Browsing tag: infection

Most pet owners will have been asked by their vet, probably more than once, whether there has been any change in the amount their dog or cat is drinking. It is an important question because the answer can give us valuable information. Of course thirst increases naturally in hot weather, after exercise and when being fed a dry diet, but it can be much more significant than that. The dog or cat will probably spend more time at the drinking bowl, or the owner will notice that they have to refill it more often than expected. The amount of urine passed will increase as well, and this may be the first sign noticed by the owner.

An increase in thirst can be a side effect of certain drugs, but can also be caused by a number of quite serious problems. It is always important to mention it to your vet. Some of the most common causes of increased thirst (polydipsia) are:

1. Fever, which can have many causes including infections or bite wounds

2. Kidney disease, where the kidneys lose their ability to filter waste products from the blood and control its salt content

3. Liver disease, which can take a number of different forms when the various functions of the liver are not being carried out as efficiently as normal

4. Diabetes mellitus, when there is a lack of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas which controls blood sugar levels

5. Diabetes insipidus, when the animal lacks anti-diuretic hormones so is unable to concentrate the urine

6. Cushing’s disease, when an excess of natural steroid hormones is produced by the adrenal gland

7. Pyometra (in unspayed females) is an infection of the womb (uterus) which can be sudden or gradual in onset

8. Urinary infection or bladder stones

9. Hyperthyroidism, more common in older cats, where increased thirst is only one of many symptoms caused by an excess of thyroid hormone.

Other causes also occur, and sometimes there is more than one cause present at a time.

To find out the reason for an increase in thirst, your dog or cat will need to have a full clinical examination. Small clues can be gathered from examination of every part of the body. For example, the colour of the “whites of the eyes” may change in liver disease. Weight loss or gain could be important. Feeling the abdomen may reveal enlargement of individual organs such as liver or kidneys. A discharge from the vagina could indicate a womb infection (pyometra) in an unspayed female. A heart murmur is often present in hyperthyroidism, and changes in skin and body shape occur in Cushing’s disease.

These clues mean more when considered with the full history of the animal. The age, gender, whether neutered, breed, type of diet, previous illnesses and vaccination status are all relevant. Then the vet will need to ask about the increase in thirst. How long ago did it start? Was it sudden or gradual? Have any changes been noticed in the appetite? You may be asked to measure your dog or cat’s water intake over 24hrs to check whether it is abnormally high or not.

Usually some lab tests will need to be carried out to diagnose the problem. A urine sample is useful to look for signs of infection, crystals or substances which should normally be removed by the kidneys, and to measure the kidney’s ability to concentrate the urine.

A blood test is nearly always needed to distinguish between the various possible causes. The first test is usually a general screening test to narrow it down, followed by more specific tests to reach a diagnosis. To get to the correct diagnosis can take time.

X-rays or ultrasound imaging can be used to visualise the internal organs and might be advised if the results of blood tests suggest they would be useful.

Many of the causes of increased thirst are very serious if left untreated, but many are also very treatable. They require very different treatments, so it is well worth diagnosing the problem so that the right treatment can be given.

If you are worried that your cat or dog may be drinking more, or about any other problems, talk to your vet or try using our Interactive Symptom Guide to help decide what to do next.

Grissom at 3 months old

This handsome fellow is Grissom, a lively 3 month old kitten. Like the TV character he is named after, he is extremely inquisitive and tenacious.

Grissom belongs to a good friend of mine and enjoys all the luxuries that a cat-loving household can offer. But unfortunately he had a very bad start in life when he succumbed to cat flu as a young kitten in a rescue cattery.

Cat flu is a viral illness which can affect cats of any age and breed, but the very young are most susceptible. Kittens born to unvaccinated mothers are especially vulnerable as they do not start life with good levels of immunity. The main strains of cat flu are feline viral rhinotracheitis and feline calicivirus, but there are other viruses and bacteria causing similar symptoms.

The signs of cat flu are very similar to flu in humans (although it is not caused by the same viruses). Cats will sneeze and have runny noses and sticky eyes, go off their food and generally look unwell. They are likely to have a raised temperature and become lethargic. Some strains also cause mouth ulcers. As a result of not eating and drinking they can quickly lose weight and become dehydrated. Longer term effects can include damage to the eyes or chronic snuffles. Most cats will get over the illness in 2-3 weeks, but unfortunately some will die of cat flu, sometimes in spite of receiving all the treatment possible. After infection, some cats will become carriers, which means they will intermittently shed virus, acting as a reservoir of infection for other cats. Known carriers should be isolated from other cats.

