Author Archives: gray_ealingvets

Top winter tips for your pet

Often in the winter period we see a large number of flea related problems. Once your central heating is put on, any flea eggs in the house will hatch out resulting in large numbers of fleas appearing. Each individual flea can lay hundreds of eggs in the house which are resistant to virtually all cleaning methods. We strongly recommend that you treat your pet with a spot on flea treatment from the surgery (in our experience supermarket brands tend to be of an inferior quality to our recommended products) and use a household flea spray on the carpets and floors.

Many people find their pets slow down in the colder weather. In middle aged and older animals this may be related to underlying arthritis. With dogs it is usually more obvious as it causes stiffness getting up or limping when walking. Cats however often hide signs of arthritis. They may be reluctant to jump onto surfaces or may not be able to jump as high as they used to.

Weight control is very important if your pets do have arthritis, so try not to give too many treats over the winter period ! We have special diet foods for both dogs and cats which are generally much more effective in achieving weight loss than simply reducing their current food or using the supermarket light diet foods.

Nutritional supplements can be given to both dogs and cats for arthritis, and may be benefiicial. It is important to use high quality supplements as the effectiveness of these can vary greatly. We generally recommend supplements such as Nutraquin + but can advise on a range of supplements to help you find the best one for your pet.

Anti-inflammatory medications may also be beneficial for both dogs and cats with arthritis, either for short term or long term use. Remember NEVER give human anti-inflammatory medications to pets unless directed specifically by the vet. Some human medications are highly toxic to pets (for instance paracetamol is often fatal if given to cats).

Laser therapy ( non surgical light therapy) can be beneficial for arthritis, which we are able to perform with our class 4 laser at our Ealing surgery.

Regular exercise is also important for dogs to maintain mobility in the colder months. Frequent short walks may be better than one longer walk.

Medical problems other than arthritis may cause your pet to slow down, and so it is important that your pet is checked by a vet before starting treatment for arthritis.

Finally a reminder that Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, Stollen mince pies and chocolate can all be poisonous to dogs. Poisonous plants include holly, ivy and mistletoe. Pointsettia and lillies are toxic to cats.

Please feel free to call us if you would like advice on any of the issues we have raised. Just click on the link to our website below for details of your surgery. We are here to help.

With festive wishes from all the team at Young Veterinary Partnership. We look forward to continuing to care for your pet in the coming year.

Festive pet topics

Unusually for this time of year, we are still seeing a large number of flea related problems. Once your central heating is put on, any flea eggs in the house will hatch out resulting in large numbers of fleas appearing. Each individual flea can lay hundreds of eggs in the house which are resistant to virtually all cleaning methods. We strongly recommend that you treat your pet with a spot on flea treatment from the surgery (in our experience supermarket brands tend to be of an inferior quality to our recommended products) and use a household flea spray on the carpets and floors.

Many people find their pets slow down in the colder weather. In middle aged and older animals this may be related to underlying arthritis. With dogs it is usually more obvious as it causes stiffness getting up or limping when walking. Cats however often hide signs of arthritis. They may be reluctant to jump onto surfaces or may not be able to jump as high as they used to.

Weight control is very important if your pets do have arthritis, so try not to give too many treats this Christmas! We have special diet foods for both dogs and cats which are generally much more effective than simply reducing their current food.

Nutritional supplements can be given to both dogs and cats for arthritis, and may be benefiicial. It is important to use high quality supplements as the effectiveness of these can vary greatly. We can advise on which is the best one to use for your pet.

Anti-inflammatory medications may also be beneficial for both dogs and cats with arthritis, either for short term or long term use. Remember NEVER give human anti-inflammatory medications to pets unless directed specifically by the vet. Some human medications are highly toxic to pets (for instance paracetamol is often fatal if given to cats).

Regular exercise is also important for dogs to maintain mobility in the colder months. Frequent short walks may be better than one longer walk.

Finally a reminder that Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, Stollen mince pies and chocolate can all be poisonous to dogs. Poisonous plants include holly, ivy and mistletoe. Pointsettia and lillies are toxic to cats.

Please feel free to call us if you would like advice on any of the issues we have raised. Just click on the link to our website below for details of your surgery. We are here to help.

With festive wishes from all the team at Young Veterinary Partnership. We look forward to continuing to care for your pet in 2015.

How to help your pets cope with fireworks

fireworks dog

Every year we receive a number of requests for help from owners who are worried about how their pets react to fireworks. Both cats and dogs can suffer from noise related phobias around this time and it is important to plan in advance if you want to tackle this problem.

After the fireworks begin, your pet may begin to show odd behaviour such as restlessness, making excessive noise or hiding away in a corner. If you have noticed any of these signs in the past, there are a few things that you could do to reduce their stress this year.

