Parvovirus, small but deadly

There's a particularly nasty little virus out there, a parvovirus in fact, that can cause a spectacularly unpleasant and frequently fatal bout of vomiting and blood-soaked diarrhoea in dogs.

Without wanting to go into too much detail, quite apart from the pain, distress and dehydration, the parvovirus attacks the rapidly dividing cells of the intestines, breaking the barrier which normally exists between the gut contents and the bloodstream. Bacteria from the gut are then free to enter the blood, causing septicaemia.

As I said, it's nasty and if untreated, parvovirus infection kills 9 out of every 10 dogs infected.

The virus is also very resistant and can stay alive in the environment for a year or more, so it can be very difficult to eliminate once it arrives in a local area.

Treatment requires hospitalisation for intravenous fluids, antibiotics, pain relief and anti-vomiting medicines. I'm old enough to remember when parvovirus first appeared in the late 1970's - and the sight of veterinary clinics across the country overrun with these desperately sick dogs. It came as if from nowhere and within 2 years had spread across the world.

Mercifully, we now see very little of it in W2, but our colleagues at the Blue Cross in Victoria see it all the time. It's not very far away.

What should you do?

We strongly reccommend that you vaccinate your dogs against parvovirus. Because some puppies don't respond very well to their first vaccines, we also advise a simple blood test a few weeks later and then annually, just to make sure that they have become (and stay) fully protected.

Call us on 0207723 0453 if you need any more information.

Twitter & Facebook stuff

Just a reminder that you should be following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook... Don't know how to do that?

Go to Twitter and search for hydeparkvet or just go straight to this web address:

Hyde Park Vet on Twitter. Click on the Follow button and each time we tweet you'll see it when you log on.

On Facebook, just go straight to:

Hyde Park Vet on Facebook. Click on the little thumb logo to tell the world you love us!

Acupuncture: a quote from Davies Veterinary Specialists

ACUPUNCTURE IS RAPIDLY GROWING IN POPULARITY IN VETERINARY PRACTICES AND CLINICS IN THE UK, AS AN EFFECTIVE, SAFE (WHEN IN THE RIGHT HANDS) AND EASILY MANAGEABLE ANALGESIC TREATMENT OPTION.

At DVS acupuncture is now used as part of the analgesic plan in some patients undergoing spinal surgery and it is also being used with success in other conditions where a combination of several drugs need to be used to control severe pain.

Acupuncture is most commonly recognised as an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine but it has in fact been embraced by Western medicine since the 1600s as

a therapeutic tool for an orthodox diagnosis. Its main application is in pain management, but it can also help to restore normal body functions, such as gastrointestinal motility and bladder function.

Acupuncture stimulates the central nervous system to produce endorphins and other

neurotransmitters involved in pain transmission and modulation. It can have an antiemetic effect, it promotes wounds healing and has an immunomodulatory effect similar to that associated with physical exercise.

Commonly treated conditions are:

myofascial, muscoloskeletal, visceral and neuropathic pain. Acupuncture can be used when painkillers have failed or as part of the analgesic treatment. In the latter case it is not unusual to be able to stop some of the drugs, decrease the dose

or prolong the interval between administrations.

Fireworks and your pets - help them conquer their fears

Q. How can you tell if your pet is becoming anxious about fireworks?

A: If they show any combination of shaking, trembling, excessive drooling, barking, howling, trying to hide, trying to get either into or out of the house or garden, temporary loss of appetite, temporary loss of bladder or bowel control, unusual destructive behaviour or diarrhoea.

Most pets hate fireworks. They don’t like the noise and the unpredictability and they are frightened by the flashing lights.

If your pet is affected by fear of fireworks, come and talk to us or call us on 020 7723 0453 for advice.

Start your preparation early with the Sounds Scary CD to slowly desensitise your pet to the sounds of fireworks or other such noises – don’t wait until the fireworks start.

