News

Sadly there has been a case of Seasonal Canine Illness confirmed today in Surrey.

The dog concerned over the last week has been walked in the Mackies Hill/Hurtwood area leading towards Holmbury Hill.  On two occaasions he has also walked from Shere across to Edgerley Park in Farley Green, down to Brook, up to Blackheath and back across the cricket pitch, over Albury Heath and back to Shere via Pond Lane.

Unfortunately our local RSPCA rescue centre has recently been inundated with rabbits who through no fault of their own are looking for new forever homes.

This January sees Malcolm as our case of the Month!  A very brave cat whose sudden loss of miaow was very nearly fatal.
As you can see from the photographs Malcolm is a very smart cat.  At just over seven years old he enjoys a happy country life, hunting mice, enjoying his food and generally getting fuss from his family.

Unfortunately as many of you may already know there have been a spate of dog thefts recently. We first heard of some working dogs being stolen from a car in Forest Green at the beginning of December but since then these thefts have increased in number.Spreading across Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent there have been reports of gun dogs being stolen - often from peoples gardens, outdoor kennels or even from cars.  These thefts have occurred not only at night but in broad daylight - one case outside a busy pub at lunchtime.Police believe there is a gang responsible and they are selecting working breed dogs.  I've had this email through this morning regarding the most recent theft -

December is classically a month where we are used to seeing all sorts of things being eaten by our pets. However Monty Ward, our brave case of the month, definitely gets the prize for the most unusual this year!

We've been blown away with all of the Christmas wishes we have received over the holiday period.Thank you to all of you that have been so generous with Christmas goodies to keep us going!  So many of you gave such lovely cards (often home made) that we thought it would be nice to share some of them with you in the gallery below!

The cold weather is beautiful and makes a welcome change from the rain - however do watch out for your pets and wildlife as the temperature plummets.The cold, dark nights unfortunately make roads an even more dangerous place for cats and we always see more road traffic accidents at this time of year. Keeping your cat in at night can significantly reduce the risk but if they are determined to be out then a reflective collar may give them an extra chance of being spotted. Please ensure they are microchipped as well and your details are updated so should your cat be injured we can identify them and contact you immediately.

Our November Case of the Month is brave Wooster Duerden who at 18 months old suddenly developed a mass in his abdomen.

Octobers Case of the Month stars Jasper - a 5 year old male Pekingese with an unusual case of Dry Eye.
Dry eye is a medical condition where tear production is reduced or even stops completely.  This results in chronically dry cornea (the clear surface of the eyeball).  The technical name for Dry Eye is Kerato-Conjunctivitis Sicca (KCS).  The photograph below shows a typical case - the eye has a matt appearance with a thick sticky discharge and small dimples can be seen on the corneal surfaceNatural tears have many important functions which are lost in KCS: they carry vital nutrients, oxygen and lubricate and cleanse the eye which helps protect against infection.  Without tears the eye becomes very dry and uncomfortable.  As bacteria and day to day debris (pollen/dust etc) builds up, infections naturally develop and a chronic Conjunctivitis ensues. If left over time the chronic irritation results in scarring on the corneal surface.  This has a dense black appearance which cannot be seen through. Once this scarring develops it is permanent so every effort must be made to stop it from occurring.  Worse case scenarios result in the cornea becoming weak and thin and ulcers can develop which run the risk of the globe (eyeball) itself rupturing.

You may hear over the next couple of weeks some worrying news about an emerging life threatening illness affecting dogs called Seasonal Canine Illness.  Thankfully no cases have been diagnosed in Surrey but we are being very vigilant.