Browsing tag: dog

At this time of year many people are planning their summer holidays, and so need to make arrangements for their pets too. Some people use their family, friends or pet-sitters to care for their pets in their own home; others prefer to use a boarding service, either in a home setting or a kennels or cattery. The choice is a personal one and depends on the services available in the area. As pets are members of the family, it is important to make arrangements that you are happy with.

Whichever type of service you decide to use, there are several ways in which you can help to make it a happy experience for your dog or cat:

1. Start when your pet is young. Puppies and kittens take new experiences in their stride. If it is too late to do this, or if your pet seems particularly shy, start with short stays and build up before a 2 or 3 week holiday. Most well-socialised pets will enjoy their holidays, allowing their owners to relax and enjoy theirs too.

2. Ask friends and neighbours to recommend a good place and then go and look round for yourself because not everyone likes the same things. Check for cleanliness and the general well-being of the pets. Respect the opening hours but beware of an establishment which does not allow inspection. If care is to be provided in your own home, interview the carer in advance, let them meet your pet(s) and check their experience and references.

3. Check that your chosen service offers everything you require. This could include grooming, collection and delivery, veterinary insurance, special diets etc. Check that your service carries proper insurance against unforeseen things like accident, escape, injury to third parties etc. If care is to be provided in your own home, check the position of your home insurance and be clear about whether the pet-sitter’s responsibilities include any elements of house-sitting, or if they are purely responsible for the pet(s).

4. Arrange necessary vaccinations in plenty of time and book early: good places will be fully booked at popular holiday times. If you go away frequently, make sure that the same service will be available all the year round so that your pet has a familiar routine on each occasion.

5. Discuss special needs or dietary requirements and medications at the time of booking. If your pet has a medical condition such as diabetes or epilepsy, it is particularly important that your chosen carer has the experience to deal with it. Make sure any tablets needed are clearly labelled, preferably in their original containers.

6. Ask if some of your pet’s familiar belongings can accompany them if they are not remaining in their own home. Bedding and bowls may not be accepted for hygiene reasons so ask what would be best to take.

8. To avoid stress, try to pack AFTER the pets have gone if they are going away from home.

9. Try to take a relaxed attitude yourself, as your pet will quickly pick up on your mood. If you find it stressful to take your pet to a sitter or a kennel or a cattery, you will make them anxious and it will take longer for them to settle. Perhaps another member of the family could deliver them for you.

If your dog trots off happily with his/her carer without a backward glance and your cat settles in without any problems you will know that all your planning and preparation has been worthwhile. They will still be delighted to see you when you get home.

Enjoy your holiday!

Cat is the vet for petstreet.co.uk an on-line social networking site for pet lovers.

This afternoon I had a consult with a women who had recently bought a Bichon Frise puppy and was at her wits end.  The pup was refusing to settle at night and she hadn’t slept properly for several days.  But, she wailed, as soon as she cracked and took the pup upstairs to bed with her, she settled down quickly and slept though the night with no problems. And there in lay the problem.

Leaving the litter and their mother is a very stressful time for a new puppy; not only have they been taken on by a completely new set of people and moved into a new home, it is also likely to be the first time they have ever been left on their own.  So, it is very common for them to not settle well for the first few nights.  However, there are several things you can do to help them; the most important of which is to NOT give in!  It may seem unkind, leaving the pup to cry but trust me, if you go to them just once, the whole process will be much harder and you may end up with a dog who never sleeps alone.  It might be cute to have a small puppy sharing your bed but just think what it will be like when they are fully grown and have been out in a muddy garden all day!

One of the most successful methods for getting pups to settle is to use a puppy crate.  These can be easily purchase from pet stores and come in various sizes.  They should be big enough for a bed, a water bowl, and a clear area for them to toilet if they need to.  Position the crate in a downstairs room, the kitchen is usually best, and leave the door open during the day.  The crate should be the pup’s own space, somewhere where they will go when they want to rest and somewhere where they feel safe and secure.  Encourage them to use it from day one by showing them the bed and giving treats and praise when they use it.  It is very important you never send a pup to the crate as a punishment, it must always be a positive space for them.  Crates help the pup to learn independence as they are on their own when they are in there and they can also be very helpful for toilet training as dogs will naturally try to not toilet where they sleep.  They are are very useful for you as an owner as you know when the pup is shut in the crate, they are safe when you leave them.

