Date: 19 Mar 2021
The first few months of 2021 have been very busy for our surgeries. Despite the difficult lockdown period, we have continued to offer expert care for your precious pets. Even though the lockdown has meant that you may not have been able to visit us in the same way and come inside the surgery, we have been making a fuss of your pets and giving them lots of cuddles every time they visit. π
We are always here for you and your beloved pets no matter what. Since the start of the year, we have welcomed lots of your adorable pets through our surgery doors. We’ve seen some fascinating cases, provided essential preventative care and even performed some life-saving surgeries.
We wanted to share some of the heart-warming stories and fascinating cases we’ve seen over the past few months. Be warned- this blog contains some seriously CUTE pets. πΆ π±Β Read on to find out more…
A Life-Saving Donation
Our main hospital Streatham Hill Vets has had a very busy start to the year! Back in January, the team welcomed a very brave visitor- Finn. πΆ
Finn is an Irish wolfhound and this gorgeous boy came in to make a life-saving donation! β€οΈ
Did you know that dogs can donate blood too?
Finn’s wonderful owners brought him in to make an emergency donation that was needed to help the adorable Izzie, who is owned by one of the lovely nurses at Streatham Hill Vets.
Izzie was rushed in after her family noticed she didnβt want to stand up or walk, and was lethargic. An ultrasound showed that she was bleeding into her abdomen. π’
Brave Finn was able to donate 450ml of blood, which thankfully, to an Irish wolfhound isnβt very much. β€οΈΒ It was however, life-saving for Izzy. We definitely think that gives Finn serious superhero status! π π π He’s pictured below with our Lead Vet Gabriella. Isn’t he cute? π
We gave them both lots of cuddles before they went home for some rest. π π π
We are always looking for canine blood donors to join our blood donor list for emergency situations just like this. Your dogβs welfare is always our priority, so for them to be a blood donor, they must meet certain criteria, including being fit & healthy, between 1-8 years old, weighing more than 25kg and not being on any medication. If you think that your precious pet could be a blood donor, please contact us for more information on – 0208 674 3525. π
Adorable Mia
Meet sweet little Mia. πΆ
Mia recently came in to see our amazing Vet VirafΒ at Wimbledon Vets after being referred from our Manor Vets branch when Vet Harriett noticed she had a peculiar heartbeat. π±
The photo below shows that Mia’s heart skips a beat after every few beats so she had an ultrasound and ECG done with Viraf.
It was found that Mia has an AV block. Atrioventricular block (AV block) is a type of heart block that occurs when the electrical signal traveling from the atria, or the upper chambers of the heart, to ventricles, or the lower chambers of the heart, is impaired.π
Lucky for Mia it is not a life threatening condition and she can go on to live a happy and healthy life. We will keep a close eye on Mia for the rest of her life just to ensure the Vets are happy with her heart. π
We loved having Mia at the surgery and she was an amazing patient. She received tons of cuddles and TLC during her stay. β¨
Smokey’s Surgery
This is Smokey. π π±
Poor Smokey was brought into Mayow Veterinary Surgery back in February as he was straining to urinate and showing signs of cystitis. πΏ
After thorough examination and medication- Smokey unfortunately did not make a full recovery so further investigations were carried out. As you can see on Smokeyβs X-rays, our amazing Vet could confirm he had Uroliths (crystals/stones) in his bladder. This was the cause of Smokeyβs urinary issues. π±
Smokey underwent surgery for a Cystotomy, this is the βremoval of bladder crystals/stonesβ.
Unfortunately, Smokey would not have been able to pass these, hence the reason for surgery. Smokey was doing really well post surgery and went home with some medication πΒ for lots of TLC.
We all wish this handsome boy a speedy recovery. π
ππ²π¦π©ππ¨π¦π¬ π¨π ππ₯πππππ« πππ¨π§ππ¬ π’π§ ππππ¬:
πΈ Straining to urinate
πΈ Frequent urination
πΈ Genital licking
πΈ Blood in the urine (hematuria)
πΈ Painful urination
πΈ Chronic urinary tract infections
πΈ Urinary tract obstruction (especially in males)
πΈ Urine spraying
Olive’s Unusual Diagnosis
The lovely Olive came to see our Parish Lane Vets team back in February.
