We recently moved house and our cat Doris who has always been allowed out has had to be kept in for a while to acclimatise and it has been tricky. I have had to travel during that time and Sofie was brilliant. Doris is a very choosy cat and can be standoffish (to be polite!) but she was totally at ease with Sofie right from the first getting to know you visit. I got regular update texts which were massively reassuring and I came back off my trip to a very happy cat. Sofie has also been fantastically helpful about the pros of keeping Doris in, especially whilst we have had work done on the new garden. I will definitely be using Peace of Mind Pet Care again.. 
P Green
Pet Health Check...
Peace of Mind Pet Care are very happy to have teamed up with Andy Downing BVetMed MRCVS of Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery to provide us with the latest in veterinary pet care advice.
Andy will be writing a monthly article for us covering pet care advice, seasonal information and much more.
Please see below for our latest article, but don’t worry if you have missed one, all our previous articles are available to view.
For veterinary advice and treatment please call Banstead Village Vets on 01737 210011 or visit their website at www.bansteadvillagevets.co.uk
CANINE KENNEL COUGH
Kennel cough, also known as infectious tracheobronchitis, is a highly infectious respiratory disease which circulates in the dog population all year round. A range of bugs can be involved but the two most likely are a bacterium called Bordetella bronchiseptica and canine parainfluenza virus.
Once exposed to infection, it takes 3-10 days before the disease is seen – usually as a dry, retching, honking cough and a raised temperature. Dog owners often think that there is something stuck in their dog’s throat. Very rarely, serious cases can result in pneumonia and even death, particularly in puppies or elderly dogs, but much more commonly, the result is just a very nasty cough.
Kennel cough can last from a few days to several weeks and even after the coughing has stopped the dog can remain infectious for three months or more.
Every dog is at risk, however healthy. Protection against the most important causes is not normally included in a routine annual vaccination and infected dogs can pass on the disease very easily. Last year, an estimated 65,000 cases were seen by vets in the UK.
Despite the name, kennel cough is not only contracted in kennels - a recent survey suggested that the majority of cases are acquired in places other than kennels. Your dog is likely to encounter it in the park, at dog shows and at training classes - basically anywhere that dogs meet.
As kennel cough is caused by both bacteria and viruses, antibiotics can sometimes help to reduce disease duration but sometimes have little effect on symptoms. Anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to lessen the severity of the cough.
As with any disease, prevention is always better (and cheaper!) than cure. Effective intranasal vaccines are available against Bordatella bacteria and can be administered routinely alongside your pet’s normal annual boosters.
Kennel cough vaccines are 25% off during July at Banstead Village Vets. Call the surgery on 01737 210011 to book an appointment.
MICROCHIPPING
Why Microchip your pet?
Every dog owner is legally obliged to ensure that their dog is wearing a collar and identification disc, but thousands have taken positive steps to ensure that their much loved pets can also be identified through microchip technology.
Microchipping of pets in the UK has been available sine 1989. During this time over two million dogs and cats have been microchipped. It is estimated that there are 7,500 new registrations each week.
Sadly, thousands of much loved pets go missing each year and it is estimated that only half of them are ever reunited with their owners. By getting your pet micro chipped you will have peace of mind should they ever go missing that they are much more likely to be returned to you safe and sound. Collars and tags can easily be lost – microchips cannot!
A microchip is also mandatory for pets to obtain a PETS passport.
What is a Microchip?
A microchip is a small electronic device, about the same size as a grain of rice. It is coated in the same material (bio-compatible glass) that is used in human pacemakers! A microchip works through radio wave frequency. It contains a unique number and is suitable for implantation in almost every pet including dogs, cats, horses, reptiles, rabbits, birds and even fish.
Once implanted, the microchip will provide lifetime identification for your pet.
Microchips are read when a scanner is passed over them. The scanner produces low frequency radio waves that passively activate the microchip, allowing the unique number to be read.
What happens when my pet is found?
When a vet, dog warden, rescue organisation or other authorised user scans a found animal, the unique microchip number is displayed to them using a special scanner. With one simple phone call to a 24 hour hotline, your details can be released and you and your pet can be quickly reunited.
Dedicated recovery specialists answer your calls every minute of the day, 365 days a year.
How and where is the Microchip implanted?
A microchip is so tiny that it fits through a hypodermic needle. Just like a vaccination, it is injected under your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades.
