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Harbour Veterinary Group Newsletters

Spring 2008 News (371 KB)

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Information for Owners

Please visit our Pet Information section for more articles.

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.