Since our birthday last March we have given £1 from every vaccination to the Joshua Tree charity.
Our total raised for November and December was another £400, bringing our total to £2458
Hollybank’s Brave Pet of the Month…Murphy!
Murphy is a lovely 5 year old Labrador who was very unwell recently. He came to see one of our vets when he was off colour and not eating as usual. When we examined him he was jaundiced, which means he looked yellow rather than pink when we looked in his mouth and in his eyes.
This can be due to several underlying problems, but suggests an issue with the liver or an abnormal breakdown of red blood cells. An issue with the liver can happen because the liver is not functioning very well, or with a blockage of the bile ducts that come from the liver.
We admitted Murphy for further investigations. Initially we took some blood and started him on some supportive fluids into his vein as he was very subdued and looking nauseous. The next day a specialist came in to scan Murphy’s abdomen. This helped us to rule some possible causes in and out.
Murphy’s results and scan suggested he had acute hepatitis, which meant he had sudden onset liver inflammation and potentially injury. In dogs, this can be due to viruses and infection but can also be in response to toxins. It is not always possible to know which of these is most likely.
We then needed to give Murphy’s liver time to recover. This involved supportive care with fluids and lots of TLC as well as supplements to help with liver function and a specific diet. Unfortunately in some cases the liver is unable to recover from the initial injury or insult. Thankfully in Murphy’s case he soon started eating small amounts of food and looked much brighter.
Murphy had to stay in the hospital on fluids for the next few days but was soon well enough to go home. He has had to come back and visit for some follow up blood tests but has been doing really well since.
Christmas dangers!
With Christmas festivities just around the corner we wanted to remind you of some of the potential problems for our pets, in particular for those food loving animal’s who will beg, borrow and steal for some Christmas treats!
- Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies: raisins, currants and sultanas can be toxic to dogs resulting in kidney failure. Even a few can cause illness. Grapes can also cause problems.
- Chocolate: both milk and dark chocolate contain an ingredient called Theobromine which can be toxic to dogs and cats especially when eaten in large quantities. Signs can vary from GI upset to more serious complications such as tremors, seizures and heart disturbances.
- Sage and onion stuffing: Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives can cause gastrointestinal signs, abdominal discomfort and anaemia in both cats and dogs, which can have serious consequences.
- Macadamia nuts: problems include weakness, lack of balance, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal signs, lameness and joint pain.
- Foreign bodies: Small toys or bones can be ingested and pose the risk of intestinal obstruction. Also, silica gel packs found in many Christmas packaging can swell very rapidly in your dogs stomach posing a risk of intestinal obstruction.
- Pot pourri: This can cause significant and prolonged gastrointestinal upset in dogs.
- Christmas plants and flowers: Mistletoe, Pointsettias, Holly, Ivy and Pine needles can be mildly toxic and cause GI signs, salivation and depression.
- Ethylene glycol (anti-freeze): This is extremely toxic to both dogs and cats. Anti-freeze ingestion results in severe renal damage and quickly progresses to renal failure. The prognosis is often guarded.
If you have any concerns about your pet over the Christmas season just give us a call on 01606 880890. We have a 24/7 emergency line which will put you in touch with one of our vets.