Read My Guest Posts

The Visiting Vet has done a few guest posts lately, one at Mum’s The Word and now one at Little Mummy. If you haven’t already, go and have a read of them and please, leave a comment to let me know what you think.

There Is No Immunity For Vets.

Being a vet can is an emotionally draining job.

 Our patients are rarely 'just animals' to us and we often get more involved than is probably wise. We celebrate when things go well and someones pet is made well again, and grieve alongside the owner when results are not what we wished for and then again when all hope is lost.

We all have lost sleep over cases that have had less than ideal outcomes, and have wondered if we could have done things differently. We have moments of self doubt and sometimes advising clients on what they 'should do' makes us feel completely inadequate.

Of course, unless the patient is in agony, with no hope of recovery, we can't tell you what to do with your pet. There are almost always choices to be made, and unfortunately we often need to run more tests, which cost more money- money, clients sometimes don't have readily available. 

And even if the tests are affordable, should they be done?  Are they invasive? What will they tell us? Will we be able to fix the problem?  These are questions clients ask us and we ask ourselves every day.

Today The Old Boy went down the road to a local surgery to have a broken tooth out and a couple of lumps removed. The lumps were cysts and the sore tooth won't trouble him again but his blood results show some abnormalities. His liver isn't not be doing its job properly and his kidneys aren't what they used to be. I was trying to listen to his blood chemistry results during the school pick up this afternoon, and then didn't have a chance to ring back later. I'll find out more tomorrow. But it's clear all is not well with him.

The weight loss I've noticed probably isn't down to an improved exercise regime after all, and that panting I've noticed may have another cause rather than sitting next to the radiator. The Old Boy is 10, and had a spinal stroke in 2009. He sleeps a lot these days and can't get in the car without assistance, but is happy to eat his food and come for walks with The Lurcher. I want him to have a good quality of life, I don't want him to waste away in a corner.

There are tough decisions ahead for our household and I too will be seeking advice from vets. I will ask my colleagues ' What would you do?'They will offer me words but I know they can't really help me. 

It's going to be me that has to make the ultimate decision. It's such a hard thing to do.

Even for a vet.

TVIL: Should I spay my bitch?

I received this question via email from someone who follows me on twitter but for some technical reason I haven't been able to email them a reply. Sometimes my computer doesn't like AOL addresses, sorry.
So I'm popping it up on here in the hope that the person who emailed me reads it. Let me know if you do! Hopefully my answer to you might help other people to decide whether to spay their bitches, or not, as well.


Dear Jacq

I wonder if you would be so kind to advise me about my little rescue whippet cross (aged 3-5yrs approx).

When I saw her at Battersea Dogs Home (Christmas just gone), I was advised that they would spay her before I took her home. Then, on the morning of the op, they called to say that they had found a mid-line scar and were certain she'd already been spayed (They did say that if for some reason they were wrong, they would spay for free), so off I went to collect her. When I got her home and she rolled over on my bed, I had a good look and saw no sign of a scar. Low and behold, within a week of being home, she came into season. So, now I have the spaying dilema. I had my previous greyhound bitch spayed, as I also had an entire boy greyhound at the time. She was very sorry for herself after the spaying, for quite some time, and I felt awful for putting her through it.

My dilema is that I feel like I'm having her spayed for my own convenience, for boy dog hassle free walks etc, as I no longer have a male dog at home. I know all about pyometra and mammary tumours, so I know that it would be good for her in that respect. The last dog I had spayed was about 13 years ago, so I imagine the procedure may have advanced since then.

 Please could you tell me your thoughts on spaying and how long they take to recover etc.

 Kind Regards and thank you in advance, S

Dear S,

I do think you should have her spayed.

It might be invasive surgery but is very routine these days. You can specifically request that an experienced vet does the surgery, and check she will be given pain relief during the surgery so she wakes up pain free. Hounds aren't the bravest dogs in the world ( I have one myself!) so ask if you can have some pain relief for the next few days post op. The anaesthetics used these days ( as opposed to 13 years ago) are much easier on the dogs,so they have less of a hangover.

