Getting to the Heart of Senior Health - FREE cardiac testing in June!

Recent veterinary research has revealed just how vital it is to identify and treat canine heart disease earlier than previously thought necessary.

This research has important implications for ANY dog with a heart murmur and shows that earlier medical intervention can increase the quality of these pet's lives by vastly delaying the onset of symptoms. The problem for pet owners is that heart disease is a relatively silent killer in our dogs and cats, how do you know if your pet could benefit from cardiac treatment?

All senior pets visiting Prahran or South Yarra during Senior's Month this June are welcome to receive a FREE heart assessment. For dogs found to have a heart problem we will be offering FREE cardiac ultrasound to better evaluate their health. This is a fantastic initiative to help you do the best for your pet.

By combining the latest in veterinary research, being the most proactive in senior health and providing your pet with industry leading clinical care, we're doing all we can to make this a contented winter for our oldies. Call Prahran now to take advantage of these great offers. 95101335.

Low thiamine suspected in cat illnesses linked to BFF food

Cat food produced by an American company has been linked with hundreds of cases of illness and as many as 20 deaths in Australian cats. Weruva International Inc., recalled its Best Feline Friends (BFF) brand of canned cat food from Petbarn stores in early May, but reports of illnesses are ongoing.

Signs of illness are reported to include:

We have not seen any suspected cases at Prahran or South Yarra at this stage, however owners feeding BFF canned food are advised to stop immediately and seek veterinary advice.

This event comes on the back of research published last year that highlighted the limited regulation of pet food production in this country. Dr Kath Briscoe, a feline medicine specialist in Sydney who has treated several of the affected cats, emphasises why pet owners need to be able to understand pet food labelling when it comes to assessing the quality of what's contained:

"As there is no legislation regarding pet food in Australia, no government body is tracking or investigating. Australia does not have an equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. All the work done on the investigation and the analysis has been done pro bono"

In the absence of regulatory oversight, pet owners must take it upon themselves to ensure pet food manufacturers and retailers are held to account: What quality control processes can they cite? What nutritional standards does their product aim to meet and how do they verify this? As vets we are satisfied that the products we endorse and feed our own pets meet this level of scrutiny. As a concerned pet owner can you say the same?