Articles Archive - Page 3 of 4 - Moorabbin Veterinary Hospital

Cats

Our Top Tips For Introducing Your New Kitten To Your Household Pets

A new kitten is pretty irresistible to most – except for the other pets in your household. When you already have another cat or a dog, introducing a kitten into the dynamic can be challenging. More than likely, your resident cat or dog won’t be too pleased with sharing their home and your attention with a new animal. But with careful planning and lots of patience and positive reinforcement, your whole furred family can happily co-exist. In this blog, we take you through our top tips for introducing a new kitten to your household pets with the least amount of stress possible. Give your kitten their own space Before you even bring your kitten home, set up a quiet room or secure space that can’t be accessed by the other pets in your household. Ideally, this should be a room

January 4, 2023

Cats

Vaccinations For Your Pets: Your FAQs answered

Vaccinations are an important part of protecting your pets against a range of life-threatening illnesses. By vaccinating your cat, dog or rabbit, you’re giving them the best chance of living a long and healthy life. There’s a lot of information (and misinformation!) when it comes to vaccinations for pets, so we thought we would compile a list of FAQs – and the answers of course! Why do pets actually need vaccinations? Many diseases that can affect dog, cats and rabbits are incredibly infectious. While puppies and kittens receive immunity to a range of diseases through their mother’s milk, once they reach about 4-6 weeks of age, they can start to become vulnerable to infection. Vaccines help to stimulate your pet’s immune system and prevent future infections from diseases. Without vaccination, your pet is significantly at risk of developing illnesses that

December 9, 2022

Cats

Desexing Your Cat Or Dog: What You Need To Know

While having surgery performed on your precious cat or dog – especially when they are young – may seem a little confronting at first, desexing is a very common and safe procedure, with minimal risks involved. If you don’t intend to breed your cat or dog, we strongly recommend that you desex your pet. Benefits of desexing your pet Desexing your cat or dog prevents unwanted pregnancies, but also offers many benefits for both male and female pets. Desexing male pets Neutering male pets offers a number of health and behavioural benefits, including: Desexing female pets When a female cat or dog is desexed (also known as spaying), their risk of developing a number of serious health issues is significantly reduced. When should my pet be desexed? The timing of desexing can vary depending on the sex and breed of

November 22, 2022

Cats

What does an annual health check for your pet include?

Even if your pet seems perfectly healthy, it is still important to book in that annual health check with your vet. Dogs and cats are living longer than ever before, so it’s crucial that the beginnings of any health issues are detected before they become serious. What happens during an annual health check for your pet? Regular check-ups are the best way to make sure your pet is in top shape. During the appointment, your vet will undertake a thorough physical examination. They will check your pet’s eyes and ears, take their temperature, and listen to their heart and lungs. They will also feel for any abnormalities in the lymph nodes, legs, and abdomen, as well as having a good look at their coat and skin to check for any signs of irritation or lumps and bumps. A dental check

November 15, 2022

Pet Care

Vaccinating Your Rabbit

Vaccinations for pets are important to ensure they live a fulfilling life without preventable disease or illness. We can vaccinate rabbits to protect against Calicivirus. Myxomatosis vaccination is unavailable for use in Australia, therefore we recommend insect control, mosquito netting the rabbit’s cage and keeping them inside to avoid mosquitos. CalicivirusOutbreaks of this disease are often seen in summer due to the higher volume of mosquitos. Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (also known as Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus) is a life-threatening disease which can affect a rabbit within 12-18 hours of infection. It has a high mortality rate and nearly all rabbits die from the disease once infected. When to vaccinateKittensKittens require frequent boosters given their developing immune system. Adult rabbitsYearly adult vaccination boosters coinciding with an annual health check. We will send you yearly reminders to keep the booster shots up

December 7, 2016

Cats

Lily Toxicity In Cats

Lilies are a very common flower often seen in gardens and flower arrangements. A very scary fact about lilies that people may not know, is that they are in fact extremely toxic when ingested by cats.Every part of the lily is toxic, from the petals, leaves, stems, stamen, pollen and even to the water in the vase. Even licking the pollen or just mouthing any part of the lily, and not even ingesting any of the plant can have fatal consequences. It is best to consider all lilies in the lilium (true lilies) and hemerocallis (day lilies) species as toxic. Typically, signs of ingestion are:∙ Vomiting∙ Diarrhoea∙ Lethargy∙ Depression∙ Inappetence∙ Dehydration∙ Increased thirst∙ Seizures∙ Death Within 1-3 days of ingestion acute renal failure (ARF / kidney failure) develops, with the cat displaying dehydration, uremic breath (ammonia like) and often oral

