Pet Health

Fleas thrive in warm and humid conditions. So whilst central heating and double glazing are beneficial to humans, they also make fleas a year round problem.

We have a wide range of products which can be used to treat, control or prevent flea problems both in cats, dogs and rabbits.

Most of the flea products available from our practice are prescription only medicines. Therefore your pet needs to see a vet before any of these products are sold to you. There is no extra charge for this type of consultation.

Tapeworms and roundworms are two of the most common intestinal parasites that dogs and cats can suffer with.

Roundworms are especially common in puppies and kittens. Roundworms can be passed on by contact with faeces, from infected dogs to their unborn puppies via the placenta, or through a mothers infected milk to her puppies/kittens.

They are extremely common and it is safe to assume that all kittens and puppies will be affected by roundworms.

Tapeworms can affect both cats and dogs and are caught when pets eat fleas that are infected by tapeworms. Even if your pet does not have fleas, it can easily eat fleas from elsewhere. As flea infections are so common in cats and dogs, the tapeworm is also common.

It is also worth noting that, as humans can be affected by the dog roundworm, to prevent disease dog owners should:

We have a wide range of products that can be used both to treat worms and as a preventative treatment.

Your pet may have been prescribed medication that may need to be taken for the rest of your pet's life. We need to monitor your pet's progress to ensure that the medication is appropriate and no adverse effects are developing. This will be done by talking to you about your pet's progress, examining your pet and performing urine and blood tests at regular intervals. We can only prescribe prescription medicines to animals under our care and although under our care has not been defined it is generally accepted that this means we need to have examined your pet within the last 3 - 12 months depending on the condition and the medication. If your pet is stable one of our vets, preferably the one who prescribed the medication, would like to talk to you about your pet's progress every 3 months.

We would like to examine your pet and test a urine sample every 3-6 months. We would like to examine your pet and test your pet's blood for liver and kidney function every 12 months. These examinations and tests should highlight any adverse effects and allow changes to be made to medication to minimise these adverse effects.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) wishes Veterinary Surgeons to prescribe drugs following a "cascade" system. These means that we are legally obliged to use a Veterinary Licensed drug when one exists.

Over the years we have exercised discretion and prescribed some human drugs rather than the licensed drug because of cost implications. However, being less expensive is now no longer considered reasonable justification and this RCVS guideline has become law.

Sadly the loss of a pet is something that pet owners all have to face at some time. There is never a good time to say farewell to a much loved pet. Sometimes a pet may die from old age, in their sleep or as a result of an accident.

There are also occasions when you as the pet owner may need to consider euthanasia. The word euthanasia is derived from Greek words meaning the gentle death, it is usually very quick and most pets do not feel anything beyond the needle being put into the vein. This is often a kind release from pain, suffering, or failure to respond to veterinary treatment. We encourage owners to stay with their pet at the time of euthanasia so the pet is comforted and the owner can see they do not suffer.

If you find yourself having to consider euthanasia for your pet our staff are here to help you make the right, informed decision. There is never a right or wrong time for euthanasia to be done just the time that felt right at the time.

We can arrange for cremation with The Pet Crematorium, or you can contact them direct. Some people may want to bury their pet at home. We can help you make the right decision. Please ask our staff should you need any help or advice.

Vaccination is quite simply giving your pet protection and immunity against various diseases that they may be exposed to.

These diseases can make your pet seriously ill; some of them having no cure and therefore many pets can die.

Prevention is much better and cheaper than cure should your pet be one of the few that survive.

We recommend that cats, dogs and rabbits are initially vaccinated when young. It is then important that on a yearly basis your pet re-visits the surgery for a booster injection. Unlike humans who only receive immunity injections as babies and young children, animals need to have their immunity boosted every year to keep them protected from serious and fatal diseases.

Only healthy animals should be vaccinated. That's why your pet will receive a full healthcheck included in the price of the vaccination. This will include a check of heart, lungs, eyes and ears plus anything else you have concerns about.

When your pet is vaccinated you will be issued with a vaccination card. This will record the date and type of vaccination your pet has received. This card is often required by boarding kennels/catteries/dog shows etc. as proof your pet is vaccinated.

We will send a reminder card to you at the beginning of the month in which your pet is due its booster so that your pet's immunity does not lapse.

Neutering is something normally done when owners do not wish to breed from their pets. There are however many more health benefits for your pet associated with being neutered. We therefore recommend that unless you wish to breed from your pet, you consider the neutering option. All of the animal charities actively encourage and subsidise the cost of neutering the dogs that they rehome. Their main reason is to prevent unwanted pregnancies and thus reduce the number of strays and unwanted animals in our society.

However, there are also other reasons. Neutering will extend an animals life expectancy because neutering prevents disease in certain organs and reduces the risk of disease in others. Neutering will prevent disease of the reproductive organs in later life and reduces the chances of mammary tumours in females and prostate disease in males. These diseases are common and many are life threatening. Statistically - NEUTERED ANIMALS LIVE LONGER!

People will say that neutered animals get fat. This is not true and although there is a greater tendency for neutered animals to put on weight, if your pet is weighed regularly and owners do not feed tit bits and stick to a sensible diet (eg Hills Canine Maintenance light), weight gain CAN BE AVOIDED.

