Controlling Fleas in Dogs and Cats

 

With flea season fast approaching its important to keep on top of fleas on your pets and in your home! This can be done in a number of ways:

• Kill fleas on your dog/cat – getting rid of the fleas in your house is pointless if you still have fleas on your pet and vise versa, so it’s vital to rid all of them to stop the problem
• Eliminate fleas in your home – either by contacting professionals to rid your house of fleas or doing it yourself, it’s important to clean every surface and everything thing in your house as fleas will be hiding everywhere and anywhere
• Prevent future infestations – simply by taking tablets fortnightly or weekly in hotter periods, you can prevent another severe infestation

Spot-on Flea Treatment

 

Spot-on treatment works by putting a liquid directly on the neck of your pet from a pipette. It in general costs less and lasts longer so can be great if you’re on a budget. It’ll also mean you won’t have to get a tablet down your pet’s throat, which to some owners will be a great relief.  Spot on treatment can also be applied any time of the month and only needs to be applied once every 4 weeks, compared to the every 2 weeks for tablets and is also quick to work and easy to apply.

Although it sounds like a winning product, spot on treatment takes a couple days to completely absorb so can be dangerous to children or other pets in the process and can cause skin sensitivities.

Some other examples of disadvantages to spot on treatment:

• Can be very dangerous if your pet ingests it
• It contains an exact dosage, so if you don’t get all of the product out it wont be as efficient
• Harmful to humans
• Has to be places in exactly the right position otherwise it won’t work or your pet will be able to lick and scratch at it
• Some treatments need your pets to be bather before and/or after treatment

Oral Flea Treatment

Oral Flea Treatment is the easiest to administer out of flea treatment for your pets, and also the most effective. It is also 99.9% effective compared to the 88.4% effectiveness for Topical flea treatment. This makes it 11.5% more effective and gives a whole-body protection. Not only is it fast working – in some cases as fast as 15 minutes – it’s also out of your pets system in up to 3 days. This means you can use them in conjunction with other flea and worm treatments. However, the tablet has to be taken whole to be effective as it is less likely to work when crushed up.

The main advantage of oral treatments is that there’s no sticky mess and the doses are better. This means that you won’t leave any dose behind like you do with topical flea treatment. However, oral treatment doesn’t include flea eggs and larvae which will fall off in your house and garden, so your house will need to be treated too to hopefully completely stop any further infestations.

House Treatments

 

If your pet has fleas there’s a high likelihood that your pet does, and vice versa, making it important to treat your house for fleas as well as your pet. Despite popular belief, house pets can get fleas without going outside as fleas and their eggs are brought in by us when we leave the house and nest in our homes especially when temperatures rise above 20°c- making it important to treat both pet and house regardless if they’re an indoor pet or not.

Houses can be treated in a couple of ways:

• Professionally – we recommend getting your house treated for fleas by professionals as they’ll be the most effective and efficient  way of ridding them.
• Flea Sprays – the sprays are also effective, but only if you do the entire house in one go. For them all windows have to be shut and all pets removed as they’re toxic to them for a couple hours after use. The foggers work the same, just without the trigger.
• Flea Bombs – the bombs also work the same as the spray, but you light them up.
• Flea Powder – just shake onto the surface, leave, and hoover. Don’t allow anything to walk over the powder.

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How to Keep Dogs Cool in Hot Weather

 

Its important to keep your dogs cool in the summer heat as dogs can quickly develop heat stroke and die within minutes if due attention isn’t paid. Dogs don’t sweat through their skin like humans do, so they rely on their paw pads and nose to regulate their body temperature – this means that dogs with shorter noses like pugs are more likely to get heat stroke from just running around. Heatstroke can be seen in dogs when they are excessively panting, dribbling, and even collapsing.  If you believe a dog has heatstroke you should move them to a cool place, contact a vet and wet their coat with cool water.

Constant Access to Fresh Water

Making sure your dog has access to clean water at all times is vital – even during walks. Ideally a large bowl should be filled to the brim with fresh water that’s changed at least daily and water should be carried around with a travel bowl during walks. If you spot signs of your dog over-heating during a walk – including heavy panting and loss of energy – stop and find shade for your dog, also giving them water.

