This week we saw Hugo who came to us for a castrate, whilst being examined we noticed a hernia and were able to carry out the hernia repair surgery at the time for castration. Canine hernias are relatively common. Similar to humans, a hernia is a condition where the contents of a dog’s abdomen pushes through a tear or hole in the muscle wall or fatty tissue. Over 90 percent of canine hernia cases are due to genetics. Hernias can also develop from trauma or injury. Dogs with h

We have been treating creatures of all sizes this week. Meet Yoshi a Rat who was in to be castrated. The General anaesthetic procedure for a rat is very different to a dog or cat, Yoshi was inducted in a chamber with Oxygen and aesthetic vapour. He was then removed from the chamber and maintained on a mask this allowed for improved airway control. The nurse has to continually check Yoshi vitals including colour of mucous membranes (particularly for abnormal pallor or darkness

Riley decided to open his owners bin in the night and ate a large amount of tin foil. Riley was admitted for x-rays and we were able to locate tin foil in his stomach. The Tin foil was removed under general anaesthetic using Endoscopy which a minimally invasive procedure. An endoscope is a flexible tube with a camera attachment. The tube is placed through the mouth into the stomach. After the foreign body is located, a grabbing instrument is inserted through the endoscope. By

Meet Bailey who visited us with a sore leg he had damage to her cruciate and had a surgical procedure called a TPLO One of the most common injuries to the knee of dogs is tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). This ligament is similar to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in humans. There are actually two cruciate ligaments inside the knee: the cranial cruciate ligament and caudal cruciate ligament. They are called cruciate because they cross over each other insid

Luna presented at the practice with a corneal ulcer in her eye caused by extra eyelashes rubbing on the eye surface. Luna was diagnosed with Distichiasis this is where an extra row of hairs which can be long and stiff grow on the eyelid and irritate the eye, resulting in a corneal ulcer. The severity of the problem depends on how stiff the hairs are, how long they are, where they’re located, and how many extra hairs there are. Luna had the eye lashes removed and diathermy was

This stray cat was brought in by its new owner due to a nasal discharge, breathing difficulties and eye issues. After examination it was found to have a whole in the roof of its mouth. This called cleft palate. A cleft palate typically looks like what it sounds like: a hole in the roof of the mouth. That hole may be larger or smaller and it may vary in location (closer to the front or back of the mouth), but most are readily identifiable at birth. Some cleft palate defects ma

Vivienne attended the surgery last week as she was very lethargic and her owner was very concerned. Further tests were carried out and we found Vinenne had a Pyothorax. Pyothorax is an accumulation of fluid that contains an infectious (usually bacteria) agent and immune system cells in the space surrounding the lungs and heart. A small needle was placed into the chest to withdraw some fluid, and to relieve the pressure surrounding the lungs and heart and allowing Vivienne to

Today we have had several calls regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) and pets. Here is some information from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. Please share Can COVID-19 infect pets?Currently there is no evidence that companion animals can be infected with or spread COVID-19. If my pet has been in contact with someone who is sick from COVID-19, can it spread the disease to other people?While we do not yet know for sure, there is no evidence that companion animals can