Author Archives: hounslowvets

Taking your pet abroad- what diseases might they catch?

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Most people know that they can use a passport to travel with their pets to countries within the European Union, and to some countries outside the European union. See DEFRA’s website for further details. http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/

However you may not be aware that there are a number of diseases that can be caught when your pet travels abroad that we do not have in the United Kingdom. The commonest ones are spread by ticks, mosquitoes or sand flies. The British Veterinary Asociation has produced a very useful leaflet outlining the common diseases. The link to the leaflet is

http://www.bva-awf.org.uk/resources/leaflets/

We recommend tick protection can be provided by using Frontline , Sandy Fly prevention with Scalibor, and Heartworm protection with Advocate.

Pet passports- and important travel tips

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 Pet Passports and important travel tips

 

    • A Pet Passport can be used to travel with your pet to countries within the European Union, and to some countries outside the European union. The requirements for dogs, cats and ferrets travelling within EU and listed non-EU countries are:

 

 

    • 1- Microchip
      2- Vaccination against rabies at least 21 days before travel.
      3- Pet passport issued by official veterinarian  (Mr A Young or Mr M Wilson are both able to do this at Young Veterinary Partnership)
      4- Before RETURN ONLY  to the UK dogs must be treated for tapeworm by a vet, 1-5 days before getting on the ferry or plane. ( there is no requirement for cats).

 

 

      • However you may not be aware that there are a number of diseases that can be caught when your pet travels abroad that we do not have in the United Kingdom. The commonest ones are spread by ticks, mosquitoes or sand flies. It is important to use preventative measures to avoid your pet picking up one of these serious diseases whilst travelling.

 

Tick borne diseases:

 

 

      • Babesiosis is transmitted by ticks to dogs and is present in central and southern europe.  It causes fever , anaemia, red or brown urine and can cause jaundice amongst other signs.

 

 

      • Ehrlichiosis– a tick borne disease encountered in Southern Europe and many other countries worldwide. It causes swollen glands, fever and bleeding amongst other signs.

 

 

      • Hepatozoonosis is another tick borne disease affecting dogs mainly but occasionally cats in countries bordering the Mediterranean. Diagnosis and treatment is difficult.

 

 

 

      • Tick control– avoid wooded areas , and areas with livestock, use tick spot on treatments such as Advantix, or a collar such as Scallibor. Also take a tick removal instrument (o’Tom tick twister) and remove any ticks as soon as possible. Remember to start tick preventative treatment BEFORE you travel.

 

Sandfly and mosquito borne diseases:

 

      • Leishmania– transmitted by sandflies in Spain, France, Italy and other Mediterranean countries, affecting dogs and cats. It causes skin inflammation and ulceration. Prevention is by using sandfly repellants ( started 3 weeks BEFORE travelling), keeping pets indoors from 1 hour before dusk to 1 hour after dawn, and using fly repellants in the house. There is also a vaccine available for dogs, but it needs to be given before travelling.

 

 

      • Heartworm– affects mostly dogs, but occasionally cats, and is transmitted by mosquitoes. Most southern European countries ( and any with mosquitoes) are affected. It can take many months before symptoms appear and causes weakness, coughing  and heart failure.  Monthly Advocate spot on treatment is recommended.

 

 

 

 

      • The British Veterinary Asociation has produced a very useful leaflet outlining the common diseases.The link to the leaflet is

http://www.bva-awf.org.uk/resources/leaflets/

How and when to clean your dog's ears

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Have a look at this ear cleaning video if you would like any tips on how to clean your own dogs ears.  Dogs ears should normally look clean when you look inside, so if there is a dark waxy discharge,  you can use an ear cleaner to loosen the wax and clean out the ear. We would recommend coming to the surgery to pick up an ear cleaner, and the nurse or vet can recommend the best one to use.
If the ear looks very red, has an abnormal smell, or is sore, then you should make an appointment with your vet, to have it checked before using any ear cleaners.
See www.youngvets.co.uk for contact details of your local surgery

 

 

Cleaning dog ears- how to and when ?

