The Vet’s Cat Needs a Dental!

Like a mechanic who is always too busy to service their own car, the vet’s cat was well overdue for some attention. Ned had started to develop the common signs of dental disease in the form of bad breath, tartar (dark discolouration along the gumline) and gingivitis (a redness and swelling of gums along the gumline).

Dental disease can cause serious pain and discomfort, reducing appetite and impact on your pet’s quality of life.

Even in mild cases, disease left untreated allows bacteria to invade the connective tissue under the gumline causing hidden problems such as tooth erosion, root exposure, abscesses and loose teeth. Early intervention helps avoid pain and costly extractions.

Veterinary dental treatment requires a general anaesthesia to allow for a full oral exam and dental x-rays. Problems often occur under the gumline which will only showup on x-rays, so imaging is essential.

Ned had his teeth cleaned and polished, with teeth looking pearly white, and now has a fresh pleasant smelling breath.

In future his diet will include a special dental care biscuit and dental treats to improve his oral health before his next visit in a year.

If you notice any of these signs please arrange a checkup and we’ll be happy to discuss the options for you and your pet.

What do I do if I suspect my Dog has ingested Rat Bait?

Rat bait is often formulated in appetising blocks that encourage both the rodents they are targeting, and unwitting dogs to eat them.

Rat bait is an anticoagulant rodenticide. It acts by inhibiting the recycling of vitamin K which is required for blood clotting. Dogs usually have enough vitamin K circulating in their system, dependent on clotting factors, for 72 hours after rat bait is consumed, at which time they can begin to show clinical signs. Clinical signs depend on where in the body bleeding is occurring and can include weakness, pale gums, bleeding from the nose, coughing or difficulty breathing, black faeces, bruising of the skin, acute lameness in multiple joints, and seizures.

If you know that your dog has consumed rat bait, call us for advice immediately! If you witness your dog eating rat bait, then we may be able to act quickly and induce vomiting to remove as much of the toxin as possible. If you suspect consumption of rat bait but are too late to react, or see it in the faeces (blue green faeces because of the dye in the bait) then we can monitor the effect with blood test. If you were not aware of rat bait consumption but start to see signs of spontaneous bleeding, this is an emergency and veterinary attention should be sought immediately. In severe cases, a blood transfusion may be required as a life saving measure. Rat bait has a long-lasting effect and treatment needs to continue for several weeks.

Prevention is always better than cure. Use bait stations and place them away from animals and children.

5 things to consider this Holiday Season!

• VACCINATIONS

Keep your pets healthy with a current vaccination, a must if leaving your pet in a cattery or kennel over the holidays. Routine flea and worm treatment is also advisable.

• MEDICATIONS

Don’t let your pets prescription medication run out over the holidays, we need at least 24 hours to process requests. Also consider anti-nausea medication for longer trips.

• MICROCHIPPING

Don’t lose your pet these holidays! Legally all domestic dogs should be microchipped, but you can also chip your cat.

• HEATSTROKE

Make sure your pets don’t overheat - especially if traveling in the car. Make frequent stops and NEVER leave your pet unattended in a hot car. Always have access to water and shade.

• JUNK FOOD

Keep all chocolate, wrapping, cakes, ribbons, string etc away from your pet! These should be kept for the humans of the family!

Sarcoptic Mange

As temperatures rise, we start to see more flea problems causing itching and in severe cases, infections and permanent skin changes. Prevention is always better than cure and there are now many oral and topical flea treatments that manage fleas. Another advantage is that these products also treat other forms of skin parasites including Sarcoptes and Demodex mites, the mites that cause sarcoptic and demodetic mange, ear mites and ticks.

We have recently had a case of a young dog who was diagnosed with Sarcoptic mange, also known as scabies. Early-stage mange in dogs can be difficult to differentiate from other skin conditions so you should consult with a vet if you notice any signs of skin disease such as scratching, hair loss or scabs on the skin.

Sarcoptes mites are very contagious. Modern flea treatments are very effective at both preventing and treating sarcoptic mange and I am happy to say that our patient is feeling much happier since receiving treatment.

Never underestimated the discomfort of itching for dogs and cats as it can significantly affect a pet’s quality of life. Using a regular flea product licensed against fleas, mites and ticks is an excellent place to start to rule out these pesky creatures. Just because they cannot be seen does not mean that they are not causing a problem.

Meet Suzie!

Suzie is a super senior cat at the grand age of 15. Suzie was one of the first of our patients to start on the new arthritis monthly injection Solensia. Suzie had been on other painkillers previously, but they upset her tummy. Within a week of starting treatment, she was noticeably more active and comfortable. She has recently had her 3rd injection and is a different kitty. She plays with toys, grooms more, has a better appetite, and is much more interactive with the rest of the family.

If you notice your cat is becoming less active, then pop in for a check-up and discuss the new options for managing arthritis in cats.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Dogs

Lad is a beautiful Labrador and a much-loved patient here at the Veterinary Centre. He first came in for being off colour with a swollen tummy. He had a full investigation in which he was found to have a heart that was too large. While it would be nice to think that he had a large heart because of all the love he had to give, unfortunately Lad had a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the second most common heart condition in dogs and the most common in large breed dogs.

Cardiomyopathy is defined as degeneration of the heart muscle. As a result of this degeneration, the muscle becomes thinner, particularly the muscles of the left ventricle which do the hard work of pumping blood around the body. The pressure of the blood inside the heart causes these thin walls to stretch like a balloon resulting in a much larger heart.

