& Pets Vets Corner

Pet of the Month

Carter

Twelve-year-old Carter had started to slow down on his walks and seemed to be getting a bit of a belly. Anyone could have put his signs down to aging but his diligent owner knew that something was severely amiss when he stopped eating his food and lost his usual enthusiasm for his daily walk. He was brought to Warkworth vets where the vet noted his gums were very pale and his abdomen was stretched - alerting her to something very bad going on!

Some bloodwork and x-rays were done and confirmed the vet’s suspicions that Carter had a mass in his abdomen, which was starting to leak blood. As he was severely anemic and needed surgery to remove the mass, Carter had to receive a blood transfusion, which was collected from a brave blood donor dog.

Once Carter was stabilised, he had a surgery to remove the mass which was a splenic tumor - weighing in at a whopping 4kg!! Carter bounced back after his surgery and is back trotting about with his owner and enjoying his life again now that his stitches are out and his pesky cone is off! Carter and many dogs like Carter are reliant on blood donor dogs. If you have a young, male dog over 25kg, of a calm disposition, please consider chatting to the team at Warkworth vets to see if he is suitable to add to our blood donor list!

Vets: Jon Makin BVSc, Danny Cash BVSc and Associates

WARKWORTH VETS VETERINARY HOSPITAL COAST 2 COAST VETS

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Communities throughout Mahurangi and south Kaipara came together in record numbers on Anzac Day to honour the service and sacrifice of New Zealanders in times of war and conflict.

It was noted that this year marked a number of noteworthy anniversaries across wars of the past century. Sixty years ago, on Anzac Day 1963, New Zealand’s civilian surgical team arrived to assist casualties in the Vietnam War. They were the first New Zealanders to arrive and the last to leave.

July 27 will mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice in the Korean War – a conflict sometimes described as the ‘forgotten war’, despite the significant contribution New Zealanders made on Royal New Zealand navy frigates and in Kayforce, the last expeditionary force of its kind. And, 80 years ago, New Zealanders took part in three key battles in the Pacific – at Guadalcanal, Vella Lavella and at Mono, in the Solomon Islands. They were among thousands of New Zealanders who served in the Pacific War.

This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the North Africa campaign – the longest and most important land campaign fought by New Zealanders in World War II. Three New Zealanders were awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions in North Africa – Charles Upham, Keith Elliott and Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu, the first Māori soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross while serving with New Zealand forces.

Warkworth photos, Anna Thoroughgood.