Purton Vets in Swindon - Purton Veterinary Group
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/HideCurrent recommendations for feline vaccination
The way we vaccinate cats has changed. A decade ago vets would vaccinate
against all the important diseases every year regardless of the cats age or
risk of infection. This has no
doubt saved many a cats life but this blanket vaccination policy also resulted
in many cats having vaccinations that may have not be needed.
In July 2009 a panel of specialists in
feline medicine and vaccination published a series of recommendations for
vaccination in cats. The European
Advisory Board on Cat Diseases is composed of 16 independent veterinary experts
(i.e. do not work for drug companies) from across Europe. The guidelines they have presented
reflect a consensus of expert opinion, experience and scientific data and are
published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2009) Volume 11, issue
7.
At Purton Vets we have always promoted the
idea that an individual’s specific needs should be considered when deciding on their
preventative healthcare plan.
Simply following a drug company’s data sheet which describes the legal
license a vaccine has without taking the patients individual needs into account
is not always in the patient’s interest.
We use our knowledge of disease and current scientific evidence to make
decisions on how drugs should be used in the real world.
The 3 major diseases we vaccinate against
in the UK are cat flu, feline enteritis and feline leukaemia. There are 2 main considerations that
decide which vaccinations a cat should receive are the cat’s age and the
environment they live in.
Indoor cats are cats that never go
outside.
If your cat falls into this category and you have no plans to allow it
outside in the future then the only vaccination required is against cat flu and
feline enteritis. Feline leukaemia
is not required. Kittens need 2
injections a few weeks apart and a booster 1 year later. After 1 year of age indoor cats only
need flu and enteritis boosters every 3 years. It’s important that if you vaccinate this way you test any
new cats you introduce to your home for leukaemia (FeLV) to be sure they don’t
introduce the disease to your home.
Outdoor cats are cats that step outside,
however infrequently. These cats need to be vaccinated against cat flu, feline
enteritis and FeLV. Kittens need 2
injections given a few weeks apart and a booster a year later. Adults need cat flu boosters
annually and enteritis boosters every 3 years. Adults also
need vaccination against FeLV until they are at least 3 years of age but from then
onwards they only need FeLV boosters every 3 years.
Indoor
Cats
Outdoor
Cats
Not only does this mean your cat needs less
vaccination with less risk of a reaction, but it also costs less as the FeLV
component is quite expensive.
Remember that part of our decision making
process is to consider the risk of disease in a local area and the specific
cats environment. The prevalence
of Felv in the UK has greatly decreased thanks to reliable tests, improved
understanding of the disease and effective vaccinations. In Purton and West Swindon the disease
is rare however further afield towards Lynham the incidence is higher especially
within the stray feral population.
Our understanding of Felv has improved and
we know that cats become increasingly resistant to infection with age. Cats less than 3 years of age are at
greater risk. The virus does not survive
well outside the animal and spread usually requires persistent close contact
with an infected cat. The virus
does not travel through the air and is spread through faeces, saliva, nasal
secretions and milk.
The outdoor adult cat leukaemia guidelines
and the indoor adult cat flu/enteritis
guidelines do not follow the vaccine producers recommendations. They are required to base their
recommendations on tests they have run on animals. FeLV has only been tested to show 1 year immunity although
it may last longer but no test results have been published. However given the significantly lower
susceptibility of adult cats and low incidence of the disease our revised
vaccination guidelines for FeLV should
be protective and negate the potential side effects of vaccination.
| Outdoor Cats |
| ||
| Cat Flu | Kittens | 2 injections | 2 injections |
| Adults |
| Booster every 3 years | |
| Enteritis | Kittens | 2 injections | 2 injections |
|
| Booster every 3 years |
| |
|
|
| 2 injections | Not required |
|
|
|
Not required
|
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 and after 3 years of age they only need FeLV every 3 years as well.
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
There is a lot of misinformation regarding neutering, especially on the
internet. I hope to set out the facts as we know them in this article. It is important to realise we do not know anything with absolute
certainty, that's not how science works; we keep learning and adapting
our advice to our current knowledge.
There is an overall benefit to neutering your cats
Cats breed very efficiently and The Cat Group, a collection of professional organisations working on cat welfare, recommend neutering at 4 months of age in most cases.
So why should you neuter your Cat?
The most important reason to neuter is population control, which is far more important than any health issues.
On the positive side, spaying female cats
On the negative side in both male and female cats we have no evidence of problems to date. The following have been areas of concern
There is an overall benefit to neutering your cats
Cats breed very efficiently and The Cat Group, a collection of professional organisations working on cat welfare, recommend neutering at 4 months of age in most cases.
So why should you neuter your Cat?
The most important reason to neuter is population control, which is far more important than any health issues.
On the positive side, spaying female cats
- Population control. Queens can have up to 3 litters a year.
- Social reasons. Queens will call every 2 weeks from January to August attracting entire male cats the area with risk of spreading disease through fighting.
- Pregnancy and birth are risky and complications can occur
- Reduces to almost zero the risk of pyometra (infected womb)
- Removes the very small risk of ovarian cancer
- Population control
- Less fighting, more social cats. Entire male cats fight and spread disease especially Feline Aids and Feline Leukaemia which are fatal. They develop or cause others to develop disease and abscesses.
- They roam over a smaller territory reducing their chance of being in a road traffic accident, one of the most common causes of death in cats.
- They spray and mark their territory less.
