Category Archives: Today’s News

Caring for your Cat, Cats, Diseases of cats, Internal Diseases of Cats, Today's News

Paracetomol poison to cats

Don’t be tempted to medicate your off-colour cat with paracetamol this holiday season. Paracetamol at any dose is deadly to cats.

Soon after ingesting it cats’ red blood cells lose the ability to carry oxygen. The cats’ gums turn brown, they drool and they become weak and wobbly.

If they survive the first 12-24 hours the liver starts to close down, too. They go off their food, their face, lips and paws swell, their gums and eyes go yellow and their belly swells.

Most cats who ingest paracetamol die unless treated within the first couple of hours.

Aspirin is equally dangerous but more subtle in its effects. Aspirin damages cats’ kidneys and irritates their stomachs.

Very few pain medications are safe for cats. Only give medications prescribed by your vet for your particular puss.

Behaviour, Caring for your Dog, Dogs, Today's News, Training tips

Your dog eats what????? Dogs who eat faeces

Coprophagia is the ingestion of a dog’s own or other pets’ faeces. While offensive to us it is normal for bitches with young pups and pups exploring their environment. It is only dangerous to dogs if they ingest parasites with the faeces. However, coprophagia in an older dog maybe an indication of a physical or behavioural problem and should be investigated by your veterinarian before trying the remedies listed below.

Common causes of coprophagia:

  • Normal maternal behaviour. A bitch licks her pups to stimulate urination and defecation and then consumes their excrement to keep the nest clean.
  • Normal exploratory behaviour in young pups.
  • Boredom.
  • An inadequate diet. A poorly balanced, low calorie or indigestible diet may drive a dog to consume faeces.
  • An excessive appetite because of a disease such as diabetes or Cushings disease, or because of poor digestion and absorption of nutrients, or because of drugs that stimulate  the appetite like prednisolone, cortisone or thyroxine.
  • Dietary preference. Many dogs think cat faeces are a gourmet delicacy.
  • The poorly digested faeces of a companion dog with digestion or malabsorption problems are attractive to some dogs.
  • Attention seeking behaviour if the dog discovers he gains the immediate attention of his owners when he eats faeces.
  • A coping mechanism in anxious dogs.
  • The rare manifestation of a compulsive disorder

Management:

  • Pick up faeces in the dog’s yard promptly.
  • Restrict outdoor access unless the dog has defecated and the area is free of faeces.
  • Walk dogs on a leash to avoid ingestion outside the yard.
  • Move cat litter trays to an area inaccessible to the dog or provide a covered tray (as long as this is acceptable to the cat).
  • Feed an age appropriate, complete, good quality diet.
  • Provide a more stimulating environment including regular human attention, excursions outside the house yard, walks, doggy play dates, food finding games and activity feeder toys, such as stuffed Kongs, treat balls, bob-a -lots.
  • Add vegetable oil or fibre to meals to soften faeces and make them less attractive.
  • Add the meat tenderiser, papain, to the diet to make faeces less palatable or
  • Add pancreatic enzymes to meals to make faeces less palatable or
  • Add pineapple or grated zucchini to meals to make faeces less palatable or
  • Slip some white pepper or hot chillis into faeces to discourage sniffing and consumption
  • Deworm with Drontal, Milbemax or similar every 3 months.

Training techniques:

  • If your dog defecates on a walk give it a food reward to counter condition it to expect food rather than to search for faeces.
  • Teach your dog to come away from faeces with the command “leave it”. Teach the “leave it” command using a head collar and leash. Walk the dog toward an item he likes to pick up, such as a ball or chew toy. As he reaches for the item say “leave it” and turn the dog’s head using the head collar. As his head comes toward you reward him with a food treat and praise.  Repeat until he turns his head before you pull on the leash. Immediately reward him for turning. Progress to rewarding him for turning away from more valued items such as a juicy bone. Gradually phase out food rewards while retaining the verbal praise. Then use the “leave it” command to discourage investigation of faeces. You could use fake faeces from a joke shop as practice. You could reward obeying a leave command and ignoring faeces with an activity ball.

While coprophagia is distasteful to us it is usually not harmful to the dog as long as he is dewormed every 3 months. It is difficult to wean some dogs of the habit.

Cancer in Cats, Cancer in Dogs, Caring for your Cat, Caring for your Dog, Cats, Dogs, Today's News

Another reason to give up smoking

Cats and dogs who live with smokers have a higher risk of developing cancer.

The risk of lymphoma, the most common cancer in cats, is tripled in cats from smoking households. Squamous cell carcinomas of the mouth are also more prevalent in cats exposed to tobacco smoke.

Dogs living in a household with a smoker are more likely to have a chronic cough to match their owner’s. Most sobering of all, they have a higher risk of developing nasal and lung cancer.

