Hot and Bothered

We’ve been having some lovely weather recently and are expecting more to come, so we’re taking this opportunity to go over how to safely enjoy this weather with your pets.

Pets die in hot cars, so you should NEVER leave your pet alone in the car, for ANY reason, whether a window is open or not. When it’s 22C outside it can get up to 47C inside the car within 60mins. Try and plan journeys in advance so that there would be no reason for your pet to be in your car unattended.

The sun is shining and this is a lovely time to be out and about walking your dogs. Be careful what time of day you are exercising your dogs and what type of exercise they are doing. We would advise that dogs are not exercised during the hottest parts of the day and gentle exercise is encouraged. Try to refrain from playing games with balls etc as dogs can get too hot and be unable to control it. Allowing dogs to paddle in pools, streams, lakes and the sea (safely) is a great way to keep them cool whilst allowing them to exercise. It is particularly important to keep dogs with heart or respiratory problems calm and quiet in this weather; they are best kept indoors with a fan nearby to keep them cool.

Heat stroke can be fatal in pets and most commonly occurs when the animal has been allowed to get too hot and the animal cannot bring their temperature down themselves. They usually pant uncontrollably, are quiet and lethargic and reluctant to move. This condition is an emergency and it is vital to cool them down as fast as possible. One of the best ways to help cool them down at home is putting them in a lukewarm shower. If you are concerned your pet has heat stroke contact us immediately so we can advise you on the best next steps.

To keep dogs cool in this hot weather you can soak them with water. This is especially important for dogs with thick coats like Leonbergers, German Shepherds, Huskys etc. Make sure when you soak your dog that they are completely wet all the way down to the skin. It is also necessary to make sure your pet has access to shaded areas and water at all times.

White cats are also prone to sunburn. If you have a white cat you can try using a child’s sunblock on areas like the ears which have less fur covering and are more likely to burn. It would be best to test the lotion on a small patch of skin before using on the entirety of the ears in case they have a reaction. Ideally keeping these cats indoors/in shade is best, but cats usually do what they want regardless of what’s best!

We hope that this advice helps everyone to enjoy the lovely weather safely with their pets. If you have any concerns or queries about any of the issues brought up in this small blog then don’t hesitate to contact us at the practice on 01792 879 822. 

Ticks: Can you spot them?

It is important to be able to recognise a tick as they come in various shapes and sizes. If you don’t know what a tick looks like you won’t be able to find them on your pet.

The size of ticks at various stages in their lifecycle compared to an adult nail

The most common tick in the UK affecting our pets is the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus) and this tick can transmit Lyme disease, which affects humans, dogs and cats. It is only the females that attach to the skin and feed from one location, filling themselves up with blood (which takes about 9 days).

 

A female Ixodes ricinus tick full with blood

 

Lyme disease is normally passed on from an infected tick to your pet around 48hrs after the start of feeding. By the time you notice a tick full of blood it would have already been feeding for 5-7 days. It is therefore vital to remove ticks as soon as possible in the right way. The easiest way to do this is by using a specially designed tick remover the O’tom Tick Twister (sold at the practice for £3.79 incl. VAT).

Ticks are mainly active in the UK in Spring and Autumn, as they like damp, warm weather. To find out the predicted risk of ticks and fleas outside in your area (or an area you will be visiting) go to:

FleaTickRisk.com

There are various products that can be used to try and reduce the risk of ticks to our pets. We sell Frontline Combo, which kills ticks 48hrs after biting if being used regularly every month. Due to the way the spot on works you may still find a dead tick attached to your pet, as they don’t always remove their mouthparts before dying. You may bring your pet to us here at the practice or remove it yourself at home with a tick remover.

Ticks are extremely important to consider if you are travelling abroad with your pet. Despite tick treatment no longer being compulsory we would highly recommend you use a product that repels, expels or kills ticks whilst abroad.
If you would like more information regarding the importance of ticks both home and abroad as well as advice on the spot on treatments we offer, contact us at the practice on 01792 879822 or make an appointment with one of our vets.

Neutering Dogs

As a follow up to our previous post on neutering cats we’re going to go into some more information on why you should neuter your dogs.

If you are not intending to use your dog for breeding it is best to have it neutered.

Unlike cats it is best to allow female dogs to have one season before spaying. This is because female dogs can develop urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (USMI) later in life and by spaying them after they have had a season it decreases the risk of this developing. USMI causes urinary incontinence in older bitches and means they will leak urine quite commonly whilst lying down. If they are spayed before their second season they also have a reduced chance of developing mammary tumours later on in life. By spaying bitches you are preventing them developing a pyometra (a pus filled uterus) which is a serious condition and can prove fatal if left untreated. We do spay some dogs before their 1^st season, but this would be unwise for certain breeds.

Male dogs can be neutered at any time from about 6months old. By castrating dogs you eliminate the chance of them developing testicular cancer and suffering from prostate disease later in life. 80% of entire male dogs over the age of 5 years old suffer from prostate problems. Unfortunately castration will not guarantee to resolve any behavioural problems associated with testosterone, but the chances of these developing in the first place are reduced if castrated at a younger age.

