Category Archives: Dogs

Canberra’s Kennel Cough Outbreak


Over the past few weeks we have seen a large increase in the number of dogs presenting to us with Canine Cough, also known as ‘Kennel Cough’.

Kennel Cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness which often presents with a harsh and persistent hacking cough, like your pet has something stuck in their throat. You may also notice sneezing, nasal discharge, lethargy or loss of appetite.

Kennel Cough is transmitted via water droplets and can be passed on via direct contact with an infected animal as well as indirectly by coming into contact with a contaminated surface (e.g. the shared water bowl at a public dog park).

We have even seen infections occur in dogs who haven’t left their backyard, which makes the name ‘Kennel Cough’ very misleading. Whilst a boarding kennel is a popular place for an outbreak due to large gatherings of dogs in one place, infections can occur anywhere, regardless of whether your dog goes to kennels or not.

Luckily, there are vaccines available to help prevent your pet from contracting this illness. Although vaccination doesn’t guarantee immnuity from the desease, it does reduce your pet’s chances and means an infection will be less severe and easier to treat than if they didn’t receive the vaccination.

If you notice any signs that your pet may be unwell or you need to check your pet’s vaccination status, please call us on 62302223.

August Pet Dental Health Month

Pet Dental Health Month is here!

Did you know that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over the age of 3 suffer from some form of dental disease?

Dental disease that is left untreated is not only painful for your pet, but can also lead to other serious health problems including infections in the kidneys, liver and heart.

At Hall Vet Surgery we are passionate about your pets dental health so for the month of August we are offering:
🦷 15% off all dental home care products
🦷 Free dental check-ups for new and existing clients
🦷 Free dental home care starter packs for dental procedure patients

Providing your pet with good oral care is essential for them to enjoy a happy, healthy and pain-free life.

Call us on 6230 2223 for more information.

How Will Our Pets Cope as COVID-19 Quarantining Ends?

While some isolated humans may be looking forward to the time when they are leaving the home to work and socialise, there are concerns that this could see a rise in separation anxiety amongst the millions of dogs who’ve grown accustomed to their owners’ constant companionship during lockdown. 

Whist our feline friends may also suffer from separation distress, it if far less common. In fact, many kitties would welcome more time to themselves as soon as possible!

Dogs experiencing so much more quality time with their families, can become over-dependent on their humans and this can lead to separation distress when mums and dads suddenly return to work and the children go back to school.

Dogs thrive on routine. They feel calmest when life offers consistency and predictability, as we all do, so times of abrupt change can be stressful.

The sudden loss of their doting humans could result in stress-induced behaviours in an attempt to find their owners or deal with anxiety. These include:

  • Barking, howling, or whining when you leave
  • Scratching or chewing at entrances and exits (doors/windows) when alone
  • Destructive behaviour that only happens when alone
  • Over-grooming or other self-harm or obsessive behaviours
  • A change in appetite

It is worth collecting video of your pet when they are home alone and pay attention to what they are ‘telling’ you through their body language. Are they coping calmly and munching through a treat whilst resting in their comfy safe place? Or are you seeing distressed behaviours?

Beware the dogs that suffer in silence with more subtle signs of anxiety like panting, pacing, salivating, trembling when alone. Some dogs are so anxious that they don’t eat or drink until their owner returns.

Separation anxiety isn’t just psychologically damaging for the pet. Some dogs attempt to dig and chew through doors or windows, resulting in self-injury, such as broken teeth and damaged paws. Some howl continuously in distress, disturbing all those in earshot.

Separation anxiety in dogs already accounts for a high proportion of pets referred for behaviour consultations, even prior to the current upheavals in routine.  

So what can we do now to reduce the risk of our dogs suffering distress when we go back to spending more time away from home?

Allow your pet to have some alone time. You have your space and allow them to have theirs. This should not be a punishing time out. Make this a fun experience where the dog is in another part of the home on a comfortable bed, chewing on a Kong, dental chew or other slow-to-consume tasty treat. Tether the treat to the bed if necessary.

Interactive food release toys can take the place of the food bowl to provide hours of entertainment.

As yummy as they may be, we can’t recommend bones. Vets are often faced with broken teeth, blocked bowels or sad vomiting pooches following access to bones.

Practice training your dog to perform out-of-sight “stays” within the house. Begin a gradual process of using small absences that start to teach the dog that absences are safe. 

Abandoning one’s fur babies for even short periods could prove a tall order for the millions who are relying on and even purchasing dogs to keep themselves sane during lockdown. Especially when pets offer such a joyful greeting after any absence. However, it is important to help them through this upheaval and prepare them for staying at home alone in the future.

