Miss Mini Cooper Fagan Vanhorn the 1st November 25, 2010

This is the ‘tail’ of Miss Mini Cooper Fagan Vanhorn the 1st( or coopsy for short).  She is a two year old mini Dachshund with a great big heart full of love & hugs.  In March 2009 we decided we would go to a breeder and get ourselves our favourite breed of doggy a Dachshund, after many year of wanting one.

Coopsy having a snooze!

We thought we should prepare for the puppy’s arrival and so we made a trip to a local pet store to stock up on beds, toys etc.  When we entered the pet store we could hear a puppy barking, my husband went to check it out while I continued piling the puppy goodies into a huge bursting basket.  My husband suddenly came to me and dragged me over to the cubicle stating ‘your not going to believe this’.  I approached the glass window and my heart pounded as I caught sight of the little noise maker on the other side.

There she was the whole perfect Dachshund bundle of her.  Her little short stubby legs holding her up as she bounced up and down barking at us.  Her soft ‘puss’ looking eyes filled our hearts as she peered out at us.  Then it happened when I thought my heart couldn’t melt any further.  I knelt down next to her by the window and placed my hand on the glass, palm flat.  She came towards me and placed her little fat paw against my hand on the other side and then  she put her head against my hand too.  ‘WE’LL TAKE HER’ I yelled.  Out came the already financially challenged credit card to pay for her to come home with us.  Ordinarily I would never buy a dog in a pet store and I find it unacceptable to sell puppy’s in shops, but I just couldn’t leave her there alone.

Coopsy meets Dusty!

We left with her that day and she curled up in my arms the whole way home in the car.  Coopsy settled in within 5 mins of arriving in the house, re arranging the sofa cushions to make the perfect nap area and that night she slept across us both with her bum on my husbands shoulder and her wet nose tucked under my chin.  She still sleeps between us every night.

Coopsy has grown into a beautiful little dog with big old heart.  She loves to travel with us everywhere and has even swam with our other dear friend Dusty the wild dolphin. (Please see pics)  She loves the beach and turns into a mini Sonia Sullivan the minute her paws feel the sand on them.  She is our baby and my little boo boo.  May she be with us for many more years to come.

Meet Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione November 24, 2010

These lovely kittens are approx 12 weeks old. They consist of 2 brothers and their little sister. They have had their 1st vaccination and have been wormed and de-fleaed. They are very happy kittens and will make excellent pets.

Also still here at the vets and in need of a home of his own is this handsome kitten, called Cola.

He has been at the vets for a while now and is ready for a home of his own. He is fully vaccinated. He can be a little nervous with new people  but once you get to know him I’m sure you will fall in love with his personality like all of the nurses.

Voldemort and Snape

These kittens will be looking for new homes in a few weeks. They are currently being treated for an eye infection. They will be as good as new in a few weeks. They have beautiful thick black coats and are still a little nervous around people but everyday they are improving.

If you are interested in homing a kitten, please give us a call on 01-4515930

Ruby and Dougie November 22, 2010

Aren’t they lovely! These cute Shih Tzu’s were in for their kennel cough vaccination. They will miss their mammy as she is heading off to get married! Congratulations Glenda, from everyone at The Animal Hospital.

Dougie and Ruby with Pamela and Glenda

Harry The West Highland White Terrier November 17, 2010

Harry is a lovely West Highland White Terrier, that has been a patient at the Animal Hospital for many years and is a very popular patient with all the nurses. He is approaching his 13th birthday. He developed an ongoing heart problem and has been on medications to control it. He also has regular check ups with the vet to ensure that these medications are working for Harry.

Recently, he began to have breathing difficulties and there was noted fluid in his chest. This was a result of his heart condition. The heart was bradycardic which means beating too slow. After careful examination, Harry was given additional medications to help him.

So far, Harry is doing really well. His owner is happy with his progress and will have to continue to give Harry his medications for the rest of his life, but i am sure she doesn’t mind as long as Harry stays healthy!

Harry with his Mammy and Nurse Lisa

Heart conditions such as murmurs are very common in older dogs, particularly pedigree dogs. Symptoms include;

• Intolerance to exercise
• Panting
• Lethargy
• Coughing

If you are concerned that your dog may have a heart condition you can call the clinic to make an appointment with the vet to listen to the heart. Early intervention can delay the problem becoming worse and potentially extend the life of your pet!

Bonnie The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has an MRI November 17, 2010

Bonnie is an 8-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She was having regular episodes of pain and her owner was very worried about her.

It was decided that the best thing for Bonnie, would be to send her for an MRI scan. This was done 3 weeks ago.

Bonnie and her owner with Nurse Lisa

 This confirmed that she was suffering from a condition known as Syringomyelia. This is a common enough condition in Cavaliers. It is a disorder of the spinal cord and was causing her severe pain. She subsequently went on to have brain surgery. She was back at the clinic today for a check up and is 100% back to normal and her owner is very pleased with the results.

Cases such as Bonnie’s are rare enough for us to treat here at the Animal Hospital and we are all glad that Bonnie has made a great recovery.