On the negative side in both male and female cats we have no evidence of problems to date. The following have been areas of concern
- Implications for the cat's behaviour? Results of research into behavioural development show no problems currently.
- Implications for the cat's growth and development? Studies into growth and development show no concerns with prepuberty neutering (as early as seven weeks).
- Possible decreased urethral diameter in neutered animals predisposing to bladder blockage? Uretheral diameter worries unfounded - studies show similar diameter to post-puberty neutering.
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/HideThe first 2 weeks with your new puppy
Congratulations on the new addition to your family! With a little work and some
planning, your new dog will be a well-behaved companion for years to come. It is
important to recognize that first impressions are lasting ones and habits begin to
develop from day one. Be sure to instill good manners and habits from the first day you
bring your new puppy or dog home.
Remember, good habits are as hard to break as
bad ones. If you follow these simple guidelines, your dog’s transition into your home will
be a piece of cake for both you and your new best friend.
1. Teach your new dog the rules of your house from the beginning. In the words of Dr. Ian Dunbar, “If you want your dog to follow the rules of the house, by all means do not keep them a secret.” When your dog first gets home, he or she may be a little confused and unsure of the new living situation. Even though your home is undoubtedly comfortable, it is different than where your dog came from, and different can be stressful. It is important to remember dogs do not speak our language and will best understand your expectations through training and management. Training and management should begin the very moment your new dog arrives in your home. Your instinct may be to give your new friend a few days to unwind and adjust before imposing rules and restrictions. While you may mean well, this delaying of training has the potential to be both frustrating and damaging. Right from the very first day, it is
crucial to convey your expectations to the dog and to establish an errorless training system. If you do this, your dog will succeed in learning house rules right from the beginning. If you change the house rules a few days after your dog has arrived, he will not understand why things have changed. Your dog may have already formed new habits and will have a difficult time adjusting to yet another set of expectations. It is
much more efficient to teach your dog everything you would like him of her to know from the outset.
2. Try not to overwhelm your new dog with too much activity during this initial adjustment period (individual dog’s adjustment period will vary). It is very exciting to have a new dog. Of course you want to introduce her to all of your friends and family and of course you want to take your new pal everywhere! All this excitement however could be exceptionally stressful for your dog. Please keep in mind that even in the best of situations your dog’s world was probably limited to a handful of environments and activities. It is best for your dog to spend the first couple of weeks quietly settling in and
getting to know you with brief and frequent outings to continue the socialization process. In the beginning, limit introductions to just a few visitors at a time. If your dog has time to become familiar with you and your home surroundings, she will be more confident when setting out on adventures beyond your immediate neighborhood.
3. Keep your new dog either safely confined with appropriate chew toys, or supervised at all times. This is the best way to keep your new friend (and house!) out of trouble when you are unable to monitor his actions. Your dog requires a dog-proof, safe place: a “doggie den” -the equivalent of a toddler’s playpen- where he can rest and chew appropriate items in your absence. There are many options for your “doggie den,” but a crate or small room in your house is ideal. However, you may also choose an outside kennel run. Initially when your dog is loose in the house or yard you must be around to gently redirect your dog when he chooses an inappropriate activity. If you are vigilant about supervising our dog and showing him what you expect, your dog will learn to settle down quietly, to chew only appropriate chew toys and eventually to become trustworthy in your absence.
FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST TWO WEEKS WITH YOUR
NEW DOG. PLEASE REMEMBER MOST PUPPIES AND EVEN SOME ADULT DOGS
WILL TAKE LONGER TO ADJUST SO BE PATIENT.
DO immediately show your dog to his/her appropriate toilet area.
DO take your dog to the designated toilet area once an hour, every hour, on leash (except overnight). Allow supervised free time only after he relieves himself in the appropriate area. If your dog does not go to the bathroom on one of these trips, confine him to his “doggie den” OR keep him on leash and supervised, until the next scheduled potty break.
1. Teach your new dog the rules of your house from the beginning. In the words of Dr. Ian Dunbar, “If you want your dog to follow the rules of the house, by all means do not keep them a secret.” When your dog first gets home, he or she may be a little confused and unsure of the new living situation. Even though your home is undoubtedly comfortable, it is different than where your dog came from, and different can be stressful. It is important to remember dogs do not speak our language and will best understand your expectations through training and management. Training and management should begin the very moment your new dog arrives in your home. Your instinct may be to give your new friend a few days to unwind and adjust before imposing rules and restrictions. While you may mean well, this delaying of training has the potential to be both frustrating and damaging. Right from the very first day, it is
crucial to convey your expectations to the dog and to establish an errorless training system. If you do this, your dog will succeed in learning house rules right from the beginning. If you change the house rules a few days after your dog has arrived, he will not understand why things have changed. Your dog may have already formed new habits and will have a difficult time adjusting to yet another set of expectations. It is
much more efficient to teach your dog everything you would like him of her to know from the outset.
2. Try not to overwhelm your new dog with too much activity during this initial adjustment period (individual dog’s adjustment period will vary). It is very exciting to have a new dog. Of course you want to introduce her to all of your friends and family and of course you want to take your new pal everywhere! All this excitement however could be exceptionally stressful for your dog. Please keep in mind that even in the best of situations your dog’s world was probably limited to a handful of environments and activities. It is best for your dog to spend the first couple of weeks quietly settling in and
getting to know you with brief and frequent outings to continue the socialization process. In the beginning, limit introductions to just a few visitors at a time. If your dog has time to become familiar with you and your home surroundings, she will be more confident when setting out on adventures beyond your immediate neighborhood.
