Purton Vets in Swindon - Purton Veterinary Group

1. Annual health assessment and vaccination against cat flu, enteritis and leukemia virus.  Leukemia virus vaccination is optional for cats that never go outside.
2. Feed either Hills Science Diet, Eukanuba, Proplan, Royal Canin or James Wellbeloved.  Avoid supermarket foods like Iams, Go Cat, Felix and Whiskas.  Feed real meat as a treat.
3. Deworm with Milbemax or Profender.  Most cats need worming every 3 months especially hunters.  Indoor only cats can be dewormed yearly or every other year.
4. Flea treatment for 12 months of the year with Frontline Combo every 6 weeks.  Minimum treatment period should extend from Spring through to Winter until well after a few good frosts.
5. Neuter from about 6 months of age.
6. Microchip your cat to help find it when lost (an added bonus is our microchips have a built in thermometer so no more struggling with rectal thermometers).
7. Insure your cat against accident and illness.  Choose wisely, the more expensive policies are often better in the long run.
8. You can receive most of the above at a 10% discount if you join Our Pet Health Club.
   

Unless properly vaccinated, your dog runs the risk of contracting one of several infectious diseases. We consider each individual's needs on an annual basis during their health assessment.

The practice recommends dog's have their first set of injections 2 weeks apart beginning at 8 weeks of age, and then follow these with annual health assessments and booster injections. The frequency at which we give boosters against specific diseases varies. Leptospirosis is given every year but Parvovirus, Distemper and Hepatitis are given every 3rd year as these hold immunity for much longer and we are cautious not to over-vaccinate. An option at the 3rd year is to blood test to see if the patient requires a booster (leptospirosis is required annually) but not all kennels accept this as proof of protection.

Should you have any questions regarding vaccination then please contact the surgery.

The following diseases are covered by vaccination:

Canine Parvovirus
Canine Parvovirus is a small but extremely hardy virus that can survive in the environment for long periods. The disease first emerged in the 1970's as an epidemic, killing many thousands of dogs before an effective vaccination became available. It causes a bloody diarrhoea and vomiting syndrome and can be fatal especially in younger or dogs with a lowered immune system.

Canine Distemper (Hard Pad)
A virus spread mainly by close dog to dog contact. Signs may take up to three weeks to appear and include a discharge from the nose and eyes, a soft cough and neurological signs. Dogs less than one year of age are most commonly affected and it is frequently fatal.

Infectious Canine Hepatitis (Adenovirus)
Canine Adenovirus, which mainly attacks the liver, can rapidly be fatal. Transmission is by close dog to dog contact or contact with items that have been in contact with an infected dog. Dogs are most commonly affected in the first year of life, but all ages are susceptible. The main sign you will see is a poorly dog and
you may notice their gums and whites of their eyes appear yellow (jaundice).

Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is caused by a bacteria that spreads in the urine of infected animals and is associated with stagnant water. It can spread by skin contact with the affected water or urine, and can cause disease in humans. It can affect several body organs causing liver disease, kidney disease or sudden death.

Kennel Cough Syndrome
(Infectious Canine Tracheobronchitis)
'Kennel Cough' is a contagious upper respiratory disease usually occurring where dogs are in close contact - boarding kennels, rescue centres, shows, etc. The main symptom you will be aware of is a hacking cough that may take weeks to go away. Some dogs can be quite ill with it. A variety of infectious agents may be involved. The vaccine is administered via the nasal passages and is therefore given separately from all of the above.

Generally the more expensive a diet the better the ingredients that went into making the food, and the more vitamins and anti-oxidants are present.

We would also advise that you avoid soft meaty foods or tinned foods in general as they contribute to dental disease.

Worms have an amazing and crafty life cycle to ensure that they survive generations and worm their way into the lives of all animals!

When a bitch becomes pregnant the hormonal changes awaken long dormant larval stages of the round worm, these larvae then make their way across the placenta and into the puppies, all this while the puppies are in their mother's womb. It doesn't end there, the larvae also make their way to the bitch's teats and into her milk to ensure that the puppies get a dose of worm larvae while they drink!

The eggs are passed out in the puppy faeces and can persist and remain infective for a long time, even after the faeces themselves have disappeared.

The Toxacara worm that has this lifecycle is the one that is transmissible to people, especially children. The eggs are found on the dog's coat and in its environment. This is why it is important to worm pregnant bitches and all puppies from the age of 2 weeks.

