Horses

Heart murmurs in horses

Horse 24 - Heart murmurs in horses
Horses, just like humans, can have heart murmurs. Murmurs can be detected by your vet while he or she examines your horse and listens to its heart with a stethoscope. They are basically abnormal sounds of high velocity or turbulent blood flow that originated from the heart valves or related structures.

Although the idea of a horse having a murmur can be scary for a horse owner, heart murmurs are relatively common findings on horse’s examinations and many healthy horses have murmurs.<

Most of these murmurs are not due to any structural abnormality and often the horse or the pony does not show any signs of heart disease. However, some murmurs indicate more serious problems in a horse’s blood flow and/or heart function. These abnormalities include inadequate functioning of heart valves, large blood vessels or an abnormal connection between different heart chambers.

Common clinical signs of heart disease include a reduced tolerance to exercise, thickening of the limbs and lower neck or chest and enlargement of blood vessels, causing a pulse in their jugular vein that is visible when you look at their neck (‘jugular pulse’).

Most horses are not affected in terms of athletic performance by the fact that they have a heart murmur and studies on the matter have failed to find any evidence that horses with murmurs performed any differently from those without murmurs. If the murmur is due to an abnormality and if this issue progresses, then a horse’s performance can deteriorate as time goes by.<

Sometimes a heart murmur can appear following certain medical conditions. Colic leads to unusual blood flow patterns for example and viral infections can cause changes to the cardiac muscles. In such cases the murmur is temporary.

If your horse has a heart murmur it might be necessary to investigate it further as it could mean your horse has a heart condition and its progression can have an impact in your horse’s performance and general health.

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Cats

Caring for the ageing cat

Cats 1 - Caring for the ageing cat

Cats who are between 8 and 11 years old are usually considered middle aged and cats over 12 years old are considered senior. As years go by, there are quite a few changes you can expect to see in your older cat.

The first thing owners usually notice is that their cat seems to have slowed down a bit, being less energetic and spending more time napping in warm spots.Their eyesight and hearing may progressively deteriorate and their coat often loses shine. Their skin also becomes less elastic and it’s not uncommon for white hairs to appear.

There are several things you can do to help your older cat enjoy its golden years living a happy, active and fulfilling life.

Diet

Some cats might put on weight as they get older, since they are much less active while others might lose weight. This could be due to the fact that cats lose their appetite along with their sense of smell or due to some underlying medical condition. There are specially formulated senior diets available and prescription diets (if necessary) that can be of great help. Talk to your vet about the best option for your cat’s particular case.

Comfort

Older cats greatly appreciate a soft, warm and comfortable bed, preferably in a quiet place of the house. Litter boxes, food, water, sleeping spots and hiding places should be available and easily accessible to your cat.

It’s very common for older cats to suffer from arthritis or degenerative joint disease, a chronic painful condition that often causes mobility issues. If you cat suffers from arthritis having food and water bowls slightly raised from the ground can be very helpful. Litter boxes should also be large and low sided, in order for the cat to be able to get in and out of the box without any difficulties.

Take the time to help your cat with grooming, as older cats tend to groom themselves less and will benefit from the extra help. It’s also important to keep an eye on their claws. Since older cats are much less active their claws can grow too long and because they are curved, they can even grow into the cat’s paw. For this reason, in some cases, it might be necessary to regularly trim their claws.

Health care

Common health problems of older cats include arthritis, dental disease, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes, lumps or growths (which can turn out to be either harmless or cancerous), dementia and reduced brain functions.

It is recommended for senior cats to keep up their vaccination and worming plans and to visit the vet for check-ups twice a year. It is not uncommon for owners to assume that a certain health issue is related to your cat’s advanced age when it could actually be due to a treatable medical condition.

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Cats

Kennel cough – The most widespread infectious disease of dogs in the UK

Dogs 28 - Kennel coughKennel cough, or infectious tracheobronchitis, is a highly infectious disease of dogs that affects their upper respiratory tract. The most common clinical sign is a persistent, dry, hacking cough but some dogs can become depressed, develop a temperature and even present sneezes and a running nose.

