February marked a significant milestone—it's been seven years since Caitlin, our enthusiastic year 11 workplace learning student with a love for cats and swimming, joined Mira Mar Vets.

Today, Caitlin is an exceptional vet nurse who keeps us all in line and has never lost her big bright smile. We could not be prouder of this remarkable young woman!

Well done Caity!

This issue contains lots of interesting articles on the value of vaccinating your pets. We hope you find it enjoyable and informative!

After a well-earned summer break, Vet Nurse Jodie was back at it last month with the first Puppy Preschool of the year, and BOY, was it a big one! 

Ten adorable puppies spent four weeks learning basic obedience, social skills and new tricks as well as making some great new friends!

This class introduced us to Vet Nurse Louise's new labrador baby, plus other pups of all shapes and sizes, including three very small, very cute and very floofy siblings.  Can you spot them all?

So hearty congratulations to Blue, Hugo, Kiwi, Leo, Maddie, Maisie, Nora, Oliver, Poppy and Tilly.

We hope you all enjoyed your class and learnt a lot!

If you think your pup would like to join the fun, please call the clinic on 9841 5422.

Unfortunately, naturally more anxious pets or those who have previously suffered a severe, painful illness or injury may develop a fear of vet visits. This can manifest as “fight or flight” behaviour, where pets try to escape handling or show defensive aggression to keep the perceived threat at bay.

If your pet has become anxious, even for routine veterinary visits such as vaccinations, try not to worry – there’s lots we can do to help minimise stress and still achieve your pet’s healthcare goals.

Gentle handling and distraction

For mildly anxious pets, proceeding slowly with low-stress handling may be enough to allow most treatments to be performed.

This can involve:

• Gentle hug-holds or towel-wrapping by you or our nurses
• Distraction with frequent treats
• The application of a basket muzzle filled with cream cheese or peanut butter for your pet to lick
• Being examined outside the clinic building

Pre-visit anti-anxiety medications

For moderately anxious pets, we recommend using pre-visit anti-anxiety medications. This may be a single medication or a combination of several, depending on your pet’s level of distress. Don’t be discouraged if we need to try a few options before finding the right one!

Sedation

Severely anxious pets may require the administration of a stronger sedative (usually given as an injection) so that we can properly examine and treat them without undue stress to them or danger to our team. In these cases, we may discuss a “bundling” of several procedures where appropriate (e.g. physical examination, vaccination, nail trim, and any required grooming).

Desensitisation and counterconditioning

It’s ideal for any anxious pet to be referred to an appropriate behavioural specialist vet or qualified trainer for assistance with gradually “retraining” your pet’s brain to remain calm for veterinary visits.

Home visits

Some pets find a visit in their own home, without all of the vet clinic noises and smells, a lot less overwhelming and easier to cope with.  We offer home visits every Wednesday to any pet within the Albany city limits.  Please give us a call to book!

For more advice on pet anxiety, consult our calm and confident team.

When our vets see puppies for vaccinations (usually at 6–8 weeks, 10–12 weeks, and around 16 weeks old), we’re not just giving them a quick jab and sending you on your way. Puppy consultations are an important opportunity to check for common health issues and ensure you’re confident in managing their ongoing care.

Here are some key checks we’ll diligently tick off during a puppy visit.

1. General health check

At any vaccination appointment, we always perform a thorough check-up to ensure your puppy is healthy enough to receive their vaccination.

At a minimum, this includes checking their mouth, eyes, ears, lymph nodes, heart and lungs, joints, skin, and overall body condition. We also feel their tummy and observe their movement. If they are not too stressed, we may take their temperature to check for inflammation or infection that could affect their response to the vaccine.

2. Puppy specific issues

When our vets examine puppies, they check particularly closely for common puppy health issues. These include:

• Abnormal tooth positions
• Ear infections
• Heart murmurs
• Abnormal joints (such as loose kneecaps)
• Evidence of parasites such as fleas

We’ll also discuss health issues associated with particular breeds, such as potential breathing issues in flatter-faced dog breeds or hip dysplasia in large-breed pups.

3. Health care routines

After your pup has been checked over and received their vaccination, our vets will chat with you about ongoing recommended health care routines. This includes:

• Parasite control
• Appropriate diet options
• Desexing
• Any breed-related specific care your pet may require

Most importantly, your pup will receive lots of cuddles, pats, and treats. This not only helps with socialisation, but our vets love it, too!

For more information on pawsome puppy health care, consult our puppy-proficient team.

(This fictional story is for educational purposes only and does not depict a real pet, owner, or clinic. It highlights the risks of buying pets from unregulated sources and the importance of vaccinations in preventing parvovirus.)

When Michelle saw an advertisement online regarding pug puppies for sale, she didn’t hesitate, as she had been wanting a cute canine companion for months.

However, when she attended the listed property to meet her pup, things felt a little off. A tiny male puppy was brought out to her, without her seeing the parents or any of the facilities, and with no ongoing diet or vaccination paperwork provided. Still, Michelle couldn’t resist the cute little pup in front of her (whom she had decided to name Pancake) and took him home.

Pancake was a bit quiet that day and didn’t eat much of the puppy food Michelle offered. By the following afternoon, he had developed foul-smelling, reddish diarrhoea, and rapidly became very lethargic. Panicked, Michelle called her local veterinary hospital for help, and was told to bring Pancake straight in.

Pancake was examined by the vet (who wore gloves and a protective gown) and was found to be dehydrated. Given his symptoms and incomplete vaccination history, she also collected a poo sample for parvovirus testing, which came back positive. The vet stated that Pancake was likely exposed to parvovirus before being obtained by Michelle. Unfortunately, this virus can cause severe illness affecting the gut and immune system, and can be life-threatening even with veterinary treatment.