Another product which can be used very successfully to help puppies to sleep at night, or to settle whenever they are left are DAP diffusers.  DAP stands for Dog Appeasing Pheromone, it is a synthetic pheromone identical to the once which a nursing bitch releases from her mammary glands.  For a dog of any age, but particularly a pup, it is an extremely comforting and reassuring scent which makes them feel relaxed and secure.  DAP comes as either a plug-in diffuser (just like the ones containing household scents) or an impregnated collar.  The plug-ins should be positioned somewhere close to where the pup rests and last for about 6 weeks.  Humans cannot detect the smell so don’t worry!  The collars are also very effective for pups and research has shown that they can help them be more confident and out-going in all areas of their life, which can really aid their development into happy and well balanced adults.  Both the plug-ins and collars are available from your vet or larger pet stores.

All pups will give you some sleepless nights at the beginning, they are only babies after all and it is all part of the experience of being a new dog owner.  It is very important at these early stages to start as you mean to go on and this means, unfortunately, leaving them to cry if you want them to sleep alone.  Giving in, even once, will make things much harder as then the pup will know there are other options and, as dogs don’t have much concept of the passage of time, they will be able to keep crying for a very long while if they know that eventually you will come for them!  Also, learning to be independent and to cope on their own is an extremely important skill for a young pup and the dogs that never master this are often the ones which suffer from over-attachment and separation anxiety.  So, stay strong, right from the beginning, make sure everyone in the family knows the rules and it won’t be long before you are back to a full nights sleep.  However, it might be worth investing in some ear plugs, just for the start!

For more advice on how to look after your dog, please visit our Pet Care Advice pages. If you are worried about any aspect of your dog’s health, use our interactive Dog Symptom Guide to help decide what to do next.

Joe Inglis BVSc MRCVS is the vet for the One Show, This Morning and BBC Breakfast. He runs his own line of natural pet food called Pet’s Kitchen

Feed your pets ready made food which has been prepared with good quality ingredients.

As you may have seen there was an article in The Daily Mail recently about pet food and the dangers some processed foods can potentially pose to pets’ health. I was interviewed briefly for this and I’m quoted talking about the problems that artificial additives can cause.

The rest of the article is not so great though, pedalling many of the myths and un-scientific arguments that are put forward by people who believe that all commercial pet foods are terrible and the cause of all ill health in pets. In particular the arguments that feeding foods containing carbohydrate is responsible for urinary and renal disease in cats, something which has been clearly shown not to be true, and the claim that the only healthy way to feed a pet is on raw chicken wings.

To set the record straight, here are a couple of paragraphs from my forthcoming book ‘Your dog and You’, which is due to be published this summer, which deal with these issues:

Carbohydrates

“There have been many scare stories about this subject and the internet is awash with unfounded allegations claiming that the feeding of carbohydrate to cats and dogs is responsible for all manner of diseases, including urinary diseases, diabetes, cancer and many others. However, none of these issues are backed up with any credible evidence, and a recent meta-analysis of all the data surrounding the issue of feeding carbohydrate to pets by Dr Buffington of Ohio State University Hospital concluded that, and I quote, “Current published evidence thus does not support a direct role for diet in general, and carbohydrates in particular, on disease risk in domestic cats.” Dr Buffington goes on to explain how genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors (such as indoor-only housing of cats) play a far more significant role in many of the diseases in which effects are attributed to carbohydrate-rich diets.

So I am happy that the scientific evidence strongly refutes any link between the feeding of carbohydrate to pets and health problems and would recommend that this is not an issue that you should be worried about – far better to make sure the food you feed your dog is made with good quality ingredients, including good quality carbohydrates such as rice and oats, and is free from artificial additives which we know can cause harm.”

Raw feeding

There are many people who advocate feeding dogs on a diet that replicates as closely as possible their ‘ancestral diet’ – primarily raw meaty bones and scavenged scraps. There is logic in this argument, as evolution has worked over many hundreds of thousands of years to perfect the canine digestive tract to suit this kind of diet, so one could therefore easily assume that a raw diet based on this evolutionary history would be the best possible. But there’re also flaws in the argument, and one of the main ones is the assumption that just because a dog evolved to eat a raw diet scavenged from left over carcasses that this is the best diet it could possibly eat. The only reason dogs ate raw scraps was because that was all there was available and they developed their niche role as scavengers – but that does not mean that their digestive tracts have evolved in such as way that other foods might not be even better than scraps. It’s a bit like saying that our eyes evolved to spot predators and find food and therefore that is the best way to do those things – whereas most people would agree that modern technological advances such as binoculars or cameras or computers can help us to do these things better by working with our naturally evolved attributes.