You can expect your bitch to be a little subdued for a couple of days but by day 3-4 you will probably have trouble keeping her on lead.

Most vets like to wait until 3 months after the last season to spay a bitch. This is to minimise blood loss and prevent a large drop in hormone levels once the reproductive system is removed.

Any risks of spaying are firmly outweighed by the advantages. Your pet will have no chance of contracting uterine or ovarian cancer and her chances of developing breast cancer are also lessoned. Pyometra is an infection of the womb that most commonly occurs in middle aged bitches. After each season without pregnancy, the lining of the uterus thickens a little and it is these changes that cause pyometra to develop 1-2 months after her heat. A bitch with pyometra will need spaying but the surgery will cost at least twice as much as the routine equivalent, as your pet will need antibiotics and iv fluids, and the surgery is more complicated. She will have a bigger scar and will take longer to recover. Some affected dogs need hospitilisation and more intensive nursing and in some cases a bitch with pyometra will die.

A spayed bitch can not get accidently pregnant, leaving you with puppies to rear and find homes with and she is less likely to get stolen for breeding purposes. This is a very common problem with sight hounds unfortunately.

As you can see, spaying a bitch is not just a matter of convenience for you, but is important for her health as well. She will have a couple of quiet days but hopefully will bounce back from her operation very quickly compared to your last greyhound.

Best of luck  with whatever you decide.

Jacq

Think Twice About Touching WIldlife.

Today I'm guest posting over Mum's The Word about what to do if you find an abandoned wild animal this spring.
Check it out here

Poo!

Where there are pets, there is poo.


No one likes doing it but it's got to be dealt with; if you have a caged pet, you are going to have to clean it out regularly, cats use litter boxes that need emptying and dogs need to be picked up after.


It's important to clean up after our pets as their faeces can carry nasty diseases that can affect humans, such as salmonella, toxoplasmosis and giardiasis. Other parasites such as dog roundworms eggs, and sometimes cat roundworms, can get into the human body and can cause stomach upsets, sore throats, asthma and in rare cases blindness. The eggs can remain active in the soil for many years, long after the dog mess has disappeared. This is why it's recommended that you treat your dogs and cats against worms every 3 months.




Everyone knows they need to pick up their dog's poo.Dogs in the UK will produce about 1000 tonnes of faeces every day, so it can't just be left lying around pavements and parks for people to step on or buggy wheels to go through. It's not hard to carry some plastic bags around with you and scoop as necessary. If you  get caught short, beg a bag off another dog walker or poke it into the gutter so no one steps in it and come back and deal with it later .
People who do not clean up after their dog can be given a £50 on-the-spot fine. If they refuse to pay the fine, they can be prosecuted and may face a court appearance with a maximum penalty of £1,000

Photo by Flickr user timparkinson

 Old cat faeces are especially dangerous to pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as they can transmit toxoplasmosis, a parasite that rarely causes problems in healthy adults.
Cat owners should make an effort to encourage their pets not to use the neighbours garden as a toilet. If your cats won't use an indoor tray, or you don't want one inside, provide an outside tray for them to use, or set aside a part of the garden filled with sand to use as a toilet. The soiled sand will need to be changed regularly and you'll need to make sure children don't use it as a sand pit, but your non cat-owning neighbours will appreciate you providing your pets with a specific toileting spot.


Waste from any household pet can be put in general waste bin and put out with household rubbish for collection but don't put it out with your garden waste or recycling.


This is a good place to point out that what goes in one end, comes out the other. 
If you feed your pet a poor quality, cheap pet food, the end product will be large quantities of soft, badly formed and hard to pick up faecal matter. One of the many advantages to feeding a good quality pet food is that you have far less waste to deal with, and what there is, has less smell so is less unpleasant to scoop.

The Fleas Are Here.

This is a gentle reminder for those of you who stop treating your pets regularly for fleas over the winter.
I've seen three animals with obvious fleas over the last week, and one of them belonged to me!

