General

Why should I microchip my dog or cat?

It is the law now in Queensland that both dogs and cats need to be microchipped when a puppy or a kitten. The council encourages all owners to have their animals microchipped.

From a veterinary point of view we encourage all owners to microchip so that if the animal is presented to our animal hospital injured or found wandering the streets we can contact the owner as soon as possible.

We have had a number of injured “strays” that we been presented with. Some of these animals have been microchipped and we can instigate treatment quickly once we have talked to the owner and they have wanted the animal treated.

Learn more about microchipping

My dog or cat has been in a fight and the wounds are small. Can I wash them and what with?

We encourage owners to clean wounds on their dog or cat but only with water. The use of disinfectants can cause intense irritation to the mouth of an animal if it licks the wound. Also disinfectants are made for humans – not animals. Most disinfectants are irritants to the wound of an animal and usually the owner only causes more problems.

Can I use Dettol on my dog or cat?

We do not recommend Dettol for any wound.

The wound is really looking infected and I do not want to see a vet. What can I use?

We recommend all wounds on animals are treated by a vet. If in extreme circumstances if you dilute Betadine down to the colour of weak tea and use that to cleanse a wound then the damage to normal tissue is minimal. It is important NOT to allow the animal to lick the wound after the use of Betadine for at least 10 minutes.

How can I control my cat’s hairball problem?

The best way is to get the animal clipped. There is special food made to help the hair from accumulating in the stomach and we recommend these foods if the cat is always having a hairball problem. There is also a product that you can give your animal to minimize the development of hairballs. This product is easy to give and most cats will swallow it.

We recommend you come and talk to our staff about the different ways to prevent hairballs in a cat.

But also remember that it is natural for a cat to occasionally regurgitate a hairball and it rarely causes any problems. It you keep the coat short on the cat then the short hairs will pass through the stomach and intestines a lot easier and not accumulate in the stomach. This means there is no reason for the cat to vomit up a hairball.

My dog has a lump under the skin – could this be a problem?

There are many forms of lumps that vary from harmless cysts to very dangerous tumours (cancers). We recommend all lumps are investigated by a qualified vet and then a plan of action can be instigated if the animal is in any danger.

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