The other types of worms are known as tapeworms. Again they have ingenious lifecycles, this time involving another species as an intermediate host. One example of this is the tapeworm that is transmitted with the help of fleas. The flea carries the worm and when the dog grooms itself and swallows the flea the tapeworm larvae develop into adult tapeworms inside the guts of the dog.

With many types of worms there is nothing you can see with the naked eye to tell you if your dog has any worms.

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM!:

Before 6 months of age:

From 2 weeks of age puppies should be wormed every 2 weeks till 8 weeks of age with panacur or drontal puppy.

From 8 weeks of age you should worm once a month with MILBEMAX until they reach 6 months old.

Before each worming weigh your puppy to ensure the correct dose is given, we are always very happy to do this for you at the surgery. It also means your puppy comes in to see us and does not have an injection or anything else it does not like which helps in its socialisation.

After 6 months of age:

From now on your puppy should be wormed every 3 months, again using Milbemax, as this is one of the very few preparations that kills ALL the common worms. Drontal Plus is another. Again accurate dosing is essential so if you do not know your dogs weight then please arrange to bring them in for us to weigh for you.

If you are planning to breed from your bitch, a worming program is a very important part of the pregnancy. If in doubt please feel free to contact the surgery for advise.

Fleas will find and feed on even the best looked after pet. They start breeding in spring and continue until the frosts arrive although indoors they can be a year round problem. Pets will initially pick up adult fleas outside the home, whilst walking or in the garden, and bring them indoors. Here they lay hundreds of eggs, which fall off into the carpets and furniture, soon contaminating the household environment.

Fleas are difficult to detect. You will not see necessarily see fleas on your pet or in the bedding. Scratching does not occur in all individuals so is not a reliable way to tell if your pets are affected. However you should suspect their presence if your pet is scratching more than usual, losing fur or getting bald patches over the back and rump. You may also see flea droppings if you part your pet's coat and look at the base of the hairs. The droppings are tiny black specs, which will stain white paper reddish brown when moistened.

Life Cycle
 
The adult flea jumps onto your pet and stays on if it can. Should they fall off they have to get back on soon or they die.  The female lays 50 eggs a day and these fall from the coat into the home environment. The eggs hatch into tiny pre-adult fleas (larvae) and then develop into adults which spin a cocoon and wait for the right moment to get onto you or your pet. A single flea will within 2 months will be responsible for 20 000 adults and 160 000 pre-adult fleas. For every flea you see there are at least 9 eggs or pre-adults in the environment.
 
Health Problems
 
The female has to have a bloodmeal to be able to make her eggs and these bites can cause discomfort and irritation to your pet or yourself. Some animals (and people) become allergic to fleabites and just one fleabite can then cause severe irritation sometimes for weeks. Once an allergy has developed it cannot be cured. Flea bite allergy is the most common allergy diagnosed in pets. Fleas also transmit tapeworms to cats and dogs.
 
How to solve the problem
 
Treat the animal to clear fleas from the coat and prevent re-infestation from the environment. We recommend Frontline Combo spot-on or spray.
 
Treat the environment by regular vacuuming and using household insecticidal sprays (we recommend Indorex) throughout the house to control the pre-adults and eggs. It is especially important to vacuum dark places like under the settees since pre-adults do not like light. Any of your pets bedding will benefit from being washed on a hot wash.
 
There are a great number of flea treatments available (an indication of the size of the problem.) Not all flea products are equally effective. Therefore, please consult us about the best and most effective ones for your particular needs.

We recommend that all dogs are neutered, unless you specifically wish to breed from them. Neutering is called spaying when it's a girl and castration in the boys.

Spaying involves the removal of the ovaries and uterus (womb). It involves a general anaesthetic but is typically a day procedure so your pet will normally be back home with you by the evening.

Castration will eliminate the risk of testicular cancer and will reduce the risk of prostate disease and hernias.

We recommend neutering your dog from around 6 months of age.

If a bitch comes into season we recommend a waiting period of 3 months before we neuter her. This allows for her hormone levels to return to normal 'resting' levels and reduces the risk of bleeding during surgery.

A good quality microchip is a simple way of identifying your pet for life.  Our microchips include a built in thermometer making it easier to check your pets temperature at the surgery.

A microchip about the size of a grain of rice is implanted under the skin near the shoulders this contains a unique registration number. The number stays with your pet for its life and can be read by special scanners which most veterinary surgeries, animal organisations and some police stations have. This is a little like having your shopping scanned in a supermarket.