The Animal Health Centre would like to help you have your pet neutered and we regularly run a discount scheme December - February. Our surgical facilities are not fully utilised in the winter months and we hope to utilise this resource more fully to your advantage and usually represents a saving of about 20-25% on our usual fees.

If you wish to take advantage of this offer, your dog will need to be examined beforehand and weighed. This check up will be free of charge. We reserve the right to exclude animals that are overweight, unwell, over 25kgs or otherwise not suitable for surgery. We will not send out bills and the surgical fee must be paid before the dog is admitted. All additional costs will be billed at normal rates. On the day, urgent operations will take priority and your pet's operation may be postponed if emergencies are admitted.

It is a fact of life that from time to time, owners can get separated from their pets for a variety of reasons. Pets can just go missing, run off when taken out for a walk or sometimes can even be stolen. By law your pet should be wearing an identity tag, Microchipping is an additional safety.

It is a stressful and worrying time when you have lost your pet and microchipping is an excellent way to increase the chance of being re-united with your pet. It is a permanent way of identifying the pet and it's owners.

The microchip itself is the size of a grain of rice and is injected into the back of the pet's neck. This is a perfectly harmless and relatively painless process for the pet. Each microchip has it's own unique reference number which can then be matched with your name and address.

Should your pet then be separated from you, a bar-code type scanner can be used to "read" the microchip number and then by contacting a central administration office, your details can be accessed and your pet can be re-united with you.

Most vet surgeries, dog rescue organisations and stray dog wardens should have scanners enabling them to check all stray/lost/injured pets for a microchip.

It is amazing how far some pets can travel when they escape from home. Collars and name tags can be lost. Pets that are stolen can have name tags removed. Microchips are a way of identifying your pet that cannot be tampered with. They increase the chances of finding your pet and we recommend that all pets are microchipped. Pets can be microchipped from as young as when we give them their first vaccination, or at any age after.

During a two year period between 1995 and 1997, over 80 blood samples were taken from pet rabbits in order to investigate an apparent osteodystrophy affecting the skulls of rabbits with acquired dental disease. A series of haematological and biochemical analyses relating to calcium metabolism were performed and samples were taken for parathyroid hormone (PTH) assay. PTH concentrations were higher and calcium concentrations lower in hutch kept rabbits with advanced dental disease in comparison with those kept in free range conditions. No dental problems were detected in the free range rabbits on radiological or clinical examination. Rabbits kept in hutches showed trends towards anaemia and reduced protein levels and results indicated that acquired dental disease of pet rabbits is related to husbandry and is associated with alterations in calcium metabolism. Journal of Small Animal Practice March 2001

'Pets and People', abooklet aimed at those in rented accommodation who own or wish to own a pet was launched in the House of Commons recently by Pathway, a group which seeks to promote responsible pet ownership and harmonious relationships between owners and neighbours and their neighbours. The new booklet emphasises the importance of owners being aware of their responsibilities both to their pets and their neighbours and covers such matters as applying for accommodation, choosing a pet and pet health and welfare. It contains information on what to do if a pet goes missing, coping with losing an animal, liability for rented property and the need for insurance. National laws and bylaws governing animal ownership are summarised and a directory of useful organisations and their contact details is given. The booklet aims to prevent problems for pet owners and those around them, ensuring that pets are welcome in all suitable homes and communities. Copies of 'Pets and People' are available free of charge from all Citizen's Advice Bureaux or by sending a stamped addressed envelope to The National Canine Defense League, 17 Wakley Street, London, EC1V 7RQ.

Alternative medicines for our pets and why we would use them - glucosamine and chondroitin.

It is now well recognised that maintaining healthy cartilage is a vital part of the prevention and management of osteoarthritis. As more and more research increases our understanding of the pathogenesis (disease process) of osteoarthritis, the challenge in the next few years is to apply the new knowledge to clinical cases.

Before examining the compounds available, it is important that the structure and function of cartilage is understood. Cartilage has a number of functions. Not only does it have to produce a low friction interface in the joint, it also has to be a weight bearing structure, capable of providing some degree of shock absorption. A precise and highly organised structure is required to fulfill all of these requirements.

The structure of cartilage can be divided into matrix and cells. The matrix consists of collagen fibres, proteoglycans and water. Collagen provides the tensile strength while proteoglycans give cartilage its flexibilty and resilience. Proteoglycans consist of a protein core with side chains of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in association with hyaluronic acid. Water molecules are drawn into the matrix by the proteoglycans and the level of water content is vital for the correct function. A working knowledge of the matrix is necessary to understand the mechanism of action of many of the therapeutic agents as any of them are matrix subunits.

The specialised cells of cartilage, the chondrocytes, are very limited in number and live in an inhospitable enviroment without the benefit of a direct blood supply. These cells have to produce all the other components of cartilage and play a pivotal role in the health of the cartilage. As a result of this unique structure, supply of nutrients can easily become inadequate, especially at times of increased demand when the cartilage is trying to repair itself - after joint surgery for example.