No anaesthetic is required and the procedure should cause no more discomfort than a standard vaccination.
Once inserted, your pet’s body tissue surrounding the microchip attaches itself preventing the chip from moving.
The microchip and the implanting equipment are sterilised before use, so that your pet’s body does not reject the microchip.
Registration
After implantation you will be asked to complete a registration form, or your implanter may register online via the internet. It is important that you give as much contact information as possible, to assist reunification if your pet is lost. Once your registration has been processed it will be entered onto the UK database.
Check your information
Once registered you will be sent a certificate confirming the details recorded. It is important to check that your contact details are registered correctly.
Don’t forget
It is important to keep your contact details up to date on the UK database so that you can be contacted 24/7 if your pet is found straying. If you move address, change telephone numbers or rehome your pet to someone else please remember to update your microchip record. Without this important information it makes it much harder to reunite you with your lost pet.
June is national microchipping month and microchips are HALF PRICE at Banstead Village Vets this month – only £15
Vaccine Amnesty for Cats and Dogs
When a puppy or kitten is born it receives maternal antibodies from its mother. Maternal antibodies only last for a few weeks, and then there is no antibody protection against life threatening infectious diseases. Primary vaccination courses should be started just as the maternal antibodies are waning (about 8-9 weeks) and yearly boosters are required thereafter.
Much research has been done about the duration of immunity from vaccines and for some viruses in dogs, it seems to be about 3 years. One of the other vaccine components however (leptospirosis), only gives protection for a year, so your dog should have booster vaccines against this killer disease every single year.
Current evidence suggests that cats need a booster vaccine once yearly.
Risks of vaccination are very low indeed, and certainly lower than the risks of the diseases themselves.
Every year many cats and dogs of all ages become seriously ill or die from infectious diseases which could have been prevented through vaccination.
All unvaccinated dogs and cats are at risk, treatment is lengthy and expensive and sadly, some of these infections can be fatal.
If you have any questions or queries then do speak to your vet who will be able to offer you advice.
Although we all want the best for our pets, sometimes it is easy to forget to keep their vaccinations up to date.
Without regular boosters your pet’s immunity can lapse, and they are once again at risk from life-threatening disease.
Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery would like to offer you the opportunity to bring your pet’s vaccinations up to date if they have lapsed. When your pet has missed their booster vaccination they will need a new primary course of two vaccinations 2-4 weeks apart.
Don’t worry – this won’t cost as much as you think, because during February and March, you can resume your pet’s protection with a new primary course for the price of a single booster vaccination!
Give the surgery a call on 01737 210011 to get these important immunisations back up to date.
FIREWORKS
Firework stress affects almost 50% of dogs and many cats too. Fireworks are no longer a 5th November event and are heard throughout autumn and are often used for many other celebrations such as Birthdays, Weddings and New Year.
Many dogs will run around and vocalise, some become destructive and can even harm themselves. Sometimes the signs of stress can be more subtle such as hiding away and trembling. Cats especially will often become withdrawn and hide away which can unfortunately mean that their stress is not recognised.
It is important to deal with any stress associated with fireworks promptly and effectively as it often progresses to a fear of other sounds such as thunder and gunshots, and eventually even every day noises such as car doors slamming.
How to help cats with fear of fireworks
At least one week before the event
- If possible keep your cat confined to the house for the week leading up to the event. Provide a litter tray.
- Make sure the cat has some form of identification, ideally a microchip to trace it if it does escape and become lost.
- One week before the event plug in a Feliway diffuser in the room that your cat uses to rest.
- Make sure there are plenty of bolt holes and places to hide.
On the day of the event
- Check that the cat is in the house and that all escape routes are blocked.
- Create a darkened room and put on the radio or TV to drown out the firework noise.
- Leave the cat wherever it chooses to hide until it feels safe enough to come out.
- Do not punish or fuss your cat during the event.
- Stay calm and act normally.
After the event
- Leave the Feliway diffuser plugged in for at least one week after the event.
Feliway contains a synthetic analogue of the facial feline pheromone which cats deposit onto objects In their environment when they feel safe and secure.
How to help dogs with a fear of fireworks
At least one week before the event
- Prepare a refuge area for your dog to go to during the fireworks.
- Encourage your dog to use it by hiding treats and toys there.
