Food Allergies

Food allergies are a common problem in our pets.

Common food allergies
Dogs: Beef, Cow’s milk, chicken, eggs, wheat, soy, corn
Cats: Fish, chicken, beef

Problems food allergies causes include gastro and itchy skin.

Elimination diets whereby you remove these common problems for at least 8-12 weeks can help determine if food allergies are really a problem. Otherwise, veterinary prescription diets can also be used for this time.

Improved responses can be seen 1-9 weeks of the changed diet if you are dealing with a food allergy.

Why the average pet owner should not breed their pets

Being a professional dog or cat breeder requires a lot of experience and knowledge. If you are seriously considering becoming a breeder professional, contact the local breed association for advice.

Things to think about:
• Too many pets end up in shelters
• Development of genetic disorders
• It requires a lot of time and effort in selecting the right mates – it’s a profession
• It requires knowledge of the breed as well as genetics
• You need to put in place the appropriate disease preventive measures
• You need knowledge of the mating and whelping process
• You need to understand diet requirements

Hearing Loss in Senior Dogs

It’s not unusual for a dog’s hearing to deteriorate with age. You may notice your pet not responding to your call, sleeping longer, or your pet not being alerted to sounds they would normally hear.



Tips:

· Teach your pet hand signals with verbal signals

· Avoid sudden movements

· Use the ground for sending vibrations

· Keep to a strict routine – meals and toileting

Mouth Tumors

Unfortunately, the mouth is a common site for tumors in dogs and accounts for about 7% of all cancers. The most common mouth tumor is the melanoma then squamous cell carcinoma and fibrosarcoma.

Common Breeds
Mouth tumors can occurs in any breed of dog. However, certain breeds have been diagnosed
Melanomas - smaller breeds such as cocker spaniels and poodles
Squamous cell carcinomas - large breed dogs such as Labrador Retrievers and Samoyeds.

Age
• Melanomas – 12 years
• Squamous Cell Carcinomas – 10 years
• Fibrosarcomas – 9 years

Treatment Options
• Surgery
• Radiation Therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy

Ask the Vet - Fever

A fever is an increase in body temperature: in dogs it is a temperature >104.0°F and in cats >103.0°F. Some animals, particularly cats can increase their body temperature with stress. But, any temperature over 104.0°F is unlikely to be due to stress. As body temperatures rise about 104.0°F, serious harm can occur to the pet’s internal organs.

Causes of fever include:
· Infectious disease (viral or bacterial)
· Immune mediated disease
· Cancer
· Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD) in young dogs.

Your veterinarian may need to run various tests in order to determine the cause of the fever. Tests include bloods, x-rays, and ultrasound examinations.

Common Household Poisons

Without toys and exercise, pets can become bored and start looking around the house for something to play with. There are various household items that should be securely stored. Most insecticides, pesticides and cleaning agents contain poisonous chemicals.

Examples:
• Ant Poisons
• Antifreeze
• Battery acid
• Bleach
• Brake Fluid
• Cleaning Products
• Crayons
• Deodorants
• Drain Cleaner
• Dye
• Fertilizer
• Flea Products
• Heavy Metals (Lead, Zinc)
• Insecticides
• Matches
• Paint Remover and Thinner
• Perfume
• Rat Bait

Dog and Cat Blood Types

Human blood types fall into the categories of A, B, AB and O.

Cats:
Cats are similar with A (majority), B, and AB (rare). There is no O type. It's important to know what blood type your cat is in case of an emergency. Cats that receive the incorrect blood type can have severe and potentially fatal reactions.

Dogs:
There are many different blood types in dogs. Approximately 13 different groups are recognised with many new groups being discovered.

Your local veterinarian can perform various tests to determine what blood type your cat or dog is.

Why Our Pets Should Be Desexed

Surgical desexing or neutering involves the removal of the male or female reproductive organs so that they can no longer have puppies or kittens. The female procedure is referred to as a spey (spay) and the male procedure is referred to as a castration.

Desexing is highly recommended around the age of 6 months because:
• It prevents unwanted pregnancies
• It reduces the risk of some cancers
• It prevents life threatening infections in females such as the pyometra (uterine infection)
• It reduces unwanted behaviours that can occur in male dogs e.g. inappropriate urinating, aggression

Diabetes in cats and dogs

According to Abbott Animal Health, 1.4 million dogs and cats have diabetes in the US. Diabetes is a complex disease that requires exceptional veterinary and home care in order to achieve a stable patient.

Predisposing Factors:
Dogs:
• Genetics
• Immune mediated problems
• Pancreas problems
• Obesity
• Kidney disease
• Urinary tract problems

Cats:
• Obesity
• High carbohydrate diet
• Inactivity
• Pancreas problems
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease
• Genetics (e.g. Burmese)

Treatment often requires numerous types of lifestyle changes such as medical and dietary changes. Regular visits to the veterinarian, blood tests and urine tests are required.

Atopy - Inhaled Allergens

Atopy refers to allergies in pets that are caused by inhaled allergens. It is often diagnosed between 6 months and 3 years of age. And characterized by itchy feet, face, ears, belly and under arms.

Common breeds
• Shar Peis
• Fox Terriers
• Golden Retrievers
• Dalmations
• Boxers
• Boston Terriers
• Labrador Retrievers
• Lhasa Apsos
• Scottish Terriers
• Shih Tzus
• West Highland White Terriers

Diagnosis is based on:
• history
• physical exam
• ruling out food allergies
• parasites
• ruling out contact allergies

Control
1. Avoidance of allergen
2. Symptomatic therapy (anti-histamines, corticosteroids etc)
3. Desensitization from allergy testing and shots

Deadly Parvo

Parvo is a severe gastrointestinal disorder that can affect dogs, but predominantly puppies. It is highly contagious and contracted through contaminated feces. The reason is can become such a problem is that the virus itself is highly resistant and can remain in the environment such as parks, malls, boarding kennels, for any unprotected pet.

