Heart Disease in your Pet, What to Look Out For

Heart disease is a fairly common ailment in the dog and cat, however their symptoms differ dramatically in both species. With this article I hope to make owners more aware of this condition in the hope that it might help clients manage this condition in their pets.

 

The most common heart disease in dogs is a due to disease of the valves between the different heart chambers. The clinical signs vary depending on which sets of valves is affected. The function of the heart is to pump blood around the body, taking oxygen and nutrients to all the cells in the body and at the same time removing carbon dioxide and waste products. If the blood does not circulate properly around the body then clinical disease follows quickly as a result of this.

If the valves in the heart are defective then the pump mechanism is defective, an analogy I like to make to explain this is to imagine pumping up a bicycle tyre but with a pump that is defective, if the pump is slightly defective then you will be able to pump the tyre up but with more effort. If the pump has a serious defect then it is almost impossible to inflate the tyre.

The most common presenting clinical sign that the dog presents with is a cough. Cough tends to be a low grade cough and always when the dog is at rest, often a client just remarks that their dog has had a tickly type of cough at night for several weeks. These clinical signs are associated with a valvular disease in the left hand side of the heart.

Less commonly a dog presents with a swollen abdomen, this is as a result of fluid accumulation in the peritoneal cavity as a result of valvular problems in the right hand side of the heart.

 

Treatment of this type of heart disease are developed in leaps and bounds, now we have medications that improve cardiac contractility, decrease the work the heart has to make, and medications that slow down the degenerative process in the heart valves. With these advances the prognosis for dogs with heart disease is excellent, however this is dependent on early diagnosis and treatment and owner compliance as the dog will need a plethora of tablets daily for the rest of its life. Also be prepared to adjust treatment, sometimes you have to play about with different treatment regimes until we find one that is right for your pet.

 

Cat heart disease is a totally different kettle of fish, unfortunately cats do not give us a lovely clinical outward sign like a cough. The main presenting sign is respiratory distress, cyanosis ( watch out for a blue tongue) and malaise, at this stage disease is often difficult to manage and treat as the heart failure is at a very advanced stage. Cats commonly develop fluid around the lungs when they have heart failure, this compresses the lungs causing collapse and rapid death. Treatment necessitates the draining of this fluid and then cardiac therapy. I would urge all owners, especially of elderly cats to have an annual health check, an experienced veterinarian will be able to pick up heart disease early, with adequate medication the heart disease can be managed and your cat can have a long and healthy life.

 

This article is just a simplified overview of heart disease but with major pointers on what to look out for. Observing your pet and watching it breath is a great simple way of monitoring heart conditions, there is a phone App, Cardialis, this helps in measuring your pet’s breathing rate and is simple to use. Get accustomed to placing your hand gently on your pet’s heart and get used to its normal rate and rhythm, when you feel there might be an anomaly then get it checked. The sooner we get to treating the diseased heart the better the prognosis and the longer it will be around putting a smile on your face.

Does your cat have high blood pressure?

                                                     

                                         

High blood pressure/ hypertension is a condition that is often undiagnosed in cats, unfortunately if not diagnosed early it can have devastating effects on the afflicted feline.
Hypertension in cats can be primary hypertension, where the cause is not known or secondary hypertension; in cats the most common ailments implicated in secondary hypertension are renal failure and hyperthyroidism. However this might be an oversimplication as hypertension can result in renal damage, often when the cat is presented for examination the cat has renal insufficiency and hypertension, so what came first, the chicken or the egg?
In my experience the most common presenting sign is sudden onset blindness or reduced vision. So generally a client will bring in a geriatric cat that has gone blind over a short period of time. On examination these cats will have acute ocular changes, generally retinal haemorrhages and/or retinal detachment. These patients respond well to treatment, so if you have an old cat that has gone blind, don’t attribute it to old age, get it to your veterinary surgeon fast( make sure they have the equipment to measure blood pressure). The sooner your pet is treated the better the prognosis and the greater the chance of it recovering its vision.
However these are not the only presenting signs, in summary if your cat presents with any of the following symptoms make sure you get its blood pressure checked:

Weight loss / Increased drinking-urination / lameness (hind limbs) / Blood in urine / Protein in urine / Heart murmurs / Blindness / Circling / Seizure / Haemorrhage in eye / Dilated pupils / Disorientation / Enlarged thyroid glands.