- Plug in a D.A.P Diffuser in the room that your dog uses to rest, leave it switched on at all times.
On the day of the event
- Ensure that your dog has some form of identification, ideally a microchip incase it escapes and becomes lost.
- Before dark draw the curtains in the room where the dog will retreat to, ensure that there are some toys to play with.
- Make sure you have something to do in the room so that you can stay with your dog.
- Put on some music, ideally something with a constant drum beat, it does not need to be loud.
- Ignore the firework noises, act normally and encourage your dog to engage in an activity.
- Ignore any fear full behaviour. Don’t fuss or reassure your dog when it is scared as this only rewards the behaviour.
- Don’t punish your dog this only confirms that there is something to be afraid of.
- Keep your dog inside and safe.
- Never take your dog to a firework display even if he/she shows no fearful behaviour to fireworks.
After the event
- Leave the D.A.P diffuser plugged in for one week.
- If similar events are likely to happen over a number of nights maintain a D.A.P diffuser for the whole period.
- Consult your veterinary surgeon or a qualified behaviourist to discuss further treatment.
D.A.P. contains a synthetic analogue of canine appeasing pheromone which is naturally produced by the bitch to comfort her puppies and help them cope with new stimuli. D.A.P. is not a sedative drug and the dog can still move around and express reactions to stimuli.
D.A.P and Feliway products are 10% off at Banstead Village Vets this month!
Please contact the surgery on 01737 210011 for further details.
Don’t forget other pets too
If you have a Rabbit, Guinea Pig or any other pets that live outside ideally take the hutch indoors. If this is not possible.
- Put the hutch into a shed or well ventilated garage.
- Provide plenty of bedding for your pet to hide in, plus boxes and tunnels as hiding places.
- Turn hutches to face a fence or wall or cover with a blanket to block out flashes.
GERIATRIC DISEASE
As our pets start to enter their senior years, usually from 7 years old and onwards for dogs and cats, certain age related health problems are more likely to arise.
Unfortunately the symptoms of age related diseases often develop slowly and can easily be missed, which is why it is especially important to keep your pet’s annual health examination and vaccinations up to date to ensure that they remain fit and healthy.
Common diseases of our senior pets:
Dental disease
Dental disease affects more than 85% of pets over the age of three.
If left untreated, dental disease commonly leads to liver and kidney disorders, heart disease, infections and loss of teeth. It can also be extremely uncomfortable or even painful, and cause them to have bad breath.
Heart disease
Heart disease affects one in four dogs over the age of seven. Your vet will listen to your pet’s heart at his/her annual health examination to detect any changes.
Medication is available to successfully manage many forms of heart disease.
Arthritis
Arthritis is more commonly seen in dogs but cats are also affected. The latter are small and agile and can hide mobility difficulties caused by arthritis and, unlike dogs, cats with arthritis generally don’t limp.
Instead, cats affected by arthritis show subtle changes in their lifestyle or behaviour, so it is important to keep an eye out for any of the signs of this painful condition. These include reluctance to jump, stiffness when getting up, decreased grooming, decreased mobility, and grumpiness! Dogs tend to struggle to rise or appear stiff after rest, plus have difficulty climbing stairs and jumping into the car.
The joints most affected are the hips, elbows and knees.
There are very effective treatments available from your vet to help manage pain and improve mobility.
Senility
Our aging pets’ brains can have reduced activity and they may become confused, slow or disorientated. They may lose their house training, have disturbed sleep patterns or they may be less alert.
There are supplements available to help with the symptoms in dogs and cats.
Kidney disease
Kidney disease is a slow, progressive and irreversible deterioration of kidney function, especially common in cats.
One in three cats over the age of ten has some degree of kidney disease.
Cats may only show symptoms once 75% of the kidney tissue has already been destroyed.
Simple routine tests carried out by your vet can detect kidney disease at an early stage and early detection invariably results in a longer, healthier lifespan.
Some signs to watch out for are:
Excessive drinking and/or urination
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Increased sleeping/lethargy
Vomiting and/or diarrhoea
A diagnosis of kidney disease is not a death sentence! There are some very effective treatments available nowadays to help improve quality and length of life. Some are as simple as a change of diet!
Your pet’s dietary requirements will change as they get older anyway. You can seek nutritional advice specifically for the older pet at your vets.