Keep your pets indoors at night during firework ‘season’, with the curtains closed, the lights on and music or television to disguise the noise and flashes.

If your pets become very anxious, don’t oversympathise with them: they may see this as you approving of their nervous behaviour.

Provide a ‘safe place’ – a den or secure cover bed area where they can hide away.

Give them plenty of vigorous exercise during the day to tire them out. Don’t exercise them after dark, to avoid running into any displays.

Provide plenty of toys such as Kongs and chews to act as a distraction.

Block up cat-flaps and close doors and windows to prevent your anxious pet from running away during fireworks.

There are a number of products available that you can safely use to help calm them:

Calmex is a new non-sedating calming product that takes effect in as little as 30-60 minutes

Adaptil, the dog appeasement pheromone. This is available as a spray, a diffuser that you can plug in to the mains or as an impregnated collar. Adaptil is the most calming reassuring smell in the entire dog universe. Use it throughout the day and night.

Zylkène is a novel product that can really have a dramatic effect on stress and anxiety in dogs and cats. An extract of the milk protein casein which is given in a capsule form, it is a natural alternative to pharmaceutical medicines or sedatives. You should ideally start supplementing at least 2 weeks before the firework season.

Scullcap & valerian tablets (combined with gentian), available in tablet form, it often has a gentle and calming effect on anxious or stressed animals.

Kalmaid contains L-Tryptophan and L-Theanine which cross the blood-brain barrier and affect the central nervous system

SereneUm a combination of amino acids and vitamins with specific calming action, available in tablet or liquid form.

Homeopet Anxiety TFLN (Thunder Fireworks and Loud Noises) is a homeopathic compound: many people report this to be very helpful at this time of year.

If your pet is extremely sensitive, a mild sedative or tranquilliser may be needed to help keep him calm.

Make sure that your pet is properly identified in case he does run off during fireworks. We recommend both an identity disc and a microchip.

If you must set off fireworks, PLEASE do it as far as possible from homes with pets.

Consider asking a friend or relative that lives in a quieter environment to take care of your pet for a while, but always remember to update your pets ID tag with the relevant contact details if he’s is staying away from home.

Alternatively, you may want to book your pets into a rural boarding kennels to ensure complete safety.

It’s best for your pets if you go to an organised display rather than letting off fireworks in your garden, and NEVER take your pet to a firework display!

Kennel cough - What is it and what should I do?

Kennel cough is a highly infectious disease of dogs, spread by infected dogs coughing or sneezing.

It is only very rarely fatal but commonly causes a harsh and distressing hacking cough that frequently ends in a rather undignified retch. Many dog owners become convinced that their dog has ‘something stuck in their throat’. If untreated, Kennel cough typically lasts for 2-3 weeks, but apart from their cough, most dogs do not appear otherwise ill.

Kennel cough can be more serious in dogs that already have respiratory difficulties, such as the very short nosed dogs (eg Pugs or Bulldogs) or older dogs with heart disease or poor immune systems.

It is called kennel cough because it is very easily spread between dogs that are housed together, as they are in kennels. Symptoms start 3-5 days after exposure and dogs can remain infectious for weeks, so affected dogs should be kept away from others until completely clear.

The disease can be caused by a number of different micro-organisms, but the most important of these is a bacteria called Bordatella bronchiseptica. Where this infection occurs alongside a viral infection such as canine parainfluenza, the

symptoms tend to be more severe. Canine distemper virus, adenovirus and coronavirus have also been implicated.

Treatment commonly involves antibiotics for the bacterial infection, sometimes with cough suppressants if there is no increased volume of mucus produced. If a virus is also involved, more non-specific treatments to support the immune system and help your dogs general comfort can help.

Where dogs have a lot of contact with large numbers of other dogs (for example visits to a kennels, day care, communal dog walking, training classes or shows) vaccination in the form of drops up the nose reduces the likelihood of infection and

may reduce the severity of symptoms where infection does occur.