While cartilage contains no nervous tissue, the degradative products of cartilage breakdown are important inflammatory mediators in joints. Interestingly, cartilage is the only other body tissue besides the cornea that is avascular (without blood supply), aneural (without nerve supply) and alymphatic (without lymph supply). What is often forgotten is that cartilage, like most other body tissues, is in a constant state of flux. The chondrocytes breakdown and rebuild the surrounding cartilage matrix in a never-ending cycle. If the balance of breakdown and replacement is disrupted, loss of cartilage may result.

Before starting treatment to help maintain and repair cartilage, it is worth considering a few other simple but very effective techniques for improving the osteoarthritic patient. The first thing to remember is to treat the whole animal and not just focus on the affected joint or joints. There is no one treatment that is universally successful and in some cases a combination of different treatments will produce the best result.

Weight loss programmes and appropriate levels of regular exercise represent essentail adjuncts to the maintainance of healthy joint cartilage. Weight loss will reduce load bearing on the joints and exercise will improve the blood supply and increase the muscle bulk around the joints to reduce impact stresses. These 2 factors in themselves may help reduce the level of medication required by the animal.

This article will mainly consider the use of `supplementary` therapies, their use and effectiveness. However, it should be noted that the mainstay of treatment for osteoarthritic patients are Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) such as Metacam or Rimadyl. These act by affecting the working of certain chemicals such as cyclo-oxygenase and prostaglandins. This has the effect of reducing inflammation and, therefore, pain in the joints.

There are other compounds which can be used alongside these NSAIDs. Most of these products are classified as nutraceuticals. A nutraceutical is defined as a nutritional supplement that has scientifically evaluated effects on body processes.

Firstly, is glucosamine which is an aminoglycoside and is the principal component of the glycosaminoglycans that form the cartilage matrix. Glucosamine is produced by the body by adding an amino group to glucose. Many of the other subunits of the matrix, such as hyaluron, keratin sulphate and heparin sulphate, are partly compised of glucosamine. Absorption of glucosamine has been demonstrated after oral administration and further studies have shown glucosamine is attracted to cartilage. Glucosamine is incorporated into proteoglycans that are subsequently secreted to form part of the cartilage matrix. Glucosamine has been widely studied and the pharmacokinetics (how it works) after both injection and oral dosing has been studied in several species. Further work has shown that glucosamine can decrease cartilage breakdown and there is considerable evidence for its anti-inflammatory role. Glucosamine reduces free radical production and inhibits lysosomal enzymes. The anti-imflammatory action of glucosamine may also be be due to the stabilisation of cell membranes by newly produced proteoglycans.

Chondroitin sulphate, like glucosamine, has anti-inflammatory actions and also affects cartilage metabolism. It is the most abundant glycosaminoglycan in cartilage and is very important in controllinh the water content of the matrix. Chondroitin sulphate has good bioavailability with 70% absorption following oral administration in studies including man. In vitro studies have shown that the addition of chondroitin sulphate can increase proteoglycan synthesis but its predominant action would appear to be decreasing the rate of destruction of cartilage matrix. Increasingly large numbers of vets are using good quality, well researched nutraceuticals as part of their management regime to improve the life of their osteoarthritic patients. In summary, to maintain and preserve joints and their cartilage, it is important to treat the whole animal (including weight loss if required and exercise management) and some cases require a combination of treatment options (eg NSAIDs and nutraceuticals). Finally, osteoarthritis is a dynamic disease so it is vital that each patient is regularly and carefully re-examined to ensure that the treatment plan is still optimal.

Recommendations for a national scheme for permanently identifying dogs are made in a report published for consultation by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) last month The report, from the DETR's Dog Identification Group (DIG), sets a goal of owners permanently identifying 75% of dogs in England over the next 5 years, which the DETR regards as a first step towards ensuring not only that dogs which stray are returned safely to their owners, but also that owners whose dogs misbehave take responsibility for their pet's actions. The DIG was established by the DETR in 1999 to consider how to tackle the problem of the 135,000 stray dogs which are dealt with by local authorities each year. The DETR notes that, currently, dealing with strays costs the police about £15 million a year, local authorities spend £11 million a year, £150,000 is spent on human victims and £1210 is spent on accidents caused by dogs. The report recommends that the Government should accept a scheme for the permanent identification of dogs either by microchip or tattoo. This report is available in full on DETR's website at http://www.detr.gov.uk/ (Article from Veterinary Record 27/1/01)