To help your pet to live a longer, healthier, happier life it is important for you to monitor them closely.
Some important things to monitor are:
- When grooming your pet check for any lumps or bumps
- Has there been any change in your pet’s appetite or thirst?
- Has your pet’s weight changed?
- Is your pet still able to do things like jumping on the sofa?
Regular health checks with your vet are very adviseable to enable early detection of any age related illnesses and diseases.
Banstead Village Vets is offering FREE URINE AND BLOOD PRESSURE TESTING FOR CATS OVER 8 at the moment to try and increase detection of kidney disease particularly. A diagnosis of kidney disease is not necessarily a bad thing! There are all sorts of measures that can be implemented to prolong and improve your cat’s quality of life and slow down the disease process. Even if your elderly cat seems healthy, a urine and blood pressure test is still a good idea for early detection of any problems (especially as its’ free!)
Please contact the surgery on 01737 210011 for further details.
YOUR LOCAL CARING VET
SEPTEMBER IS PET SMILE MONTH
Our pet’s teeth were designed for their natural diet of raw meat, sinew and bone. The process of eating these foods had a natural cleaning action on the teeth.
Nowadays however, we feed soft textured food, and even biscuit diets can be swallowed with little chewing.
The end result is a very unpleasant combination of sore gums, tartar build up, rotten painful teeth and smelly breath (halitosis).
Dental disease affects up to 70% of adult cats and dogs over 3 years old!!!! It is however 100% preventable with regular dental checks, good dental hygiene and early detection of problems.
The mouths of our dogs and cats are naturally unhygienic environments full of bacteria. Many of the bacteria will breed on the surface of the teeth to form an invisible layer called plaque.
Some of the plaque is naturally removed when your pet chews and eats, but any that remains can become thickened and mineralised and can then be seen as tartar.
A build up of tartar on the teeth will cause the gums to recede around the base of the tooth. Infection soon follows and as a result of inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) they recede. Untreated infection then spreads to the tooth socket which causes the tooth to loosen and be lost.
In severe cases of dental disease, bacterial toxins from infected teeth can cause irreversible kidney, liver and heart disease!
Once tartar has been formed, the only way that it can be removed is with a professional ultrasonic scale and polish under general anaesthetic, performed by a veterinary surgeon.
The most effective prevention of dental disease is to regularly brush your pet’s teeth. This should be made as pleasurable as possible with lots of praise and reward. It is possible in most dogs, but admittedly not all cats!
Your veterinary practice will be able to supply a special toothbrush and toothpaste for pets.
With gentleness, patience and perseverance it is possible to regularly clean your pet’s teeth.
To start with you can dip the toothbrush in something tasty and smear it onto the outside of your pet’s teeth, or even just use some toothpaste on your finger to begin with.
Most owners find that their pets will tolerate the cheek teeth being cleaned before they are happy to allow you to clean the front teeth.
Never use human toothpaste as this is not designed to be swallowed and could cause illness.
September is Pet Smile Month and Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery will be offering free dental checks during this month.
Should your pet need dental treatment, we are also offering greatly reduced price dentals this month. The package includes the free dental health check up, pre-op blood test, anaesthetic, ultrasonic scale and polish, antibiotics and up to 2 extractions if necessary. This special offer during Pet Smile Month saves well over £100 on the normal costs of dental treatment!.
Please contact us on 01737 210011 to arrange your pet’s free Pet Smile Month check up.
PUPPIES AND KITTENS
Summer is a great time to get a new puppy or kitten. With the fine weather, it is a lot easier to toilet train your puppy and leave doors open for him/her to come and go as he/she pleases. It is important to remember that your new puppy/kitten should not mix with other dogs/cats until at least 1 week after his/her 2nd vaccination. Responsible pet ownership involves consideration of the following.
Vaccination
Absolutely vital for disease prevention. The diseases we vaccinate against can be fatal! An initial course of 2 injections started from 8/9 weeks of age, followed by equally important annual booster vaccinations.
Worming
Initially monthly to kill off Toxocara worms. This nasty parasite causes blindness in children so regular treatment is vital. Nearly all puppies and kittens come with Toxocara which they pick up from their mum.
Flea control
Most of our pets will pick up fleas at some time, so regular STRONGHOLD treatment to kill adult fleas plus larvae and eggs is highly recommended. Stronghold also kills Toxocara, fox mange mites, ear mites and a few other parasites besides.
