Autumn is upon us

 

Now the cooler months of autumn are upon us there are various points that I would like to bring to the reader’s attention that I hope will help in the welfare of your pets.

With the change of season we tend to become more active as the halcyon summer days become a distant memory. We tend to exercise more, taking our pets to the countryside for some well-deserved exercise and fresh air. However there are some pointers that I would like to bring to your attention.

I have previously touched on the topic of ticks, now is the season of relatively high risk. A tick that I have not mentioned previously is the Hyalomma tick. This is quite a rare tick in this part of the world, but it is also a tick that can affect humans, there has been a case in Avila that proved to be terminal. In pets, it can cause large areas of necrosis, that can be life threatening in certain cases. These parasites natural intermediate hosts are large herbivores, horses, cattle, sheep etc. So if you are walking your pet in areas used for farming these animals please ensure that your pet has more than adequate protection. Personally I prefer the newer tick collars, these prevent the tick penetrating the skin, other products require the parasite to feed on the animal before it dies, which might be too late.

If you have a dog that has been largely sedentary over the summer then it is advisable that you don’t overexert your pet the first couple of times. Their bodies are similar to ours; we need to build up their fitness gradually. Dogs often do not know when to stop exercising; you have to be their voice of reason.  Build up their fitness gradually, give them regular rests, make water freely available, and very importantly make sure your dog is well trained and responds to your calls.

If your dog is chasing livestock then the farmer is legally entitled to shoot your pet, so a dog must respond to our calls. If in doubt keep it on the lead.

Remember that in Spain any dog over 20 kgs can be considered as a dangerous dog, so make sure you have a muzzle always readily available in case you get stopped by any of the Spanish enforcement agencies, make sure you have a valid EU passport and the pet’s vaccines are in date.

Looking after our ageing dogs is also essential; remember that if your best friend is now that little bit older you will have to tailor his exercise accordingly.  Some older pets have low-level arthritis that generally do not cause any lameness but with more exertion you might find your dog will be lame. In these cases I strongly advise using anti-inflammatories. Arthritis is a self- propagating condition, if there is pain (lameness) then there is inflammation and therefore the arthritic changes in the joints will deteriorate resulting in more lameness and so forth. So medication will reduce inflammation and therefore will slow down the arthritis deteriorating.

Also take note that dogs have a greater tendency to overheat than we do. They lose heat by panting and from a limited number of sweat glands on their pads. So on particularly hot days please be aware of this, again certain dogs do not know when to stop. Last year a young Rottweiler died from heat exhaustion, it was a hot still October day and the poor dog overheated, by the time the dog was presented for treatment it had gone into organ failure.

We are now into the season to enjoy the company of our pets on healthy long walks, there are few things more satisfying than spending time with your loyal companion, just remember to look after his welfare.

Time to get your pets protected against ectoparasites and the diseases that they can cause

As the weather warms the risk to your pet from insects rises exponentially. Insects multiply faster in warmer climates, some that have been dormant over the winter months now start to become active again, parasites that have laid low over less favorable periods make their appearance again, never become complacent, they are always out there waiting for your guard to fall.

Fleas are by far the most prevalent problem in our community, this is because we live in a warm urban community, as the winter months become milder as a result of global warming the problems that result as a consequence of this insect become more manifest and now stretch over a longer period.

The principal clinical sign that fleas present with is intense pruritus (itchiness) especially over the tail base and the dorsal skin region in that vicinity, particularly with dogs, cats can present with a more generalised dermatitis especially around the neck region. So if your pet is chewing around its tail base or in that vicinity, do not bother looking for fleas, just assume your pet has them and treat it accordingly. If you treat your pet for fleas and it is still itchy then bring it to us, there is very probably a secondary complication that needs to be addresses, for example if your animal suddenly becomes smellier then there is a high probability that it has a secondary skin dermatitis and possibly a yeast infection.

Fleas in cats can carry a blood parasite that can cause serious illness in cats, Mycoplasma haemofelis, this parasite can cause acute illness with the feline presenting with fever, lethargy and general malaise, blood results tend to show a regenerative anaemia. At this stage the bacteria can be treated very successfully with a protracted course of antibiotics. However in some cases there is no acute episode that is picked up by the owner, in these cases the disease becomes chronic and potentially life threatening. What happens is that the bacteria keeps destroying red blood cells and the bone marrow keeps regenerating new corpuscles, therefore the cat is clinically normal yet internally the bone marrow is working in overdrive. If this persists over a long period the bone marrow becomes exhausted and loses its ability to regenerate new red blood cells. At this point the cat starts to look unwell, pale, often exhibiting weight loss, lethargic, mild dehydration, symptoms of chronic illness. Unfortunately in these cases the prognosis is guarded and treatment is often unsuccessful.

