Articles

Keep up to date with all our latest news, articles of interest, and case studies from the veterinary world around Hawke’s Bay.

When being cuddly is not cute…

Much like the human population, companion animals are becoming increasingly overweight. In New Zealand the statistics are alarmingly high and a significant proportion of the patients we see on a day to day basis are overweight. Why should we care and why not just embrace our fuller-bodied pets? A concept that has in the past…

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What’s the itch?

I am allergic. My skin’s inflamed and itchy. Take me to my vet! We can help you to work out what is causing the itching – is it fleas, contact allergies, food, airborne allergies, hormonal issue effecting the skin, bacterial or fungal infection? Subtle differences may be diagnostic. What do allergies in pets look like?…

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white long coat small dog

What to do if your pet is constipated?

Constipation is an obstruction of the colon with difficulty to pass dry, hard and firm faeces.  Obstipation is a severe obstruction with an inability to defaecate at all.  Clinical signs are:   Straining to defaecate and/or defaecating small amounts of dry hard firm stool Straining with small amounts of liquid stool Occasional vomiting and not…

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What is acupuncture and how does it work?

Acupuncture for dogs, like acupuncture for humans, is a complementary medical practice that involves inserting fine needles into the skin to stimulate points on the body for pain relief and healing responses. Acupuncture has its origins in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been used for thousands of years. In TCM acupuncture is used to…

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What are the signs of heatstroke?

Dogs do not perspire the way humans do; in fact, the only sweat glands that they have are on the pads of their feet. Dogs pant to cool themselves. If the surrounding air is not considerably cooler than the animals’ body temperature – as in the case of a hot, stuffy automobile – the cooling…

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Urinary Tract Disorders – Neil Stuttle

Urinary tract disorders are very common in cats and dogs and are a regular part of our case load here at VSHB. The urinary tract system enables the production of urine to eliminate metabolic waste products, storage of urine and then the appropriate emptying of urine. The urinary tract itself is divided into the upper…

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The silent sufferer – Sharné Boys

As vets and as owners we are very aware of osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs. However, recognition of this condition in cats is often a lot later in the piece than in their canine counterparts. In recent years we have hugely improved in our diagnosis and subsequent treatment of OA and we have also recognized that…

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Snip ‘n’ Chip

THERE IS NOW LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LEFT FOR SNIP ‘N’ CHIP Visit Vet Services Waipukurau or Vet Services Napier to secure your $10 Snip ‘n’ Chip voucher and BOOK IN your feline for their appointment before 31st January 2022. There are a limited number of vouchers left so be in quick to avoid disappointment.…

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Slug Bait Toxicity Warning

Slug bait (metaldehyde) can be fatal to dogs.  They are attracted to it so it needs to be locked away, even being on a high shelf dogs will seek it out or scavenge if it gets knocked off.  Signs of poisoning range from slight muscle twitches/tremours to full blown seizures.  Even with intensive, emergency treatment,…

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