SPRING 2018SPRING 2018

Springtime madness! New products, fun quizzes & fit pets! We’re mad with excitement this spring! We have 2 new products in this season’s newsletter that we are super

excited to announce. For our itchy dogs, we have the new injectable treatment Cytopoint. This revolutionary

product works just like an antibody to stop the itch cycle. We also have the Bravecto topspot coming to our shelves

for long lasting tick and flea protection for dogs AND cats (yippee!). In this issue we have a fun quiz that you can

take to see which flea and tick product is right for you, we talk about cat estrus cycles and also information on our

October promotion—Fit Pet Month!

4 Beech Close, Fletcher, NSW 2287 | Ph: 02 4955-6670 | E: reception@fletchervet.com.au | W: www.fletchervet.com.au

Clinic Hours: Monday—Friday: 8:30am—6:00pm. Saturday: 8:30am—12:30pm

INTRODUCING BRAVECTO TOPSPOTINTRODUCING BRAVECTO TOPSPOT

The product we’ve all been waiting for! Just in time for

tick season, we now have a wonderful new product

coming to our shelves—Bravecto Topspot.

This amazing new topical treatment is for prevention

and control of flea and ticks used for dogs AND cats.

We have never had a tick prevention treatment on the

market for cats like this one and now that the weather

is heating up and we are coming into tick season, the

timing couldn't be more perfect. Over the past few

years, there have been so many wonderful tick prod-

ucts on the market for dogs, and because of this we have seen a

significant drop in canine paralysis tick cases. However we still

treat many cats during spring and summer that suffer from tick

paralysis. Unfortunately it is costly and extremely life-threatening.

We are therefore thrilled to see this product available for

prevention of this deadly parasite.

The top-spot provides 6 monthly protection against fleas and ticks

for dogs and 3 months for cats. It is water-safe after 3 days of application, so

beach runs and bath time is not a worry. Come on in to pick one up today!

SPRING 2018 Fletcher Veterinary Practice

WHICH FLEA & TICK PRODUCT IS RIGHT FOR YOU?WHICH FLEA & TICK PRODUCT IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

There are so many flea and tick products on the market now, it can be a bit confusing to choose the right

product for your pet. Take our handy little quiz to check out which one may suit your pet and lifestyle! Please note that this is an informative guide and individual cases may vary. Some products cannot be given with particular medications or illnesses.

Would you rather the

convenience of a longer

lasting product and pay a

bit more upfront or a

product that you give

more often to break

down the cost?

Would you like a

flea and tick product

that combines with

worming and heart-

worm prevention as

well?

Does your pet like to

swim or get wet

regularly?

Is your pet difficult to

tablet and/or do they

turn their nose up to

chewy treats? What kind of

pet do you

have?

Nexgard Spectra

A monthly chewy

treat that combines

prevention for heart-

worm, tummy

worms, fleas & ticks.

Simparica chew

An affordable

monthly chewy

treat to prevent

fleas, ticks as well

as mites & mange.

Frontline Spray

A full body spray to

prevent fleas for a

month and ticks for

2 weeks. Great for

roaming cats!

Seresto collar

A convenient collar

for dogs and cats to

prevent fleas up to 8

months and ticks up

to 4!

Bravecto chew

A 3 monthly chewy

treat for prevention

against fleas and

ticks.

Bravecto topspot

A new product for 6

month prevention

against fleas and

ticks in dogs, and 3

months in cats.

No

Longer

lasting

Give more

often

No

Yes

Yes Cat Dog

Yes (dogs only)

No (dogs only)

WE’RE FINALISTS!WE’RE FINALISTS!

We’re excited to say that for the second year running, we are finalists in the Hunter Local

Business awards! Thank you to all our loyal clients who voted for us to become a finalist. It is

an honour to be recognised in the Newcastle region as a top-rated veterinary clinic to service

you and your pets in the best way possible. The awards ceremony is on later this year. We

hope to be able to win in the category Outstanding Pet Care for the second year in a row. Stay

tuned!

SPRING 2018 Fletcher Veterinary Practice

What’s worse than a scratchy, itchy dog? It’s not only annoying for your pup but also drives owners mad! As

detailed in our last season’s newsletter, itchiness can be caused by a range of issues, being food allergy,

contact allergy or from parasites such as fleas. We’re here to talk about how to help dogs with allergic

dermatitis—the inflammatory, chronic skin disease associated with allergies.

