All posts by petprofessionals

Cats

Bad Cat News – Feline Infectious Peritonitis

We’ll come right out and say it: Feline Infectious Peritonitis is bad news for your fabulous feline.

This disease is called by a virus called Feline Coronavirus, a very common virus in cats, especially in multicat situations like catteries or households. Fortunately, while many cats are infected with Coronavirus a large majority will not have the virulent version of this virus. However, the ones that do are most likely to die and these number around 5% of all infected animals.

One of the main difficulties of Feline Infectious Peritonitis, (FIP), is that it’s diagnosis is not straightforward. The vague clinical signs, the fact that the virulent and non-virulent version cannot be distinguished with tests used routinely in practice and that blood and biochemical parameters have non-specific alterations make it quite hard for vets to diagnose FIP.

Why is it so lethal then? What happens is actually an issue of the cat’s own immune system reacting to the altered Coronavirus that lodges in macrophages. This enormous and destructive immune response will attack the host’s own tissues and cause clinical signs to occur.

There are two major forms of the disease: ‘effusive’ and ‘dry’. The difference here is that the ‘effusive’ version causes a fluid buildup in several cavities (though it is more usual in the abdomen) and the ‘dry’ version has little to no fluid buildup but you can generally see signs of the failure of various organs like kidney, liver or lungs.

Because it has no cure, prevention and good hygiene are paramount in minimising the damage this disease might have on your cat colony. Good faeces management and knowing which cats might be shedding the virus at any given time is very important to stop Coronavirus from spreading.

If you have a cattery, shelter or even just several cats on your home ask your vet about the best way to prevent this deadly illness!

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

Feline courses

Horses

Autumn Advisory: Tapeworms

As much as summer was sweet and warm, it’s time to cool into autumn! With the changing season and the coming rain, a whole novel palette of horse problem crops up.

One of the issues the coming season presents is tapeworms, flat and horrendously long parasites of our horse buddies that can potentially cause a whole host of issues.

There are several species involved and these vary mostly in size and location where they attach. However, the life cycle is the same – horses get infected by ingesting forage mites that carry the tapeworm, then these tapeworms grow into adults and shed segments with eggs in horse faeces that will infect other mites, starting the cycle all over again.

So, what’s the issue with these tapeworms and why are they so bad? Well, they will grow to huge sizes from 8 to 20 cm long (that’s way too much tapeworm) and they attach to the sensitive wall of the intestines. Added to that, there might be so many of them, that they start to cause problems!

Expect that there might be an increase in impaction colic, spasmodic colic, a part of the intestine getting stuck in another segment and losing blood flow, and even things like anemia, lack of growth and abscesses or infections at the attachment site of the worms.

Keep a tight ship on parasite prevention and monitoring with your horses, especially now during autumn and speak with your vet on how to best do this!

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

Equine courses

 

Horses

Seasonality and foal birth size

Fresh from the presses! Published just this year in May, a new study sheds light on the how and why of seasonal size differences in foals.

Horses, like many other animals, are seasonal and their metabolic processes will vary during the year. Makes sense, nutrients available in Winter are not the same as the ones available during the Summer, which means that the body will have to adjust accordingly.

Knowing this, it’s not hard to imagine that the mare will have a different nutritional supply to the foetus as the seasons change. Foals born in the last stretch of Winter (February and early March) had a smaller height due to bone development but did not have a significant weight difference from foals born after the 1st of May. This difference can stretch from birth up until 12 weeks of age.

This happens because there is a rapid foetal growth done in the last stretch of gestation and at that time, the mare has reduced metabolic rates that seem to be independent of nutritional status. Which is to say, the mares in the study were adequately fed but the foal height was still smaller than the height recorded for mares foaling later in the season.

Is this an indication that is best to aim for births later in the season? Researchers are not sure yet but we will keep an eye out for new conclusions!

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

Equine courses

Cats, Dogs

Atopic Dermatitis: an itchy bother of unknown cause

Atopic dermatitis is a skin disease of dogs and cats, but for our pooches, it’s one of the most common allergic skin diseases right alongside flea bite hypersensitivity.

I’s estimated to affect in about 3 to 15% of the canine population and it occurs due to an exaggerated response to environmental factors and substances that are usually no bother like pollens, moulds, mites and many other things.

In dogs, we believe that it’s an inherited predisposition and while it can show up anywhere in the world and in every dog, some breeds might be more predisposed to developing this condition than others. Because this allergy relates to environmental factors, different breeds might be affected differently.

In the UK, these breeds are:

  • Boxer;
  • German Shepherds;
  • Labrador and Golden Retrievers;
  • Many breeds of terrier but especially West Highland White Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers

Of course, having a pooch of any of these breeds won’t mean they will have atopic dermatitis but it is a risk factor.

What to expect from a dog that has this condition? A *lot* of itching!

There are a lot of different degrees of severity to it and may even be a seasonal issue but the chief complaint is intense itching, scratching and even injuries due to self-induced trauma. Recurrent otitis and conjunctivitis might also happen.

The areas that are the most likely to be affected are in between toes, muzzle, around the eyes, axilla, ears and groin. You can find your pet scratching or trying to get to these areas a lot and there might be little hair there, bumps on the skin or a reddened or thick skin.