Insurance
A very sensible idea as accidents and illness can lead to costly vet bills. We recommend PETPLAN insurance policies as we find that they are one of the best. You get what you pay for in life so they are also one of the more expensive, but well worth it in our opinion.
Training classes
A good idea for puppy socialisation and obedience training. Socialisation is a very important topic on its own. Puppies that aren’t socialised adequately often go on to have behavioural problems later on in life.
Neutering
A sensible idea if you’re not planning to breed. Helps prevent aggression, undesirable sexual behaviour, roaming and diseases common to the reproductive organs in both male and females.
Microchipping
The best way of protecting your pet against theft and or reuniting you with him/her in the event of loss.
During August, Banstead Village Vets is offering:
FREE
PUPPY AND KITTEN HEALTH CHECKS
plus HALF PRICE VACCINE COURSE (2ND dose free) and 1ST DOSE OF STRONGHOLD FREE
This fantastic offer is a great way to get your new puppy/kitten off to a flying start. Please contact the surgery for more details on 01737 210011
“Your local caring vet”
FLEAS
With warmer winters and centrally heated houses, fleas are no longer just a summer problem, rather more a year round issue causing conditions ranging from skin irritation and allergies to infections, hair loss and anaemia.
Worse still, a female flea can lay 50 or more eggs per day which fall off your pet and onto carpets, bedding and can remain dormant for many months until conditions become suitable for development, via larval and pupal stages before becoming adult fleas. In just a few weeks, two fleas can become several thousand!
The Flea Life Cycle
The most common flea found on cats and dogs is the cat flea Ctenocephalides Felis.
A flea’s life cycle can take 2-3 weeks under optimal conditions, e.g warm summer weather or a house with the central heating on in winter.
Fleas go through a complete metamorphosis in 3 stages:
Stage 1
Adult fleas jump onto the host, (e.g dog, cat or human) and feed on the host’s blood.
Stage 2
In less than 48 hours fleas begin laying eggs, which fall from the animal into the environment.
Stage 3
In just a few days the eggs hatch into larvae. The larvae dislike light and crawl deep into the environment.
The larvae spin cocoons and wait until conditions are right and then emerge as new adult fleas ready to jump onto a host and start the cycle again.
How can we identify fleas on our pets?
When grooming your pet, look for specks of ‘flea dirt’ (faeces) in the coat or on the skin. If you groom onto some white paper towel or similar, add water to the black specks and they will turn blood coloured if they are flea dirt. You may see the fleas moving fast through the coat or your pet may start scratching more. Another indication is if you get flea bites, small red spots that are very itchy, often around the ankles.
Prevention and Treatment
Prevention is always better than cure so regularly treat your pets with a recommended preparation. Most are ‘spot on’ treatments now - very easy to administer – and veterinary preparations often also treat endoparasites (worms) and other ectoparasites. (ear mites, fox mange mites etc). If the infestation has got out of control, you may also have to treat carpets, bedding etc within the house to kill the eggs, larvae and pupae that are residing there.
For every 5 fleas on your pet there are another 95 in your home waiting to hatch and regular vacuuming will only remove 50% of the eggs and larvae because they are hidden so deeply.By just killing the fleas that are already on your pet you will not prevent them from becoming reinfested – most pet shop and supermarket products fail to treat the environmental side of the problem.
Fleas can also act as an intermediate host for Tapeworm Dipylidium Caninum. Tapeworm eggs which are shed in pets’ faeces are eaten by flea larvae which then develop into infected fleas. Your pet becomes infested by eating infected fleas whilst grooming, so any pet with fleas is likely to have a Tapeworm infestation as well.
Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery is currently running an offer on Stronghold. Stronghold is a spot on treatment for dogs and cats, easily administered to the back of the neck. It kills fleas plus their eggs and larvae as well as fox mange mites, ear mites, biting lice, Toxocara round worms and heartworm and it should be applied monthly.
Buy 3 packets of Stonghold for the price of 2!!!
Call us now on 01737210011
ALLERGIES
We all know about allergies in people, but allergic skin disease (also called Atopy) is a problem we are seeing increasingly commonly in our pets too.
Allergies are immune reactions in which an animal responds abnormally to common, normally harmless substances called allergens.
