Purton Veterinary Group
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Fact Sheets
View/HideOur Recommendations For A Healthy Cat
View/HideA Brief Summary
- Annual health assessment and vaccination against cat flu, enteritis and leukemia virus. Leukemia virus vaccination is optional for cats that never go outside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Neuter from about 6 months of age.
- 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).
- Insure your cat against accident and illness. Choose wisely, the more expensive policies are often better in the long run.
- You can receive most of the above at a 10% discount if you join Our Pet Health Club.
View/HideRegular Health Assessments and Vaccination
We routinely vaccinate against:
Feline Leukaemia Virus
This is the most common viral killer of cats. It attacks the immune system and can also cause tumours to develop. It is spread by close contact with infected cats, such as bite wounds/fighting or sharing food bowls.
Feline Infectious Enteritis
This was once a common fatal viral disease in cats which caused bloody diarrhoea and vomiting. Thanks to many years of vaccination this illness is rarely seen but has not been eradicated.
Feline Herpes Virus
Part of the "cat flu" syndrome, herpes virus causes severe cat flu symptoms, especially in kittens in which it can be fatal in up to 70% of cases. Those that survive become life long carriers of the disease and will shed virus when stressed, this has ensured that Herpes Virus is common in the enviroment.
Feline Calici Virus
This virus also forms a part of the "cat flu" syndrome but tends to cause less severe illness. After infection up to 50% will become carriers of the disease and will shed virus continually for some time after recovery.
In certain circumstances we may advise vaccination against other diseases such as Chlamydia or Bordatella.
When can vaccination start?
The earliest age this can be started is at 9 weeks of age. 2 injections given 15-21 days apart is needed to give protection to your cat against these diseases. The first injection "primes" the immune system and the second stimulates the production of antibodies that give the immunity or resistance to the viruses.
To work well the vaccine must be given to healthy animals, for this reason the veterinary surgeon or nurse will always give your pet a health assessment before giving a vaccination.
When can they go out to play?
Approximately 7 - 10 days after the second injection your kitten is protected against these diseases.
When do they need a Booster Vaccination?
To keep the immunity against these diseases up they will need a repeat vaccination in 12 months, although we do not give the enteritis vaccination every year as it lasts for 3 years.
View/HideNutrition
Probably the most important part of caring for your cat will be making sure it eats healthy food. Nutrition has an important influence on long-term health and helps prevent disease.
Choosing a food
The pet food manufacturers want you to feed their specific brand to your cat. They all market their brands in the same way claiming that they are healthy and wholesome on the bag but beware there are a wide range of foods available. A good analogy is the difference between healthy human food and junk food. The majority of pet food is junk food. Because owners select pet food based on whether their pets want to eat it, the food manufacturers sell more junk food than healthy food.
Most of the major manufacturers make a healthy version of food and we can advise you on what different healthy diets are available. We recommend and sell Hills Science Diet because they only make healthy food.
- Avoid supermarkets when choosing a food, as most of the brands available are junk food versions of better diets. Buy your food from a good pet shop or from the surgery.
- 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.
- Healthy food is tasty but junk food is even tastier, given the choice your pet will choose junk food. Its up to you to say no!
- Beware the pet food manufacturers marketing. They know what to say to get you to buy their food.
- We would also advise that you avoid soft meaty foods or tinned foods in general as they contribute to dental disease.
- 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.
- Healthy food is tasty but junk food is even tastier, given the choice your pet will choose junk food. Its up to you to say no!
- Beware the pet food manufacturers marketing. They know what to say to get you to buy their food.
- We would also advise that you avoid soft meaty foods or tinned foods in general as they contribute to dental disease.
We recommend that kittens be fed a diet designed for growth. These generally contain a slightly higher protein and calorie content than adult foods. Adult cats should be fed on an adult maintenance diet and cats over 7 years of age should be fed a senior diet. Senior diets generally contain less protein, less calories and less salts than adult cat food to enable your cat to cope better with the demands of a more senior lifestyle. For further information on feeding your cat throughout life, your vet will be pleased to advise you.
View/HideControlling worms in cats
Worms have an amazing and crafty life cycle to ensure that they survive generations and worm their way into the lives of all animals!
Roundworms
Cats can pick these up from the environment. The mother cat also passes on the roundworms to her kittens via her milk. This is why regular worming of pregnant cats and of kittens is so important. Heavy worm burdens can cause weight loss, vomiting and diarrhoea. Adult worms look like bits of string or spaghetti but the eggs and larvae are invisible to the naked eye.
Tapeworms
There are two main ways your cat can pick up tapeworms. One is by grooming itself and swallowing a flea which contain the larval stage of the common tapeworm, which once swallowed develops into an adult tapeworm inside your cat. The other is by hunting and eating prey such as mice, which carry the larvae of a different tapeworm. The effect on your cat can be similar to a burden of roundworms.
The adults attach themselves to inside of the guts, but your cat may pass tapeworm segments that look like grains of rice that actually move!
The adults attach themselves to inside of the guts, but your cat may pass tapeworm segments that look like grains of rice that actually move!
How to prevent them
For cats and kittens over 6 weeks of age that weigh over 0.5kg the easiest of the effective wormers is a tablet called milbemax as it kills ALL types of round and tapeworms. Kittens should be wormed monthly from 6 weeks of age to 6 months of age. After this they are wormed the same as adult cats which should be every 3 months. However if your cat is a hunter you may need to worm more frequently than this, please discuss your cat's needs with one of our staff. For a wormer to be effective an adequate dose must be given which is why we always check the weight of your pet first. For small kittens under 6 weeks of age or under 0.5kg in weight we advise using panacur, which will treat roundworms and SOME types of tapeworms.
And if I cannot give my cat tablets?
Then our nurses are happy to weigh your cat and give the correct dose of wormer for you, by appointment in one of our nurse’s clinics. However even we find the odd cat difficult to give tablets to and for these we will find an alternative such as an injection or spot preparation. Profender is a spot-on preparation for cats that is effective against both roundworms and tapeworms. Droncit is and injection which is only effective against tapeworms. Please ask one of our nurses for more information on the products available.
View/HideFleas and how to control them
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.
View/HideNeutering you cat
Better known as spaying in the girls and castration in the boys.
CASTRATION
The removal of the testicles in male cats. It will reduce his urge to roam to find females and to enlarge his territory. This will make it less likely for him to be hit by a car or to be wounded in fights with other cats over territory disputes!
Entire males have a very much higher risk of catching Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukaemia Virus.
Mature male cats also have strong smelling urine and will happily use it to mark their territory, which will include your home!
For these reasons all male cats should be castrated at approximately 6 months of age. This is done as a day patient under general anaesthetic. He will be admitted during morning surgery by a nurse, taken to the ward and given his pre-med, have his operation late morning to early afternoon, then spend some quiet time whilst back in his kennel. You will be given an appointment during evening surgery to collect him, and we will make an appointment in one of our nurse clinics which will be free of charge to check him post operatively.
SPAYING
The removal of the uterus (womb) and ovaries in the female cat. Not only does it prevent your cat becoming pregnant, but it also stops her coming into season or "calling" which she will otherwise do on a regular basis throughout most of the year. It is known as "calling" because some females yowl and roll about suggestively in order to attract the attention of Tom cats, which can sound very distressing!Almost ALL matings lead to pregnancy.