Above all, provide consistent and predictable routines that you can continue once you return to leaving them at home more. For example, think about your morning and evening routines. How can these remain constant when you go back to working away from home? To minimise change, keep the really good stuff – like exercising with your dog, playing with them and feeding them – to the same schedule that you will manage when you’re back at work. Make the middle part of the day less interactive as that will be the case when you’re not around.

Dog-appeasing pheromone (DAP) and nutraceuticals like Zylkene can help avoid separation anxiety. However, if your dog is already showing signs of separation distress, call us for a discussion and potentially a behaviour consultation to help you manage their anxiety and help them enjoy the peaceful life they deserve.

Preventing Heatstroke this Summer

Just like us, our pets can suffer from heatstroke.
The difference? Our pets are not able to sweat, are covered in fur and rarely sit in an air conditioned office during the day.
This means that our pets can’t cool themselves like we can and makes them very susceptible to heatstroke.

Heatstroke is extremely dangerous, causing irreversible damage to your pet’s internal organs including their liver, kidneys, brain and heart.
Heatstroke can be fatal if not recognized and treated quickly.

Watch this video for the symptoms, prevention measures and treatment methods that we think all pet owners should know!

Nail Trimming Tips & Tricks

The top tips & tricks from our team of experts on dog and cat pedicures!
  • Start young and make it positive!
    Get your new puppy used to examinations and nail trims by gently handling their paws, ears, mouth etc every day. Ensure you make nail trims fun by using rewards (such as food and praise) to keep it positive for your pup!
  • Enlist a helping hand
    Having a second person to distract, treat and praise your pup means that you can focus on nail trimming alone and will help to avoid any accidents.
  • Start slow and finish on a positive note
    Always stop whilst you’re ahead, if you can sense your pup may be starting to become restless then stop where you are, even if it means that you only do 2 or 3 nails at a time. Always make sure you finish the session on a positive note so that your puppy will have fond memories for the next time the nail trimmers come out.
  • Cut small
    Each nail has a blood supply called the ‘quick’. The quick can be visible in some white nails, however it is often invisible in darker colored nails. Clipping the nails too far back can result in cutting the quick, which is painful for your pup and results in a bleeding nail. We recommend only cutting 2mm or so off the end of each nail at a time, some dogs who haven’t had their nails trimmed in a long time can have quite a long quick so always cut small to begin with.
Dog Nail Anatomy
  • Accidents happen, have styptic powder ready
    Whilst you will try your best not to cut the quick sometimes accidents happen! In the case that one of the nails is bleeding, dabbing a cotton bud into styptic powder and applying this to the end of the nail will form a clot to stop the bleeding. It is a good idea to have styptic powder on hand and ready whenever you are trimming your dogs nails, cornflour will also do the trick as a substitute if you are stuck.
  • Don’t forget the dew claw
    Most dogs are born with dew claws on their front legs (and some even have them on their hind legs too!). These claws are located higher up on the inside of the leg leg, almost like a thumb nail. Often these nails need trimming the most as they don’t come into contact with the ground and therefore don’t get worn down by walking on concrete and other hard surfaces.
  • If in doubt, give us a shout!
    If you don’t feel comfortable or confident trimming your dogs nails, give us a call. Our nurses trim nails every single day and know all the tricks in the book 🙂 Their are also many helping hands here to feed treats and distract your pup to make it a better experience for them. Give us a call on 6230 2223 to make an appointment.

Leptospirosis Outbreak in Sydney Suburbs

The infection is often contracted when the dog is exposed to infected rodent urine in ponds or wet soil in poorly drained areas.

An updated version of this post has been shared November 2020, for the most up to date information please head to:
https://www.hallvet.com.au/2020/11/2020-update-leptospirosis-outbreak-in-sydney-suburbs/

Sadly, there have been multiple fatalities in dogs due to a reported Leptospirosis outbreak in Sydney recently. Here are some facts you need to know.

What is Leptospirosis?

Leptospirosis (often referred to as Lepto for short) is a bacterial infection that travels throughout the entire body via the blood stream, causing organ dysfunction/failure and internal bleeding. It can be fatal in as little as 48 hours.

What do I need to know?

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection which means it can affect humans too. 
There have been seven confirmed fatal cases in dogs so far, all of which have been reported in the Inner West suburbs of Sydney (Glebe, Surry Hills etc.)

How is it spread?

The bacteria favours warm, moist environments, ponds and stagnant water and areas exposed to flooding. The infection is often contracted when the dog is exposed to infected rodent urine in ponds or wet soil in poorly drained areas.

What can I do to minimize the risk to my dog?

