HIBERNATING TORTOISES

In the wild most tortoises hibernate for four to eight week periods. In captivity in the UK this period is extended to 20 weeks due to the colder weather. This puts a considerable strain on the tortoise and for this reason only fit, healthy tortoises should be hibernated. Always have your tortoise checked by a vet before allowing hibernation.
Food should be withheld four weeks prior to hibernation to prevent it decomposing in the digestive tract. Drinking of water however is to be encouraged to prevent dehydration.
Avoid placing your tortoise in a garage to hibernate, as carbon monoxide fumes can be toxic. Ideally they should be placed in an insulated box with good ventilation and a thermometer. The optimum temperature for hibernation is 5C. Above this the tortoise will be too active, below there is a risk of brain damage or blindness. Tortoises should be weighed prior to hibernation and then weighed monthly during the hibernation period. A weight loss of 1% per month is to be expected. If the loss is greater than this hibernation should be terminated as the tortoise's metabolism is too fast. Regular checks on your tortoise are advisable during hibernation. If the tortoise urinates it should be woken to avoid dehydration. Predator attacks such as rat bites can also occur.
Once Spring arrives and your tortoise starts to wake move it to a warm environment and place in a warm shallow bath of water to encourage drinking. If there is any sign of ill health or lacks of appetite seek veterinary attention- delays can worsen underlying problems.

TRAINEE NURSE DIARY

My name is Hannah Woodbury and I am 19 years old. From an early age I have always wanted to work with animals and I realised that veterinary nursing would be the best way to achieve this. I sent out my CV and a letter and I started working at Kingfisher veterinary practice in Chard 11 months ago. So far my training has been in the practice. Although I am unable to monitor the anaesthetics during operations I regularly observe them and I am taught how to do them. I enjoy working here very much and feel that I have made the right career choice. I enrolled as an official student with the royal college of Veterinary Surgeons in January and I start my training in September. This consists of spending one day a week at Vetlink College in Yeovil. I am looking forward to this and I will be updating you with my progress in future editions of this newsletter.

KINGFISHER STAFF NEWS

Lots of events have been occurring lately. Donna March, Marian Singleton, and Rebecca Bailey have all qualified as Vet Nurse assessors. Congratulations to Donna Bayliss in passing her Veterinary Nursing exams. Shani Palmer and Anne Willson have passed their part one exams, well done. We say farewell to two of our nurses from the Chard Branch Donna Mace and Amy Hayhurst. Clients often comment on the number of staff that leave, but it is the type of job that staff often move on after gaining experience, or qualifying. Wedding bells rang in Martock for Lindsey and James Gaylard on the l0th August congratulations to them both. Lindsey is one of our 1st year trainees. Welcome to Martin Law who graduated from Bristol and has started at the Martock branch. Susan Hooper is returning to the practice to work part-time in our Chard Branch, while Jean Gibson will be based in the Taunton Branch also on a part time basis.

THE OPERATING THEATRE

Clients are often unaware of what goes on behind the scenes as such, so in future newsletters we will be explaining to you about the different areas in the veterinary practice and very briefly about the various pieces of equipment.
The operating theatre is our most important room. When designing this room, lighting, ventilation and space plays an important part in the proceedings. The lighting needs to be bright and directional but not too hot, as the surgeon may have to stand or sit underneath it for along period of time. Ventilation and extraction fans need to be installed, and special absorbers are required to take away waste gas from our anaesthetized patients. The operating table is not a typical consulting room table like you see, but a stainless steel one often with hydraulics attached so that the table can be height adjusted, and tilted, these tables can cost anything from £2000 upwards. Even the taps over the sink are specially designed so that the surgeon can "scrub up" and are able to turn the taps off using their elbows. The most important piece of equipment is the anaesthetic machine; this contains a vaporizer to convert the anaesthetic liquid into a gas, and is carried along tubing that is specially selected size wise for that particular animal. The oxygen is stored in a pressurized tank and there are always two of these on each machine for back up. We have various props for positioning the anaesthetized patient on the table, as they are not always lying on their sides! These consist of sandbags, and cushions, or cradles that come in various sizes.
We also need an instrument tray that is mobile so it can be placed in a convenient position. In fact we have just brought anew one for our Taunton branch and it cost £200! As you can see from the picture there is lot more to it.