Again spaying is usually done at about 6 months of age and the operation entails a day visit to the surgery. Unlike the boys, the girls do have stitches which are usually removed 10 days after the operation, they too will be checked at about 3 days post op, and again there are no further charges for these services.
View/HideMicrochipping
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.
View/HidePrint Information
View/HideOur Recommendations For A Healthy Dog
View/HideA Brief Summary
- Annual health assessment and vaccination against Leptospirosis, Distemper, Parvo, and Hepatitis.
- Feed either Hills Science Diet, Eukanuba, Proplan, Royal Canin or James Wellbeloved. Avoid supermarket foods like Iams, Bakers, Pal, Chudleys, and Pedigree Chum. Feed real food as a treat.
- Keep their teeth clean by brushing and encouraging chewing on rawhide chews.
- Deworm with Milbemax every 3 months especially if children are in their environment.
- Flea treatment for 12 months of the year with Frontline Combo every 8 weeks. Minimum treatment period should extend from Spring through to Winter until well after a few good frosts.
- Neuter from about 6 months of age.
- Microchip your dog to help find it when lost (an added bonus
is our microchips have a built in thermometer so no more struggling
with rectal thermometers).
- Insure your dog against accident, illness and 3rd party damages. Choose wisely, the more expensive policies are often better in the long run.
- Socialise your puppy properly between 7 and 17 weeks of age. This is a crucial time for learning and you can't go back.
- Most of the above is available at a 10% discount if you join our Pet Health Club.
View/HideRegular Health Assessments and Vaccination
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.
View/HidePuppy Socialisation
What is socialisation and why is it so important?
Socialisation is the process by which your puppy learns to recognise and interact with the people and animals it lives with. By learning to interact with these other animals and humans, puppies develop important communication skills. These skills enable them to recognise whether or not they are being threatened and how to respond and react to the intentions of others.
Habituation is the process whereby your puppy becomes accustomed to non-threatening environmental stimuli such as vacuum cleaners, hairdryers, fireworks, traffic etc and learns to ignore it and is not threatened by it.
Why is it so important?
Proper socialisation and habituation at an early age is vital if the puppy is to grow up being a sound and happy individual.
Puppies do most of their learning in the first few months of their lives. This is known as the 'critical period' in which the bulk of socialisation should take place. The time up to 16 weeks of age is crucial for learning. Although the puppy can still learn to be socialised after this age, learning takes place a lot slower. If your puppy is exposed to all sorts of sounds and sights in his early life, he is less likely to become fearful when presented with them later on.
How to socialise your puppy.
Make sure your puppy meets as many different people in his early life as possible. This includes adults, teenagers, children, toddlers and babies. Make the sure the introductions are always positive and provide any new people with treats or a toy to give to the puppy. This way, your puppy will come to see strangers as something positive.
Introduce your puppy to lots of different dogs of different breeds and ages. Choose the dogs carefully, as you do not want him to have a bad experience at this stage. If you know other people with young dogs, try and get together as often as possible so that they can interact. This is vital if your puppy is to learn appropriate 'social' skills and will make him more comfortable around other dogs.
While your puppy is still young get him used to sounds like hairdryers, washing machines, lawnmowers etc. reward him with lots of praise and treats if he does not react fearfully. If he does seem afraid, do not reassure him, as this will only reinforce the fear. Switch the machine off, or reduce the distance from the puppy until he feels more confident, and then reward him. You will just have to go slower with a more nervous type of puppy.
Introduce your puppy to other animals such as cats, livestock, chickens, horses etc. Even if this is from a short distance, if he sees them as a young dog, he is less likely to react negatively when older.
Introduce your puppy to other animals such as cats, livestock, chickens, horses etc. Even if this is from a short distance, if he sees them as a young dog, he is less likely to react negatively when older.
What should you do if your puppy shows fear during socialisation?
Don't overreact. If you panic or become over protective and make reassuring noises, the puppy will think there is something to be worried about. Appear unaffected and calm and your puppy should follow suit. Reward him with a pat or treat once he is feeling brave again.
Don't pressurise the puppy into approaching something new. Let him approach the object on his own. You need to stay as quiet as possible and pretend to do something else or appear disinterested. When the puppy approaches on his own and is comfortable, give him a treat.
If there is something that the puppy is very worried about, expose him to it as much as possible but only from a distance at first so that it appears less scary. As he gets used to it, you can gradually increase the exposure to it.
Remember to always reward good, calm, brave behaviour. If your puppy does react fearfully, be careful not to reinforce the behaviour with reassurance. Wait until he calms down and then reward him. But most of all, enjoy your puppy and make the most of your time spent with him in this sensitive period.
Below is a recommended reading list for those who would like to delve a bit deeper into their dog's psyche.
1) The Culture Clash - Jean Donaldson
1) The Culture Clash - Jean Donaldson
2) Puppy Training for Children - Sarah Whitehead
3) The Perfect Puppy - Gwen Bailey
4) Dogs - A Startling new understanding. - Ray Coppinger
View/HideNutrition
Probably the most important part of caring for your dog will be making sure it eats healthy food.
Nutrition has an important influence on long-term health and helps prevent disease.
Choosing a food
The pet food manufacturers want you to feed their specific brand to your dog. They all market their brands in the same way claiming that they are healthy and wholesome on the bag but beware there are a wide range of foods available. A good analogy is the difference between healthy human food and junk food. The majority of pet food is junk food. Because owners select pet food based on whether their pets want to eat it, the food manufacturers sell more junk food than healthy food.
Most of the major manufacturers make a healthy version of food and we can advise you on what different healthy diets are available. We recommend and sell Hills Science Diet because they only make healthy food.
Avoid supermarkets when choosing a food, as most of the brands available are junk food versions of better diets. Buy your food from a good pet shop or from the surgery.
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.
Healthy food is tasty but junk food is even tastier, given the choice your pet will choose junk food. Its up to you to say no!
Beware the pet food manufacturers marketing. They know what to say to get you to buy their food.
We would also advise that you avoid soft meaty foods or tinned foods in general as they contribute to dental disease.
We recommend that puppies are fed a diet designed for growth. Large breed puppies need a 'large breed formula' growth diet.
Adult dogs should be fed on an adult maintenance diet and dogs over 7 years of age should be fed a senior diet.
View/HideControlling worms in dogs
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.
View/HideFleas and how to control them
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.
View/HideNeutering
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.
Bitches
Bitches will come into season, on average, twice a year i.e. once every 6 months. There is some variation with some bitches having one season per year and others as many as four. A season will last for about 3 weeks, during which time the bitch loses a light but bloody discharge from the vulva. She will be attractive to male dogs who will tend to loiter near the house and harass you on walks.
A bitch who is allowed to have seasons continuously runs the risk of developing a condition known as pyometra - a dangerous infection of the uterus (womb). Pyometra is a serious and potentially fatal disease, which usually needs to be treated by removing the uterus surgically. Typically a pyometra can develop at 7 or 8 years of age, although it can arise at any age. Entire bitches or those who are spayed later in life are also more prone to developing mammary cancer.
