July News
It’s all about the weather this month!
We hope you are coping with the prolonged heat wave. As an old, small and poorly insulated building, our Clarendon Street surgery can get somewhat sticky! We have had to move some stores of medication down into the basement, invest in some heavy-duty vans, and keep a keen eye on the forecast, so that on the hottest days we can relocate any surgeries to our lovely, air-conditioned, Church Street surgery.
The Stapleford weekend dog show had to be cancelled due to the heat and we attended instead with star guest Africa, the giant Sulcata tortoise. The Sulcata tortoise (also known as the African Spurred Tortoise) originates from sub-Saharan Africa, so thrives in warmer weather. Africa may be slow, but she is very determined, and she kept us busy, chasing her around the Stapleford recreation ground. The winner of our ‘guess the weight of the tortoise’ competition has been informed and awarded their ‘free consultation’ voucher!
Grass seeds seem to be a particularly problematic this year so do take care when walking your dog. We have been removing a phenomenal number from ears, eyes, noses and paws in the last few weeks. Our Church Street ‘Pet of the Month’ Mavis had 3 seeds removed from her eye! You can read her story in the community section of our website
https://www.churchstreetvets.co.uk/csv-community#potm
If you are bringing in your dog with a suspected grass seed, please don’t feed them first. This gives us the option to sedate them if need be.
We have had a few very upsetting cases of heatstroke. True heat stroke is not that common but can prove fatal. Unlike us, dogs and cats do not cool down by sweating (they sweat only a little via the pads on their paws.) Cats keep cool mainly by grooming and lying on cool, shady surfaces which absorb some of the heat from their bodies. Cats only pant if they are significantly overheating. In contrast, dogs routinely pant in warmer weather, and this is their main way of cooling down. We strongly advise, while the heat persists, that dogs are walked early morning and late evening only and encouraged to stay indoors in a cooler area of the house during the hottest part of the day. Cool fresh water should always be available, and NEVER leave any pets unattended in your car. RSPCA info on keeping pets cool available below
https://www.rspca.org.uk/w/whatwedo/press/heatwave-pet-care-myths
Small furry pets also need extra care in the hot weather. Make sure their housing, whether indoor or outdoor, is located somewhere shady and cool. Provide extra water and change soiled bedding frequently to keep the flies at bay. Check the rear ends of rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens daily for any signs of fly strike, which is much more common in hot weather, can develop fast and be fatal.
As ever, if you have heat related pet concerns or questions about any other aspect of your pet’s care, please do get in touch.
Patrick, Harriet and all the CSV team.