VACCINATION ADVICE

Parvovirus outbreak in midlands

You may have noticed reports in the local press regarding dogs dying from canine parvovirus. Parvovirus causes devastating illness and it strikes quickly and without mercy. Unvaccinated dogs of any age are susceptible although the incidence is highest in those dogs under 1 yr of age. Parvovirus attacks the lining of the gut and affected dogs are very dull, refuse to eat or drink and will eventually experience vomiting, gut pain and profuse bloody diarrhoea. Death occurs in most cases. Treatment is intensive, prolonged and expensive but sadly, despite our best efforts many dogs still die. Parvovirus is very hardy and is spread via the faeces of infected dogs and can remain in the ground for months, even years. The vaccines we offer here at Straiton vets will protect your dog against parvovirus other diseases including: distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, parainfluenza and leptospirosis.
Vaccination is vital to provide immunity against life threatening diseases and is the only proven method of protection.For most of the diseases we vaccinate against there is no cure.
 

Booster Reminders

We endeavour to send out accurate and timely booster reminders. Please be aware, however, that ultimate responsibility lies with the owner for ensuring pets are vaccinated within time.

 
 

Worm Control

There are several types of worm which can live in your pet's stomach and intestine. The most common are roundworms and tapeworms. Worms can cause real health problems if left untreated; vomiting, diarrhoea and even anaemia are common. Less commonly, worms can infect the lungs.
 

Roundworms

Roundworms look like pieces of pink or white string and measure up to 18cm in dogs and 10cm in cats. Adult dogs and cats rarely show symptoms but are still likely to pick up round-worms and should be regularly wormed. Puppies and kittens with heavy infestations of round-worms will develop pot bellies and possibly sickness or diarrhoea. Puppies and kittens are likely to pick up the parasite from their mothers via her bloodstream or her milk. The larval stage of the worm can lie dormant and migrate to the mammary glands when the host becomes pregnant, travelling through the mother's milk and causing the puppy or kitten to become infected.
 

Roundworms in humans

The dog roundworm, Toxocara canis, does not cause any problems in adults but can cause illness and blind-ness in small children. To reduce the risk:

• Worm dogs and cats, particularly puppies and pregnant bitches, regularly.
• Ensure that children wash their hands after handling their pet.
• Never let a dog lick a child's face.
• Never feed pets from your eating plates.
• Ensure there are no faeces in your child’s sandpit.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are a long, flat, segmented worms and appear like small grains of rice in your pet's faeces. They are most commonly found in the small intestine of adult dogs and cats but can often go unnoticed. If pre-sent in large numbers, they may cause sickness or diar-rhoea, or irritation around the anus, when the seg-ments are shed.

Tapeworms are never transmitted directly from pet to pet but must first go through an intermediate host such as a flea, mouse or bird. The commonest tapeworm has the flea as intermediate host; dogs and cats become infected when they swallow infected fleas, this often occurs through grooming.
 

Hookworms

Hookworms normally only present as a slight infection in the UK as they are quite rare. However, they are more common on the continent where they cause severe anaemia.

Please contact us if you would like more information on worms or their treatment.
SPECIAL OFFER 4 Milbemax wormers for the price of 3 For dogs, cats, puppies and kittens.

 

Rabbiting on...

Infectious diseases

This is the time of year to protect your rabbit from the risk of two very common infectious diseases: Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease. Myxomatosis is a distressing viral disease that is spread by blood sucking parasites such as rabbit fleas or mosquitoes. Pet rabbits often catch them from wild rabbits as they pass through the garden. The virus replicates causing swollen puffy eyes which usually leads to blindness. Affected rabbits become very ill, normally suffer from pneumonia and the majority will die over a period of about two weeks. Viral Haemorrhagic Disease is a very contagious and deadly disease that is spread by direct contact between rabbits or via contaminated bedding, food or hutches. Symptoms include loss of appetite, lethargy, bleeding from the nose and sudden death.
Fortunately, we can vaccinate against both these devastating diseases by giving two vaccines two weeks apart. Please call if you would like to know more.
 

Fly Strike

Your rabbit should keep his back end clean at all times. As the weather gets warmer and the number of flies increases, they will lay eggs on a rabbit that has a soiled back end. These eggs will hatch into flesh eating maggots that cause severe pain and even death, sometimes within hours. Remember to check, and if necessary clean, your rabbit’s back end daily to make sure he is not suffering from flystrike. If you are concerned, we do sell a fly repellent for rabbits called Rearguard which helps reduce the chance of this occurring.
If you notice maggots on your rabbit bring it straight to the vets for emergency treatment.

 
 

New Vet Joins the Team

Danny Chambers BVSc MSc MRCVS

Danny joined the practice as a full time assistant on 23rd February.
Born in Devon to a farming family, Danny has strong agricultural ties and a lifelong interest in animals and their care. He studied at Liverpool University where, in addition to his veterinary studies, he also acquired a masters degree in Infectious Disease Control. Upon graduation Danny has gained valuable experience in small animal care through various locum positions. Very recently, Danny has been volunteering his expertise further afield by doing charity work with the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (www.spana.org) in Morocco, and Help in Suffering in India (www.his-india.org.au). Danny has joined the team as a mixed practitioner and no doubt you will meet him soon.


 

Fighting the fat...

Is a fat pet a happy pet?

The winter months often result in a long period of inactivity and as a result many of our pets gain weight during this period. Keeping our pets fit and healthy is very important. Just like in humans, obesity in animals is known to cause or worsen many conditions, the most common being arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. Overweight animals are also more likely to suffer from cruciate disease and even respiratory problems.
 

Case Study: “Nelly”

Nelly came to the vets in April 2007 weighing 41.1 kilogrammes which was very overweight for a Staffordshire bull terrier cross! Her owners had res-cued her from a kennels in 2005 where she had been treated for very bad skin problems. For the skin problems she had been given steroids. Her owners were unaware that one of the side effects of steroids can lead to weight gain.

As Nelly was so overweight she did not like walking for more than a few minutes at a time, and was too heavy to jump into the boot of the car.
Our weight clinic nurses decided it was time to try and help Nelly’s owner get the weight off her. First they established what Nelly’s diet consisted of and learned about her exercise regime.

They advised her owner that the Royal Canin Satiety Diet would be suitable in Nelly’s case. Along with the owner they designed a manageable exercise pro-gramme and arranged regular check ups and weigh-ins so the owner could accurately monitor progress and had lots of support and encouragement.
17 months later, Nelly had lost a massive 15.89 kilogrammes! Her owner now says that she has more energy and quotes “she now can jump into the car on her own” and he’s even had to buy her a new collar to fit. She also now goes across Cannock chase for walks twice daily for an hour each time!
 

We’re here to help

We understand it can be very difficult to control a pet’s weight. That’s why we run nurse clinics specifically to help with this problem. They can give specialist advice on the many different diets available, especially if your pet has other medical conditions. They will arrange regular weigh-ins so you can monitor your pet’s progress and decide whether your pet would benefit from using the slimming drug Slentrol which suppresses appetite and stops fat from being absorbed.

At our weight clinics we will assess each animal individually and together we will work with you on your pet’s original diet or place them onto a specialised diet to help them lose those extra pounds! As we all know weight loss is always helped with regular exercise, so we will also set up an exercise plan that will suit your pet and your lifestyle. If you have any questions feel free to chat to either Cassie or Lucy, our weight clinic nurses.

WEIGHT CLINICS ARE FREE OF CHARGE 11am - 7pm