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.
Males
Male dogs tend to 'mark territory' by urinating while on walks and occasionally take to doing it in the house. They may be more aggressive towards other dogs, or even to people. They may also try to escape or go 'roaming' after bitches on heat. If these behaviour problems arise then castration may help control the problem. Castration will not control aggressive behaviour if it is not due to sexual urges.
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.
Alternatives to neutering
There are alternative treatments available instead of surgery, which involves either hormone tablets or injections which have to be repeated at appropriate intervals. However as there are serious risks associated with these medications we do not recommend them.
Accidental Mating.
Bitches can be mated accidentally when they are in season. If this occurs, and you do not wish the bitch to become pregnant then there are drugs available to prevent pregnancy. Please contact the surgery as soon as possible during opening hours.
View/HideMicrochipping
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.
View/HidePrint Information
View/HideOur Recommendations For A Healthy Rabbit
View/HideRegular Health Assessment and Vaccination
Unlike dogs and cats, rabbits are prey species and tend to hide any illness until they are very sick. We recommend regular examinations to ensure your rabbit is in good health and annual vaccination against 2 types of virus.
Myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) are generally fatal once your rabbit has caught them.
Myxomatosis is spread by flies and biting insects and your rabbit is particularly at risk if you live in a area with a large population of wild rabbits. Its signs include swollen eyelids and a discharge. Once your rabbit is infected treatment can be attempted but is rarely effective. Vaccination against myxomatosis normally protects against the disease. It is usually sufficient to vaccinate yearly but if you live in a high risk area, we recommend vaccinating every 6 months. Since myxomatosis is mainly seen in spring, summer and autumn when the insects are about, the most effective time to vaccinate is early spring.
VHD is a highly resistant virus whose main symptom is sudden death although occasionally rabbits will show symptoms of extreme sickness beforehand. Since it is normally fatal before being diagnosed, treatment is almost impossible. The virus is highly resistant to freezing and can last a long time in the environment so can be spread by any object introduced to your rabbit (including foods picked in the meadow) as well as by direct contact with wild rabbits. Thankfully vaccination is very effective but should be done annually.
View/HideNutrition
Rabbits should be fed mainly on grass and hay. We recommend feeding a very small amount (an egg cup a day) of commercial mix to your rabbit to compensate for any mineral deficiencies in the grasses they're eating, but this food should be no more than 3% of your rabbit's body weight per day. There should never be commercial food left in the bowl at the end of the day. To eat grass and hay a rabbit needs to be hungry and it would probably choose commercial mix over its natural diet if given the choice.
Rabbits have continually growing teeth. If their diet doesn’t involve a
large amount of gnawing, they will develop dental problems. Dental
disease is due to a combination of genetic factors, diet and calcium
metabolism. To help metabolise calcium your rabbit requires vitamin D
which is activated by sunlight. Thus a diet involving lots of grass and
a regular exposure to sunlight will aid in preventing disease. Rabbits intestines are designed to process large amounts of grass and plant material. This roughage is essential for the optimum functioning of their intestines.
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.
Safe Plants For Rabbits
Grass of any type is safe, palatable and ideal for rabbits. Vaccination against viral haemorrhagic disease(VHD) is advisable due to the risk of transmission from wild rabbits.
Wild plants that are safe include: agrimony, brambles, chickweed, clover, coltsfoot, cow parsnip (hogweed), dandelion, young docks, goosegrass, ground elder, groundsel, knapweed, mallow, mayweed, plantain, raspberry, sea beet, shepherds purse, sow-thistle, trefoil, vetch, wild strawberry and yarrow (NB: Many of these plants are illustrated in Virginia Richardson’s book Rabbit Nutrition).
Safe cultivated plants include: artichoke leaves, apple, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots and carrot tops, celery, cauliflower leaves, chicory, coriander, corncobs, green beans, kale kohl rabi, lettuce (in moderation), parsley, peapods, pear, parsnip, radish, spinach, spring greens (spring cabbage), sprout peelings, sunflowers plants, swedes, sweetcorn plants, turnips, watercress. N.B.Turnips and Spinach should be fed occasionally (not more than once a week) due to their oxalate content.
Tree leaves can be eaten by rabbits, especially from fruit trees and hazel.
View/HideRecognising illness in rabbits
Signs your
rabbit may be unwell include:
- Not eating their normal amount of food this should be checked on a daily basis
- Not eating food that previously they have enjoyed even if they are still eating other food stuffs
- Not producing faeces
- Unusual behaviour
- Diarrhoea or a dirty bottom
- Weight loss
- Hair loss or scratches on the skin
View/HideFly strike
A serious illness of pet rabbits is fly strike. This is when a particular fly lays their eggs in your rabbit's skin, normally in a wound or around it's bottom. When the maggots hatch they start eating the skin and muscle. The presence of maggots attracts further flies and the condition rapidly becomes serious. If caught early, it can be treated but once past a certain stage it is frequently fatal even if treatment is initiated. Rabbits are particularly at risk if they have open sores, dirty bottoms or live in dirty housing.
Prevention is better than cure. You can prevent flystrike by using a product such as Rearguard in the fly season.This has been designed especially for pet rabbits and will deter flies from laying their eggs on your rabbit. It is easy to use and one application will last for up to 6 week - please ask further information.
In addition, we recommend checking your rabbit twice daily for any signs of maggots. This involves turning him to look underneath around his/her bottom. If their bottom is dirty, you should clean it and consider booking a consultation with the vet to try find out why this has happened. If you see any small worm type creatures that may be maggots, you should consult a vet immediately.
View/HideHousing
Rabbits can either be kept indoors or outside. Their hutch should be as big as possible and certainly big enough for your rabbit to be able to sit up comfortably in and stretch out full on his hind legs. It should be raised off the ground to prevent damp if it's kept outside, and it should have a separate bedding area filled with a suitable nesting material. Many problems can occur due to dirty hutches and your rabbit's hutch should be cleaned out whenever it gets dirty and at least twice weekly.
All rabbits should be allowed to exercise outside in natural light and the safest way to achieve this is to have an enclosed run. The run should have a bedding area or access to the hutch so that if your rabbit is scared or cold, there is somewhere to retreat to.
View/HideNeutering
Neutering can have many health benefits especially for female rabbits. It also means that rabbits of different sexes can be kept together without fear of baby rabbits!
Up to 80% of female rabbits suffer from a cancer of the uterus when they are older. Neutering will prevent your rabbit suffering from this. In addition, females can become very aggressive when they come into season and they can be in season almost continually as they mature, neutering may help your rabbit with this type of aggression. Some male rabbits can become very territorial and start marking their area with urine. Neutering may help with this behaviour and also eliminates the risk of testicular cancer or injury to the testicles (a common site for other rabbits to attack.)
Neutering can be performed at 6months old and is called castration in the boys and spaying in the girls.
View/HideMicrochipping
A microchip with a unique registration number and about the size of a grain of rice is implanted under the skin near the shoulders. This then stays with your rabbit for its life and can be read by special scanners which most veterinary surgeries, animal welfare organisations, animal wardens and some police stations have. This allows a positive identification to be made and for you to be contacted as soon as possible if your rabbit were to stray.