This allows a positive identification to be made and for you to be contacted as soon as possible.

Microchips can be used in cats, dogs, ferrets, rabbits, even tortoises and larger birds.

Unlike collars and tags, microchips can't "slip off".

Quality microchips have an extremely low failure rate but we do advise having your pet scanned each year to check their chip is still working.

It's very important that if you move or change your telephone number you alert the chip company so you can still be contacted.

Rabbits' diets can be complemented by many other vegetables and greenstuffs listed below. Rabbits should not be fed lettuce since is it nutritionally poor and may give them diarrhoea.

Tree leaves can be eaten by rabbits, especially from fruit trees and hazel.

Before you take your pet on holiday abroad we recommend you consider the prevention of the following diseases. Not all diseases mentioned are present in all countries.

If you need information on what diseases are prevalent in the local area while on holiday then contact the local vet on arrival. Remember that the local animals have an inherent immunity that helps protect them so local prevention measures may not be sufficient for your pet.

Once infected, an animal may show signs of heart disease or other complications. Treatment involves killing the adult worms in the heart or surgically removing them but both can be associated with problems.

Prevention is easy and based on killing the heartworm larvae before they mature into adults and reach the heart. By using a product - usually monthly - that contains a drug called Avermectin, heartworm should be prevented. This should begin a month before you leave the UK. Stronghold or Milbemax are both suitable products for this. Equally, avoiding the mosquitoes that carry the parasite will help infection, so avoid walking your dog at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes tend to be most active.

Leishmaniasis is a disease mainly of dogs, although rarely it is seen in cats. It is caused by a blood parasite that is spread by sand flies. Often its most noticeable sign is a skin problem but this can rapidly progress to a severe wasting illness caused by multi organ failure. There is a risk to humans from the Leishmania parasite. Often symptoms don't appear to start for years after infection, thus, if you have taken your dog abroad, you should tell your vet whenever they become ill. Treatment is not always successful and will never "cure" your animal which means repeat treatments are often necessary.

Prevention is based on your dog avoiding sand fly bites. They are most prevalent from May to September. They are low-level flies which means allowing your dog to sleep in an upstairs room will help avoid bites. Again, avoid walking your dog at dawn and dusk and wearing a collar specifically designed to repel sand flies will help (e.g. Scalibor collars) although it must be changed at the recommended frequency for it to remain effective.

Treatment will help but there is no treatment that can entirely clear the parasite from your pet so prevention is always recommended. Prevention is by controlling ticks and a suitable anti-tick product (e.g. Frontline applied once monthly to both cats and dogs).

Vaccines do exist but they don't always offer full protection and they work by stopping clinical signs rather than preventing infection. Also they are specific for the Babesiosis strain in a particular area so a vaccine given in Spain for instance would not offer protection against Babesiosis in Australia .

Ehlrichia is another disease spread by ticks. It lives in the blood and the signs of illness can be similar to Babesiosis. It is not uncommon for an animal to concurrently be sick with both parasites.

Treatment is with antibiotics but by the time a diagnosis is made, patients frequently need blood transfusions and other care to stabilise them.

Prevention is by avoiding exposure to ticks using a product such as Frontline.

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a type of virus. It can affect a wide variety of mammals including man. Behaviour change is the most common sign seen and everyone thinks of the rabid salivating dog when they imagine rabies. However, cats can also be affected and there is a form of the disease which makes the animal very quiet and withdrawn.

Given that your pet needs a rabies vaccination before travelling abroad, they should be at an extremely low risk of contracting it. However, you should be careful about approaching other dogs, cats and other animals (especially strays) when travelling abroad since their rabies status is unknown.

There is no treatment for rabies and it is usually fatal. Due to the human health risks, animals suspected of having it are normally euthanased.

1. Once monthly treatment with Milbemax to prevent heartworm (start 1 month before leaving the UK).
2. Once monthly treatment with Frontline Combo spot-on for fleas and ticks (helps prevent Babesiosis, Ehrlichia and other tick borne diseases). Start one week before leaving UK . Spray ears and legs every 2nd week with Frontline spray.
   
3. Fitting your dog with a Scalibor collar to protect against sand flies and thus Leishmaniasis and to deter ticks.
   
4. Allow your dog to sleep upstairs at night if possible.
   
5. Don't walk your dog at dusk or dawn and preferably not on the beach. 
   
6. Don't let your dog associate with any stray dogs or sick looking animals.