Flu viruses spread very easily between cats as virus particles are shed in the saliva and the secretions from the nose and eyes. They spread when the cat sneezes, and they can also survive on bowls and litter trays, and on the hands and clothes of people dealing with them. Disinfection is an important part of prevention of spread, and in a multi-cat household or a cattery, any affected cats should be isolated.

2 weeks of constant nursing care were essential to Grissom's recovery

Viruses themselves are difficult to treat and anti-viral drugs are not generally available, but most cats with cat flu will also have secondary bacterial infections of the chest, throat or eyes, which can be helped with antibiotics. In serious cases they may also need to be given fluids by a drip. Nursing care is extremely important to their recovery. I don’t think Grissom would be here today if he hadn’t had round the clock nursing care, first of all at his vets and then at home, for nearly 2 weeks. This includes cleaning the eyes and applying drops, syringe feeding, steam inhalation to clear airways and general TLC. All of this has to be done in isolation from other cats. Now that Grissom is better, he is a very well-socialised cat who enjoys human company.

Routine vaccination against cat flu is the best way to prevent it. There isn’t a 100% guarantee because of the different strains involved, but it will greatly improve the odds.  Rarely, vaccination itself can have some unwanted side effects, but I believe that the small risks involved in vaccination are outweighed many times over by the benefits. Kittens can be vaccinated from about 9 weeks of age, with the primary course requiring two injections a few weeks apart, and then an annual booster.

Boarding catteries and breeding catteries have to be particularly careful to prevent outbreaks of cat flu, which happens much more commonly where many cats are housed together. It is preferable to house cats in smaller numbers, with solid “sneeze barriers” between them to prevent spread. Boarding catteries will not accept cats which have not been vaccinated.

Cat flu is still one of the most common viral illnesses of cats and can be very serious and unpleasant. It is well worth taking all possible steps to prevent it.

If you are worried that your cat may have cat flu, or any other symptoms, please contact your vet or use our interactive Cat Symptom Guide to help you decide what to do next.

Most people are aware of tetanus (“lockjaw”) either through having vaccinations at the health centre or perhaps if they own a horse which has to be vaccinated against the disease.

Both humans and horses are genetically susceptible to tetanus and a particularly risky combination of events is when a gardener receives a wound whilst handling horse dung. The tetanus-producing organism (Clostridium tetani) is found naturally in soil and horse manure and can exist as spores for many years.

Dogs and cats only rarely get tetanus. In fact most vets will only see one or two cases in their professional lifetime but once seen, never forgotten. Because of the years I spent in animal welfare practice with a high turnover of cases, I managed to see two dogs and two cats with the condition during a period of 37 years.

Dogs get the condition much more seriously. The disease affects the nervous system by producing a toxin which causes all the muscles to eventually go into spasm so the dog becomes almost as rigid as a rocking horse and the muscles of the mouth are drawn back in what is known as a sardonic smile (risus sardonicus). Eating, drinking and even blinking become almost impossible and in dogs the condition is often fatal if intensive care is not administered early enough.

Amber showing her rigid hind leg.

Cats are a different proposition. The tetanus bacteria are often introduced from a wound or a fight and the muscle spasm is usually localised in a hind leg. Over a period of a few days the leg becomes completely rigid and can only be trailed behind the cat.

Amber was a three year old cat who enjoyed going out at night. Inevitably she got involved in a few territorial fights on her travels. Her owner brought her in because she was obviously lame.

Amber's wound, the source of the tetanus infection, with the other cat's tooth.

When I examined her, I found another cat’s canine tooth embedded in her back leg. This deep puncture had allowed the tetanus organisms to become established in her damaged muscle tissue and the toxin then affected the muscles of the whole leg.

I started Amber on a combination of penicillin, a drug called metronidazole and diazepam to relax the muscles and reduce the discomfort for her. It took about a week for the treatment to start to work and then there was a gradual relaxation of the muscles. By three weeks after she had been diagnosed, there was no trace of stiffness. During all this time, Amber continued to eat well and was only inconvenienced by the lameness.

