ANIMAL AILMENTS

Opotiki News, Volume X, Issue 1052, 5 December 1947, Page 3

ANIMAL AILMENTS

CLUB HOSPITAL VALUABLE EXTENSION OPOTIKI PATIENTS INCLUDED Whereas formerlyy injured farm animals had only the make-shift care and attention of first aid on the farm or station and many a valuable, animal was destroyed because specialised .treatment was not available, the Gisborne Veterinary Club and its modern animal hospital now provide facilities and veterinary surgeons well; qualified and equipped to cope with any emergency, states the Herald.

Although not long established, the club service- centre already is well-patronised and patients have been accepted from as far afield as Wairoa, Hicks’'Bay and Opotiki.

When a Gisborne Herald representative culled at the service centre recently there was a work-ing-dog patient from Opotiki and another.from Opoutama.

In the hpspital then were 14 dogs, 11 working dogs An all and three pels, one sheep and two cats. The senior veterinarian, Mr. It. Crawford’ said that was the normal proportion of working dogs to pets and their average stay in the hospital was about one .week, although it depended largely- on the nature of the complaint or injury.

Some of the animals noticed were a dog with a compound fracture of the left hind leg and an infected wound; another dog was (suffering badly from eczema and had been treated with penicillin; a dog suffering from mange; a working dog with a hind leg broken as the result of a kick from a cattle beast. The fractures are set in plaster of paris and each dog is muzzled to prevent chewing of the plaster. Another dog had an infected wound on his hock; another an eyelid torn; another a bad tooth which had resulted in an abscess under the eye and an infected sinus; another dog had been run over on the highway and was paralysed in the hind legs; a valuable 110-mney was suffering from an abscess.