Kennel cough is just a general term for contagious upper respiratory tract infection as this disease can be caused by several agents, both viral and bacterial. The most common pathogens involved are a bacteria called Bordetella and a virus called Parainfluenza.

Kennel cough is not a dangerous disease and has a very good prognosis. Most dogs will recover fully in a few weeks without any treatment. However, this disease can become more serious for vulnerable groups of pets such as very young or very old dogs and dogs that may be debilitated due to some other disease.

Despite the fact that dogs can handle the infection on their own treatment can help reduce the duration of the disease, the general discomfort and make the cough less severe.

This disease is highly contagious and will quickly spread between dogs that are in close contact with one another. The infectious particles (bacterial or viral) will travel in small droplets of fluids and mucus of affected dogs and they will spread it when they cough or sneeze. For this reason it is highly recommended not to mix a dog when he or she is sick with other dogs.

Any occasion that might involve gathering several dogs such as puppy parties, dog shows or staying in kennels is an excellent opportunity for the disease to spread around. Since the agent can survive in a dog’s environment for a long time, dogs can even get infected by walking through an area where an infected dog has been.

The best way to prevent your dog from getting kennel cough is to vaccinate against the disease. The vaccine is a bit different from regular vaccines as it is given as drops into the dog’s nose (intranasal). The vaccine is not 100% effective but it is recommended if your dog is going regularly into kennels, if it frequently comes in contact with other dogs or if you have many dogs in your household. Most kennels will not let you board your dog if or she is not vaccinated against kennel cough.

Horses

The newborn foal

Horse 22 - The newborn foal

Are you expecting the arrival of a new foal? In that case this post is for you! Many decisive things happen in the very first few hours of a foal’s life and it is important to keep in mind what is normal, just in case the newborn foal or the mare need any assistance.

The average pregnancy in horses takes approximately 11 months but it can range from 321 and 365 days so in many cases, anxious owners will need to be a little patient.

Once a foal is finally born the first thing to make sure is that it is breathing normally. The less we intervene the better but if you notice the mare does not clean the membrane covering the foal’s muzzle straight away, you should remove it and clear the foal’s nostrils of any mucous that may prevent the foal from breathing properly.

The foal will try to stand and walk as soon as it is born. Foals will usually sit up one or two minutes after birth and stand within two hours. They will also present a suck reflex two to ten minutes after being born.

It is very important to observe the foal suckling the mare within the first hours of birth, as ingesting the mare’s colostrum is essential for the foal’s immune system and general health. Afterwards it is expected for the foal to feed at least every twenty minutes during its first week of life. Feeding at this rhythm foals will usually pass their first droppings and urine during the first day.

Newborn foals should be kept in clean conditions, away from other horses and protected from extreme weather conditions. It will be necessary to treat the foal’s navel with an antiseptic product several times during the first day in order to prevent any infections.

It is also recommended to have both the foal and the mare checked by your vet on the first day to make sure they are doing well, to ensure they are healthy and to thoroughly check the foal for any deformities.

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Cats

Pregnancy and toxoplasmosis

Cats 2 - Pregnancy and toxoplasmosis

Most of you have probably heard of toxoplasmosis. It is a disease of cats caused by a microscopic parasite called Toxoplasma gondii that can affect humans. Although cats are the parasite’s definitive host, it can also affect most warm blood animals.

This parasite is extremely well adapted to its host and most cats infected with toxoplasmosis do not show any signs. Cats usually become infect by eating raw or uncooked meat containing T gondii cysts. This can happen when they hunt for rodents for example.

The disease also goes unnoticed in most affected humans, causing in some cases just mild flu symptoms. This disease can be more serious if the affected human has a compromised immune system, such as someone undergoing treatment for cancer for example, the very young or the elderly. The parasite can also affect pregnant women’s unborn babies. For these reasons, toxoplasmosis raises understandable concerns.

