Cuddington Primary School Visit

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Hollybank Veterinary Centre recently visited Cuddington Primary School’s Reception class. We talked to the children about what they think vets do and how they should look after their own pets.

The children were taught how to use a stethoscope and then had the opportunity to listen to their friend’s hearts.

 

 

 

 

Marmite and Marmalade, our resident Guinea pigs also got involved! They were very well behaved and allowed each of the children to hold and handle them.

A few of the ‘best sat’ volunteers were dressed for surgery and all of the children were able to practice their bandaging skills on one another. The children really enjoyed their visit and the following week sent us a lovely thank you card!

Hollybank’s Brave pet of the Month…Truffle!

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Truffle is a 5 month old and extremely cute Chihuahua. During Truffles first health checks with her primary vets, a heart murmur was heard. A heart murmur is caused by the abnormal flow of blood through the heart, for example, blood travels in the wrong direction.

There are many different types of heart murmur. Sometimes the category of heart murmur can indicate the underlying reason however we can never truly make this diagnosis without scanning the heart. This assesses its structure, function and direction of blood flow.

As Truffle was so young it was important to check for any heart defects that can occur at birth, this is also known as congenital. Truffle was referred to a cardiac specialist. The cardiac specialist scanned Truffles heart and diagnosed her with a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA).

The ductus arteriosus is a blood vessel that should close itself after birth. The vessel connects the aorta and the pulmonary artery. If the vessel remains open, some of the blood which is meant to be carrying oxygenated blood towards the body travels in the wrong direction .  This reduces the amount of oxygenated blood the body receives. Initially Truffles body will compensate to cope with this and luckily truffle was coping very well with her heart defect.  However, it can eventually lead to remodeling of the heart and congestive heart failure.

Closing the defect at an early age can give an excellent long term prognosis. However, as Truffle was so small this abnormal vessel would need closing surgically. Open chest surgery is very advanced and this would need a specialist soft tissue surgeon and intensive post-operative care. At this point Truffle was transferred to the care of Hollybank Veterinary Centre where a specialist soft tissue surgeon would perform the operation.

The surgery itself would be extremely intricate. One of the highest risks would be bleeding, therefore we had to ensure this was taken into account within our pre-operative plan. If an animal experiences large volumes of blood loss then a transfusion is required. To prepare for this we blood typed Truffles blood. We then collected a donation from one of our matched donor dogs. Truffle was then ready for her operation!

During the surgery it was important to monitor Truffle very closely. Our role was to ensure a stable anaesthetic and provide adequate pain relief. To expose the heart, important vessels and nerves had to be carefully identified and moved to one side, as you can see in the picture. The surgery was a great success and the PDA was closed!

 

 

Although the largest part was now over for Truffle, her post-operative care would be just as important. As the surgery was performed in close proximity to so many vital structures a chest drain was placed to monitor for delayed haemorrhage, development of inflammatory fluid and leaking of air. Truffle was hospitalized; her drain, heart rate, respiration rate and general demeanour were checked every couple of hours and her pain relief was provided regularly.

Over the next few days Truffle recovered remarkably well. The chest drain was removed and her surgical wound was healing really well. Most importantly, her heart murmur had now disappeared!

Within 2 days post-surgery Truffle went home with 6 weeks strict rest; her family were extremely pleased to have her home. Despite her tiny size, Truffle made a very big impression on us all at Hollybank Veterinary Centre!

 

 

Take a closer Look….

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The ‘Take a closer look’ campaign is set to start this month and aims to encourage dog owners to get their pet checked for Keratoconjucitivitis Sicca (KCS), a condition also known as dry eye.

KCS develops as a result of the dogs own immune attack on the glands which produce tears. If not identified early the gland can be completely destroyed and he dogs natural tear production becomes significantly reduced to absent. An eye without tears becomes very dry and the condition is painful.  Without the support of a natural tear film the eye is susceptible to secondary problems such as conjuctivitis, bacterial infections and corneal ulcers. If untreated it can eventually lead to blindness.

Dry eye affects up to 1 in 22 dogs. It can be found in any breed at any age, although certain breeds are more susceptible. The appearance can be variable, although typical signs include ocular discharge, ocular discomfort, red, inflamed or dry looking eyes.

Diagnosis is made using a Schirmer tear test. The test is quick, simple and tolerated well by most dogs. A piece of schirmer testing paper is paced into the eye to measure the level of tear production. The procedure can be performed in conscious patients and takes only a couple of minutes. It is important to make a diagnosis early in order to preserve as much of the tear gland tissue as possible.

Treatment acts to stop the underlying immune attack of the glands therefore dry eye requires lifelong treatment. Treatment is an eye ointment containing Ciclosporine. This drug also acts to help increase natural tear production and control pain. Additional lubricating drops are sometimes added to the eye also.

The campaign is launched by MSD animal health and will run until the 31st August. The campaign allows a voucher to be redeemed which entitles your pet to a free Schrimer tear test.

To download the voucher please register at http://www.mypetonline.co.uk/ and join the Hollybank Veterinary centre page. Click on the dry eye link to make your voucher.