Our on-line shop has just been launched, for dogs, cats, birds and rabbits. You can now order a wide range of regular dog and cat food, prescription foods, toys and pet accessories for collection from any of our surgeries. You will receive 10% discount for all on-line purchases.
Please go to our web site www.youngvets.co.uk
and have a look.
We see many cases of flea allergy related skin problems, in both cats and dogs. Many people think that as it gets colder, fleas become less of a problem. However we tend to see more flea related problems, at this time of the year. This is because when you turn your heating on in the cold weather, any flea eggs that are in the carpets will suddenly hatch out and cause problems. One flea can lay hundreds of microscopic eggs, and they can lay dormant and then hatch out months later. Cat fleas will happily bite dogs and vice versa !
We also see many flea problems despite people using a variety of products. In many cases it is because the products are not potent enough to kill all the fleas. If only a few fleas are not killed, as mentioned above they can lay hundreds of eggs and an infestation can quickly arise.
Our recommendations of effective spot on treatments products are Stronghold, Advocate or Advantage. It is important to also treat the house, with a product that lasts at least 6 months. Nothing kills the eggs, it is only when they hatch into microscopic larvae that they are killed, and as they can lay dormant for upto 6 months a long lasting household spray is needed.
Don’t forget also that fleas can transmit tapeworm, so regular worm treatment is needed also.
It makes you itchy just thinking about it !!
See http://www.itsajungle.co.uk/parasites/detail/fleas/ for more information about fleas including some great pictures and video.
Which way does your dog wag its tail ?
According to research happy dogs wag their tails more to the right (from the dog’s point of view), while nervous dogs wag it more to the left. It is thought that dogs may learn to do this when meeting other happy or nervous dogs in the park.
ultrsound scan of a kitten
Nala was a stray cat bought into us at the beginning of July. She is such a lovely girl, very affectionate and purrs every time someone strokes her. We then came to notice that Nala was looking rather round…and pregnant!
After an examination with Mr Young, he confirmed that she was indeed pregnant and was due anyday.
Then after a couple of week Nala gave birth to 4 healthy kittens (2 boys and 2 girls) by caesarean, with the help of the Ealing team!
Then at three weeks old the kitten and mum came down with cat flu. So all the nurse’s helped them by giving antibiotics and lots of TLC. After a week they were well on the mend.
They have all gone off now to new homes- we wish them well.
Our Pet of the Month for October is an incredibly lucky little cat called Skitz. He was brought in to the vets as emergency after been attacked by an animal. On arrival there was evidence of an injury to the right fore limb as it was swollen. He was put on fluids for the shock of the attack.
Once he was more stable he was sedated to take x-rays of the injured leg. X-rays showed that there was a complete fracture of the right radius and fracture of the ulna. A survey x-ray was also taken to check there were no internal injuries. Skitz was also showing possible nerve damage to the back legs from a crushing injury but after a couple days he regained nerve function.
The vet decided that the best treatment for Skitz was to wait for the swelling to go down before they could operate on the broken leg. So after several days Mr Young repaired the fractures by placing pins inside the fractured pieces of bones to hold them together. The pins are held in place by an external fixator cement bar to ensure the bones will heal in the correct position. This type of fracture repair allows all his weight to go through the bar whilst the bones heal.
Skitz treatment was complicated further by the fact that he had an over-active thyroid , which can affect bone healing, so Skitz had his thyroid glands surgically removed at the same time as his fracture repair.
Skitz needed a few days after surgery to recover in the hospital, when he was encouraged at least once a day to go for a walk to use the leg.
Our Pet of the Month for October is an incredibly lucky little cat called Skitz. He was brought in to the vets as emergency after been attacked by an animal. On arrival there was evidence of an injury to the right fore limb as it was swollen. He was put on intravenous fluids for the shock of the attack.
Once he was more stable he was sedated to take x-rays of the injured leg. X-rays showed that there was a complete fracture of the right radius and fracture of the ulna. A survey x-ray was also taken to check there were no internal injuries. Skitz was also showing possible nerve damage to the back legs from a crushing injury but after a couple days he regained nerve function.
It was decided that the best treatment for Skitz was to wait for the swelling to go down before we could operate on the broken leg. So after several days Mr Young repaired the fractures by placing pins inside the fractured pieces of bones to hold them together. The pins are held in place by an external fixator cement bar to ensure the bones will heal in the correct position. This type of fracture repair allows all his weight to go through the bar whilst the bones heal.
Skitz treatment was complicated further by the fact that he had an over-active thyroid , which can affect bone healing, so Skitz had his thyroid glands surgically removed at the same time as his fracture repair.
Skitz needed a few days after surgery to recover in the hospital, when he was encouraged at least once a day to go for a walk to use the leg.
More than 80% of owners say their pet is afraid of firework noises. Signs of stress in dogs include trembling, shaking, hiding behind furniture, barking excessively, and trying to run away. Cats are much better at hiding their anxiety, but symptoms may include excessive meowing, refusal to eat, hiding, or vertical scratching and spraying.
Often mild reactions to fireworks can be managed with a pheromone (scent) spray; called Feliway in cats and Adaptil in dogs. These products can be purchased from our surgeries.
We have a full range of Feliway and Adaptil products available.
More severe reactions in dogs may be managed with a combination of sound desensitisation, using CD’s such as Soundsscary, and Adaptil. Occasionally tranquilizers may be prescribed after consultation with your vet, but these are generally used as a last resort.
Further tips for reducing firework anxiety include:
i. Provide a den or hiding place; this works best if it is a place previously chosen by your pet when they have been frightened before.
ii. Plug a Feliway diffuser or Adaptil diffuser close to the den at least a few days before the fireworks start.
iii. Try to ignore behaviour such as whining and crying, panting or pacing. Pets can pick up on their owner’s anxiety, and if you try to soothe them it can reinforce the belief that fireworks are something to be afraid of. It is also important not to scold them.
iv. Close doors and windows, close curtains and turn on music or the TV to mask some of the noises.
v. Keep cats indoors and have them microchipped in case they escape.
Making your cat a den in a quiet, dark corner – somewhere to hide when the fireworks start.