I believe that while our dogs undoubtedly evolved to eat raw scraps scavenged from carcasses, we as their modern human companions can do an awful lot better than simply feed them the same subsistence diet they would get in the wild. To put it in other terms, would you prefer a modern cooked diet prepared using all the nutritional knowledge we’ve gained as an advanced society, or the same diet your stone-age ancestors used to eat? Assuming the answer is a modern diet, then I hope you can see the parallel for our dogs and the reason why we should not be persuaded by emotive arguments from the often passionate raw feeding lobby that only an ancestral diet will do.

I hope these articles help counter some of the bad science put forward in the article in the Mail!

For advice on appropriate diets for your dog or cat, please visit our Dog Diet and Cat Diet pages. If you are worried about your pet’s health, use our Interactive Symptom Guide to help decide what to do next.

Rusty with his Vet

Young Rusty the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel had an embarrassing problem. Everything was going well until he started to cock his leg at about five months of age. Instead of watering the local lampposts, Rusty had a problem which meant he urinated on the underside of his body and under his armpits. He was now over a year old with no sign of things getting better.

His owners were becoming very distraught about the problem. It meant Rusty had to be bathed at least once a day and his skin was starting to get sore where it was constantly wet. Something drastic had to be done. We all scratched our heads in the practice. Rusty had no illness problems and all his nerve reflexes were fine but he just seemed to slightly arch his back when he had a pee and everything went skywards.

I consulted a soft tissue specialist in Bristol and he said that he had only seen one other case which took two operations to correct. He talked me through the procedure and said that he thought it was something we could do without the need for referral to a specialist centre.

The result of Rusty's operation.

The plan was to close up the hole where Rusty normally peed and make a new hole a little further back but pointing downwards. Technically it’s known as a prepucial urinary diversion operation.

It’s always a little daunting to be doing an unfamiliar operation but the surgery went very well. Rusty seemed very comfortable at his three day post op check and had started to use the new hole almost immediately after going home. His owner was delighted. He even got used to wearing his Elizabethan collar whilst his stitches healed.

On the first trip up the road, Rusty cocked his leg against a car wheel which made a metallic ping when he hit the hub cap. He was so surprised, it made him jump! Now Rusty is marking his territory just like nature intended and we are all delighted.

The litter of puppies at 5 weeks old

Choosing our pup

We had decided the time was right to get a second boxer for all sorts of reasons. Most importantly, it was right for our older boxer to get a new companion while she was still young enough to enjoy her instead of finding her a chore.

We chose a breeder who owned both parents of the litter and went to see them all when the pups were 5 weeks old. We met both parents and found them to be lovely dogs. We wanted a bitch puppy and were lucky enough to have 4 to choose from. Luckily we both liked the same pup best, so we paid our deposit and went home to prepare for her arrival.

Tilly came to our house at 8 weeks old.

Tilly comes home

We had decided as a family on the name Tilly, although her full pedigree name is Milkyways Mad Discovery! The middle name is particularly apt. Like most pedigree puppies who are Kennel Club registered, she came with 6 weeks pet insurance cover and we made sure to take out our own policy before this expired. Although I’m a vet myself, I want to be sure that even if she needs specialist treatment one day, she will be able to have it.

House training

We chose to use a crate for Tilly, which worked really well. The idea is that because the puppy will not soil its bed area, as long as she is taken outside every time she wakes and after each feed, she will quickly learn to toilet outside. It’s vital that the puppy does not think of going into the crate as a punishment; it must be a comfortable den which becomes the pup’s own space.

Microchipping

I implanted a microchip as soon as Tilly arrived, to make sure she was permanently identified. Although she was not going to be out of our sight, we weren’t taking any chances! It was painless and she was as good as gold.

Feeding

We chose a good quality proprietary puppy food and Tilly was a good eater from the start. Having another dog can encourage a healthy appetite!