Scientists from all over the world have detected nicotine metabolites in the family pets of smokers. The more smokers and smoking in the household, the higher the levels of nicotine metabolites found.

Carbon material, a byproduct of smoking, has also been found in these pets’ lungs.

As if we needed more reasons to give up smoking!

Diseases of dogs, Dogs, Internal diseases of Dogs, Today's News

Bloat or the dreaded GDV

In bloat, also known as gastric dilation, a dog’s stomach is over distended with gas. Often it twists as well, sending the dog into shock. When this happens it is called gastric dilation and volvulus, or GDV.

Factors thought to increase the risk of bloat and GDV include:

  • Gulping air down with food
  • Strenuous exercise soon after a meal
  • Leanness
  • Drinking a lot of water immediately after a large meal of dry food
  • Increasing age
  • An anxious or timid temperament

Factors thought to decrease the risk of bloat and GDV include:

  • Canned food
  • Table scraps in the diet
  • Happy or easy-going temperament
  • Two or more meals per day

Male, deep-chested large breeds like Great Danes, Irish Setters, German Shepherds, Afghan Hounds, Basset Hounds and Rottweilers are most often affected.

A bloating dog becomes uncomfortable and restless immediately after a meal. The left side of the abdomen distends and the dog tries to vomit. Some dogs adopt a “praying position” because of the pain.

An x-ray confirms the bloat and tells us if the stomach has twisted.

Affected dogs go into shock because the distended stomach puts pressure on the large veins in the abdomen that carry blood back to the heart. The output of blood from the heart drops and the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the rest of the body comes to halt.

The blood supply to the stomach wall also drops and with increasing internal pressure the stomach wall begins to die and may rupture.

If the stomach twists the blood supply to the spleen is cut off and it swells and soon dies.

In many dogs the heart goes out of its normal rhythm either before, during or up to 2 days after surgery.

When the stomach is distended, digestion stops. Toxins accumulate, move into the circulation and activate chemicals which cause inflammation. Blood clots then form within blood vessels. This is called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and is usually fatal.

How can we save the dog’s life?

We must act quickly to save the dog’s life.

  1. Large quantities of intravenous fluids treat the shock.
  2. The pressure in the stomach is relieved with a tube passed from the mouth to the stomach or with a needle pushed through the skin into the stomach.
  3. The stomach is returned to its normal position in surgery.
  4. Any dead areas of the stomach are cut out. If the spleen has died it is also removed.
  5. The stomach is stitched to the abdominal wall (gastropexy) to reduce the chance of recurrence of GDV.
  6. We monitor the heart for abnormalities in its rhythm (arrhythmias) before, during and after surgery, and treat as necessary.

What is the survival rate?

The survival rate depends on the severity of the distention, the degree of shock, how quickly treatment is begun, and the presence of other diseases, especially those involving the heart. Approximately 60 to 70% of treated dogs survive.

How do we prevent bloat and GDV happening again?

Gastropexy does not prevent bloat but it is usually successful in preventing twisting of the stomach and spleen. We assess each individual’s meal time habits for any of the predisposing factors mentioned above.

 

Caring for your Dog, Diseases of dogs, Dogs, Internal diseases of Dogs, Today's News

Heartworm

Heartworm live in the heart and major blood vessels of infected dogs.

How do dogs get heartworm?

Female heartworm produce millions of young, or microfilaria, which live in the bloodstream. Mosquitoes ingest microfilariae when they bite an infected dog.

The microfilariæ develop further in the mosquito. When the mosquito bites another dog it injects larval heartworm. These larvae migrate to the heart and adjacent vessels over a few months, and grow to adult heartworm.

Usually dogs do not show outward signs of infection for a few years.

How do heartworm affect dogs?

Adult worms:

Adult worms clog the heart and the major blood vessels leading from the heart. They stop the heart valves from closing and reduce blood supply to the rest of the body.

The most obvious signs are: a soft, dry, chronic cough, shortness of breath, loss of stamina, and weakness, especially after exercise. Heavily infected dogs may faint.

Sometimes we hear heart murmurs or abnormal lung sounds with a stethoscope. In advanced cases the abdomen and legs swell with fluid accumulation. Weight loss, poor condition, and anaemia develop with a chronic infection.

Severely infected dogs may die suddenly during exercise or excitement.

Microfilariæ (Young worms):

Microfilariæ circulate throughout the body but prefer small blood vessels. Because they are as wide as the vessels, they may block blood flow to vital organs such as the lungs, liver and kidney.

How do we prevent heartworm?

Annual injections of Proheart SR-12, or monthly tablets such as Heartgard or Proheart, or spot-ons such as Advocate or Revolution all kill larval heartworm before they reach the heart.