View/HidePrint Information
View/HideManaging Health Problems
View/HideManaging your pets weight
50% of dogs and cats in the UK are overweight. Overweight dogs and cats have a slight excess of fat covering the ribs and have a discernable waist. When the ribs cannot be felt at all and there is no waist, the dog or cat is considered to be obese. Obesity is defined as being 20% overweight. A weight problem occurs when there is an accumulation of excess energy which is stored as fat. In other words the individual is receiving more calories than needed for body maintenance and energy expenditure. Obesity causes an increase in disease and mortality at all ages and is associated with sugar diabetes, certain types of cancer, impaired mobility and arthritis, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Weight gain in your pet should be taken seriously. If you were told that your pet was suffering from heart disease or kidney trouble you would know instinctively that this was serious. Obesity is just as serious.
Achieving and maintaining a pet's ideal weight not only reduces the health risks, but also can increase life expectancy, improve quality of life, and allow them to become more active.
Achieving and maintaining a pet's ideal weight not only reduces the health risks, but also can increase life expectancy, improve quality of life, and allow them to become more active.
What can I do?
Compare your pets weight with that at 12-24 months old. The weight should not have increased beyond this point.
Rapid weight loss should be avoided. An approximate time plan is as follows:
- To lose 25% of the initial bodyweight takes 25% of the year.
- To lose 33% takes 33% of the year.
- To lose 50% takes 50% of the year.
Weight that is lost slowly is more likely to stay lost!
A special 'low calorie' diet is available from the surgery that is properly formulated for effective weight loss. The diet is more effective if combined with additional exercise.
Write down everything that your pet gets to eat during the day. You will often be surprised at the sabotage that goes on! You have to be vigilant!
Hill's prescription diet r/d is high in fibre and low in calories to ensure that the pet feels satisfied while encouraging weight loss.
Hill's prescription diet Feline m/d encourages weight loss through metabolic change. It is a low carbohydrate and high protein diet (similar to the Atkins diet which is ideal for cats) that encourages fat breakdown to provide energy.
Once the ideal weight is reached your pet can be changed onto Hill's prescription diet w/d to prevent obesity recurring after successful weight loss. It is reduced fat and high fibre and is lighter than the average "light diet".
Once weight returns to an acceptable level you will be surprised at the years that seem to have been shed. It really is worth persevering. We will do all we can to help. Do not hesitate to contact one of our veterinary nurses and book your pet in for free twice monthly weight assessments.
View/HideManaging dental health
Consider how your teeth and gums would feel if you failed to brush them everyday. Your dog and cats teeth are no different. 70% of cats 2 years and older and 80% of dogs 3 years and older show signs of periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is simply infection in the tissues surrounding the tooth. Gum inflammation, or gingivitis, is caused by the build-up of a film of plaque on the teeth. Plaque is made up of saliva, food and bacteria that sits on the surface of the teeth. It is invisible and can only be seen using a disclosing fluid. If it is not cleaned off it begins to thicken and mineralise and forms a visible hard deposit called tartar. Tartar can build up until it totally covers the tooth, this can cause discomfort when eating and make the mouth smell. The gums gradually recede so that ultimately the socket is infected and the tooth is lost. As oral infection increases tonsillitis and pharyngitis can also occur. The bacteria can also be absorbed into the blood stream and can be carried to other organs leading to heart and liver infections.
The first signs of dental disease is often halitosis or bad breath. Gingivitis and plaque can both contribute to an unpleasant odour in the mouth. Often by controlling plaque, bad breath will subside. Other signs maybe that the cat or dog is reluctant to eat or play with toys and sometimes drooling can be seen.
Most cats and dogs do need dental treatment at some stage in their lives, but the more preventative treatment you can give your pet the less likely they are to need dental treatment.
The prime aim is to keep the mouth as hygienic as possible and to reduce the rate at which tartar builds up. Feeding a diet that promotes chewing stimulates the production of saliva that contains natural antibacterial substances and the mechanical action of chewing helps to scrape plaque off. Hills prescription diet t/d is particularly good at this, as are specially designed dental toys and rawhide chews.
Daily tooth brushing is the most effective way to reduce plaque and tartar.
We recommend that you use a specially designed toothbrush or a child's toothbrush with soft rounded bristles. Do not use human toothpaste as this is toxic to pets and most don't like the flavour or the foaming action. Pet toothpaste comes in a variety of flavours such as chicken, fish and malt and it is safe to be swallowed.
It is best to start a daily brushing routine when your pet is young, but it can easily be introduced at any age. First, introduce your pet to the toothpaste by applying some to your finger or a toy. Let them lick the toothpaste, they will love the taste. Make the session enjoyable and give lots of praise so they will look forward to next time. Repeat this for three to five days.
The next step is place your finger with the applied toothpaste into your pets mouth and gently massage the teeth and gums. You do not need to you're your pets mouth open to brush the teeth. Repeat this until your pet is comfortable with finger brushing. During this stage you can introduce a finger brush to help your pet get used to the brushing sensation. This stage can take up to two to three weeks - so persevere!
When comfortable with finger brushing you can introduce a toothbrush. Wet the toothbrush with a small amount of water and apply the toothpaste pushing well into the bristles to help it stay on. Begin with just a few teeth and gradually increase the number of teeth brushed. You need to lift your pets lips to allow you access to the teeth but you do not need to hold the mouth open. Brush from the back towards the front but leave the small teeth in the front as brushing close to the nose can irritate some pets. You do not need to brush the inside edge of the teeth.
Once tartar has formed it is necessary to remove it completely with a professional scale and polish under general anaesthetic. Under anaesthetic scaling, both by hand and using ultrasonic cleaning equipment will remove tartar, both visible and also that which is accumulating below the gum line. The teeth are then polished in order to try to prevent subsequent plaque build-up as much as possible. It may be necessary to carry out other procedures at the same time such as fillings, extractions etc.
View/HideBehaviour Advice
View/HideFear of Fireworks
It’s that time of year again when we look forward to frosty
nights and fantastic firework displays over the Guy Fawkes, Christmas and New
Year period. But for some pet owners and their pets it is a time fraught with
anxiety and fear.
Some dogs are scared of noises. Whatever the reason for
this, the fear is real and should be taken seriously. The dog may react in many
different ways depending on the individual but one thing is for sure – the fear
will become worse and worse every year and so early intervention is imperative.
Here are some tips to help you help your dog through this traumatic time plus
some behavioural advice to help desensitise your dog to scary sounds.
Tips to help your dog survive fireworks night
-
-
- Provide a safe haven. Make a ‘den’ for your dog to hide in to
make him feel safe. He may even have his own safe place to go like under a bed
or behind a couch. Let him be – this is his coping strategy.
- Do not reassure him with lots of cuddles and attention. This is the hardest one for us humans – unfortunately, if we do this we only reinforce the feeling that there is something to be scared of as we are ‘rewarding’ the dog for his behaviour. Remain calm and oblivious to the sounds – your dog will gain confidence from your behaviour.
- Use a D.A.P plug in pheromone diffuser. This can have a remarkable calming effect on dogs and makes them feel more secure in their environment. Must be plugged in weeks before the anticipated event though.