After the first case I saw in a cat, I reported it to our professional journal, The Veterinary Record. A few people wrote to me to say that they had seen cases in the tropics where cats had been neutered in less than ideal surgical conditions and without the benefit of antibiotics.

So while tetanus is a pretty rare occurrence in the cat and cannot be vaccinated against, perhaps this case will remind us that the potential for tetanus is always present in the environment and that we should make sure that our own tetanus vaccinations are boosted every ten years and that we get a dose of antitoxin whenever we have a contaminated puncture wound.

Horse owners should consult their vet about keeping up booster vaccinations against tetanus. Intervals vary so ask your vet for advice. It is important to remember that the antitoxin given when a horse has treatment for a wound will only give up to three weeks protection if the horse has not been vaccinated against tetanus.

If you are concerned about any health problems in your cat, please contact your vet or use our interactive Cat Symptom Guide to help you decide what to do next.

Wally relaxing at home

Some cases stick in your mind because they are unusual or because the patient is a bit of a character, or both. One such case was Wally the collie, who needed a major operation a few years ago.

Wally was well known at the surgery, partly because he had epilepsy, so he made regular visits for check-ups and blood tests, and his condition was well controlled. Despite a poor start in life before his present owner acquired him as a rescue dog from the Blue Cross, he had become a lovely dog with such a good temperament that he became a P.A.T. dog (Pets as Therapy), visiting residential homes for the elderly where I am sure he brought a lot of pleasure into the lives of the residents.

Wally was 9 years old, well past the age when dogs normally chew things up, but he had a long history of such misdemeanours. Since his owner had him he had chewed up and swallowed many items. He had previously chewed the electric cable to the pump in an outside pond, even though the cable was encased in hosepipe and insulation.

On the day in question Wally had taken a liking to another electric cable. This one was indoors, neatly coiled and secured with a Velcro band. Fortunately it was not plugged in to the mains supply. Wally’s owner knew that he had chewed it up but hoped he might be able to pass the bits naturally, as had always happened before. By the next day, however, it became obvious that Wally had problems as he started to vomit repeatedly.

When Wally was examined there was nothing remarkable to find, but the history meant that an x-ray would be necessary, so he was anaesthetised. The changes seen on an x-ray can be very subtle or very obvious, but they are never more obvious than when a dog has swallowed an object which does not allow x-rays to pass through it (a radio-opaque foreign body). The picture immediately confirmed our strong suspicion that Wally had overdone it this time. In the stomach were large amounts of cable, unable to move on into the intestines. A few smaller pieces which had reached the intestines also showed up clearly. The only way to remove the cable was by opening up Wally’s abdomen (a laparotomy) and then deciding which parts of the stomach and intestines needed to be opened to remove all the cable.

X-ray by kind permission of Corner House Veterinary Surgery.

Wally was given intravenous fluids by a drip into his vein because he had been vomiting repeatedly and he had to face a long operation. He was also given antibiotics because of the risk of infection involved in this type of surgery and, of course, pain-relief.

The smaller parts of cable had luckily reached the large intestine where there was a good chance that they would pass out naturally, but to make absolutely sure, they were carefully eased towards the anus by very gentle squeezing of the large intestine from inside Wally’s abdomen. A second vet assisted by working at the less pleasant end to receive each piece, making sure that there was no tearing of the delicate lining of the bowel.

Then Wally’s stomach was opened (a gastrotomy) after applying bowel clamps to seal it off. A large tangle of cable was removed, complete with Velcro band! After a thorough search to make sure nothing remained inside that shouldn’t be there, the stomach wall was sewn up in two separate layers, and then the muscle layer and finally the skin. Then Wally was allowed to wake up.

Wally made a good recovery and after spending a night at the surgery, he returned home. He had to have a light diet and reduced exercise for a while until all the internal and external stitches had healed. Fortunately he never needed another similar operation, although he did chew through the cable of the Christmas tree lights later the same year!

Wally is sadly no longer with us, but will not be forgotten.

If you are worried that your dog may have swallowed something inedible, or concerned about any other problems, please contact your vet or use our interactive Dog Symptom Guide to help you decide what to do next. For more information about insurance which could ensure the cost of operations like this one are covered, please see our pet insurance pages.

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