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Winter 2006/7 +++ OPEN WEEKEND SAT MARCH 17th AND SUN MARCH 18th +++ +++ FROM 12 to 4 BOTH DAYS +++ +++ ALL WELCOME +++
Our big move - March 3rd
After 18 years in our current site, we will be making an exciting move on March 3rd. We have found new premises just over a mile away, which will offer good parking an much more space allowing us the best facilities to care for your pets.
In August 2005, the decision was made by Newbury Primary Care Trust to close the Charles Clore Macmillan Day Unit on Newtown Road , and early in 2006 we were given the opportunity to buy the premises.
The new address is 214 Newtown Road, RG14 7ED
Work on conversion of the building started in November, and is due to be completed towards the end of February 2007. We are excited by the prospect of a new home. Although we are very fond of our current site, it has drawbacks which we cannot overcome. From your point of view, one of the major problems is parking. Since we share our car park with the dentists, and both practices have grown dramatically in the last 18 years, pressure on car parking spaces is heavy.  Map of the new site - not far away! 18 years ago the clinic was run by one full time and one part time vet. Now we have six vets and correspondingly larger numbers of nurses and receptionists. We are bursting at the seams, and are proud to have managed to supply high quality veterinary care from quite cramped premises. We look forward to having the space to work more efficiently, to be able to hospitalise patients in more comfort and to offer more services, such as boarding some cats and running puppy parties. We will have separate wards for cats, dogs and rabbits and exotic pets. There will be space for nurses to take a bigger part in your pets' health care and advice.
Once we move, we can offer:
....and much more
We aim to move on Saturday March 3rd, after morning surgery. There will be an Open Weekend on Saturday March 17 th and Sunday March 18 th from 12 to 4 each day. You will all be welcome to come and look around, and join us in a snack and a drink.
The new clinic will be a much improved environment for patients, clients and staff, and we are keen to show it off to you.
Our clients have always been important to us and the way we work and run the practice., and the building is very much yours as well as ours. If you are unable to come to the open weekend, or if you just would like to look around again, just ask any of us, and we will be happy to take you for a tour.
Can't wait for the move.......
Rabbit Panacur and Encephalitozoon cuniculi
Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a protozoal parasite which affects rabbits. In recent years we have become aware of how widespread the disease is, and how many symptoms it causes in the rabbit patients that we see.
Encephalitozoon cuniculi is an intracellular protozoan parasite which can cause a range of clinical signs including hind limb paresis (weakness), head tilt, collapse, urinary incontinence, cataract formation and lens-induced uveitis (inflammation of the iris) and death. Transmission is primarily via ingestion of spores shed in the urine contaminating food and/or water.
A 2006 UK study showed antibodies to the organism in 52% of domestic rabbits indicating the widespread nature of the parasite.
Panacur Rabbit is an aid in the control of E. cuniculi and it is recommended that additional preventative measures are taken such as ensuring that food and water are placed appropriately to prevent urine contamination.
E. cuniculi has zoonotic potential and infection has been reported in immunosuppressed people. Zoonoses are diseases which humans can contract from animals, such as worms from dogs and cats, ringworm, psittacosis, rabies etc.
It is advised that rabbits are dosed with Panacur Rabbit for 9 days, twice a year, to help with prevention of the disease.
Alzheimer's disease in cats
You may have suspected that your old cat was losing its marbles, and now there is proof that felines are not immune to the effects of old age on their brains.
Recent studies show that a protein similar to that found in humans with dementia can build up in the nerve cells of a cat's brain. The protein build up causes 'tangles' in the nerve cells which inhibit messages being processed by the brain.
As diet and healthcare for cats improve, life expectancy for cats is increasing. Longer life brings a greater chance of developing disorders of old age, including senile dementia. Studies show that 28% of cats aged between 11 and 14 years develop at least one old-age related behaviour problem, and this rises to more than 50% for cats over 15.
There is no cure at present for feline Alzheimer's disease, but experts suggest that good diet, mental stimulation and companionship can reduce the risk of dementia.
Fat dog's owners convicted
We know that weight problems are common in pet dogs, mostly caused by a combination of a very nutritious diet, not enough exercise and too many treats.
For a pair of Cambridge shire brothers, having an overweight dog recently led them to court and a conviction for causing unnecessary suffering.
Rusty the labrador had ballooned to 11 stone (69.8 kg). A normal Labrador might weigh 30 kg. The poor dog had arthritis and found it hard to exercise, but the owners' protestations that they had tried and failed to get Rusty to lose weight seemed feeble, since the dog lost 4 stone while in the custody of the RSPCA.
Pet owning is good for your health - it's official!
A
paper in the British Journal of Health Psychology confirms as
much. The study is a review of research papers that have explored the connection between domestic dog ownership and human wellbeing. The researcher found papers that suggest domestic dog ownership can prevent people from getting ill, recover more quickly when they do fall ill, and give warning of early signs of cancer, seizures and hypoglycaemia.
There was strong evidence to suggest that dog owners have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and are less likely to have minor and serious health problems.
People who take cats and dogs from rescue centres reported reductions in minor health problems such as headaches, dizzy spells and colds as soon as one month after taking their new companion home. However, it was only people who had dogs who had the improved health conditions ten months later. |
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