Monthly Archives: May 2016

Cats, Dogs, Horses, The Pet Professionals

Why Pet Owners Should Ensure Their Pet Care Professionals Have Adequate Insurance Cover

Blog post - The Pet Professionals - Why Pet Owners Should Ensure

An increase in pet ownership combined with longer working hours, means more and more people are relying on pet care professionals to help look after their beloved four legged friends. And when leaving your pet in the care of another you want to be sure they are trustworthy, reliable and ultimately covered should anything go wrong. Therefore, it is important when vetting any potential pet care service professional that you check they have adequate insurance cover in place. You wouldn’t leave a child with someone who wasn’t properly insured to do so and the same can be said for the pet care world.

Whether it be dog walking, pet sitting, pet grooming, dog training or another pet care service, each business should have a pet business insurance policy in place. In short, this will ensure they are covered should injury or damage occur which is deemed to be their fault whilst your pet is in their care. Having this insurance in place gives owners the peace of mind that their pet is going to get the best care whilst with the pet professional. The danger of leaving your pet with someone who does not have adequate pet business insurance is that if something was to go wrong, and your pet was injured or hurt, you may not be able to get the compensation you deserve.

Having specialist pet business insurance cover also shows that the business is professional and values its customers. Most pet businesses will display a badge on their website to show that they are fully covered. Pet business insurance companies including Protectivity Insurance will often include these badges as standard, as part of their pet business insurance policy. This means the pet service professionals customers are able to click on this badge and view the insurance certificate. If you cannot find anything like this on a pet business’s website, then ask! If they are covered they will be more than happy to show you their insurance certificate.

When searching for a pet care professional the more research you do the better prepared you will be to find the right one for you and your pet. There are many other factors to consider including how well they get on with your pet, location, price, recommendations, reviews and although pet business insurance is just one of these elements to tick off the list it is important to check to give you peace of mind when leaving your pet with them.

Author: Protectivity Insurance

http://www.protectivity.com/product/pet-business-insurance/
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Horses

Insect bite hypersensitivity in horses or ´sweet itch`

Horse 36 - Insect bite hypersensitivity in horses or sweet itch
Spring is finally here and since the temperatures have started to rise we think it is a good idea to go over a few recommendations regarding ´sweet itch`. This disease is caused by an allergy to the bites of flies or midges, most likely by Culicoides species. Approximately 5% of equines in the UK suffer from sweet itch.

Insect bite hypersensitivity can affect any horse, of any age, gender or breed although some horses seem to be more susceptible than others. The condition is usually diagnosed in horses from 4 years onward and often becomes more severe as horses get older. Some horses seem to have a genetic predisposition for this condition.

Affected horses present persistent itching in the areas where they are bitten, usually around their face, ears, neck, belly, shoulders and around the base of the tail. They will rub excessively on objects around them, and kick and bite themselves in an attempt to scratch the affected areas. Over time this leads to hair loss, skin damage, and thickening of the skin which can become infected. These signs are caused by a localised hypersensitivity against the salivary antigens of biting midges (Culicoides) and become worse in hot humid weather. These animals are often restless, irritable and many even lose weight.

If you notice your horse or horses may be suffering with this condition contact your vet. Other allergies can present the same clinical signs and it is necessary to exclude other factors that may also be triggers for this reaction.

The best approach to prevent this disease is a combination of measures that combine reducing exposure to the insects through physical barriers, insect repellents, insecticides and housing horses away from midge habitats. Here are a few tips to prevent your horses from suffering with this condition:

  • Stabling during dawn and dusk since this is when midges are most active.
  • Using a ceiling fan in the stable can be helpful (midges have poor flying skills).
  • Cover windows and stable doors with ultra-fine netting to reduce the number of midges that are able to get in without reducing ventilation and light.
  • Using insect repellents and insecticides. These can be sprayed on the nets and on the environment regularly to reduce the number of insects.
  • Do your best to turn-out your horse away from wooded areas, static water or slow-moving streams where midges are more likely to breed.
  • Fly masks and fly sheets are also very useful to protect your horse against the biting insects.
  • Some products can help relieve itching such as topical oils or oatmeal shampoos applied weekly.

If you have any doubts or questions contact your vet.