BELT UP

A recent survey revealed that 2.5 million drivers do not restrain their pets in the car while they are on the move. This is not only dangerous for the driver and passengers but also the pet. A medium sized dog can weigh the equivalent of a child. Therefore, in a 30mph impact crash an unsecured dog in the back would be thrown forward with a force of around three tons, sustaining severe injury and potentially severely hurting the driver or passenger in front of them. To prevent your dog from becoming a danger in the car, there is now a 'Dog Car Harness' available from all the Kingfisher branches. These are very easy to fit, and come in several sizes. They work by being secured to the seat belt in the car. Most dogs if they are used to sitting on the back seat will quite happily accept a harness. If not, practice using it in the home before getting in the car. At the cost of approximately £10 to £20 they are definitely worth the money for peace of mind.

MOULTING PETS

A common question both our receptionist and nurses are asked is 'why is my dog moulting? To answer this question, you need to understand the cycle of hair growth. Hair grows in cycles. An individual hair grows until it reaches a set length, determined by the dog's genes, coat type and the hair position on the body. After a variable period, which is affected by factors such as daylight length and ambient temperature, the hair is shed.
Most dogs moult once in the spring when they grow a thinner, coarser coat and again in the autumn when they grow a thicker, woollier coat.

Hair grows at different rates on different parts of the body. In some places on some dogs it can grow at 7mm per week.
An interesting fact: A healthy dog does not go bald when he is shedding his coat, or moulting, because no two hairs that are near each other on his body will be at the same part of the growth cycle at the same time.

If at any time you would like a chat about your pet's coat, you can make an appointment to see the nurse on duty for advice.

ITCHY BUSINESS

Fleas breed rapidly in your warm, carpeted home feeding on the blood of your pets. In the summer months, the life cycle of the flea may take as little as 2 to 3 weeks to complete, which can result in a flea population explosion if you don 't take preventative measures. In order to treat your pet and home for flea infestation, it helps to understand the life cycle.

1. ADULT FLEA. They jump onto your pet and feed on its blood. They begin laying eggs after 1 to 2 days.

2. EGGS. A single flea may lay up to 2,000 eggs, many of which drop off in your home, i.e. the carpet, the bed, even the car if your dog travels in it regularly.

3. LARVAE. The eggs hatch into mobile larvae, which move away from light and hide themselves in carpets and bedding, under rugs and beneath furniture.

4. PUPAE. Eventually, larvae spin a protective cocoon and "pupate" where they lie. If there are pets or people around, the pupae hatch as adult fleas. If not they can survive for many months as pupae, waiting for the opportunity to emerge.

In the past five years, great advances have been made in the development of products with persistent action. For advice about which product is best for your pets, please ask the reception staff or nurse at your branch.

KINGFISHER STAFF NEWS

Congratulations to Susan Hooper (one of our chard nurses) on the birth of her first born son, Jonathan. Mum and baby are coping well!
A big welcome to Clare Finn-Kelcey. Clare graduated from Bristol University in the summer of 2001 and is currently working in our Chard and Crewkerne practices doing a variety of large and small animal work. Also to Helen Kemp who is joining us in Chard and Taunton. Helen qualified from Cambridge in 1990. Her interests are dogs, cats and exotics. Donna Marie (Crewkerne), Marian Singleton (Martock), Donna Mace and Rebecca Bailey (Chard) are all training to become assessors for the 'veterinary nursing portfolio'. At present we have three second year students, two first year students and two staff members taking the pre-veterinary nursing course. Donna Mace is taking the 'Diploma in Surgical Nursing'. This involves a lot of course work and study and takes two years to complete. we will keep you informed of their progress, and hopefully in the next issue, we will include a diary of one of our veterinary nurses training.
Congratulations to Beth Barathy for achieving the 'BTEC Award in Veterinary Client Care'.
We have also said a sad farewell to Alice Hodgson who has been with the practice since graduating in 1997. Alice is moving on to pastures new, and we wish her luck in her new job.