One of the most common ailments of the geriatric feline is renal disease, if your cat is suffering from this or is diagnosed with this then it is important that its blood pressure is measured too to make sure that this is not a complicating factor.

Measuring your cat’s blood pressure is a non-invasive procedure normally done during a standard consultation. However if your cat is very agitated or nervous you must take this into account when taking a reading and take this into consideration.

• 150/95 – at this reading or below, there is minimal risk and treatment is not recommended
• 150/99 to 159/95 -- intervention is routinely not recommended at these readings
• 160/119 to 179/100 -- treatment should be sought to limit the risk of organ damage
• 180/120 -- immediate treatment should be sought to limit the degree of other more severe complications

Another very useful tool frequently used is the measuring of urine protein, when blood pressure is high proteins are ‘pushed through’ the kidney filter system , so high protein in the urine can be a great aid in the diagnosis of hypertension and also useful as a prognostic indicator.

Early diagnosis is ideal, if caught early before any further organ damage then simply dosing your cat once a day with medication can be enough to prevent any further deterioration and will extend your cat’s life substantially.

High blood pressure is not a condition to be ignored, if you have an aging cat, from the age of 10 + then ask your vet to take its blood pressure and ideally provide the vet with a urine sample. Managed well hypertension is easily controlled and your cat will lead a normal life, left untreated and it will eventually cause irreversible organ damage and will shorten your pet’s life.

Get Your Dog’s Spleen Checked!!!!

Your dog’s spleen is an organ in the abdomen that has several functions; it’s most vital functions are the production of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell and also the storage of blood. Therefore it is a very vascular organ, it has a thin capsule and it sits on the left hand side of the abdomen but it is not fixed tightly like the kidneys or the liver allowing it to expand and contract so that it can fulfill its functions.

The spleen is one of those organs that is commonly forgotten, it sits quietly performing its functions hidden away in the abdomen. One of the main reasons that the spleen is so mobile is to actually protect the organ. As it is a very vascular organ with a relatively delicate capsule it is susceptible to blunt trauma that could result in its rupture. It sits tucked in the abdominal fat that also provides it with a degree of protection.

Unfortunately its structure does predispose it to problems, and more often than not they are veterinary emergencies.  

In the older dog, usually from 8 years of age onwards, the spleen is very susceptible to vascular tumours because of its highly vascular structure heavily interlaced with immunomodulating regions. These tumours tend to grow slowly and in my experience tend to be benign at the start of their development. However as they grow their structure changes and they become malignant, they become haemangiosarcomas in the majority of cases. These growths are extremely vascular and grow rapidly. The dog will be totally asymptomatic during this phase in the majority of cases, clients often attribute a slightly larger ‘tummy’ to the dog getting fatter as it ages. I have removed tumours weighing up to four kgs where the owner as been oblivious to the existence of the mass. This is because of the mobility of the spleen, so expansion will be into the peritoneal cavity in the abdomen and nobody is none the wiser that this monster is growing inside your pet.

What happens is the expanding haemangiosarcoma stretches the thin capsule of the spleen until it ruptures, often with the most innocuous of traumas e.g. jumping on a sofa. This is usually the point that the animal is presented to me for examination, the dog is usually in loads of abdominal pain and it is pale and weak as the animal bleeds out into its abdominal cavity. As I mentioned previously these tumours are really vascular so once the mass ruptures the blood loss is rapid. Unfortunately in most cases the owner is unaware that their dog is bleeding out as there is no external signs of blood loss.

Early diagnosis and emergency surgery are necessary for a successful outcome, often there is no time for niceties, no time for blood tests etc, and aggressive surgical intervention is required to stop the bleeding. The quicker the diagnosis, the quicker the surgery the better the chances of your pet’s survival.

Unfortunately once the mass has ruptured and even after successful surgery the chances of the tumour reemerging in another part of the abdomen are very high. The rupture releases millions of cancer cells into the abdomen, so despite abdominal flushing and irrigation it is very probable that one of these cells will settle on another abdominal organ and regrow. The time taken for the cancer to reoccur does vary between different animals and obviously the degree of malignancy of the original tumour, it can vary from approximately 3 months to a year.

So early diagnosis of a splenic growth is vital, this can be done using an ultrasound of the spleen, an experienced veterinary surgeon will be able to detect early changes in the organ’s structure. I have removed spleens from dogs with early changes, and these animals live for many more years and pass away from unrelated conditions. If you have an elderly dog then get that spleen checked, you could save your best friend’s life .