* Keep all of your pets inside during firework displays. Ensure that any windows or cat flaps are shut and that the curtains are drawn.

* Take your dog for a walk before the fireworks begin so that they are not startled whilst they are outside.

* It is important for you to remain in the house with your pet during any firework displays, but try not to act any differently towards them. If you act normally, your pet will feel calmer.

* If your pet prefers to hide somewhere in the house, just let them hide and they will come out when they feel safer.

* Try offering your pet a distraction. Treats or a toy can help them to feel more relaxed, but do not try and force them to play.

* Do not punish your pet for their behaviour during firework night, as this can lead to worsening anxiety.

It is important to stress again that if your pet prefers to hide, do not try to force them to sit with you. If you have enough time, try creating a safe place for them to hide in before the fireworks begin. You could use your dog’s crate or bed if they have one, or if you have a cat, a large cardboard box will do. Try and line them with blankets or towels that your pet is used to sleeping on, as these will smell comforting. Do not force your animal into the safe place, as again this can make them feel uneasy.

Ensure that each pet has a separate hiding place and that cats have an opportunity to hide away from each other. Note that some cats actually prefer hiding somewhere high up, like on top of a wardrobe. Never shut your animal in a cage, or inside one room, as they will feel trapped.

There are also some supplements that you could try to help keep your pet calm.

* For dogs – ADAPTIL is a product that contains Dog Appeasing pheromone. It is a copy of a pheromone that a bitch releases to comfort her puppies and should help to reassure and calm your dog. It comes as a plug –in, a spray or a collar. Adaptil should be started 2 weeks before firework season for maximal effect.

How to help make your dog feel safe during fireworks season.

* For cats – FELIWAY is a product that contains facial pheromones. These are pheromones that your cat will leave on an object when they rub their head against it, and will make them feel safe and secure. This comes as a plug-in or a spray. Feliway should be started 2 weeks before firework season for maximal effect.

* For both dogs and cats – ZYLKENE is a supplement derived from milk proteins that can help to make your pet feel more relaxed. These supplements should be started at least 1-2 days before any fireworks are expected.

If your dog is very anxious we do on occasion dispense tranquilizers, but we would advise that the above methods are tried if possible also.

It is possible to try to desensitize your pets to firework noises using a download available from itunes called ‘Sounds Scary’ although this may take some weeks to have an effect.

If you are worried about your pet’s behaviour and would like some advice, please do not hesitate to call us. Please also visit www.zylkenepet.co.uk, www.feliway.com/uk, or www.adaptil.com/uk.
Enjoy a safe Bonfire night!

Young Veterinary Partnership

www.youngvets.co.uk

Avoiding pet poisons

We are proud to offer a 24 hour emergency service at Young Veterinary Partnership. Unfortunately some clients have to use our emergency service when their pet has been poisoned. Whilst this is a situation we hope you won’t have to go through with your precious pet, poisons that are harmful to pets are commonly found in everyday household substances and products. We hope the information below will help you to understand some of the common poisons and explain what you should do in an emergency to minimise the risk to your pet.

There are a few keys things we may ask over the phone which help us to assess the immediate situation.

When do you think the toxin was ingested/in contact with your pet? Some specific toxins may have an anti-toxin which we can administer.
What was it? Bring any packaging with you if you can.
Make a note of any clinical signs such as vomiting, diarrhoea, shaking, seizures, drooling, altered mentation (behaving strangely), burns/ulcers in the mouth, pain, increased thirst, heavy breathing or difficulty breathing.

Poisonous foods:

Raisins, Grapes, Onions, Chocolate, Alcohol, Leeks, Garlic.

Poisonous Plants:

Lilies, Rododendron , Azalea, Marijuana, Pointsetta, Yew, Deadly nightshade.

Other Poisons:

Rat poison, Paracetemol/Ibuprofen (paracetamol is IMMEDIATELY FATAL to cats), Chewing gum (zylitol), Anti-freeze (ethylene glycol), Permethrin (poisonous in cats and at high quantities in dogs – often found on supermarket anti-flea products), Weed killers / herbicides (Paraquat/doquat), Blue-green Algae, Batteries, Lead, Insecticides (Organophosphates), Slug bait (Metaldehyde), Psoriasis creams (Vitamin D analogues), Bleach, Strong detergents.

What we can do:

If the toxin was ingested up to 2-3hrs ago we can administer a small injection which will make your pet vomit. This stops any further toxin being absorbed into the stomach and intestines. After this we may try to feed your pet some adsorbents such as activated charcoal. Adsorbents bind to any toxin left in the stomach and prevent any further digestion. If the toxin was on your pet’s skin we may instruct you to wash your pet with some warm mild shampoo.

