Amber’s Story

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Recently Hollybank had to say goodbye to one of our much loved patients, Amber. Amber came to see us every couple of weeks over the past year for chemotherapy after she was sadly diagnosed with lymphoma in Feburary 2012.

We all spent a lot of time with Amber and her owners over this time, and she will be greatly missed by everyone at Hollybank.

Amber’s owners have written a blog that shares their memories from their time with Amber. To read more of her story please click on the link below.

http://www.woodlandviewkennels.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 

 

Caring for our Easter Bunnies

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At this time of year there is always one thing on everyone’s mind…the Easter Bunny! However this is also an important time of year for our pet bunnies too. With the weather starting to get a bit warmer (hopefully) there are a couple of important things we can be thinking about…
Vaccination    We vaccinate our rabbits against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Diarrhoea. Myxomatosis particularly is more common in the spring and summer so it is worth making sure all vaccinations are up to date. The boosters for the combined vaccine are only once a year and could make all the difference, as these diseases can be prevented but not cured.


Worming    As our rabbits start going outside more there is a higher chance that they will come into contact with wild rabbits, which can transmit several diseases. One of these is E. Cuniculi, a parasite which can cause signs such as a head tilt, loss of balance, urination problems and can even be fatal. We recommend a prolonged course of Fenbendazole, which provides prevention and treatment, 2-4 times a year. We also advise treating any new rabbit that is going to come into a group, so that they do not pose as much of a risk to your other bunnies.

 

Fly Strike    As the weather gets warmer your rabbit could be at risk from maggot infestation, ‘fly strike’.  Flies are generally attracted to warm and wet bedding, or your rabbit’s bottom directly, especially due to diarrhoea or any wounds. Unfortunately an infestation can quickly take hold and can be fatal. Making sure your rabbit’s hutch is clean and dry and checking your rabbit for any signs of maggots, or even just a ‘dirty bottom’ is vital. There are also protective sprays and disinfectants for both your rabbit and the hutch. Ask one of our vets for more details on what would be suitable for your pet.

Hollybank’s Brave Pet of the Month!

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Woody came to see us at Hollybank because he had hurt his right hind leg. He was very sore, holding his leg up, and very tense to examine which can be a sign of pain. There are lots of injuries a dog can do in a back leg. They can get strains and sprains but they can also problems within the joints themselves, whether with their bones or with the ligaments that hold everything in place. Therefore although lots of lame dogs can improve just with some pain relief and rest, in these cases we need to do more to solve the problem. Because Woody was painful we gave him some pain relieving anti-inflammatory drugs and planned to see him back the next day as we were concerned something more may be going on.

As Woody was still very lame the next day we sedated him and took some x-rays. Once he was relaxed from his sedation we could feel that his knee was unstable and would move forwards and backwards. This was because Woody had actually damaged and torn a ligament that held his knee together called the Cruciate ligament. Sometimes it will tear or rupture due to a traumatic injury but this alone is quite rare. Often there is underlying ongoing breakdown and degeneration in the ligament over a period of time, that makes it weaker. Most of the cases we then see are because the ligament has then given way. It also means that a dog that has a problem in one knee may well get a problem in the other knee at some point.

For Woody, this injury meant that he needed surgery. To stabilise his knee we put a suture around his knee to replace the action of the Cruciate ligament. He then had to go home on two weeks of cage rest to allow his knee to heal following the surgery. This took lots and patience and persistence, both from Woody and his owner. Thankfully Woody did really well, walking back in to Hollybank after just 5 days on all four legs.

After two weeks we then started to build up Woody’s exercise. Unfortunately he had a bit of a setback as he had to come back in to Hollybank to get over a bad case of vomiting and diarrhoea. However he is now back on track and making the most of his new found freedom again.