It is important to clarify that a human is far more likely to get toxoplasmosis from unwashed fruits and vegetables, consuming undercooked or cured meat, and from touching its mouth while gardening than from being in contact with a cat. The disease is not passed on by stroking a cat or through a cat’s bites and scratches.

The feline immune system responds very quickly after infection and cats will shed oocysts in their faeces for 10 to 14 days after being exposed to the disease. The oocysts become infectious one to five days after being passed and we can only be infected if we ingest these infectious oocysts. After a cat’s first infection they are very unlikely to shed oocysts again in their lifetime and if that does happen they will shed a very low number of oocysts.

If a few basic hygiene preventative measures are followed the risks are reduced even more and you have nothing to fear from your cat. These recommendations are especially important if you belong to one of the vulnerable groups (being immunocompromised, being pregnant or considering getting pregnant):

  • Make sure you cook all meat thoroughly and avoid eating cured meats
  • Please don’t forget to washall cooking utensils and surfaces that came in contact with any uncooked meat
  • Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove any traces of soil
  • Use gloves when gardening and wash your hands afterwards.
  • Don’t feed your cat raw or uncooked meat and if possible, try to discourage him or her from hunting rodents and birds.
  • Ask someone to clean your cat’s litter box for you. If this is not possible wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards. The litter box should be scooped every day and litter trays should be regularly disinfect using hot water.

If you have any questions about toxoplasmosis contact your vet and ask for advice.

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Dogs

Harvey’s Law

Dogs 25 - Harvey's Law

On November 23rd, 2013, Jude Devine was visiting friends in Liverpool when Harvey, her poodle, went missing. Jude was absolutely distraught and she did everything she could think of to find Harvey. She spent more than £8,000 in leaflets, banners, adverts and she even lived in a caravan to be close and search the area.

Her search came to an end when in February 2014. Jude received a Facebook message from a ‘highway patrol officer’. Harvey had been found dead on the M62, less than a mile from where Judy had been staying and just 20 minutes after he had gone missing. Harvey was microchipped and had a collar tag. However, no efforts were made to try and locate its owner.

Months of search and heartache could have been avoided entirely if it weren’t for the inadequate and unenforced procedures of the Highways Agency. Jude only found out what had happened to Harvey because by chance, the events of November 23rd were communicated, as there were no written records with the Highways Agency.

Jude and her friend Nina Blackburn decided to launch a petition demanding it to be compulsory to attempt to identify the dog and inform the owner if pets are killed and found on highways, to file a log report and circulate it to the police and dog warden.

The petition received more than 122,000 signatures and all these voices were heard. It has been announced that pets that are killed in road traffic accidents will have to be identified, collected and their owners informed by the Highways Agency.

The transport minister John Hayes has said that he wants to ensure that this policy is also extended to cats found on the roads.

The recent announcement regarding what has become known as Harvey’s Law is a huge victory for all pet owners that have gone through something similar and for all animal lovers that have been involved in this campaign.

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Horses

Understanding a horse’s nature is the first step to improve its physical and psychological health

Horse 23 - Understanding a horses nature is the first step to improve its physic

The best way to improve your horse’s quality of life and general health is to understand its nature and, weather a horse is stabled, living outside or in a combination of both, to provide a suitable environment that will fulfil their needs and promote natural behaviour.

Horses are social animals that enjoy more than anything the freedom to graze, to interact with each other and to be able to quickly escape if they don’t feel safe. In the wild, horses frequently interact with other horses and live in herds, spending most of their time (14-16 hours) wandering over wide areas foraging for food.

Their main concern is to be able to escape any possible predators so they are almost always active and alert. They enjoy wide open spaces because it allows them to clearly see what is going on around them and because it gives them the room they need to quickly run away if they feel threatened, scared of just uncomfortable. This is not only important to escape predators but it is also important for their social interactions, as they can decide to be around their equine companions or to just have a few moments alone.

