus is also known as Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease and is a frequently fatal disease of rabbits. In its mild form it causes fever, lethargy and appetite loss, however many rabbits will develop more severe signs which cause bleeding from the nose &amp; internal bleeding, many show no signs and will simply be found dead. Some rabbits who recover from the mild signs can later develop liver failure. On average 90% of rabbits infected with calicivirus will die.
There is no treatment available for rabbits, supportive care such as fluids and antibiotics to prevent secondary infection can sometimes help. However in many cases despite heroic efforts the rabbits will die.
Calicivirus is spread through contact with infected rabbits. This can include contacted with faeces, nasal discharge or saliva of infected rabbits which can be left on anything the infected rabbits touch. Prevention is the only way to protect your rabbit. The gold standard of this is vaccination. Rabbits under six months of age should be given two vaccinations a month apart and then annual vaccination. However with the release of the new strain of calicivirus the Australian Veterinary Association has recommended 6 monthly vaccinations following the initial boosters to ensure adequate protection.
Other recommendations to preventing the spread of calicivirus in pet rabbits are:
- Keep your rabbits indoors
- Rabbit proof the backyard, preventing access by wild rabbits
- Regularly clean all cages and equipment with 10% bleach
- Limit handling of unfamiliar and unvaccinated rabbits
If you believe your rabbit has contracted calicivirus contact the Leeton Veterinary Hospital on 6953 3111.
As a special offer, on the 28th of March 2017 the Leeton Veterinary Hospital is having a discounted rabbit vaccination day. To book your rabbit in for vaccination please call us at the Leeton Veterinary Hospital. Thu, 09 Mar 2017 11:10:49 +1100 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Easter-Bunnies-in-Danger-/ Deadly virus affecting cats. http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Deadly-virus-affecting-cats-/ As many people may have seen in the news there have been several outbreaks of a disease called Feline Panleukopenia, sometimes called Feline Enteritis or Feline Distemper. Despite the different names panleukopenia is caused by the Feline Parvovirus, which is related to the virus that causes the devastating Canine Parvo. Feline Panleukopenia is an ‘old’ disease, it has been around for many years and it used to cause the death of a large number of cats. However after the development of an extremely effective vaccination the occurrence of panleukopenia rapidly decreased. In recent times vaccination numbers in cats have dropped of and as a result we have seen a resurgence of this disease.
Panleukopenia is an extremely resistant virus which can survive in the environment for many months. Cats can contract the virus through physical contact with infected cats, or they can pick it up from the environment. Infected cats can shed the virus from all body secretions, though it is shed most commonly and prolifically in the faeces.
There are two forms of panleukopenia, and these depend on when the cat is infected. Kittens that are born from infected mothers will have Cerebellar hypoplasia, this means that a part of their brain either doesn’t develop at all, or only partially develops. The results of this are that the kittens have no fine motor control, meaning that they wobble and over-exaggerate all their movements. Mild cases can live a relatively normal life with good home care, however severe cases will struggle to eat of drink and often require euthanasia.
The second, more common, form of panleukopenia is that seen in young cats and kittens that become infected after birth. The signs are varied. Some cats will be found dead, when they were well the day before. Other cats will present with a fever, depression, anorexia and vomiting. These cats will rapidly dehydrate and frequently develop secondary infections.
There is no treatment for cats infected with panleukopenia. Supportive care, in the form of intravenous fluids, electrolyte supplements and antibiotics are required to prevent dehydration and secondary infection long enough for the cat’s immune system to recover and respond to the infection. This can take several days or weeks, depending on the severity of the disease and the speed in which the cat responds to infection.
Prevention of panleukopenia is simple –Vaccination!The panleukopenia vaccine is considered a core vaccination in Australia, which means it is included in all cat vaccines along with two strains of cat flu Feline Calicivirus and Feline Rhinotracheitis virus.
To check your cats vaccination status, or to book your cat in for vaccination against panleukopenia call the Leeton Veterinary Hospital on 6953 3111. Thu, 23 Feb 2017 15:18:57 +1100 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Deadly-virus-affecting-cats-/ The Importance of being Microchipped http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/The-Importance-of-being-Microchipped/ A microchip is one of the most important things you can do for your pet. With a single injection you can ensure you pet will be returned to you should they get lost.