Before starting a preventative we run a blood test in the surgery to check for any existing infection.

If we detect an existing heartworm infection an effective treatment is available. Before admitting an infected dog for treatment we screen for damage to the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs to reduce the chance of complications.

 

Cats, Diseases of cats, Internal Diseases of Cats, Today's News

Kidney failure in cats

Mittens getting the right balance

What do kidneys do?

 

The kidneys remove waste products from the blood stream, regulate fluid and electrolyte balance, maintain the acid-base balance of the body and remove toxins and drugs. They also help maintain blood pressure and stimulate blood cell production.

What happens when my cat’s kidneys fail?

Signs of kidney failure don’t appear until at least 70% of kidney function is lost. Chronic kidney failure is known as renal failure.

Kidney damage accumulates for years before we see any signs. Even then the early signs of kidney failure – increased thirst and urine production – are not easily recognised in our feline friends.

You may notice an increasingly wet litter tray if your cat is only indoors. However if you have other cats you may not pick up increased urine production in a single cat.

Cats often drink from multiple water sources making it difficult to recognise increased consumption.

Other signs of kidney failure such as weight loss and poor coat quality are often put down to normal ageing.

Often the first thing we see is a cat off her food, vomiting, depressed and dehydrated. The kidneys are already badly affected by this stage.

How do we diagnose kidney failure?

We diagnose and stage kidney failure with blood tests for the two waste products, urea and creatinine and a urine analysis to measure the kidneys ability to concentrate urine. We also  check the urine for protein loss or a urinary tract infection.

Tests for other substances like potassium, phosphorus and calcium as well as blood cell counts help us decide on the best course of treatment.

Could it have been diagnosed earlier?

Because signs of kidney failure and rises in blood urea and creatinine are not evident until significant loss of kidney function has occurred early diagnosis is difficult. However, we strongly recommend at least annual blood and urine tests, as well as regular body weight checks. If urine concentrating ability is deteriorating or the creatinine is trending up we are able to slow down the progression of the disease with a special kidney protective diet. Any weight loss in a cat should be fully investigated.

What treatments are available?

After initial hospitalisation to treat dehydration and electrolyte disturbances, most cats are managed with a diet change and one or two other medications.

  • Low protein and phosphorus diets lower the level of waste products in the bloodstream.  Try a few of the ready made kidney diets like Royal Canin renal or Hills k/d to find one your cat likes. Once your cat accepts the diet it must be her sole source of nutrition. Although if renal failure is advanced and your cat’s appetite is poor, any diet that the cat enjoys is acceptable.
  • If blood phosphorus levels remain above normal after a few weeks on the special diet we add phosphate binders like Ipakitine to the food. Reducing blood phosphorus makes your cat feel better and slows progression of the disease.
  • Urinary tract infections are common in kidney failure and are treated with antibiotics.
  • Cats with renal failure lose potassium in the urine leading to muscle weakness, stiffness, a poor coat and exacerbation of the kidney failure. The special kidney diets contain extra potassium but sometimes we have to add more.
  • Severely affected cats need extra fluids. We can teach you to administer      subcutaneous fluids at home to reduce dehydration in advanced cases.

FRESH WATER MUST BE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES

How long can I expect my cat to live?

Unfortunately aged kidneys do not recover. However, we can slow the progress of the disease and improve your cat’s well being with treatment and regular checkups. We check  phosphorous and potassium levels to see if your cat requires supplements and check for urinary tract infections at least every 3 months. This should give your cat a good stretch of high quality, active life.

 

 

Caring for your Cat, Cats, Diseases of cats, Internal Diseases of Cats, Skin Diseases of Cats, Today's News

Cat fights

Cats typically have a hate-hate relationship with any strange cat in their presence, yard, or environment. When new cats meet, they fluff up, spit, hiss – more like scream! – and the fur soon goes flying. While the brawl may only last a few seconds, that’s enough time for a few diseases to jump bodies.

Feline leukemia (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus or cat AIDS (FIV), infectious peritonitis (FIP), or nasty bacterial infections are transmitted from cat to cat in saliva.

Outside cats, particularly unneutered males, love to fight. Most times they will end up with a nasty abscess.

What exactly is an abscess? It’s basically a pocket of pus under the skin. It makes a cat very ill because of the bacteria and toxins it releases into the bloodstream. He is feverish, goes off his food, hides and sleeps a lot.

Treatment for abscesses involves a general anaesthesia, clipping and cleaning the skin, lancing the abscess and flushing all the pus out, placing a drain to allow any new pus to empty, antibiotics and pain relief. Some cats are so sick they need hospitalisation and intravenous fluids for a night or two.

