A leading Essex vets is warning of the dangers that spring can bring for pets when they’re out in gardens and parks.
It’s the time of year when people like to banish the winter blues and get out in the fresh air, which can present a host of potential dangers to dogs and cats.
Kevin Wood, clinical director at Cherrydown Vets in Basildon, is urging animal lovers to be aware of the potential issues their pets could face.
Bulbs, weed killer, lawn feed and fertiliser can all be poisonous to pets and some plants are also toxic – including bluebells, which can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and an irregular heartbeat.
And while ticks are alive in tall grass, lawns and woodland areas all year round, spring marks the first time of the year when pets are likely to come into contact with them.
Dog owners are also being warned to keep their pets on leads around new-born lambs as farmers have the legal right to shoot animals which worry their livestock.
“Spring always brings a real spike in cases for us,” said Kevin.
“People love to start work in their gardens and to go for walks at this time of year and it’s during these times that common problems start to show themselves.
“I’d urge them to be vigilant because flower bulbs, lawn feed, weed killer and fertiliser are all dangerous and can cause big problems.”
As well as the obvious dangers, homeowners are also being encouraged to check their sheds and garages.
“It may sound odd but garden sheds and garages are a threat too, especially for cats,” said Kevin.
“They can wander in unnoticed and find a cosy place to settle down – and at the end of the day we lock them up again, not realising there’s a cat inside.”
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Catnip (Nepeta cataria) also known as catswort, or catmint and is a perennial herb from the mint family. Many cat owners will know that cats love catnip. They will paw at it, rub themselves against it, roll with it, and lick and chew it.
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In the news recently there were reports of several dogs dying in Dartford, with many other dogs found to be very ill. The common link was a particular lake they may have drank water from. At the time vets were unsure what could have caused the problem and the lake was closed to the public by the Environment Agency so tests could be made. It is now thought that poisonous blue-green algae may have caused the death of the dogs.
FIV or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is a lentivirus (lentivirus means slow virus. Lente is Latin for slow) that affects cats all over the world. Approximately 2.5% to 4.4% of the cats in the world have contracted the virus.
Ideally, all FIV cats should be isolated or rehomed where they won’t come into contact with other cats. However, many owners choose to keep them. The risk of passing on the virus is low as cats in the same home are less likely to fight and shed blood. If all the cats have been spayed/neutered there will be a low risk of aggressive behavior. You will need to be a bit more careful. As the virus can be found in the saliva, don’t feed your cats from the same bowl and disinfect feeding bowls and litter trays after use to ensure you destroy any trace of the virus. It’s worth noting too that the virus can’t survive in the open air so as soon as it is outside of the body it will not survive very long so can’t infect others.