Clinical Signs Include:
• Vomiting
• Severe, bloody diarrhea
• Depression or lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Death as quick as 48-72 hours after onset of signs

As with most infectious disease, prevention is better than treatment. Highly effective vaccines exist for dogs starting from a pup at 6 weeks of age, every 3 weeks up to 16 weeks of age. They will then need continued protection with a vaccination one year later and every three years after that.

Ear Infections

Common Causes:
1. Yeast
2. Food Allergies
3. Fox tails/Grass Seeds
4. Parasites - mites (demodex), fleas, ticks
5. Hypothyroidism

Presdipositions
1. Narrow ear canal e.g. Shar Peis
2. Defective drainage
3. Ear Conformation
4. Self Trauma - dog or cat scratching at it or rough cleaning
5. over treatment
6. obstruction e.g. tumour or polyp

Grass Seeds or Foxtails

Grass seeds, although small, can be fatal to our pets. These small seeds can bury their way through skin and organs and usually enter through the toes and ears.

Prevention tips:
• Avoid walking in long grass
• Check your pet around the ears and toes after every walk
• Remove any with tweezers gently
• Keep your pet groomed – short haired pets are less likely to trap grass seeds in
their coat.

If you suspect your pet has a grass seed, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Is My Cat Pregnant?

If your cat is an outdoor cat and is not desexed, it has a very high chance of becoming pregnant.

Signs that could indicate your cat is pregnant:
• Swollen nipples: pregnant cat nipples are enlarged and pink
• Increased appetite: appetite increases about 1.5 times during pregnancy
• Weight gain: the abdominal area enlarges with pregnancy
• Mood change: pregnant cats can become quiet and friendlier

If your cat is showing these signs, book her in to see the veterinarian for a pregnancy test.

If it is not pregnant, you should consider booking her in for desexing ASAP.

Dandruff

Dandruff or seborrhea occurs commonly in Cocker Spaniels, Basset Hounds, West Highland White Terries, Dobermans, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds and Daschunds.

Common Causes:
• Allergies e.g. atopy, food, flea, contact
• Parasites e.g. flea, mites, lice
• Endocrine disorders e.g. hypothyroidism
• Autoimmune disease
• Neoplastic disorders
• Environmental factors e.g. low humidity

Treatment can vary depending on the cause. Antibacterial and antifungal shampoos can help where they are allowed to soak the skin for 10 to 15 minutes.

Lick Granulomas

Does your dog lick excessively at one spot on its leg?

Lick Granulomas or Acral Lick Dermatitis is a common condition that affects a single area on a limb. It is thought to be most commonly caused by boredom, separation anxiety or confinement. Other noted causes include allergies, trauma, parasites or pain (e.g. arthritis). The area is often moist due to the excessive licking, raised and inflamed.

Depending on the underlying cause, treatment can vary. Resolution can vary between dogs. The smaller the lesion and the quicker the diagnosis, the better the prognosis.

Commonly Affected Breeds:
• Boxer
• Doberman
• German Shepherd
• Golden Retriever
• Great Dane
• Labrador Retriever

How to Reduce Shedding

The following tips are for pets that shed hair regularly and evenly. For those pets that have suddenly had a loss of hair in a particular area or have become thin in the coat all over, seek medical attention.

1. Stop Hair at the Source
Brushing daily means that you will remove most of the hair before it has the chance of falling into the environment or onto you. Natural-bristle brushes are often the most effective. If your pet will allow it, brush in all directions. Regular bathing no more frequent that every two weeks will also help to reduce the shedding.

2. Environmental Cleaning
Vacuuming regularly will also reduce the environmental clumps of hair. Roller brushes will also help to remove hair off clothing and furniture.

5 Most Common Causes of Skin Diseases

1. Parasites
• e.g. fleas, mites
• Diagnosis: on history, skin scrapings, treatment trial
• Treatment: effective parasite control, regular treatment, medication

2. Food
• e.g. soy, beef
• Diagnosis: history, 8-week diet trial
• Treatment: hypoallergenic diet, removal of all other food sources, medication

3. Environmental agents
• e.g. wandering dew, pollen
• Diagnosis: history, specific allergen testing
• Treatment: allergen-specific immunotherapy, environmental modification, medication

4. Bacteria
• e.g. staph
• Diagnosis: cytology, culture and sensitivity
• Treatment: antibiotics and topical treatment

5. Yeast
• e.g. malassezia
• Diagnosis: cytology
• Treatment: antifungals, medication

Common Household Medications

It’s never easy watching your pet suffer. Unfortunately, looking to our own medicine cabinet is not a good idea. Drugs commonly used for human ailments can be poisonous to pets.

If a pet is unwell, it is important that you seek veterinary attention immediately. Human medications such as pain relievers and anti-inflammatories should not be used on pets.

Common Household Medicines that can be poisonous to our pets:
- acetaminophen (PARACETAMOL, TYLENOL),
- aspirin,
- ibuprofen,
- naproxen

If your pet accidentally ingests these products, seek veterinary care immediately.

Keep Your Pets Out of the Garbage

Our trash appears very appealing to our pets. So, it is important that the garbage is secured to prevent our pets from getting into it. Garbage contains toxic bacteria, sharp objects, food scraps and other possible foreign bodies that are not good for pets.

Tips:
• Always secure the garbage and if possible keep it in an area out of reach from pets
• Keep your pet on a harness when walking to steer them away from garbage on the street or in the park
• Train your pet to "Sit" and "Stay" so they can be stopped from eating garbage

If your pets are to get into the garbage, seek veterinary attention as soon as possible.