Category Archives: Today’s News

Snake repeller

Protect family and pets with a solar powered snake repeller. Makers of the Sentinel snake repeller claim that it repels all snake species and is safe to use around children and animals.

The repeller emits a pulsing vibration that makes snakes retreat immediately. A solar charged power cells operates the unit so you can place it away from power sources and head snakes off from sheds and homes.

The Sentinel repeller is available locally from Andrew Ochiltree on 0418 631 909.

More information on www.stop-snakes.com

(Hall Vet Surgery has no experience with this product and passes on the information for your interest)

Exaggerated and irresponsible article in today’s Canberra Times

An article on a report published by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (AVPMA) in the Canberra Times today magnifies adverse effects in some animals to veterinary vaccines, flea treatments and other chemicals. It fails to mention the sickness, suffering and death prevented by these treatments in the vast majority of animals.

This morning we admitted an unvaccinated pup into hospital with parvovirus gastroenteritis. He is very dehydrated and is suffering severe abdominal pain. His chances of survival are 60:40. If he had been vaccinated he would not have developed this nasty disease. The vaccine is close to 100% effective in preventing parvovirus disease and only has to be administered once very 3 years to adult dogs.

Many hundreds of thousands of dogs are vaccinated every year and only a handful suffer any side effects. Most often the side effects are mild, a swelling at the site or of the face.

This summer is the worst for fleas and ticks in many years because of the high rainfall. Tick antiserum is in short supply and it is imperative that all dogs travelling to the coast are treated with a tick preventative and searched daily for ticks.

Advantix, permethrin spray and Frontline are the most effective tick prevention available. Compared to the number of dogs treated we see very few side effects. They are usually mild skin irritation or hair loss, and usually reversible.

Dogs infested with ticks die without tick antiserum and intensive treatment. Tick antiserum is far more likely to cause serious side effects than any of the preventative chemicals. Tick prevention is far better than cure.

Fleas and flea allergy dermatitis cause far more discomfort in far more dogs than the occasional side effect to any of the flea preventatives. Millions of doses of fipronil, imidacloprid and permethrin are applied every year but, as the APVMA reports, only a few cause side effects.  The benefits of flea prevention far outweigh the risk of side effects.

Each individual cat should have a tailored vaccination programme. Specialists from around the world debated the frequency of immunisation in cats at this year’s veterinary immunology conference. Factors affecting our recommendation for your cat include whether she goes outdoors or to boarding catteries, or how many other cats live in the household. We have not seen significant adverse effects to the vaccines in any of our patients but we often see very sick unvaccinated cats.

Feline AIDS caused by the cat immunodeficiency virus circulates in our outdoor cat population. It is incurable and reduces affected cats’ ability to fight off common infections and afflictions.  We see fever in the occasional cat on the day following the AIDS vaccination.

We see unexpected but occasional side effects with many things we give our pets. This article exaggerates the APVMA’s report and the likelihood of serious problems If you have concerns about any treatments you currently use please discuss the costs and benefits with your veterinarian first.

Sunloving pooches beware!

We have seen an upsurge in dogs with sun induced skin cancers in the last month or so.  Most of these are on the bellies of  Staffies or Jack Russells that love to lie on their backs in the sun.These cancers can be difficult to remove completely if they are not caught early and will recur if the sunbaking continues.

The types of skin cancers include squamous cells carcinomas which look like scaley skin in the early stages and cancers of the tiny skin blood vessels which look like bright bruises or red areas in the skin.

If you find a suspicious area on your dog’s belly ask us to check it out earlier rather than later.

Boarding Vaccinations

Is your pet boarding this Christmas holidays?  Check that vaccinations and heartworm injections are up to date now.

If your cat or dog are due for boosters before boarding come in and see us during November.  Immunity will be high in time for Christmas.

Consultations are hard to book close to Christmas so come in soon.

Loss of a Pet


Katrina Warren has created a site for people who have lost a pet or have old or ill pets.  If you are grieving the loss of your pet or agonising over a decision to end your pet’s life then you may find help and information on this site.

She encourages people to share their stories and honour the lives of their special pets.  Have a look it at:

Our Wonderful Pets

The love we have for our pets never dies- they live on in our hearts and memories forever.

Tick season on again

We have had our first tick paralysis cases for the season already.  Signs of weakness and slobbering don’t show up until a few days after the ticks attach. Pets are often back in Canberra before owners notice something is wrong.

If you are off to the coast with your pets apply tick preventative BEFORE you go.  Advantix should be applied (dogs only) 2 days before.  Permethrin spray needs regular reapplication.  Inspect and run your hands over all pets on the coast at least ONCE  a day.   We can’t rely on chemicals alone.  Ticks sneak into skin folds near the ears, under the tail, in the groin and armpit, in the corners of the mouth and under the collar.

Hip screening with PennHIP

Animation of compress, distraction and extension xraysDr Helen is now certified to PennHIP screen dogs for hip dysplasia. Penn HIP screening identifies pups that are likely to develop hip dysplasia from as early as 16 weeks of age.  It is much more accurate than the old Hip Dysplasia Scheme.

Breeders of large breeds, like Labradors and German shepherds, and working dogs, like guide dogs, use PennHIP scoring for predicting which dogs will develop hip dysplasia . They can then choose their breeding stock based on accurate and precise information.

Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is an inherited disease which causes stiffness and pain and cripples dogs later in life. Breeding dogs with low PennHIP scores reduces the incidence of it in the breed population.

PennHIP screening includes three separate X-rays of the hips taken under a general anaesthetic by a certified PennHIP veterinarian. The X-rays are sent to the University of Pennsylvania who assess the amount of laxity in the hip joint and detect any arthritic changes.

The University of Pennsylvania issues a ranking based on the amount of hip laxity and the dog’s breed. A lower Distraction Index (DI) indicates that the hips are tight and selecting breeding dogs with a low DI will improve hips in that breed within a few generations.

If we identify a higher DI or signs of hip dysplasia we can advise owners on strategies to minimise the pain and progression of the disease. Affected dogs should be desexed to reduce the chance of passing the risk on.