In most cases the cause of DCM is unknown. Giant and large breed dogs of middle to older age are predisposed to developing DCM. Some breeds, such as Dobermans and Boxers are predisposed to inheriting a genetic form of DCM. There can be nutritional causes of DCM in diets deficient in taurine and there has been an increase in cases in dogs on gluten-free diets.

Because his heart was not doing the job it was supposed to, Lad’s energy levels had reduced, and he had built up some fluid in his abdomen. These as well as some other signs such as falling over, and coughing can be common signs of heart disease in dogs.

There is no cure for DCM. Lad will need to take it easy and be on heart medication for the rest of his life. Since being on his medication, Lad is doing very well. The fluid in his abdomen has resolved and he is loving his farming life. We can also attest that he knows how to do some energetic tricks when a treat is on offer.

If my Dog’s a bit chubby, does it matter?

More and more commonly we are seeing pet’s carrying more weight than is ideal. And just like in humans, that extra weight can take its toll on the general health and quality of life, affecting ...

• Arthritis - slowing down, painful to move, less active, doesn’t want to play anymore.

• Diabetes - abnormally high glucose in the body, potentially life threatening disease.

• Breathing difficulties – increase effort in breathing seen, reduced exercise, panting.

• Heart Problems – extra load and effort on the heart to do its job when carrying extra weight.

• Surgical complications

• Increases anaesthetic risk

• Constipation

• Increased blood pressure

The good news is we can help alter your pets current exercise level and diet, or look at using one of our weight loss management diets to help you pet lose weight. Contact or team of experienced vets and vet nurses.

Dental Disease

We often think of old pets being affected by a single disease that causes them to age, but like us, it is often an accumulation of lots of little things that affects their quality of life. A broken tooth combined with arthritis from a previous injury and periods of itchy skin, individually may seem benign but together combine to cause chronic discomfort in our pets.

A common thing we see are cats and dogs with dental disease that people under-estimate because the pet is still eating or not showing pain. Owners also worry about anaesthesia in older pets.

The Senior Health Month is a great chance to check your pet’s teeth and discuss any concerns you may have about the general health of your cat or dog. We’ll assess your pet individually. In most situations, with a little added support, older pets are still excellent candidates for having general anaesthesia. Owners often report that their pet has a new lease of life after having their dental disease addressed.

Arlo

Meet Arlo, the much-loved friend of one of our staff members. He recently made the mistake of jumping onto a lit log burner. While he quickly realised the error of his ways, he ended up getting burns resulting in painful blisters on his paws. He was lame and feeling very sorry for himself. He had to come and visit the vets at the Veterinary Centre for some bandaging and pain relief.

The most common causes of burn injuries in veterinary patients are burned pads from jumping on stovetops or fires, and general burns from electric heat pads, scalding water or hot drinks and automobile mufflers.

Fur often masks the severity of burns, so it is important not to underestimate and thermal injury when it happens. Untended burns can continue to cause tissue damage for several days. Please do not delay in providing first aid care and coming to see one of our friendly vets at the Veterinary Centre.

If your pet gets burned remove the animal from the source of heat. Apply cool water to the burns by running the area under cold water and/or apply cold compresses (e.g. frozen peas or an ice pack) for at least 5 minutes. If they will allow, you can place your whole pet in a cool bath, but this is not recommended for large surface burns as it may result in shock. If possible, place a sterile, non-stick pad or a clean moist cloth over the burned area and seek veterinary attention immediately. Do not apply any ointments or creams.

Arlo is making a good recovery and hopefully he has learned his lesson that the best heat is in front of the fire and not on it.

Osteoarthritis in Pets

The weather is starting to turn colder and like us, animals will start to feel the ‘cold in their bones’ after the reprieve of the warmer summer months.

What is Osteoarthritis? It is a progressive disease of the joints. Although most people think of osteoarthritis as a disease of bone, it’s really a disease of cartilage. Normal cartilage is in a constant state of deterioration and repair. In the case of arthritis, factors such as breed, obesity, dysplasia, or trauma, worsens the deterioration leading to cartilage loss and inflammation, which gives rise to the clinical signs of pain. Although normally associated with old age, arthritis can even be found relatively commonly in young animals.

What are your dog’s signs? Canine arthritis can often be misinterpreted as the normal signs of getting old, with …

• Lameness

• Difficulty standing

• Reduced ability to play or walk

• Reluctance to jump

• Increased irritability

• Not wanting to be stroked/patted

What are your cat’s signs? Unlike dogs, cats often have disease in multiple joints, meaning that they don’t favour one side or the other because everything hurts! Although diagnosis is challenging, there are clinical signs owners can look for, almost all the signs are tied to behaviour changes …

• Not wanting to/having difficulty jumping.

• Reluctance to go up or down stairs

• Decreased interactions with owners or other animals

• Increased irritability

• Not wanting to be stroked/brushed

• Elimination accidents – difficulty getting in or out of the litterbox

• Sudden vocalisation and running away for no apparent reason

Also, cats tend to mask the signs of pain as a defensive tactic, so it is important for owners to regard any behaviour changes as a potential sign of disease and get it checked out.

How can we treat Osteoarthritis? While there is no cure for osteoarthritis, there are numerous treatment options available that help to reduce pain and support joint health and longevity. Treatment involves considering all the factors of weight management, pain relief, joint support, environmental modification, and physical therapy holistically. Also, the best outcomes are achieved, when support is started as early in the course of the disease as possible.