3. Keep your new dog either safely confined with appropriate chew toys, or supervised at all times. This is the best way to keep your new friend (and house!) out of trouble when you are unable to monitor his actions. Your dog requires a dog-proof, safe place: a “doggie den” -the equivalent of a toddler’s playpen- where he can rest and chew appropriate items in your absence. There are many options for your “doggie den,” but a crate or small room in your house is ideal. However, you may also choose an outside kennel run. Initially when your dog is loose in the house or yard you must be around to gently redirect your dog when he chooses an inappropriate activity. If you are vigilant about supervising our dog and showing him what you expect, your dog will learn to settle down quietly, to chew only appropriate chew toys and eventually to become trustworthy in your absence.
FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST TWO WEEKS WITH YOUR
NEW DOG. PLEASE REMEMBER MOST PUPPIES AND EVEN SOME ADULT DOGS
WILL TAKE LONGER TO ADJUST SO BE PATIENT.
DO immediately show your dog to his/her appropriate toilet area.
DO take your dog to the designated toilet area once an hour, every hour, on leash (except overnight). Allow supervised free time only after he relieves himself in the appropriate area. If your dog does not go to the bathroom on one of these trips, confine him to his “doggie den” OR keep him on leash and supervised, until the next scheduled potty break.
DO confine your dog to a “doggie den” whenever you are physically (or mentally!) absent. Such as when you are at work, paying bills, making dinner, sleeping, etc.
DO throw away your dog food bowl! Instead, feed your dog out of a hollow Kong or
other chew toy stuffed with kibble and snacks throughout the day, especially when she
in her “doggie den” or when you are busy. Also use part of your dog’s daily ration while
on walks, during training or when meeting new people.
DO provide plenty of appropriate chew toys to keep your dog busy and prevent chewing “casualties” in your home and yard. Redirect any chewing “mistakes” by directing your dog to an acceptable alternative. This will also help establish an appropriate chewing habit for the lifetime of your dog.
DO provide plenty of appropriate chew toys to keep your dog busy and prevent chewing “casualties” in your home and yard. Redirect any chewing “mistakes” by directing your dog to an acceptable alternative. This will also help establish an appropriate chewing habit for the lifetime of your dog.
DO introduce your dog to new people and other pets gradually so as not to overwhelm him. Use kibble and treats to help form a positive association to new people. Be sure he has access to his “den” in case he needs a break from all the activity.
DO enroll in a basic obedience class right away! This will help you to understand how to better communicate with your dog in a way she will understand.
DO look for a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT) that uses progressive training methods.
DON’T allow your dog free run of the entire house right away, or else your new friend may learn all sorts of bad habits. First take the time to teach him good habits.
DON’T take your dog off-leash in public until you have successfully completed an obedience class and have built a strong positive relationship with him.
DON’T feed your dog out of a bowl; all food should come either out of a Kong or from somebody’s hand.
For more information regarding training your dog please go to www.dogstardaily.com
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 3 weeks apart beginning at 8-9 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
There is an overall benefit to neutering your pets
We recommend small to medium breed bitches are spayed after their first season (at 9 -12 months) and that large breed dogs are allowed to reach maturity and spayed after their 2nd season (at about 18 months).
Male dogs should be castrated at about 12 - 18 months once they have stopped growing.
So why should you neuter your pet?
The most important reason to neuter is population control, which is far more important than any health issues. Entire bitches will probably fall pregnant or be caught by a male at some point in their life. Although we have injections to stop pregnancy they are expensive and have side effects. A bitch in heat is likely to be harassed by dogs in the park as well as suffer from false pregnancy which can be as distressing for the owner as it is for the bitch.
Castrating males can make them more sociable and less likely to roam.
So before we start discussing health issues it is important to realise that population control and social reasons are the most important reasons to neuter.
Pro-neutering and anti-neutering campaigners often justify their positions using health issues. If I told you that by neutering your bitch you triple her risk of developing hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) I'm sure you would be concerned. If you knew that 99.4% of dogs have normal thyroid levels and that your spayed bitch had tripled her risk to a 98.2% chance of having a normal thyroid level it puts the risk into perspective.
It is important to understand how likely a disease is to occur before you consider the risk factors.
We know that if you spay your bitch before her first season there is a significant reduction in risk of mammary cancer to almost zero. The risk of cancer increases with every oestrus cycle until 3 years of age when there is no longer a reduction in risk by spaying her. This is used to promote spaying and is a good reason to neuter as it saves lives. In Norway where almost all bitches are not spayed, they have an incidence of up to 3.5% for mammary cancer depending on the breed of dog (at least 96.5% of dogs are unaffected by mammary cancer). In the UK where most bitches are spayed we have an incidence of 0.5% mammary cancer (99.5% unaffected). So Norway has up to 3% more cases of mammary cancer than the UK (this equates to 90 000 cases of mammary cancer in the UK).
Keep in mind the relative risk of developing a problem when you look through the positive and negative affects on health that neutering may have.
The Bitch
On the positive side, spaying female dogs
On the negative side, spaying female dogs
Our neutering policy is designed to minimise the potential health side effects of neutering while retaining the health benefits. By neutering larger dogs later in their development we minimise the risks. Smaller dogs can be neutered earlier.