We recommend avoiding taking your pets to these parts of Sydney where possible, however if your dog must travel there with you, there are vaccines available to cover them for Leptospirosis. Initially your dog will require two vaccines 2-4 weeks apart and then annual re-vaccination to maintain immunity. It is not safe to travel until the vaccination is in full effect – about 10 days after the second vaccination. Avoid any stagnant water or places where there has been flooding, keep your dog on lead when walking and DO NOT allow to swim in or drink dirty water.
Again, it is advisable to arrange alternative options where possible.

If you have upcoming travel plans to Sydney with your pets please phone us on 6230 2223 for more information.

Parvovirus in Canberra and surrounds

Recently there have been multiple cases of canine Parvovirus reported by veterinarians in Canberra and it’s surrounds. Parvovirus is a highly contagious and potentially fatal virus that causes extreme vomiting and diarrhoea leading to dehydration, lethargy, septicemia and even death in severe cases.


This virus can be spread directly through contact with an infected dog or through faeces or indirectly through items like water bowls, collars and leashes or the hands or clothing of people that have touched an infected dog. Parvovirus can also remain active in infected soil for years, i.e. at ovals or dog parks where an infected dog has been.
Dogs less than 1 year of age are most at risk however older un-vaccinated dogs can also contract the disease.
Most dogs will recover with aggressive supportive treatment if started early. The main focus of treatment is intravenous fluids to replace lost fluids and re-balance electrolytes, pain relief to ensure the patient remains comfortable and medication to control vomiting and nausea. Patients may require treatment in hospital for many days before recovering.


The good news is that Parvo is a preventable virus and is covered in your dog’s normal C3/C5 vaccination. We recommend that puppies have 3 vaccinations at 6-8 weeks, 10-12 weeks and 16 weeks of age. They also require a booster vaccination at around 15 months of age and then a booster every 3 years for life.
We’d like to take this opportunity to remind new puppy owners that your dog is not covered until 10 days after their second C3 vaccination and you should avoid taking your dog to public places like foot paths, dog parks and ovals until they have received all 3 vaccinations. If you are unsure of your puppy or adult dog’s vaccination status please give us a call on 6230 2223. If you notice decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea or lethargy in your pet please call your vet ASAP.

Tips to keep dogs safe at Christmas

Safety tips for Christmas time!

As we head into the festive season and look forward to relaxing with family and friends, it’s a good time to give some thought to keeping our pets safe as they join us in the fun festivities!

 

Here are some potential dangers to watch out for:

 

Some human foods are just not meant for dogs:
Chocolate, plum pudding, Christmas cake, fruit platters and delicious roasts and stuffing. What could possibly be wrong with sharing that!

Unfortunately, these Christmas goodies can contain ingredients that are toxic to dogs, including chocolate, sultanas, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic and macadamia nuts.

Signs will depend on the food that has been eaten and can be delayed. For example kidney damage from grapes and raisins may not become apparent until weeks down the track. If your dog has eaten something they shouldn’t have, please speak to a veterinarian immediately.

 

Alcohol
This is a no-brainer really but there is NO safe amount of alcohol for your dog to have. Effects will range from depression, difficulty walking, slow breathing, collapse and even possibly loss of life.

 

Overindulgence
Just a little bit of ham can’t hurt, right? Well, a little here and a little there adds up! We love to treat our pets but we need to remember that a little to us can be a lot to them, and eating too much of something different or high in fat is a very common cause of illness for them.

Overindulgence can trigger stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and even pancreatitis (which can be fatal). Feeding cooked bones should always be avoided as these can cause bowel obstructions and constipation requiring intervention.

Don’t risk your dog getting treats from the BBQ or scavenging from finished plates. If you can’t ensure your guests will resist your dog’s pleading eyes, then you are better off to have your dog safely out of their way!

You need to take control here on behalf of your pooch, because they are not going say no!

 

Noise Anxiety
Parties, fireworks and summer storms make Christmas time hard for dogs who are prone to anxiety.
Nobody knows your pet better than you do. Always observe your mate closely and look for the subtle signs that they are worried, and take action.

Avoid the stressors where possible, and make sure they always have access to a quiet, safe retreat. Some pets will benefit from judicious medication to get through this time unscathed. Please call us if you would like to discuss.

The Christmas Tree!
Now, we’re not saying don’t have one! We like the festive fun as much as anyone, but here are a few things to consider if you do.

  • Tummy upsets after chewing pine needles or drinking stagnant Christmas tree water.
  • Electrocution is a risk if your pooch starts chewing the Christmas tree lights.
  • Obstruction or injury to the bowel can occur if tinsel, other decorations, wrappings or ribbons are eaten.

So to make things easy, here’s a checklist on how to make your Christmas tree dog-friendly this year.