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Dogs

Dog Shedding


Dogs-45---Dog-Shedding
The main functions of a dog’s hair coat are to protect the skin and to help regulate temperature. Canine hair grows from hair follicles in the skin and these cycle during the entire lifespan of a dog.

The hair cycle can be divided in three different phases: an active growth phase, termed anagen, in which the hair reaches its genetically determined length; a transitional phase, named catagen, when the hair growth stops and degenerative changes occur in the base of the follicle; and a resting phase, called telogen, when a new anagen hair starts growing and the telogen hair is shed. Hair replacement tends to be mosaic in pattern, which means that over the same area of skin there will be hair follicles at all three stages of the hair cycle at the same time. The duration of each of these phases can vary according to the photoperiod, temperature, stress as well as the dog’s breed and nutritional status.

The photoperiod (the number of light hours in the day, natural or artificial) has a big influence in the hair cycle. In general, dogs shed at a slow steady rate all year round, with periods of increased shedding in the spring and fall, which can last for about a month. However, if your dog is kept primarily indoors he or she may shed more than usual, due to exposure to artificial light.

This cycle also varies among breeds. Poodles and breeds with similar coat types have an anagen dominated cycle, which means hair follicles are in anagen for long periods of time. Plush coated breeds such as the Chow Chow, Malamute and Pomeranian have telogen dominated hair cycles, which means the hair follicle spends long periods of time in the telogen phase.

Regular brushing is the best thing you can do to keep your home free of hair. Brushing will make your pet’s coat softer and cleaner. An appropriate diet is also really important, since the quality of a dog’s coat often reflects the quality of his food.

There are many diseases that can affect the skin and hair coat of your dog, so if you notice abnormal amounts of shedding or if you see hairless spots on your dog’s body you should take him or her to the vet!

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Cats

Parasites in cats

Cats - Parasites in Cats
Parasites are organisms that feed on other animals (hosts). Besides causing health issues to their hosts some of them can also transmit diseases. It is important to control parasites in your cat not only for his health but also for yours, since many of them can also affect humans. Factors influencing the prevalence of the different parasites on your cat include your cat’s age, having outdoors access, living with other pets, time of the year and where you live. Owners should be aware that even indoor cats need parasite prevention.

External parasites are found in the hair and skin of cats. The most common ones include fleas, mites and ticks.

All cats are at risk of getting fleas. Fleas will not only cause skin irritation but may also transmit diseases. It is important to know that adult fleas live on the pet’s body but all the other life stages of the flea are spent in the environment. For this reason, if your cat is infested it is recommended to treat not only your cat but also to kill the fleas that may have started developing in your house. Despite thriving in warm temperatures and high humidity, these parasites are active all year. The comfort of our modern heating systems will also contribute to their development in our homes during colder months.

Mites cause irritation of the skin, resulting in itching, hair loss, and inflammation. Mites are common parasites of cats, especially ear mites. These parasites cause significant inflammation and pain and can lead to bacterial infections. If your cat is infested you may notice regular shaking of the head, constant itching of the ears and smelly and dirty ears.

Ticks vary in type and distribution depending on where you live. These parasites wait on tall grass for a host to pass nearby, since they can only crawl and cannot fly or jump. Ticks cause skin irritation and can transmit serious diseases, that threaten your cat’s health.

On the other hand, internal parasites live in your cat’s internal organs. There are two major types of internal parasites that can often affect cats: roundworms and tapeworms.

Cats can acquire roundworms via several routes so even indoor cats are at risk. A large number of roundworms infesting a growing kitten can affect the kitten’s growth, cause serious digestive upsets and be life threatening. Heavily infested kittens have a characteristic increased belly.

Several types of tapeworms may infect cats. These can be acquired through fleas or when cats hunt and eat prey. An infestation can cause vomiting or weight loss.

If your cat is infested with worms you may notice: diarrhoea, visible worms in stool, bloody stool, round appearance of the abdomen, weight loss, vomiting, constipation, itchy bottom or even trouble breathing.

Outdoor cats are particularly prone to get infected by parasites (external and internal) but indoor cats can also get them. Cats that do not receive regular preventive health care are most at risk for developing complications associated with parasites.

There are many different treatments that can protect your pet from internal and external parasites and your vet will be able to advise you on the best product for your pet’s specific case and also the treatment schedule that better suits him or her.

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