Vaccinations & Worming

Tilly had her first and second puppy vaccinations at 10 weeks and at 12 weeks old. She had a full examination first and was completely healthy. She also continued her worming course, which is very important as most pups are born with worms even if the dam was wormed properly.

Tilly looks up to Martha and has learned a lot from her. Martha scolds her when she gets too big for her boots.

Training Classes

A week after vaccinations were finished, Tilly could start exploring the outside world and get used to walking on a lead. She didn’t like it at first, but soon grew in confidence when she saw that Martha liked it. We enrolled her in a puppy training class because we think that all puppies benefit not just from training but from the socialisation that goes with it. The first few months are a very formative time in a puppy’s life and an ideal time to learn from new experiences. With this in mind she was taken for walks in the country, in town and on the beach. We took her on a train ride and visited a dog-friendly café. It was also important to us that she should get used to young children.

Kennels

We also wanted Tilly to be used to going into kennels from a young age. This was easy for us as we run our own kennels and we have made a point of boarding both dogs regularly. Luckily, she loves it. Sometimes when the kennel staff go back to work after tea breaks she tries to tag along with them!

Neutering

Tilly has not been neutered because we have not yet decided whether to breed from her. We will only do so if she has a suitable temperament and is free of hereditary conditions common in boxers, so she will be seeing a cardiologist before deciding. If anything is amiss we will not breed from her and will have her spayed.

I would always recommend spaying a bitch which is not going to be used for breeding. Although spaying is a major operation, great care is taken to make sure that the risks involved are very small. The benefits are much greater than the risks. Spaying will prevent several serious conditions such as pyometra (infected womb), ovarian cancer and uterine cancer. It will also minimise the risk of mammary cancer and, importantly, will prevent unwanted pregnancies.

First Birthday

At one year old, Tilly has almost reached full adult size, but still behaves very much like a puppy. One minute we are very proud of her mature behaviour; the next she is chasing her tail like a whirling dervish, or doing a double take at her own reflection in the oven door. When the oven is opened, I think she half expects the dog that lives inside to pop out!

We are looking forward to many more years of fun with Tilly.

Tilly can’t understand how the cats manage to use this door

She has just a few favourite toys at any one time, but they have to be close to indestructible

If you have any concerns about your puppy’s health, please contact your vet or use the interactive dog symptom guide to help you decide what to do next.

It is traditional at this time of year to make resolutions for ourselves. These often concern a healthier lifestyle, like exercising more, losing weight or giving up smoking. I know I make two out of those three every January, and if I was a smoker I would make all three. But we should also remember our pets’ wellbeing at this time.

It is estimated that 25-35% of dogs and slightly fewer cats in this country are overweight. A very small number of those will have a medical problem as the cause, such as hypothyroidism (which would be tested for by your vet if your dog is unable to lose weight or has other symptoms) but the vast majority are caused by us, the owners. Overfeeding and under-exercising are the main culprits, in other words, calorie intake is greater than energy used up.

It can be very difficult to notice that your own pet is putting on too much weight because when you see them every day, you do not notice a gradual change. It is important to have your pet weighed regularly and take advice from your vet or vet nurse about their weight. Many surgeries offer free clinics to help owners to manage their pet’s weight correctly. They will weigh him/her, discuss the best diet and the right amount, discuss exercise, set realistic targets etc. They may also assess your pet’s bodily condition by a system called body scoring. Some take photos so you can see progress, some offer prizes for slimmer of the month!

We all love to indulge our pets and it gives both pets and owners pleasure to give their animal a treat. But when a dog or cat becomes overweight it can lead to serious medical problems involving the heart, the joints, complications in diabetes, higher risks in surgical procedures and others. An obese animal, however well-loved, is not a well-cared for animal. In extreme cases obesity is a form of animal cruelty and animals have been removed from owners for their own welfare.

Prevention is much better than cure, as in all things, so feeding the right amount of an appropriate diet from a young age is important. If the dog or cat then gradually puts on weight over the years, it is up to the owner to modify their own behaviour. Dogs are scavengers by nature and will eat when the opportunity presents itself. If it presents itself frequently, most dogs will not say no thank you. Cats are often better than dogs at regulating their own intake, but there are exceptions and of course many cats are confined indoors which greatly reduces their exercise. As we are in control of the food supply, we need to make sure it is the right amount.

