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Diseases of dogs, Dogs, Internal diseases of Dogs

Heart care for dogs

Dogs suffer from heart failure, just like humans. If dog owners recognise the warning signs of heart failure they can seek help earlier and enjoy a healthy, happy pet for longer.

Research shows that most dog owners are not aware of the risk of heart failure in older dogs, even though 1 in 10 dogs presented to vets suffer from heart disease.

Boehringer Ingelheim has launched a Heart Failure Awareness Program to raise owners’ awareness of the signs of heart disease in dogs. The company wants to reduce the numbers of dogs suffering unnecessarily from this life threatening condition.

The Heart Failure Awareness Program is aimed at dog owners because they are most likely to notice changes in their dog’s health and behaviour.

Early signs of heart failure, like loss of appetite, are subtle and often overlooked.

The common signs of congestive heart failure include:

  • Coughing, especially at night
  • Poor appetite
  • Reluctance to exercise and tiring quickly on walks
  • Laboured or fast breathing
  • Fainting – often associated with exercise
  • Weight loss
  • Enlarged abdomen
  • Weakness

If your dog is aged seven or more and showing one or more of the above signs visit a vet without delay.

Effective treatment of heart failure is available and when started early greatly improves affected dogs’ quality of life.

If owners recognise the signs of heart failure early and seek veterinary advice before the heart deteriorates markedly, treatment has the greatest benefit.

Research has shown effective treatment allows dogs with heart failure to enjoy many healthy, good quality years of life.

And that’s something all dog owners want.

Diseases of dogs, Dogs, Internal diseases of Dogs

Hookworm

Hookworms attach to the intestinal wall with hook-like mouthparts. They are hard to see because they are only about 3 mm long and very thin.

Dogs are infested with hookworms in one of three ways:

1. Hookworm larvae pass from the dam to the pups through the placenta before birth

2. Pups ingest larvae in the mother’s milk

3. Larvae penetrate the skin

 

What problems do hookworms cause?

Hookworms suck blood from the tiny vessels in the intestinal wall and cause anaemia especially in puppies.  Pale gums, lethargy and weakness are signs of anaemia.

Hookworm also cause bloody diarrhoea, weight loss and failure to grow.

Hookworm larvae burrow into the skin and cause itching and discomfort in a heavily infested environment such as kennels.

 

How do we diagnose hookworm infestation?

Hookworms produce a lot of eggs which are easily found in faeces under a microscope. Faecal examination is less reliable in very young puppies.

 

How is hookworm treated?

Most broad spectrum wormers, like Milbemax and Drontal, kill adult hookworms. We repeat the treatment 2-4 weeks later to kill the next wave of larvae maturing into adult worms.

 

Are canine hookworms infectious to people?

Adult hookworms do not infect humans. However, hookworm larvae can burrow into human skin and cause itching. They do not mature into adults. Wear shoes to avoid skin contact with hookworm infested soil especially in wet weather.

 

How do we prevent hookworm infection?

1. Deworm pups at six weeks of age

2. Deworm pets at high risk of reinfestation

3. Pick up and dispose of dog faeces, especially in yards, playgrounds, and public parks.

4. Do not allow children to play in potentially contaminated environments.

5. Treat nursing bitches concurrently with their pups.

6. Use broad spectrum worm treatments that are effective against hookworms.

 

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

Feline FIV and AIDS

FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) is prevalent in Australian cats but testing positive for FIV is not the same as having feline AIDS.

Feline AIDS describes the terminal stages of disease which may not occur for many years – or at all! A positive FIV test means that your cat has been infected by the virus.

 

Are my family at risk?

 

No. Although FIV belongs to the same family of viruses as HIV in people, it only infects cats. There is no risk of cross infection of either virus between species.

 

Are other cats in the household likely to be infected?

 

The virus is shed in the saliva of infected cats and spread by biting. Cats with a history of cat bite abscesses are more likely to test positive for FIV.

Spread between cats in a household is unlikely unless they fight. Normal social interactions such as grooming rarely transmit FIV.