Walk Dogs during Cooler Hours

A general rule to live by before deciding if you should take your dog on a walk or not – if you can’t hold your hand against the pavement for more than 5 seconds its too hot for your dog to walk. Many don’t realise how important it is to check first, without doing so could result in the paw pads blistering, making it painful to walk. Avoiding taking your dog out when the sun is at its strongest (around 11am til 3pm) is a good way of preventing your dog from overheating as it’ll be cooler. If it can’t be avoided, dog boots are available for them to wear to prevent their paws from blistering from the heat.

Walking during cooler hours also helps prevent dogs getting sunburn. Pale-coloured dogs are susceptible to sunburn, especially their ears, nose and areas where the fur is thinner. Another prevention is to use non-toxic suncream (preferably specific to dogs) or to put a t-shirt on the dog to cover their vulnerable areas.

Pools and Dogs Cool Mats

 

Pools, empty ceramic baths, and cool mats are effective ways of cooling dogs down once they’re hot – with a cool mat having been manufactured to keep dogs cool in the summer to give them relief when they need it as it doesn’t need electricity and is easy to use. Cool mats are particularly good because they don’t contain any toxic materials or chemicals – unlike some cool beds.

Pools, lakes, and other large bodies of water are good up to a limit. Salt water can make dogs sick and some kind of algae (such a blue-green algae) are toxic to dogs, so it’s best to keep them supervised when in water – even if its to make sure they don’t drown.

Keeping Their Fur Well-Groomed

Do not shave your dogs fur off for the summer – whilst dogs fur serves to keep them warm in the winter it also protects them from the heat in the summer. This means that shaving all the fur off a dog exposes them to heat that they wouldn’t have been before, making them more likely to overheat and get heatstroke. A tangle-free and well-groomed coat will help to protect their skin from sunburn as well as keeping the dogs cool, but if in doubt consult your local groomers.

Do Not Leave a Dog Unsupervised in A Car

Under no circumstances should a dog be left alone in a car – even if its just for a moment. Temperature can quickly increase in a stationary car, even if it’s reasonably cool outside, putting your dog at risk of heat stroke and death. During hotter days, air conditioning should be on with the windows shut to ensure the car is cool throughout – not just at the front. A dog cool mat could also be used for travel to help keep them cool.

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Why Do Cats Meow?

 

Some owners find that their cats meow almost constantly, where as others may only hear theirs meow rarely – so why do cats meow? The amount they meow varies from breed to breed, their age, as well as the cat itself.

Age

Kittens meow to their mothers whenever they’re hungry, cold, or scared – making these meows necessity. Over time cats will start vocalising in different ways – such as scent, body language, growling, and hissing – to communicate to one another. They may still meow, but it’s normally reserved for communicating with humans. Paying attention to the different lengths and pitches of meows will allow you to figure out what your cat is saying to you over time.

Why do Cats Meow?

Cats meow for a variety of reasons, some seem to like hearing themselves talk, others meow for a more serious reason.

• Attention seeking – despite the popular stereotype, cats like attention just as much as dogs and will meow to get it or to initiate play, and being lonely throughout the day will make them meow more
• Stress – just like humans, cats get stressed too! A new pet, environment, or baby can contribute to this until they’re use to it
• Hunger – cats tend to meow whenever you’re around food in the hopes of getting some themselves, in addition to when its getting close to when they eat
• Illness – cats tend to vocalise more when they have the symptoms of a more serious problem such as kidney disease or an overactive thyroid, both of which can cause hunger, thirst, or pain, which causes excessive meowing
• Greeting – when you see them in your home they’re likely to meow as they’re happy to see you!
• Cats in heat – females will meow more when in heat, and males will meow more when they smell it
• Age – as well as meowing frequently as kittens, cats meow more when they’re older as they’re confused so will often cry for no apparent reason

What should you do?

 

If your cat has started excessively meowing more than normal, take them to a vet to be checked! It’s better to be safe than sorry when your pet starts acting abnormally. If your cat is healthy, start changing your habits. For example, give your cat food once they’ve stopped meowing, or give them attention when they’re being quiet rather than when they’re meowing for it. Do not ignore your cat or avoid feeding them! These changes may help in cutting down meowing, but it wont stop it. Equally, you can switch to an automatic feeder to get them to meow at the feeder rather than you, or get various toys (interactive, balls, normal) to keep them occupied whilst you’re out throughout the day.

