Fleas:
Fleas can range from an annoyance to your pet to an all out problem for the
family. The flea season tends to run from April to October, with the worst being
when the weather is hot and humid. However, as most people now have carpets and
central heating, it is not unknown for fleas to live all year round in the
house. Every female flea lays 100-200 eggs when on your pet and these will fall
off onto the areas where the dog or cat lies or sleeps. Therefore to acheive the
best level of flea control you must deal with both the adult and young stages of
the fleas lifecycle.
As well as causing an irritation to your pet, fleas can also cause severe
allergic reactions leading to nasty skin infections. They may also carry
tapeworm pass this to your pet. Most commonly fleas are seen along the back of
the pet and they will scratch along there. In pale coloured animals you may see
'black dust' which is flea dirt.
We recommend either Frontline Combo or Stronghold to treat
your pets. Both of these products will kill both the adults and eggs/larval
stages. Hair and skin that falls off the pet will act on the stages in the
house. For cats we also have a 6 monthly injection which 'sterilises' the flea
so that it's eggs are non-viable. In a sereve outbreak you may also have to
spray the house.
If your pet has open wounds or is scratching excessively,
we would recommend bringing them in to see a vet as they may require further
treatment.
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Worming :
As much as we love our pets, they can carry some nasty
parasites. There are a number of worms that can infect them, the main ones being
Roundworms and tape worms. Why do we worry about this? Well, firstly a heavy
worm burden can cause health problems for your pet. Secondly, some worms are
contagious to humans and in children can cause serious problems and even
blindness. If your pet has worms when it passes faeces they will contain worm
eggs which are very hardy and can stay in the ground for a long time. They are
then passed to other dogs or to people through contact and ingestion. One dog
can pass millions of eggs a day in its faeces.
Regular worming with the right preparation will give you
the best chance of keeping your pet worm-free, and reducing the chances of
contaminating the environment. A selection of worming preparations are stocked
at the surgery, but most are not available for general sale, eg in supermarkets
and pet shops. As well as working better, they can also be safer too. Worming
recommendations vary according to the age of your pet, and his or her weight.No
starvation or special feeding is required, but do follow the dosage instructions
carefully and keep all medicines out of children's reach. Always spray regularly
for fleas, to reduce tapeworm infestation.
We recommend that you worm your pet every 3 months. If
they are regular hunters it may be necessary to worm them every month. The
wormer will only kill adult worms in the animal, it does not last for 3 months,
however this time fits in with the lifecycle of most worms and should prevent
infection and passage of eggs.
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Dog Neutering :
Neutering is the term used for the surgical procedure to prevent animals from
breeding. In females this is called spaying and in males, castration. The
procedure involves removing the organs responsible for breeding. Neutering is
performed for a number of reasons, mainly based on the sex of the animal. Female
dogs come into season on average every 6 months. This involves a period of 2-3
weeks during which she is very attractive to male dogs. For the first half of
this season there will be a bloody discharge from the vulva. Some bitches, after
a period of 4-6 weeks, will have a false pregnancy where they may produce milk
and their behaviour may change. Neutering will stop the seasons the accompanying
changes. A neutered bitch will never get a potentially fatal condition called
pyometra where their womb becomes infected. There is also evidence that shows
neutered bitches have a lower incidence of mammary tumours.
Male dogs mature around 6-8 months of age. At this point they will become very
attracted to dogs in season and will mark their territory by urinating. They can
often run off looking for bitches in heat and may disappear for days. Neutering
prevents this.
Dogs may be castrated at any time over 6 months of age. Bitches need to be
neutered at a time that fits in with their natural cycle to make the surgery as
safe as possible. We recommend doing this either 4 weeks after their season has
finished or else between 3-5 months after a season. Unless there are any
complications, which are rare, neutered dogs go home the same day as their
surgery. Normally within 1-2 days they are back to normal, although we recommend
keeping them quiter until the stitches are removed 10 days later. Male dogs may
be fertile for up to 6 weeks after castration.