The Dog
On the positive side, castrating dogs
On the negative side, castrating dogs
Our neutering policy is designed to minimise the potential health side effects of neutering while retaining the health benefits. There is no benefit to early castration so dogs should have stopped growing before we castrate them. Larger dogs mature later than smaller dogs.
We recommend small to medium breed bitches are spayed after their first season (at 9 -12 months) and that large breed dogs are allowed to reach maturity and spayed after their 2nd season (at about 18 months).
Male dogs should be castrated at about 12 - 18 months once they have stopped growing.
So why should you neuter your pet?
The most important reason to neuter is population control, which is far more important than any health issues. Entire bitches will probably fall pregnant or be caught by a male at some point in their life. Although we have injections to stop pregnancy they are expensive and have side effects. A bitch in heat is likely to be harassed by dogs in the park as well as suffer from false pregnancy which can be as distressing for the owner as it is for the bitch.
Castrating males can make them more sociable and less likely to roam.
So before we start discussing health issues it is important to realise that population control and social reasons are the most important reasons to neuter.
Pro-neutering and anti-neutering campaigners often justify their positions using health issues. If I told you that by neutering your bitch you triple her risk of developing hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) I'm sure you would be concerned. If you knew that 99.4% of dogs have normal thyroid levels and that your spayed bitch had tripled her risk to a 98.2% chance of having a normal thyroid level it puts the risk into perspective.
It is important to understand how likely a disease is to occur before you consider the risk factors.
We know that if you spay your bitch before her first season there is a significant reduction in risk of mammary cancer to almost zero. The risk of cancer increases with every oestrus cycle until 3 years of age when there is no longer a reduction in risk by spaying her. This is used to promote spaying and is a good reason to neuter as it saves lives. In Norway where almost all bitches are not spayed, they have an incidence of up to 3.5% for mammary cancer depending on the breed of dog (at least 96.5% of dogs are unaffected by mammary cancer). In the UK where most bitches are spayed we have an incidence of 0.5% mammary cancer (99.5% unaffected). So Norway has up to 3% more cases of mammary cancer than the UK (this equates to 90 000 cases of mammary cancer in the UK).
Keep in mind the relative risk of developing a problem when you look through the positive and negative affects on health that neutering may have.
The Bitch
On the positive side, spaying female dogs
- Population control. A bitch can have up to two litters a year.
- Social reasons. A bitch has approx. two oestrus cycles a year and will attract male dogs for a few weeks. This is distressing for the bitch and owner, as you cannot walk the dog without getting unwanted attention.
- False pregnancy is relatively common after a season. The bitch can suffer anorexia, lactation and behaviour changes that often result in the owner seeking veterinary intervention.
- Pregnancy and birth can be risky, so think carefully before breeding.
- If done before 2.5 years of age significantly reduces the 1% - 3% chance of developing malignant mammary cancer
- Reduces to almost zero the risk of pyometra (infected womb) which would otherwise affect about 23% of bitches, of which 1% would be fatal
- Reduces the risk of perianal fistulas, a rare condition causing open wounds around the anus
- Removes the small risk of ovarian cancer which affects 0.5% of dogs
On the negative side, spaying female dogs
- Can cause urinary incontinence, in 4% - 20% of dogs, mostly large breed dogs (80% - 96% of spayed dogs are unaffected). Many incontinent dogs can be managed effectively by hormone replacement.
- If done before maturity it triples the risk of osteosarcoma, a malignant bone cancer that affects mostly heavy large breed dogs. 5% of Rottweilers and 1% of Labradors are affected, so 95% - 99% of large breed dogs are unaffected.
- Doubles the risk of splenic haemagiosarcoma, a malignant tumour that affects about 2.5% of dogs. So 97.5% of dogs are unaffected and doubling the risk means at least 95% of spayed dogs are unaffected.
- Triples the risk of hypothyroidism that affects 0.6% of dogs, so 99.4% of dogs are unaffected and if neutering triples the incidence then 98.2% of spayed dogs will not be affected.
- Almost doubles the risk of obesity, however obesity has many factors that influence its development just as in humans.
- Increased risk of a small vulva, dermatitis around the vulva and vaginitis if spayed before first oestrus. The true incidence of this is unknown.
- Increased risk of urinary tract infections. Incidence is unknown.
- Doubles the small risk of urinary tract tumours which occur in <1% of dogs, so >99% of dogs are unaffected and >98% of spayed dogs remain unaffected.
- Increased risk of orthopaedic disorders but by how much is uncertain.
Our neutering policy is designed to minimise the potential health side effects of neutering while retaining the health benefits. By neutering larger dogs later in their development we minimise the risks. Smaller dogs can be neutered earlier.
The Dog
On the positive side, castrating dogs
- Population control, there are far to many unwanted litters
- Social reasons. Castrated males are often less aggressive and less likely to roam.
- Eliminates the risk of dying from testicular cancer, of which >99% of male dogs are unaffected
- Reduces the risk of perianal fistulas, a rare condition causing open wounds around the anus
- Reduced risk of non-cancerous prostate disorders, usually a problem in most old dogs.
- Reduced risk of perineal hernia, a muscle weakness around the anus
On the negative side, castrating dogs
- If done before maturity it triples the risk of osteosarcoma, a malignant bone cancer that affects mostly heavy large breed dogs. 5% of Rottweilers and 1% of Labradors are affected so 95% - 99% of large breed dogs are unaffected.
- Slightly increases the risk of splenic haemagiosarcoma, a malignant tumour that affects about 2.5% of dogs. So 97.5% of dogs are unaffected.