INTRODUCING CYTOPOINT!

This revolutionary new product gives hope to those owners who have tried everything to get their dog’s itch

under control. Cytopoint works by mimicking the dog’s natural immune function. It is a cloned antibody that

specifically targets and neutralizes a cytokine in the body that sends the itch signal to the brain, and therefore

stopping the itch cycle. It functions like a naturally occurring antibody and is eliminated via normal pathways

from the body (without including the liver or kidneys like most drugs), therefore is extremely safe and can be

used in conjunction with any other medication.

HOW IS CYTOPOINT ADMINISTERED?

STOP THE ITCH WITH CYTOPOINT!STOP THE ITCH WITH CYTOPOINT!

To read more about Cytopoint and to watch some interesting case

study videos, visit www.cytopoint4dogs.com/cytopoint-

stories.aspx!

Images received from www.zoetis.com.au

Cytopoint is an injection that is administered every

4-8 weeks in clinic and begins working within just 1

day! Contact us if you would like to know more, or

would like to book your dog in for their first

injection. We’re excited to see the results of this

amazing new product and give you and your dog

relief during these itchy spring days.

SPRING 2018 Fletcher Veterinary Practice

4 Beech Close, Fletcher, NSW 2287 | Ph: 02 4955-6670 | E: reception@fletchervet.com.au | W: www.fletchervet.com.au

Clinic Hours: Monday—Friday: 8:30am—6:00pm. Saturday: 8:30am—12:30pm

If you have a female cat over 6 months of age, you may start to notice her becoming more affectionate, her tail in

the air, loud meowing and being generally unsettled. This is because when female cats hit 6 months or ‘puberty’,

they generally come into season (otherwise known as estrus or on heat). Below we discuss what happens during

this time, and why it is important not to wait until estrus to get them desexed.

HOW OFTEN ARE CATS IN SEASON? Cats are ‘seasonally polyestrus’, which means they have multiple estrus cycles

during the breeding season. This is determined by geographic and environmental factors, and generally cats that

live in more tropical regions or that mainly live indoors may cycle all year round!

HOW LONG DOES ESTRUS LAST? Each heat generally lasts several days to a week. If she is not mated in this time,

she can go ‘out of heat’ for 1—2 weeks, and then the cycle can repeat itself.

ABOUT DESEXING: As female cats cycle regularly during the breeding season, it is very common that they will get

pregnant if they are near an undesexed male. Due to the high instance

of rescue kittens in shelters within NSW, we highly recommend desex-

ing at 5-6 months of age. It is important that this is done before their

first season as during estrus, the reproductive tract is highly vascular &

engorged and can create a higher risk during the operation. As they

cycle so regularly, it can be difficult to ensure that they are not on heat

after this 6 month mark, so best to get in early. For dogs, it is a similar

situation, however they are monestrous, meaning they only have one

heat during their breeding season. Contact us if you would like to know

more or if you would like to book your cat in for desexing.

OCTOBER IS FITOCTOBER IS FIT--PET MONTH!PET MONTH!

We love encouraging a healthy life-style and regular movement for our animal-

friends, which is why we have dedicated a whole month to helping achieve this!

October is our Fit Pet Month here at Fletcher Vets. During the month, we

encourage you to take a look at your cat or dog to see if they may need a helping

hand getting some excess weight off.

Approximately 40% of dogs and cats in Australia suffer from obesity, with alarming

consequences such as diabetes, joint disease, depression, heart disease and more.

With a little help and consistency by owners, this number can be reduced, and in

turn, help your pet live the best life they can live. We can help your

pet get in shape and ensure they are at their ideal weight and fit-

ness level.

BOOK A FREE WEIGHT LOSS CONSULT

During October, come on in for a free weight loss examination with our nurse! You’ll receive a

personalised exercise and diet plan for your cat or dog with their own pet profile, aimed to get them

down to their ideal weight.

If you’re interested in signing up and ensuring your pet is living their best life, call us to book in!

SPRINGTIME BREEDINGSPRINGTIME BREEDING——A BIT ABOUT CAT ESTRUSA BIT ABOUT CAT ESTRUS