December 2024

24th            8.00am - 5.00pm

25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th    CLOSED

30th            8.00am - 5.00pm

31st            8.00am - 5.00pm

January 2025

​1st, 2nd,3rd, 4th, 5th    CLOSED

​January 6th onward we are open normal hours

Phone 5211457

Russell Tucker
Russell is the director and senior veterinarian. He is an American Boarded Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery.
Much of Russell’s time is spent treating dental patients for Kohimarama Veterinary Clinic and referral patients from other clinics. He also treats service dogs, as well as carnivores and primates for the Auckland Zoo.
When Russell is not at the Zoo, he is full-time at Kohimarama Veterinary Clinic.

Xenia Lopez
Xenia commenced full-time employment at Kohimarama Veterinary Clinic at the beginning of October after spending several years working for MPI. Xenia is re-entering general practice under Russell's guidance.

Vanesa Flagel
Vanesa was previously employed at Kohimarama Veterinary Clinic as a nurse and then as a veterinarian. Vanesa is known to many of our clients.
Vanesa no longer works full-time at the clinic but is employed as a locum.

During celebrations, friends, and family often gather in our homes. At these times it is easy to overlook your pet’s health and safety. To prevent mishaps for your companions you must recognise these potential dangers.

Kittens, young cats, and puppies are curious and playful and appear to see tinsel and ribbon as toys that need to be chased, pounced upon, chewed, or swallowed.

When swallowed, these “linear foreign bodies” can become entangled in the intestinal tract, leading to bunching of the intestines as the body tries unsuccessfully to pass the string or ribbon. The material can even cut through the intestinal wall. This is a life-threatening emergency requiring surgical intervention.
Wrapping paper can cause an intestinal obstruction if eaten, especially if it is made of foil or other indigestible material.

Do I have to worry about my pet playing in the Christmas tree?
Your curious pet can bring down the tree, so make sure it is set up securely and cannot fall if your pet decides to climb on board! Keep ornaments above tail height. Tree water can contain harmful fertilisers and /or be a breeding ground for bacteria that cause stomach upset should your pet decide to sample this new water bowl.

Do I need to worry about candles?
Candles should never be left unattended, as pets can knock them over with a flick of their tail. Use battery-powered candles.

Is there any food that I should avoid?
Sudden rich diet changes are likely to upset your pet’s stomach. Vomiting and diarrhoea are common medical problems that we see during holiday times.
If you want to give your pet a special treat, give them only a small amount of cooked lean meat. If you feed leftovers containing a lot of fat, your pet’s pancreas may become over-stressed and inflamed. Pancreatitis often requires hospitalisation and intensive medical treatment.
Make sure that any string or packaging that was used during the cooking of roasts is safely disposed of in a sealed garbage container.

If you have a dog don’t leave chocolates under the Christmas tree. Dogs have an acute sense of smell.
A little bit of common sense will help keep you and your pet out of the emergency clinic on Christmas Day.

Some groomers offer to “clean” your dog’s teeth while grooming. If they are just using a brush, this is okay, but if they are using hand dental scalers, they are damaging your dog’s teeth and misleading you into thinking that your pet has had its teeth cleaned.When you go to the dentist or dental hygienist, your teeth are cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler and then polished with ...

• Check your pets vaccination status.
• Check with the cattery or boarding kennel for their vaccination requirements.
• If your pet is on prescription medication, or food order it well in advance.
• Travel safely and have a great holiday!

December 2023

22nd            8am-5pm

23rd            9am-1pm

24th, 25th, 26th   CLOSED

27th, 28th, 29th  8am-5pm

30th, 31st    CLOSED

January 2024

​1st, 2nd             CLOSED

​3rd ,4th, 5th        8am-5pm

6th, 7th              CLOSED

8th , 9th, 10th, 11th , 12th         8am-5pm

13th     9am-1pm 

14th CLOSED

15th, 16th, 17th,                      8am- 5pm 

Phone 5211457

VSA
1 Te Apunga Place
Mount Wellington
Auckland 1060
09-320 5645

ARC AFTER HOURS
224 Albany Highway
Schnapper Rock, Auckland 0632
Call 09 281 5815

Manukau After Hours
15 Jack Conway Avenue, Manukau City Centre
Auckland 2104
Call 09-277 8383

Our main concern with pets is the way that they deal with heat.
Cats tend to enjoy warmer weather, but they still need to keep cool.
Dogs do not sweat like us, they rely on panting as a way of cooling down.
Remember, heat stroke is an EMERGENCY.