Behavioural advice
Jocelyn Lander RVN DipCABT
(Qualified veterinary nurse and animal
behaviourist)
View/HideHow do you know whether a behavior therapist is competent?
You can ask about membership of The Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (Coape) or some other organization that does some kind of training and quality control before admitting members. You can ask about the therapist's education, whether the person has a college or higher degree in animal behavior. But not all good therapists have degrees. You can ask at the vet surgery. You can ask at a dog school that rejects the choke chain for training dogs and uses treats and/or the clicker instead.
When you contact a therapist, you can present your case briefly and let the therapist start talking. Then...
One thing to watch out for is that the therapist doesn't just have a standard, ready-made answer. A good therapist will ask you lots of questions about your dog and his/her history, how you brought the dog up, when the problem first started, when and where it occurs, and so on. The therapist will want to make a house visit and watch you with the dog. S/he might ask you to do various things with the dog, perhaps even asking you to do something that will make the dog show the growling or snapping behavior. (A good therapist will not ask you to do this in a way that puts you or your dog at risk -- neither physical risk, nor emotional and psychological risk.) A good therapist will take a thorough look at you and your dog as individuals and at your particular relationship. If the therapist already knows the answer before
you even tell your story, it's better to look for someone else.
Another very important thing to watch out for is that the therapist doesn't start talking about dominating your dog by any technique that sounds the least bit like intimidation or punishment. Some good therapists will still talk about dominance and ranks and leadership -- but when they start explaining how to change these things, they will not be telling you to intimidate your dog, hit your dog, kick your dog, jerk on the choke chain, nor do anything else that is scary, painful, or intimidating for your dog. A good therapist will know exercises for you that make the dog feel less intimidated and worried rather than more.
The instant a trainer or therapist starts talking about punishing your dog or doing anything that is intimidating, scary, or painful for your dog, it's time to say, "thanks, but no thanks," and call someone else.
When you contact a therapist, you can present your case briefly and let the therapist start talking. Then...
One thing to watch out for is that the therapist doesn't just have a standard, ready-made answer. A good therapist will ask you lots of questions about your dog and his/her history, how you brought the dog up, when the problem first started, when and where it occurs, and so on. The therapist will want to make a house visit and watch you with the dog. S/he might ask you to do various things with the dog, perhaps even asking you to do something that will make the dog show the growling or snapping behavior. (A good therapist will not ask you to do this in a way that puts you or your dog at risk -- neither physical risk, nor emotional and psychological risk.) A good therapist will take a thorough look at you and your dog as individuals and at your particular relationship. If the therapist already knows the answer before
you even tell your story, it's better to look for someone else.
Another very important thing to watch out for is that the therapist doesn't start talking about dominating your dog by any technique that sounds the least bit like intimidation or punishment. Some good therapists will still talk about dominance and ranks and leadership -- but when they start explaining how to change these things, they will not be telling you to intimidate your dog, hit your dog, kick your dog, jerk on the choke chain, nor do anything else that is scary, painful, or intimidating for your dog. A good therapist will know exercises for you that make the dog feel less intimidated and worried rather than more.
The instant a trainer or therapist starts talking about punishing your dog or doing anything that is intimidating, scary, or painful for your dog, it's time to say, "thanks, but no thanks," and call someone else.
View/HideDominance - Challenging Traditional Thinking
This is a long article, click here if you would prefer to print it to read
(Additional
material supplied by Peter Neville DHc BSc (Hons)), used with permission.
Dominance, meaning ‘status’, has been used for many years to tell dog owners they must assert
authority over their domestic dog. If they didn’t, the dog may try to raise its
status within what it perceives to be its ‘pack’ i.e. the owner and family. The
basis of this theory is that as dogs are descended from wolves, wolf behaviour
must apply to dog behaviour. To attain authority, or ‘alpha’ status, over our
dog we had to apply ‘pack rules’ based on wolf behaviour. This often meant
harsh training methods and a strict regime of behaviour.
Today, we have a far
greater understanding of the behaviour of both wolves and dogs than we did 20
to 30 years ago when pack rules became popular. Many leading canine authorities
believe it is time to challenge the ‘dominance’ theory, get rid of ‘pack rules’
and realise that our domestic dog is just that – a dog.
IN THE BEGINNING
To understand why
pack rules are considered out-dated, we need to understand dogs are not wolves.
Science has identified that the dog (Canis
familiaris) is descended from the wolf (Canis
lupus). See Fig. 1
Fig
1. (Canis lupus) Courtesy Monty Sloan
However during the
period of evolution, many changes occurred both in morphology and behaviour
(Coppinger 2001, Lindsay 2000)
Fig
2. Courtesy Ray Coppinger
In Fig. 2 the skull
on the left of the picture is that of a 43Kg wolf. The skull on right is of a
43Kg dog. A dog’s brain became about 20% to 25% smaller than the wolf’s,
speculating that wolves are more intelligent as they have evolved to ‘work’ to
survive in a more challenging, more dangerous and less protected natural
environment. (Coppinger 2001, Lindsay 2000).
The dog’s teeth
became smaller, more crowded and jaws became weaker. There are now three shapes
of head (Turner 1994):
We have breeds of
different shapes and sizes, conformation, tail carriage, ear carriage, coat
lengths, colours and type, and some with little or no coat at all.
- The shape most like a wolf’s, if
somewhat smaller, is Mesocephalic: a medium length muzzle typically seen in
German Shepherds, Labradors, and Terriers.
About 75% of all dogs have this shape head.
-
-
A female wolf may not
come into oestrus for the first time until she’s about 22 months of age,
sometimes older, and only has one oestrus cycle a year which is always during
the winter. The pups are born during the spring when prey is more plentiful and
chances of survival are greater (Kreeger, Packard 2003). Compare that to a
domestic female dog that can come into oestrus at the age of 6 months, has two
oestrus cycles per year at any time of year depending on when she was born. A
male wolf is only fertile during the mating season (Kreeger 2003), ie once per
year (see later). A domestic male dog, reaches maturity at about 6 months of
age, remains fertile every day of his life.
Coppinger (2001) puts
forward a convincing hypothesis as to how the evolution of dogs began. He
believes that when Man started to build villages, wolves that showed less
‘flight distance’ started to scavenge around the dumps created by discarded
food and human waste. As generation after generation of wolves scavenged around
the dumps so those wolves became less and less fearful of Man. Over the generations the wolves became
more domesticated; later more tame; and later, trainable. Eventually, Man
started breeding for particular behaviours and looks.
Clutton-Brock (1999)
asserts ‘These tamed wolves would have
become less and less like their forebears because inherently variable
characteristics such as coat colour, carriage of ears and tail, overall size
and proportion of limbs would be altered by the combined effects of artificial
and natural selection. In this way a wolf became a dog.’
As the wolf became a
dog, so the motor patterns between the wolf and dog changed. The predatory
motor pattern for the wolf is:
Today we have breeds that have different predatory motor patterns. For
example, a Border collie’s predatory motor pattern is different from a
Retriever’s. The collie’s predatory motor pattern is;
orient > eye-stalk
> chase > grab-bite > kill-bite > dissect > consume
Orient > EYE-STALK >
CHASE > (grab-bite > kill-bite > dissect > consume)
The ‘eye stalk’ and ‘chase’ are highlighted as they are enhanced, and
have become the most rewarding parts of the motor pattern. The parts of the
motor pattern in brackets should be latent.