Following neutering, 10% of male domestic cats and up to 5% of females have been reported to urine spray and this can pose a major problem to the owner. A number of different treatments have been used for control of this behaviour ranging from behaviour therapy (to reduce the impact of stress factors in the enviroment), manipulating the enviroment (to remove the stimuli eliciting the behaviour), drug therapy to reduce stress (anxiolytic pharmacotherapy) and even surgery on related parts of the Central Nervous System (hypothalamus and/or olfactory tract). Recently, the use of a synthetic analogue of the feline facial pheromone F3 (Feliway) has been advocated to control the behaviour. It is applied daily to specific areas of the cat`s home enviroment and has been effective in reducing urine spraying in between 74-97% of cases. Most reports, to date, on the efficacy (effectiveness) of this product relate to the effects following initial application of the treatment. However, a recent study by White and Mills (1997) has followed 43 cats over a period of 4-12 months. This study examined the efficacy of Feliway, without behaviour therapy, on chronic urine spraying problems. It was found that urine spraying was reduced in 91% of cases in the first five weeks of treatment. A telephone interview was conducted with owners about 10 months after the start of the treatment. 6 cats (14%) were still not spraying at all at this time. 27 were still spraying but at a much reduced level. Only 7 were spraying at the same rate and 3 had apparently deteriorated. However, none of these later 3 owners had continued to use the Feliway and 5 of the 7 had also stopped using the product. Of the remaining owners whose cats had all improved, 13 still used Feliway occasionally and 20 had not used it in the previous 7 months - i.e. the Feliway appeared to have a marked effect for many cats even after its use had stopped. These results compare very favourably with those from other treatments. Of the other drugs used, buspirone (a serotonin-1 agonist) has been found to produce an improvement in 52% of cats. However, 50% relapsed following cessation of treatment. Diazepam produced an initial improvement in 55% but 90% relapsed following treatment. Hormone treatments (eg medroxyprogesterone acetate or megoestrol acetate) have a success rate of only 30% and can have potential adverse effects. In contrast, there are NO reported medical complications following the use of Feliway and, in the reported study, 77% of cats were still under adequate control 10 months following treatment. The results of this study suggest that treatment with Feliway results in a longterm change in spraying behaviour by some cats. This treatment appears to be more effective both short and long term than other physical or behavioural treatments for non-sexual urine spraying. As it has no known medical complications or contra-indications, and is relatively easy to use, Feliway should be considered a first line of treatment for this problem. (Summary of a recent article in The Veterinary Record)

This article aims to present an informative and easy to use package of facts about the normal physiology of the guinea pig and its basic requirements.

Litter size 1-6 (average 3). The young are born fully furred and with their eyes open, they first eat solid food at 2-4days old.

Vitamin C. The single most important fact about guinea pig nutrition is that they, like humans, are unable to synthesise their own supply of vitamin C and they need a daily source of this vitamin. Subclinical vitamin C deficiency is the greatest stress, which pre-disposes them to all other disease conditions. Their average requirement of this vitamin is 10mg per day, increasing to 30mg per day in times of stress such as sickness and pregnancy. Most green vegetables and carrots contain this vitamin. Kale and broccoli contain 20mg per 28g and carrots 3mg per 28g. If the vitamin C content of the diet is in question or if extra is needed it can be added to the drinking water in the form of soluble tablets (Redoxan 1000mg). One tablet is added to 8 litres of water, this dilution can be increased to one tablet to 5 litres if the demand is higher.

Basic diet. Good quality hay, dry food and greens. The types of dry mixed food are many and can be mollassed or plain. The typical protein value of dry food used should be 13-18%. Diets too low in protein will lead to retarded growth and poor breeding results, whereas diets with protein values over 22% may produce an increased incidence of abortion. In the winter a bran mash may be fed usually comprising bran, oats, wheat meal and sugar beet. Diets, which contain too much flaked maize or barley, may cause a condition called “broken back” producing hair loss over the centre of the back. Diets, which are rich in calories, must not be fed to pregnant sows as an obese sow is more likely to develop problems such as pregnancy toxaemia or dystocia (problems giving birth). Diabetes is a seemingly common problem in guinea pigs and its incidence is highest in older obese animals.

Accommodation - commonly a hutch, often outdoors or in a shed. Protection from draughts and predators are the most important factors. It is advisable to bring the guinea pigs into an outbuilding or indoors over cold periods.

Bedding - a layer of newspaper, covered with a layer of wood shavings for absorbency. Sawdust is not recommended as it lodges in the eyes causing corneal ulceration and can cause impaction of the penile sheath. The shavings must be made from untreated softwoods. Guinea pigs bedded with shavings are predisposed to urine scald and, if the floor of the hutch is abrasive, to pododermatitis (sore feet). Hay is preferable to straw as bedding for the nest box as it is an essential part of the diet and its presence relieves boredom and the vice of coat chewing. Straw causes frequent eye injuries. The hay must be fresh, dry and where possible free from thistles. Pieces of thistle are responsible for causing foreign body abscesses of the head and neck.

Companions - females will live together or a boar and one or more sows in a breeding pen. Boars will not usually live together without fighting, the possible exception being two siblings kept together since weaning. Guinea pigs can live with rabbits, providing that the rabbit is docile, as a kick from a rabbit's hind leg is strong enough to fracture a guinea pigs ribs. Secondly, the rabbit's diet must not compromise the inexhaustable requirement that the guinea pig has for green food. Owners of a rabbit and guinea pig are also far more likely to miss the early stages of mange, mistakenly attributing it to an injury from the rabbit companion. Pregnant sows must be housed separately before partuition (giving birth) as if she is still with the boar it is probable that she will conceive at her immediate post-partum oestrus (estimated to be 90% fertile at this time). If the pregnant sow is housed with other pregnant sows her partuition can set off a chain reaction and induce other sows, which can be as little as 5 weeks in gestation. This then produces all the problems associated with abortion and premature labour.