Standard microchips are approximately the size of a grain of rice, and there are now mini-chips which are even smaller. They are implanted under the skin and can be read with a special scanner to provide a unique identification number for your pet. This unique ID number connects to your contact information on a NSW wide database and often a National database as well.
Microchipping is a legal requirement in NSW for both dogs and cats. All dogs and cats, including puppies and kittens, must be microchipped before they are given away or sold. No animal is too big or too small for a microchip; it can be implanted into a 500g kitten or a 70kg Great Dane.
Microchipping works! We at the Leeton Veterinary Hospital see a number of lost animals, mostly brought in by concerned members of the public. The first thing we do when one of these animals is brought to us…we check to see if they have a microchip. If there is one then we can quickly reunite pet and owners. If there isn’t a microchip we are required to hand the dog or cat over to the pound. So you can see just how important a microchip is.
You should always keep your details up-to-date as well. The contact information on a microchip is only as good as the last update. If your phone number or address has changed then you should inform your local council who can have the information updated.
If you buy or are given a new dog or cat you should ensure you are given ‘Change of Ownership’ paperwork. If you are not, the Leeton Veterinary Hospital has copies which you can fill out. This will allow the council to change your new pet over to your ownership. So if they get lost we will call you not their previous owner.
If you have any questions about microchipping or would like to get your pet microchipped, or checked for a microchip please call the Leeton Veterinary Hospital on 6953 3111 and talk to one of our team. Mon, 06 Feb 2017 10:08:19 +1100 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/The-Importance-of-being-Microchipped/ Grass Seed Season http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/grass-seed-season/ Spring is here and with that comes hay-fever, allergies and GRASS SEED season.
<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage200149-Rusty-1.JPG" width="200" height="149" alt="" title=""/>Grass seeds are exactly what they sound like, the dried seeds of various grasses. Due to their tapered shape and sharp point, grass seeds are designed to go in only one direction, forwards.
Grass seeds will get into all kinds of places on your pet and they can cause anything from minor irritation, to an abscess, to severe trauma as seen in Rusty’s case. Rusty had over 100 grass seeds imbedded under his neck, one of which had punctured his jugular vein.
The most common places we see grass seeds causing problems in pets is in ears, underneath eyes, up nostrils and between toes. If you see your pet suddenly shaking it’s head, holding an eye closed, sneezing or limping with a swelling between their toes it could well be a grass seed. If you suspect your pet has a grass seed stuck somewhere uncomfortable you should call the Leeton Veterinary Hospital. Some grass seeds can be tricky to remove and if you attempt to do it yourself you could cause the grass seed to move deeper or cause more trauma.<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage200149-Rusty-3.JPG" width="200" height="149" alt="" title=""/> In many cases we have to sedate or even fully anaesthetise animals to remove grass seeds without causing further damage.
Not all grass seeds reveal themselves immediately. We often see this with the infamous grass seed abscess, owners have noticed a swelling and then it bursts, releases pus and appears to heal. No worries, or is it? A little while later another swelling appears at the same site, then it goes down. Up and down, up and down. Unknown to them this is the grass seed working itself deeper. Sometimes this even happens following surgery. Grass seeds can be tricky to find surgically, even at the best of times, as such on occasion multiple surgeries are required to locate and remove the grass seed. An example of this was Angell. Angell had a small pimple-like spot next to her vulva, we suspected a grass seed was under her skin so we operated, but couldn’t find any grass seed. The site healed up well, but a few weeks later Angell was back, the pimple had returned. We operated again the next day and this time we were in luck, that extra bit of time had caused the body to create a sinus tract, a little tunnel of thickened tissue which marked the path the grass seed had taken. We followed the sinus tract all the way into her abdomen where we found the grass seed nestled against a piece of intestine, a journey of over 20cm!
As in most cases, prevention is better than cure with grass seeds. In the spring and summer months you should check your pet daily for grass seeds, paying particular attention<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage200149-Rusty-4.JPG" width="200" height="149" alt="" title=""/> to between toes and between legs. Long haired animals can be clipped all over to make monitoring for grass seed easier, and has the added benefit of helping keep your pet cool in the hot weather. If you do have a long haired pet using a comb can sometimes help to comb away grass seeds.