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Cat Neutering :
Unlike dogs, female cats come into season in spring and
autumn every 3 weeks. If they fall pregnant they will give birth after around 9
weeks. They can then become pregnant again in 3-4 weeks. As you can imagine,
with an un-neutered female cat you could end up with a lot of kittens very
quickly. For this reason we would highly recommend getting your female cat
neutered. Cats mature around 6 months of age and can be spayed at any point
after this age. Unlike dogs, there is no ideal time based on their season. We
tend to perform the operation through the flank in cats.
Male cats, if not castrated, will tend to spray urine
around their territory, including their house. This urine tends to be extremely
smelly and unpleasant. They also tend to roam a lot further than neutered cats
and will fight more. Again, they can be done at any point after 6 months.
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Dog Vaccination :
There are a number of infectious diseases that our dogs
can catch. Although most of them are rarely seen these days, the main reason for
this is that people regularly vaccinate their dogs. Through regular vaccination
we can keep these diseases at bay. However, if the number of vaccinated dogs drop
below a certain level, there is a good chance one or more of these diseases will
arise again.
Our vaccination protocol protects against
- Canine Hepatitis : A viral disease affecting the Liver although
it can affect both the kidney and eyes too (Blue eye). Dogs can appear normal
and then suddenly go down hill. Vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy are seen.
- Canine Distemper : This disease was known as HardPad as it can
affect the dogs pads making them very hard hence the dog clicked as it walked.
It also causes vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing, sneezing, eye discharge and fits.
It is frequently fatal, especially when fits are seen. It can also cause damage
to the brain which will show up later in life
- Parvovirus : This is a virus causing severe gastroenteritis,
often with bloody diarrhoea. In severe cases the dog can show signs and be dead
within 8 hours. Puppies with this disease can also develop secondary heart
disease.
- Leptospirosis : This is a bacterial disease which has two forms.
The first carries a high fatality rate and often is caught from rat urine. It is
very contagious and can affect man. The second will cause severe kidney damage.
We unfortunately see a number of cases of this on the Isle of Man every year.
Puppies are given their first vaccination at 8 weeks and a second 2 weeks later.
A booster is requried every year for leptospirosis and every 3 years for the
others. Our vaccinations are trusted and safe
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Cat Vaccination :
Like with dogs, there are a number of serious infectious
diseases that we need to be aware of in our cat population. Some of these are
still quite prevalent too.
Our vaccination protocol protects against -
- Feline Enteritis : A viral disease similar to parvovirus in
dogs. It is highly contagious and in younger cats usually fatal. In some cases
the the animal will just drop dead with no apparent symptoms. It can affect cats
of any age.
- Feline Leukemia (FeLV) : This is a viral disease of cats that
affects the white blood cells. It is the number one infectious killer of cats in
the Western world. It can cause cancer in cats and also greatly lower their
immune system so that they become highly prone to many other infectious
diseases. It is a similar virus to the AIDs virus in man. Vaccination is a safe
and effective way of preventing this infection.
- Cat flu : This is a combination of a number of infectious
organisims which cause flu like symtpoms in cats. As well as coughing, sneezing
and eye discharge, this disease can also open the cat up to other diseases such
as pneumonia. There can also be long term problems for cats who get this disease
including eye damage and persistant chest infections. Infected cats can also
become carriers and continuously pass the disease onto other cats.
Kittens start their vaccinations at 9 weeks of age and receive a second
vaccination at 12 weeks. A booster is required every year for all diseases. We
are happy with the safety and efficacy of all our vaccines.
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Rabbit Vaccinations.
Rabbits are becoming a more common sight in our surgeries
as more and more people get them as pets. As they grow in popularity it is
important to be aware that they also need a certain level of care. Vaccinations
are part of this and there are two major infectious we need to be aware of in
rabbits
- Myxomatosis : This is unfortunately a man made disease
introduced to the rabbit population many years ago to try and control the
population. Since then it has spread far and wide. It is passed by rabbit fleas
and affected rabbits present with a swollen face and severe discharge from their
eyes. They are very weak and will soon die. It is highly contagious and tends to
occur in cycles. Rabbits need to be vaccinated at 6 weeks and then either every
6 months or yearly depending on the level of infection present in the
environment.