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  • Have a look at this ear cleaning video if you would like any tips on how to clean your own dogs ears.  Dogs ears should normally look clean when you look inside, so if there is a dark waxy discharge,  you can use an ear cleaner to loosen the wax and clean out the ear. We would recommend coming to the surgery to pick up an ear cleaner, and the nurse or vet can recommend the best one to use.

 

  • If the ear looks very red, has an abnormal smell, or is sore, then you should make an appointment with your vet, to have it checked before using any ear cleaners. Please note that ear mites are usually seen in young puppies ( usually picked up via close contact with their mums), and so it is not appropriate in adult dogs to use mite treatments in their ears without being checked first by your vet.

 

  • Ear problems in adult dogs may be caused by grass seeds, which usually causes acute onset irritation. If present they will need to be removed by a vet, as they are usually lodged deep down at the eardrum level.

 

 

  •  The commonest cause of recurrent ear problems in adult dogs is allergies. It is important to get your dog checked by a vet if ear problems persist or recur frequently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chiswick House Summer Opera in the Gardens 2012

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Friends of Chiswick House Summer Opera in the Gardens 2012

 

Performed in Chiswick House Gardens by Opera Brava,we are once again sponsoring this atmospheric local event.  Staged over two nights on the magnificent lawns behind Chiswick House, Opera Brava will perform Midsummer Gala on 20th June followed by Madam Butterfly on 21st June.  Both performances take place in the evening and audiences are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy the splendid ambience created by the event and its backdrop.  This is one of the Friends’ key fundraising events, proceeds of which are used to support Chiswick House and its Gardens.

Choosing your puppy

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New research published in the Veterinary Record has proved the importance of seeing your pups’ parents when choosing a puppy.
Owners who had seen neither parent are 4 times as likely to need to take their dog to see an animal behaviourist. Owners who had seen just one parent (usually the mother) are 2.5 times as likely to have behavioural problems with their dog than owners who had seen both owners.

Seeing the mother allows you to assess the mother’s temperament, its condition and the puppies rearing environment. Ideally your puppy should not be separated from its mother until 8 weeks of age, which also reduces the chances of future behaviour problems. We recommend an eight week health check up with your vet, when the first vaccination can be administered.  See www.youngvets.co.uk for  contact details of your nearest surgery in Ealing, Brentford, Chiswick or Hounslow.

Breeding a litter of puppies

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Many people will decide to let their bitch  have a single litter of pups. Most bitches will have a healthy litter of pups without needing any medical intervention. The following is some pointers about the processes involved, and an indication of what is normal.

The mother should be up to date with vaccinations before she is mated.  Bitches ovulate around 12 days after the onset of the season, and will normally stand to be mated once the blood spotting has stopped. Two matings 2 days apart at this time are ideal. Once pregnant a monthly treatment with a  spot on wormer (Stronghold) will reduce transmission of any  worms to the puppies.

The normal gestation period is 63 days (9 weeks), but the time from mating to giving birth can be 63 days +/- 1 week.  Providing a warm bed in a quiet and draft free region of the house is a good idea. The mothers rectal temperature will normally drop  1-2 degrees C within 24 hours of giving birth.  Once second stage labour has started, and the mother starts strong contractions, a puppy should be produced with 30 minutes.  Veterinary attention should be sought if strong contractions have been seen for more than 30 minutes, or if weak straining has been seen for more than 4 hours, or if fetal fluids were seen more than 3 hours without a puppy being produced.  Puppies can be produced at intervals ranging from 5 minute to 2 hours. The mother should break the umbilical cord instinctively and lick the puppy clean which stimulates the puppy to breath. If the mother is not doing this then the face should be cleaned of  fetal membranes with a towel , and then  the towel is   used to rub the puppy gently but briskly for 30 seconds, to dry them off and stimulate breathing.

The temperature in the puppy area should be kept warm – around 30 C at birth. Infra-red lamps can be ideal to provide this heat.