A sick guinea pig if left alone will rapidly lose the will to live and for this reason they have previously been considered as extremely poor patients. If they are anorexic (not eating) for more than 24hours they rapidly develop a serious condition called ketosis, which is difficult to overcome. The following considerations can be employed:

Warmth - plastic storage boxes make good hospital pens. A hot water bottle on a grill tray makes a good roof and provides extra warmth.

Company - constant stimulation is important and if the ailing guinea pig is not infectious another pig will provide competition and companionship. In the case of a sow that has aborted or lost a litter, a youngster of another sow with a young litter is ideal.

Fluids - frequently and by syringe if necessary. Useful fluids are Lectade and glucose solution.

Steroid injections - dexamethasone (Dexafort 0.5ml under the skin) will counteract ketosis and stimulate the appetite. Anabolic steroids will also boost the appetite.

Probiotics - Avipro, Vetrumex, Enterodex or natural yoghurt can be given to boost the natural gastrointestinal flora.

Oral feeding - by syringe a mixture of Complan (or baby food), probiotic and vitamin C can be given every 2 hours until the appetite returns.

As they are born at such an advanced stage of development orphans have a good chance of survival and hand rearing in the early stages can be very rewarding. This simple regime can also be used for orphan chinchillas that are born at an equally advanced stage, although these animals rely on milk for longer, to 3 weeks of age.

Fostering - if a sow with another litter is available as a foster mother then this may prove ideal. It may be necessary to place a dab of vapour rub (Vick) on to the sow, her babies and the orphan to eliminate differences in smell and reduce the chances of rejection.

Company - if no foster mother is available another adult, boar or sow, is useful to give companionship and warmth and to provide the example the youngster will copy when it starts to eat solid food.

Milk formula - evaporated milk is diluted 1:1 with warm boiled water and fed from a dropper. They will take 0.5-1.0ml of milk per feed for the first few days increasing up to 3ml by 5 days old. A probiotic should be added to every feed, and to one feed a day a drop of multi-vitamin (e.g. ABIDEC) is added. For the first few days the feeding should be every 2 hours but as soon as nibbling at solid food starts this interval can be increased. After 5 days the milk mixture can be thickened with baby food to a consistency as thick as possible that will still pass through a syringe. Supplementation may only be necessary for the first 7 to 10 days though it can continue for 3 weeks depending on weight gain.

Solid food - this should be provided from a very early age and with as much variety as possible. Orphans that are able to learn from an adult can be weaned much earlier.

Pyometra should be regarded as a complex of pathological changes. It is characterised by cystic glandular hyperplasia of the endometrium and subsequent accumulation of pus in the uterine cavity. The disease affects middle aged and old bitches, in which signs develop a few weeks after oestrous. The underlying causes are unclear but predisposing factors include an irregular oestrous cycle and false pregnancy. The function of the immune system was studied in 34 bitches. The mean age of the animals was 8.1 +/- 2.8 years. Samples of blood were examined using a battery of immunological tests and data was obtained from four sets of animals grouped according to the severity of their disease. Leucocytosis was detected in 62% of bitches and lymphopaenia was detected in 35% of bitches. The increase in the number of leucocytes was higher in the severely affected bitches. Inhibition of mitogen driven lymphocyte proliferation was the characteristic feature of the immunological profile in bitches affected by pyometra. and this corresponded with the impairment of the general state of health. It can be concluded that pyometra is associated with an inflammatory response, but also with a marked suppression of immune system activity. (Journal of Small Animal Practice, January 2001)

Effect of long-term intermittent periodontal care on canine periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is the most common oral disease affecting dogs, with prevalence rates estimated at between 60 and 80 per cent. Periodontal disease is a collective term for plaque-induced inflammatory conditions affecting the supporting tissues of the tooth and includes both gingivitis and periodontitis. If plaque is left undisturbed, gingivitis develops rapidly (within a few weeks there is established inflammation). However, if plaque is regularly removed then gingivitis is reversible. Periodontitis results in the destruction of the periodontal ligament and alveloar bone and is irreversible. The periodontal health status was assessed in two groups of dogs which had received different levels of periodontal care over a two year period. The dental group received regular dental scaling and polishing and intermittent daily tooth brushing, while the control group received no periodontal care. All dogs developed gingivitis and two (one from each group) showed evidence of incipient periodontitis. The dental group had a reduced gingivitis index (GI) compared with the control group but only when they had received daily tooth brushing before the GI assessment. When the dogs had not had their teeth brushed for four weeks before the assessment, the GI was not significantly different to that in the control group. This suggests that continual periodontal care throughout life is of great importance and questions the benefits of intermittent oral care. The GI of the palatal and lingual surfaces in all dogs was significantly higher than the GI of the buccal surfaces. Thus all tooth surfaces may need to be cleaned to achieve optimal periodontal health. (Journal of Small Animal Practice, February 2001.)