Figure 3 shows the collie "eye-stalk"
Fig 3. Courtesy Ray Coppinger
The Retrievers’ predatory motor pattern is;
ORIENT > chase > GRAB-BITE (> consume).
Fig. 4 shows the Retriever’s ‘grab-bite’ with a soft mouth so as not to
bruise the flesh of the shot game.
Fig 4. Courtesy CC Guard
We have bred dogs to help man as assistance dogs; for
guarding; retrieving; herding without killing; pulling sledges; hunting; to
take part in obedience, agility, flyball, and working trials competitions; as
search and rescue dogs; sniffer dogs; companion dogs or just lapdogs. All these
things are totally alien to the wolf, so a dog doesn’t think like a wolf.
However, by applying pack rules we are treating all of our domestic dogs as
replicate wolves, irrespective of their behavioural type lineage.
But, no two dog types, no two breeds and no two individual dogs
are the same. Each individual dog has different behavioural needs and different
emotional states, and while the behavioural type and, latterly, the breed of
dog are very important factors, all individuals have different motor patterns
of behaviour, experiences and motivations that govern their emotions and
behaviour in any situation.
Lindsay (2000),
states, “Understanding dog behaviour
rightly begins with a study of wolf behaviour. However, a long history of
domestication behaviourally segregates dogs from wolves and one must take care
not to overly generalise between the two canids in terms of their respective
motivations and behaviour patterns.”
Generally, a stable
wolf pack consists of a mated pair, their immediate offspring and adult helper
offspring from previous years (Wayne, Vila, Mech, Boitani 2003).
This is known as a ‘nuclear family’. However pack dynamics are not necessarily
straight forward, as packs could also consist of an ‘extended family’,
‘disrupted family’, ‘step-family’ or a ‘complex family’ (Packard 2003). The
point is that these packs are best viewed as families, and usually are made up
largely of related, co-operative animals, except where a new male and female,
dispersed from their respective maternal packs (families), meet to start a new
family.
PACK SOCIAL ORGANISATION
The ‘pack rules’ that
owners have been told to use, and which are now being challenged, should have
come from observing the behaviour of free roaming wolf packs. But as there were
few free packs to observe, (Mech 1999) they came from observing captive packs
whose behaviour is somewhat different to that of a free pack. In fact, this
would be rather like using data collected from observing prisoners in a jail
and pretending that this represented a good model for the behaviour of normal
human society and families.
Conflict within a
pack is therefore rare and restrained because each animal usually has genetic
vested interested in helping the pack succeed reproductively, whichever wolves
are actually doing the reproducing. Of course, very few wolves ever get the
opportunity to reproduce, and the vast majority remain with their parents to
help them continue producing litters successfully year after year. The parent/offspring
relationship is maintained into the adulthood of the offspring that stay in the
pack by means of ritualised behaviour, but rarely involves serious threat, and
even more rarely, actual physical attack (Abrantes, 1997, with additions by
Neville 2007). See Fig 5. It would simply be a waste of energy, and any injury
inflicted on any member would deleteriously impact on the hunting, survival and
reproductive capabilities of the family.
Importantly,
competition within the pack is seasonal. About two months before the breeding
female comes into oestrous, the testes of the adult males in the group descend
from their usually atrophied state and the males begin to compete. The breeding
male (termed ‘alpha’ because he is the breeding male) is the only male to
retain fully evident and functioning testes all year round. Other adult males
(now termed beta males) may now compete with each other, and perhaps even
occasionally with their father. But the aim is NOT to try to usurp him so that
the ‘son could now mate with his mother’. This would be seriously
counterproductive in terms of genetic diversity and species success. Nor is the
competition with any other male member from the pack about establishing some
kind of ‘pecking order’ as was often thought. It is about deciding whether any
particular male is fit and strong enough to leave the group and go in search of
his own mate in unfamiliar territory. At the same time, if any adult females in
a pack feel fit and strong enough, or have maintained a sufficient distance
from their mother to nullify the oestrus-suppressing pheromones that she
produces such that they now come into oestrus, then they too will leave their
maternal pack, or be driven out. (On occasion they may be killed if they do not
get out fast enough). Having left, if they meet a dispersed male, they may then
reproduce and form a family of their own with separate genetic inputs, though
this whole event is fraught with danger and invariably doesn’t succeed. (Mech,
Boitani 2003, additions by Neville 2007). But back in the original maternal
packs, the successful mating of the breeding female signals the re-atrophication
of the remaining males’ testes with the exception of her mate. These other
males all now have crucial roles in protecting, feeding and educating the young
that will be born in 63 days time, and will not be wasting vital energy
squabbling among themselves over status or anything else.
Fig.5
Courtesy Monty Sloane
Contrary
for the reasoning behind the pack rules, the alpha wolf is not a dictator. “No member alone decides when an activity
begins and ends. The autocratic leading wolf does not exist.” (Zimen 1981). According to Mech (1999) “The concept of alpha as ‘top dog’ ruling a
group of similar-aged compatriots is particularly misleading.
While
dog owners are told to be ‘alpha’, or ‘top dog’ and to apply ‘pack rules’ to
enforce their authority, David Mech, (1999), who is a world authority on free
roaming wolf packs, provides an entirely different perspective. He says, ‘Calling
a wolf an alpha is usually no more appropriate than referring to a human parent
as an alpha. Any parent is dominant to its young offspring, so ‘alpha’ adds no
information. The point here is not so much the terminology but what the
terminology falsely implies: a
rigid, force-based dominance hierarchy.’
PACK RULES
PACK RULES
Having
looked briefly at the social structure and interaction of a free roaming wolf
pack, it would be interesting to compare the so-called pack rules domestic dogs
have been lumbered with and compare them to how wolves actually behave. After
all, free roaming wolves, as opposed to captive wolves, are the dogs distant
ancestor. Pack rules are many and varied and it depends who believes what or
who has written what as to the rules owners believe in, but I’ll explore some
of the most common ones.
Eat something before your dog
This,
dog owners are told, is because the alpha wolf always eats first. In reality if
there are pups to feed, they are fed
first. If the kill is big enough, the entire pack feeds together regardless of
rank. (Mech, 1999). What will our
domestic dog learn from this ‘rule’? Probably nothing. “Most training books tell people to feed their dogs after themselves to
reinforce the leadership status of the humans. This is wrong”, (Overall, 1997).
Do not play games of tug with
your dog
This rule refers to wolves tugging on a
piece of meat and the higher status wolf would win. This is misinterpretation
of how wolves open and dissect the tougher parts of a carcass. They grab an end
of some part of the prey’s anatomy each and pull against each other to tear the
skin apart or to pull muscle meat from bones. Each animal gets what he gets
from this co-operation, it has nothing to do whatsoever with ‘status’.
Get
your dog to lie down
Supposedly the lower the physical
position the dog is, the more subservient it is.