It is essential for the health of a horse’s digestive system to have a high fibre content diet (such as grass and hay) provided in regular, small amounts. Food intake should be regulated to maintain a horse’s ideal weight, but any selected diet plan must keep this in mind.

Most horses, ponies and donkeys are extremely sociable and it is highly recommended for them to have companions to interact with. Other key elements include appropriate shelter, fresh water, mineral licks, extra feed if necessary and regular health care, which includes vaccinations, a worming plan and regular foot trimming and dental checks.

The size of a stable is also very important for a horse and as a general rule, the bigger the better. It should allow for the horse to turn around, to lie down and even to roll if they want to. Good ventilation is essential to prevent breathing problems. Large stables will not only provide better air circulation but will also reduce stress levels and allow you to accommodate more than one horse, pony or donkey if necessary.

A stable with good visibility, good air flow and natural light can also help reduce stress. Horses will feel more relaxed if they are able to watch, listen and smell things around them and on the outside, as this gives them something to do instead of feeling isolated and bored.

They will also benefit to be placed near their best friend, especially if they can easily see and touch each other, avoiding stress related with separation anxiety.

Stress, anxiety and depression in horses can affect performance, lead to weight loss and contribute to other serious diseases such as colic and laminitis. It can also interfere with the recovery process of an injury or disease.

A horse’s environment is key for its mental well-being and physical health.

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Cats, Dogs

How much do you know about fleas? Protect your pet and your home!

Dogs 27 - How much do you know about fleas

Fleas are extremely common parasites that feed off the blood of mammals, which includes pets such as dogs, cats, rabbits and they will also bite humans. Most pet owners have seen them at some point, since these tiny brown insects are very common and can be a problem all year round.

Although fleas are usually not a life threatening problem except in very young or very sick animals, they cause a lot of problems for pets and owners alike. Flea bites cause discomfort, itchiness and some pets can be allergic to their saliva. Affected pets often over-groom and scratch themselves a lot more than usual, leading to hair loss, red patches and even skin damage. If left unchecked these small scabs can become an open door for secondary infection.

Fleas are responsible for transmitting tapeworm to cats and dogs. This happens if a dog or a cat swallows a flea infected with tapeworm eggs, while grooming. These parasites will also transmit myxomatosis among rabbits (wild and domestic), which is a devastating and often fatal disease.

Fleas can be hard to get rid of mainly due to their life cycle. Only adult fleas will bite your pet and they can start laying eggs within 24 hours of their first meal.

These eggs will fall off your pet into the ground, where they hatch and develop into adult fleas. This means that they will develop in your pet’s surrounding environment (bedding, floors, carpets, couches, etc.). Not only this means that most of the problem is not on your pet, it is in its environment, but it also means that fleas can easily thrive during the colder months, since they can be safely hiding or developing in our warm, comfortable homes.

For all these reasons it is very important to keep your pet’s flea treatment up to date, even during the winter months.

If you do have a flea problem it is very important to treat your home, particularly your pet’s environment since that is where eggs and larvae will be. It is also key that all pets at home are treated, since fleas can easily jump from one pet to another. Your vet can recommend the best solution for your pet, since there is a wide variety of treatments and products available (spot on solutions, collars, tablets, sprays, etc.). Please make sure you follow your vet’s instructions and that you treat your pet with the appropriate products. Many dog flea treatments contains permethrin, an insecticide that is highly toxic for cats!

How to check my pet for fleas?

Search your pet’s fur looking closely at the skin surface for small black grains of sand. They are more commonly seen on their backs near the base of the tail. Those black grains of sand are faeces left behind by the fleas after feeding. You might also be able to see the fleas themselves walking around.

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Horses

Sweet itch

Horses 22 - Sweet itch

Equine sweet itch is a seasonal skin disease of horses and ponies caused by an allergic reaction to Culicoides midge bites. Affected horses feel extremely itchy, restless and uncomfortable, intensely rubbing and chewing the areas where they were bitten. Over time this can lead to hair loss, crusting, scaling, skin thickening and damage to the skin, which then becomes an open door for secondary infections.