At times there will be a bad outcome from relatively uncomplicated surgery when an animal will die with no obvious cause. This case highlights an animal that Catriona Ewen, MRCVS, was involved with at Glasgow University. The cat survived a risky operation to repair its diaphragm but a further operation to repair a broken leg led to the cats death. An 11-month-old cat was referred following a road traffic accident with non-weightbearing forelimb lameness and breathing difficulties. A diaphragmatic rupture was repaired two days after trauma. Six days post trauma, a further operation was performed to repair the fractured humerus. As an intramedullary pin was advanced into the bone to achieve stabilisation, an acute respiratory arrest occurred. Manual extrathoracic cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately instigated, but the cat did not recover. Postmortem examination identified a high degree of embolic fat occluding pulmonary capillaries. A massive embolic shower was established as the cause of death. Pulmonary fat embolism is a reported complication of major orthopaedic surgery and trauma in humans resulting in acute or chronic respiratory failure. Few clinical reports of dogs and cats with confirmed pulmonary fat embolism exists. Pulmonary fat emboli occur when there is an increase in the bone marrow pressure, this forces fat droplets into the circulation which then form emboli in the lung, and to a lesser extent the brain, kidneys and other organs. This case highlights the risk of intraoperative death from fat embolism. The risk is clearly low but it may be underdiagnosed given that frozen sections of lung are required to detect fully the presence of fat emboli. FES should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute intraoperative, or chronic progressive postoperative respiratory failure. (Ref : Journal of Small Animal Practice, Volume 42(4) April 2001.)

"Verinary surgeons opinions on neutering tend to be based on anecdotal information and, often, on their own last worst experience"

This question was discussed at the BSAVA Congress, April 2001 The drive for early age neutering came from the animal rescue organisations which wanted dogs and cats to be neutered before rehoming. The stray problem was so great in the USA that in 1993 the American Veterinary Medical Association resolved that it supported the concept of early (8-16 weeks of age) neutering in an effort to stem the overpopulation problems. There were a number of short term studies looking at a total of 1300 dogs which suggested that this was a safe procedure and The University of Florida compared littermates that had been neutered at 7 weeks, 7 months or left entire and found no substantial differences over the first year of life. The arguments against early neutering were that it lead to an increased risk of urinary incontinence, as well as juvenile vaginitis and infantile vulva. In studies, of 100 bitches that were neutered 17 would be expected to be incontinent 10 years on , compared with 2 that were left entire. The same study found an almost 4 fold difference in the risk of incontinence for bitches neutered before the first season compared with afterwards. This was a small sample with no statistical significance but none the less one that concerned Professor Peter Holt. In addition to these concerns Professor Holt said that the argument often used to support early neutering - namely, that it reduced the risk of mamary tumours - was not, in his opinion, completely proven. Statistics handed down in the textbooks of a 0.5% risk of mamary tumours in bitches spayed before the first season, rising to 8% in those spayed after the first season and 26% in those spayed after 2 or more seasons was based on a small study of 60 dogs in Alameda County, USA. Thus in summary, current Animal Health Centre policy of allowing a bitch to have one season and then be spayed would seem to be a good compromise in not increasing the risk of incontinence while perhaps reducing the risks of mammary tumours in later life.

Occasionally, animals need to be referred to specialist centres for investigative procedures that are not available in general practice. A recent article in the SPVS Review, Spring 2001, discussed an example of this - Magnetic Resonanve Imaging (MRI). MRI is a form of diagnostic imaging that is especially indicated for spinal and intracranial problems and lesions MRI has been used extensively in medical practice for over a decade and is now available in sepcialist veterinary referral centres. MRI yields soft tissue imaging unrivalled by any other technique. It has the ability to produce images of live animals in orientations not possible with conventional radiography. Unlike many diagnostic imaging methods, MRI does not use ionising radiation. Instead is uses a combination of a very powerful magnetic field and radiowaves to produce computer generated sectional images in three phases of orientation of the part of the body being examined. While undergoing MRI, the animal lies on the scanner table and the part of the body being examined is moved to the centre of the magnet. All of the hydrogen atoms within the animal's body align themselves either parallel or anti-parallel to the direction of the magnetic field. A Radio Freqency (RF) pulse is then applied which causes these hydrogen atoms to resonate. At the same time the magnetic moments of the spinning hydrogen atoms are put in to the transverse plane and are brought into phase with each other. This moving magnetic moment in the transverse plane induces a current which is picked up by a receiver coil placed adjacent to the animal in the scanner. Once the RF pulse is turned off, the magnetic field surrounding the hydrogen atoms returns to the longitudinal plane (T1 relaxation). At the same time, spins in the transverse plane begin to go out of phase with each other, thereby cancelling their signal (T2 relaxation) These signals are then amplified and immediately processed by a powerful computer to give a series of sectional images of the animal a few millimetres thick MRI is a superior imaging technique in terms of its safety, cl;arity and applications. As with human medicine, it is available only at a few specialist centres but, whilst it is hoped that it is never needed for your pet, it is at least reassuring to know that such "state of the art" techniques are now available in the UK.