Depending on how much toxin your pet has ingested we may do blood tests and keep your pet with us overnight on a drip. This helps to support the vital organs whilst the toxin is being broken down. We may also need to monitor your pet intensively for a few days whilst the toxin clears.

We hope this dispels some of the myths around poisons and explains how we can help. We have extensive experience in dealing with cases of poison and we are here 24 hours a day to care for your pet.

How to stop cats and kittens scratching furniture

Picture credits holidogtimes.com

People often think that when a cat scratches furniture it is doing so to sharpen its claws. In actual fact they are scenting the furniture using scent glands in their pads, as well as leaving a visual mark that they have been there. This is a normal cat behaviour, and would usually be done on trees in an outdoor situation. When they are kept indoors they tend to go through the same process, but unfortunately they may pick your best furniture to do so !

It is always easier to teach good habits when they are young, so we suggest starting teaching them good habits as early as possible. If your older cat already has a problem then we have a few tips to try to help improve the situation.

How to stop kittens scratching furniture

Place a few scratching posts in the areas of the house that they use most, particularly in areas they like to sleep and play.

Encourage them to use the scratching post by using dangle toys near the post or using catnip to scent the post. You can also use praise and cat treats when they use the scratching post.

Don’t force them to use the post as this may have the opposite effect.

How to stop cats with a habit of scratching furniture

Put a scratching post next to the damaged furniture. Make sure it is of a texture that the cat likes- some prefer loose weaved material, some prefer knobbly textures.

Cover or move the damaged furniture, so the cat can’t get to it. If covering you could use thick plastic, or another material that your cat won’t like the feel of.

Make sure that scratching posts are in prominent areas that the cat likes to be in.

Feliway is a cat pheromone (scent) spray that may help reduce scratching particularly in multi-cat households where stress may be a factor. You can purchase this from the surgery, and spray it onto the furniture daily for a month.

Rabbit- feeding, vaccinating ,neutering and avoiding flystrike

Getting a Rabbit:

Rabbits are becoming increasingly popular as pets for both children and adults in the UK. They are very sociable animals and should be kept in pairs if possible. Animals from the same litter will normally get on well, but any pair that are newly introduced must be monitored closely. Female rabbits will tolerate each other, but un-castrated male rabbits will fight. It is not recommended to keep rabbits and guinea pigs together, as both have very different requirements.

The average rabbit will live for 5 – 10 years, so they are a big commitment.

Feeding:

The most important part of a rabbit’s diet is hay, alongside fresh grass. Rabbits should be allowed to eat as much hay and grass as they like. Rabbit teeth grow continuously throughout their life, and so hay is vitally important to keep them worn down. Rabbits that are not fed enough hay will often encounter problems with overgrown teeth later in life, which can be very difficult to resolve.

Rabbits can also be fed green leafy foods and vegetables, such as cabbage, chard, parsley, watercress, broccoli, basil, carrot, brambles, and dandelions. All of these foods should be washed before being fed to your rabbit. Fruits should be avoided as they are very sugary.

Rabbits can also be fed a pre-packaged rabbit food in the form of pellets or muesli. This is the least important part of the diet, and only a small handful should be given daily. Pelleted rabbit foods are better than mueslies, as the rabbit cannot pick and choose what to eat out of the bowl!

Always ensure fresh water is available.

Neutering:

Rabbits can be neutered from 4 months of age. In female rabbits, this prevents uterine tumours and can greatly reduce the chances of mammary tumours developing. It also stops any unwanted pregnancies. In male rabbits, castration prevents aggressive behaviour and inappropriate mounting of objects.

Vaccinations:

Rabbits should be vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD). Even rabbits who live indoors should be vaccinated, as the viruses can be spread via contact with flies, and biting insects. Rabbits can be vaccinated from 5 weeks of age. Vaccinations should be repeated annually to ensure protection is maintained.

Flystrike:

Rabbits will naturally eat some of their faeces (called caecotrophs) daily. These are the soft pellets that are normally passed at night so you may not see them. However, if a rabbit suffers from certain conditions such as obesity, arthritis, etc, it will be unable to reach around to it’s rear end to collect them. This can lead to a build up of sticky faeces, which will attract flies. If the flies lay eggs onto the rabbit’s coat, the developing maggots will eat away at the rabbit’s skin. This is an extremely painful condition called flystrike and needs prompt treatment from your vet. It is therefore important to check a rabbit’s rear end everyday for faeces and to bathe away anything that becomes stuck.

We recommend protecting rabbits from flystrike by using an insecticide twice yearly, which can be picked up from the surgery in May and July.

Getting a Rabbit- what do I need to know ?