- Triples the small risk of hypothyroidism that affects 0.6% of dogs, so 99.4% of entire dogs and 98.2% of castrated dogs will be unaffected.
- Triples the risk of obesity, however obesity has many factors that influence its development just as in humans.
- Quadruples the small risk of prostate cancer which affects <0.6% of dogs, so >99.4% of entire males are not affected. Castrated dogs will have >97.6% chance of being unaffected.
- Doubles the small risk of urinary tract cancer, but >99% of dogs and >98% of castrated dogs remain unaffected.
- Increased risk of orthopaedic disorders but by how much is uncertain
Our neutering policy is designed to minimise the potential health side effects of neutering while retaining the health benefits. There is no benefit to early castration so dogs should have stopped growing before we castrate them. Larger dogs mature later than smaller dogs.
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/HideLungworm in dogs and cats
There has been a lot of press recently about the rise of Angiostrongylus vasorum also known as the French Heartworm or lungworm. Interesting that the increase in awareness and prevalence of this worm coincides with a prescription drug receiving authorisation for treatment of this worm. There is a promotion of this problem by Bayer in April almost every year with media coverage and support packs sent out to vets to promote the problem and quite likely their drug sales.
You should only consider regular preventative treatment if your dog eats slugs and snails, most dogs don't. We have not seen a confirmed lungworm case in west Swindon in 5 years.
The truth is there is more than one type of lungworm and we have always been able to treat them. I hope this article gives you a more balanced opinion.
Dogs
There a 4 lungworms to consider and they vary in their prevalence but all are considered present in the south west of England.
1. Angiostrongylus vasorum, The French Heartworm
It inhabits the right side of the heart and the arteries of the lung. There is anecdotal evidence that it is spreading but has always been present in our area. The life cycle involves slugs and snails. An infected dog has worms in the heart and arteries which lay eggs. The eggs hatch a larvae which burrows through the blood vessels into the lung and are coughed up, swallowed and end up in the faeces. The faeces are eaten by slugs and snails who become infected. Dogs eat the slugs or snails containing a larva and the larvae burrow through the intestine and hitch a ride in the blood to the heart where they mature into worms and start laying eggs all over. It takes a month or two to complete this cycle.
It inhabits the right side of the heart and the arteries of the lung. There is anecdotal evidence that it is spreading but has always been present in our area. The life cycle involves slugs and snails. An infected dog has worms in the heart and arteries which lay eggs. The eggs hatch a larvae which burrows through the blood vessels into the lung and are coughed up, swallowed and end up in the faeces. The faeces are eaten by slugs and snails who become infected. Dogs eat the slugs or snails containing a larva and the larvae burrow through the intestine and hitch a ride in the blood to the heart where they mature into worms and start laying eggs all over. It takes a month or two to complete this cycle.
Having worms in the heart and lung causes a variety of clinical signs with 47% of dogs coughing, 42% struggling to breathe, 29% having bleeding problems, 20% showing weakness and 9% showing signs of back pain. The severity often relates to how many worms are present.
Treatment involves killing the worms (which can cause other problems as the can block blood vessels) in the lung. It's best done slowly and there are 3 treatments available, all effective.
2. Oslerus osleri
This lungworm is found worldwide and the adults live in the windpipe and airways. They lay their eggs and the hatch into larva which are coughed up and swallowed and end up in the faeces. These worms do not need slugs or snails and they are picked up by dogs directly from other dogs faeces. The larvae burrow through the intestine and hitch a ride to the lungs in the bloodstream wher the burrow into the airways and move up to the windpipe.
They cause coughing and difficulty in breathing. Some dogs struggle to exercise and others have no signs at all. Treatment is available and Fenbendazole is the drug of choice.
3. Crenosoma vulpis
This lungworm is found worldwide and is considered to be increasing as the fox population increases. The adults live in the lungs and lay eggs which turn into larva that are coughed, swallowed and end up in the faeces. This worm relies on slugs and snails and it infects them when they eat the faeces. The dog eats the snail, the larva burrows through the intestine and gets to the lungs via the blood stream where it burrows into the airways.
They cause coughing and retching and can appear to look like kennel cough infection. The can cause a severe bronchitis. Treatment is usually with Fenbendazole.
4. Filaroides hirthi
This lungworm rarely causes clinical signs and although considered to be unlikely to cause major disease we have seen a dog that had to be euthenased due to the severity of his chronic lung disease. The life cycle is the same as Oslerus osleri and clinical signs are either nothing or cough and difficulty breathing. Fenbendazole has been used effectively to treat this condition.
This lungworm is found worldwide and is considered to be increasing as the fox population increases. The adults live in the lungs and lay eggs which turn into larva that are coughed, swallowed and end up in the faeces. This worm relies on slugs and snails and it infects them when they eat the faeces. The dog eats the snail, the larva burrows through the intestine and gets to the lungs via the blood stream where it burrows into the airways.
They cause coughing and retching and can appear to look like kennel cough infection. The can cause a severe bronchitis. Treatment is usually with Fenbendazole.
4. Filaroides hirthi
This lungworm rarely causes clinical signs and although considered to be unlikely to cause major disease we have seen a dog that had to be euthenased due to the severity of his chronic lung disease. The life cycle is the same as Oslerus osleri and clinical signs are either nothing or cough and difficulty breathing. Fenbendazole has been used effectively to treat this condition.