A recent article in The Veterinary Record (10th Febraury 2001) looked at the hunting activities of Britain`s 9 million pet cats. At least 300 million wild animals a year are estimated to fall prey to cats according to a survey by the Mammal Society. The survey, entitled "Look what the cat brought in" analysed the kill or capture records of almost 1000 cats living in about 600 households. The average number of catches per cat over a 5 month summer period was 16.7, giving an annual average per cat of 40 victims. Mammals made up 68.6% of prey, birds 23.6%, the rest being amphibians, invertebrates, reptiles, fish and `unidentified items`. A report summarising the survey`s findings on the Mammal Society`s website says that, generally, two-year-old cats kill the most animals with kill rates tending to decline as cats get older and slower. However, some of the biggest killers are the `grizzled and really experienced eight and nine year olds`. The most commonly killed birds included house sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds, starlings, thrushes, robins, pigeons, wrens, greenfinches and chaffinches. It is suggested that cats are killing these species because they turn up in gardens rather than because they are particularly common. A surprising finding was that the number of birds brought home by cats was significantly lower in those households that provided food for birds. As regards the mammals, cats kill 15 million rabbits each year. They kill more mice than voles or shrews, possibly because mice are more nocturnal and again because they are more commonly found in gardens. According to the survey, cats are actually very poor ratters, killing just over 3 million rats per year. This is a small figure compared to the total number of rats. However, more significant is the 1.5 million harvest mice and 230,000 bats caught each year as these two species have far lower total numbers and bats have a low reproductive rate. The Mammal Society says that it is unlikely that cats alone would cause any species to become endangered in Britain, but for those which are already under pressure for other reasons, they could become a significant factor. The society says that there are 3 simple ways in which cat owners can help British wildlife: keeping their pets indoors at night; putting a bell on the cat`s collar (if worn) and by feeding birds in the garden. Putting bird food out attracts birds to the garden and the more birds there are, the more likely they are to notice the cat approaching and fly off. For those interested, detials of the survey can be found on the Mammal Society`s website at www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal.catkills.htm

A recent article in the Veterinary Times discussed the sensitive subject of child and animal abuse.

"Veterinary practitioners throughout the UK are being urged to consider the link between non-accidental injury to animals being brought into the practice and the potential for abuse of other family members. This move is in order to help break the never-ending cycle between animal abuse and domestic violence.

Sadly, recent publicity has shown that abusing animals is becoming more and more common. Members of the public will cringe at the thought of a dog being stabbed or a cat being micro waved - but does anyone delve any deeper than this? If a 35-year-old man has abused an animal, does he have a wife and family? If he does, are they at risk?

Animal health company Intervet UK and Purina Pro Plan are hosting a conference to raise awareness within the veterinary profession about this important subject and highlight how an abused animal may indicate violence within the family home or vice versa.

Intervet UK have uncovered some depressing statistics proving the links between animal and human violence. Although one of the most shocking facts is that every serial killer in custody in the USA today started by killing animals, a study more relevant to the UK showed that in 88% of families in which physical abuse occurred, animal abuse was also observed.

Encouragingly, the USA has many procedures in place to try and tackle these problems. These range from cross-reporting between human and animal welfare organisations, to using a history of animal abuse as part of offender profiling and, in some states, comprehensive training for animal welfare officers in recognising child abuse.

In Scotland, there is the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals `First Strike` campaign, which is a comprehensive reporting structure to uncover these very links. A main concern, however, is confronting these issues in England and having similar lines of communication in place.

Mike Flynn, superintendent with the Scottish SPCA agrees wholeheartedly with encouraging an inter-agency approach and stresses the importance of the role veterinary practitioners can play in breaking this cycle of cruelty.

He says: "In families where the pets are being subjected to violence, it is unusual for them to live a full adult life. I have seen many animal abuse cases where records show that the cat or dog has been taken to the veterinary surgery on numerous occasions. Although the abuser's family will usually make these visits, we have recorded countless cases where the abuser takes the pet.

"One such case started as a cat abandonment. Under the Abandonment of Animals Act 1960, it is an offence for any person to abandon their animal temporarily or in circumstances likely to cause unnecessary suffering.
"The procedure we have to follow is to check that there is an animal within the property, and then seal all entrances to the property for a further 24 hours to ensure that no one is entering and tending to the animal. If we return and the seals are intact, we force entry with the police and remove the animal until the owner returns.
"On this occasion we received an anonymous tip on a Tuesday morning that a cat had been abandoned by its owners in a second-floor flat in Edinburgh. We checked the address and could see a cat through the letterbox.
"Before sealing the only door to the flat I spoke with two neighbours, who confirmed that the lady tenant, her 30-year-old son and his daughter had left for a holiday in Spain the previous Saturday for one week. The door to the flat was then sealed.
"We returned on the Wednesday morning to find the seal was still intact, so we forced entry with the police and a council joiner. Once we entered the property to capture the cat, I noticed a frail man sitting in the living room, tied to a chair.
"On further investigation we found he was 83 years old and the chair was, in fact, a commode. He had been left two cans of food per day by his daughter, and she had left him there for the week while she holidayed in Spain."

Doreen Graham of the SSPCA, instigator of the `First Strike` campaign, has experienced many similar cases - with accounts of animal abuse ranging from skinned and beheaded rabbits, to drowned cats and sexually-abused dogs. "We have seen children who have killed pets with baseball bats and poked rabbits' eyes out," Doreen explains. "The question that must be asked is, could this be a hideous rehearsal for the future?"

So, to try and uncover these related cases of animal and domestic violence, it is essential to be ever vigilant for any suspected cases of abuse. It is important to recognise that we are a long way behind Canada and the USA in dealing with this issue. Only by bringing together the relevant agencies and individuals will abuse cases be brought to justice, rather than simply observed. Veterinary practices have a key part to play in this process."