Unfortunately it can be difficult to accept that the obesity is the owner’s fault, not the pet’s fault. Seeking help with a good diet and exercise regime is the first step. Learning not to use tit-bits or treats as the main reward system or the main way of showing your pet affection is also crucial. Treats can be given but could be halved, or given half as frequently, or taken from the dog’s daily ration of food, or substituted with a healthier snack like a piece of carrot or something similar. Training yourself to offer praise and affection in place of tit-bits can be harder than training your dog.

If we were offered a new miracle treatment for our pets which would make them live longer and cost no money, we would probably be sceptical. But for a quarter of UK pet owners there really is such a thing, and it’s not only free but will actually save you money. Supervised weight loss and regular exercise for overweight pets will make them happier, healthier and help them to live longer. For dog owners, the exercise may also play a part in helping us to keep our own fitness resolutions.

Happy New Year!

Cat is the vet for petstreet.co.uk an on-line social networking site for pet lovers.

At this time of year a lot of us are thinking about our waist lines and planning a diet, but what about our pets? At least 20% of dogs and cats are thought to be obese. It is a problem which causes animals to be at risk of many other diseases, but can be easily treated with dietary control and exercise changes. So, I have compiled a list of ‘Top Tips’ to help you help your pet lose weight!

1. Encourage good eating habits from when your pet is young
* Feed your pet only at meal times.

* Use treats only as a training aid or a reward for good behaviour

* Do not vary the food too much; this will encourage your pet to be fussy.

* Do not encourage begging behaviour by giving in to it.

2. Weigh out your pets food

Never estimate the amount you feed your pet, always weigh it out. Alternatively, use a see though plastic container and mark it with the correct level of food.

If you feed a mixed diet of dry and tinned food, remember to reduce the recommended daily allowances of each to ensure you do not overfeed.

3. Feed twice daily instead of once

Feeding two small meals a day compared to one large one can really help to keep your pet feeling full, and stop them begging for treats when they get hungry.

4. Feed an appropriate diet for your pet

* Consider switching to a ´light´ diet if your pet is over weight, or prone to gaining weight.

*There are now specific diets for neutered pets which are lower in calories and help prevent other health problems.

*Don’t feed working breeds, such as Labradors and Springer Spaniels, a working breed food unless they are actually used to work, as these are very high in calories.

5. Cut back on treats

* Treats and ´extras´ can really add calories to your pets diet, try to cut back on them as much as possible.

* Only reward your pet when they have done something worth rewarding.

* Remember, your attention and fuss is just as important to your pet as a treat.

* When you do treat your pet, look at what is in your hand and break it in half, instantly halving the amount of calories they take in!

* Try treating your pet with carrots instead of biscuits.

6. Use a ´daily food tub´

* Keep the plastic container with your pets daily food allowance on the side. Use the biscuits out of that to treat them or give them extras.

* When the tub is empty, you know your pet has had their daily allowance, and they shouldn´t have any more.

* This is particularly good for families where more than one person feeds or treats your pet, as everyone knows when the tub is empty, that’s it for the day!

7. Do not give table scraps!

* Table scraps are one of the biggest culprits for encouraging your pet to gain weight and if they need to go one a diet, they should be cut out completely.

* Human food is often loaded with calories, and many animals stomachs cannot cope with its richness.

* If you cannot resist your pets pleading eyes at the table, then remove them from the room while you are eating.

8. Increase your pet’s exercise

* This is vital if your pet is to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

* Dogs should have at least 1 hours off the lead exercise every day.

* Encourage cats to play, or let them outside.

9. Make sure they are not getting fed elsewhere

This is particularly relevant for cats, who will often pop to the neighbour’s for a second breakfast!
However, many dogs will often spend the day with family or friends while their owners are out at work.
Make sure everybody knows that your pet is on a diet and not too feed them any extras.

10. If you are concerned about your pets weight, take them along to the vets.

All vets will have scales they can stand on and you will be able to find out their ideal weight. You shouldn´t need an appointment for this and most vets and vet nurses will happily advise you on how to help you pet shed a few pounds without any charge.  Click here to find your nearest vet.

Click here for more information about what to feed your dog and feeding your cat

One of the most common problems small animal vets see in dogs, almost daily, is anal gland trouble. Although cats have anal glands too, they rarely cause trouble.

