Westville Veterinary Hospital

" Anaesthesia has progressed far further than simply keeping the patient alive. It should be considered as an active part of patient care.  What is done by the anaesthetist during the perioperative period can have a substantial impact on the overall patient outcome ."  -  Dr Keagan Boustead The nervous system consists of a central (brain and spinal cord) and a peripheral (nerves leaving the  spinal cord) component. Together they control the movement of body structures (conscious and  unconscious) as well as transmit and interpret sensory signals (eg touch, pressure, heat and pain).  Anaesthesia is essentially reversible drug induced nervous system depression. If this depression is  confined to the peripheral component of the nervous system, it is called loco-regional anaesthesia.  Whereas general anaesthesia involves central nervous system depression. It is this central nervous  system depression that provides unconsciousness, lack of pain se...

Many pets are scared of fireworks  and this can pose a stressful  challenge when these events occur.  If your pet tends to become anxious during fireworks it is important to start medication at least two weeks before. If your pet already suffers from anxiety please consult with your vet as soon as possible. There are things you can do to help - recognise when your pet is feeling anxious and read our tips on how to make fireworks less frightening for your pet Your dog may demonstrate obvious signs of fear and anxiety in a variety of ways, such as running or pacing around the house, trembling, barking, whining, soiling, scratching at the door or destroying furniture for example. Sadly, in extreme cases, dogs have even jumped out of windows and been badly injured. Other dogs may instead show more subtle signs of their distress, such as yawning, licking their lips or drooling. Cats will often hide away or meow profusely. Full tummy: If your pet is fed and has a full tummy bef...

The Westville Veterinary Hospital is a landmark on Jan Hofmeyr Road in Westville, having been established in 1967 by Dr Duff MacMillan. We take a trip down memory lane and discover more about this renowned pet hospital. In the early days of Westville, the only tar road through the village was the main road to Johannesburg. The houses were built on large stands in a very rural setting, with some homes keeping horses, cows and even pigs. There is still evidence of stables in existence to this day. After Dr MacMillan had purchased the land at 31 Jan Hofmeyr Road, he built the first version of the current hospital and it has since remained a landmark. Dr Baker joined the practice for a short while before leaving to open his own practice and was followed by Dr Rick Petersen in the early 70s. Dr Peterson went on to swap positions with Dr Brightman who was in Pietermaritzburg at the time. It was during the MacMillan/ Brightman partnership that the practice began to shift focus and started con...