Cystitis, how serious it is?

Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder wall; it is multi-factorial in origin, it can be caused by a simple bacterial infection, bladder stones, tumours, polyps. The cause of the problem very much decides its prognosis, I shall try to go through the symptoms and its treatment bearing in mind that it can be a medical emergency in certain cases.

The most common symptom that patients present with is increased straining and frequency of urination. The animal in question has the urge to go to the toilet more frequently because of the bladder irritation, therefore clients notice behaviour changes, often these animals are very clean animals that have never had an accident in the house, but as a consequence of the cystitis they cannot control the urge to urinate. It is important that they are not told off when this happens, they cannot control the need to urinate, and scolding the pet could actually compound the problem. Often there is blood in the urine and the animal may spend excessive time licking their genital areas.

In the more elderly animal a bacterial cystitis is more common, usually as a result of an ascending infection; therefore a short course of anti-inflammatories and antibiotics is usually sufficient to treat the condition. However if the problem starts to recur then it is important that the condition is worked up properly as one of the other causes might be a factor.

Another common cause of cystitis in dogs and cats are urinary calculi, these are crystals that are formed in the urine that often coalesce to form larger stones. These crystals can be formed as a result of a metabolic anomaly in the patient or secondary to a primary infection. In the male dog and the tom cat this can lead to a medical emergency, the male urethra is narrower than in the females therefore as a direct result of this a urinary stone can cause an obstruction. If this obstruction is not removed then the animal will deteriorate rapidly, develop kidney failure and die a slow agonising death. This problem is seen more commonly in cats, so if your cat is spending excessive amount of time on the litter tray then it is important that you get him to a vet immediately.

The most common cause of cystitis and urethral obstruction in cats is stress related, so if there are any changes in the cat’s environment then be aware that this may set off a bout of cystitis and often a urethral obstruction too.

Polyps are seen infrequently, but bladder tumours in dogs are seen more commonly, transitional cell carcinoma is seen relatively frequently and unfortunately carries a very poor prognosis, it tends to affect most of the bladder wall so surgical excision is not an option, they can only be managed medically.

If you have your dog or cat presenting with symptoms of cystitis then get it treated promptly. Personally I ultrasound all of my patients, an ultrasound tends to be used as the first diagnostic tool, it is better at picking up stones,(some stones do not show up on x-ray). The ultrasound is also better at accessing the bladder lining, therefore polyps and tumours can be picked up earlier   and treatment can be implemented and therefore the prognosis will be improved.

In summary cystitis in your pet can be treated easily in the majority of cases but can become complicated if ignored and may carry a poor prognosis if the underlying cause is serious or the condition is not treated promptly and efficiently.

Does your pet have bad breath???

Sometimes halitosis can be an indication that all is not alright with your best friend, it is not a condition to ignore as there could be treatment that might help and keep your pet healthy.

The most common causes of halitosis are tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontal disease. This is particularly common in the smaller breeds of dogs, in Gibraltar the breeds most commonly afflicted are the Yorkshire terriers and Chihuahuas. Just take a couple of minutes to check your pet’s mouth, but don’t just check the incisors, firstly pull his gums back and have a look at all the teeth, right up to the last molars, obviously check both sides and upper and lower teeth. Then open your pet’s mouth and have a look at the biting surfaces and the inside surface of the teeth. If there is any reddening of the gingiva, and bleeding from gums or a lot of plaque on the teeth, get them checked out. Just because your pet is young does not exclude him from developing dental problems.

Neglected teeth with tooth decay over a protracted period time can have serious repercussions to your pet. What happens frequently is that bacteria from infected teeth embolise into the blood and lodge in the liver, the liver can usually cope with this but if the liver is subjected to a protracted challenge of embolised bacteria it can be damaged, resulting in decreased hepatic function and in very advanced cases can cause death.

The heart can also be affected by the bacterial emboli, these have a tendency to adhere to the heart valves and form vegetative lesions. Once this happens there is permanent damage to the valves, even if the bacteria are cleared with antibiotics the valves are irreversibly damaged and with time the animal will develop heart failure.

Other less common complications directly linked to dental disease are kidney failure and haemolytic anaemia.

In cats halitosis and gingival disease are one of the most common symptoms of FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), cats also suffer quite badly from immune based diseases that affect the gingival margins, causing severe inflammation and infection.