All dogs have two anal glands (or anal sacs) situated just inside the rectum, one on each side. The cells which line the glands produce a foul-smelling substance which dogs use as a territory- marking device. When the dog passes faeces, the anal glands get squeezed and the scent is deposited as well. The normal anal gland is about the size of a pea in a small dog or a grape in a larger dog, depending how full it is. The anal gland secretion travels down a short tube or duct to enter the rectum. It can be liquid or more like a paste in texture.

The arrows show the position of the anal glands

When everything is working properly, the anal glands empty naturally and cause no trouble. Unfortunately it is quite common for the glands to become over-full or for the duct to become blocked, and then they cause discomfort. When they do not empty naturally, they are described as impacted and the condition is called anal gland saculitis. The dog will then try to lick at the area or will “scoot” their bottom along the ground in an attempt to relieve the irritation. This may well make things worse and allow infection to enter, leading to an abscess. If things get this bad, the main sign will be pain, or a blood-stained discharge if it bursts.

Dogs who suffer from this problem regularly will tend to show similar symptoms each time. As well as scooting or licking under their tail, dogs which cannot easily reach the area may chew themselves on their back or their feet instead. Sometimes the first sign of trouble is a distinctive and very unpleasant fishy smell. Owners will usually recognise the signs in their own dog and have the glands emptied promptly by their groomer or vet.

Luckily the anal glands can be emptied fairly easily once the knack has been acquired, and as long as there is no infection present, this will be all that’s necessary. If an owner feels confident to do this job themselves, they could ask the vet to show them how to do it. It is not the nicest job in the world, because of the smell and because of the uncanny ability of the contents to squirt in unexpected directions! On the other hand, it is quite rewarding to bring almost instant relief to the dog in most cases.

If an abscess forms, it may have to be lanced and flushed out, and antibiotics will be needed. Pain-killers may also be advised as an abscess is very painful.

When anal glands cause repeated problems it is sometimes advisable to have them surgically removed under anaesthetic by your vet. Like any other operation, the advantages of this type of surgery need to be weighed up against the possible risks. It would not be recommended in cases where symptoms are mild and easily sorted out by manual emptying.

Prevention may be possible by changing the diet or increasing the amount of fibre to make the dog’s stool firmer, for example by adding bran to the diet. Anything which causes a soft or runny stool can cause anal gland problems.

Further advice can be obtained from your own veterinary surgery.

Jenny Sheriff BVM&S MRCVS

Christmas is one of my favourite times of year, all those presents and decorations, not to mention the yummy food!  However, there are problems we see commonly with pets around the holiday season that are directly connected with the festivities and this blog is about recognising and helping to prevent them.

Chocolate

Chocolate is poisonous to dogs and there is often a lot more of it around at this time of year!  The basic rule is the posher the chocolate, the worse it is, as the more expensive brands contain higher percentages of cocoa solids.  The cocoa solids are ingredient which is dangerous and they can cause agitation, palpitations and damage both the heart and the kidneys.  If your dog has eaten chocolate and you are concerned, call your vet and keep the packaging, so you can tell them the cocoa solid percentage.  Chocolate poisoning is treated by making the dog sick, putting them on a drip and giving them sedatives.  Ensure during the festive period that all treats are kept well out of reach of dogs (don’t forget the ones on the tree!) and that the only chocolate they are given is especially for dogs.

Christmas dinner

It is tempting, when we are tucking into a fabulous spread for Christmas lunch, to share this with our pets.  However, their bodies are less able to cope with unusually rich food than us and nobody wants to be clearing up vomit and diarrhoea on Christmas day.  If you do give your pet a treat, stick to small amounts of lean meat and vegetables, avoid rich gravy or dressings.   Also, NEVER feed cats or dogs turkey bones.  These can cause huge damage to the guts and sometimes require expensive surgery to remove them. Another thing to avoid is giving Christmas pudding or cake to your dog, as raisins are very toxic to dogs.

Tinsel and decorations

Cats find tinsel fascinating and will often play with it if they get the chance.  However, this can cause problems.  The way cat’s heads are put together means they are prone to getting things stuck around the back of their throat.  The small fronds of tinsel are just the right size to get caught here, especially if the cat has been chewing at them and they usually require an anaesthetic to remove them.  You should also take care to keep any delicate or glass decorations or baubles out of reach, as they could cause a pet significant damage if they are broken or eaten.  Sometimes, especially if your animals are young or lively, it can be best to dispense with the posh Christmas decs until they are older or calm down and stick to the ordinary plastic ones instead!