Olive’s owner brought her in to investigate the sudden onset of a very sore nose. By taking small samples to look at under a microscope, Olive was diagnosed with an unusual condition called Canine Eosinophilic Furunculosis. π¬
The condition is poorly understood but tends to affect curious dogs, and there are some suggestions that it could be brought about by insect bites.
We are pleased to announce that Olive is doing fantastically on her treatment. Take a look at the photo below to see the massive improvement. πΆ π
A Case Of Cherry Eye
Mayow Vets had another interesting case recently when this beautiful little lady came through the door. π
Meet Minnie- so dinky but yet so brave! πΒ She came in to see our amazing Vet Rachel for βcherry eyeβ surgery.
Did you know that dogs have an extra eyelid called the third eyelid? Itβs a thin piece of skin that slides across the front of the eye to provide protection when necessary. It also contains a tear gland. π
Cherry eye is when the tear gland inside the third eyelid βpops outβ. Cherry eye can be extremely painful and very irritating because the gland quickly becomes red, angry and sore. π’
Rachel helped Minnie get back to her normal self in no time. Take a look at the difference in the photos below.
Minnie went home with eye drops and anti inflammatory/ pain relief. πΒ She got lots of TLC from her owner and of course, from the Mayow team! π
A Missing Mouse!
The Mayow Vets team got quite a shock recently when Colby came to visit. π²
This lovely boy, was brought in because his owners suspected he had eaten something he shouldn’t have- a cat toy! π
Our amazing Vet Harriet recommended emesis, so we gave an injection to make Colby sick in a safe way as this was best for him. After a couple of minutes of closely monitoring him, he threw up a little toy mouse. πΒ Β We couldn’t believe it!
Because of the type of breed Colby is, we needed to closely monitor him during vomiting as there is a risk of aspiration pneumonia. π’
All went well and he was a very brave boy. πΒ He gave us the best hugs before he went back home! π π π
Pluto’s Fascinating Surgery
This loveable French Bulldog is Pluto. πΆ π
Pluto came to see our wonderful Lead Vet Gabriella at Streatham Hill Vets back in January as he suffers with Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). π
But, what exactly is BOAS?
BOAS is a combination of upper airway problems that is seen in dogs that are bred to have short noses (for example Pugs, French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs). πΆΒ This can cause an excess of soft tissue in the upper airways that obstructs airflow and forces the animal to rely on open mouth breathing more.
The signs of BOAS are varied and can range in severity, including some or all of the following:
πΈ Snorting
πΈ Excessive panting
πΈ Clear nasal discharge
πΈ Exercise intolerance
πΈ Difficulty breathing during exercise
πΈ Poor tolerance to heat stress
πΈ Restlessness at night
πΈ Sleep apnoea
πΈ Retching, regurgitation, vomiting
πΈ Collapse due to lack of air
Pluto had surgery on a number of areas to help increase airflow. He was diagnosed with Stenotic Nares (narrowed nostrils), so Gabriella removed a section of the cartilage on the front of the nose that will help to improve the airflow through the nares. You can see in the picture of Plutoβs nose below, the incredible difference after one nostril had been opened. π
Pluto also had an overlong soft palate. The excess length of the soft palate was reduced during surgery to allow more air flow into the larynx. Finally, Gabriella removed Plutoβs laryngeal saccules which were everted to help with airflow.
Pluto recovered so well from his surgery and was delighted with his new nose! He received lots of attention from the team and certainly put a smile on our faces.Β π π πΒ Here he is after his surgery, pictured with Gabriella.
If you are worried that your pet may be suffering with BOAS, please donβt hesitate to contact us on- 0208 674 3525 and we can arrange to book your beloved pet in for a BOAS assessment. πΆ π
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