We are very proud to have our very own Peta Amos and her gorgeous Border Collie Dylan in the Wingham Chronicle.

Peta and Dylan are Members of the Delta Therapy Program that visits Hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other institutions where re-establishing contact with a companion animal enhances the quality of the patients and residents lives.

The article in the Wingham Chronicle  is a lovely insight into what the Delta Therapy program achieves.

To find the article visit http://www.winghamchronicle.com.au/story/2375389/therapy-dogs-making-a-difference-in-wingham/?cs=1551

or see it on page 3 in the Wingham Chronicle July 16 2014 .

Peta Amos with her Border Collie Dylan at The Frank Whiddon Masonic Home.

This Autumn we appear to have perfect grass seed weather!

For those who don’t know or who have thankfully not experienced it, grass seeds, though little, are a huge danger to our animals.

Pets both big and small can be affected by the lodgement of grass seeds in their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, between toes and they can even lodge straight through the skin.

The most dangerous and alarming attribute of grass seeds is that they migrate through the body. Because the body identifies the seed as a foreign object, it tries to reject and wall out the seed causing an abscess.  If an abscess forms in the brain, spinal cord or behind eyes, it may result in the death of the animal.

It is very important to act on early signs of grass seed lodgement as the longer they are left the harder and more complicated the process becomes to remove them.

Signs of grass seeds include soreness or lumps on your animals skin, sore ears, shaking or titling of the head, sore eyes with any discharge, squinting or swelling, and redness or swelling between toes.

Be sure to brush and check your pet’s coat to make sure no seeds are attached, avoid grass seed areas until seeds have dropped or been mowed, keep paddocks slashed and the use of enclosed fly veils can protect horse’s eyes from the seeds.

Parvovirus is a deadly viral disease of dogs. It causes bloody diarrhoea and severe dehydration. Although it is possible to save some dogs with intensive care treatment, it is a costly and stressful disease to manage with strict isolation precautions being needed to limit any spread of virus.

For many years we have been comparatively lucky in Wingham to only have a handful of parvo cases a year, but last Summer we had over twenty cases, and we are concerned that this year may prove to be similar.

The good news is that we have never seen parvovirus in a fully vaccinated dog. We can not overemphasise the importance of vaccinating to keep your dogs safe. Although the virus is traditionally spread by dog to dog or dog to faeces contact, we have seen parvo in working farm dogs which have not been off property. These dogs presumably became infected by someone or something carrying the virus back to the farm. So please, even if you feel your dog is not at risk – it may be, so vaccination is just as or maybe more  important for those dogs!

Worms have always been a problem for sheep (and goats and alpacas) in the Manning Valley, but the current weather conditions have made it a worm’s paradise! (Read More…)

Our Dog Sports class is held either on a Sunday morning or Thursday evening depending on the time of year. Dog Sports is a follow on to Canine Good Citizen and aims to maintain and improve on skills already learnt. It is open to all dogs who have completed CGC and usually involves a street walk followed by agility work in the yard (on or off lead depending on capabilities). If you have completed CGC in the past and would like to join in, please call Wingham and Valley Vets and we will place your name on the email list.