Cats
Cats have a single lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus which is found worldwide and effects approximately 5 in 100 cats. It usually does not cause serious harm. It has a similar life cycle to Angiostrongylus vasorum with snails needed as an host for the worm to complete its life cycle. Birds and rodents then eat the snails and the cat eats them in turn.
They usually do not cause serious harm but some cats can cough and have difficulty exercising. A few cats have had severe breathing problems and fluid on the lung. Treatment is with Fenbendazole.
They usually do not cause serious harm but some cats can cough and have difficulty exercising. A few cats have had severe breathing problems and fluid on the lung. Treatment is with Fenbendazole.
View/HideH5N1 Avian Influenza in cats
What is avian influenza?
Avian influenza is a disease of birds, caused by a type A influenza virus.
The subtype H5N1 avian influenza occurs primarily in birds and infection varies from mild disease with little or no mortality to a highly fatal, rapidly spreading epidemic (highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPA1) depending on the virus strain, host factors and environmental stressors.
Waterfowl are more resistant to avian influenza than domestic poultry,in which it is usually fatal.
Transmission to mammals, including humans, happens sporadically, and the infection then may cause disease with high morbidity and mortality rates.
It is extremely rare for cats to be infected and there are only very few confirmed reports of the disease in Europ.
Read more in this fact sheet for veterinarians
Avian influenza is a disease of birds, caused by a type A influenza virus.
Waterfowl are more resistant to avian influenza than domestic poultry,in which it is usually fatal.
Transmission to mammals, including humans, happens sporadically, and the infection then may cause disease with high morbidity and mortality rates.
It is extremely rare for cats to be infected and there are only very few confirmed reports of the disease in Europ.
Read more in this fact sheet for veterinarians
View/HideOestrus cycle (Heat) in the bitch and queen
Oestrus Cycle in the Dog and Cat
Dogs
Bitches reach sexual maturity between 4 - 18 months of age and come into season on average every 5-7 months. The cycle is divided into anoestrus, proestrus, oestrus and dioestrus.
Anoestrus literally means "no oestrus" or "no heat" and this is the period of time your bitch is not in heat.
Proestrus is when a bitch comes into season and the vulva swells, a bloody vaginal discharge may develop. They can also show signs such as restlessness and frequent urination. This stage lasts on average 9 days (3 - 17 days variation). The bitch will attract males but be unlikely to stand for a mating.
Oestrus is the next stage and this is when the bitch is usually mated and falls pregnant. It lasts on average 9 days (3 - 21 days variation). She may stop bleeding at the start of oestrus although some bleed throughout the cycle. The bitch will more likely stand and allow a mating while in oestrus.
Dioestrus lasts between 60 and 90 days in non-pregnant females and approx 58-64 days in pregnant females. During this time progesterone levels (the pregnancy hormone) are high in both pregnant and non-pregnant females. This is why false pregnancy can occur in non-pregnant dogs. Also, we prefer not to spay bitches until after dioestrus; therefore we wait 3 months from the last season before spaying.
The length of pregnancy in dogs can vary from approx 58-65 days. This is because canine eggs are not fertile when first ovulated and because sperm can remain viable for a long time in the female reproductive tract so fertilisation does not necessarily occur at the same time as mating.
The best way to tell if a dog is pregnant or not is by ultrasound scan which can be done from about 30 days after mating. Sometimes, if we cannot see a pregnancy we will suggest a second scan about a week later.
If a dog is accidentally mated the best course of action is Alizin injections. The dog will need 2 injections, 24 hours apart. This can be done up to 45 days from mating, but after day 20 there may be physical signs of abortion so we normally recommend that it is done as early as possible. Alizin has no residual action so if the bitch is mated again after the course it will not prevent her from becoming pregnant. Alizin is 95% effective but can cause some side effects, most commonly skin reactions at the site of injection. After Alizin injections the bitch will often come back into season very early (sometimes after 2-3 months) so the owners need to monitor closely for signs of return to season. Alizin injections are expensive. For a 20kg dog the cost is approximately £110.
Cats
Cats reach sexual maturity from about 5-12 months of age.
In cats the reproductive cycle is seasonal and controlled by daylight hours. They will cycle when there are 12 hours or more of daylight. Behaviour changes which occur when a cat comes into season include increased affection, purring and rolling around and yowling, they can also lie with their front legs on the floor and back legs up.The cycle lasts approximately 3 weeks. Cats will only ovulate if they are mated and if they are not mated they can cycle continuously. Pregnancy lasts approx 63 days.
Cats will come into oestrus throughout the period that daylight hours exceed 12 hours until they fall pregnant! Cats are induce ovulators which means they only drop their eggs if and when they mate.
Proestrus lasts 1 - 2 days and is often not seen. Behaviour changes can start in proestrus.
Cats will come into oestrus throughout the period that daylight hours exceed 12 hours until they fall pregnant! Cats are induce ovulators which means they only drop their eggs if and when they mate.
Proestrus lasts 1 - 2 days and is often not seen. Behaviour changes can start in proestrus.
Oestrus lasts on average 7 days (3 - 16 days variation) then subsides for an average of 9 days (3 - 14 days). Behaviour changes are more pronounced in oestrus. This is when they can fall pregnant.
Interoestrus is the period between successive oestrus periods. If the cat does not mate then she will cycle into oestrus every 2 - 3 weeks. The interoestrus period is approximately 1 - 10 days.