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Can Dogs get Cancer from Lawn Fertiliser?

Recent studies have found a link between some cancers in dogs and chemicals in lawn fertiliser. Chemicals such as 2,4-D from the fertilisers have been found in urine of dogs, with the chemical able to travel to neighbouring gardens.  This increase in exposure has been found to have a direct link to an increase risk of bladder cancer in dogs. In more recent studies its been found that professionally applied pesticides on lawn links to a 70% higher risk of cancer. These chemicals have been found in pesticides normally used to kill clovers and dandelions.

Unfortunately, these chemicals can be both digested and absorbed so its hard to control whether or not your dog gains these chemicals. The main cancers caused by these chemicals are Canine and Bladder-related, making it important to keep an eye on dogs.

Which breeds are more at risk?

 

Dogs such as sheepdogs, beagles, and scottish terriers are more likely to get bladder cancer once exposed to 2,4-D. However, this doesn’t limit these cancers to these breeds, they’re just more likely to get it than others.

What are the symptoms?

Most dog cancers have similar early symptoms so its important to keep an eye on any changes in them. These symptoms include, but aren’t limited to:

• Weight loss
• Blood in the urine
• Difficulty swallowing
• Frequent urination/pain when urinating
• Changes in eating

The best way to try and limit your dogs content it to avoid contact. Unfortunately, not a lot can be done other than to limit contact. This can be by changing parks to somewhere you know doesn’t use the fertiliser, or using more natural methods to fertiliser your soil, and avoiding the use of pesticides.

Something to keep in mind is that animals are normally more sensitive to environmental changes than humans are, so it is possible that these risks apply to humans. However, this is currently under investigation both legally and scientifically to see if these claims are true.

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When we are choosing flea and worm treatments for our pets there are lots of things to consider. How effective they are, what other parasites they treat, how long they last and how much they cost!

But another important consideration that is often overlooked is: “How easy is this treatment going to be to give and will the lifestyle of my pet effect how well it works?” This falls under the umbrella of compliance and is arguably the most important factor when making a choice. It doesn’t matter how good a treatment is if it can’t be applied effectively.

The two most common forms of flea and worm treatment are tablets and spot-ons…

So which should we choose?

Many flea and worm tablet treatments now come in tasty treat form and so are less difficult to give. In many cases this makes them a much more convenient option for many clients but they still do not suit all pets. A minority of pets will vomit on tablet medications and if your pet has a history of this then trying a spot-on instead is well worthwhile. Similarly some pets have sensitive stomachs or are very suspicious of tablet shaped food items!

Spot-on treatments remain very popular. They are tolerated by most pets and are convenient to apply but like tablets will not be suitable in every case.

Some pets will have local skin reactions to topical treatments making tablets a better option. Frequent swimming and washing can also make some spot-on treatments less effective.

These factors mean that a tablet is not a superior choice to a spot on in every case or vice versa but rather a decision is made depending on individual circumstances and the patient’s needs.

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Why do Cats have Whiskers?

Cat Whiskers, despite looking like Human Hair, are a sensory tool that are incredibly sensitive also known as vibrissae. These are connected to muscular and nervous systems to give cats a more heightened sense of feeling – allowing them to detect changes in their immediate surrounding and respond to them. They can be mostly
found on either side of their nose and upper facial lip, as well as above each of their eyebrows, with whiskers on their jaw line and front legs but they’re less visible.  At the root of these hairs there’s a follicle loaded with nerves.

Cats also use their whiskers to feel their way around tight spaces and visually measure distances and feel vibrations in the air when chasing prey. Without their whiskers Cats would be disoriented and frightened, highlighting the importance of NOT cutting your Cat’s whiskers, as they use them as we would our fingertips. If you have cut their whiskers already, don’t worry! They grow back over time.

Cats also aren’t the only ones with whiskers – most mammals have extrasensory receptors to help improve their sensing of environments at night.

