Harbour Veterinary Group Library

Harbour Veterinary Group Newsletters

Winter 2009 News (521 KB)

Summer 2009 News (358 KB)

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Information for Owners

Please visit our Pet Education section for more articles.

Could YOUR pet be stressed?

Some stress in the lives of dogs and cats is normal, but it can become excessive and lead to behaviour problems. Change can be a major source of stress for many pets – they can find it difficult to adapt to variations in their environment or routine. Some pets adapt to a change much more easily than others.

Many common situations are stressful for our pets.

• Moving house
• New members of the household e.g. new pet or baby
• Multi-cat households
• Sudden noise e.g. fireworks or thunder
• Kennel or cattery visit
• Grooming
• Travel
• Being left home alone
• Another cat moving into the territory

How do you know if your pet is stressed?

Our pets cannot tell us how they are feeling and coping – but they can change their behaviour and let us know in this way. There are many different ways pets can show stress, and some are more easily recognised than others.

Stress can sometimes be difficult to recognise as some cats and dogs show stress by subtle withdrawal behaviours. They may interact less, hide away and perhaps stop going into certain parts of the house. Cats may also rest in higher places (e.g. top of the wardrobe instead of their usual chair) to feel more secure.

Common expressions include:

• House soiling
• Habits such as excessive licking and grooming
• Changed demeanour or posture
• Changes in the use of their environment e.g. stops entering a certain room
• Increased hiding or resting in a higher place (cats)
• Increased or decreased interaction with other people or other pets
• Changes in appetite, sleep patterns and play

What can you do if you think your pet is stressed?

Call the practice to make an appointment for your pet to be seen. One of out vets will assess if the behaviours shown by your pet are caused by a medical problem which requires treatment.

This may involve tests such as blood or urine tests. we will then discuss management options with you which may include behaviour modification techniques. A new product may now be an option in certain cases.

How does Zylkène help manage stress?

Zylkène is a natural product, proven to help manage stress in dogs and cats and help them adapt to change. Zylkène has not been associated with any side effects. It is palatable and easy to give with food, and only needs to be given once daily.

Most behaviour problems will also benefit from behaviour modification techniques. A member of our practice team can advise a programme which is right for your pet – this may include referral to a behaviour specialist.

Could YOUR dog have 'Atopy'?

Atopy, or allergic dermatitis, is the most common skin condition of dogs. It can also affect cats.

What is atopy?

Atopy is an allergic skin disease. An allergy is an 'over-reaction' of the immune system to something it encounters, known as the allergen. In an ideal world, we would simply avoid the allergen. Unfortunately for dogs with atopy, the allergen is usually something which is difficult to avoid. House dust mites and pollens are usually the most common causes.

Some dogs have a seasonal pattern to their atopy e.g. worse in the summer months. For others, it can be a year-round problem.

The allergic response causes inflammation of the skin and itching. Commonly the itching is worse around the face (especially the ears), front legs, paws and tummy. In some cases, the allergy leads to recurring ear disease. Repeated licking sometimes causes a pink discoloration to the area, as saliva may affect coat colour. This is often seen on the feet of affected individuals that habitually lick themselves.

Persistent scratching can worsen the condition, leading to hair loss and open skin wounds that may become infected. This can be very distressing for both dog and owner.

How is atopy treated?

Like other allergies, treatment is difficult and many things may need to be tried before the best regime for your individual pet is found. Where possible efforts to limit or avoid exposure can be tried, however this may prove problematic. There are many different treatments that can provide relief including shampoos, ear treatments, dietary supplements and products to modify your dog’s immune response. Often pets need a combination of more than one product for optimal control of itching. In addition dogs with atopy need regular flea control as well as good control of secondary skin infections.

If you think your dog is showing any of the signs above or may have atopy, book a check up now by phoning the practice. There are many causes of redness and itchy skin, and one of our vets will recommend the best course of action for your pet.

Cough free Summer

Pre-planning for your dog's vaccination requirements will save time if you are arranging to board your pet over the summer holidays. To ensure they remain happy and healthy during their stay in kennels, we advise that you include protection against a debilitating disease called Canine Infectious Tracheobronchitis (Kennel Cough).

Kennel cough can spread like wildfire when dogs are in a close environment and be very unpleasant for your pet if it is not protected! It is highly contagious, affects the respiratory tract and is easily passed from dog-to-dog by airborne droplets (coughing or sneezing) and direct nose-to-nose contact. In fact, a single infected animal is enough to cause a whole outbreak within kennels!

No dog is safe, whatever its age, unless protected. Signs include a harsh, dry, whooping-type cough which can last for several weeks. In some cases, more serious complications can arise, such as pneumonia, which could prove fatal in old, weak or very young dogs.

However, protection is at hand. Our practice uses a vaccine which will safeguard your pet and offer immunity for a full 12 months – so you can protect your pet for both the summer holidays and Christmas in one visit! The vaccine is easy to administer - just a few drops gently trickled into one nostril – and gives immunity in just 72 hours! Ideally your dog should be vaccinated at least two weeks before arrival at the kennel, leaving you free to prepare for your summer break.

Simply phone us on to book a pre-summer pet health check for your dog.

Could your pet be diabetic?