Phlebotomus (biting fly)  is an important insect vector that become active in the warmer months, ambient night temperature has to be over 14/15 degrees centigrade for the larva to develop , my rule of thumb is that if you start wearing tee-shirts and shorts in the evenings then it is important that your pet has protection. From a previous article this is the fly that transmits the protozoa that causes leishmania, a potentially fatal disease if left untreated and once acquired it is an illness for life in the majority of cases.

Mosquitos also become active in these warmer months, the principal illness that they could carry in our community is heartworm as mentioned in my last article. There is no current information as to the prevalence of this disease in our area and we are currently undergoing a study, so if you want your dog or cat tested for this parasite we are still doing this pro bono at the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic.

The other main groups of insect vectors are the ticks, there are different types of ticks and diseases that can be transmitted by these arachnids (adults have 8 legs as opposed to 6 of insects). I have gone through these at length in a previous article, but to summarise these parasites carry loads of infections that can cause chronic life threatening disease so prevention is crucial for your pet’s health.

The gold standard in protecting your pet against all these vectors is a combination of a systemic ectoparasitic medication with an external product. This gives a double safe protection, it will protect your pet against potential serious illness if applied properly and will prevent  you going through heartache.

Tick Borne Diseases

Ticks are prevalent in our environment and can potentially cause disease in our pets. In this article I am hoping to overview the various diseases they can transmit in this part of the world. What is common of all the tick borne diseases is that they are often insidious diseases with vague clinical symptoms that are often difficult to recognise. A dog might be slightly off colour and the owner often attributes it to just a bit of malaise that does not need addressing. In many cases when the pet is presented for treatment the disease is so advanced that it is untreatable.

Ehrlichiosis and Anaplamosis ( Tick Fever)

These are diseases spread by the Brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguinous. What is unique to this species of tick is that it can complete its whole life cycle indoors, so if left unchecked it can become a pest in homes and kennels.

Symptoms of these diseases are multiple and varied, enlarged lymph nodes, lethargy, anaemia, tremors, neurological signs, limb oedema, collapse etc.

Treatment of these illnesses is protracted and rarely is the dog totally cured of this parasite, an obligate intracellular bacterium, the patient will go into remission with treatment but regular testing must be undertaken throughout the dog’s life to measure the load level of this parasite in the blood. Regular treatments throughout the life of the dog will usually be necessary, so if your pet has been treated for this illness do not assume it is parasite free, regular testing will be required!!

Borreliosis (Lyme disease)

This is a disease caused by a bacteria that is spread by the tick Ixodes. There are various species of Ixodes that live in rodent and wildlife (e.g. deer) reservoirs in which they cause no apparent problems.

The main presenting sign for Lyme disease is joint pain and swelling, often the dog is running a fever. Dogs often present as if walking on eggshells, with general pain and malaise. However there are cases where the dog presents with intermittent lameness that resolves spontaneously but then recurs. So if your pet has episodic bouts of lameness and there is a history of tick problems then ask your vet to carry out a test for this disease.

Treatment is also with a prolonged course of antibiotics but often the disease goes into remission and retesting throughout the dog’s life is necessary.

Babesiosis

This is a protozoal disease spread by various types of ticks that infects red blood cells, can cause an acute anaemia in immune-compromised animals, but more generally the animal presents with jaundice, weakness and general malaise. Infection with babesia is often in tandem with ehrlichia and in these cases the clinical signs can be severe. Thankfully this disease is not seen frequently in our part of the world.

There are a couple of treatment options for this illness and in endemic areas a vaccination is available. However early diagnosis is critical, if your pet has had ticks and is looking pale and is lethargic get it to a vet ‘pronto’.

Bartonellosis in cats

This is a bacteria that is found in rodent wildlife reservoirs, it causes no illness in these animals. It can be passed to cats by fleas and ticks and usually does not cause clinical disease in them unless they are immune-suppressed. Symptoms can be varied, fever ,anaemia and internal organ failure.

These bacteria can also cause infections in humans, colloquially known as cat scratch disease, and again can cause serious illness in immune- suppressed individuals.

In summary ticks can cause quite serious, potentially life threatening illness in your pet. If you walk your dog in the country or he goes to kennels regularly always make sure he has protection against the tick. Prevention is much better than cure; there are a couple of excellent products on the market. If you find a tick on your pet, there are tick removers but be careful and follow instructions, if you pull it out you could leave the mouthparts buried inside your pet that will cause an inflammatory reaction. Alternatively use tick spray, it will die and fall off naturally( Do not burn them with a cigarette you will leave the mouthparts inside).

If your pet has had ticks in the past and is ‘off colour’, without any apparently serious disease make sure you get it blood tested, you could end up saving your best friend’s life!!!!

