Meet Fudge the five year-old Tibetan Terrier from the UK. Here he is making a wish with a dandelion! To see more of Fudge check out his Instagram page.

Make a wish Fudgie and all his followers!

I am always amazed at the great work done by animal lovers in the community. Many dog and cat charities are run by dedicated volunteers who sacrifice their time and money to help animals in need. One of these amazing charities is Greyhound Rescue based in Sydney’s North Shore. This charity finds homes for greyhounds who would otherwise not have had a life after finishing their racing career. One of those very lucky dogs is Millie the greyhound puppy, whose story has brought an amazing group of people to her rescue including the great team at Mosman Vet.

Millie’s story: from Dr Abbie Tipler

Millie the Greyhound

“Millie is the most gentle, sweet, brave, loving little puppy I have ever had the pleasure of helping. Millie was rescued by the gorgeous team at Greyhound Rescue and brought to see our team here at Mosman Vets. The history from the breeder was that her mother ‘chewed off her toes’ – so basically Millie has a stump where her normal paw should be (equivalent to our knuckles down) and she had no pads to walk on. Dogs can’t walk on a stump in the longterm as unfortunately this leads to chronic problems and pressure on the underlying bone. So we have performed a skin graft to the stump including some pad tissue from the other paws. Initially, we thought that amputation was going to be the only option, however this procedure has so far been a success with Millie recovering really well. Now we are working with ‘Dogs in Motion‘ to get Millie a prosthetic limb (the first of its kind in the COUNTRY!).

At Mosman Vets we are constantly saddened that our loyal Greyhound champions are cast aside at the end of their careers (or in some cases before they have even started!). Many many greyhounds are euthanased as homes cannot be found. Sadly, at the same time, puppies are being bred like wildfire, when in some cases a Greyhound could be a good pet.

Dr Abbie operating on Millie

Greyhounds are gentle and affectionate. They don’t need a lot of exercise, don’t lose much hair, don’t have that ‘doggy smell’, rarely bark and make excellent family pets. If you need more information about Greyhounds as pets or the charity, then check out the information on Greyhound Rescue’s website. I have a soft spot for greyhounds in case its not obvious!”

How can you help?

The Mosman Vet team for the second time running (literally running) will be competing in the MiniMos funrun to raise funds for Greyhound Rescue. If you would like to suport them in their efforts check out their fundraising page.

Greyhound Rescue has full charity status, does not receive any official funding, and relies solely on donations which are tax deductible. This fundraising helps to pay for the initial costs involved to desex, vaccinate, microchip and heartworm test the greyhounds, and also contributes to the long term costs incurred in keeping them in food and shelter until they find a home. The Greyhound rescue website also has more information on Millie’s story.

We wish Millie all the best in her healing and can’t wait to hear how she goes getting her new prosthetic paw! We promise to provide any updates.

Images: Top picture by Annika Enderborg.

This week we are featuring Zephyr from Fetching Dogs in Sydney, this little guy is super cute!

Zephyr is a very sweet little boy who gets on well with other dogs. He has become knows as an escape artist (the reason he was in the pound and hit by a car) so any potential adopters would need to know how to keep him safe and secure in the home.

Zephyr likes cuddles, kisses, playtime, and adventures! The Z-Man is now fully recovered from his surgery and ready to start looking for his perfect family.

Zephyr’s Details:

Gender: Male
Breed: Crossbreed
Age: 2 years
Size: Small
Colour: Tan
Location: Ashfield

If you are interested in meeting Zephyr please contact Fetching Dogs. We hope he finds a home really soon!

This is the beautiful Wrigley the Miniature Schnauzer! He is part of the team from the amazing site Dog Milk! We could not resist featuring this super cute photo of him. To see more of Wrigley check out his Instagram feed below.

Oh, Wrigley. <3 via capreek’s Instagram feed

Dr Abbie Tipler is back this month to chat to us about Pancreatitis in dogs. It is a fairly common disease, especially in dogs who are overweight. Dr Abbie works at Mosman Vet in Sydney and once again has taken some time out of her busy schedule to answer all our questions!

1. What is Pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the organ called the pancreas. The normal function of the pancreas is to secrete enzymes that are involved in digestion. These enzymes help our pets to digest their food, however this function can occasionally go into drastic overdrive and start to essentially digest the pancreas itself! This causes inflammation and swelling of the pancreas organ which can be so severe that the swollen pancreas can place pressure on other vital structures. Acute pancreatitis can be life-threatening if not treated.

2. What causes pancreatitis?

The causes of pancreatitis in our beloved dogs is not 100% understood. However, we know it is more prevalent in dogs with endocrine problems such as diabetes and Cushing’s disease (another function of the pancreas is hormone production so this links together). There are a few breeds that are a little more predisposed — like Schnauzers and Terrier breeds — and overweight dogs or dogs fed fatty foods are at higher risk as well. Very often, in the veterinary history (questions we ask owners), it ‘leaks out’ that the dog may have sneaked a couple of sausages from the BBQ or had some left over cheesecake. Whoops!

3. What are the common symptoms of pancreatitis?

The symptoms of pancreatitis can be severe and painful. Remember that dogs are very good at hiding their pain! So we need to sometimes watch for other hints that our dog has pancreatitis, such as vomitting, a hunched stance or not eating. The signs that we see as veterinarians are increased heart rate, cranial abdominal pain with palpation (fancy word for ‘feeling’ things), dehydration and occasionally symptoms of shock if things have progressed.

4. What are the common treatments for pancreatitis?

The mainstays of treatment for pancreatitis involve pain relief, fluid therapy to treat dehydration and shock & antinausea injectables to help prevent further vomitting and fluid loss. Very often dogs require 2-3 days in hospital (longer in very severely affected patients).

5. What are the long-term needs of a dog with pancreatitis?

The longterm needs of patients fall into 2 categories:

1. Treating any underlying problems, for example any endocrine problems or weight issues. As a side note to all you dog lovers, don’t love your dog too much!! Cut back on the treats, ensure regular exercise, and yes, I know those eyes are super cute, but the pancreas does not want that steak curry!
2. Not to labour the point, but a low-fat diet in the longterm is also essential for any dog that has had an episode of pancreatitis, as dogs that have had one episode can be prone to recurrences.

Abbie and her cat Mr Tuffy

About Dr Abbie Tipler

Dr Abbie Tipler graduated from Massey University in New Zealand in 2004 and has been working as a Small Animal Veterinarian ever since. She has a special interest in Small Animal Surgery and in 2010 obtained her Membership in Small Animal Surgery from the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists. She has international experience including three and a half years working in a busy orthopaedic referral practice in London. She has also worked in New Zealand and of course Australia, where she has now joined the Mosman Vet’s team. She lives in Mosman with her husband and two ragdoll cats.

If you have any questions for Abbie about your dog’s health please send us an email at info@puppytales.com.au.

Please note: Puppy Tales provides these articles for information purposes only. For any health problems with your pet always seek immediate veterinary advice from your local veterinarian.

This is Peter Pan the Westie with his brother Pancake the Bull Terrier! Brotherly love To see more of these two and Panda check out their Instagram stream below!

#Love <3 via panda_pancake_peterpan’s Instagram feed