Both dog castration and bitch spays are routine procedures that we perform regularly here at Gibson and Jones, prices vary according to the weight of the dog. All dogs that come into our practice for neutering go home with canine painkillers to keep them comfortable during their recovery. If you would like to discuss having your dog neutered in further detail please phone us at the practice on (01792) 879822 and make an appointment with one of the vets.

Tali, at home and comfortable last night after having been spayed earlier in the day

Neutering Cats

According to the PDSA Well Being report 2012, there was an estimated 11.9million cats in the UK. That’s a staggering number of cats and will grow uncontrollably if cats are left un-neutered.

Female cats can get pregnant from as young as 4months old! There is no benefit to allowing a cat to have a litter before neutering; it will only result in more kittens looking for homes. Most rescue centres including the Cats Protection are currently over flowing due to the large number of strays and unwanted cats and kittens in the country.

Male cats left un-neutered will roam and as a result are more likely to get knocked over by cars or get in fights with other cats. Fighting other cats can result in infections such as FIV and FeLV as well as developing abscesses.

At Gibson and Jones we recommend neutering cats from 5months old as long as they are otherwise healthy. Female cats are most likely to start coming into season around February/March (as their ovulation is linked to the seasons) so it is advised that any cat older than 5 months old is neutered.

Both cat spays and cat castrates are routine procedures undertaken under general anaesthetic.

To book your cat in for neutering or to enquire about pricing please contact us at our Gowerton branch (01792 879822). Don’t forget that we offer 25% discount on microchips that are implanted whilst under anaesthetic.

Evie and Dory relaxing post-spay when they were younger.

The Dental Step by Step

Here as promised is part 2 of blog on dental disease.  In this part we will go through all the steps of a dental (and have photos of 832 at stages of her dental) so you are prepared should your pet need one. At the end we have letters and photos from 2 clients saying what a difference a dental made to their well loved pet.

832 aka Kitty settling into her kennel before her dental

After being recommended a dental we will book your pet in on a day that best suits you. We ask that you starve your pet from 7pm the night before, but allow them access to water overnight. You then bring your pet in between 8am and 9am on the day of the dental and we admit them, making sure we have the best numbers to contact you on during the day. We then weigh your pet and get them settled into their designated kennel for the day. If you have an older animal one of the veterinary surgeons may have discussed the importance of running a small blood test, checking liver and kidney parameters, before any drugs are administered. At this point a pre-medication is given; this helps to make your pet a little bit sleepy. After enough time has passed we administer the anaesthetic, ensuring your pet does not feel pain during the dental and is asleep the whole time. 

Tartar on 832's molars

 The first step in a dental itself is removing any large plaques of tartar from the teeth. Once this has been done tooth health can be fully assessed and it can be determined if any teeth need to be removed. Tooth removal can take a while, depending on which tooth it is and how healthy the tooth is. The next step is to then finish scaling and polishing the teeth (just like your dentist may do for you). After this your pet would be woken up gently and carefully carried back into its kennel where it can finish waking up from the anaesthetic comfortably, safely and at its own pace.

We usually ask you to phone at around 2pm to check on how your pet is doing, one of the staff at Gibson and Jones will let you know how the dental went (or if it is still underway) and how many (if any) teeth were removed. At the same time we may be able to give you a better idea on when we feel your pet is ready to go home.

832 having her teeth brushed!

When you come to collect your pet we will discuss with you the aftercare your pet will need, this is tailored to the individual and will depend on whether any teeth have been removed and how many teeth remain. Generally we recommend feeding your pet soft food for 24hrs before returning to its normal diet and will also recommend toothbrushing (which 832 has been having done regularly since her dental).

You would be surprised on how much a dental can change an animal’s life, especially when you think that they have been fine. Eddie Sowden has a greyhound called Beauty and wrote the following letter on his experience:

“Beauty is a 9 year old ebony/brindle greyhound who came to me via Greyhound Rescue.

Recently her teeth became loose and showed bad decay and the vet at Gibson and Jones decided removal was the best way to proceed. She had all her teeth removed apart from two rear ones and when I collected her in the evening she was ok.

I was quite concerned about her sedation but she was tested beforehand and it turned out not to be a problem.

We went home and she enjoyed some chicken and rice as she was very hungry (she loves her food). She had chicken and rice for 3 days and then went back to her normal biscuit meal, well moistened and softened.

She recovered very quickly and is a much livelier dog. Obviously her teeth were making her unhappy and she now eats normally, except for hard dog biscuits.

Beauty taking it easy after her dental

She was very comfortable going to Gibson and Jones as she knows the nurses and is always pleased to see them.”

Judith Porch has a cat called Muriel that came into us for a dental almost 2 years ago. Here is what she had to say about Muriel's dental:

Muriel before her dental

“Here are the two photos. The first is taken on 16th January 2011 and the second is taken in August 2011. As you can see she was in a very poor way beforehand. She was struggling to eat and couldn't groom herself so had become irretrievably matted and had to be shaved whilst having her teeth out. She had also become very quiet and lack-lustre, in fact she had been unwell for so long that we had forgotten what a friendly cat she was as she rarely bothered with us anymore. We thought that we would lose her as she was only 2 kilos in weight and having her teeth out was our last resort.

