Acana and Orijen grain free natural food Message from Dr Craig Mostert Hello Everyone Once again we near the end of another year and pretty soon things are going to get heated in car parks, as people vie for that parking spot they had their eye on whilst out doing their Christmas shopping. We will be asking pleadingly of loved ones, “What do you want for Christmas? Please, just a tiny clue!” because we know trawling through malls and websites for those elusive gifts is hard work. We will listen to songs like “Let it snow, let it snow” whilst trying to keep our cool in sauna like weather, (got to love Durban in winter!), and banting diets will be suspended as everyone tucks into their favourite Christmas food. This is what the people will be up to but our pets? Well, they just wonder what all the fuss is about. If you want a gift for your dog or cat, come in and see our wide selection of toys and treats. Or, you could get them a potentially lifesaving gift of medical insurance. We are delighted that more and more clients are taking out cover for their pets. When your pet is admitted for some unexpected emergency, you don’t have to feel torn between worrying about mounting costs and concern for your pet. Please consider it, it may end up being one of your best gift choices ever. That’s it from me in our second to last newsletter of the year. Thank you to all our long-time customers for your tremendous support this year, and a special welcome and thank you to all the new folks that have joined “the Village family”. We look forward to seeing you over the festive season. Take care and warm regards Dr Craig Mostert ACANA and ORIJEN represent a new class of food that mirrors the high and various inclusions of fresh whole meats that dogs and cats are naturally evolved to eat, while excluding inappropriate ingredients. Our foods are free of maize, wheat, rice, soya and other common grains found in pet food and are thus very low in carbohydrates. With three unique product lines formulated to our Biologically Appropriate™ standards, these foods are guaranteed to meet the diverse nutritional needs of today’s dogs and cats. Made from Canada’s best and freshest ingredients in our own award-winning kitchens, these authentic foods keep your pet healthy, happy and and strong. Our fresh ingredients are:  NEVER FROZEN – refrigeration is the only means of preservation  PRESERVATIVE FREE – no chemicals or synthetics added whatsoever  AUTHENTIC – our fresh ingredients arrive at our kitchen within a day or two of harvest We think pet lovers want to know where the ingredients in their pet’s food originate. That’s why we focus on ingredients that are sustainably raised within our region by people we know and trust. They are passed fit for human consumption and then delivered to our kitchens, FRESH EACH DAY, so that you can be confident that you know where your pet’s food really comes from. Please enquire at reception for further information and advice on the correct food in each range to feed your dog or cat. The first 20 clients to purchase a 2.27kg, 6.8kg or 13kg bag of Acana or Orijen will receive a FREE can of our new Weruva food. AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY: Highway After hours 084 520 1417 Sherwood Emergency 031 207 1300 Breed Specific—The Beagle On a 25°C day, the inside of a car will heat up to 50° C in minutes even with the windows open. Even when parked in the shade on a warm day, animals can succumb to heat stroke or death if left in the car unattended. Sadly, it happens every year. Dogs are particularly at risk as they cool themselves by panting. If the air around them is too hot - particularly if they don’t have access to water - dogs are physically unable to regulate their body temperature. In the time it takes to pick up a few things for dinner at the supermarket and get through the check-out, a dog left in a hot car could have already died an agonising death. PLEASE PROTECT YOUR PETS THIS SUMMER, DON’T LEAVE THEM IN THE CAR, EVEN FOR A MINUTE! Cats and arthritis Even though cats are much lighter than dogs and the wear and tear on their joints is significantly lower as a result, studies have shown that 65% of cats over 12 years have feline osteoarthritis. Cats tend to be more active at night (nocturnal behaviour) so lameness and limping therefore often goes unnoticed by the owner. Arthritis in cats is exactly the same as in dogs, but vets do not diagnose it as frequently as in dogs. The main reason for this is that cats are exceptionally good at masking pain and even if they suffer great pain it will often go unnoticed until much later. Cats are also often so stressed during veterinary consultations that normal movement cannot be differentiated from abnormal movement. Take a video clip at home to show your vet. Symptoms which may indicate arthritis in cats are:  Inappropriate urination in the house, because they can no longer jump high enough to go outside through the open window.  Not eating when their feeding bowl is up on a counter Staying in one spot for longer periods of time.  