December 7, 2016

Dogs

Dog Tricks

Tricks are a great way to have fun with your dog and keep them entertained. They can also be a subtle way to teach obedience to your dog, and stop bad habits like jumping up. Here are a few simple ones to work on after they’ve mastered ‘sit’ and ‘stay’. Roll over The key is to move and position a treat in a way that intuitively gets your dog to roll over. You need to keep the food very close to your dog’s body, and move it backwards over the neck and shoulders so your dog follows the movement. It’s important to repeat the command ‘roll over’ throughout, to make sure they associate the trick with the words. Bang A funny trick, enjoyed by adults and children alike, is getting your dog to play dead when you point your hand

May 13, 2016

Dogs

Overweight Pets

You wouldn’t be crazy to think that everywhere you look there seem to be overly plump pets struggling under their own weight. The fact is that 25-30% of cats and dogs are now overweight. The causesPets are eating too much and exercising too little. The overeating is usually a symptom of diabolical puppy dog eyes and the melting hearts of pet owners. Getting your pets exercise can be especially difficult. The resultsOverweight pets have a shorter lifespan. Additionally, they are much more at risk of health issues, such as: diabetes (especially cats), arthritis, cardiovascular disease and pancreatitis. Is my pet overweight Healthy weight: Overweight: Weight reduction strategies Diet No extra food What food? They’re healthy. What now? Exercise Dogs Cats Healthy puppies Obesity in pets often starts when they are very young. If animals develop too many fat cells whilst in

March 22, 2016

Dogs

Chocolate Poisoning and Dogs

Chocolate is no friend to your dog! No matter how much they beg, giving chocolate to your canine is very unhealthy for them. To be extra safe you should always keep your chocolate treats hidden and out of reach of your mischievous dog. Why do dogs get sick from chocolate? Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which are poisonous to dogs. The effects are worsened by how quickly dogs eat, especially puppies! Meaning they can have finished an entire cake before they even start feeling sick. The poison causes a rapid and weak heart beat, constricted blood vessels, and stimulates the nervous system. The most dangerous types of chocolate to dogs is dark and cooking chocolate, but semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate and hot chocolate are also poisonous to some degree. Basically the higher percentage of cocoa the worse off the dog.How

February 15, 2016

Feeding

What To Feed Your Rabbit

Rabbits are herbivores and need a varied, balanced diet full of nutrients. They require a large amount of fibre and even have a specialised digestive tract to process it. Staple Diet In the wild, rabbits eat everything from grass and flowers to fruit and even chew on bark and branches. A mixture of hay and vegetables is a good way to mimic this nutritional diet for your domestic pet. Try to offer a variety of vegetables, scraps and off cuts are fine, leafy greens are a particular favourite. But don’t overdo it on the lettuce, as this can cause diarrhoea. About 250 grams of vegetables per day for every kilo of bodyweight should keep your rabbit healthy and happy. Rabbits tend to pick out what they like. Always remember to give your rabbit access to fresh water 24 hours a day, just make sure

August 11, 2015

Dogs

Stop the Barking

Excessive barking is a very common problem for dog owners. Most of the time dogs are just protecting their territory, feeling a bit anxious or just want your attention. Dogs are very social animals and can easily feel lonely. Punishment-based methods are not a solution for barking. When your dog is excited enough to bark, they are often too distracted to learn new behaviours. It is better to first focus on calming your dog down, and then reward the calm behaviour. Reduce stimuli React quickly Reward good behaviour If you have a persistent barking problem with your dog just make an appointment with us at the Moorabbin Veterinary Hospital. We can give your furry friend a quick check up to make sure nothing physical is bothering them and offer personal advice as to how to deal with any separation anxiety issues.

July 7, 2015

Cats

Choosing the Right Collar

A collar is everything from a fashion statement to an essential item to attach ID, registration tags and of course your pet’s lead. Registration tags are a must for many types of pet. For dogs, leads are required in many outdoor spaces throughout the metropolitan area. There is a huge range of collars available and we know it can be a little overwhelming. There is such a thing as the right collar for your pet so here is a quick guide to help you keep it simple and make the right choice. Size and Weight While it’s easy to get blinded by all the pretty colours and patterns, the most important thing for your pet is to choose a collar that fits and isn’t too heavy for them to wear. For example, bigger dogs need a heavier and wider collar than

May 13, 2015