If you suspect your pet has picked up a grass seed please call the Leeton Veterinary Hospital for assistance. Tue, 25 Oct 2016 15:47:16 +1100 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/grass-seed-season/ Watch Out! Parvo About! http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/watch-out-parvo-about/ Parvovirus lives in the environment for very long periods of time and it can strike at anytime. However, this time of year is the worst time with warmer weather &amp; lots of young puppies (being more susceptible to disease) getting around.
<img class="left" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage200133-canine-parvovirus-1024x682.jpg" width="200" height="133" alt="" title=""/>Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious viral disease that can produce a life-threatening illness. The virus attacks rapidly dividing cells in a dog’s body, most severely affecting the intestinal tract. Parvovirus also attacks the white blood cells and when young animals are infected, the virus can damage the heart muscle and cause lifelong cardiac problems.
The general symptoms of parvovirus are lethargy, severe vomiting, loss of appetite and a bloody, foul-smelling diarrhoea that can lead to life-threatening dehydration.
Parvovirus is extremely contagious and can be transmitted by any person, animal or object that comes in contact with an infected dog's faeces. Highly resistant, the virus can live in the environment for years and may survive on inanimate objects such as food bowls, shoes, clothes, carpet and floors. It is common for an unvaccinated puppy or dog to contract parvovirus from the general environment, remember, they don’t need to come into contact with an infected dog to get parvo virus.
Every year we see the devastation of this disease. The loss of lives, the heartbreak of the owners and the anguish of our Leeton Vet team as we watch these sick pups suffer and sometimes die despite our best efforts to care for them.
Prevention is simple with a series of vaccinations. Please vaccinate. It truly can save lives. Tue, 18 Oct 2016 11:43:56 +1100 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/watch-out-parvo-about/ Be Hip - Be PennHip'ed! http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Be-Hip-Be-PennHip-ed/ Did you know that we are a <a href="http://http//info.antechimagingservices.com/pennhip/">PennHIP</a> Authorised Veterinary practice? What is <a href="http://http//info.antechimagingservices.com/pennhip/">PennHIP</a>? Glad you asked!
In the most simple of terms, a series of radiographs are taken of your dogs hips using a special piece of equipment that helps to show up the hip joints. These radiographs are then sent to America to be evaluated to determine the risk of hip health issues later in life or the risk of those problems being passed on future generations. 
<a href="http://http//info.antechimagingservices.com/pennhip/">PennHIP</a> is a multifaceted radiographic screening method for hip evaluation. The technique assesses the quality of the canine hip and quantitatively measures canine hip joint laxity. The <a href="http://http//info.antechimagingservices.com/pennhip/">PennHIP</a> method of evaluation is more accurate than the current standard in its ability to predict the the risk for painful osteoarthritis (OA) of canine hip dysplasia (CHD) later in life. With this information, preventive and palliative strategies can be recommended by the <a href="http://http//info.antechimagingservices.com/pennhip/">PennHIP</a>-trained veterinarian.
Radiographs are made by certified<a href="http://http//info.antechimagingservices.com/pennhip/">PennHIP </a>members worldwide (that's our Vets!) and are sent to the <a href="http://http//info.antechimagingservices.com/pennhip/">PennHIP</a> Analysis Center in America for evaluation.
All dogs can benefit from <a href="http://http//info.antechimagingservices.com/pennhip/">PennHIP</a> testing and testing can be done from as young as 16 weeks of age. For pet dogs found to be at risk, early intervention can help prevent or lessen the severity of CHD. For working/service dogs, identifying a dog with healthy hips can extend the working life of the dog. For breeding dogs, early detection of at-risk hips can allow the breeder to make early, informed decisions as to which dogs to keep in breeding programs. Some breed associations even insist on the <a href="http://http//info.antechimagingservices.com/pennhip/">PennHIP </a>screening over more traditional hip scoring methods. 
<img class="center" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage600448-PennHip.JPG" width="600" height="448" alt="" title=""/> Fri, 14 Oct 2016 17:29:36 +1100 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Be-Hip-Be-PennHip-ed/ A Succesful Show! http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/a-successful-Leeton-show/ The Leeton Show was held over the weekend and once again, we not only had a wonderful response from everyone that came into our Animal Nursery but the Big Day Out 4 Pets went off with a bang again this year!