Unfortunately, without adequate management, it is usually quite likely to get worse. Not only worse in terms of being itchier and maddening for your pet but secondary infections with bacteria and yeast can show up to make matters worse.

If you see your pet with very intense and recurrent itch, foul smelling ears, loss of hair and red skin take them to the vet! While it cannot be cured, there is therapy that can afford great quality of life to your furry friend.

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

Feline courses

Canine courses

Cats

Harvest mites in cats

It’s now (unfortunately!) late Summer and with the looming Autumn, a new parasite is very keen to join our outdoor parties.

Our incoming party crashers are none other than Neotrombicula (or just Trombicula) autumnalis, who go by the street name of harvest mites. These mites can affect cats, dogs and even an unwary human but they seem to love our purring pals a little more.

They are outside in the soil and plants, just hoping for a furry mammal to pass by them and then they can hitch a ride to latch onto skin. Only the 6-legged larvae cause issues, the nymphs and adults with 8 legs live in the soil and prefer to wait there for another host. They can be preferentially found on the head, especially around the eyes and ears.

Will you be able to see them on your cat? Adults are really small and while they are not microscopic and you might notice small, red clusters of dots on your cat that weren’t there before, it needs to be confirmed with a superficial skin scraping and a microscope.

Larvae feed on your cat’s tissues and, understandably, this causes a lot of damage. With itching, reddened skin, wounds, papules and hair loss we are looking at a nasty list of problems.

Worry not, these mites can be controlled and the problem can be solved but be aware that cats with easy access to infested areas may be frequently re-infested!

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

Feline courses

 

Cats

Male calico cats: the exception to the rule!

Did you know that only one in every 3000 calico cats are male? This is just another amazing and interesting fact about cats, in this particular case, about calico cats!

Calico is the name given to cats that have three colours on their fur. These gorgeous felines are basically white, with ginger and black patches of fur. There is a wide variety of calico cats since ginger can appear as yellow, orange or red and also because they can display diluted variations of their basic colours such as grey, reddish brown and cream. Their colours can also be distributed in a tabby pattern.

If you are familiar with ´torties` you may recall that tortoiseshell cats can also have ginger and black colours, although these cats don’t have any white in them, often presenting a mottled coat.

The mechanisms behind the way these genes express themselves, producing these particular fur patterns in cats is absolutely fascinating! Due to the genetic processes involved, the overwhelming majority of calico cats are female.

The manifestation of white is unrelated to the X and Y chromosomes which means both male and female cats can have white fur. On the other hand, the appearance of black and ginger in their fur is transmitted and entirely decided by the X chromosome. Since female cats have two X chromosomes they can manifest both colours on their fur, one colour coded by each one of their X chromosomes. Male cats, however, only have one X chromosome which means they can only display one of these colours, either black and white or ginger and white.

All the best rules have exceptions and as you can imagine, this is also one of them. Although it is rare, some male cats can display the calico pattern. Every now and then, male cats are born with a genetic disorder in which they gain an extra X chromosome. The condition is called Klinefelter syndrome and since these cats have two X chromosomes they can in fact display all three colours. As a result, approximately one in every 3000 calico cats are male.

Cats affected by the Klinefelter syndrome are sterile in most cases which means fertile, male calico cats are even harder to find!

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

Feline courses

The Pet Professionals

Gasterophilus Infection in Horses

We bring you the curious case of the stomach botfly in horses which is caused by several species of the Gasterophilus genus.

This disease is called a myiasis, which is the medical term for issues caused by the larvae of several species of flies. These flies lay eggs on the horse’s coat and as they hatch into larvae they migrate to several tissues. Fortunately, these eggs can be spotted with the naked eye, especially around the forelimbs and shoulders of the horse so keep an eye out for odd white spots that may be lingering on their fur.

Some of the big spots of infection are mouth, throat and stomach. Different species have different site preferences but they all have larvae which attach to the cardiac or pyloric regions of the stomach. Their development is quite long, of around 8 to 10 months and at the end of all this nasty business, they pass out via faeces and will turn into adults on the soil.

Clinical signs are fairly nonspecific and because these larvae will attach to the lining of the stomach, symptoms might include:

  • Ulcerations
  • Obstructions
  • Anaemia
  • Diarrhoea

However, sometimes a great deal of these larvae might be attached to this organ and not have any significant clinical signs.

There are several things you can do to reduce the prevalence of botfly larvae infection but it will depend a lot on your region, frequency of travel and where your horses are kept. Don’t forget, always keep a good track of deworming treatments and seasons, and ask your vet what you can do to best prevent or treat your fabulous equine friends that might be afflicted with this disease.

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

Equine courses

Dogs

An important message to dog owners: Beware of Grass Seeds!

Grass seeds look fairly harmless don’t they? Unfortunately, some of these seeds are a potential hazard for dogs that can lead to expensive and unwanted visits to the vet!

