Westville Veterinary Hospital

Worried about his sore back leg, Max's pet parents brought him in for a check-up. Little did they know, this visit would unveil a torn cruciate ligament. Enter Dr Vergeer and the transformative TPLO surgery, ensuring Max's right stifle would regain stability. In this article, we dive deep into the fascinating world of cruciate ligament tears and shed light on the remarkable TPLO procedure. TPLO (Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy) surgery is a commonly performed procedure for dogs with cruciate ligament injuries. This article explores the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery process of a patient undergoing TPLO surgery. When a dog tears a cruciate ligament, it refers to an injury to one of the major ligaments in its knee joint, specifically the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). The CCL plays a crucial role in stabilizing the knee joint by preventing excessive forward movement of the tibia (shin bone) in relation to the femur (thigh bone). When a dog tears the cruciate ligament, th...

Your dog doesn’t need to be in the kennels to get Kennel Cough! Kennel Cough, or more correctly, Canine Infectious Tracheobronchitis, is a highly contagious infection that causes a persistent cough sometimes lasting up to 3 weeks...it is annoying! Most often it is a bacterium known as  Bordetella Bronchiseptica , but sometimes it brings a few friends to the party in your dog’s trachea, viruses like parainfluenza and adenovirus type 2. The disease is transmitted via oronasal contact with aerosolized respiratory secretions, with direct dog-to-dog contact and via contaminated fomites such as toys and food bowls. As COVID-19 has demonstrated in people, one cough from a kennel-cough infected dog sends thousands of droplets into the air, each one carrying millions of infectious organisms waiting to infect the next dog. Crowded situations with poor air circulation and lots of warm air such as boarding kennels, obedience class, the local park, veterinary hospital waiting rooms and grooming...

Every year, on July 6th, we commemorate World Zoonosis Day, this date celebrates the pioneering work of Louis Pasteur, the renowned French biologist. Pasteur's groundbreaking development of the first vaccine against a zoonotic disease revolutionising the way we approach these illnesses. With countless people globally falling ill and facing potentially fatal consequences, it's crucial to explore effective strategies for safeguarding ourselves and our communities. One such strategy lies in prioritising the health and well-being of our beloved animals. Zoonoses refer to diseases or infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans. The term "zoonoses" is derived from the Greek words "zoo" (animal) and "nosos" (disease). These diseases can be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi and can spread through direct contact with infected animals, their bodily fluids, or contaminated environments. As responsible pet owners, we play a vital r...