Cat Whiskers Determining their Mood

In addition to this, Cat’s Whiskers also change depending on their mood – this allows others to gauge what mood a Cat is in. When the whiskers are still and sticking straight out of the head it means the cat is relaxed. When they’re pressed slightly forward it means the cat is either curious or on the hunt. If a cat is nervous or upset they’ll pin their whiskers back towards their face – this highlights the importance of whiskers for cats.

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What is Tear Staining?

Tear staining, also known as epiphora, is caused from an excessive tear production in dogs and cats and is normally just minor. Excessive tear production results in a red/brown streak under their eyes and is much more obvious in lighter-furred animals over their darker counterparts.

However, tear staining can also be due to a more serious health complication, such as:

• An eye infection
• Teething
• Ingrown eyelashes
• Tear duct and gland abnormalities
• Ear infection
• Exposure to secondhand smoke
• Eye disease
• Medication
• Stress
• Poor diet

Whilst it is unlikely that your pet might have one of these health complications, its recommended that you consult a vet to rule out any of these possible causes.

What causes Tear Staining?

The breakdown of red blood cells create a waste product called porphyrins. Whilst in most animals – and humans – these are removed in faeces, but in cats and dogs they are removed through urine, saliva and tears. When the porphyrins are on fur for a period of time staining will occur and will darken once exposed to sunlight.

In chronic cases, the stains will go brown indicating that your pet has developed a yeast infection from having constantly damp skin – highlighting the importance of going to the vet once tear staining has been noticed. This is because the constant damp skin causes skin irritation which is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and yeasts infections.

How do you treat Tear Staining?

 

Treatment normally depends on the cause of the tear staining and sometimes flushing out the eye will sort out the problem. Besides this and going to the vet there are other ways of treating tear staining in your pet. This includes, but isn’t limited to:

• Washing your pets face with a wet and damp cloth twice a day
• Replace plastic food and water bowls as they can harbour bacteria with non-plastic bowls
• Fresh filtered water instead of tap water – tap water contains a high mineral content which can be toxic to pets
• A high quality diet – both a grain free and/or a raw diet can greatly benefit pets in many ways, see our other blogs to find out how
• Regular grooming for both dogs and cats
• Eye wash to gently clean any matted fur with a cotton ball

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Wet Tail in Rabbits

Wet tail is quite literally when a rabbit, or any other animal, has a wet tail or bottom. You should always seek veternary advice when a rabbit’s backside starts getting a foul odour, looks dirty or wet, as wet tail is a very serious condition. This is caused by a rabbit’s urine going down either one or both hind legs instead of being expelled backwards, clean of the tail. Over a couple of days this will become stressful and very painful to the rabbit as the urine will start hitting red and sore skin, making it incredibly painful for the rabbit to urinate, highlighting how important it is to keep an eye out for any symptoms of Wet Tail before it gets to this stage.

Other Symptoms include:

• Fur falling out (due to bacterial infections etc.)
• Fly strike (Wet Tail in turn causes Fly Strike)
• Wet Fur

 

Causes of Wet Tail in Rabbits

There’s a range of causes for Wet Tail – such as arthritis and general injury causing the rabbit to be unable to urinate properly, but can be treated with a series of medication. However, mechanical injury has little that can be done to help solve the problem and are often put to sleep if the Vet believes the injury is inoperable.

Other causes include:

• Obsesity – bulges of skin can grow around the abdomen causing urine to be trapped and run down their leg(s), treated by feeding diet rabbit food
• Infection – both infections and anti-fungal creams and sprays can be great solutions to this, but still go to the vet to determine the best course of treatment
• E. cuniculi – caused by parasites, it can effect different rabbits in different ways, and in some extreme cases its incurable, but its normally treated with Panacur and will undo most damage done
• Post-castration complication – a rare complication that causes the urethra to constrict in size. Vets normally gently stretch the hole to reverse it to cure the complication

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Just like Humans, there’s many different diseases that can affect fish. Some of the most common problems and diseases in fish are swimbladder, white spot, finrot and internal bacteria infections.

Swimbladder Disease

A goldfish with swimbladder disease will be found upside down, struggling to dive, or swimming on its side, and will otherwise appear healthy. The swimbladder controls the buoyancy of the goldfish and is often interferred with by food. Some food – such as floating flakes or pellets – causes the fish to take in air as they consume it due to them having to break the surface to get it. This in turn causes air bubbles within the fish, causing them to float and struggle to right themselves.

