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Educational Talks
Talk on Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
On 5 September 2004, Dr Graham Murray gave the club a superb talk
on Hip & Elbow Dysplasia. He covered the causes, diagnosis,
treatment and myths about this problem, and over 40 people benefited
by attending. We all went away armed with more knowledge, and this
can only be beneficial to our dogs. Dr. Murray put across the information
in an easy to understand way, and also encouraged us to ask questions.
The session concluded with informal discussions around the braai
where we enjoyed Boerewors rolls and liquid refreshment.
Talk on Cancer in Dogs
On 20 October 2004 Dr Rick Last gave the club a very interesting
talk on Cancer – not everyone’s favourite subject, but
one we should know as much about as possible. He covered the causes,
diagnosis, and treatment of this problem, supported by some extremely
graphic material. Over 60 people were present to gain this valuable
knowledge. Dr. Last concluded the evening by answering innumerable
questions from the audience. It was clear that Cancer has touched
our lives via our dogs more often than we would like. We ’talked
dogs’ for another hour or so whilst we enjoyed the snacks,
and received valuable feedback regarding the subjects people want
us to cover in the future. Copies of all our presentations are available
in booklet form or CD. Back copies can be ordered.
Talk on Haematology and Blood Transfusions in Companion
Mammals
If the subject sounds a little bit technical and a trifle boring,
then it doesn’t do the talk justice!! On 23 January 2005 Dr
Lindsey Squires gave us a most interesting and informative talk
on the uses of blood transfusions in dogs, and of her new blood
bank here in Durban – the first outside Onderstepoort Veterinary
Hospital. The potentially life saving transfusion can be used to
treat diarrhoea, erlichia and even biliary amongst other things.
At the end of the talk, we were encouraged to register our dogs
as potential donors, and we were given the profile of the ‘ideal’
donor. If you have a dog (any breed) that is between 2 and 5 years
old, has a ‘bomb proof’ temperament and weighs over
25 kgs, then consider enrolling him in this worthwhile scheme. Each
donor gets approximately R1000 worth of benefits in the first year
and after a certain number of donations, he can become a ‘Hero
Hound’
On 10 April 2005 Talk on ‘A Holistic Approach to Dog
Health & Nutrition’
On 10 April 2005, Dr Jane Fraser gave us a superb talk entitled
A Holistic Approach to Dog Health & Nutrition. She talked about
how the dog’s diet is all important in the way he lives his
life. His family and surroundings also play a huge part in his health.
‘He is what he eats’ well describes her philosophy,
but isn’t that also true for us humans? She explained many
ailments and the natural way of dealing with them, rather than resorting
to a vet’s visit accompanied by a course of tablets or injections.
Yes, there is a place for this, but many problems can be treated
by alternative medicine.
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