Dioestrus occurs if the queen ovulates (drops her eggs). If she ovulates she is either going to be pregnant (as she has to mate to ovulate) or the mating will fail and she will not fall pregnant. If she does not fall pregnant then the dioestrus period is 35 - 40 days long and the cycle will start all over again.
Anoestrus occurs when the daylight level drops to <12hrs a day and the queen stops cycling until next spring.
View/HideIdiopathic Cystitis in cats
What is it?
Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a collection
of conditions that affect the lower urinary tract (bladder and urethra) and
cause similar clinical signs. There are several possible causes of FLUTD
including bacterial infections, urethral obstruction, bladder stones,
anatomical abnormalities and tumours. In most cases no underlying cause can be
found and the condition is termed idiopathic cystitis. Cats that suffer from
idiopathic cystitis can be prone to recurrent bouts of the condition.
What are the clinical signs?
Signs vary between cases but generally include a combination
of:
Changes in behaviour
How is it
diagnosed?
Examination of a urine sample. The urine is
examined to look for the presence of blood, crystals, protein and bacteria. The
concentration is also assessed.
Xrays of the bladder (including contrast
studies) and an ultrasound scan of the abdomen to rule out bladder stones and
anatomical abnormalities.
Difficulty/pain when urinating
Increased frequency of urination
Blood in the urine
Urinating in inappropriate places
Overgrooming of the perineal area
Idiopathic cystitis is a diagnosis of exclusion. This means
we must first rule out all the known causes of FLUTD above. Depending on the
severity of your cats signs a variety of tests may be recommended including:
Blood samples to rule out an underlying disease
such as diabetes or kidney failure.
If no underlying cause can be found then a diagnosis of
idiopathic cystitis is made.
What causes
idiopathic cystitis?
The condition is most often seen in young to
middle aged cats
So far research has failed to find a cause for idiopathic
cystitis but many researchers believe that defects in the glycasaminoglycan
(GAG) layer may be important. The GAG payer is a protective layer of the
bladder which if damaged can lead to ulceration of the bladder wall. Stress is
also thought to play an important role in idiopathic cystitis. There are other
risk factors associated with FLUTD and idiopathic cystitis. These include:
Indoor cats and cats that get little exercise
Overweight cats
Cats fed dry food
Neutered cats
How can idiopathic
cystitis be managed?
Whilst it can be very frustrating for owners when their cats
are showing signs of idiopathic cystitis (especially urinating in inappropriate
places and loss of litter training) it is important to remember that your cat
is not being naughty. Idiopathic cystitis is a distressing condition for your
cat and punishment for inappropriate urination causes additional stress and may
exacerbate the signs.
Fortunately, although no one specific underlying cause
has been found there are many simple ways in which you can help your cat to overcome
the condition.
Increasing water intake: this will make
your cat produce more dilute urine which dilutes noxious components in the
urine and encourages more frequent urination. There are several ways to achieve
this.
3. Offer flavoured water. For example water from
tinned fish can be added to drinking water (it is important not to use fish in
brine as this contains high levels of salt). Some owners like to freeze ice
cubes of flavoured water which can then be added to drinking water as required.
Offer running water.
Many cats like to drink from running water. Pet fountains are available to buy
for this purpose.
1. If your cat is fed of dry food change the diet
to wet food
2. Offer water in a variety of bowls and locations.
Different cats like to drink from containers of different textures and shapes
and in different locations.
4. Add water to your cat’s food.
Drug therapy: depending on the cause and severity of your cat’s
symptoms we may recommend medication. This could include GAG replacers to
repair the GAG layer which appear to be beneficial for some cats or
anti-anxiety medication.
Reduce stress: stress can be caused by
changes in diet, environment, weather, the introduction of new pets/people to
the house and lack of stimulation. Stressors that are especially significant in
idiopathic cystitis include competition for the litter tray, unsuitable
positioning of litter trays and aggressive behaviour by other cats when trying
to use the litter tray.
Practical changes that you can make at home to reduce
stress include:
Changes to litter trays: provide an adequate
number of trays (ideally enough for 1 per cat plus 1 extra) in different
locations around the house. Try to avoid areas such as narrow hallways or near
busy doorways. Try a variety of different litter substrates to find out which
your cat prefers. Ensure that trays are cleaned regularly to encourage your cat
to use them.
2.Environmental enrichment: increase the time you
spend interacting with your cat and invest in some cat gymnasiums or toys.
Provide high perches for your cat.
3. Use of pheromone therapy: use Feliway diffusers
(a synthetic feline pheromone) which can help to reduce anxiety.
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
Alexandra Semyonova has published a book that I hope will change the way people understand their dogs. The 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.
Dogs are not wolves.
You do not need to keep your dog "subordinate."
Dogs build on trust, not on dominance.
The first, most basic dog rule is "no real aggression." Humans need to learn this.
You do not need to keep your dog "subordinate."
Dogs build on trust, not on dominance.
The first, most basic dog rule is "no real aggression." Humans need to learn this.
View/HideDogStarDaily.Com
DogStarDaily.com is a free website for dog lovers — a daily magazine
with news, blogs and articles about dog behavior; a comprehensive
digital dog training textbook, with everything you need to know about
raising or training your puppy or dog and especially, how to prevent or
fix most common behavior problems; plus a place to share photos and
videos of your favorite canine companions. We so strongly believe that
puppy husbandry and training information is so important that it should
be freely available to all, with the hope that dogs (and their humans)
will be happier and healthier because of it. dogstardaily.com is
growing everyday, with new content and features added on a regular
basis.
