As of today, Walkerville Vet has run out of feline vaccines completely. We expect this situation to last into 2024. Here’s what to know. Why Are Cat Vaccines In Short Supply? The official story is that supply chain disruption caused by COVID and diversion of resources into human vaccines has made feline vaccines scarce. However, this is just the last (and worst!) in a long line of shortages that have been occurring since well before COVID. The full answer must therefore also reflect the fragility of modern global supply chains. How You Can Protect Your Cat Please don’t be too alarmed. There ar ..read more

The past two weeks have seen an uptick in thunderstorms here in Adelaide. With them comes the inevitable: owners asking for help for their panicked dogs, and dogs being picked up on the streets after desperate escape attempts. What can be done for these poor suffering creatures? I’ve talked about noise phobias before, but now we have a new tool in our fight against this major welfare issue. Sileo: The New Noise Sensitivity Drug Sileo (pronounced “SEE-layo” not “si-LAY-o”) is a syringe loaded with a gel containing dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 agonist sedative. It’s the first time that a drug of ..read more

Over the past five years, I have watched lick mats become one of the standard tools for treating anxiety and boredom in dogs and cats. That’s especially true for the branded version LickiMat®. They are a great help, and I’m not going to tell you not to use them. But I want you to be careful. What Is A Lick Mat? A lick mat is a textured flat surface made out of rubber, usually with suction cups to attach it to the floor. The pattern on the top is designed to trap food and make it hard to eat quickly. The aim is to get dogs and cats to spend their time in licking instead of other unwanted b ..read more

Despite the fact that cats suffer from arthritis at least as much as dogs, they have always been the losers when it comes to accessing a range of treatments. Reasons for this might be: A poorer recognition of the signs of arthritis in cats The smaller market and financial benefit to the drug companies The difficulty in giving medications to cats The increased risk due to the prevalence of kidney disease Now, in 2023 we are witnessing the appearance of a whole new class of treatment that might overcome many of these concerns. These are exciting times, but we also need to be cautious and reali ..read more

For many years, canine arthritis has lacked major breakthroughs, despite the tremendous need for better therapies. Now, in 2023 we are witnessing the appearance of a whole new class of treatment. These are exciting times, but we also need to be cautious and realistic. No treatment will work on every dog, and after initial overexcitement, some new products end up being major disappointments. However, with Beransa there is real hope for dogs that we have a new and effective tool to improve their quality of life. What is Beransa? Beransa is a trade name for bedinvetmab, also called Librela outsid ..read more

Many of you will have noticed that my personal work schedule has changed in 2022. It’s a lot harder to see me, and there haven’t been any blogs (except this one!). I owe you all an explanation. The truth is that it’s both part of a longer process, and not as big a change as it might appear. First though, let’s talk about the biggest effect it’s had on clients.  Help! I Can’t Get An Appointment With Andrew Like most longstanding vets, I’ve developed close working relationships which I enjoy with many people. The hardest part of the changes is that it’s now a lot more difficult for them to ..read more

Right now the Australian veterinary world is going through an upheaval like I have not seen in 30 years. And into this come the new crop of veterinary graduates, straight from university. To say I’m worried would be putting it mildly. The Background For almost my whole career, there has never been an excess of vets looking for work. In fact, at times the supply has been very tight. Yet, we more or less got by. The reasons for this are up for debate but one thing it’s not is too few veterinary students. Instead it’s that not enough of these vet students end up having long careers. I’ve talked b ..read more

In this article you will see original research conducted at Walkerville Vet between 2010 and 2011. It remains unpublished, for reasons that will become clear. You will find a link to the full article at the bottom. Nowhere in dog care is there more argument than if bones should be fed as part of a regular diet. You’ll see a lot of advice that it’s dangerous. It certainly can be. However, if you follow our bone feeding advice, you will minimise the risk, but not eliminate it. You’ll also see a lot of advice saying it has no benefit, or that certain manufactured products are better. This is a mu ..read more

If you have an allergy to cats, or know someone who does, then you know how debilitating it can be. Cat allergens are everywhere, and up to now there’s been precious little you could do except avoid cats altogether. Which for many people has not been possible. So it was with great hope that here in Australia we awaited the arrival of Purina’s new food designed to reduce human allergies to cats & kittens. Imagine the possible benefits if it works: More people being able to enjoy the company of cats More cat rescue and less rehoming Better relationships for allergic partners of cat owners ..read more

If you have a small dog, there’s a good chance they’ll end up being treated with pimobendan. Often sold as Vetmedin® or Cardisure®, it’s the most common treatment for a very common condition: heart disease in dogs. One disease in particular, myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is said to account for 75% of heart disease and affects 85% of small dogs over 13 years old. Not all of these will need treatment, but many will. Later I’ll show you how to tell. There is no question that recent advances have made MMVD much less of a death sentence than it once was. So it’s good to get to know pimoben ..read more