Puppies normally feed every 2-3 hours for the first few days after birth. The first milk produced in the first 24 hours is called colostrum, and boosts the immune system. Thus is is very important that all puppies suckle this early milk. They should gain 5-10% of their body weight each day and should weigh double their birth weight by day 10-12.

They should be lifting their heads by 3 days and crawling by 7 days but are usually unable to stand until the end of the third week. They will spend 80% of their time sleeping.  Body temperature is lower (35-37C) in new born  puppies than an adult dog. The normal breathing is 10 to 20 breaths per minute at birth, increasing to 15-40 breaths per minute by 7 days old. (the smaller the breed the higher the rate).

The puppies eyes are closed at birth and normally open at 2 weeks, and the ears are also closed at birth and open at 14-16 days. There is normally no discharge from the eyes or nose.

Worming can be started from 3-4 weeks of age, and repeated every 2 weeks with panacur. Solid foods can be started from 3 -4 weeks of age by mixing a good quality complete puppy food with some powdered formula bitch milk ( lactol),  four times daily.

See www.youngvets.co.uk for contact details for your nearest vet surgery in west london.

 

Pet Passport scheme changes

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As from 1st January 2012, the requirements for the pet passport scheme changes, for both dogs and cats. Pets will still need to be microchipped and have a rabies vaccination, but will no longer require a blood test for rabies. Pets will need to wait 3 weeks after the rabies vaccination before entering the UK. On return to the UK, pets need to be treated for tapeworm by a veterinary surgeon, 24-120 hours (1-5 days) before embarking for the UK (by ferry or air).

Grant Cochrane

 

Pets travelling to the UK from unlisted countries outside the EU will need to be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies, pass a rabies blood test and then wait 3 months in the country of origin. See www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets/ for further information about the pet passport scheme and countries included.

Our vets can issue pet passports at our Hounslow and Ealing surgeries. Please see www.youngvets.co.uk for contact details.

Pet Poisons at Christmas time

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COMMON CHRISTMAS POISONS

  • Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, Stollen and mince pies can all be poisonous to dogs. Unfortunately this is because grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas can be toxic. Some dogs exhibit no effects but others can develop kidney failure after a few raisins. The mechanism of action is unknown, but dogs may start with vomiting and diarrhoea, and then develop renal failure 24-72 hours later. 

    Cats may also be susceptible, but are generally more sensible and pickier eaters !

  • Chocolate is toxic in relation to the amount of theobromine eaten. There is much more in dark chocolate compared to milk chocolate, or white chocolate, and 20gms or more of dark chocolate for a 20kg dog can be toxic. Signs include vomiting, diarrhoea and hyperactivity.

  • Poisonous Plants- Holly and ivy can result in drooling, retching or vomiting, Mistletoe can cause retching, vomiting and salivation. Pointsettia is reported to be very toxic to cats, although may just cause vomiting.

  • Lillies are highly toxic to cats and any part of the plant, the pollen, plant or leaves are poisonous. Ingestion may result in kidney failure a few days later.

If you have any queries about these issues please see our contact details at www.youngvets.co.uk

Have a safe Christmas !

Dog behavioural problems linked to early separation from dam

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Recent research has shown that premature separation of puppies from their mothers can lead to behavioural problems later in life. A study in The Veterinary Record, compared 70 adult dogs, who as puppies had been separated from their mother and littermates at five weeks old with 70 adult dogs who were not separated until after eight weeks of age. The study concluded that early age separation was a significant predictor of excessive barking, fearfulness on walks, reactivity to noises, and attention seeking behaviour in adult life.
Excessive stress affects and hinders normal brain development in a dog during the crucial first two months of life. This can then lead to behavioural problems persisting into adulthood. Dogs with behavioural problems may experience an increased risk of abandonment, rehoming or euthanasia.

As vets, we recommend that puppies remain with their mothers until eight weeks of age. Mothers and pups should also be kept in conditions which foster wellbeing and security and minimise stress and fear to reduce the likelihood of behavioural problems developing later.

So if you are looking for a puppy we suggest that you check that all the puppies and their mother are well cared for, have lots of opportunity for interaction with people and that you do not bring your puppy home until it is eight weeks old.