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Newsletter 2008

Announcing a new arrival

No, this time it is not a nurse's offspring or qualification! We are proud to welcome our new endoscope. This wide-angled addition to our selection of rigid and flexible endoscopes means that we can get even better access to various body cavities: nose, windpipes, oesophagus or, at the other end, intestines and bladder. Using an endoscope to gain images and biopsy samples of organs is far less invasive that performing operations. Therefore recovery of the sick patient tends to be faster.

Travel Sickness

Travel Sickness can affect pets as well as their owners! A drooling or vomiting dog can take the fun out of an outing. In the past we could only offer tranquilizers or- often not very effective- anti-histamines. At last there is a licensed drug for dogs that can help even the most sensitive stomachs. Please ask at reception about details or visit the Happy to travel Pet on board website for further information.

Pet Insurance- Is it worth it?

Let's be honest: nobody likes paying out. Insurance premiums feel like a waste of money- as long as you have no reason to claim. But when your house has been flooded or your car damaged you'll be so glad to be insured. It's the same with pet insurance. Veterinary medicine has developed to a very high standard, but diagnostics like MRI scans and treatments like chemotherapy come at a price. It certainly gives you peace of mind to know your pet can receive the highest level of care if the need arises. It can be difficult to find your way through the multitudes of insurances on offer. We advice that you read the small print closely: Is the cover for a chronic condition lifelong or limited? Is the limit in respect of time or money? How high is the excess? As elsewhere in life you get what you pay for.

A Big Thank You

Every week we receive phone calls from publications that want our advertising business. We at Gladstone Vets prefer to invest in high quality diagnostic equipment rather than spend on PR. We feel that discounts to new clients are unfair to existing, loyal clients. And instead of occasional 20% vouchers off this or that we aim to provide excellent service at a fair price. all year round. Our main route to gaining new clients is recommendation by satisfied clients. Thanks to all of you who have recommended us, we do appreciate it!

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Continuing our popular Case Studies

All names have been changed for reasons of confidentiality.

Beagle Molly's owners could not understand why she was so slow in getting housetrained. Even at 6 months of age she urinated in her bed and developed a sore patch on her legs because of the constant wetness. On examination Molly seemed healthy and her urine was normal. An injection of a contrast medium in her veins allowed us to take an X-ray of her urinary system. The ureters are fine tubes that transport the urine from the kidneys to the bladder. The contrast X-ray showed that one of them inserted in the vagina, therefore bypassing the bladder sphincter. We were able to perform an operation which placed the ureter in its normal spot on the bladder and Molly's bed now stays dry!

The call from a referring vet came just after evening surgery: Jack, a black cat, had been coughing for a day. Despite treatment with antibiotics and anti- inflammatories Jack's cough had worsened. On the radiograph(see picture below) the cause is visible as a white speck: A small but sharp stone in the windpipe, fortunately not quite blocking it.( The black areas are the lungs, the lighter oval the heart. ) Under general anaesthetic it took three people and forty-five minutes until we were finally able to grab the stone with the forceps of our small endoscope. Jack made an uneventful recovery and we hope in future he will be more careful what he inhales.!

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We thank Pfizer Animal Health for sponsoring this newsletter