All breeds can be affected and there is evidence that susceptibility to the disease is inherited. The saliva of the midge causes an “over the top”type I hypersensitivity reaction in which sensitised mast cells release histamine, resulting in swelling and intense itching. The more often a horse is bitten by midges, the worse the reaction becomes. The most commonly affected areas are usually the tail head, under the mane and underneath the horses’ abdomen.

The midges are active from March to October but their numbers peak from May to September.

A few changes in your horse’s daily management routine can be very helpful to deal with this problem, as well as using sweet itch rugs in combination with insect repellents, insecticides, oils and greases.

Sweet itch rugs cover more of the horse’s body and it’s important to keep in mind that the mesh size needs to be extremely small because midges are tiny. The best way to protect your horse’s face is to use a horse mask. Midges will often congregate on the moist areas around the horse’s eyes and forehead, and a fine mesh face and ear cover, attached by velcro under the chin is very effective in keeping them away.

Due to their small size it is very hard for midges to bite through layers of oil which means that oils such as citronella oil, garlic oil and tea tree oils can be helpful to provide some protection. There are many types of products that combine repellents, insecticides and oils available. Find one that suits you and your horse best.

If possible increase airflow by using a fan in the stable and use a very fine fly screen over the stable door.

Since midges are most active at dawn and dusk, stable the horse from 4 pm until 8 am in the summer months. Consider moving your horse away from wooded and wet areas to avoid as many moist midge breeding grounds as possible.

If you notice your horse is itching more than usual consult your veterinary surgeon as it will be needed to rule out other possible causes of itching. Your vet can also prescribe medications that can help ease your horse’s symptoms and provide some relief to suffering horses, while additional precautions are taken. Ask your vet for advice.

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Dogs

Dog is trained to sniff out thyroid cancer in human urine samples

Dogs 26 - Dog is trained to sniff out thyroid cancer in human urine samples

Most of us are aware that dogs have an incredible sense of smell. Despite this well-known fact, dogs keep surprising us again and again with each new achievement. Just recently a rescue German Shepherd-mix named Frankie was successfully trained to differentiate between benign thyroid disease and thyroid cancer simply by smelling a person’s urine!

Frankie participated on a study with 34 human patients who had suspicious thyroid nodules. These patients underwent normal diagnostic procedures and it was concluded that 19 of them had benign thyroid disease and the other 15 had thyroid cancer. All these patients supplied a urine sample that was sniffed by Frankie.

The urine samples were presented to the dog by a gloved dog handler, one at a time, and neither the dog handler nor the study coordinator, the person responsible for recording the dog’s responses, knew about these patients previous diagnostic results. He was trained to turn away when he smelled a sample with benign thyroid disease and to lie down when he detected metastatic thyroid carcinoma, a common thyroid cancer.

Frankie was able to correctly identify which patients had thyroid cancer and which had a benign disease in 30 out of the 34 urine samples! This means that Frankie had an 88% accuracy and was able to detect a benign sample almost 9 of every 10 times.

The use of scent-trained canines to diagnose thyroid cancer has an incredible potential for many reasons. Current diagnostic procedures for thyroid cancer often give patients uncertain results and lead to a large number of unnecessary thyroid surgeries. The method generally used to detect cancer in a person’s thyroid nodules is a fine-needle aspiration biopsy. In this procedure a thin needle is inserted into the patients thyroid gland (located in the front of the neck) in order to obtain a tissue sample. Canine scent detection is non-invasive, inexpensive and the dog’s diagnostic accuracy is only slightly less than the fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

Although it may be too soon to base major decisions and decide a patient’s treatment based on the canine technique, these dogs can help physicians detect thyroid cancer at an early stage and avoid surgery when unwarranted in a non-invasive way. With the help of these dogs many lives are likely to be saved and our current diagnostic procedures will be much easier for people suffering from these conditions.

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