Visitors

Christmas is a time for socialising, which often means a regular supply of visitors to the house.  Most animals will cope with this fine and enjoy all the extra attention, but some will find this very stressful.  If you know your cat or dog dislikes having people in the house, ensure they have the means to escape from them and don’t force them to be sociable.  Also, stick as close to their normal routine as possible, which help them feel more settled.

Fireworks

A great many pets find fireworks with their bangs and flashes very frightening and  they are commonly set off at this time of year.  It is important you deal with this fear correctly to ensure that you do not inadvertently make it worse.  Firstly, prepare a ‘den’ for your pet somewhere in your home where they feel safe.  It should be warm and cosy with a covered top as pets will feel most secure being completely surrounded.  Try using the DAP or Feliway diffusers to calm pets, these release comforting pheromones which can help your pet feel much more secure.  When the fireworks are happening, keep the curtains closed, play the TV or radio to drown out the noise and, hard though it is, try not to comfort them when they are scared as this will only praise the behaviour and can make them worse.  Finally, consider starting a desensitising programme to help your pet cope with the fireworks once the season is over, your vet will be able to advise you on this and provide CDs of firework noises to play.

If you have questions about this, or any other pet related subject, you should contact your vet.

Cat is the vet for petstreet.co.uk an on-line social networking site for pet lovers.

To a gardener, slugs and snails can be a nuisance because they eat your plants, but to dogs they can pose a serious health risk because they act as an intermediate host for one of the most serious types of internal worms.

The worm called Angiostrongylus Vasorum is sometimes referred to as lungworm or heartworm (although other types of lungworm and heartworm also exist). It affects dogs and foxes, and in the last few years it seems to have spread across most of Northern Europe including the U.K. I have seen two cases in the south-west of England in the last year. I am pleased to say that both dogs survived but they were both very ill for a time.

The life cycle of this parasite takes place partly inside the dog (the host) and partly inside the snail or slug (the intermediate host). An infected dog or fox will have adult worms in the lungs and blood vessels, which produce eggs. These worm eggs are coughed up and swallowed by the dog, and then passed out in the faeces. They are then eaten by the slug or snail, which completes the cycle of infestation when eaten by another dog.

It can be easy to see, or hear, if your dog eats a snail because of the crunching sounds, but it is much harder to know if they eat slugs. Unfortunately some of the slugs are quite small and any dog which grazes on grass or drinks from puddles could be swallowing tiny slugs.

The symptoms of infection with this parasite can be quite varied. The effects on the lungs may cause coughing or breathlessness on exercise. Various bleeding disorders can be caused by the blood failing to clot, which may show as nosebleeds or bleeding in the mouth or eyes, or unexpected bleeding after surgery. Less commonly the brain, kidneys or central nervous system can be affected. All of these are serious and can be fatal.

Diagnosing the cause of the problem is by a combination of a physical examination, blood tests and faecal tests (to identify worm larvae). Other tests such as x-rays or ultrasound imaging may be necessary in cases where the symptoms are less clear cut, to distinguish this from other conditions.

The good news is that treatment is available with a number of drugs available from your vet. Some commonly prescribed worm tablets and some commonly prescribed flea treatments will kill this parasite (when used as directed by your vet, which may be more frequently than for other parasites), and this is just one reason why all dogs should follow a suitable parasite treatment regime. Dogs with more serious symptoms will require intensive care and possibly blood transfusions and other drugs.

The best advice to dog owners to avoid this problem is:

1. Ask your vet which is the most suitable product to use for routine worm and flea treatment, and use it regularly, even if you don’t suspect that your dog has any parasites.
2. Try to stop your dog eating slugs and snails if you can.
3. Pick up your dog’s faeces and dispose of properly.
4. Don’t be tempted to use slug bait, as this can be very poisonous.

Please ask at your veterinary surgery if you would like more information or advice on this very unpleasant parasite.

Jenny Sheriff BVM&S MRCVS

3/12/09

If you are concerned that your dog is coughing or having nosebleeds use the interactive dog symptom guide to find out what you should do.