Michelle immediately agreed for Pancake to be admitted to the vet hospital, where he would need to be kept in a special isolation ward (to prevent the spread of the very contagious virus).

Luckily, with intensive supportive veterinary treatment over the next few days, Pancake turned the corner and began to improve. After five days, he was able to go home on a special bland diet, and Michelle saw his little tail waggle for the first time.

Parvovirus can be prevented with regular C3 vaccinations, involving an initial puppy series and then regular boosters thereafter. Consult our vets regarding parvovirus protection for your canine companion.

When asked about the F3 feline vaccination, most owners are aware that it provides protection against two of the common causes of cat flu — feline herpesvirus and calicivirus. But what’s the third component?

Here’s the low-down on feline panleucopaenia (FPL), the feline version of parvovirus and the “third Hemsworth brother” component of the F3 vaccine.

What is FPL?

FPL is a virus from the parvovirus family. It is spread through contact with an infected cat’s faeces, urine, or other bodily fluids, either directly or through contaminated surfaces such as bedding or bowls.

Like canine parvovirus, FPL is highly contagious and is a very tough type of virus, requiring strong disinfectants to kill it.

What symptoms does FPL cause?

FPL virus weakens the immune system and can damage the gut. This means that affected pets may show symptoms such as:

• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea, which may be bloody
• Fever
• Neurological signs such as wobbliness
• Signs of other infectious diseases, such as cat flu

Kittens are at the highest risk of severe illness from the FPL virus and can, unfortunately, die suddenly before showing any other symptoms.

Can FPL disease be treated?

Because it is a virus, there is no specific treatment for FPL. Instead, ill pets generally require support with fluid therapy to prevent dehydration, as well as management of other symptoms such as nausea. They may also need antibiotics for secondary infections that have developed whilst their immune system is weakened.

How can pets be protected against FPL?

The good news? The F3 vaccination stimulates pets to develop strong protective immunity against FPL. Kittens are usually vaccinated at 6-8 weeks old, 10-12 weeks old, and around 16 weeks old. They should then receive regular boosters thereafter, every one to three years, depending on the vaccine used and the pet’s lifestyle.

For more information on protecting your cat from common contagious illnesses, contact our infection-informed team!

To help prevent our beloved patients from suffering the effects of preventable diseases, we generally recommend regular vaccinations for every cat and dog.

However, there are a few medical exceptions where a pet’s vaccines may need to be temporarily postponed or permanently withheld. Here’s when we’ll pull our vaccination punches for pets.

Vaccine selection

If your dog or cat goes outdoors or has contact with others of the same species, we recommend keeping them up to date with at least their core vaccinations. This includes the C3 vaccination for dogs (protecting against parvovirus, distemper, and infectious hepatitis) and the F3 vaccination for cats (protecting against herpesvirus, calicivirus, and panleucopaenia).

Depending on your pet’s individual risk factors and lifestyle (e.g. the geographical areas they live in or visit), we will make personalised recommendations for any additional relevant vaccines.

It’s important to remember that pets attending boarding facilities must be up to date with their core vaccines, plus any additional vaccinations for common illnesses they may be exposed to—such as kennel cough for dogs.

Unwellness

Before vaccinating a pet, we perform a health check to ensure they’re not showing signs of any significant illness that could make vaccination unsafe.

For instance, if your pet is showing symptoms of lethargy or a fever that may suggest an active infection, we will advise postponing their vaccination until further diagnostics or treatment have been completed and they have recovered.

Pets with a history of significant autoimmune disease, such as immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys red blood cells), may be advised against continuing a regular vaccination schedule long-term. Instead, they may undergo intermittent blood tests to check their immunity and have their infectious risk managed accordingly.

For personalised advice on the safest and most effective vaccination schedule for your cat or dog, please consult our disease-diligent team.

Verify your pet's microchip details to ensure safety

Following the sudden closure of HomeSafeID, a major pet microchip registry, Australian pet owners are urged to verify and update their pets' microchip information. The RSPCA warns that without current data, reuniting lost pets with their owners becomes challenging. To check your pet's microchip status, visit petaddress.com.au. If your pet was registered with HomeSafeID, promptly re-register with alternative registries.

Click here for more tips at SBS News.

Abandoned dog family seeks help in orchard

A small dog and her two puppies, abandoned in an orchard, ran up to a passing car, pleading for assistance. The driver, moved by their desperation, immediately contacted a local rescue group. "They were clearly seeking help," the rescuer noted. The family is now safe and receiving care, with plans to find them loving homes.

Click here to read the full story at The Dodo.

Blind dog Mavro's unyielding independence

Mavro, a lively dog diagnosed with progressive retinal atrophy, refuses to let blindness slow him down. He confidently navigates his home and favourite outdoor spots, relying on memory and instinct. "He still runs, plays, and explores like any other dog," his owner shared. "You wouldn’t even know he’s blind just by watching him." His adventurous spirit remains strong, proving that vision loss doesn't stop a dog from living life to the fullest.

A combination of record-breaking heat and intense rainfall from Tropical Cyclone Sean has devastated turtle hatchling numbers in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Rising sand temperatures have made nests unviable, while flooding has washed away eggs or left hatchlings struggling to survive.

“The combination of soaring temperatures and unexpected downpours has been devastating for our turtle populations,” said marine biologist Dr Jane Smith. Scientists and conservationists are monitoring the long-term effects, as repeated climate events could threaten local turtle populations.

Research is now underway to explore protective measures, such as shading nests or relocating eggs to cooler areas, to boost survival rates.

Click here to read the full story at ABC News.

This email contains comments of a general nature only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Please always consult your vet for specific advice on your pet's individual needs.

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