Lungworm is becoming an increasing problem in Ireland. This is a potentially fatal disease, and can be tricky not only to diagnose, but to treat so we have always taken the approach that this is better to prevent than cure. We have therefore been recommending monthly worming treatment with the oral chew Milbemax, Milpro or Nexgard Spectra, or the spot on Prinovox. However there have not been any studies on the actual prevalence of lungworm in Ireland for many years, and so we have decided to conduct a study on the risk of lungworm to dogs in County Clare, supported and entirely funded by MSD and carried out by the veterinary laboratory at UCD. What this consists of is obtaining a faecal sample from your dog in a plastic container which we will provide. We are asking for faecal samples collected 6 weeks AFTER your worming treatment has been administered. We ask that this sample is brought into us within 24hours of collection Here is some more information on lungworm below: What is lungworm? Lungworm is a type of parasitic worm that can infect dogs. Unlike other intestinal worms such as tapeworm and roundworm, adult lungworm travel around a dog’s body and can damage their lungs and other major organs – causing fatal consequences if left untreated. What causes lungworm in dogs? Lungworm larvae liv
We are doing our very best to maintain service and patient care during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have put the following protocols in place to try to follow public health guidelines for the health and safety of our clients and our staff. Hope this summary helps to explain our changes, best wishes 
We are excited to launch our new preventative healthcare plans. ALL our plans include unlimited vet visits during the year, and prices start as low as €16 per month for dogs and €12 per month for cats. ALL plans also include all yearly vaccinations, a blood and urine test annually, unlimited nail clips, and other benefits such as 10% off our food range. For more information and to sign up click here
We know just how busy life can be, and scheduling vet visits between working hours, school runs, activities and everything else can be tricky. We want to try to make it as easy as possible for you to give your pet the care and treatment that he or she deserves, and we are pleased to announce we have decided to extend our opening hours to offer late night consultations until 7pm on Wednesdays. We will also open at a slighter earlier time of 8.45am Monday-Friday.
Icebergs give us a great analogy for dental disease. This is because we can only see the 
top of the tooth on physical examination and the roots remain hidden underneath the gum line. Dental disease is such a huge problem for pets, and we see it affecting the quality of life of pets every single day. Our aim is to change this! Hopefully this blog post will help you to understand dental disease and how we can help you prevent this. My pet seems fine, how can it have dental disease? Gum disease (periodontal disease) is THE MOST COMMON DISEASE in humans, cats and dogs! It is estimated that about 75% of cats and dogs, will have some form of the disease by the time they reach 3-4 years of age. However, dogs and cats will rarely let you know there is a problem. GINGIVITIS (GUM INFLAMMATION) is the first stage in the disease process. It is caused by plaque accumulation on the tooth surface. Plaque is a sticky accumulation of bacteria. The bacteria cause inflammation of the gum which is seen as a red line along the gum just by the tooth. This is potentially reversible at this stage by implementing an effective oral hygiene programme at home. There are many differ
Buttons is a 19 year old domestic shorthair cat who we met for the first time this July. She has been adopted by our veterinary nurse Sinead, who has a soft spot for gorgeous senior pets. Buttons has settled right into a very loving home, with Shadow, a beautiful 13 year old lurcher who Sinead also adopted a few years ago.
Buttons had very severe dental disease when we first saw her. She was underweight, her coat was in poor condition from her inability to self groom, and her mouth was very inflamed with several teeth very diseased and covered in heavy amounts of plaque and tartar. We ran pre-anaesthetic blood work on her to check her kidneys and liver function was all fine, then gave her a general anaesthetic to treat her dental disease. Because of her age we had her on intravenous fluids throughout the procedure in order to help maintain her blood pressure. We also ensured her temperature stayed normal throughout, by having her on a heat mat with heat pads as well. We started by using our ultrasonic scaler to clean all the plaque off her teeth, before polishing them afterwards. She ended up having several teeth removed due to the severity of dental disease that she had, before which we gave her local anaesthetic
Did you know that dogs and cats also suffer from stress? This can occur if their needs are not met, or from various different situations such as
- Adoption or settling into a new home
- Social interactions (stressful especially if there is no opportunity to escape)
- Exposure to new environments and situations (new people, loud noises, thunderstorms, fireworks)
- Separation (being left at home alone or in kennels)
- Travelling
- Handling (grooming,hugging,petting) if not used to it already
You may not necessarily pick on the signs of stress in your pet. Some signs are more obvious, such as trembling, hiding or whining/meowing. Sometimes it is less apparent, and signs such as drooling, licking, scratching and barking can make the problem seem more like excitement than fear or stress. Severe stress can be displayed as decreased appetite, decreased play behaviour, reduced social interaction (with both people and other pets) and variable sleeping patterns. Cats may show signs of urinating inappropriately in the house if they are suffering from stress. Something that can really help with stress in both dogs and cats are pheromones. What are pheromones? Pheromones are natural chemicals secreted by animals so that they can communicate with members of the same species. When cats rub their face against an object, they
As we look forward to the festive season, it is sometimes easy to forget about our pet’s needs. As wonderful as the house looks with all the decorations, and as tasty as all the Christmas treats are, unfortunately both can pose hazardous to our pets. Foods to avoid giving your pet at Christmas
Chocolate- Raisins and grapes (includes mince pies and Christmas pudding!)
- Coffee
- Mushrooms
- Cooked bones and fatty food
- Peanuts and macadamia nuts
- Onions and garlic
- Goes without saying… alcoholic beverages
As tempting as it may be to avoid waste, we would advise you against giving your pet any leftovers if you want to avoid ‘Turkey Tummy’. Not only will this cause diarrhoea (no-one really wants to have to clean up an additional mess on St Stephens morning…) but cooked bones can splinter and get lodged in your pet’s throat or intestinal tract. Our pets do much better sticking to their regular diet. That’s not to say they won’t beg when they smell the Christmas delights, but consider keeping them out of the kitchen when you ar
There are plenty of myths related to dental hygiene for pets. I thought I’d pick the five top myths that we hear regularly in our clinic, and dispel some of these misconceptions….