Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery is celebrating its 10th anniversary!

Banstead Village Vets is 10 years old this December. It’s amazing to think how much has changed over this time – for me personally as well as in the practice.

Veterinary medicine has also progressed hugely - who would have predicted 10 years ago that we would have digital x-ray facilities and be talking about such

things as stem cell therapy for canine arthritis?

The practice has grown over the last 10 years and I have many people to thank for this. Firstly, all of the lovely staff who you, our clients, see every day but you

may not necessarily realise how hard they work behind the scenes to keep your beloved pets healthy. We’ve been lucky enough to have lovely caring staff since

we’ve been here, but the current team are amazing, and I’d like to say a huge thank you to Julie, Carly and Danni our dedicated Veterinary Nurses, Juliette our

lovely Animal Nursing Assistant and of course the longest serving and most experienced member of our team, Liz our wonderful receptionist. Liz has been here

almost as long as I have! The practice wouldn’t work without our part-time vets either so a big thanks to Rachel, Jason, Lizzie, Sadie and Adrian.

Most of all though, thanks goes to you our clients. The bond that we as pet owners have with our beloved pets is a beautiful and, sadly, occasionally fragile thing,

and every day I feel very privileged that you entrust the care of your treasured pets to us. There is nothing more gratifying than to see a once ailing pet restored to

full health and to its rightful position within your family and it is a joy to be part of their journey from tiny bundles of fluff to distinguished senior citizens. We are

very lucky and very proud that you choose to share this journey with us, and we will continue to always do our very best for every pet that is entrusted to our care.

Thank you all for giving us the chance to do so. Andy Downing

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

‘Your local caring vet’

Every year many dogs and cats of all ages become seriously ill or die from infectious diseases which could have been prevented through vaccination. All unvaccinated pets are at risk, treatment is lengthy and expensive and not always successful, as most of the diseases are caused by viruses and they do not always respond to specific treatments.

HOW DO VACCINES WORK? Vaccines stimulate the body’s defences to produce antibodies in the bloodstream, which protect against specific diseases. This protection is called immunity.

CAT VACCINATION - What do we vaccinate against?

Feline Infectious Enteritis (FIE) - Extremely contagious, it is mainly spread by direct contact with an affected cat or its faeces. It causes a high death rate in young kittens, although cats of all ages can be affected. Symptoms include not eating, vomiting, diarrhoea and depression. If the cat survives it may never totally regain full health. Feline Rhinotracheitis (FVR) - A highly contagious, severe respiratory disease causing sneezing, loss of appetite, fever and sore eyes. It can be fatal in kittens and leave others debilitated. Feline Calcivirus (FCV) - Also a respiratory disease with similar symptoms to FVR but with the addition of mouth and tongue ulcers. This disease leaves cats debilitated after recovery and prone to respiratory infections. Feline Leukaemia virus (FeLV) - This virus is the single most important cause of death. Infected cats may show no signs for months or years, but most die within three years of becoming infected. FeLV can cause cancers in infected cats. More commonly it destroys the immune system, allowing other infections to develop and eventually kill the cat. CARRIER CATS Cat ‘flu’ and feline leukaemia virus remain widespread in the cat population because of carrier cats. These cats appear perfectly healthy but ‘carry’ the viruses, and are capable of transmitting disease to any unvaccinated cats they meet.

DOG VACCINATION - What do we vaccinate against? CANINE DISTEMPER - Causes death or permanent disability and occurs most frequently in young, unvaccinated pups. It is spread by direct contact with an infected dog. Signs are high temperature, runny eyes and nose, a dry cough and diarrhoea and nervous signs may follow. Survival chances are poor. CANINE PARVOVIRUS - Spread by direct contact with an animal or its faeces, this virus can survive in an environment for many months. Symptoms include vomiting, fever, and severe, often bloody diarrhoea. It is often fatal in puppies and young dogs but can affect all ages. It is COMMON! INFECTIOUS CANINE HEPATITIS - A very contagious disease spread through contact with infected dogs. Causes liver damage and sometimes respiratory infections and death can occur rapidly leaving little time for treatment. If a dog survives it becomes a ‘carrier’ to the remaining dog population. This means it shows no signs of the disease but can infect another unvaccinated dog on contact. LEPTOSPIROSIS - A bacterial infection affecting the liver and kidneys. It is spread through contact with infected urine e.g. at a lamp post! A severe case can be fatal, or permanent kidney damage can lead to problems later in life. LEPTOSPIROSIS CAN BE PASSED ON TO HUMANS. KENNEL COUGH - Occurs when large numbers of dogs are brought together e.g. at shows. It is not usually life threatening but can be lengthy and expensive to Symptoms are a harsh dry cough often with nasal discharge and may last several weeks.

Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery 170a High Street, Banstead, Surrey

SM7 2NZ

01737 210011

www.bansteadvillagevets.co.uk

Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery. 170a High Street, Banstead, Surrey, SM7 2NZ TEL: 01737 210011

Heart disease is very common in dogs and cats. The two most common types of heart disease are: mitral valve disease (MVD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). With MVD, the heart valves gradually become thick, lumpy, distorted and leaky, so blood flows in the wrong direction. In DCM, the heart muscle gradually becomes weakened and floppy leading to less efficient blood circulation.

Both diseases are manageable and dogs and cats can live many years without showing signs of a problem.

However, with time the disease can progress to the point where the signs of heart disease can be seen.

What signs are we looking for?

There are some common signs that can indicate that your dog’s or cat’s heart is not coping so well.

Coughing Breathlessness Reduced ability to exercise Lack of energy/lethargy Poor appetite/weight loss Collapse

How is the presence of a heart problem diagnosed?

When your vet examines your dog or cat, he or she may find further signs relating to a heart problem. These can include a heart murmur, harsh sounds when listening to the lungs, fluid in the abdomen and poor pulses. These may lead your vet to recommend further tests.

These may include: Blood tests

To check your pet’s general health and specific heart related blood markers

X-rays To assess the size of your pet’s heart and check whether there is fluid in the lungs

An electrocardiogram To check the electrical rhythm of your pets heart

An echocardiogram This is an ultrasound examination of the heart, and is used to examine the heart in detail

Heart disease can be managed! Although heart failure in dogs and cats is rarely curable, medicines are available which can help relieve any uncomfortable signs and allow your pet to enjoy a longer, happier life. Your vet may recommend other changes such as a defined exercise regime and a healthy diet, potentially with certain supplements such as Omega-3 fish oils.

If you think your dog or cat may have a heart problem, or your vet has already diagnosed heart disease or failure, you may be anxious and want to know more. The good news is that in recent years, advances in treatment have greatly improved the management of this condition, and dogs and cats can now enjoy much longer, happier lives.

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a common condition in cats that affects the bladder or the urethra (sometimes both). There are a large number of different causes of FLUTD in the cat but the commonest is known as idiopathic cystitis whereby there is no identifiable underlying cause. Some of the other potential causes of FLUTD include –

Urinary calculi (Bladder stones)

Bacterial infections

Neoplasia (tumour)

Anatomical abnormalities

Urethral plugs (blockage of the urethra with a mixture of calculi/stones and inflammatory material)

Stress If your cat is suffering from FLUTD you may notice the following signs –

Increased frequency and urgency of urination

Difficulty in urinating (dysuria), straining when in the litter tray with little or no urine production

Blood in the urine (haematuria)

Occasionally, a complete blockage of the urethra leads to persistent straining with no passage of urine. (This is more common in overweight, middle aged, male cats.)

Inappropriate urination in and around the house. It is important to seek urgent veterinary attention if your cat is straining without passing any urine as a complete blockage to the urinary tract can be a life threatening situation. FLUTD is diagnosed initially by analysis of a urine sample. If further diagnostics are required, (for example, if a course of treatment does not resolve the situation) your pet may need blood tests, x-rays or an ultrasound scan. Treatment for FLUTD is will depend on the underlying cause. It is impossible to completely prevent FLUTD in your cat. It can occur in any cat of any age. However, it is more common in cats that have a low water intake and/or are overweight. For this reason, there are a few steps you can take to help reduce the possibility of your cat getting it.

1. Try to increase your cat’s water intake (ask us for an information sheet) 2. Try to prevent your cat from becoming obese (ask the veterinary nurse for more

information on this if you are concerned) 3. Provide plenty of litter trays around your house to encourage frequent urination.

A zoonosis is a disease which can be passed between animals and humans. In general these diseases are of most significance to immuno-compromised people. People who are immuno-compromised have immune systems which may not work properly. This group would include the very old and very young, people recovering from severe illness or surgery, people with AIDS/HIV and people on chemotherapy drugs. Here are some common zoonoses:

Ringworm is not a worm at all but a fungal infection of the skin. When humans pick up ringworm they develop red and often circular patches on their skin. This condition is treatable for both humans and pets.

Sarcoptes scabei (fox mange) is a mite which causes skin irritation. This is usually self-limiting in humans but it is advisable to visit the doctor.

Fleas - humans can be bitten by cat and dog fleas. The bites are seen as small, red, itchy lumps very often on the lower legs/ankles

Toxocara canis is a common round worm of dogs. If children are infected by this worm, the larva can occasionally ‘get lost’ on migration within the body and cause damage to the eyes, brain and elsewhere. A very important parasite, especially for those with children

Gastric infections such as Giardia, Campylobacter, Salmonella and E.Coli can be passed from pets to humans, and vice versa!

Toxoplasmosis is of particular concern for pregnant women as it can cause abortion. Cats are the primary host, and can spread the disease. Good general hygiene is an important preventative measure.

Weil’s disease is the severe human form of leptospirosis (see over) Rabies is caused by a virus and is transmitted via a bite from an affected animal. The UK

is currently free of rabies. Lyme disease can be transmitted by ticks to animals and people.

If you have any concerns please contact the surgery.