The best way to minimise the chances of FIV infection is to confine uninfected cats indoors away from aggressive cats.

 

How is FIV diagnosed?

FIV is diagnosed with a blood test at the surgery which detects an immune response (antibodies) to the virus. If this test is positive your cat is infected.

Kittens with immunity passed on from their mother may test positive until 4 months of age. If a young kitten tests positive we retest them at six months of age.

Will my cat recover?

Once a cat is infected with the virus it remains infected for the rest of its life but not all infected cats  become ill.

 

What diseases does FIV cause?

Like HIV, FIV suppresses the body’s defences so that the cat is vulnerable to diseases it would normally  defeat. The cat is vulnerable to chronic or recurrent infections that fail to respond to regular treatment.

These include:

  1. Inflammation of the mouth and tongue leading to appetite loss, drooling and mouth pain
  2. Weight loss
  3. Poor appetite
  4. Fever
  5. Signs of brain dysfunction such as aggression, unequal pupils, convulsions and behavioural changes
  6. Swollen lymph glands
  7. Unusual infections like toxoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, chronic flu, pneumonia, skin disease
  8. Tumours especially those of the lymph system

The non specific signs of weight loss, poor appetite and fever occur in many diseases of cats and are usually unrelated to FIV. Cats with FIV are more likely to suffer from these signs and diseases more often and  be less able to throw them off even with treatment.

FIV positive cats have a shorter life expectancy on average than FIV negative cats.

Is there any treatment?

 

Secondary infections with bacteria or fungi are treated with antibiotics and anti-fungals but no specific treatment for the virus is available. Trials with anti-HIV drugs such as AZT have reduced mouth inflammation in affected cats but the cost and availability of AZT makes its use in general practice difficult at present.

Anti-inflammatory treatment reduces mouth inflammation and peps up the appetite in many cats.

 

Should I have my cat euthanased?

 

Certainly not on the basis of a positive FIV test!  Like humans with HIV, cats with FIV appear healthy and happy for a long time before getting sick.

On the other hand if your cat has succumbed to multiple infections, is no longer responsive to treatment or is suffering from a chronically painful mouth then euthanasia is the kindest solution.

 

How can I help my cat?

 

Confinement indoors of an FIV positive cat  reduces the risk of infection with other agents. It also reduces the risk of transmission of the virus to other cats.

A good quality, highly palatable diet as well as worming every 3 months and at least annual health checks will enhance the disease free period.

Infections require prompt and aggressive treatment.

 

How do we prevent FIV infection?

 

Desexing and confinement indoors, especially at night, reduces fighting and therefore the risk of infection. We recommend vaccination with FIV vaccine for all cats with access to the outdoors. Cats older than 6 months of age are tested for FIV before the first vaccination. A series of three primary vaccinations is given 2-4 weeks apart and then a booster is given annually.

 

Diseases of dogs, Dogs, Internal diseases of Dogs

Inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic disease of the gut, or gastrointestinal tract. Most affected dogs have a history of recurrent or chronic vomiting and/or diarrhoea. They may lose weight but are otherwise normal. Most eat well or have an increased appetite, and appear normal.

Cause

Inflammatory cells invade the lining of the bowel causing thickening of the bowel. This interferes with digestion and absorption of nutrients and with normal movement of the bowel.

When the cells invade the stomach walls or upper small intestine vomiting develops. Infiltration of the small intestine causes watery diarrhoea and weight loss. Infiltration of the large intestine causes diarrhoea coated with mucus and fresh blood. The entire gastrointestinal tract is sometimes affected.

Something in the diet triggers the disease in some dogs. Bacterial proteins are involved in other cases. In most cases we cannot find any underlying cause.

Diagnosis

IBD is diagnosed by ruling out other diseases. Blood tests rule out liver or kidney disease, pancreatic insufficiency and diabetes. Faecal tests rule out parasites like whipworms or giardia.

X-rays or ultrasound rule out some tumours or cancers in the abdomen.

If these tests are all clear we trial special low allergy, low residue or high fibre diets, depending on the part of the bowel most involved.  If bacterial overgrowth is present we trial various antibiotics until we see improvement.