There are thought to be over a million people with undiagnosed diabetes in the UK. Proportionally, could there be a similar number of undiagnosed diabetic pets?

Dogs and cats can suffer from diabetes mellitus ('sugar diabetes') in the same way as people do. It is thought that approximately 1 in 300 dogs and cats have diabetes - making this one of the most common hormonal diseases in pets. Like other diseases, early diagnosis and treatment is beneficial so it is important to look out for signs of diabetes in your pet. An increase in their drinking is usually the first sign seen (although this is hard to spot in outdoor cats). Other signs to watch out for include weight loss despite a hearty appetite, increased urination and lethargy.

Not all diabetic pets show all these signs however, so if you're worried that your pet may have the condition, please let us know. A simple urine or blood test is usually all that is required to confirm if your pet has the condition. If your pet does, we can treat this disease successfully with insulin.

If you'd like further information on diabetes or would like you pet checked for the condition, please contact us at the practice.

Protect your dog, and your family

If you're already a dog owner, you'll know how sociable they can be! Whether they are splashing about in the nearest pond or chasing each other in the park, they are never happier than with their doggy pals.

Whilst we'd never come between a dog and his playtime, it's worth being aware that your dog could be at risk of contracting leptospirosis when out and about. The worry with this particular disease is that not only will your dog suffer, but it could also pass on the disease to you or your family.

Leptospirosis, also known as Weil's disease, is a bacterial disease transmitted via other dogs or animals such as rats. At its worst it can cause jaundice, a high temperature, severe thirst, lethargy, abdominal pain, vomiting and bloody diarrhoea. The leptospirosis bacteria can last for weeks or months and is spread easily via contact with urine from a diseased animal.

The added danger is that there are cases where the symptoms are not so obvious and the disease is harder to diagnose. Affected animals may be infected for a long time posing a threat to everyone around them.

By ensuring your dog is properly vaccinated, has annual health checks with the vet and is regularly wormed, you can be confident he will be protected against a range of infectious diseases, including leptospirosis.

If your dog is behind with its vaccinations, please call us now to make an appointment.

A boost for your bunny

Rabbit ownership is booming. Did you know that there are 1.6 million kept as pets throughout the UK? It is alarming to consider therefore, that only one in every 12 owners ensures their pet is properly vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases like myxomatosis. Any rabbit, whatever their lifestyle or breed, is at risk of contracting this nasty disease and that the majority of affected rabbits will die - will your pet rabbit be one of them?

Myxomatosis is particularly common between August and October, although rabbits can contract the disease at any time of year. Spread typically by blood sucking insects like the rabbit flea, the disease attacks domestic and wild rabbits alike. In addition to the characteristic bulging of the eye lids, key symptoms include localised swellings around the head, face, ears, lips, anus and genitalia. Severe swelling can lead to blindness and distortion of the face, often resulting in difficulty with drinking and feeding. In many cases, bacterial respiratory infection complicates the disease, encouraging the onset of a fatal pneumonia.

With no specific treatment, it is crucial that you put controls in place to manage it; namely controlling parasites and ensuring vaccination. Frequent pet checks for signs of fleas, along with regular use of insecticidal treatment will facilitate a high degree of flea control, lessening the likelihood of bites. In terms of vaccination, it is recommended that a single dose of myxomatosis vaccine be given to all healthy, non-pregnant rabbits over the age of six weeks. Ideally, this will occur in early spring so that the rabbits have the optimum protection during the period of the year when they are most at risk. However, as myxomatosis can strike at any time of the year, boosters are recommended once or twice a year, depending on your pet's likely exposure to myxomatosis.

As owners, you have the power to ensure that your pet is adequately protected and not likely to fall victim to myxomatosis and other such diseases. To help, we've joined forces with Intervet UK and Burgess Supafeeds to provide owners with a free rabbit booster pack, helping to encourage a healthier pet rabbit population. In a bid to educate about the importance of vaccination, along with providing valuable information about health and nutrition, every owner whose rabbit is vaccinated at our practice, will receive the pack, which contains an informative leaflet highlighting the importance of vaccination, details on rabbit insurance, nutritional advice and a sample of Supa Rabbit Excel® provided by Burgess Supafeeds.

To find out more about the new rabbit booster pack, please speak to our receptionist.

Heart to heart

Heart disease remains the UK's most common cause of death in humans, but it isn't only people that are affected. It is also one of the major causes of death in dogs and approximately 10% of pets that visit a vet's surgery are diagnosed with the condition.

Early detection, treatment and monitoring are key to improving the length and quality of your dog's life and symptoms to watch out for include coughing (especially at night), a decrease in appetite and tiredness on walks.

One of the most common syndromes in dogs with cardiac disease is congestive heart failure (CHF). This condition may be easily treated in the majority of cases with medication including an ACE inhibitor drug which is licensed for use in dogs. ACE inhibitors have been shown to reduce coughing, increase physical activity and the life expectancy of a dog with heart problems and they work by easing the load on the heart and reversing some of the damage caused by heart failure. Humans with heart disease are also commonly prescribed ACE inhibitors to good effect.

If you think your dog may be suffering from a heart condition then it is important to contact us as soon as possible to arrange for a health check for your pet.