  1. Cover or box around the tree stand.
  2. Plastic cover the electric cord for the lights.
  3. Plastic or non-breakable decorations (no glass)
  4. Decorations secured in place.
  5. Tinsel up high out of reach (or none at all)
  6. Secure the tree so that it can’t easily fall.

 

Holiday Plants
Popular Christmas plants and flowers such as poinsettias, amaryllis, lilies, hibiscus, Christmas cactus, berries, mistletoe and holly leaves are all poisonous to your pets. Make sure they are out of their reach, as consumption could result in illness or even death.

 

Batteries & Toys
Swallowed batteries are very dangerous for dogs, causing a range of issues from burning their gut to a life-threatening obstruction or stomach rupture! Batteries are a common addition to Christmas gifts so please ensure they are kept well out of reach of your pooch.

Many toys contain small plastic, rubber or metal parts that, if eaten by a dog, can cause choking or dangerous gastrointestinal blockage requiring immediate surgery.

With a little careful planning, you can ensure your Christmas celebrations will be free of unnecessary trips to the vet. However, if you have concerns after hours during the festive season, please call:

Canberra Veterinary Emergency Services on: 62257257
Or
Animal Emergency Centre Canberra on: 62806344

We wish you and your furry family happy and safe holidays!

 

Reference to an article by Dr Claire Jenkins  Co-founder of Vetchat.

Alfred ate WHAT!?

Alfred the 6 year old Standard Poodle visited us recently after he refused his breakfast and vomited multiple times at home.

Dr Emily performed a thorough physical exam, whilst palpating his abdomen there were no obvious masses found however Alfred did show signs of pain. We then ran some diagnostic blood tests to see if we could get an indicator of the cause of Alfred’s vomiting. When Alfred’s blood results came back relatively normal Dr Emily and Alfred’s owners decided to perform an abdominal x-ray to check for any gastrointestinal foreign bodies or masses.

As you can see in Alfred’s x-ray above there were 2 foreign bodies found in Alfred’s stomach and small intestine. The decision was made to surgically remove these as they seemed to be stuck in their tracks which was causing him to vomit.

Dr Lesa performed his surgery and removed both items which turned out be stones from the garden! Oh the things dog’s eat..

Thankfully Alfred is feeling much better now and is back to his bright, happy and hungry self!

A Guide to Dog Friendly Canberra

The days are getting longer and the temperature is getting higher here in the Nation’s Capital. What a perfect time to get out and about with your dog. Now more than ever our dogs are truly a part of our families, from tagging along with us to our favourite local cafés to enjoy a puppachino to getting us out of the house for a stroll around our neighbourhood or a play at the local dog park.

Here is your guide to Dog Friendly Canberra!

EAT + DRINK

Daughters at Hall

5 Victoria Street Hall ACT 2618
Open 7 days a week
Weekdays: 6.30am – 5.30pm
Weekends: 8:00am – 4:00pm

The Cupping Room

Check out the @puppersofcuppers on Instagram to see all of The Cupping Room’s canine vistors!

1/1-13 University Avenue Canberra ACT 2601
Open 7 days a week
Weekdays: 7:00am – 4:00pm
Weekends: 8:00am – 3:00pm

RUN + PLAY

Paws 2 Play

Canberra’s only Dog Training and Day Care facility, providing happy and safe play for your pup. For more information head to their website: https://www.paws2play.com.au/

Off Lead Areas
off-leash
dog-prohibited

Key map of nearby dog areas (off leash and dog prohibited)Click in an area to load an interactive map of nearby off-leash and dog-prohibited areas.

Forde Dog Park

Image result for forde dog park

With obstacles and and furry friends a plenty, Forde dog park is a must do for you and your furry friend, but of course, not without following Dog Park Etiquette (see video below).


EVENTS

A Pooch Affair

A Pooch affair will next be held on Saturday 15th of June 2019 from 10am – 4pm

Every year Canberra dog lovers and their pooches get their very own boutique indoor event packed with everything form the Doggie Mall to High Tea with dogs, stage performances and breed specific play dates!

Floriade – Dogs’ Day Out

Floriade Dogs’ Day Out will be back again on Sunday the 14th of October 2018

Canberra’s canines unite to enjoy the beautiful bulbs at Floriade on Dogs’ Day Out. Dancing with dogs and Flyball are just two of the many demonstrations not to be missed on the day, as well as the best dressed dog competition with this years theme of Superheroes.

RSPCA Million Paws Walk

The annual RSPCA Million Paws Walk is back on Sunday the 19th of May 2019

Every year thousands of Canberra’s animal lovers get together and walk the way to a better future for animals in need.


COMMUNITY

Canberra Dog Walks Meetup Group

Head to https://www.meetup.com/Canberra-Dog-Walks-Meetup/ for details on dog walk meetups near you.