So start treating, but first check you are treating effectively:

Buy something that works.
Don't bother with the many cheap flea 'repellents' sold in supermarkets and pet shops. They may scare off the odd, half-hearted flea but if you have an infestation you might as well flush your money down the loo.
 I recommend Advantage, Frontline, Stronghold or Advocate. These monthly spot on treatments can be bought from your vet, some pet shops and on-line (some require a prescription).Some suit different pets better than others, so try another if you aren't happy with the one you are using.
Swap treatments every now and again to prevent resistance developing.
If you are treating because you've noticed fleas, then worm your pet with something that treats tapeworms at the same time.

Make sure you are using the right strength.
You'll need a rough idea of what your pet weighs especially if they are at the upper or lower limit for a pack.
Seek advice if you aren't sure what strength pack to get. These products are usually very safe and it's hard to overdose your pet with them but it's better to be safe than sorry. And under dosing puts your pet at risk of fleas, despite being treated,

Read The Instructions.
The important stuff is printed on that slip of paper that you throw away once you've opened the pack, so hang onto it in case you have any questions later.
The treatments recommended above are all designed to be applied to the back of the neck, between the ears and shoulder blades. This is to stop your pet from being able to lick at the treatment.
Don't treat your pet within 3 days of bathing or swimming as it can reduce the effectiveness of these products.

And remember, treat ALL of the pets in your household if you want to prevent an infestation this summer. It's always cheaper and easier to treat regularly, than deal with a major flea problem.

TVIL: How Much Should I Feed My Dog?

How much should I be feeding my English Springer Spaniel, she has a baked bean tin size tin of meat in jelly a day and biscuits left in her dish all the time, some days she doesn't eat them others she'll eat a mug full. Is this the right amount?? She's 2 & weighs 12kg. 
Cathy D


Dear Cathy,
'How much should I feed my pet?' is a question I get asked all the time.
No matter what kind of pet is involved my answer is usually the same: Read the Label!
Pet foods vary so wildly in their nutritional content that the only way to be sure you are feeding your pet the 'right' amount is to read the recommended amount specific to the food your pet is eating.
All decent brands will have this information on them somewhere, if you can't find a recommendation then I suggest you swap brands! 
If you feed different types of food, ie cans and dried, then you will have to adjust your proportions accordingly. 


Cathy, your dog sounds like she is slightly unusual in that she is able to eat only what her body tells her she needs. This is uncommon in dogs and is the reason we don't recommend dogs have free access to food. If you fed a Labrador this way, it would probably go through 15kgs of dried food in a week and quickly start to resemble something that should be upholstered and used as a footrest. Cats are often better at just eating what they need, and no more, but if you notice they are becoming 'cuddly', it's time to feed them a measured amount each day.


Most recommendations are presented as a range of amounts. If your pet is an average size, then start with a middle-of-the-range amount. If your pet is carrying too much weight, then feed at the lower end of the range and if they are on the skinny side, then go for a higher amount.
I don't bother too much with weights as they can be tricky to measure correctly if you don't have proper walk on scales. Learn to score their Body Condition and you can make sure they are getting the right amount of food without fixating on their weight. And if you have a cross breed or a purebred animal that obviously falls outside the norm, then you will know they are the right size when they have a body score of 3. You should be able to feel their ribs just under their skin and their abdomen should look tucked up when they are viewed from side. If their ribs start disappearing, feed them 10% less, and if their spine starts becoming visible then give them 10-20% more.


Cathy's Spaniel is 6 kgs than she should be if you look at the breed standard weight, but is almost certainly not  emaciated. Dogs, like people, come in different shapes and frames. Cathy's dog sounds like she has a small frame and so probably has a body score closer to 2 , than 3. This doesn't mean there is a problem. If you think your pet is too thin, no matter what you feed them, it's worth getting them checked out just to make sure they aren't sick. But if they get a clean bill of health from your vet, then don't stress about it. Just accept that your pet is petite but healthy and try not to get too cross when people comment on how skinny they are.