How do we avoid all this??

Desex your cat if he is still entire. Keep him indoors, particularly in the evenings and at night when the brawling usually happens.

Keep other cats off your property. A dog on patrol will soon despatch an intruder. Otherwise keep an eye out for a few evenings and frighten strays off with a loud noise.

Catch the infection as soon as possible. If your cat has been in a fight bring him immediately for an antibiotic shot to discourage the abscess from forming.

Vaccinate your cat against FIV, Feline AIDS. There are three shots in the initial course. A booster at the annual checkup and vaccine review prevents the virus gaining a toe hold.

 

Caring for your Cat, Cats, Diseases of cats, Today's News

Snake season

Jonah reports that snakes are out and about again. He found one on Saturday night. His carers thought he wasn’t himself on Sunday but when they came home on Monday and found him not able to stand they were sure he wasn’t well.  His breathing was a bit laboured and his eyes were huge.
When we saw him he complained of his plight in a rather plaintive voice. His legs were very weak and he could hardly hold his head up.
This “floppy doll” weakness in a young cat at this time of year rang alarm bells for us.
Adventurous cats and snakes rousing from their winter snooze on a hot weekend are a recipe for disaster! Snakes are especially full of venom at the beginning of the season.
Jonah had some brown snake antivenom and has been on a drip to keep him hydrated. Cats paralysed by snake venom soon become dehydrated because they cannot eat or drink. Jonah has responded well and hopes to go home today!

Cancer in Dogs, Diseases of dogs, Dogs, Today's News

Teddy vs bone cancer

Teddy waits for his treat

Fun-loving Teddy is a regular visitor to Hall Vet Surgery. He is a much-loved member and protector of a young family, as gentle as he is outgoing.

At age three Teddy started limping on one of his hind legs. At first his owners thought he’d hurt himself on one of his wild runs around the lake. We prescribed rest and pain relief and thought he’d soon get over it, but he got lamer and lamer.

Perhaps he had ruptured a ligament in his knee, a common injury in busy dogs. We anaesthetised him and manipulated it. The instability we associate with cruciate ligament damage was missing so we took X-rays of the whole leg.

The X-rays confused even the specialists. A lesion in his long bone could have been a bone infection or bone cancer. A biopsy of the bone confirmed the worst – Teddy had osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer.

By this time Teddy was withdrawing into himself and spending a lot of his time trying to rest. Pain relief medication helped a little but it was obvious that the cancer was causing him much pain.

To alleviate the pain and prevent further spread his owners decided we should amputate his leg. Teddy’s relief was immediate. He bounced home next morning as if he’d been made to run on three legs.

However we knew that the osteosarcoma had probably already spread to his lymph nodes and lungs. Although we could not see any metastases in his lung X-rays, we knew they were probably there. Without further treatment Teddy had only 6 weeks of life left.

The veterinary oncologist suggested a chemotherapy regime that would extend his life expectancy. His family did not want to do anything that would make him feel unwell. We reassured them that chemo for pets is designed to ensure that they have a good quality of life. Doses are tailored to suit the patient and reduced if they affect blood cell production or cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.

Teddy came in weekly for his chemotherapy. Although he had a few days off his food in the 12 weeks, he came into the Surgery with a wag in his tail every single time, delighted to see us and clearly enjoying life.

So far we have detected no recurrence of the cancer at his monthly rechecks. His family is delighted with his response to the treatment – and so are his fans at Hall Vet Surgery.

 

Cats, Diseases of cats, Internal Diseases of Cats, Today's News

Lilies poison cats

All species of lilies are toxic to cats. Indoor cats with little choice in plant munching material are most at risk as they will try any cut flower that comes into the house.

Any part of the plant – flowers, leaves or stems – is dangerous. Even lily pollen licked off the coat destroys cats’ kidney tubules.

Lilies proven to poison cats include: Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum), Tiger Lily ( Lilium tigrinum), Day Lily (Lilium hemerocallus), Asian lily (Lily asiatic spp.) and(Lilium rubrum).

If you see your cat with lily on her coat, in her mouth or in her vomit don’t wait for signs of poisoning. The sooner we get it out of her system and start treatment to protect the kidneys the greater her chance of survival.

Affected cats vomit and are depressed within hours of ingesting lily. Some then seem to recover before starting to show signs of severe kidney failure a day or so later. Others continue vomiting, go off their food and get more and more depressed.

If emptying the stomach and medications to prevent absorption of the toxin are effective, the chance of recovery is excellent.

If your cat absorbs enough toxin to cause damage to her kidneys then her outlook is very poor. It is essential to seek emergency care immediately after ingestion of the lily plant.

Rats and rabbits are not affected by lilies but there could be a risk to dogs.