MICRO CHIPPING

Is your pet chipped? The insertion of an ‘electronic tag’ under the skin of your pet is quick, easy and almost painless. It can then be easily identified if lost, stolen or strayed. Any animal brought to the surgery without a known owner is scanned, and the ability to trace owners is very useful, particularly where permission is required to treat injuries.

The Crewkerne centre of the Kingfisher Veterinary Practice recently won a draw of those practices which had started to use the new ‘Online’ registration via the Internet. This enables quicker registration onto the database, and easy access for checking scanned pets. A microchip is an essential part of the new Pet Passport scheme if you wish to travel with your pet to the continent etc.

For those of you with ‘chipped’ pets the Internet site is found at www.identichip.com. Newly registered pets have an access number; others may need to contact the database to obtain one. This enables owners to alter information such as change of address.

UNWANTED VISITORS

Fleas used to be a seasonal problem during the warmer summer months of the year. Now we have central heating and fitted carpets fleas believe that it is summer all year round. As soon as we get our first cold snap and the heating is switched on the flea eggs and larvae that are lying dormant around the house begin to hatch believing summer has returned. This is why it is important for all year round flea control.

There are a number of effective flea and tick control treatments on the market both for use on the animal and the environment some being more effective than others. All our staff are trained in giving advice on which product is most suitable for your particular needs.

EARLY SOCIALISATION OF YOUR PET

Socialisation or the lack of it is the main cause of behavioural problems seen in later life. This is not just found in the dog but also in the cat and rabbit to a lesser degree. Sue Avery at Martock surgery has a particular interest in the subject and as part of a socialisation programme runs a puppy clinic on a Thursday afternoon. It is open house between 3.30-4.30pm when owners can bring their puppies and young dogs (once they are vaccinated) to socialise with each other and get used to the surgery and being handled by "strange" people. It also gives the owners a chance to answer any questions they may have. Similar clinics are also run at the other branches. Please contact your branch for further details if you are interested. If you do have a pet with a behavioural problem Sue Avery at Martock and Jean Gibson at Chard are qualified to help address behavioural problems in your pet. A consultation can be arranged by phoning one of the surgeries or the vet may refer you to them if they think appropriate.

CHANGES IN STAFF

As many of you may know Andy Nelson one of our vets who worked at our Chard, Crewkerne and occasionally Taunton and Martock surgeries has recently left the practice in order to work as a vet in Australia. Before setting out for Australia Andy is running in the Eurasia Istanbul marathon – many clients kindly sponsored Andy in this race and we will post details of how he got on at all the surgeries. Andy will be greatly missed by us all. We welcome as his replacement Rebecca Bailey; Rebecca graduated from Bristol Vet School this summer and will be working mainly at Chard and Taunton and also seeing our farm clients.

Congratulations to Susan Hooper – our head nurse at Chard and Taunton – Susan has been offered a position at the Bristol Vet School to train vet nurses on the new degree course. Susan will be leaving us in September and will be greatly missed. Susan will still be working at the practice on some Saturdays and during some academic holidays so we are not losing her completely. Rachael Pearson will be taking over as head nurse at Chard and Taunton; Rachael has already been part of our senior nursing team for some years. We welcome Donna March to the nursing team at Chard and Taunton, Donna has four years nursing experience working in Bournemouth.

Alice Hodgson one of our vets from Chard and Taunton will be taking a four-month sabbatical from November of this year, Alice will be returning in early March – we wish her good luck in her travels.