Monthly Archives: October 2015

Cats

Dental disease in cats

Cats 12 - Dental disease in catsDid you know that cats can also have dental problems? Unfortunately dental disease can affect cats of all ages and is actually quite common, especially in older cats. It is thought thatmore than 80% of cats over three years old have some type of dental disorder.

Dental disease starts with the accumulation of plaque, a film of bacteria that develops on the surface of a cat’s teeth. This happens to humans too but the development of this film is usually stopped because humans brush their teeth. In cats, plaque gradually becomes thicker and eventually a soft grey or yellowish substance covers the tooth surface.

As time goes by tartar or calculus starts forming and becomes very easy to see. Calcium starts depositing in the plaque layer making it darker and harder. Tartar appears as a yellow or brown crust substance usually seen at the gum edge of your cat’s teeth. At this stage tartar can only be removed with veterinary assistance and under anaesthesia.

The formation of plaque and tartar will cause gingivitis, an inflammation of the gum surrounding the tooth. Over time this inflammation will affect the ligaments surrounding the tooth, eventually leading to permanent tooth loss.

Periodontal disease will not only cause pain and discomfort to your pet but it will also become a source of infection that can spread to other organs such as the kidneys or the heart. Cats can also suffer from many other dental conditions such as stomatitis (an inflammation of the oral cavity), tooth fractures (common in cats that have suffered trauma), excessive tooth wear, etc.

Owners may not always notice that their feline companions are suffering from dental disease since they will naturally try to hide any signs of discomfort. However, over time, clinical signs of dental disease become harder to hide. Cats that are struggling with oral disease will often have bad breath, eat less and lose weight as a consequence, dribble (sometimes with blood) and they can even have trouble swallowing. Some cats may present obvious discomfort when they try to eat, vocalising or dropping the food from their mouths. They may also present red looking gums that may bleed easily and loose or missing teeth.

Brushing your cat’s teeth can help remove plaque and keep their gums healthy. However, it can be very difficult to brush a cat’s teeth especially if your cat has not been used to it from a young age. Dental disease is just one more reason for your pet to visit the vet for annual routine check-ups. You vet can help if treatment is necessary and give you good advice on what can be done to avoid these problems such as feeding your pet with a specially formulated diet.

Most dental conditions in cats are treatable and more importantly they are preventable!

Would you like to know more about cats? Check our Feline Courses:

Feline courses

Horses

Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA)

Horse 30 - Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA)
Equine viral arteritis (EVA) is a contagious disease that affects horses, ponies and donkeys. The clinical signs usually show up 3 to 14 days after the animal is infected and they can be more or less severe. In some cases, clinical signs are so mild that they will not be detected and some animals may not show any signs at all (carriers).

This condition can cause fever, depression, lethargy, nasal discharge, inflammation around the eyes (conjunctivitis), oedema (swelling) of the testicles or udder and around the limbs, which leads to a stiff movement. The virus involved may also cause abortion in pregnant mares and if infected, young foals can suffer from severe respiratory disease.

EVA is transmitted through mating or through artificial insemination, through contact with aborted foetuses or by inhalation of infected respiratory secretions of infected animals.  In many carrier stallions the disease is only detected when mares start showing signs of infection.

Once affected horses recover from this condition, they are immune to the disease for the rest of their life. It is estimated that about a third of infected stallions are likely to become permanent carriers.On the other hand, it has not been confirmed that fully recovered mares, geldings and immature colts are able to transmit the disease.

EVA is not very common in the UK and most outbreaks involved imported horses. However, it is a notifiable disease if you notice the previously mentioned signs in stallions and in maresthat have mated or have been inseminated in the past 14 days. If you suspect EVA is a possible cause you are required by law to report your suspicions to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Make sure you keep the horse isolated from other horses until a vet confirms or dismisses these suspicions.

The best way to avoid disease outbreaks is through prevention. Make sure all new horses remain isolated for 2 or 3 weeks before allowing them to be in contact with the rest of your horses.

Stallions and teasers should be tested for Eva. This is done through a blood test and animals will have a positive test result if they are infected. However, the test will also be positive if the stallion has been vaccinated against the disease or if it had the disease in the past and therefore can still transmit the virus.

In order to clarify if a horse is positive because the virus is active or if it is positive because it was previously vaccinated, a second test taken 10 to 14 days later will detect if the infection is active. If the blood test is positive and there is no proof that the positive result is due to vaccination, then the semen of the stallion in question must be tested to prove that it is not infected with the virus. It is also recommended not to use fresh, chilled or frozen semen for insemination that has not been tested for EVA.