Our pets may come into contact with allergens in 3 main ways:
• Inhalation- eg pollens and house dust mite droppings
• Contact – eg flea bites, washing powders on bedding
• Ingestion – eg foods
Your pet could become allergic to almost anything he/she comes into contact with or eats, which is why, to a lot of pet owners, it is a very frustrating problem. The onset of allergy problems is almost always between 1 and 6 years of age.
The main symptom of contact and inhalation allergies is intensely itchy skin. Signs include face rubbing, paw irritation (pedal dermatitis), recurrent ear problems, persistent licking and over grooming. These types of allergies often lead to skin disease in specific sites such as ears, feet, armpits, face and groin. Your pet will be itchy and start scratching or chewing, thereby exacerbating the condition and making the skin even more inflamed or even infected - it soon becomes a vicious circle.
Food allergies can cause symptoms of gastrointestinal disease ie vomiting and diarrhoea, but equally they may cause dermatitis (itchy skin). If the allergy is to particular foods, then avoiding the allergenic ingredients and/or hypoallergenic diets can be very useful. Common food allergies are to beef and wheat.
Drugs such as steroids or anti-histamines will help most allergies short term but for a long term solution it is useful to identify the allergens involved. It is also important to rule out other potential causes of skin disease such as mites. A blood sample or an intradermal skin test can help to identify the allergens involved, and then a vaccine specific to your pet’s allergies can sometimes be prepared, which can be a successful way of dealing with the problem.
Unfortunately, allergies cannot always be cured. Instead, both humans and pets need to avoid contact with the allergen or they need medication to alleviate the symptoms. The best approach is to identify the allergen and minimise exposure to it. Flea allergies are extremely common and are greatly improved by effective flea control. In fact, this is always recommended in any allergic patient as even a single flea bite can massively exacerbate the problem. Our preferred method of flea control is ongoing, regular (monthly) application of Stronghold to the back of the neck. Stronghold is on special offer at Banstead Village Vets during June 2010 – buy 3 packets of stronghold for the price of 2!
NEUTERING
If you are not intending to breed from your pet, there are undoubted advantages to neutering.
In male dogs and cats, neutering (or castration) removes the influence of the hormone testosterone, which results in reduced fighting, aggression and roaming behaviour (and thus the risk of road traffic accidents).
It is especially important in male cats as infectious diseases such as FeLV (Feline Leukaemia) and FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) are commonly spread through fighting and sexual activity. Un-neutered male cats also tend to mark the house with a very pungent spray, and they very frequently get bitten in cat fights with resulting abscesses and infections.
In dogs, recall is often better in castrated males, and there is no chance of testicular or prostate cancer once they have been neutered. Humping behaviour of legs and cushions is usually much reduced after castration too!
If we’re honest, there are also enough puppies and kittens in the world, as evidenced by the RSPCA’s recent announcement that they may not have the resources to look after all the unwanted dogs and cats that are being presented to them at the moment.
There are therefore many pro’s to neutering and the only possible con can be a tendency towards weight gain afterwards. This is easily prevented by feeding the correct diet and having adequate exercise, just like us!
Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery is offering 20% off the cost of dog and cat neutering during May, so contact the surgery on 01737 210011 to make a booking.
IS CHOCOLATE POISONOUS TO DOGS?
Can it be true? Is chocolate poisonous to dogs? The answer is yes. The hazard to your dog however, depends on the type of chocolate, the size of dog, and the amount consumed.
The component of chocolate that is toxic to dogs is called theobromine. Whereas humans easily metabolise theobromine, dogs process it much more slowly allowing it to build up to toxic levels in their system.
Size does matter!
A large dog can consume a great deal more chocolate than a small dog before it will suffer ill effects. It’s also worth remembering that different types of chocolate have different levels of theobromine. Cocoa, cooking chocolate and dark chocolate have the highest levels while milk chocolate and white chocolate have the lowest.
A small amount of chocolate will probably just give your dog an upset stomach. He may vomit or have diarrhoea. Large amounts though, will have a more serious effect. In sufficient quantities, theobromine can produce muscle tremors, seizures, an irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding, or a heart-attack.
What to look out for:
The onset of theobromine poisoning is usually marked by severe hyperactivity.
