Hip dysplasia is a common condition in dogs. It predominantly affects larger breeds of dog and is particularly common in German Shepherds, Labrador retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Great Danes and St Bernards. However, any breed of dog and even cats can be affected. To fully understand it we must first consider the normal hip joint.
Read more: Hip Dysplasia Part 1 - What it is and what causes it.
As this glorious summer comes to an end, no doubt many of you will be making things are ready for winter. Salt for the path, carrot for the snowman’s nose and of course antifreeze for the car. But beware, antifreeze can be harmful to pets so care needs to be taken. Ethylene glycol is a constituent of antifreeze and is toxic to cats causing acute kidney failure. It is sweet tasting and attracts cats, dogs & children for this very reason.
Read more: "The Vet Says......" - Antifreeze Poisoning in Cats and Dogs
Perhaps one of the most well known animal diseases, it has had much publicity since it decimated the rabbit population after introduction to the UK in the early 1950’s. So virulent is the disease that 95% of rabbits in the UK had died by 1955. Since then it has gone on to be a major killer of wild rabbits over the years and can also be found in domestic rabbits. The disease is able to mutate and comes back with a slightly different strain making eradication very difficult. The severity of outbreaks tends to vary and there was quite a major outbreak in the South east of England in 2000. Myxomatosis is a threat to all rabbits but the greatest threat is to wild rabbits.
Unlike most worms that dogs can become infected with in the UK, lungworm is potentially fatal. Lungworm is on the increase in dogs in the UK, it has spread over large areas over the UK, including Essex. We believe this may be due to increases in the urban fox population and increases in the slug and snail population due to climate change.
Read more: The Vet Says...Curiosity killed the dog: Lungworm - know the facts
Dogs and rats really are on the opposite end of the animal spectrum. While dogs are considered to be ‘man’s best friend’ and treated like a member of the family, rats, on the whole, are resigned to living in the gutter and feeding off rubbish. I know rats played a pretty big role in spreading the bubonic plague which killed over seventy million people about seven hundred years ago, but is it not about time for us to forgive and forget? Apparently not, because rat poison is readily available in many high street shops. So it looks like our opinions of rats are not going be changing any time soon, despite Disney’s best efforts!
What on earth is Xylitol, I hear you say. It’s a product used in lots of sugar-free products such as sugar-free gum, drinks and sweeteners. It can also be found in some cakes, chocolates & other produce where it is a substitute for sugar. What’s the harm in that if it keeps the pounds off? Unfortunately it is highly toxic to dogs so you need to make sure your dogs don’t have access to it. Dogs love to raid the fridge, the cupboard and anywhere else they think they may find a tasty morsel to see them through to their next meal. This leaves them at risk if they can get to any of these products, so best to keep them in cupboards that are above work surfaces so they can’t get their paws into them. Sugar free gum is the most common product Xylitol is found in so particular care needs to be taken when buying this. Don’t leave open packets lying around and make sure unopened packets are safely tucked away. It can also be found in dental products including toothpaste & mouthwash. These should never be used on your dog unless they are specifically ‘Animal Toothpastes’.
Read more: Xylitol – A commonly found compound that is poisonous to dogs
Everyone loves a treat. And more often than not, a treat will include chocolate in some form or another. Chocolate is a luxury that we discover as children and we continue to enjoy throughout our lives. And as any dog owner will attest, man’s best friend loves a treat too.
This is part 4 of our The Vet Says series on fly strike in rabbits - you can read part 1 here, part 2 here, and part 3 here. There are generally two types of commercial rabbit food; pelleted and mixed, muesli type food. The pelleted foods are far superior to the mixed foods. I always advise owners feed pelleted foods rather than mixed foods. Pelleted foods are generally of higher quality and provide more balanced nutrients especially fibre. Most importantly, they do not allow the rabbit to selectively eat the parts of the mixed food that they like. When presented with mixed food, rabbits will pick out the high sugar, low fibre components of the diet - leaving the healthier high fibre parts in the bowl. Often, owners will through these bits way and replace with a whole new bowl of food. Unsurprisingly, the rabbit then picks out the sugary parts out again and the cycle repeats itself day after day. This results in a rabbit with a very poorly balanced diet leading to dental disease, obesity, digestive problems etc. The advantage of mixed diets is that are cheap, tasty and easily available. Therefore, wherever possible feed a high quality pelleted food. If this is not possible, feed very small amounts of the mixed foods and always ensure the bowl is completely empty before putting more food in. Whichever, commercial food you use, hay and vegetables should constitute most of your rabbit’s diet. A tablespoon of commercial food once a day is adequate for rabbits under 3.5kg. For larger rabbits feed this amount twice a day. Fruit is high in sugar and not routinely eaten by rabbits in the wild. Small amounts of fruit very occasionally is ok as a treat but do not overdo it. Treats should be kept to a minimum. Try and avoid the really sugary treats (which rabbits love!) and the ones made with honey. High fibre treats are best. Finally, rabbits are not designed to eat cereals so bread, cakes and biscuits are off the menu!
Read more: "The Vet Says...." Fly Strike in Rabbits - Part 4
Cancer is correctly termed a malignant neoplasm. A neoplasm is an abnormal proliferation of cells. A malignant neoplasm is a group of cells that undergo uncontrolled growth, invade and destroy the surrounding tissues and metastasize (spread to distant sites in the body). In all animals, new cells are constantly being made to replace old and injured cells. This keeps the body fit and healthy. This process of cell replacement and repair is highly regulated and controlled by the body. The name given to the highly regulated sequence of events that a cell goes through when it grows and divides in two is the cell cycle. The regulation of the cell cycle ensures that only perfect copies of the original cell is produced. Cancer starts when a healthy cell is damaged and starts to grow out of control. Perfect replicas of the original cell are not produced and the normal regulation of the cell cycle is lost. The abnormal cells start to grow in an uncontrolled way. What causes this process to go wrong is complex and not fully understood. Some possible causes of cancer are:
Read more: Animal CanCare Support Group: An introduction to cancer
There are numerous reasons why owners may be presented with the difficult decision of having to amputate their dog’s or cat’s leg. Such cases may include:
Read more: Tri Paw Pals support group: an introduction to amputation
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