Fig 6
Fig 6 shows one of my dogs. I have just
asked her to lie down, and she has, but she is not being submissive. ‘Be
submissive’ is not something that can be taught, like a ‘sit’ or a ‘down’.
Fig 7. Courtesy Jay
Lorenz
Fig 7 shows what a dog looks like when
it’s being submissive. It is an innate behaviour, a coping strategy. A dog will
show this behaviour when it’s afraid of someone or something, and harsh
training methods or abusing a dog may trigger this innate behaviour.
The alpha wolf supposedly never shares his
bed with a subordinate, so an owner sharing a bed with the family dog may send
a signal that it is alpha. In reality, for the first few weeks, wolf cubs
cuddle up together but from about 4 weeks of age they develop ‘social distance’
and from thereon sleep apart, including alpha. ‘Contact between sleeping animals is rare and occurs mostly by chance’
(Zimen 1981).
Do
not walk around or step over the dog - make it move
Making
a dog move won’t make it more subservient or enforce the owner’s ‘dominance’
(now read ‘parenting skills’!). There could be good reasons for wanting the dog
to move or to lie still but this is achieved by training, resulting in a
well-trained dog, not a subservient one.
Never let the dog initiate the
beginning or end of attention
Supposedly,
alpha wolf alone initiates any form of attention and also ends it. This rule
has been taught and written about for over 20 years but comes from observing
captive wolf packs. What we do know about a free roaming pack is that adult
wolves of both sexes care for and show tolerance within the family. A wolf pack
needs strong social bonds. According to Mech (2003) ‘The psychological tendency to form (strong) bonds results from a mere
desire for physical contact. As pups grow older, physical contact continues
during play and eventually occurs daily among all members of the pack.’
The bond between domestic dog and owner must also be strong if
they are to co-habit harmoniously so why can’t a dog come up for attention?
Dogs are social animals and need social contact. Some dogs, however, will take
advantage of being given too much attention and will start to demand it. If owners are inconsistent in
whether they give attention or not, it may result in a confused dog developing
unwanted behaviours such as barking or jumping up in order to get the attention
it desires. To avoid confusing the dog, owners must be consistent in their
actions and train the dog. Dogs need to learn good manners and like everything
else, this comes through training. It has nothing to do with status or pack
rules.
Always walk through doorways
before the dog
This
rule has clearly come from observations of a captive wolf pack where alpha may
well go through small opening first; when transferring from one pen to another
for example. But our dogs are descended from free roaming packs and in their
environment, from forests to icy tundra, it is unlikely that there are any
small openings which wolves might file into!
There
are many more rules that are equally as flawed and pointless as the ones above.
The pack rules that we burden our dogs with don’t even apply to free wolf
behaviour, so what are our dogs going to make of them?
According to Dunbar (2006) ‘Learning from wolves to interact with pet
dogs makes about as much sense as, 'I want to improve my parenting -- let's see
how the chimps do it!' Coppinger (2001) agrees when he says that dogs are
as far removed from their ancestors as we are from ours. Dunbar
(2005) expresses strong feelings against pack rules, ‘Why on earth do we treat our best friend like our worst enemy? How on
earth can anybody think that a dog is trying to dominate his owners by eating
first, going through doorways first, enjoying the comfort of furniture, playing
games of tug-of-war, eagerly or pulling on leash? Dogs are not masters of
subtlety or innuendo. Dogs are straightforward and they live in the here and
now’.
Pulling on the Lead
The 'rule' that says
dogs that pull on the lead are being dominant as the Alpha wolf always leads
the pack, is that if you go into any dog training class you'll find owners
being taught to have their dog walk by their side. So if dominance = status,
the dog is being taught that he is of equal status to the owner. So then why
isn't the dog taught to walk behind his owner if he's lower in the pecking
order? It’s another typical example of silly inaccurate 'pack rules' being used
selectively. In reality, it could be any wolf out there at the front when the
pack strings out in a long line on a hunt. In unfamiliar territory it could be
that the testosterone inspired confidence of an adult male, perhaps the alpha
male, would lead his family into unknown areas, but in the family’s more
familiar hunting range, it could just as easily be a female ‘out front’. There
are no ‘rules’ about this, and different animals initiate and lead different
group activities on different days in different places, and sometime there is
no obvious ‘leader’ If your dog pulls on the lead, train him not to with
clicker and lure techniques, or fit a Gentle Leader headcollar to manage,
restrain and help train him.
When
a dog develops a behavioural problem, a common solution has been to impose pack
rules but in these cases they are known as a Rank Reduction Programme (RRP).
Effectively it means the dog’s life is going to be turned upside down and his
expected daily rewards will be denied him. According to Fisher (1997), ‘If you remove an expected reward, you are in
all aspects other than physical, punishing the dog.’ The result of
being denied expected rewards and therefore being randomly punished, ‘could cause conflict, depression, response
suppression, and even helplessness’. This regime of mental cruelty could suppress
the unwanted behaviour, but what happens when life returns to normal? The
unwanted behaviour is likely to return.
One must also consider if
there is ever likely to be any such thing as a standard response ‘dog’ with
predictable behaviour patterns, given their selection by man to produce
behavioural types (and latterly, breeds), quite apart from all the mongrels and
crossbreeds? The emotional relief of frustration at not getting an expected
reward can only be gained by either a) increased vigour, and maybe aggression
to try and seize the resource (hence problems get worse as the dog tries
harder), or b) resignation…giving up on expecting to get the reward (hence the
dog appears to have changed for the better but has actually become depressed or
learned to be helpless.
If we look at these two
possibilities of response, think about how you might expect a Labrador
to react if you make him sit and wait for food or denied him some other
significant reward. How would he feel? How quickly might his restrained
frustration evolve into anger, or how long before he might give up waiting and
go and do something else? Perhaps quite a while because a Labrador
can perhaps endure the frustration better than many breeds. Now think about how
a Jack Russell or German Shepherd Dog might react to a similar withholding of
food, and your expectation of their endurance of frustration! So how could a
‘standard RRP procedure possibly impact on all dogs in the same way in altering
their own view of ‘where they fit’ in the human pack, even it had such an
effect in the first place? Clearly in each case the individual’s dogs needs and
personality must be assessed. Specific unwanted behaviour must be tackled
directly through a specific individual approach to have best chance of success.
This comes through teaching (and rewarding) the dog to behave differently in
the problem circumstances, not through some blanket ‘cure-all’ of a ‘rank
reduction programme’, ‘learn to earn’ or ‘nothing in life is free’ programme,
or whatever other ridiculous jargon names these standardised,
reward-controlling, and often psychologically cruel programmes are given.
Dog/Human Pack?
Instead of trying to
dominate our dogs, why not concentrate on socialising and training them; not
just basic obedience but in household etiquette as well. We are owners who are
responsible for guiding our dogs and influencing its behaviour by socialising
and training. Training should not be the harsh methods based on physically
dominating or threatening the dog, but positive motivational methods like
clicker training or the food lure/reward method.
If we can accept our
domestic dog does not perceive itself as part of our pack but part of our
social unit, we can then start to treat it for what it actually is – a dog.
Please check
out also the following more modern on-line reference for more recent broader
scientific discussion:
Semyonova A. 2003. The social organization of the domestic dog; a longitudinal study of
domestic canine behavior and the ontogeny of domestic canine social systems.