This article certainly makes sobering reading and covers issues most of us prefer not o think about but possibly we should do so more frequently.

Hello, my name is Jack and I am 49 dog years old - 7 of your years! I am a Border Collie and I live with Louise & Craig very close to the seaside in Redcar, almost every day I travel to work at the Coulby Newham surgery with Louise in the practice van. One of my favourite pastimes is chasing all those lovely feathery sheep along the sea shore!! - I don't really care how far I chase them because I know that Louise will not leave me and we tend to meet up when I am running back towards home.

It was after one of my "herding the feathery sheep" sessions that I first hurt myself - I was alright at first but after some food (that awful dry lo-cal stuff!) and a nice kip that I felt something hurt so I thought it would be good idea to limp really badly on my back leg - the wounded soldier routine always works wonders - guaranteed extra rations!!. Once I got moving it didn't seem too bad. Any way the pain did not go away so Louise got one of the vets at work to have a look at me - if there is one thing I really do not like that is some one trying to do anything too me, so I made myself go very rigid and did the panic routine (works a treat every time!) this time it back fired on me and they gave me an injection in my back leg to make me relax - darn it, it worked - next thing I know they are holding me still and giving me another injection in my front leg and I am drifting of to sleep - apparently loads of x-rays were taken of my bones to see if anything was wrong with them, they thought that perhaps there was something wrong with some of the bones in my back, so the vet decided to send them off to a "specialist" - when I heard this being discussed I started to get worried - would it mean the end of my feathery sheep chasing - I must admit I certainly do not like the restricted exercise routine - I'm a collie dog for heavens sake - I don't do "restricted, rest or taking it easy!"

Anyway the pictures of my bones were sent off to this "specialist" who is one of the best in the country, and he spoke to Louise and he offered to see me. I knew there was something up one morning when I didn't get any breakfast and we trundled off in the van - it was not our normal route and we seemed to be travelling an awfully long time - especially when we got lost in Blythe! We arrived at the "specialists" - it looked like a normal veterinary surgery to me - but inside it felt different and I started to worry. There was a huge Great Dane waiting as well as a fierce looking German Shepherd who was wearing a muzzle - normally I would have caused trouble but I thought better of it. After a short while we were called in to see the "specialist" - He took my history off Louise asking all sorts of questions and then he said those immortal words - "lets have him on the table then". I could see the look of dread on Louise's face - me and tables do not go together - but for some reason I decided not show Louise up too much, I let him manipulate my back and he pressed a very sore spot and boy did I yelp - "Oh yes he said I hoped we would get that reaction" - I was less than impressed with this and proceeded to launch myself off the table - Louise caught me though so I could not escape. I managed to calm down. I heard the words "MRI scan" and "operate" mentioned and started to worry again. I heard the "specialist" enquire if I was insured or not. Fortunately for me Louise got me insured with Pet Plan earlier this year - apparently MRI scans and an operation on my back would cost an awful lot of money but because I am insured we do not have to worry about the cost.

All this happened nearly a month ago and my back had stopped hurting - until the other day when I threw a complete wobbler because a dog had the audacity to bark at me from behind a yard door. This restricted exercise regime seems to be helping me - but every now and then I just can't help myself and I have got to go and chase some feathery sheep - but I pay for it later in the day. Louise tells me that my back ache has got a posh name "lumbar-sacral stenosis". If I start getting worse again then I will have to go for the MRI scan to locate the exact point of my problem and then I may have to have an operation, but I am keeping my paws crossed at the moment and I suppose I had better learn to behave myself when we are out for a walk so that I do not have to go back to Blythe again!

Comparison of the activity of selamectin, imidacloprid and fipronil for the treatment of dogs infested experimentally with Ctenocephalides canis and Ctenocephalides felis felis (cat and dog fleas)

Twenty-four beagles were randomly allocated into four groups of six and housed in separate cages. Each dog was infested with 25 Ctenocephalides canis and 25 Ctenocephalides felis felis and two days later (day 0) the dogs in groups 1, 2 and 3 received a spot-on application of selamectin (6 mg/kg), imidacloprid (10 mg/kg), or fipronil (6·7 mg/kg), respectively, while the dogs in group 4 were not treated. The dogs were combed 48 hours later, the fleas were removed, counted and their species were determined. All the dogs were reinfested with the same number of the two species of fleas on days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35, and the efficacy of the treatments was calculated 48 hours after each infestation. The mean numbers of fleas on the control dogs were 19·8 C canis and 14·7 C felis felis. The three treatments were effective for the full 35 days of the trial; over the first 28 days, the efficacy of selamectin ranged from 81 to 100 and 92 to 99 per cent against C felis felis and C canis, respectively, the efficacy of imidacloprid ranged from 98 to 100 per cent and the efficacy of fipronil was 100 per cent against both species. There were no significant differences between the three treatments. The Animal Health Centre currently recommends "Frontline" which contains fipronil as its active ingredient and the efficacy of this product is described as 100% in the above paper. (Abstract for the website from the Veterinary Record, December 8th. 2001)