Brachycephalic Syndrome

This is a medical condition that affects short snouted dogs and cats. Brachycephalic breeds are particularly common nowadays with a massive increase in numbers of French bulldogs, pugs and Staffordshire bull terriers.
As a direct result of this increase in these breeds we are seeing a rise in cases of animals suffering from Brachycephalic Syndrome. What effectively this means is that there is an airway obstruction in these pets that results in these animals having to make more of an inspiratory effort when they breathe. 

There are four main anatomical deformities that cause this constriction:
1. Stenotic nares
2. Elongated soft palate
3. Everted laryngeal saccules
4. Narrow(hypoplastic) trachea 


Stenotic nares
This problem is visually obvious and can be seen in a normal consult. Looking at the nose the nasal folds are collapsed inwards, as a direct result of this the animals have a constricted airway, it would be like trying to breathe through your nose whilst pinching your nostrils. 

Elongated Soft Palate
At the back of the mouth on the dorsal aspect behind the hard palate lies the soft palate, a tissue that acts like a valve preventing food going up the back of the nasal cavity. In these problematic breeds there is often a problem where the soft palate is too long and fleshy and this results in a restriction of air flow through the pharyngeal area. 

Everted laryngeal saccules
At the entrance to the trachea in the larynx there are laryngeal saccules. Due to negative inspiratory pressure in animals suffering with stenotic nares and the elongated soft palates this often results in eversion of the saccules , this in turn further compounds the narrow airway. This element of the condition can be prevented in many cases if surgical correction of the nares and palate are tackled early.

Narrow hypoplatic tracheas
This is pretty much self explanatory and there is nothing much that can be done with these cases. These animals will also always have a respiratory problem.

Consequences of the above can be catastrophic for the animal. The increased respiratory effort over a long period of time has knock on effects on the cardiovascular system, and long term will cause heart failure and chronic respiratory problems. 

Signs/ Synptoms to look out for
Loud inspiratory noise
Mouth breathing
Very little exercise tolerance/collapse
Narrow nares
Sleep apnoea
Snoring
Regurgitation /choking/vomiting
Cyanosis(blue tongue) 


Treatment
With advances in veterinary medicine and equipment surgery of the nares and the elongated soft palate can be done with very little risk to the pet. It is very important that this is done early when the dogs are still young as this will mitigate long term damage to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. THIS IS NOT A CONDITION TO IGNORE UNTIL ANIMAL GETS OLDER. Surgery is not 100% curative due to the major anatomical problems but they will alleviate symptoms and will extend the life of your pet.
At the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic we have invested heavily on a laser machine to undertake laser surgery , this means that soft palate surgery is as safe as spaying your pet, this is practically no bleeding and there is very little damage to the surrounding tissue. Therefore there is hardly any post operative swelling; this was often the problem with the older more primitive techniques.

In summary Brachycephalic Syndrome is a common ailment of brachycephalic breeds that if left will substantially decrease the lifespan of your pet. If you feel your pet is suffering from the above please phone the clinic on 20077334 and make an appointment to discuss your case, don’t ignore it, surgical correction could extend your pets' lives.

Is your dog always scratching??

There are a multitude of causes of pruritus (itching) in dogs and it is impossible to cover all of these in one article, where pruritus is the presenting symptom this condition can be broadly be divided into two categories, one is parasitic and the other is allergic dermatitis.

Today I shall be dealing primarily with the main cause of allergic dermatitis, which is atopic dermatitis.

The cause of this is allergens in the environment, microscopic molecules that translocate across the skin and result in histamine release mainly by mast cells in the sub-epidermal tissues. This histamine release causes pruritus, therefore the dog scratches itself; this then breaks the skin barrier and damages the skin’s protectant layers allowing bacteria, usually staphyloccos aureus, to cause a secondary skin infection. These skin infections are often seen as concentric rings and are often confused with ringworm( a fungal infection).  This secondary skin infection in itself also causes inflammation and more pruritus, this causes more itching etc and therefore a cascade effect is set off.

When neglected and treatment is not sought promptly enough the problem can escalate, with further yeast infection and often more pathogenic bacteria invading the affected areas. At this point the dog has a particularly pungent odour and you are looking at a long protracted course of treatment to bring the condition under control.

The equivalent in humans to atopy in dogs, again broadly speaking, is asthma. Due to the different distribution of mast cells in dogs these develop skin problems as opposed to coughing and respiratory problems. In the cat on the other hand feline asthma is particularly common, but that is a topic I will leave for another day.

The areas of principally affected by atopy in dogs are those with poor coat cover and often areas of increased movement, and it generally first presents when the dog is over a year of age.  Most classical sites affected are the groin, axilla, ventral areas, feet and ears. If your dog has recurrent skin problems in the afore mentioned regions then you are more likely than not dealing with an atopic dermatitis and therefore treatment must be tailored at this.

