Internships helping vets to grow and learn At ARH we have a growing internship program which gives outstanding new and recent veterinary graduates the opportunity to advance their skills and knowledge in a range of areas. Our interns work under the guidance of our specialists and registrars in surgery, internal medicine, oncology and emergency and critical care and often use this opportunity as a stepping stone to residency and specialist study. We’d like to welcome our newest interns, Benjamin Reynolds and Nicolla Rowlands, who joined us this week and will be completing a one year rotating internship. Ben has a special interest in oncology and ophthalmology and Nicolla is drawn to surgery. Both have slotted in really well to ARH Brisbane and we are looking forward to getting to know them over this next year.

*** The fight to save Floyd’s leg *** Floyd was hit by a car at his home in Gladstone. He sustained terrible injuries to his right back leg which required amputation. Initially he responded well after surgery however a few days later his left leg became sore. An x-ray revealed he had ruptured his patella tendon. In an effort to preserve his remaining back leg and ability to walk, his local vet referred him to see ARH specialist surgeon, Dr Lance Wilson. Floyd underwent major surgery to repair the ligament and reinforce it with surrounding tissue. The repair was protected with both internal and external implants. It was a long and arduous recovery for Floyd. However, in Dr Lance’s words, he was an absolute champion. He spent a couple of weeks in the clinic and he was tough, he tolerated his treatment really well, and was a real joy to have around even though he was in a lot of pain. He gradually learnt to use his left leg and eight weeks after surgery his local vet removed the external implants and he now has full use of his leg again. Floyd had a huge impact on everyone in the clinic. When we sent him home on the plane it was a very emotional good-bye.

Do you know first aid for a pet with heat stroke? In Brisbane’s current hot and humid conditions we are seeing more and more pets in at ARH with heat stroke, some whose outcome has unfortunately been fatal. Symptoms of heatstroke can include... excessive panting; bright red gums and tongue which turn to blue; salivation; vomiting; anxious pacing, lack of coordination, stumbling; seizures or strange behaviour; collapse and coma. If you suspect your pet has heat stroke, we recommend immediate first aid at home followed by an urgent visit to your local vet or emergency hospital (after hours). To apply first aid at home you can: • Soak a towel in cool water and drizzle it onto your pet concentrating on the head, stomach, neck, inner thighs and pads of the feet. • Wrap your pet in a cool wet towel, continuing to replace the towel with a cool, wet one. Don’t leave the towel on your pet as these can heat up. • For larger pets, gently hose or bathe with cool water, followed by cool towels applied to the head and stomach. • To avoid hypothermia, cool your pet slowly using cool water NOT iced water. • Extra care should be taken with brachycephalic pets (those with short noses) as they can’t regulate heat effectively. It’s important to make sure your pet has plenty of accessible cool water sources and shaded rest areas. Exercise should be kept to the cool part of the day and a trim to your pet’s long hair can help.

*** Why CHOCOLATE is bad for pets!*** As vets, we talk a lot about the dangers of chocolate and pets, especially dogs and cats, but do you know why? Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which in larger amounts is dangerous because pets can’t break it down and eliminate it the same way humans can. It can build up to toxic concentrations and can cause multi-organ disease and failure if not treated properly. Over Christmas, poor Sandy found out the hard way. Her owners brought her in to our emergency service after suspecting she had eaten some missing fruit and nut chocolate. With raisins also being extremely toxic to pets, we immediately set about inducing vomiting and found that not only had Sandy eaten a large amount of the chocolate she had also digested some other unknown foreign material earlier in the day! Once her stomach was empty, Sandy was given some medication to calm her nausea and a good talking to by her owners. She was then discharged back home for some cuddles on the couch. If you suspect your pet has ingested chocolate, it’s best to seek urgent medical advice from your local vet or our emergency hospital after hours.