<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage150200-Cow.jpg" width="150" height="200" alt="" title=""/><img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage200150-Chick.jpg" width="200" height="150" alt="" title=""/>Each year, the weeks leading up to the show are spent by our team liaising with our clients to borrow their animals for our nursery &amp; asking the farmers around if they have any young livestock we may be able to have for the weekend. We also call in favours from our medical reps to give us freebies &amp; food or toy samples to give away in our show bags as well. (This all needs to be fitted in between seeing patients and dealing with emergencies of course!)
Our nursery is easily the most popular display at the show. Our team donate their time over the 2 days of the show to run the Nursery &amp; Pet Show. It is free to wander around &amp; the children especially love coming in and looking at all the animals. The baby chickens are always the most favourite and all the kids want to take them home! We rely on the generosity of our clients each year to loan us their animals for the show and we are lucky to have such a wonderful community that get behind us &amp; support this.
<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage150200-Lamb.jpg" width="150" height="200" alt="" title=""/>We also held a competition at the nursery where we asked those that came in, “What is the name for a baby…?” and the animals were;
<ul class="wrapfix"><li>Cow = Calf</li>
<li>Alpaca = Cria</li>
<li>Echidna = Puggle</li>
<li>Horse = Foal</li>
<li>Ferret = Kit</li>
<li>Swan = Cygnet</li>
<li>Platypus = Puggle</li>
</ul>The 1st correctly drawn winner was Bree Watts, congratulations! We hope your dogs enjoy the Pet Pamper Pack. We also awarded a special consolation pack to Salvatore Aloisi for his answers - he got half of them right and the other half of his answers just made us smile. Who knew an alternate name for a baby Echidna was a "spikey ball of death"? Thanks for the laugh Salvatore!
Here is a full list of winners for the Big Day Out 4 Pets;
Best Pet in Period Costume 
1st Charlotte McGuiness &amp; Indy
2nd Bree Watts &amp; Alfie
Mr Personality 
1st Tonia Silvestro &amp; Roy
2nd Jacob Sullivan &amp; Scruffy
Mrs Personality
1st Lucy Hawkett &amp; Sahara
2nd Alison Bennett &amp; Jessie
Longest Tail 
1st Samantha Tindal &amp; Smurf
2nd Connor Sullivan &amp; Abby Gal
Shortest Tail
1st Angela Brown &amp; Hudson
2nd Latia Bell &amp; Sugar
Best Kept Cat, Rabbit, Bird or Unusual Pet 
1st Hannah Bennett &amp; Sir Linky
2nd Samantha Tindal &amp; Baby Rat
Prettiest Cat, Rabbit, Bird or Unusual Pet 
1st Dion Bennett &amp; Bluey
2nd Samantha Tindal &amp; Crowley
Dog with the Waggiest Tail 
1st Jack Miller &amp; Benji
2nd Amanda Hughes &amp; Louie
 Best Kept Dog or Puppy 
1st Connor Sullivan &amp; Abby Gal
2nd Jacqui McGuiness &amp; Cerise
Champion Dry Dog Food Eater 
1st Connor Sullivan &amp; Abby Gal
2nd Ashleigh &amp; Bently
 
Thanks for coming &amp; seeing us at the show everyone! Tue, 11 Oct 2016 16:44:55 +1100 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/a-successful-Leeton-show/ Votes for Vet Nurses! http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Votes-for-Vet-Nurses-/ The second Friday in October each year is Vet Nurses Day. This day is to celebrate &amp; recognise the amazing work that our Nurses due each and every day of the year and this year, <a href="https://www.petplan.com.au/news/vet-nurses-day">you can vote for your favourite nurse thanks to Petplan</a>.
<img class="center" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage364100-Events2016VNCAVetNurseDay.jpg" width="364" height="100" alt="" title=""/>
A Vet Nurse’s job is one that is incredibly rewarding and varied. One moment we can be helping you to make the best decision on flea prevention and the next minute we are helping a Veterinarian in surgery.