There’s various solutions for this problem. There’s swimbladder treatment that when added to the water kills bacteria that cause swimbladder, another solution involves not feeding the fish for 24 hours. The latter solution only works until you next feed the fish, unless the foods changed to a sinking variety.

White Spot Disease

 

Protozoa is a single-celled microorganism that causes white spot disease in fish. It does this by attacking and attaching itself to the body, fins and gills of a fish and causes breathing, mobility problems and death. Highly contagious, once one fish gets it the rest will also quickly get it and if left untreated will cause death. Besides the white spots, the disease can also be seen from behaviour changes such as fins being folded against the body, scratching against rocks and ornaments and disorderly swimming.

Treatments for white spot disease in fish vary depending on the symptoms shown.  When goldfish start swimming to the surface more often it could be caused by the pH level not being maintained, this can be treated using antibiotic anti-parasitic medicine specific to anerobes. Disoriented swimming can also be a sign of white spot disease in fish and a prevention for it is to boil new ornaments and stones before putting them in the tank, or equally using ornament-specific cleaner for the tank.

The most common symptom of white spots on the fins and body can be treated by using an anti-white spot solution that gets added to the water. Another way of preventing it is by quarantining new fish for a couple weeks before added them to the main body of water with the other fish. Protruding eyes can be prevented by replacing water with water of the same temperature, or by raising the tank water temperature just a little.

Internal Bacteria Infections

 

Internal bacteria infections in fish can affect many organs of fish and is normally caused by poor nutrition, sudden temperature changes, injury, seasonal changes or sanitation which can make fish more susceptible to infections. Red ulcers that cover the fish is a recognisable feature of the infection. In severe cases it can prove fatal.

Other symptoms include:

• Enlarged eyes
• Reddening of the body
• Ragged fins
• Kidney damage
• Body ulcers
• Accumulation of fluids in the abdomen

Treatments depend on the type of bacteria the fish have and a vet can determine the type and best treatment for the bacteria in the fish. An alternative is to add a bacteria control agent to the water to help relieve any infections such as King British Aquarium Bacteria Control.

Finrot and Fungus Disease

 

Finrot is a serious and deadly disease that’s normally caused by harmful bacteria in the water. It starts to occur when there’s a wound that causes the flesh to be exposed to bacteria present under certain conditions. Finrot is likely to occur in unclean tanks due to them being higher in inorganic substances such as ammonia. Its also possible to get finrot if the fish is stressed, overcrowded by other fish or plants.

Finrot is a progressive disease so some symptoms are more noticeable at the beginning/end of the disease compared to other symptoms. At first milky white patches will start developing on the fins and tail of the fish, progressing to a ragged or tattered look. The fins and tails will then begin to darken and will literally look like they’re rotting away, eventually leaving just the fin rays exposed and will start working up the body of the fish, also causing secondary infections.

Once the symptoms have been observed, an anti fungus and finrot can be added to the water to counteract any bacteria, treating any fish and preventing the disease from spreading.

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Anal sacs are located either side of a dog’s anus and contain a fluid that dogs use to identify one another. This fluid is normally emptied from the sac each time a dog defecates, preventing a build up. However, when the fluid doesn’t naturally empty it starts becoming a problem and the sacs need to be drained another way, normally by a vet. A vet can show you how to do it to save a  trip and is easy enough to empty by hand.

Symptoms

The symptoms of unhealthy anal sacs vary and can be tricky to spot. It’s not unusual for a dog’s bedding to start smelling funny before washes and is nothing to be concerned about – it’s when you can smell the odour coming straight from a dog’s back  end that it can start being a problem.

Other symptoms include:

• Scooting around on their backside
• Biting around the anal area
• Chasing their tail
• Constipation and pain defecating/sitting

Anal Sacs Treatments

If it becomes a continuous problem a vet may suggest a diet higher in fibre to put more pressure on the anal sacs so they are more likely to empty naturally. If not, they may have to either be emptied by hand at home or at the vet depending whats causing the sacs to not empty. It can also be treated by antibiotics and pain relief in cases of infection within the sacs. If left untreated it can become more serious and life threatening so it’s best to go to the vet either way.

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