If you should notice any of the above symptoms, please bring your cat in to be assessed. We can help alleviate the pain. The first Beagles date back to the 1500s. English hunters would take packs of these dogs out on the hunt tracking rabbits, hare, pheasant, quail and other small animals. Beagles have a total of 220 million scent receptors compared to man’s 5 million, which makes them excellent narcotics detection dogs. All Beagles have a white tip at the end of their tails, this was so the hunters could see them through the tall grass. The Beagle is affectionate and gentle, always happy to see everyone, greeting them with a wagging tail. They are sociable, brave and intelligent, and do very well with agility work. The Beagle is excellent with children and generally good with other dogs, but because of their hunting instincts, they should not be trusted with other small animals, unless socialized with cats and other household animals when young. Beagles have minds of their own. They are determined and watchful and require patient, firm training. It is important to establish pack leadership with this dog from an early age to help maintain a healthy happy relationship. It is essential that you provide the proper amount of mental and physical exercise, including daily walks to prevent destructive behaviours from presenting themselves. The Beagle does not have a normal sounding bark, but rather a loud bay cry that almost sounds like a short howl. Beagles are curious and have a tendency to follow their noses, making your “come” command one of the hardest behaviours to teach. If they pick up a scent they may wander off and not even hear you calling them back, or care to listen, as they will be too busy trying to find the critter at the other end. Take care when letting them off leash that you are in a safe area. Some lines can be prone to epilepsy, heart disease, mast cell tumours, eye and back problems. They are also prone to chondroplasia aka dwarfism (warped front legs, like a Basset's). Beagles can weigh on average between 9 and 11kgs and have a life span of about 12-15 years. Hills cattitude evening Pooh’s survival story We are hosting an evening all about cats on Thursday, November 21st - 6 for 6:30. Pooh du Toit came in to the practice in March this year. He was looking really sad and bedraggled with an overgrown beak. His owners were desperately concerned about him as he was eating and sitting at his food dish all the time, but still losing weight. Hills Pet Nutrition will be sponsoring the evening and everyone will leave with a goody bag from Hills. Drinks and snacks will be available. Dr Odendaal diagnosed him with a very severe Megabacteria infection. This is a very serious illness that is difficult to treat and the prognosis for recovery is often poor. Anyone who would like to join us for a fun evening, please let Mandy know on 031 764 0588 or email her at [email protected] Mr and Mrs du Toit started him on the treatment and went to great lengths to get shelled sunflower seeds and offered him lots of different soft vegetables. World Diabetes Day Dr Kaldenberg flushed his sinuses and trimmed his beak. Pooh became a regular visitor to the practice for checkups and to collect more medication. He is an amazing little bird. We were all terrified that he would not make it, but he just never gave up. Slowly but surely, the colouring of his feathers improved and he began putting on some weight. He started whistling and talking again. His beak still needs to be trimmed on a regular basis, but he overcame all odds and is now a happy bird again. Well done to the du Toit family for nursing him so well. Unusual visitors to the Clinic Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures and very similar to hamsters in many ways. Like hamsters it is the luck of the draw as to their personality. With more and more people moving to complexes with "no cats and no dogs" policies, they are moving towards owning small creatures that can be kept indoors, hedgehogs being one of them. Diabetes is not only a human medical condition but often occurs in dogs and cats as well. The body needs insulin to use sugar (glucose) from the diet for energy. Without insulin, sugar accumulates in the blood and spills into the urine. Sugar in the urine causes the pet to pass large amounts of urine and to drink lots of water. Levels of sugar in the brain control appetite and without insulin the brain becomes sugar deprived. This makes the pet constantly hungry yet they may lose weight due to improper use of nutrients from the diet. Untreated diabetic pets are more likely to develop infections and commonly get bladder, kidney or skin infections. There are three forms of diabetes, all of which display very similar symptoms, the most noticeable being: 1. 2. 3. 4. Increased urination. Drinking frequently / excessively. Loss of weight despite a good appetite Pet is often tired, lethargic or sleeps more often. Note that these symptoms are not exclusive to diabetes, but they are often the earliest signs detectable by owners. Always be concerned about your dog's health and safety by checking on its condition every so often. Sad dogs are sick dogs. Whenever you think that your pet is not doing things that it normally does, take him to the vet for a check up. Most diseases are controllable if treated in their early stages. Lucky is an African penguin from Ushaka who was brought into the clinic to have an endoscope procedure. These penguins are also known as the jackass and black-footed penguin - the “jackass” because of its donkey-like bray. It has distinctive pink patches of skin above the eyes which help it to cope with changing temperatures. When the temperature gets hotter, the body of the penguin sends more blood to these glands to be cooled by the air surrounding it. This then causes the gland to turn a darker shade of pink. Penguins are flightless and feed primarily on fish and squid. Once extremely numerous, their numbers are declining due to a combination of threats and they are now classified as endangered. KIDDIES CORNER Sponsored by ACANA and ORIJEN biologically appropriate foods SUDOKU