As in most other medical conditions, prevention is better than cure and the sooner you start looking after your pet’s teeth the easier it will be to keep them healthy. Cleaning your pet’s teeth is usually not very successful, pets don’t often tolerate this very well and we all lead very busy lives. So the best way is to get your dog to clean his own teeth!! From an early age get your dog used to hard chews, buy a selection of tough chews that your pet will spend a long period of time gnawing at.  If you buy a product that is gobbled away in a matter of minutes then don’t purchase these, all they will do is make your dog get fat.

Unfortunately if your pet has bad teeth and gingival disease then it will need a dental, I always give the dog or cat a course of antibiotics before a dental, primarily to stop bacteria embolising into the blood and causing complications. At the practice we have invested heavily in dental equipment to offer our clients the best dental care possible, with ultrasonic descalers, polishers and dental drills.

Halitosis can also be an indicator of internal disease, when waste products cannot be cleared effectively from the body then they can taint the smell of expired air, most commonly seen in animals with renal disease and diabetes. These diseases can be treated, the sooner they are diagnosed the better the prognosis.

In summary if your pet has a smelly mouth do not ignore it!!!

Christmas Pet Safety Tips

Christmas is a wonderful time of year – but not always for your pets! Here are some tips for keeping your pets out of danger.

Food to avoid giving your pet at Christmas

• Alcoholic beverages
• Chocolate (can be toxic to pets especially dark chocolate)
• Coffee
• Mouldy or spoiled foods
• Salt
• Chicken or Turkey bones (they can splinter)
• Raisins and grapes have on rare occasions caused acute irreversible renal failure in dogs, so be aware of this.

Avoid giving your pet any of your leftovers as this can cause diarrhea. This is particularly the case with dogs that are used to a dried diet, owners often feel that their pet has to partake in the Christmas binge and this can result in acute gastroenteritis.

Also keep your pet away from cooked bones: they can splinter or get lodged in your pet’s throat or can cause serious damage by puncturing the intestinal tract.

Pet hazards around the Christmas tree

• Fallen Christmas tree needles are very sharp and can easily get stuck in your pet’s paws or throat. Sweep tree needles up regularly.
• Do not hang your chocolates from your Christmas tree: they can be toxic and your pet will be tempted if he can see and smell them.
• Cover up electric cords and flashing tree lights so your pet can’t chew them and electrocute himself.
• Try using fairy lights that don’t flash as some pets when up close can get very scared by these.
• Christmas tree decorations can cause a nasty accident or be fatal to your pet. Cats, and young pets especially, will show a great interest in decorations hanging from your tree. Try to use unbreakable decorations and nothing too small. Avoid tinsel or ribbons as these are dangerous to the gastrointestinal tract if your pet swallows them. I have on numerous occasions had to perform life saving surgery on cats who have swallowed long strands of tinsel.
• Be very careful with any balls purchased for your dog to play with, if they are large enough to swallow but too small to pass through the intestines they will cause an obstruction.
• Make sure your tree is well anchored so your pet can’t pull it over.

Other Christmas dangers to pets

• Holly, mistletoe, lilies and yew trees are poisonous to pets and must be kept well out of reach.
• Remember loud noises will panic your pet, such as Christmas crackers, poppers, balloons, and champagne bottles.
• Remove your Christmas wrapping paper (and toys) from the floor to avoid your pet chewing or swallowing it.
• For your pet’s safety this Christmas always buy your pet’s presents from a reputable outlet.
• In many households this is often the only time of year that your pet is exposed to large gatherings of noisy excitable people and children. This can scare your pet, and this may result in unusual behavior, placid dogs have been known to get aggressive in this scenario. Therefore make sure your pet has some place where it can find a degree of sanctuary.

FIREWORKS AND YOUR PETS

Fireworks are enjoyed year-round by lots of people but many

animals are frightened by them. It doesn’t have to be that way though, so if your pet is scared, there are lots of things you can do to help. 

Make sure your dog or cat always has somewhere to hide if they want to and has access to this place at all times. For example, this may be under some furniture or in a cupboard. 

Make sure your cat or dog is always kept in a safe and secure environment and can’t escape if there’s a sudden noise. Have your pets microchipped in case they do escape – by law, your dog should already be microchipped. 

During fireworks seasons, walk dogs during daylight hours and keep cats and dogs indoors when fireworks are likely to be set off. 

At nightfall, close windows and curtains and put on music to ask and muffle the sound of fireworks.  

Never punish your pets when they are scared as this will only make thing.

