Summer Small Animal Newsletter

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Welcome to the summer edition of the Small Animal newsletter! With good weather promised for this summer we are looking forward to keeping your pets happy and healthy so they can enjoy themselves to the full.

Microchipping Week. All microchips will be half price £11.50 Monday 22nd June to Friday 3rd July 2009 Book an appointment with a nurse today! Nurse appointments are run daily from 11am to 7pm.

STRAITON VETS GO ONLINE!

Straiton vets have been working very hard to create a useful and informative website for our clients.

The website will be continually updated providing you with the latest news and information on any special offers we are running and any other topical veterinary issues that could affect your pets.

There is information on many various common conditions, worming and vaccination regimes, puppy and kitten care, puppy socialisation and training classes, weight clinics, Pet Passports and infectious disease control.

Additionally you will be able to register your pet online, subscribe to receive newsletters by email and order repeat prescriptions from out website.

It is a work in progress and we hope that over the next few months and years it will grow to be a valuable source of information for our clients about the many diseases and various issues that affect cats, dogs, rabbits and other pet animals.

We would appreciate any constructive criticism so please feel free to contact us with your suggestions for information you would like to see on the website.

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.

Lungworm is spreading

A warmer climate and the greater freedom for our pets to travel throughout the UK and Europe have led the establishment of several diseases and parasites that were previously unknown in the UK. Lungworm is one such disease.

What is lungworm?

Lungworm is disease that we are treating increasingly regularly. Caused by a parasite called Angiostrongylus vasorum, cases used to be restricted to the south of England in counties such as Devon, Cornwall and Surrey. However, in recent years cases have been identified in the Midlands and even as far north as Scotland. It is carried by foxes and dogs and spread through slugs and snails so is very difficult to avoid.

The spread of this parasite can partly be explained by the easy movement of dogs around the country, but it is likely that the damper, warmer climate is favouring the increase in slugs, snails and frogs which are all involved in the lungworm life-cycle.

SIGNS ASSOCIATED WITH LUNGWORM INFECTION

Coughing
Shortness of breath
Exercise intolerance
Fitting
Kidney Problems
Liver problems

Some dogs may be carriers of the infection without showing any clinical signs.
Due to the way the worm invades the body, the majority of signs will be associated with damage to the heart, lungs and circulation.

Diagnosis of Lungworm

It some cases it can be difficult to make an absolute diagnosis as the methods used to test for the lungworm infection do not detect every case.

We often test for the lungworm larvae in the faeces of dogs using a technique called the Baermanns test.

As the larvae are only shed in the faeces intermittently, to achieve the best results faecal samples must be collected daily for 3 days and stored individually.

If the dog is coughing we may take an x-ray of the chest to identify changes in the lungs and the heart, or we perform a “tracheal wash” to directly identify the parasite in the airways.

Treatment

If caught early enough treatment is successful and any damage caused by the lungworms can often e reversed.

However, with heavy infections or chronic cases the prognosis can be very poor.

To treat a case oof lungworm, we would usually prescribe Milbemax tablets once a week for four weeks, or Panacur once daily for seven days.

Prevention

There is no licensed medical product to prevent lungworm, although keeping your dog’s general worm control up to date may help.

Avoid leaving food bowls, bones, chews and toys outside overnight as slugs are likely to visit these. Wash anything that appears to have been contaminated with slime trails.

SPECIAL OFFER

4 Milbemax wormers for the price of 3
For dogs, cats, puppies and kittens

Life cycle of Lungworm

Summer holidays!

Motion sickness

Many people find that they can't take their dogs with them on holiday or on day trips because their pet gets car sick. A dog vomiting in the car is a sure way to ruin the journey!

1 in 6 dogs suffer from motion sickness.

Dogs get motion sickness either because they are anxious while travelling or because their balance is affected by movement.

Fortunately there is a tablet called Cerenia which blocks the vomiting signals, preventing dogs from getting sick. It is a safe and effective medicine that prevents vomiting caused by motion sickness, and it works very well with a success rate of up to 93%!

Simply give your dog the tablets with a small amount of food 2 hours before travelling and the effects last around 12 hours.

It can be distressing to leave your dog home or in a kennel—now you don't have to. With Cerenia, your next trip should be a lot more pleasant and enjoyable for both you and your dog. Safe travels!

Kennel Cough

If your dog is going to be spending some time in a boarding kennels this summer, make sure that the kennel cough vaccine is up to date.

Kennel cough is a highly contagious condition in dogs and is easily spread wherever dogs meet– out on walks, at training classes and of course in boarding kennels.

Dogs with kennel cough typically have a dry hacking cough, commonly followed by retching. In mild cases, dogs will continue to eat and be active and alert. However, in more severe cases the symptoms may progress and include lethargy, fever and lack of interest in food. Severe cases may take a few weeks to recover fully and antibiotic treatment is often required.

Kennel cough is caused by a mixture of viruses and bacterium, the most significant one being Bordetella bronchiseptica, which we vaccinate against by administering intranasal drops.

Not only does it protect your dog from this infectious disease, many kennels will not allow your dog to stay unless the vaccine is up to date.

SPECIAL OFFER

Kennel cough only £9.25 when given with your dog’s normal annual booster!
Normal price £17.50

Keep a close eye on your rabbit this summer!

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 fly-strike. If you are going on holiday, please ensure that whoever is looking after your rabbit checks the hindquarters and under the tail daily!

We sell a fly repellent for rabbits called Rearguard which helps reduce the chance of this occurring, make sure you apply this before going on holiday.

If you notice maggots on your rabbit bring it straight to the vets for emergency treatment.