Healthcare

IS YOUR DOG HEALTHY?

Observing and interacting with your pet every day will enable you to know exactly what is normal for him. You will rightly become concerned if there is any sudden deviation from what is normal behaviour. Sudden lethargy, lameness, or more classic signs of illness such as vomiting or diarrhoea will obviously cause alarm bells to ring that he may not be as healthy as he should be. In this instance you should undoubtedly take him to your local veterinary surgeon immediately.

What can be more difficult to notice is when your pet gradually develops subtle clinical signs over a longer period of time. Symptoms such as progressively worsening stiffness can go unnoticed for some time - you may notice that your cat gradually stops jumping up on the kitchen work surfaces, or doesn.t go upstairs as much as he used to. Maybe your dog is struggling to get up and is a bit stiff for a couple of strides, but eventually loosens up. Perhaps he isn't quite as active on walks as he used to be. It is often easy to put signs such as these down to the onset of old age and not think too much of them. However, they could be early signs of arthritis and you should always mention subtle changes in your pet.s behaviour to your vet at routine check ups. Also monitor your pet.s weight and eating and drinking habits. If you feel your dog or cat has lost weight rapidly or is gradually consuming more water than he should be, seek veterinary attention sooner rather than later.

A change in personality of your pet may be seen in some diseases and I will discuss some instances where this may occur later. Often though, subtle changes in behaviour are seen alongside other, sometimes more obvious, clinical signs.

WHEN TO GO TO THE VET

You, as a responsible and caring pet owner are often in the best place to judge whether your pet is in good health or not. Always mention any worries you have at your routine check ups, but don.t wait for the annual vaccination before seeking advice for what you may think to be a minor concern. You should always take your animal to the vet if you have any concerns regarding his health. Never let feeling intimidated or looking like an over-concerned owner put you off going to the vet if you are worried.

FIRST AID TIPS

Every owner's worst nightmare is for their pet to be in a serious accident. Clearly, if the worst happens, you should take your pet to the nearest vet as soon as possible. Always have your vet.s .phone number somewhere accessible . they will always be happy to give you first aid advice over the .phone, if necessary.

However, there are often things that you can do in an emergency situation that may help your pet. It is a worrying time when your animal is in distress, but you should always try to stay calm as your pet will know when you are panicking. If you cut yourself, you would automatically keep it clean and dry. By the same token, if your pet wounds himself, no matter how small or large, you should follow the same train of thought. I am often astounded by how unfazed dogs can be soon after sustaining significant wounds, especially when out on a walk when adrenaline is running high! If there is bleeding, use something clean to put pressure over the wound to try to stem the flow. If the wound is on an extremity, try to bandage it and take your pet to your vet for assessment as soon as possible as it may require sutures.

If your pet is in a more serious accident, it is absolutely imperative that you take your pet to the vets as soon as possible. Although there are not always obvious external injuries, there may be significant internal injuries which need attention. Keep your pet warm and dry. If he is having difficulty breathing, the worst thing you can do is cuddle it to you tightly, which may be a natural response when your pet is ill. Give him space and allow him to get in a comfortable position and be careful not to stress him out too much before transporting to the vets. If you suspect a broken bone, you must take him to your vet for pain relief and investigation. It may be possible to splint the affected limb, however, you.re probably better off leaving it and allowing your vet to deal with the problem. Putting a temporary splint on will distress the animal and if not done correctly may do more harm than good by adding weight to the affected limb.

GENERAL PET HEALTH

There are a number of measures you can take to ensure that you are helping your pet maintain his health. Your vet will be able to advise you on any aspect of the following issues:

Vaccinations, Worming and Flea Treatment
Keeping up to date with vaccinations, worming and flea treatment is imperative for your pet.s general health. Always purchase wormers and flea treatments from your veterinary surgeon as most products purchased from other sources may not be as effective at killing any parasites that may be affecting your pet. Fleas in particular can affect the behaviour of your pet, especially if they have an allergy to one of the components of flea saliva. A flea allergy is the most common allergic skin disease affecting dogs and cats in the UK. You may notice your pet over-grooming and scratching, or even just repeatedly licking extremities. These are common symptoms that you may notice if your pet is suffering from a flea allergy.

Dental Health
This is one aspect of routine care which is neglected by many owners. We clean our teeth at least twice a day . you should consider trying to do the same with your pet. Peridontal disease affects a huge number of animals as they get older and can adversely affect behaviour in several ways. Most obviously, oral pain may affect your pet.s eating habits . you may notice subtle signs such as your pet favouring a certain side of their mouth when eating, especially if fed dry food. If allowed to deteriorate, they may not want to eat at all. There may be a constant flow of bacteria from the oral cavity into the bloodstream which can make your pet feel constantly lethargic and listless. When periodontal disease gets very advanced, your pet will need dental treatment and may require extractions under a general anaesthetic. Although this seems radical, you would be amazed how this can improve your pet.s quality of life. However, this is often avoidable if you make the effort to look after your pet.s teeth. This is much easier if you start the routine when your pet is young and daily tooth brushing should be practised with a dog/cat toothbrush. There are several other measures you can take such as giving dogs chews or certain toys that have been specially designed to help clean teeth, and there are even prescription foods available now which help remove plaque as it builds up. However, all these measures are no substitute for regular tooth brushing.