We are the ones that give out the cuddles &amp; pats when you’re not there, the ones that give the medication when they are sick &amp;yes – the ones that get urinated on occasionally too. We laugh with you over that crazy thing your pet did, cry with you when your pet is sick or passes away and we get excited with you when you choose a new fur baby to love. Yet we wouldn’t have it any other way because we not only love our job but we love you and your pets too.
So if you think we are amazing , simply <a href="https://www.petplan.com.au/news/vet-nurses-day">vote for your favourite nurse</a> at the Leeton Vets. The competition closes on the 10th of October so you only have a few days to vote for us!
<img class="center" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/_resampled/resizedimage300198-VetNurse_2.jpg" width="300" height="198" alt="" title=""/>
 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:09:53 +1000 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Votes-for-Vet-Nurses-/ Daisy the dog with Lupus http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Daisy-the-dog-with-Lupus/ This beautiful Border Collie “Daisy” has been coming to us since she was just a few months old and she is now just over 2yrs of age.
About 6mths ago, she came to see us with scabs on her nose. Being an active dog that loves her basketball &amp; spends time in the sun, we thought she may have just got a little burnt or hurt herself playing. A test that we ran at the time she came in just showed some white blood cells so her body was trying to heal itself &amp; we gave her Mum some lotion to put on it to help it heal.
The lotion helped for a while but then it got worse again. This time it was also around her eyes &amp; she had a couple of scabs in her ears. We took some biopsies of her nose and sent them away for testing. The result that came back surprised us all.
“Daisy” was diagnosed with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus. This is an autoimmune disease where a dog becomes allergic to its own tissues. “Daisy” will need treatment for the rest of her life and will need to avoid spending too much time in the sun but we know she is being looked after very well by her family.
Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is an autoimmune disease wherein a dog becomes allergic to its own tissues. This disease results in crusting, depigmentation, redness, and ulceration of the nose. Lesions may also appear around the eyes, ears, limbs, and other areas. DLE can occur at any age, and is seen more often in such breeds as Collies, German shepherds, Shelties, and Siberian huskies.
Exposure to U-V light (e.g. sunlight) can exacerbate or even precipitate this condition. This is why it tends to be more severe in summer or in sunny climates. Depigmentation of the nose will also make your dog more susceptible to sunburns.
Fortunately, the prognosis for this disease is usually good, although treatment must usually be continued for life. DLE can get better or worse on its own, such that there may be times when no treatment is necessary. In some chronic cases, DLE can develop into a malignant type of cancer called A squamous cell carcinoma, although this happens rarely.
Treatment and correction of DLE involves two steps. First, an accurate diagnosis must be made, since nasal depigmentation and/or ulceration can have many causes. This can be done via blood tests and skin biopsies. Because the nose is a very sensitive and vascular area, a general anaesthetic is required to take a proper biopsy.
Secondly, once a diagnosis of DLE has been made, treatment involves avoiding intense sunlight, various topical and systemic medications and, in extreme cases, surgical correction. In some cases, applying a sunscreen to the depigmented areas may prove helpful. Keeping the patient indoors during the day and allowing generous access outdoors at night instead can also minimise clinical signs.
Topically, creams or ointments containing Vitamin E or steroids may also prove helpful. Oral Vitamin E has proven to be beneficial as well. Severe cases respond to corticosteroid therapy.
Finally, recent reports have described good success in using reconstructive surgery to correct the nasal area. The depigmented, ulcerated areas are excised and replaced (by means of a surgical skin graft) with normal skin. Our veterinarians can suggest which treatment options are most effective. Thu, 22 Sep 2016 14:11:39 +1000 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Daisy-the-dog-with-Lupus/ Squinty "Senna" the Rottweiler Gets Eye Surgery http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Squinty-Senna-the-Rottweiler-Gets-Eye-Surgery/ This is “Senna” and he is a 5mth old Rottweiler.