WWW.DOGSTARDAILY.COM
WWW.DOGSTARDAILY.COM
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.
It is also thought that
dried fruit is more toxic than raw fruit. Research is ongoing within
the veterinary profession to investigate this further.
Toxic dose:
Grapes – 0.77oz/kg. Raisins/Sultanas –
0.11oz/kg.
A 500g bag of raisins can cause kidney failure in a 30kg dog.
View/HideParacetamol
Never use paracetamol in your pets
View/HideTobacco Products
The toxic ingredient is
nicotine.
25% of total nicotine
content is found in cigarette butts.
Dogs and cats require a
minimal lethal dose of 20-100mg.
Signs are seen 15-45mins
post ingestion.
These signs include
excitation, rapid breathing, salivation, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle weakness,
twitching, depression, tachycardia (fast heart rate), collapse, coma, cardiac arrest.
View/HideRodenticides
These are anticoagulants
(affect the bloods ability to clot), and are classed as short acting or long
acting.
Newer types have been
developed due to rats developing resistance to the older drugs.
Dogs and cats are
susceptible to all types of anticoagulants.
The body has a reserve of
coagulant factors and signs of bleeding will not usually be seen for up to
72hrs, until these are all used up.
Due to the variability of
anticoagulants used in modern rat bait it is advisable to contact
the surgery straight away. We can then contact the Veterinary Poisons Information Service to
see if we would need to start treatment.
View/HideSlug pellets (Metaldehyde)
Symptoms are seen within
15mins-3hrs.
Toxic dose is
20mg/kg.
Signs of toxicity – anxiety,
ataxia, muscle tremors, panting, seizures, hyperthermia, respiratory failure and
death.
The pet may survive the
initial stages of poisoning but to succumb to organ failure in the next 3-5
days.
View/HidePlants
Poinsettia causes
irritation of the mouth, vomiting/diarrhoea, itchy skin.
English Holly causes nausea,
vomiting, diarrhoea.
Lilies cause depression,
decreased urination, and kidney failure in cats.
Christmas Rose causes pain in
the mouth and abdomen, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and heart rhythm disturbance.
Yew Trees cause trembling, muscle weakness, trouble breathing and heart rhythm disturbance. They can result in sudden death.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. This website has a more comprehensive list.
View/HideFeline Advisory Bureau and Dogs Trust leaflets
View/HideTaking Your Pet Abroad (Pet Passport)
View/HideIntroduction
More and more people are taking their pets abroad either for holidays or because they are emigrating. Most dogs and cats can travel under the "Pet Passport scheme" if they are traveling to an eligible country included in the scheme.
There are several things to consider when taking an animal abroad the most important being the requirements to enter your chosen country and meeting the requirements to re-enter the UK.
Unless traveling under the pet passport scheme to eligible countries, animals traveling abroad usually require import documents for the country they are traveling to.
Importing pets from countries outside of the pet passport scheme into the UE/UK is simpler with the requirement for 6 months quarantine being dropped. Pets will need to have been vaccinated against rabies, had a blood test to confirm rabies vaccination and remained in the country of origin for 3 months before being imported.
Contact DEFRA for more advice.
In addition, the diseases and parasites your pet encounters abroad are different to those they'll come across in this country. Please speak to the vet about precautions you can take to help prevent these before travelling.
If you return to the UK, please remember to tell us if your pet has traveled abroad.
View/HidePet Passports
Pets can be taken abroad to certain designated countries and return without the necessity for quarantine if they have the necessary "Pet Passport".
The following applies only to dogs and cats. Different rules are applicable to other animals.
To qualify for a Pet passport the pet is required to:
- Be microchipped
- Be vaccinated with an approved vaccine against rabies
In addition, to be allowed to re-enter this country from abroad with the pet passport an animal must:
- Have waited at least 21 days from the date of the vaccination before re-entering the UK, you can leave the UK immediately if you wish
- Be treated by a vet abroad with an approved tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before re-entry into the UK
Once a pet passport has been issued, it will be valid only whilst the rabies vaccination is current. If your animal goes one day over the date for revaccination, the process needs to be repeated. It is the owner's responsibility to see that the vaccinations are kept up to date.
The pet passport also allows pets to enter other European Union countries (some EU countries have additional requirements) but different export rules apply if traveling outside of the EU.
For more information:
- Phone the pet travel scheme helpline on 0870 241 1710
- Contact the surgery and ask for advice
View/HideTropical diseases in Europe and their prevention:
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.
Heartworm
Heartworm is a type of worm that lives in the blood, only the adult females live in the heart. It tends to be more serious in dogs than in cats but can potentially be fatal in both species. It is spread by mosquitoes which carry immature stages of the parasite.
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
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.
Babesiosis
Babesiosis is a disease caused by a parasite that lives in the blood and is spread by ticks. The parasites can cause a disease where the red blood cells burst and the animal is very sick from internal blood loss.
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 .
Ehrlichia
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
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.
We recommend:
- Once monthly treatment with Milbemax to prevent heartworm (start 1 month before leaving the UK).
- 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.
- Fitting your dog with a Scalibor collar to protect against sand flies and thus Leishmaniasis and to deter ticks.
- Allow your dog to sleep upstairs at night if possible.
- Don't walk your dog at dusk or dawn and preferably not on the beach.
- Don't let your dog associate with any stray dogs or sick looking animals.
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