🦷✨ That’s a wrap on Dental Month! ✨🦷

Back in August, we seen SO many dental ...patients that we’ve honestly lost count! From sparkling pearly whites ✨ to a few very gummy sharks 🦈, our team has certainly been kept busy!

We’ve cleaned, scaled, polished and removed many, many teeth that were causing pain and discomfort. 🦷

Here is a great example of heavy plaque and tartar build-up and what a thorough dental hygiene scale and polish can achieve! ✨🦷

Preventative dental care is always going to be more beneficial than waiting until dental disease has progressed to the point where large and invasive oral surgery is required.

Regular dental checks and preventative scale and polish procedures can help keep plaque and tartar under control, support good oral health and, most importantly, help prevent painful dental disease.

The best part of Dental Month? Seeing our patients leave with cleaner mouths and feeling happier and healthier! ❤️🐾

A huge thank you to all our wonderful clients for prioritising your pets’ dental health this month.

Healthy teeth = happy pets! 🐶🐱🦷✨

🐾 Check out Pepper! 🐾

Pepper was hanging out with Nurse Alyssa on reception, waiting... for her owner to come and collect her… but she decided the best place to wait was curled up asleep on Alyssa's lap! 🥹💤

Isn’t she just beautiful? 💕🐶

🌟 Emily's Prime100 of the Month! 🌟

This month's pick is Prime100 Turkey ...& Flaxseed! 🦃🐶

If your dog needs a lean, nutritious diet, has skin and coat concerns, or you're simply looking for a balanced everyday food, this could be a great option.

💚 Why Emily loves it:

🐾 Turkey is a lean, high-quality protein that supports healthy muscle development and sustained energy.

🐾 Naturally rich in B vitamins and selenium, which help support immune function and overall health.

🐾 Flaxseed provides a natural source of omega fatty acids to support healthy skin and a shiny coat.

🐾 Formulated to support cognitive health, joint health, and skin & coat condition.

🐾 Complete and balanced for dogs of all life stages, making it suitable for everyday feeding.

🥩 Available in:

• Fresh Rolls

• Air-Dried

• Slow-Cooked

• Treats

Whether your pup has specific dietary needs or you're simply looking for a nutritious, balanced diet, Prime100 Turkey & Flaxseed is a great option to consider! 💚🐾

🐾 Take the Stress Out of Vet Bills with Afterpay 🐾

We know veterinary care can be ...unexpected — and sometimes expensive. That’s why we offer Afterpay as a flexible payment option at our clinic! 💳✨

With Afterpay, you can split eligible veterinary costs into 4 interest-free payments, made every two weeks. 🐶💰

✅ No upfront fees
✅ No interest
✅ Quick and easy application
✅ Flexible fortnightly payments

Whether it’s a routine check-up 🩺, unexpected visit 🚑 or dental care 🦷, Afterpay may help make managing your pet’s veterinary expenses a little easier.

🐾 Ask our friendly team how Afterpay can work for you at your next visit! 💚

🐾 Let’s Re-Introduce Dr. Kate! 🐾

Kate has been a veterinarian for 17 years and has... been part of our team for the past 10 years. 💚

She originally joined us as a locum, but enjoyed the clinic so much that she never left! 🐶🐱

Kate loves that no two days as a vet are ever the same and is particularly passionate about complex medical cases and surgery. She enjoys the challenge of problem-solving, working through each case and finding the best approach for every individual patient. 🩺✨

As our Head Veterinarian, Kate also supports both our teams across Dr Paws Wangaratta and Ovens & Kiewa Vets Myrtleford, including helping develop and support our veterinary policies and procedures.

For Kate, seeing the difference that veterinary care can make to both a patient and their family is what makes the job so rewarding. 💚🐾

We are lucky to have Kate apart of our team! ✨🐾

**CONTENT WARNING - EUTHANASIA**

One of the hardest decisions a pet owner will ever make ...is knowing when it’s time to say goodbye. 💔

As veterinarians, we don’t see euthanasia as “giving up” — we see it as a final act of love when pain, discomfort, or loss of quality of life outweigh the good days.

It can be really hard to know when it is time - sometimes it can be more obvious, like when there is uncontrollable pain, seizures or incontinence, or no longer being able to walk or eat. However it is often more subtle - and we need to consider their physical, social and emotional wellbeing as a whole. We often also need to take into consideration how their decline is affecting you, as their owners’, quality of life.

Sometimes it can be helpful for people to rate their pets quality of life as a score over time to compare, or to track good days vs. bad days on a calendar. It can be hard to see subtle decline when you are spending every day with your pet. Below is a link to a quality of life survey that might be helpful:

Copy this link into Google:
https://www.lapoflove.com/Pet_Quality_of_Life_Scale_DrMcVety.pdf

If your pet is scoring lower than you’d like on this survey, it may be time to have a gentle conversation about their comfort and wellbeing.

You do not have to make this decision alone. We are here to support you with honesty, compassion, and care every step of the way.

The greatest gift we can give our pets is a peaceful goodbye surrounded by love. 🐾

🐾💙 Happy Vet Nurse Day to our amazing veterinary nurses! 💙🐾

Our nurses are ...truly the backbone of our clinic. They keep the vets on time (or at least attempt to! 😆), help keep the day flowing, and are there to assist with every patient’s needs from start to finish.

They’re the ones holding patients, comforting nervous pets, administering medications, monitoring anaesthetics, answering questions, cleaning up messes, and getting down and dirty when the job calls for it! 🩺🐶🐱

To our wonderful nursing team — thank you for everything you do, every single day. Our clinic simply wouldn’t run as smoothly without you!

Happy Vet Nurse Day! 🐾💉❤️

🐾 Meet Lou

Lou was brought in by her owner because she just didn't seem quite ...herself. Her owner had noticed subtle changes — she was starting to pick at her food instead of eagerly devouring it, eating less than usual, appearing lethargic on some days, and developing a pot-bellied appearance.

These changes may have seemed small on their own, but together they suggested that something wasn't right. 🫤

During Lou's examination, our vets were able to feel a possible mass within her abdomen. An ultrasound was then performed, which confirmed the presence of a mass on her spleen.

Lou's story is a great reminder that owners know their pets best. Small changes in behaviour, appetite, or appearance can sometimes be the first signs of a significant underlying health issue. If your pet doesn't seem quite right, it's always worth having them checked by your veterinarian. ❤️

We are happy to report that, many months later, Lou has recovered fantastically and is back to her bouncy happy self!🌞