<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/Rott-eye2.JPG" width="250" alt="" title=""/>At the age of 3mths, his owner noticed his eyes were looking very sore &amp; swollen. After an examination from one of our vets, it was discovered that he had what is called Entropion which is a rolling in of the eyelids. Entropion is a genetic condition in which a portion of the eyelid is inverted or folded inward. This can cause an eyelash or hair to irritate and scratch the surface of the eye, leading to corneal ulceration or perforation. These factors may cause a decrease or loss of vision. We had to wait until the swelling &amp; infection in his eyes had subsided before we could perform surgery to correct the problem. His eyes look a lot better now &amp; “Senna” is much more playful now he feels better!
Entropion is an abnormality of the eyelids in which the eyelid "rolls" inward. This inward rolling often causes the hair on the surface of the eyelid to rub against the cornea (outer part of the eyeball) resulting in pain, corneal ulcers or corneal erosions. This corneal damage can also result in corneal scarring, that can interfere with vision.
Most dogs will squint, hold the eye shut and tear excessively. Interestingly, many flat-faced dogs with medial entropion (involving the corner of the eyes near the nose) exhibit no obvious signs of discomfort. In most cases, both eyes are affected.
The treatment for entropion is surgical correction. A section of skin is removed from the affected eyelid to reverse its inward rolling. In many cases, a primary, major surgical correction will be performed, and will be followed by a second, minor corrective surgery later. Two surgeries are often performed to reduce the risk of over-correcting the entropion, resulting in an outward-rolling eyelid known as ectropion. Most dogs will not undergo surgery until they have reached their adult size at six to twelve months of age Wed, 17 Aug 2016 12:30:00 +1000 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Squinty-Senna-the-Rottweiler-Gets-Eye-Surgery/ Dental Plaque: Before and After http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Dental-Plaque-Before-and-After/ Dental disease is very common in animals, just like it is in humans. Approximately 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some form of dental disease.
Tartar builds up on the teeth and creates calculus (or plaque) which leads to gingivitis (red, inflamed or bleeding gums). This then leads to the gums receding from the teeth and the structures supporting the teeth are then weakened which can lead to infection and tooth loss. Bacteria travel from the gums into the bloodstream to other organs in the body like the heart and kidneys and can therefore affect the overall health and wellbeing of the animal.
<table style="width: 100%;" border="0"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 50%;">
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Before Dental
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<img class="center" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/afterdental.jpg" width="180px" alt="" title=""/>
After Dental
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</tr></tbody></table>Once calculus is present, it usually needs to be removed by ultrasonic scaling. This procedure needs to be performed under general anaesthesia and once all the calculus has been removed a prophylactic treatment is applied to the tooth surface to slow the build up of tartar.
Prescription Dental foods, raw bones and special pet toothpastes and brushes can be used also to help prevent dental problems. Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +1000 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Dental-Plaque-Before-and-After/ Movie Star Draught Horses Visit Leeton Vet http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Movie-Star-Draught-Horses-Visit-Leeton-Vet/ These Draught Horses are all movie stars and have all been treated by the Leeton Veterinary Hospital during their lives! The horses were used in a scene from a documentary about Ellis Williams. A man who moved to Leeton from Wales early in the 20th century and started one of the first irrigation blocks in Leeton. He left Leeton to join the Army and fight in WWI where he was killed on the frontline in France.
The horses portray a letter he wrote home to Wales, in which he said “I pity you with a one horse plow while I am here working with a ten horse plow”.
<img class="center" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/droughthorses.jpg" width="360" alt="" title=""/> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:30:00 +1000 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/Movie-Star-Draught-Horses-Visit-Leeton-Vet/ An Interesting Case: Long Necked Turtle from the Murrumbidgee River http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/An-Interesting-Case-Long-Necked-Turtle-from-the-Murrumbidgee-River/ This was a wildlife case that came in that was found near the Murrumbidgee River.
<img class="right" src="http://leetonvet.com.au/assets/Uploads/Clients/152/turtle01.jpg" width="113" height="150" alt="" title=""/>The turtle was found with some fishing line hanging out of its mouth. We took an x-ray to see just what was attached to the end of the fishing line, there was obviously something tasty the turtle had found that unfortunately was attached to a fishing hook.
Unfortunately there was nothing we could do for this turtle and he had to be euthanased. Fri, 16 May 2008 09:30:00 +1000 http://leetonvet.com.au/Vet-Blog/An-Interesting-Case-Long-Necked-Turtle-from-the-Murrumbidgee-River/