Important information and articles regarding pet healthcare and ACT regulations.
❗️Important Read❗️- Leptospirosis
As some of you may be aware, there has been a recent case of Leptospirosis in the Canberra Region.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease/infection that is transmitted through contaminated urine, blood, and tissue of infected animals, and stagnant water such as puddles, and/or direct contact with rodents carrying the disease. The Leptospira bacteria enters the body via mucus membranes or open cuts/abrasions.
Leptospirosis can cause kidney failure, liver damage, meningitis and/or respiratory distress in dogs. Additionally, it is a zoonotic disease meaning it can be transmitted from your dog to yourself.
For severe cases in dogs, this disease can be fatal, therefore prevention measures and early treatment is extremely important.
Common clinical symptoms in dogs can include (but are not limited to):
⁃ Fever
⁃ Vomiting or diarrhoea
⁃ Abdominal pain or tenderness
⁃ Lethargy
⁃ No appetite
⁃ Stiffness and/or tenderness
⁃ Weakness
⁃ Jaundice/yellow gums (mucous membranes)
⁃ Nosebleeds
⁃ Difficulty breathing
⁃ Inflammation of the eyes
⁃ Changes in drinking and urination
Leptospirosis can be diagnosed through clinical diagnostics such as blood and urine tests and full examinations. Treatment of the disease includes supportive care and antibiotics.
Other preventative measures:
⁃ Keeping your dog on a lead and not allowing them to drink from puddles
⁃ Maintaining rodent control around your living area
⁃ Maintaining clean living spaces, surfaces, and bedding for your pets
⁃ Avoiding contact with urine, blood, etc
⁃ Washing hands and maintaining good hygiene after handling your pets
⁃ Keeping other pets separated if one of your pets has contracted the disease
If you suspect your dog may have contracted Lepto or if they are experiencing any abnormal symptoms, please contact your vet clinic.
We strongly urge all pet owners to do research and get your dogs vaccinated against the disease as soon as possible.
The initial vaccination can be administered from the first puppy vaccination to any age beyond that with a booster 2-4 weeks following the first dose, and then annually from there. We recommend waiting until at least 2 weeks following the booster shot before taking your pet to high risk areas.
If you have any questions, or would like to make an appointment for the vaccination to be administered to your pet, please contact your local vet clinic.
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Ehrlichia Canis Warning
Ehrlichia Canis is a bacterium transmitted by the brown dog tick. This can cause serious, potentially life threatening tick fever disease in your dog. It was first reported in Australia in May 2020 and ideal conditions are tropical or sub-tropical locations, such as northern Australia. We have heard of a case being identified in Victoria. If you are planning on travelling north with your dog, we recommend using either Advantix or Seresto as these have been shown to be the most effective forms of preventative, with a >90% efficacy rate. It appears that our standard tick preventatives are not effective for this disease, but still are great for the southern regions. Please note: Advantix ingestion by cats can prove fatal so we would not recommend using this product if you are also travelling with your cat or if your cat has close contact with your dog.
Click here to find out more.
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New Registration Laws in the ACT for Dogs.
See this website regarding registration laws and information for your dog/s. The ACT Government have now implemented an online registration system which will require dog to update their dogs details annually. This is to keep an accurate account of dogs living in the ACT, and to ensure that all dogs are microchipped and desexed (unless there is a reason otherwise).
If your dog is already registered, updating your details annually is free of charge. If you are registering your dog for the first time, there is a one off fee. To discover more about this process, click here.
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Mandatory Desexing Tattoo
The ACT government has a mandatory tattoo policy following your pet being desexed . The tattoo is placed on the inside of your pets left ear and is a small circle with a line through it. This tattoo is used to identify whether your pet has been desexed.
The tattoo will be placed, unless the owner requests it not to be performed.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our reception staff.