Each evening before the fireworks begin, move your dog to the play area and provide toys and other things that they enjoy.

Make sure that there are things for you to do too so that your 

dog isn’t left alone.

Ignore the firework noises yourself. Play with a toy to see if 

your dog wants to join in, but don’t force them to play.

Each evening before the fireworks begin, move your dog to the play area and provide toys and other things that they enjoy.

Pheromone diffusers and pheromone collars are available from the vet clinic. These disperse calming chemicals into the room and may be a good option for your dog. The collar centralizes the pheromones around the dog so in some cases is more effective.

In some cases we may prescribe medication. These are tranquilizers that will sedate your pet and make him less aware and therefore less frightened of fireworks.

Either of these medical options can be used in conjunction with behavioral therapy.

Finally from myself and all the staff at the Gibraltar 

Veterinary Clinic we wish you all a fabulous

Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

A Pet is for Life not for Christmas !!

Now the festive season approaches there is an unwavering desire amongst some people to acquire a pet either for themselves or for a family member. This article is written not to deter people but produced in an effort to try and prevent impulse purchases, to try and make individuals more aware of the ramifications and responsibilities of taking on an animal.

Primarily what must be realised is that acquiring an animal, any living creature, immediately makes you responsible for that animal’s care, quality of life and survival. The principal animal charities at this time of year carry articles on dogs and cats primarily; unfortunately this is only a drop in the ocean. How many people purchase birds, aquarium fish, hamsters, reptiles, guinea pigs etc? How many of these actually die in the first few months due to neglect?

Before getting a pet, you should always ask yourselves a few pertinent questions.

1.       Do you have the time to look after the animal? All animals require time spent on them, animal cages need cleaning, aquariums need cleaning , dogs have to be walked regularly, cat’s litter trays have to be cleaned out regularly, vivariums need to be monitored for warmth/humidity, etc ,etc. After the novelty wears off and the excitement ears off you still need to find the time, these animals are dependent on you. You have taken the responsibility of looking after a living breathing creature and they are totally dependent on you for their survival.

2.       Does the pet require any special care? The most common cause of death I have encountered amongst animals over all my years of practice has been bad animal husbandry. I have seen dying reptiles bought into the clinic dying of starvation, primarily out of ignorance, where the animal has been fed the wrong diet or the temperature of the vivarium has been too low resulting in the animal not been able to digest its food.

3.       Can I afford to keep a pet? Animals are a continual drain on resources, they will need money spent on them throughout their lives, they are not a computer game that after the festive period is left unused in a cupboard!!   Different animals carry varied financial burdens, but this must be quantified. Even different sized animals carry dramatically different costs, a Chihuahua will eat less and medication will be significantly less than a larger breed like a Great Dane. All dogs need to be registered and licensed, an additional cost of £25 per annum per pet on top of the initial £30 registration cost. So before getting an animal please make sure you can afford the maintenance costs.

4.       How long can the animal live for? Remember once you have a pet you are in it for the long haul.  You might be a rabbit for your child, this rabbit could live for 10 years, your child might be married and have his own kid before the rabbit passes away!! Parrots can live for decades as can tortoises!! My point here is that make sure you are aware of how long these animals will be around for and that you will be responsible for them throughout their lives.

5.       How large will the pet become? The most extreme cases that I have seen are individuals that have purchased small pigs that supposedly were supposed to be ‘miniature’ and remain small. If anyone is interested pop over to the Wildlife Park at the Alameda gardens and see how miniature a couple of these pigs have become!!! Another very sad case that I have witnessed is one where an iguana became too large and was released into the Nature Reserve, if was bought into the clinic dead as it had starved to death. On this note I would like to add that releasing an animal into the wild is beyond the pale, apart from the fact that it might die, it could in theory survive and put pressure on native species.

6.       Can I give the pet the care and love it requires? Obviously different pets will need different levels of attention. For example, a hand reared parrot will needs countless hours of your family time, otherwise they will develop medical problems brought on by stress. In fact a lot of medical conditions can be as a result of lack of attention, it is not enough to just feed and clean your animal.

Getting a pet for Christmas carries loads of caveats, these are living creatures that will be dependent on yourselves for their survival, so getting a pet carries loads of responsibility and you must be aware of this and prepared to take this on.

Saying all this I hope I haven’t sounded too negative, I personally have a bit of a menagerie at home, pets can give you a lot of pleasure and happiness , but please look have them. Have yourselves  a Merry Xmas and prosperous New Year.