A birthday celebration gone wrong... Cerberus was having a lovely walk with his family on the way to buy a birthday bone when he slipped his lead and was hit by a car. He ended up in hospital with a pneumothorax (air surrounding his lungs) and inflammation in his muscles and liver. He spent his birthday in at our ARH 24 hour emergency and specialist hospital, however, after three days of supportive treatment and TLC he was able to go home with his family and finally get his bone. We’re guessing a birthday bone has never tasted so good!

*** HAPPY NEW YEAR *** We hope you had a lovely celebration to see in the New Year last night and are feeling a little more energetic than Lucy today! We wish you all a very happy and healthy 2018 and we’re looking forward to bringing you plenty of updates and tips over this next year.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...where’s Lucy? It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of NEW YEAR’S EVE and forget that our four legged friends don’t always enjoy the celebrations. Here are some things to think about when it comes to the big countdown: ** Distract your pet with a cuddle or a game during FIREWORKS, as these can be extremely stressful for animals. ** PARTY POPPERS, loud music and lots of people can be the things of nightmares for pets. Providing your pet with a safe and quiet area to escape the noise and some distractions like a new toy, comforter or bone/food may help to keep them calm. ** With lots of guests coming and going it’s easy for an open door to be used as an ESCAPE PATH. If you aren’t able to contain your pet, make sure you remind your guests to keep relevant doors and windows closed at all times. ** PARTY FOOD and DRINKS can be irresistible to pets, particularly if they are left on the ground. Unfortunately they can also be toxic so make sure your guests know to keep these to the table. ** Finally, please make sure your pet’s MICROCHIP and REGISTRATION DETAILS are up-to-date in case the unthinkable happens. One of our biggest challenges at this time of year is trying to reunite owners with their lost pets. We wish you all a very safe and happy New Years celebration.

Welcome to our new emergency nurses We’d like to give a big welcome to Eliza, Erica and Hayley our new emergency and critical care nurses. These lovely ladies joined our growing emergency department recently and have hit the ground running over the busy Christmas period. It’s great to have you on board!

*** Thank you for being you *** We’d like to take a moment from our wine drinking and pudding eating to thank the special vets and nurses who put up their hands to man the clinic over Christmas so that our Animal Referral Hospital can stay open 24 hours a day. Claire, Aimee, Cindy, Zoe, Eliza, Frances, Erica, Kirsten, Sarah, Rosie and Emma you represent the true spirit of Christmas. Coco and Pixie and all the other pets in at ARH this Christmas are so grateful for your kindness.

We'd like to thank all the vets, local pet owners and community members who have helped us through our first six months. We wish you and your furry friends a very Merry Christmas and hope you find plenty of time for cuddles, pats and long walks. Love the ARH team

*** Spoil your pet the ARH way! *** There’s plenty of advice around about the don’ts when it comes to your pet and Christmas. But there are many ways you can safely spoil your best friend over the festive season. We asked our ARH team for their ideas on celebrating Christmas with their pets. Nurse Lauren: “I plan on taking Layla out for a walk and play the morning of the big day – hopefully that will keep her happy and calm when the guests arrive...hopefully!” Receptionist Hannah: “I like to make some cat friendly treats for my four little ones so they get to enjoy the Christmas food as well”. Specialist surgeon, Dr Lance: “Lucy gets an extra juicy bone at Christmas. She knows it’s her little treat and I’m sure she is always looking at me expectantly around this time of year”. ECC vet, Claire: Sooty and I always snuggle on the couch and watch a Christmas movie together. Practice Manager, Emma: “This year is Fergus and my first year together so I am planning on taking him to all the festivities and making sure he feels a real part of the family”. However you choose to spend Christmas this year, we hope it's a special one.

*** FROM MELBOURNE TO BRISBANE & BACK! *** This is the heart-warming story of beautiful EJ, who two years ago escaped from his home in Melbourne and was recently found in Inala, Brisbane. After all hope was lost, he was reunited with his ecstatic owner, Erlinda, just in time for Christmas. This was a rare and special event for our ARH Brisbane team and one we will always remember.