Welcome to the first edition of our newsletter for our small animal services at Bishopton Veterinary Group

and Toft Lodge Vets. Every season, we’ll be packing the newsletter with advice and

information about topics you need to think about in relation to your pets, provided by our team of dedicated small animal

vets and nurses, who are on site 24 hours a day. So whether its preparing your pet for Bonfire Night, checking

out those troublesome ticks, or thinking about how to get your

home and your family ready for new puppies, we hope you find this edition really helpful. For more information on our

team and our excellent facilities, why not check out our new website? www.bishoptonvets.co.uk Thank you!

Our new Pet Care Plan is proving very popular, allowing you to spread the cost of caring for your dog, cat or rabbit throughout the year. Under the plan, your pet is

covered for all basic health care needs, including preventative treatments and expert advice. The plan provides regular veterinary health checks, dividing the cost of maintaining

your pet’s general health throughout the year into monthly Direct Debit payments. Included in the Plan are the following treatments:

Full clinical examinations twice a year, which include general health, ears, eyes, weight, skin and teeth

Annual vaccinations

Worming treatments (sufficient for 12 months) Flea treatments (sufficient for 12 months)

Identi-chipping Dietary advice

In addition to the above, there is an extra 10% discount off selected items including neutering (15% for cats), dental procedures, over the counter pet shop purchases,

prescription foods. The plan also offers 20% off physiotherapy and acupuncture for your pet.

Pet Care Plans launched

Over 50 pet owners have

already signed up to follow our Pet Care Plans. Why

not call on 01765 602396 or ask our

staff today to find out more!

Welcome!

Vet, Ian McClive

Small Animal Services News Autumn 2013

Ripon Pateley Bridge Easingwold

Now is the time to think about preparing your pet for bonfire night if you know they are scared of fireworks. Here at

Bishopton Veterinary Group, we can help take the stress out of nights filled with loud noises around November 5th.

It is important to ensure your pet has a safe place that they can go to if they feel scared. Place some blankets for them to

burrow into and it is sometimes helpful to place an article of your clothing there so that they can detect your scent, which

will hopefully comfort them.

Adaptil Diffusers can be useful for dogs at these times. The Diffuser emits a copy of a naturally-occurring dog pheromone, which is produced by

nursing bitches to calm their puppies. The diffuser should be switched on 24 hours a day, two weeks before bonfire night and for two weeks after. It makes the dogs feel much more relaxed and confident when they might otherwise be stressed. A similar

diffuser for cats, called Feliway is also available.

There are lots of ways to help your pet feel more comfortable around this time, our Practice Nurses at Bishopton Veterinary Group can advise you on what is best for

you both. Once you and your pet have made it through bonfire night this year, we can help with the phobia on a more long-term basis.

Blood donors aren’t just for human health support; we are able to take blood from dogs to give directly to another animal in a crisis; one of the most rewarding and critically life-saving procedures that we perform and

we really need some volunteers.

In order to give blood your dog must satisfy these criteria: * Be healthy and have a good temperament

* Aged 1-8years * Weigh more than 25kg (55lbs) * Fully vaccinated with an up to date vaccination record card

* On no other treatment than preventative flea or worm treatment * Have not travelled outside the U.K.

What does donating blood involve for me and my dog?

* The possibility of being contacted during evenings or weekends with the expecta-tion of attending the hospital at short notice * A blood sample to determine blood type and suitability as a donor

* Your dog can safely donate up to 10% of its blood volume and so an average German Shepherd can donate 400ml of blood.

* Blood can be donated every 6-8weeks * Blood is taken from the jugular vein following application of a local anaesthetic cream and a mild sedation if required

* Blood collection will take approximately 20 minutes but maybe followed by a 1-2hr period on an intravenous drip to

replace lost blood volume.

What benefits are there for me? * We will provide your dog with a complimentary annual booster in return for giving blood.

If you would like to help us save lives then please

discuss the possibility of your dog becoming a blood donor with a member of our team

Preparing for Bonfire Night!

Blood donors needed

There has been a significant increase in people buying puppies from disreputable sources, which can lead to severe health

problems for the dogs, specific breeds not turning out to be what they are advertised as and huge disappointment, often alongside major expense, for the owners.

