Mackie Family Pet Health Care Centre

Phone: 03 9557 9500

MAY NEWSLETTER – 2010

RETURN TO THE HOME PAGE

PET INSURANCE
Many clients have asked about pet insurance. As a Vet I am not licensed to sell or offer advice on any insurance policy but I am able to make some general comments about the nature of Pet Insurance. No insurance company is able to return all premiums as benefits and make a profit. In the long term the average policy holder will pay more in premiums then they will re-coup in benefits. We as owners don’t want our family pet to become sick or injured. Pet insurance can cover accidents or illnesses that may cost thousands of dollars and some are providing some benefits for routine care. (Certain limits & excesses apply). If you are a family thinking about investigating insurance for pets don’t wait until the problem occurs. There is no insurance available for a pre-existing problem. At The Mackie Family we won’t accept any referral fee or benefit from any insurance company but we do provide brochures from a wide range of companies.
MACKIE FAMILY NEWS

We welcome Belinda Myers as our new vet nurse in 2010. Belinda was in the right place at the right time & submitted her resume just before we started the interview process. Clare has returned to university to complete her Masters of Education which involves study and doing teaching rounds as a student teacher. She is currently at Haylebury College 2 days a week but promises to assist us on Saturday mornings. We are very lucky to have a local vet Mariya Dikshteyn coming to do some locum sessions this year. Mariya has a lovely compassionate way with pets and people and we hope she enjoys working in our clinic and meeting our extended family.

NEW PRODUCTS

Rabbit owners should be aware of new diet recommendations for their pets. We are now stocking the Oxbow range of rabbit pellets which should be used in moderation as part of a balanced diet of 75% hay, ½ to 2/3 cup of green veges and grazing the back lawn. Apples, Carrots only as occasional treats! Drop in or call for our new updated rabbit notes.

POISONS & TOXINS
Here is a list of some unusual poisons that you may not realise can be toxic to our family pet.
** Snail pellets. Even the types advertised as non attractive to dogs have been ingested by and poisoned dogs.
** Blood & Bone and other fertilizers are highly sought after by dogs. Not only do they want to roll in it but they eat it with gusto leading to a nasty gastro-enteritis.
** Chocolate: The poisonous ingredient is theobromine & this is found in cooking or dark chocolate not Cocoa powder. A lot of chocolate needs to be ingested to cause vomiting, urinary incontinence & anxiety and these can progress to seizures & heart arrhythmias.
**Cut flowers, indoor & outdoor plants: As we celebrate we decorate our homes & receive gifts of flowers & potted plants. Any lily can cause kidney disease if ingested.
** Gifts & toys: Essential Oils can be absorbed through the skin or ingested and cause signs immediately or up to 8 hours later! Signs can be weakness tremors, depression, vomiting, diarrhoea or stupor. Small plastic shapes such as the “gifts” in bon-bons are fun for our pets to play with but they can end up stuck in the intestines.
**Treats: Watch out for the family member or friend who wants to feed your family pet “treats”. We have mentioned chocolate but did you know grapes, raisins & macadamia nuts are toxic? Salted hams, bacon & sausages also cause excessive drinking.
** Brunfelsia species known as Yesterday,Today & Tomorrow Plant. Causes seizures & death if ingested.
**Wandering Jew & other ground cover plants such as Scurvy weed, Inch plant & Purple Heart can cause severe contact skin allergies in pets (mostly dogs).

VACCINATE & WIN!
One lucky family pet owner during May, June and July will have the cost of the annual health check and vaccine used refunded as a credit to go towards their next vet visit. This will be drawn as a free raffle.

You can see the cat runs by clicking here

Mackie Family Pet Health
Centre's Cat Boarding

RETURN TO THE HOME PAGE

We are a member of the Australian Veterinary Association.

315 Centre Road
Bentleigh, VIC 3204
Melways reference page 68 D12
VACCINATION CHANGES
As discussed in the August 2009 newsletter there are choices for vaccination protection for your pet. No one size fits all. When you come in for your annual health check we will go through the risks of infection & inform you about the best health choices for your family pet.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
The Vet Clinic & shop will be closed on all public holidays eg Queens birthday Monday 14 June. There will be some days when Mark is unavailable to consult but the shop will be open. Please phone for an appointment first.

EMERGENCIES-AFTER HOURS
The Pet Emergency & Specialist Centre is a new 24 hour emergency vet hospital opened in Dandenong Rd., Malvern East. Clients who are closer may choose to use them in emergencies. When our clinic is closed, urgent and emergency cases can be helped at two centres. At both centres full details of the problem & treatment will be sent to us next morning and we can advise the emergency vets of any pre-existing conditions & on going medications.
Southern Animal Emergency Centre,
248 Wickham Rd, Highett (Mel 77-H8) 9532-5261.
Or for those clients who are closer:
Pet Emergency & Specialist Centre,
1103 Dandenong Rd., Malvern East (Mel 68-J3) 9569-3677.