Mares should take the test after January 1st and take it again within 28 days of them entering a stud/AI Centre to prove that they are not currently infected with the disease.

Please remember that infected horses should remain separated from other horses for at least three weeks after recovering from this disease.

All interested horse owners can find more information and recommendations in the Codes of Practice, published by the Horseracing Betting Levy Board each year. To have access to these codes please click on the link below:

http://codes.hblb.org.uk/downloads/eva_2015.pdf

It is very important to raise awareness about this disease since it has an incredibly high potential to be transmitted between horses.

Would you like to know more about horses? Check our Equine Courses:

Equine courses

Dogs

Keep your pets safe from rat poison!

Dogs 35 - Keep your pets safe from rat poison!

Nowadays there are several types of rodenticides available for sale and sadly, our pets are often poisoned by these chemicals. These pellets often have strong blue or green colours. Many rodenticides are made with anticoagulant substances which will affect an animal’s ability to clot its own blood. As a result, poisoned rats die due to internal bleeding.

Although these substances are not meant for our pets, they often end up consuming the poisoned pellets by mistake or when they hunt and consume rats that have already been poisoned.

Affected pets will show many different clinical signs such as weakness, lethargy, blood in their urine, vomit or stool, pale gums, excessive bruising, bleeding from any minor wounds or abrasions, nosebleeds, severe external bleeding and internal bleeding (often not visible to the owner). Clinical signs of this type of poisoning often appear days after the chemicals are ingested.

A cat that may have eaten one poisoned mouse may not show any clinical signs since these circumstances involve a very small amount of poison but the risk of toxicity increases if they eat the poisonous substance more than once.

If you suspect your pet may have ingested rat poison it is very important toseek veterinary assistance as soon as possible! There is an antidote for this type of poisoning but starting your pet’s treatment early is essential for a good outcome.

The prognosis always depends on how severe is the animal’s coagulopathy. It might also be a good idea to bring the package of the chemical involved (if possible) to determine what type of rodenticide was ingested, since not all rodenticides contain anticoagulants.

Keep your pets safe!

Would you like to know more about cats and dogs? Check our Feline and Canine Courses:

Feline courses

Canine courses

Cats

Vaccination – A simple way to protect your feline companion

Cats 11 - Vaccination - A simple way to protect your feline companion

Unfortunately there are several life-threatening infectious diseases that can affect our pets and this is also true for cats. Vaccination has been the best protection for our feline companions from preventable death and it is still the simplest and most effective way of protecting them against these diseases.

Vaccinations work by stimulating a pet’s immune system to produce antibodies against specific diseases without causing them to get sick. When our pets are vaccinated, they are injected with an attenuated form of those diseases which is unable to cause the disease but will trigger our pet’s immune system to start producing antibodies against it. If the vaccinated pet ever comes across that disease again, its body will recognise it and immediately start producing the antibodies they need to fight it!

Kittens usually start their vaccination protocols when they are 9 weeks old and are routinely vaccinated against “cat flu”, enteritis and feline leukemia. In general, these are given in two vaccines administered two weeks apart, followed by annual boosters.

Cat Flu is very similar to a human cold causing respiratory disease. Affected cats will have a discharge from their nose and eyes, an elevated temperature, depression, cough and sneezes. It is not usually serious in adult cats but it can be dangerous for kittens or for older cats. The main causes for Cat Flu are viruses (the Feline Herpes Virus or the Feline Calicivirus) but other agents (such as the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica) can also contribute this disease. The condition is spread from cat to cat through direct contact, through sneezing, or shared food bowls.

Feline Infectious enteritis (panleucopenia) causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea and it is often fatal for kittens. It is caused by a virus very similar to the one that causes ‘parvo’ infections in dogs and affected cats will pass the virus in their faeces. This virus can survive for a long time in the environment and common disinfectants are not very effective against it.

Feline leukemiais caused by a virus that attacks the immune system and leaves the cat more susceptible to other infections, anaemia and even tumours. This virus is often compared with the human HIV virus, as it affects cats in a similar way. Feline leukemia is transmitted through direct contact, often through mutual grooming, fighting or mating. Kittens can also get it through their mother while they are still in their womb or through their milk. None of these conditions are transmissible to humans.

A pet’s vaccination schedule should be defined according to its particular needs and lifestyle, which means your vet may suggest a different vaccination plan depending on your cats’ individual situation: an indoor cat may have a different vaccination schedule than an outdoor cat for example. It will also vary with the manufacturers’ specifications for the vaccines involved.

Would you like to know more about cats? Check our Feline Courses:

Feline courses