The Kennel Club aims to help potential new owners know what to look for when buying a puppy and to separate the good

breeders from the bad. Their website is full of information to help when making this important decision; it is hoped that equipping people with the right advice will go some way to eradicating the puppy welfare crisis that currently exists.

The new Bishopton Veterinary Group website (www.bishoptonvets.co.uk) has a link to the Kennel Club website where you can find all the information you need to

prepare you and your family to choose your happy and healthy new puppy.

Come and join

our puppy classes Bishopton Veterinary

Group holds weekly puppy classes to help your puppy socialise

and behave—including dedicated spaniel

classes. Our three Practice Nurses have many

years of experience—and lots of grateful owners! - in offering a practical opportunity for socialisation, habituation and early training for your new arrival.

We provide a video evening to show you the basics including socialisation, toilet

training, play biting and leadership. This is followed by socialisation classes covering toilet training, play biting, chewing and learning to be left. These sessions will enable your puppy to meet and play with other puppies of a similar age and give you the

opportunity to ask questions throughout.

Further one hour sessions follow covering doorways, jumping up, sit/down/stand, stay, recall, heel and off. All help ensure

your puppy develops into a happy, healthy, social dog.

We have excellent premises, perfect for puppy training includ-ing dedicated indoor facilities should it rain. We also sell a

variety of training aids that can make learning more fun for you and your puppy.

Our puppy classes run at Ripon and Pateley Bridge. To book

your puppy, or to just speak to our Practice Nurses for a bit of advice, please call the main surgery at Ripon on 01765

602396.

Thinking of buying a puppy?

We can also help you with your pet insurance! When you register a new puppy, kitten or rabbit with us, you can qualify for four

weeks free no-obligation insurance from Petplan. If you would like to discuss your pet’s insurance or need advice on what might be work best for you, please call our

specialist insurance advisor, Margaret Young, at the practice on 01765 645896

Animal physiotherapy is now becoming widely recognised for helping pets recover

from surgery, soft tissue injuries and can also enhance the quality of life in pets slowing down from mobility problems. It can be used to relieve pain and swelling

and thereby provide optimum conditions to help restore movement and function to ensure your pet is able to live a happier, more comfortable life.

At Bishopton Veterinary Group we have a dedicated physiotherapist, Beverley Boynton (RVN, Diploma in

Animal Physiotherapy), who can assess your pet and develop a full and detailed treatment plan based on the

type of injury, age of the pet, lifestyle and any other medical conditions.

All treatment is undertaken via veterinary referral with

techniques including massage, manual and electro thera-pies and establishing achievable home exercise plans, all developed by working closely with owners. Each appointment will last around 45

minutes and are available at our Ripon or Pateley Bridge surgeries.

If you think your pet could benefit from physiotherapy speak to one of our vets to

find out whether they would be a suitable candidate for referral to Beverley.

Has your dog come home from a walk with a tick attached to it? Were you able to remove it?

While the summer months increase the risk of ticks, especially if you

are walking your dog in the woods or on the moors, don’t be fooled as we move into autumn – as the weather begins to cool down con-

ditions are perfect for increased tick activity. Ticks tend to live in moist areas of long grass or other foliage or are found where there are sheep and deer roaming about. They attach to skin and start

feeding from blood after a person or animal has come into contact with the grass or leaves that they were on. They do not fly or jump so rely on you or

your dog brushing against the grass or leaves that they sit on. A tick can stay on the host (you or your dog), for a few days before it drops off, feeding all this time. They are around all year but are most common between spring and autumn.

It is important to check your pets regularly when they have been in long grass,

bracken or woodland as they may have a small tick attached to them. If you are not confident about removing any ticks from your pets, our nurses will remove them and

show you how to do it in future. We sell tick removers, just ask at reception. If your pet has a tick on its skin, it can cause a reaction which may require antibiotics, if you remove a tick yourself, keep checking the area over the following few days to ensure

there is no evidence of infection.

Ticks carry bacteria that can cause Lyme disease, which can be very serious if not treated; we strongly recommend that you consult your GP if you get bitten.

Our vets and nurses will give you advice on the best products to prevent ticks from attaching themselves to your pets (and you!) and to ensure they are safe from these and other parasites.

Bishopton Veterinary Group Tel: 01765 602396 / pets@bishoptonvets.co.uk

Animal physiotherapy

Ticks!