Another pattern you might notice is you might find that the condition is seasonal; again this can often be correlated very closely with people who suffer from asthma. For example if the flare up is in spring then it is likely to be caused by the increase in pollen in the atmosphere. If the flare up is in colder periods when these allergens are markedly reduced then the condition is most likely to be caused by house allergens, the main culprits being house dust mites. In the winter dogs will seek more warmth and blankets are a great habour for these mites. Keeping the bedding clean is not sufficient, washes have to be at high temperatures to kill the mites otherwise all you are doing is giving the mites a shampoo and blow dry and putting them back.

Treatment is a relatively simple affair but it will be a minimum of three weeks of aggressive therapy, usually when the dog is presented for treatment the skin is already infected, and skin infections need an obligatory period of three weeks of antibiotics and adjunct medicines, shampoos etc. One of the main shortfalls of treatment is not giving the animals medication for long enough, therefore the problem recurs rapidly and the clients become disenchanted.

The biggest challenge once the condition is diagnosed is trying to control the illness long term with prophylactic therapy. There are a multitude of options available, there is no specific treatment plan to treat all dogs, and it has to be tailored to each individual case. This varies with the severity of the problem and the response to treatment by each individual animal, so sometimes patience is a virtue.

In summary if your dog has recurrent skin complaints with itching, usually affecting the same regions then your pet is probably suffering from atopic dermatitis and the earlier it is treated the better  and the easier it is to manage the problem.

 

Couple of pointers for the hot weather

  
There are several points that dog owners should be aware of when they take their pets to the beach for some exercise or a swim in the sea.

There is a very common misconception that seawater is good for the coat especially if the dog has some kind of skin complaint. This is well wide of the mark, if your dog has an active infected itchy skin condition the last thing you want to do is take it for a swim in the sea. Seawater has a very high salt concentration, so even if the dog has temporary relief when in the water this effect soon wears off as the water dries. The salt that dries on the skin penetrates deep into the tissue as the skin has lost its protective barrier as a result of the dermatitis, this then results in further irritation, an increase in pruritus( itchiness), as a result of this scratching intensifies and this spreads the infection further, which in turn causes more pruritus. Even a thorough rinse in freshwater after a swim does not give much relief.

There is no major problem with a swim in seawater if the coat is healthy, if possible give the dog a rinse afterwards to take away the bulk of the salt. The seawater will dry out the coat and will have a bleaching effect on the coat when combined with the effects of the sun.

On the other hand swimming is a fabulous way to exercise your dog, in the same way that swimming is the best exercise for us. There is no pounding of the joints, it builds up muscle mass that in turn helps protect joints and is excellent for the cardiovascular system.

Another piece of advice that may seem obvious is to make fresh water available and easily accessible at all times. Dogs when thirsty have a habit of drinking seawater, this is a wonderful laxative, and the last thing you want is a dog erupting from its backside on a beach. So please make a conscious effort to make sure the dog drinks water, some forget with the excitement of the occasion.

My last gem for today is please be aware that cement, asphalt etc get very hot during this time of year and pad injuries are very common, particularly when dogs are chasing objects as braking and sudden turns of damage can cause extensive foot injuries.

Mark Pizarro BVM&S MRCVS

Canine Leishmaniasis a silent killer

This disease is caused by a flagellated protozoa that is injected into dogs by Sandflies (phlebotominae). The female of this biting fly feeds on blood that it requires for egg production, however at the same time that it feeds it can infect the host with the protozoa, in a similar way that malaria is spread by mosquitos.

The protozoa can cause devastating damage to a dog, but the illness is a slow insidious disease that can damage pretty much any organ in the body, broadly speaking they can be divided into two types, the visceral type infecting the internal body organs, or the cutaneous one that infects the skin. This is a bit of a simplification as it can affect any body system and therefore can sometimes it can be a challenge to diagnose. One common complaint is that the dog ‘isn’t right’. In some cases the illness is asymptomatic until the animal becomes suddenly seriously ill , in some of these cases the dog has gone beyond the point of no return and does not respond to medical therapy.

Confirmation of the disease is done by doing a simple blood test, generally you can have the results back in under quarter of an hour. Treatment is very effective as long as the disease is caught early, I would recommend an annual test , it is quick and cheap and could save you a lot of heartache.

Evidently prevention of leshmaniasis is by far the best option. This can be done via various ectoparasitic products or vaccination , or even a combination of both.

However all pets do not require the same level of protection, the highest level must be for those dogs that are outside in gardens during the times of highest risk, dusk to dawn.  Those dogs living in flats in highly urbanised areas are at a smaller risk but there is never any guarantee that a female Sandfly will not sneak in and infect your family pet, do not become complacent.

On a Public Health side note, this disease can infect humans too, however it is generally only a risk to those immunosuppressed individuals and there is no direct contagion from dogs, it has to pass through the Sandfly.

Mark Pizarro BVM&S MRCVS