Please read Hollybank Veterinary Centre’s 2015 Summer Newsletter by clicking on the picture.
Preventative Health care for your pet.
Many of the health problems and conditions that affect our pets can be prevented with preventative health care. Here at Hollybank Veterinary Centre we believe that prevention is the best kind of medicine.
Fleas and worms
These parasites can be picked up from anywhere and many of our pets can have them without us even realising. Fleas can be a problem in the cleanest of houses and the most spotless of pets, just one flea can lay up to 40-50 eggs in one day! 95% of the flea population actually lives in the environment, such as carpets, grass or furniture. Fleas can survive at all times of the year, but mostly during the warmer seasons such as Spring, Summer and Autumn. However, dormant larvae in carpets will also start to develop when the central heating kicks in come Winter.
There are many different types of worms that affect our pets, including tapeworms, roundworms and lungworms. Some of these worms are also ‘zoonotic’ which means they can be passed from our pets on to us. Our pets are often infected from the environment (infected faeces or grass) or from other infected animals.
It is essential to keep your pets regularly treated for fleas and worms to prevent an outbreak. It is also important to treat the environment. When selecting appropriate treatment please read the packaging carefully. Ensure the product is specific to the species you are treating and adhere to the correct dosing quantity and frequency. If you have any questions regarding flea or worming treatment please contact the practice.
Microchipping
As of April 2016, England will be introducing a new law which requires all dogs to be microchipped. A microchip is a small electronic device, about the size of a grain of rice. The chip is inserted under the animal’s skin, usually between the shoulder blades. The procedure does not require an anaesthetic and the microchip is injected using a needle. This means that if your pet is lost or stolen and taken to a local authority, vet practice or animal welfare organisation, your details can be traced using the microchip. This will allow you to be re-united with your pet.
Vaccinations
Dogs, cats and rabbits can all be vaccinated against a wide range of diseases. These diseases cannot only make your animal unwell, but can in fact be fatal. Vaccinating your pet can significantly reduce the risk of your pets contracting these diseases.
Routinely dogs are vaccinated against Distemper virus, Parvovirus, Infectious Canine Hepatitis and Leptospirosis. Cats are protected against Panleucopenia virus, Herpesvirus, Calicivirus and Feline Leukaemia virus. Finally, rabbit’s vaccinations are against diseases such Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD).
If you would like to start your pets vaccinations, think your pets annual vaccination is overdue or have any questions regarding vaccinations, please contact the practice.
Neutering
Neutering your pet not only prevents unwanted pregnancies, but also provides a number of significant health benefits for your pet.
For females it also reduces the risk of them experiencing false pregnancies as well as decreasing the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer, uterine infections and mammary cancer. For males it reduces roaming, fighting and urine marking, as well as reducing the risk of testicular diseases (cancer, infection, torsion) and prostatic diseases (enlargement, infection, cancer).
Neutering is a surgical operation which requires a general anaesthetic. Your animal will come in for the procedure in the morning and will usually go home the same day. The initial recovery period requires strict rest for 5 days. Your pet will also go home with additional pain relief and a very attractive buster collar to prevent them interfering with their wound. The age at which your pet can be neutered varies according to size and shape. In general dogs can be neutered from 4-5 months, cats from 4 months and rabbits from 3-4 months.
If you have any questions regarding preventative health care please contact us on 01606 880 890.
Hollybank’s Brave pet of the Month…Willow!
Willow is lovely little black domestic long hair cat who presented to us one morning with sudden onset hind limb lameness; her owner reported she was non weight bearing to very minimally toe touching with her right hind leg.
When an animal presents with lameness we want to examine all aspects of that limb to localise the exact area of pain. We usually start at the top and work our way down. First we examine the hip joint (Coxo-Femoral joint), then progress downwards examining the long thigh bone (Femur), knee (Stifle joint), long bones (Tibia and Fibula), ankle joint (Tarsus), foot (Metatarsals) and lastly the digits (Phalanges).
Willow had considerable swelling located over her ankle joint although she was extremely tolerant and brave during her exam. She didn’t give much indication of pain other than some mild wriggling. Willow had no obvious wounds on her leg and we could not feel any obvious fractures. Her paw however, was stuck outwards at an abnormal angle and her nails were all scuffed.
There are many different potential diagnoses for a lame cat: wounds, cat bite abscesses, sprains and strains of musculoskeletal tissues, bone fractures, joint dislocations or luxation and osteoarthritis. However, due to Willows clinical signs (severe lameness, swelling, pain, abnormal foot position and scuffed nails to indicate some trauma) we were concerned that something more serious was on the top of our differential diagnosis list. As a result, we recommended x-rays.
Willow had to be sedated for her x-rays and whilst under sedation we were able to feel some instability of the ankle joint. The x-rays showed that Willow had a Tarso-Metatarsal joint luxation; this means that Willows foot (metatarsals) had shifted away from her ankle (tarsus) so that they no longer met to form a normal joint. Willow had been very determined to make it home with her injury and definitely deserves to be our brave pet of the month!
We sent the x-rays to an orthopaedic specialist who confirmed the luxation and advised us that Willow would need surgery. To repair the luxation Willow’s joint would have to be surgically fixated back into the correct position; this is done with a plate and screws fitted internally or with an external fixation apparatus. This type of surgery would also require a specialist surgeon and post-operatively Willow would need long periods of rest to give the joint the best chance of healing.
Although many orthopaedic fixations are very successful, as with any procedure we perform we cannot predict its success. When placing foreign material inside the body we also have to be aware for the potential of secondary complications where intensive management is sometimes needed. As Willow was not insured we had to take this all into account in our decision and decided that this was not a feasible option.
As Willow was otherwise a very fit and healthy cat with a lovely temperament we elected to perform complete hind limb amputation. The following day Willow had her right hind leg amputated and the operation went well. She stayed in with us that evening to receive pain relief and ensure she remained comfortable. Willow was already trying to move around the next day and was enjoying lots of fuss and cuddles so we were happy to send her home.
Even within a couple of days Willow was moving around really well and determined to get back to exploring. At Willows post operative check she was doing remarkably well; her wound had healed nicely and she was quickly acclimatising to life on three legs.
Willows owners are delighted with how well she is doing and Willow is just as delighted to be back with her family, especially Fox Red Labrador, Bracken, who she truly believes is her mummy!
