Hello again and welcome to the 3rd edition of the Anton vets newsletter. Thanks to you all the practice is continuing to grow and expand and after settling into the extended premises in April we are pleased to welcome our lovely new qualified vet Jo Hart. We also have two new nurses Sam Young who joins us from Scotland and Becky Elphinstone who comes from Amesbury, they have both recently passed their second year training and are now fully qualified nurses.
Repeat prescriptions.
Please can we ask for 24 hours notice when requesting a repeat prescription of medication for your pet, this allows us to be sure we have enough of the treatment in stock for you and gives us time to put up the medication for you to collect.
If your pet is due worming or flea treatment it would also be very helpful if you could give us a ring 24 hours before you want to come and collect it so that we can make sure we have it all ready put aside for you in reception .
This helps to reduce waiting times at the reception desk. Thank you.
Arthritis in cats
As we are all aware cats are amazing athletes but unfortunately as they get older arthritic changes can occur in their joints which may cause pain on movement. It can be very difficult to spot signs of pain in cats, unlike in dogs where lameness is usually a common presentation cats often do not limp even if they are in pain because the osteoarthritic changes are bilateral. Some subtle changes that may indicate chronic pain in cats are often changes in normal behaviours such as;
Reduced activity, cats may seem less interactive with the family and spend large amounts of time sleeping indoors when perhaps before they liked to spend time outside.
Changes in grooming habits, cats may spend less time grooming because they find it uncomfortable to reach certain areas or may even over-groom painful areas, their coats may become scruffy and unkempt .
Reduced mobility, cats may resent jumping to previously favourite places which are elevated and may sit in a more hunched posture.
Changes in mood and demeanour, cats may be less interactive and withdrawn, even aggressive when certain areas are stroked or groomed.
There are a number of things that can be done to help cats with arthritis, including wt loss programmes if the cat is considered to be over- weight, the use of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in an easy to administer liquid form, the use of chondroitin and glucosamine supplementation and acupuncture which is usually tolerated very well in cats.
If you think your cat may be exhibiting any of the signs of chronic pain mentioned or are concerned about the possibilities of arthritis please do not hesitate to contact the practice for advice.
School talks
Gemma Clinch one of our qualified nurses attended a careers day at a local school to offer advice on entering the veterinary nursing profession, her presentation proved very popular and we are hoping she has helped to inspire a new generation of veterinary nurses!
If you have any enquiries about school talks or similar, please contact reception as are our nurses are happy to help.
Alternative medicine
At Anton Vets we can offer acupuncture, Homoeopathic and Herbal treatment and advice for your pet. Please see our website for further details – antonvets.co.uk
Congratulations Jenny
Jenny Smith has been awarded The Service Cross by the Royal Life Saving Society for 20 years of voluntary service as a trainer and assessor, teaching life saving to children. Jenny attended a special ceremony in London to receive this prestigious award. Well done Jenny!