If there is no improvement we biopsy the bowel and a pathologist identifies the type of cells involved, assesses the severity of the inflammation and checks for cancer cells.

Treatment

If any diet has improved the condition we continue it.

Medication controls (not cures) the problem. We trial drugs like metronidazole, prednisolone and azathioprine until we find what suppresses the signs best. Most dogs stay on the appropriate drugs and diet for life.

Cancer in Cats, Cats, Diseases of cats, Internal Diseases of Cats

Hairballs?

Hairballs are overrated as a problem in cats.  A true hairball is hair wrapped in saliva and requires no treatment.  Hairballs almost never cause illness in pet cats.

On the other hand we should see your cat if she vomits frequently – whatever the vomitus is! If she is turning her nose up at her dinner or hiding then we should see her as soon as possible. Normal cats eat several times a day so even a single day of poor appetite is significant.

If she vomits a lot but doesn’t feel poorly she may still have a problem. Some cats are very sensitive to specific proteins like chicken, beef or lamb. A change to a diet free of the common proteins that cause hypersensitivity or to one that is specially treated to reduce reactions often helps these cats.

Often the only sign of inflammatory bowel disease or cancers of the bowel is frequent vomiting. Eventually affected cats lose weight or stop eating, but this is when the disease is well advanced. If a cat does not respond within a few weeks to a change of diet as mentioned above then we investigate more closely.

Cats, Diseases of cats, Internal Diseases of Cats

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is a common disorder of older cats.  An overactive thyroid gland produces and secretes too much thyroid hormone putting pressure on all body organs. Any sex or breed of cat can be affected.

The signs of hyperthyroidism include:

  • Weight loss
  • Increased appetite
  • Hyperactivity and restlessness
  • Increased heart rate, associated with irregularities in rhythm, murmurs and high blood pressure
  • Increased frequency of defecation with occasional accidents inside
  • Increased thirst and urination
  • Occasional vomiting
  • Panting
  • Matted, greasy and unkempt coat
  • Enlarged thyroid glands on the neck

If we suspect that your cat has hyperthyroidism we send blood for measurement of the thyroid hormone, T4. We also check for secondary liver, heart or kidney problems.

We usually treat hyperthyroidism with tablets or drops and recommend radioactive iodine therapy once your cat’s system has settled down.

  1. 1. Anti-thyroid drug therapy

Anti-thyroid drugs interfere with the production and secretion of thyroid hormone. They control rather than cure the condition.

Carbimazole (brand name Neo Mercazole) tablets are given twice daily. We see mild and often transient side effects in a few cats on this medication. These include poor appetite, vomiting and lethargy. More serious side effects including a fall in the white blood cell count, clotting problems, or liver disorders occasionally result. If we find any serious side effects after 2 weeks of medication we switch to another treatment.

Many owners prefer methimazole as a gel applied to the inside of the ear or made up into a palatable liquid.

Hyperthyroidism often covers up kidney troubles in cats.  If your cat seems to be drinking or urinating a lot more on medication then alert us as soon as possible.

  1. 2. Radioactive iodine therapy

If kidney problems are not uncovered by anti-thyroid therapy then we suggest radioactive iodine, a more permanent cure for hyperthyroidism. Radioactive iodine only destroys the affected thyroid tissue and leaves adjacent normal tissue, including the parathyroid glands, untouched.

We refer you to a special facility at Canberra Veterinary Hospital for radioactive iodine therapy. Treated cats are kept in hospital for a week after the treatment until they are no longer a radiation risk to people.

Radioactive iodine treatment is curative and has no serious side-effects. Depending on the age of the cat at diagnosis the cost of treatment is similar to long term anti-thyroid drugs or surgery.

It is the only effective treatment for thyroid adenocarcinoma, the cancer that causes 1 to 2% of feline hyperthyroid cases.

  1. 3. Surgical thyroidectomy

Removal of the thyroid glands provides an immediate cure but has some nasty potential side effects so we don’t often recommend it.