Obesity/Diet
Always feed your animals a good quality diet. There are several brands of complete food on the market available from pet shops and your vet. There are some other options if you want to feed your pets on a less processed meal but always make sure it is a balanced diet as a lack of any nutrients in the diet can affect your pet.s health.

Obesity in pets is a very serious issue in the UK pet population at the moment. Weigh your pet regularly and if he is putting on weight, cut down his food intake accordingly and make sure he gets regular exercise. There are .light. versions of most pet foods or prescription diets are available from your vet should they feel this is necessary.

CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT BEHAVIOUR

There are many reasons why your pet may become lethargic and more subdued than he normally is, from a simple case of dietary indiscretion to more serious problems such as anaemia or dehydration. There are numerous diseases that can affect your animal's behaviour, I have covered the most common ones below:

Degenerative Joint Disease (Arthritis)
This is an incredibly common condition in older dogs which often goes unnoticed in the early stages. Constant wear and tear of joints over the years can cause the cartilage within the joint to become damaged, exposing the sensitive bone underneath and causing inflammation within the joint, resulting in pain. Certain breeds are more predisposed to developing early arthritis in particular joints, normally due to developmental abnormalities, but all breeds and crossbreeds are at risk of developing arthritis as they get older. One of the major risk factors for the earlier development of degenerative joint disease is obesity and this should be taken very seriously. You can receive advice on how to help your pet lose weight from your vet. Signs you may notice if your pet is arthritic are; stiffness when getting up, reluctance to go on walks or a stiff, stilted gait, with shorter choppy strides. Lameness is a clear indication of pain in a limb, but may not always be obvious as both limbs may be affected. There are drugs and nutritional supplements which can be used to reduce inflammation and pain in affected joints and these can really give an older pet a new lease of life!

Hyperthyroidism
This disease can affect many cats as they get older. Thyroxine is a hormone released by the thyroid gland which is located next to the trachea in your pet's neck. Thyroxine is a hormone which has a role in regulating the metabolic rate in the body and excess production of the hormone can cause your cat to develop a ravenous appetite, but still lose weight. They can often become slightly hyperactive and jumpy, or become very demanding and more vocal. These are often fairly subtle changes in your pet.s behaviour but can begin before the weight loss becomes noticeable.

Hypothyroidism
In contrast to hyperthyroidism which is only normally seen in cats, hypothyroidism is a disease only really seen in dogs and can affect any breed. It is characterised by the lack of production of thyroxine by the thyroid gland and subsequent reduction in the body.s metabolic rate. Clinical signs associated with this condition can be very subtle; weight gain, with no apparent change in the feeding regime of dog, lethargy and thinning of the coat may be seen. These are subtle changes which are often put down to ageing but supplementation with synthetic thyroxine can help improve the activity level of your dog.

Neurological Problems
In broad terms, there are two sections to the central nervous system of all animals: the brain and the spinal cord. Diseases affecting any section of the central nervous system can result in behavioural changes, although it is important to realise that not all disorders of the central nervous system result in an alteration of your pet.s behaviour. Disorders of the brain may cause a wide range of signs from minor changes in personality to epileptic fits. Damage to the spinal cord can obviously cause sudden onset paralysis, but may manifest as progressive limb weakness or appearing wobbly . again, signs which can be put down to ageing.

Skin Problems
Skin disease can affect behaviour in a number of ways. In fact, certain behaviours such as over-grooming or constant licking of a certain area can be the inciting cause of some skin complaints. Obviously if the skin is inflamed and itchy, your pet may be restless and scratch more than he would do normally. There are lots of reasons why your animal may have skin disease, from the obvious, like ectoparasites (fleas or mites) to allergies, which can vary in severity and signs, to dietary deficiencies or hormonal problems. However, with cats in particular, if your cat is stressed, (maybe a new cat has moved to the area and is causing a territory dispute, or you.re moving house or having some renovations done), this stress can manifest itself by over-grooming, and sometimes even an infection within the skin which perpetuates the problem.

Urinary Tract problems
Unfortunately, there are lots of animals which suffer from recurrent urinary tract problems. These often present with constant squatting and straining for long periods, while only producing small amounts of urine. This in itself is an alteration in behaviour, and as with skin disease there are numerous causes for urinary tract problems. Cats which are particularly stressed by alterations in their surroundings can have recurrent episodes of feline lower urinary tract disease which will cause signs such as those described above. It is very important that if you notice your cat straining to urinate that you take him to the vet as soon as possible, especially, if there doesn.t appear to be any production of urine, despite straining for long periods. This could indicate a complete obstruction of his urethra which will need emergency treatment. So, in summary, there are a huge number of reasons why your pet.s behaviour may be altered by a disease which may require medical attention. The diseases mentioned here are only a few examples of problems which may affect their behaviour. Always take notice of subtle alterations in behaviour, even if you think they may be irrelevant, as it may help the diagnosis of a medical condition. If your pet.s behaviour changes suddenly, seek veterinary advice prior to approaching a behaviourist as there may be an underlying cause which may explain this change.