MAY NEWSLETTER – 2010 RETURN TO THE HOME PAGE
PET INSURANCE Many clients have asked about pet insurance. As a Vet I am not licensed to sell or offer advice on any insurance policy but I am able to make some general comments about the nature of Pet Insurance. No insurance company is able to return all premiums as benefits and make a profit. In the long term the average policy holder will pay more in premiums then they will re-coup in benefits. We as owners don’t want our family pet to become sick or injured. Pet insurance can cover accidents or illnesses that may cost thousands of dollars and some are providing some benefits for routine care. (Certain limits & excesses apply). If you are a family thinking about investigating insurance for pets don’t wait until the problem occurs. There is no insurance available for a pre-existing problem. At The Mackie Family we won’t accept any referral fee or benefit from any insurance company but we do provide brochures from a wide range of companies. MACKIE FAMILY NEWS We welcome Belinda Myers as our new vet nurse in 2010. Belinda was in the right place at the right time & submitted her resume just before we started the interview process. Clare has returned to university to complete her Masters of Education which involves study and doing teaching rounds as a student teacher. She is currently at Haylebury College 2 days a week but promises to assist us on Saturday mornings. We are very lucky to have a local vet Mariya Dikshteyn coming to do some locum sessions this year. Mariya has a lovely compassionate way with pets and people and we hope she enjoys working in our clinic and meeting our extended family. NEW PRODUCTS Rabbit owners should be aware of new diet recommendations for their pets. We are now stocking the Oxbow range of rabbit pellets which should be used in moderation as part of a balanced diet of 75% hay, ½ to 2/3 cup of green veges and grazing the back lawn. Apples, Carrots only as occasional treats! Drop in or call for our new updated rabbit notes.	POISONS & TOXINS Here is a list of some unusual poisons that you may not realise can be toxic to our family pet. Snail pellets. Even the types advertised as non attractive to dogs have been ingested by and poisoned dogs. Blood & Bone and other fertilizers are highly sought after by dogs. Not only do they want to roll in it but they eat it with gusto leading to a nasty gastro-enteritis. Chocolate: The poisonous ingredient is theobromine & this is found in cooking or dark chocolate not Cocoa powder. A lot of chocolate needs to be ingested to cause vomiting, urinary incontinence & anxiety and these can progress to seizures & heart arrhythmias. Cut flowers, indoor & outdoor plants: As we celebrate we decorate our homes & receive gifts of flowers & potted plants. Any lily can cause kidney disease if ingested. Gifts & toys: Essential Oils can be absorbed through the skin or ingested and cause signs immediately or up to 8 hours later! Signs can be weakness tremors, depression, vomiting, diarrhoea or stupor. Small plastic shapes such as the “gifts” in bon-bons are fun for our pets to play with but they can end up stuck in the intestines. Treats: Watch out for the family member or friend who wants to feed your family pet “treats”. We have mentioned chocolate but did you know grapes, raisins & macadamia nuts are toxic? Salted hams, bacon & sausages also cause excessive drinking. Brunfelsia species known as Yesterday,Today & Tomorrow Plant. Causes seizures & death if ingested. Wandering Jew & other ground cover plants such as Scurvy weed, Inch plant & Purple Heart can cause severe contact skin allergies in pets (mostly dogs). VACCINATE & WIN! One lucky family pet owner during May, June and July will have the cost of the annual health check and vaccine used refunded as a credit to go towards their next vet visit. This will be drawn as a free raffle. You can see the cat runs by clicking here Mackie Family Pet Health Centre's Cat Boarding RETURN TO THE HOME PAGE We are a member of the Australian Veterinary Association. 315 Centre Road Bentleigh, VIC 3204 Melways reference page 68 D12	VACCINATION CHANGES As discussed in the August 2009 newsletter there are choices for vaccination protection for your pet. No one size fits all. When you come in for your annual health check we will go through the risks of infection & inform you about the best health choices for your family pet. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS The Vet Clinic & shop will be closed on all public holidays eg Queens birthday Monday 14 June. There will be some days when Mark is unavailable to consult but the shop will be open. Please phone for an appointment first. EMERGENCIES-AFTER HOURS The Pet Emergency & Specialist Centre is a new 24 hour emergency vet hospital opened in Dandenong Rd., Malvern East. Clients who are closer may choose to use them in emergencies. When our clinic is closed, urgent and emergency cases can be helped at two centres. At both centres full details of the problem & treatment will be sent to us next morning and we can advise the emergency vets of any pre-existing conditions & on going medications. Southern Animal Emergency Centre, 248 Wickham Rd, Highett (Mel 77-H8) 9532-5261. Or for those clients who are closer: Pet Emergency & Specialist Centre, 1103 Dandenong Rd., Malvern East (Mel 68-J3) 9569-3677.