Devon based veterinary clinic

In an emergency call:
(01271) 375356,
(01271) 812405
or
(01271) 867711 for our emergency service

Vets for Barnstaple, Ilfracombe and Braunton
Tick season

ticksWe've seen a lot of ticks recently. The other day I removed 26 from a spaniel; here are some of them! Ticks have several stages of development that involve various 'hosts'. There are many different species of tick in this country but they are not choosy and most of them are quite happy to grab their meals from a passing dog, cat or human. Moorland areas may have heavy tick burdens, especially in spring/early summer, and autumn; however, we are also seeing a lot from coastal areas.

Most people are aware that they can carry several nasty and potentially fatal diseases. They also cause local skin infections and general malaise.

 

 

otomThe strange green implement is called an O'Tom tick remover, and it really is the best thing since sliced bread! Having spent half of my career trying to get rid of the hideous creatures with needles, forceps etc; and treating dogs whose owners had tried the old 'cigarette stub on the tick' technique, it is lovely to have this very simple device to hand. Just slide it between tick and skin, twist 360 degrees, and hey presto! tick removed, with no damage to host, and no danger of retained embedded mouthparts. They are available at all of our clinics for a very modest charge, and are one of those simple but extremely effective inventions that you wish you'd thought of yourself!

Obviously, avoiding ticks becoming attached in the first place is the ideal. There is only one product licenced to do this, and it is called Advantix. It can only be used on dogs and must be kept well away from cats as it is toxic to them. If your dog is likely to be in a tick-infected area then we recommend this product. It is also used on the Pet Travel Scheme to avoid nasty species of tick from other countries gaining entry to the UK. Frontline or Frontline Combo will kill ticks within a few days if used monthly (2-monthly for the spray), but they will still need removing.

The warm and humid weather has no doubt increased tick numbers recently, as it has fleas. If you're not using some form of parasite prevention on your pets (remember Advocate for fleas, mange and lungworm as well), now is definitely the time to start, to avoid that late summer flea infestation.

 
Bobby sheds the pounds and saves pounds

Bob_the_Dog1Anne sent me this story about the handsome fellow pictured here:

Bobby Too is paying his own vets bill's this year! Last year we told Bobby Too that he was putting on too much weight so his owners cut him down from 1.5 tins of food to 1 tin daily. He gets some treats and extras as well.
 
But , 1/2 a tin a day means 182 tins a year at just over 50p each. That means they have saved £100 this year, and Bobby Too is slimmer, happier  and healthier. That's what you call a Win Win!
 
The snakes are awake!

daisyadderYesterday we saw our first two adder bites of the year, so the weather has definitely warmed up! Some years we see the first one in January...but it has been a very long and cold winter this year.

This is Daisy. If you look closely you can see the bite on the end of her nose, and as you can see, her face is very swollen. She was feeling shocked, painful, weak and sorry for herself. She hadn't expected that stick to bite, just when she was enjoying her holiday near the beach!

Read more...
 
Lungworm in Dogs
lungwormThere is a relatively new danger for dogs in the UK – lungworm. It seems to have been imported with travelling dogs and perpetuated by the warm, wet climate. Foxes carry the infection and, in combination with slugs and snails which carry the larval stages of the worm, spread it to our dogs.
Read more...
 

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Barnstaple Clinic (01271) 375356

Surgery open: 8.30am - 6.30pm
Consulting times: 9am - 11am
and 3 - 6 pm, extended as necessary.
Consultations by appointment only

Braunton Clinic (01271) 812405

Surgery open: 8.30am - 6.30pm
Consulting times: 9am - 11am
and 3 - 6 pm, extended as necessary.
Consultations by appointment only

Ilfracombe Clinic (01271) 867711

Surgery open: 9am - 6.30pm
Consulting times: 9am - 11am
and 3 - 6 pm, extended as necessary.
Consultations by appointment only

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