As you can see from the second photo the operation was a huge success! Even though she had all her teeth removed apart from the canines she came home after the operation and immediately wanted to eat soft food and drink cat milk. The transformation in her was dramatic and once her fur had grown back she looked and acted like her old friendly self coming to sit on my lap and chasing our other cat around. She is now (one year later) over 4 kilos and as beautiful and glossy as she was years ago.
 I have nothing but praise for the team at Gibson and Jones and Mr Jones in particular who operated on her. His patience and expertise ensured her speedy recovery. 

Thank you for taking such good care of her and giving her a second chance to live.”



Muriel after her dental

How to Keep Your Pets Biting Fit!

With our practice cat 832 (aka Kitty) having undergone a dental last week we felt now was a good time to give everyone some more information on tooth hygiene, signs of dental disease and how to help prevent the need for extractions later on in life. This will be the first in a 2 part piece, with part 2 going through the steps of a dental itself from your pet being admitted to going home later that day.

The first step in good teeth hygiene is looking at your pet’s teeth. As with anything, it is better to start young. All new puppy and kitten owners should be getting their new additions used to having their lips lifted and mouths opened, enabling good visualisation of all the teeth. Those with older pets can still accomplish this, it just takes a bit more time and patience. With any animal you want to be starting off slowly and ensuring your pet is calm and relaxed at all times and not struggling. It is good to reward any sort of progress and remember, praise works just as well as treats!

Next is being able to recognise signs of dental and gum disease. As with our own teeth there are a range of things to look out for, some subtler than others. Most pets with some form of dental or gum disease will have smelly breath and this is the easiest thing to look (or smell) out for. Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) can vary from a slight reddening of the gums at the point where gum meets tooth to a more severe angry reddening and also swelling of the gums (this is obviously harder to spot in pets with black gums!). It is also important to look out for plaque and tartar. This can range from a mild brown/grey discoloration of the tooth (usually starting at the gum line) to a more severe tartar build up with thick deposits forming. Back teeth can often have tartar building up and this can be missed when looking at your pets teeth if the lips are not pulled back far enough. Unfortunately our pets will keep eating despite having severe dental and gum disease, so this is an unreliable sign to watch out for!

There are a couple of things that you can do to delay the need for a dental. A simple thing that can be done is feeding your pet at least some dry food in its diet. As your pet eats the dry food the teeth have to work hard to crack into the food and this can help prevent large deposits of tartar forming. Just as we brush our own teeth to keep them clean, the same can be done to our pets. There are special toothbrushes and toothpastes designed to work on pets’ teeth to help keep them clean. Lots of cats don’t tolerate toothbrushing very well but there are a couple of toothpaste like products which can either be rubbed directly on their teeth and gums or put on their paws for them to lick off, helping to maintain tooth health. All these products are sold at the practice and we are happy to discuss the various options with you and work out what is best for you and your pet.

If you are concerned about your pet’s teeth one of our veterinary surgeons can examine your pet’s mouth in a consultation during open surgery (Mon-Fri: 9am-10am, 5pm-6.45pm. Sat: 9-10am) or by  appointment (Mon-Fri: 2pm-4pm).

Keep a look out for part 2: The Dental – Admit to Home Time.

Lost... AND FOUND!

Microchips are essential in re-uniting you with your pet should they get lost or stolen. A microchip is a small implant (the size of a grain of rice) which is used to identify your pet by giving it a unique number for the rest of its life. The microchip is inserted under skin at the back of the neck and can be scanned to reveal your pet’s unique number. Microchips are used to help identify a wide range of animals from cats and dogs to horses and even some birds and reptiles!

Microchips are a fast way to allow the return of lost pets to their owners as when handed in to any vet practice, rescue centre or pound the first thing to be done will be to scan the pet looking for a chip. When a microchip is found the unique number enables them to find an owners address and contact details (on a national database) so that owners can be informed their pet has been found. Having accurate contact details on a microchip is the only way that an owner can be found, so when you have your pet chipped make sure you fill out the form in as much detail as possible with as many contact numbers as possible. Should you move or any details change, the microchip company should be contacted as soon as possible so that the database can be updated.

Microchips can be inserted from a young age and are commonly done at the time of initial vaccinations as a puppy or kitten. Here at Gibson and Jones we offer a free microchip as part of our puppy and kitten packs. The packs also include 1^st and 2^nd vaccinations, free wormer, free flea treatment and health checks at both vaccinations. They can also be placed when your pet is under anaesthetic for another procedure such as a spay, castrate or dental.

We are happy to microchip pets here at Gibson and Jones so either pop down during our open surgery (9am-10am and 5pm-6.45pm) or book an appointment between 2pm and 4pm on weekdays.

With over 126,000 dogs being handled by local authorities last year and 7,500 having to be euthanased as owners could not be located microchipping really could save your pets life!