Don’t worry if your dog has eaten a single chocolate or helped himself to the last square of your bar, because this won’t provide a large enough dosage of theobromine to hurt him. If you have a small dog though, and he has eaten a box of chocolates, you need to get him to the vet immediately. If you’re dealing with any quantity of dark or bitter chocolate, err on the side of caution. The high level of theobromine in dark chocolate means it takes only a very small amount to poison a dog; just 25 grams may be enough to poison a 20 kg dog.
The usual treatment for chocolate poisoning is to induce vomiting within two hours of ingestion. There are other things we can do if it’s been longer than this. If you are worried that your dog may have eaten a large quantity of chocolate do not hesitate to call your vet. Time is of the essence. Lastly, make sure those Easter Eggs are out of reach!!
Diabetes Mellitus in dogs and cats
What is it?
Diabetes Mellitus is a condition caused when either the pancreas stops producing insulin (Type 1 Diabetes), or when the body no longer responds in the normal way to insulin (Type 2 Diabetes). Insulin is a hormone which is produced when food is eaten. It tells the cells of the body to absorb glucose from the bloodstream, which they then use as fuel to perform their functions. When the cells do not receive an insulin signal to absorb glucose, the glucose stays in the bloodstream, and the cells cannot function properly. Type 1 Diabetes is more common in dogs, and Type 2 more common in cats. Type 2 diabetes is sometimes known as weight dependent diabetes, as it normally occurs in overweight animals, and sometimes will resolve when the animal loses weight.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptoms are gradual in onset - excessive drinking, increased urination, increased appetite and weight loss. Other signs can include urine infections, cataracts, weakness, and occasionally very serious signs like vomiting and collapse. Affected animals occasionally also get breath that smells like pear drops. This is a potentially very serious complication called ketoacidotic diabetes.
It is your job as pet owners to look out for any of these symptoms, and to take your pet to a vet if you are suspicious that your pet has any of them.
How do we diagnose Diabetes?
By taking blood and urine samples and testing these for high glucose levels though it’s not always that easy for two reasons. Firstly, because blood glucose levels, particularly in cats, can increase for other reasons such as when the animal is stressed. This is not uncommon during visits to the veterinary surgery! Secondly, because animals that develop diabetes are often middle or old aged, and may therefore have other conditions that complicate the diagnosis. For this reason, we often have to do other tests as well, to look at kidney and liver function for example.
How do we treat the condition?
The treatment depends on the animal, on the type of diabetes that they have, and on any other conditions they may suffer from. If it is type 1 diabetes, then normally the animal will be given insulin therapy - where their owner will inject them 1 or 2 times a day at home with synthetic insulin, just like a person would with diabetes. If it is type 2 Diabetes, then sometimes this can be controlled with diet, or with oral medication, although even animals with type 2 diabetes normally start off with insulin injections initially. Weight loss is always an important part of treatment too.
Many animals live a full and normal life with diabetes, although they do all need regular monitoring as their treatment regime may have to be altered regularly to be fully effective.
Peace of Mind Pet Care can provide you with veterinary qualified pet carers who are experienced at administering insulin injections.
Antifreeze Poisoning
With all the recent cold weather, we often need to top up or change the antifreeze or screen wash in our cars, or use de-icers on the windscreen. However, we need to be aware of the danger to our pets!
These products contain Ethylene Glycol, a colourless, odourless, sweet tasting chemical that attracts cats and dogs alike. Even a tiny amount can prove fatal to our pets if ingested.
What It Does
Ethylene Glycol is metabolised by the liver and travels in the blood stream to the kidneys where it forms crystals. If not treated immediately, these crystals can cause renal failure and thereby prove fatal.
If you suspect your pet has ingested antifreeze, it is vital to contact your vet immediately. For treatment to be successful, it must be given as soon as possible after ingestion.
The Signs
The first signs of Ethylene Glycol poisoning are similar to alcohol consumption… lethargy, grogginess and stumbling, increased thirst and vomiting. However, this rapidly progresses into more serious signs such as breathing difficulties, cyanosis (blue tinge to the mucous membranes), reduced urine production, blood in the urine and abdominal pain.
The Treatment
One of the most important things is supportive fluid therapy, better known as a drip. This helps to flush the kidneys through. The other main treatment is rather unusual as it involves intravenous alcohol! This helps to dissolve the crystals that have formed. The dosage is obviously rather important to get right.