There are many other reasons for a dog to cough, including advanced heart disease, growths, allergies and parasites, so it is important to take your dog to the vet for a thorough examination if any coughing starts.

If you are worried that your dog is coughing, you can always call us on 0207 723 0453 for advice

Rabies Blood Tests and Pet Passports

The Pet Travel Scheme is changing from 1st January 2012, so that dogs and cats originating in the UK will no longer need to have a blood test after their rabies vaccine to show that they have responded to the vaccine.

All in the name of EU harmonisation, and it certainly will make the process of getting a passport for your pet much easier and quicker.

HOWEVER, the official UK government laboratory that runs these blood tests confirms that 4-5% of pets FAIL their first blood tests, meaning that IF the blood tests are no longer to be required, there are potentially going to be thousands of dogs, with passports, and able to travel internationally, who might not be protected against the devastating and fatal disease of rabies.

Not good.

For the moment, therefore, we are still recommending that our patients go ahead with a rabies blood test after the first rabies vaccination, as there is no other way of knowing if they have responded to the vaccine or not.

We'd be happy to discuss this with you if you want any more information

Feline Kidney Disease: what to do if you think your cat might be affected

Kidney failure is a common cause of illness and death in older cats, and many cats seem to begin to show symptoms as the weather starts to turn colder.

The word ‘failure’ implies that the kidneys either work fine or they fail and stop working altogether, but the reality is that kidney failure in cats tends to be a long drawn out process, and how quickly they progress to serious illness depends largely on what you decide to do about it.

1. How do you know if your cat is affected by kidney disease? 

The classic signs of kidney disease are:

- Increased thirst – draining water bowls or drinking from taps.

- Loss of appetite or increasing fussiness with feeding.

- Weight loss

If you think your cat might have kidney disease, you should contact your vet straight away. 

At the Hyde Park Veterinary Centre, we are likely to recommend checking your cat’s blood looking for rising levels of waste products (urea), a protein called creatinine, phosphorus and calcium. We will also advise a urine test to check for excessively dilute urine with higher levels of certain proteins.

2. If your cat is diagnosed with kidney failure, what should you do about it?

- maximise your cats water intake, by feeding wet foods only or adding more water or broth to the food
- try a water fountain that provides constant running water - many cats are temppted by these
- in severe cases, we might recommend giving extra fluids by injection under the skin: you will need help and instruction with this.

- Diet is the single most important factor: the right diet can double your cat’s survival time.

- feed a low protein, low phosphorus diet such as Royal Canin Renal to reduce the amount of waste products produced and control phosphate levels.

- if your cat still has high levels of phosphate in the blood, you can add a phosphorus binder such as Ipakitine or Renalzin to the food

- supplement potassium in the diet if levels are low

- we might well advise regular monitoring of your cat’s blood pressure and will certainly advise treatment it if it rises. Untreated high blood pressure can cause sudden blindness.

- prescription medicines called ACE inhibitors help maintain the blood supply to the kidneys, lessening the likelihood of further damage.

- we use nutritional products such as Rubenal and Essential Fatty  Acid supplements to help maintain kidney function, and high energy feed supplements such as Nutrigel or Nutri Cal can help to maintain bodyweight if your cat is not eating enough calories.

If you think that your cat might be suffering from kidney disease, now is the time to take action: go to your vet and find out what you can do now to make a difference!

PS you can call us during office hours on 0207 723 0453 and one of our vets or nurses will be happy to talk to you about how we can help you and your cat

Welcome to the hyde park vet blog...

OK, so you've seen the new clinic and are loving the calm, the comfort and the space, you already follow us on Twitter, you've been gasping in wonder at the brand new clinic website, you've heard Andrew on Radio London, what next?

The Hyde Park Vet Blog, of course.

We'll be posting bits of information here for you, medical stuff that might be relevant to your pets, things that have caught our attention or happened at the clinic. We'd be happy to receive your feedback or suggestions...