• Never leave your pet inside of a car, even if windows are partially open. The temperature will rise and will put their lives at risk.

• Check the temperature of surfaces. If it is too hot for the reverse of your hand, it is too hot for your animal’s paws.

• Exercise your dog at the beginning or end of the day. Avoid walking during the hottest time of the day.

• Provide shade and ways of cooling down. Make sure there is always fresh water available and add ice cubes to the water bowl, or use cooling mats. Signs of dehydration in dogs include sunken eyes, dry gums, lethargy, and in worst cases, they can collapse.

Keep in mind that elderly animals, brachycephalic breeds (short nose/flat face doggies), and animals with heart conditions are at increased risk!

Extra summer tips:

• Check your pet’s vaccination status. If boosters are needed, make sure these are done at least 2 weeks before going into kennels or traveling.

• Be careful with BBQ leftovers and Christmas food, as most of these will be too fatty for your animal and may cause pancreatitis.

• Be aware of chocolate and raisins! If your animal manages to ingest either of them, please contact the Clinic as soon as possible.

• Most lawn and garden products may be hazardous. Make sure that plants and fertilizers within the dog’s reach are non-toxic.

Coming into the summer, you need to be aware of some ear issues your pets could have. In dogs, yeast infections caused by Malassezia pachydermatis(yeast) organisms are extremely common. This is a normal yeast that lives on the skin, but with excess moisture entrapment or inflammation, this yeast can multiply and cause a greasy, brownish/grey discharge. The symptoms are head shaking, pawing of the ears, smell or odour, and head tilting or rubbing of the face on the floor when this infection causes discomfort. Seasonal allergies will cause more of a flare-up during this time of year. A good ear wash such as Otoflush® is a must to keep at home to clean out the debris that you can see. Ideally, it is best to clean the ears before they get overrun with yeast.
If, however, the problems persist, or if there is pain or hypersensitivity when touching the ears, bring your dog to the clinic for an appointment to have the ear canals checked. There could be a ruptured ear drum causing a persistent middle ear infection that would need specific medication to resolve.

For cats, the organism that most afflicts the ears is Otodectes cyanotis(ear mites). This causes otitis externa (inflammation of the outer ear canal). You may see a discharge from the ear.
The primary reason for this infestation is not keeping up with flea treatment. Most flea treatments will cover ear mites. Make sure to keep up with regular flea treatments.
If there is an ear infection, despite keeping on top of flea treatment, there is a possibility of atopy or food sensitivity. Less common reasons could be foreign bodies, ticks, or polyps in the ear canal.

Canine Atopy… what can you do about those bothersome itches?
Just like humans, some dogs are prone to spring allergies. Due to the excess pollen in the environment, you may see them start licking/gnawing their paws, rubbing their face on various surfaces, and rolling on their backs… all for a bit longer than usual. This constant itching may traumatise the skin and cause infection. To nip the itch in the bud, we recommend Cytopoint®. Cytopoint® is an injectable product that completely relieves itching for 4 to 8 weeks.
It acts on the itch receptors of the body, suppressing them so the brain is not signaled to chew/scratch/lick/bite. Thus, providing much-needed relief. Cytopoint® is safe to use in dogs of any age, and it does not have any adverse effects. Moreover, it may be used in conjunction with other medications your pet may be on. The injection itself is painless, administered under a fold of skin, thus making the visitations to the clinic quite straightforward.
Certain Omega fatty acids (Omega 3 and 6) provide some relief for many pets. Many dogs will also benefit from frequent bathing with special shampoos, sprays, or mousses, because allergens can be absorbed through the skin.
All of these products are available at Kohimarama Veterinary Clinic. You are welcome to come in and discuss them with the staff.