The Carriage House Foundation, The
Hague, Netherlands
See: www.nonlineardogs.com
(2006 version)
The ‘dominance
hierarchy theory’ is clearly badly in need of ‘replacing’ scientifically as
well as in the assessment and treatment of canine behaviour problems. Yet look
at these quotes made by some scientists quite a long time ago and how this
undermines the whole concept of ‘Dominance’ in dogs as it has come to be known
since.
‘Dominance may not be synonymous with hierarchical
standing. Dominance has been traditionally defined as the individual’s ability
to maintain or regulate access to some resource’ (Hinde 1957, 1970)
‘It is a description of the regularities of winning or
losing staged contest over those resources, is not to be confused with status,
and does not need to confer priority of access to resources’ (Archer 1988)
Abstract
The theory that a hierarchy based on dominance relationships is the
organizing principle in social groups of the sort Canis lupus is a human projection that needs replacing.
Furthermore, the model has unjustifiably been transferred from its original
place in the discussion of the behavior of wolves to the discussion of the
behavior of domestic dogs (Canis
familiaris). This paper presents a new, more adequate model of how C. familiaris organises itself when in
groups. This paper is based on a longitudinal study of a permanent group
of five randomly acquired dogs living in their natural habitat, as they
interact with each other within the group, with newcomers of various species
who joined the group, and with fleetingly met individuals of various species in
their outside environment. This study shows that the existence of the
phenomenon "dominance" is questionable, but that in any case
"dominance" does not operate as a principle in the social
organization of domestic dogs. Dominance hierarchies do not exist and are in
fact impossible to construct without entering the realm of human projection and
fantasy. The hypotheses were tested by repeatedly starting systems at
chaos, and then observing whether the model predicted the evolution of each new
system. The study shows that domestic canine social groups must be viewed
as complex autopoietic systems, whose primary systemic behavior is to gravitate
as quickly as possible to a stable division of the fitness landscape so that
each animal present is sitting on a fitness hill unchallenged by other group
members. Aggression is not used in the division of the fitness landscape.
It is not possible for an observer to measure the height of respective
hills. There is no hierarchy between or among the animals. The
organization of the system is based on binary relationships, which are
converted by the agents as quickly as possible from competitive to
complementary or cooperative binaries, through the creation of domains of
consensus. The production processes by which this is done are twofold.
The first is an elegant and clear, but learned, system of communicative
gestures, which enables the animals to orient themselves adequately to each
other and emit appropriate responses in order to maintain or restore the
stability of their fitness hills and the larger social landscape. The
second is learning. It is the learning history of each animal, which
determines how adequately the animal can operate within the system and what the
components of its individual fitness hill will be, and which, in the end, is
more crucial to the animal’s survival than even presumed genetic factors or
some human-constructed “dominance” position.
Dogs – A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin &
Evolution by Ray and Lorna Coppinger (2001)
Scribner Publishing
The wolf – The
Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species
by L. David Mech (2003) University
of Minnesota Press
Handbook of Applied Behaviour and Training
by Steven Lindsay (2000) Blackwell Publishing Co.
A Comparison of dog–dog and dog–human Play Behaviour by Rooney, Bradshaw & Robinson (2000) Elesevier
Applied Animal Behaviour Science
US
APDT Conference, Orlando
(September 2003)
Diary of a Dotty Dog Doctor
by John Fisher (1997) Alpha Publishing
Alpha
Status, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs
by David Mech (1999) Northern Prairie Publication
Personal
communication (2007) Nina Bondarenko, Behavioural
Consultant, formerly Programme Director of Canine Partners
Wolf. His Place In The Natural World
by Dr Erik Zimen (1981) Souvenir Press Ltd
With
many thanks from the Directors of COAPE to Barry Eaton DipCABT for allowing us
to reproduce and supplement his excellent review article for the benefit of
COAPE Diploma students.
View/HideThe 100 Most Silly Things That Have Ever Been Said About Dogs
There are many misunderstandings about dogs and their behaviour. This website should provide you with some food for thought: www.nonlineardogs.com
They are in the process of writing a book some of which is online.
In the meantime, you can take a look at parts of the book they will be publishing in the spring of 2008. This
book is intended for both beginners and experts. It takes us through many of the beliefs we have about
dogs, explaining what domestic dogs really are and where their behaviour really comes from. It is a fun, easy
read that will change the way you see your dog and greatly improve your relationship with him or her.
The "dominance hierarchy theory" is badly in need of replacing. Schenkel protested the instant the theory was
used to explain the social organization of wolves, but for some reason everyone ignored him. It didn't take
long before the same myth was being used to tell us how domestic dogs organize their groups. We can't
even call this bad science because, in fact, it wasn't science at all.
View/HidePoison Information and Advice
View/HideWhat to do if you think your pet has been poisoned.
Phone the vet. Don't take any chances. If there is an uncertainty
as the amount or type of poison eaten then it is probably best for the
pet to be seen and
ideally to bring the product eaten (and any relevant information) to
the
practice. We subscribe to an Veterinary Poison Information Service and
have access to advice on a range of substances that your pet may have
consumed. Its very likely your pet is not the first to have eaten
something strange.
We can often induce vomiting (if it's indicated for that poison) and give activated charcoal which absorbs the poison from the gut and reduces it's absorbtion.
View/HideChocolate
Chocolate contains cocoa beans or cocoa
butter which in turn contain Theobromine and Caffeine (both are methylxanthines).
Dogs are very sensitive to
the effects of methylxanthines.
Signs of toxicity include hyperactivity, increased heart rate, tremors, vomiting and diarrhoea, excessive
thirst, lethargy and potential death. The
effects are dose dependent and the amount depends on the type of chocolate the
animal eats. Generally the more bitter
the chocolate the more toxic it is.
This roughly equates to a West
Highland White Terrier size dog eating 100g milk chocolate or 25g dark chocolate, and a Labrador size dog eating
500g milk chocolate or 50g dark chocolate.
View/HideOnions
A
member of the Allium family
– as are garlic, leeks, and shallots.
They are contained in onion powder,
cooked/raw onions, gravy granules, baby foods etc.
They cause damage to red blood
cells and result in anaemia (low blood count).
View/HideMacademia Nuts
Only dogs are affected.
Signs include lethargy, weakness,
vomiting, ataxia (unsteady gait), tremors, and hyperthermia (heatstroke).
Approximately 20-40mg/kg are enough to cause a toxic
effect and signs are seen within 3-12hrs of
ingestion.
View/HideRising bread dough
Dough rises in stomach due
to the animals body heat.
Ethanol (alcohol) is
produced during the rising process.
The signs that are seen are
related to ethanol toxicity and foreign body obstruction.
View/HideMouldy Food
Usually from scavenging food, it contains tremorgenic mycotoxins (a type of nerve toxin) that
causes ataxia (unsteady gait), muscle tremors, and seizures (fits) which can last for several days.
View/HideGrapes, raisins, and sultanas
They can cause acute renal failure (kidney failure).
The mechanism is unclear and
the amount required to cause toxicity is unknown.
It seems that not every dog
or cat is susceptible to the effects of the grapes/raisins.
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