Keep up to date with all our latest news, articles of interest, and case studies from the veterinary world around Hawke’s Bay.
What is epilepsy? Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes dogs to have sudden, uncontrolled and recurring seizures. Dogs can have seizures because of trauma, exposure to toxins, brain tumors, genetic abnormalities, issues with the dog’s blood or organs, or for a number of other reasons. Other times, seizures may sometimes occur for unknown reasons…
Details
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…
Details
The physical break in the toe nail or dewclaw causes a cracked nail with an exposed nail bed. The nail bed can bleed or become infected. This can be so painful that your pet may stop bearing weight on the affected leg. If left untreated, nail infections can spread up to the joints of the…
Details
Bladder obstruction (commonly called a blocked bladder) is caused by a buildup of sludge, crystals or stones in the bladder. It is these crystals and stones, which obstruct the urethra (outflow tract of the bladder) and can cause an obstructed bladder, meaning your pet can not urinate. The inability to urinate causes the bladder to…
Details
Why are health checks so important? As they say, ‘prevention is always better than a cure’ and here at Vet Services we take routine health checks very seriously. Health exams are very important in assessing the condition of your pet and in helping to detect any underlying disease or problems. Pets age five to eight…
Details
As our pets age, they can develop changes to their heart which can lead to heart disease and eventually heart failure. Some animals are more susceptible to this due to their breed. A normal heart: Takes deoxygenated blood from the body via a large vein called the Vena Cava and pushes it into the right…
Details
As our pets age, normal and abnormal wear and tear within their joints can start taking its toll. Cartlidge within the joints start to wear thin and it causes inflammation. Once inflammation is present our pets suffer from arthritis. Arthritis is a progressive disease which means that over time it gets worse. Inflammation will lead…
Details
Central Hawkes Bay has had an outbreak of kennel cough. This disease can and will spread very fast between dogs and we recommend a vaccination to help protect your dogs. What is kennel cough: Kennel Cough (also known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis) is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Dogs commonly contract kennel cough at places…
Details
Canine parvovirus, commonly called ‘Parvo’, is a highly infectious and often lethal disease that affects puppies and dogs. It effects their stomach and small intestine and symptoms can include; vomiting, diarrhoea (often with traces of blood), a lack of appetite, dehydration and rapid condition loss. Puppies under 6 months of age are at the highest…
Details
Ear inflammation and infection is one of the most common conditions we encounter at Vet Services, especially in dogs. The ear is divided into three sections, the external ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. Inflammation/infection can affect any one of these three compartments separately or combined. Dr Neil Stuttle explains the cause &…
Details
Rachel Griffiths give her tips on keeping your pets cool on The Breeze morning show with Martin and Sarah. . Hawke’s Bay’s hot summer can present some challenges for our animals. Here’s Vet Rachels tips to keep your pets safe, cool and happy cool during the warmer months. Consider the best time to…
Details
Christmas is fraught with potential dangers to your pets. Items safe and enjoyable for humans can be dangerous for our furry friends. Here are the most common potential hazards. Chocolate. Wrapped up easily accessible under the Christmas tree, the festive season is the most common time to see chocolate toxicity in dogs. Containing theobromine, which…
Details