- Viral Haemorrhagic Disease : This is a fairly new disease and
only appeared in the mid 1980's. It is highly contagious and will often cause
sudden death. Clinical symptoms may be fever, restlessness, swollen face and
convulsions. Rabbits should be vaccinated at 10-12 weeks of age and then yearly
thereafter.
Although rabbits need yearly boosters of both vaccines, it is recommended that
they are not given at the same time. Therefore, to ensure the best care for your
rabbit, we recommend leaving 2 weeks between both vaccines.
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General Anaesthetics and Surgery :
A General Anaesthetic is a drug used to make an animal
unconcious and unable to perceive pain so that we may perform a surgical
procedure on it. They can be be given by either injection or gas. We will
generally place a catheter in the animals vein so that we have constant access
to give any drugs and initially knock the animal out with an injection. We will
then place a tube into it's windpipe so it can breath efficiently and attach
this tube to a gas to keep the animal alseep.
Obviously people are very concerned when we suggest giving
their animals an anaesthetic, all anaesthetics carry a small risk, but we do a
lot to minimise this risk for our patients :
- Pre-anaesthetic check: All our patients receive a full clinical
exam prior to an anaesthetic. Any problems or issues will be followed up and
discussed with you before proceeding
- Pre-anaesthetic bloods: We give this option to all our patients,
but would recommend it to our older patients especially. This allows us to spot
any hidden problems, such as early kidney disease, before giving a drug which
may exacerbate a problem
- Choice of anaesthetic : We use the current gold standard in
veterinary anaesthetics, in fact they are both still used in human hospitals.
Both our injectable and gas drugs are short acting allowing us to wake your pet
very quickly if necessary.
- Monitoring : All our surgery patients are montiored by our very
capable nurses. They are fully trained to ensure your pet is in the safest
hands. We also use complex, multi-parameter monitors which to track oxygen
levels, breathing, ECG and body temperature.
- Comfort and stress : Our dog and cat patients are maintained in
seperate wards to reduce stress levels. After surgery a nurse will continuously
watch them until they are awake. If required, we have an oxygen cage and
incubator for smaller animals. We try to ensure they go home to the comfort of
their own home as soon as is possible.
Prior to surgery, you will be send an information sheet telling you how to
prepare your pet. They should be fed the night before and then have no food
overnight. Water may be left out but should be removed first thing in the
morning. A short walk should be given to dogs allow them toilet.
When they are admitted in the morning, they will be weighed and given a full
clinical exam. If a blood test has been requested this will be done at this
stage. The animal will then receive it's pre-med which contains a pain killer
and a sedative to make them less anxious. This normally takes affect after 10-20
mins.
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Pet Insurance:
As veterinary medicine advances and we are able to do more
and more for your pet, so unfortunately does the cost. Every year, two out of
three pets require some form of veterinary treatment. In the case of a serious
accident or a major disease, the cost of this can rise quickly. To help with
these costs we advise insuring your pets as soon as possible. For puppies and
kittens we can offer 4 weeks free cover with Petplan when we first see them.
This gives you immediate peace of mind.
We recommend using Petplan to insure your pet as we have
worked with them for many years and are happy with the level and standards of
cover they offer. If you decide to use another company, please check carefully
what you are getting. Be sure to read the terms and conditions and find out what
you are covered for. Many cheaper policies only cover upto a certain amount or
only for a certain period of time. Also, have a look at the conditions and
treatments available through your insurer. Some companies do not cover certain
conditions or treatments.
If you do have insurance and do need to use it, ask us for
an estimate of the cost of treatment and check with your insurance company
first. Then ask for a claim form. Fill in all of your details first and then
bring it in to us to complete. All policies will have an excess associated with
them. This is an amount, stipulated in your policy, that you have to pay towards
treatment. Unless you have discussed it with our practice manager, you should
pay us the total amount owed and then claim off your insurance company.
Please be aware that exisiting conditions will not
be covered by new policies.
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