These seeds can get caught in your dog’s fur very easily as they are shaped like small darts with thin bristly fibres. This particular shape causes them to keep progressing in one direction, which is usually towards the dog’s skin. It won’t stop there, as it can break the skin, and as time goes by it can burrow deeper and deeper. As you can imagine this will cause a lot of pain, tissue damage, and eventually it will drag a nasty infection with it.

In most cases grass seeds enter through the dog’s paws and ears, although they can get caught anywhere on a dog’s fur, and can even find their way up a dog’s nose. Dogs with grass seeds lodged on their paws tend to start licking the affected paw excessively, a red lump may appear between their toes, and it’s not uncommon for them to become lame.

When grass seeds get caught on our dogs’ ears they can progress through the ear canal and can even damage their ear drum. Affected dogs tend to suddenly start shaking their heads after a walk and frantically scratch their ears while looking quite painful and miserable.

The degree of damage caused depends on their location and on how quickly the problem is diagnosed and treated. In some cases the grass seed is very hard to detect and animals in pain need to be sedated in order to investigate the affected area properly.

An undetected grass seed can randomly migrate under the dog’s skin, often leaving nothing more than a small hole behind that resembles an insect bite. There have been cases where the seed kept migrating until it actually reached the dogs’ abdomen and lungs.

These seeds are commonly found during the summer months so now is really the time to be extra careful. The best way to avoid any grass seed issues is to carefully check your dog’s fur after walks, especially their ears and feet. Long haired dogs are more likely to get these seeds caught on their fur so keeping their hair short can help.

If you can, avoid walking your dog in fields with grass seeds and schedule an appointment with your vet as soon as you notice any suspicious signs such as head shaking, ear scratching or paw licking!

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

Feline courses

Canine courses

Cats

Feline Tooth Resorption

Cats and their teeth sometimes might find themselves in adversarial positions and this issue is one that is a bit odd. Feline tooth resorption is also called odontoclastic resorption and it’s caused by the cat’s own cells deciding (somewhat unilaterally) that the teeth no longer needs to be there.

These cells are called odontoclasts and usually they are responsible for the normal eruption of adult teeth by removing the roots of the deciduous teeth through resorption. However, these cells continue to exist long past the eruption of permanent teeth and they might start damaging these teeth.

What makes these perfectly normal cells go off rails? We aren’t sure yet and it’s most likely of multifactorial nature, which makes it hard to establish a strong cause. That being said, several causes are under investigation.

It might stem from nutritional issues like too much vitamin D, might be a hereditary issue or even an exaggerated reaction to inflammation in the gums (due to excess plaque for instance).

It might affect just one tooth or several teeth and we believe that nearly 50% of animals older than 5 years will have at least one tooth with lesions. Most of these occur in the root and the odontoclasts cause tooth structures to dissolve, leaving behind visible gaps.

While many animals can have resorption lesions, it is usually not severe enough for our house felines to show clinical signs but when it does it manifests as:

  • Hypersalivation while eating
  • Dropping food from their mouths frequently, especially dry food
  • Hissing while chewing
  • Behaviour changes like increased aggression or reclusion due to pain

If you notice these in your fearsome furry, take them to your vet! While the cause is still unknown, there are ways to alleviate pain and manage this situation that we are sure will improve your cat’s discomfort.

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

Feline courses

 

Cats, Dogs, Horses

Pet insurance: is it really worth it?

This is a thought that has probably crossed every caring and loving owner’s mind: Is it worth getting your pet insured?

Responsible pet ownership has costs. From diet to preventative care (vaccinations, neutering and worm/flea treatments), having a pet means spending money and when considering the possibility of adding another monthly fee for insurance, pet owners wonder if the benefits are worth the expense.

Deciding whether or not you’re getting pet insurance may be one of the most important decisions you’ll ever have to make about your pet. Many of our furry companions are blessed with wonderful lives that require nothing more than a few visits to the vet for check-ups and routine treatments. Others are not so fortunate and may experience unpredictable injuries, accidents, and diseases. Older pets are expected to have some health issues and more than often these conditions are chronic, extending throughout the remaining of their lives.

The amazing quality of health care and treatment approaches to a wide range of conditions available for our pets these days comes with a cost and depending on your pet’s illness, adequate veterinary care can become quite expensive. It is at this point that the costs covered by pet insurance can make a huge difference.

Insurance has been lifesaving for many pets allowing them to receive the best possible treatment (instead of a cheaper option to control spending), supporting owners with the costs of a condition that is chronic and that therefore requires recurrent treatments to manage, and with conditions which are treatable but sadly expensive.

If you choose to get insurance for your pet, keep in mind that it doesn’t cover preventive treatments. It covers accidents, injury, and illness. It is very important to do some research and compare pricing. See what’s covered and under what conditions from different providers, in order to get the best insurance for you and your pets, at the most affordable price.

We recommend having a good look at the veterinary fees that are covered as well as insuring this coverage is renewable for the following years. Keep older pets and the possibility of dealing with chronic conditions in mind. Policies with lifetime coverage and no limit to claim for each illness are also recommended. Some providers also offer pensioner discounts or better prices for owners with more than one pet.

Ultimately, it is up to each owner to choose what’s best for them and their pet. We hope this post brings you more information on what insurance is about and helps you decide!

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

Feline courses

Canine courses