Canine Health
On these hot days give your dogs
an Icecream container
Iceblock with a beef stock cube in it
they will love them.
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* SUMMER HAS IT' DANGERS *
* SNAKES ARE ONE *
There are about 3000 snakebites to humans in Australia per year.
For our pets the rate is likely much higher because our dogs
spend a lot more time out in the Garden,Coastal, Farm & Bush
Areas where snakes are likely to be found.
The survival chances for a dog bitten by an Australian snake
is to a degree on the type of snake & how much venom
has entered the system of the dog.
This article provides a rundown on idenifying the symtoms
of a snakebitten dog & the treatment options.
****STEPS****
1*
Identify the symptoms.Although some symptoms are quite
distinct depending on the type of snake, It is possible
to say that a snake-bitten dog tends to react in the
following general ways;
TREMBLING:
VOMITING:
SALIVATION,DROOLING,FROTHING:
DIARRHOEA:
WEAKNESS IN BACK LEGS:
UNSTEADINESS:
DILATED PUPILS:
RESPIRATORY DISTRESS:
BLOODY URINE:
CONTINUOUS BLEEDING
FROM BITE WOUND:
A FLACCID PARALYSIS LEADING
TO COMA OR RESPIRATORY FAILURE:
Death can occur within 30 minutes to 2 hours,
Depending on the type of snake venom & the amount
of venom injected in to the dog.
2*
Identify the type of snake.
Only if it is safe to do so.
Identifying the snake is important in order to match
the antivenom.
(colour,size,distinctive markings ect.)
A vet can take a swab of the bite site using a snake
detection kit to identify the snake venom but it can
speed things up if you can either sight identify a snake
or relate the type of reaction your dog suffered.
These Images & Symptom overviews may hopefully assist you.
The Tiger Snake:
A dog bitten by this snake tends to react immediately
becoming agitated & hyperactive.
Not long after the dog will most likely collapse,
It's tongue hanging out & the breathing becomes laboured.
Lethargy sets in & the dog will either die or recover
with appropriate & immediate treatment.
The Red Bellied Black Snake:
The symptoms of a dog bitten by this snake can be
Swelling & Infammation at the bite site with
profusely bleeding from the site.
Drooling,Wobble on legs.
Gut Pain with Urine becoming color of portwine.
Immediate treatment by a vet.
The Copperhead Snake:
The symptoms of a dog bitten by this snake
can be much the same as the above.
Also blood clotting,Dilated Pupils &
slow Heart Rate with internal bleeding.
These three snakes are the most common
ones found in Victoria.
Be aware that some dogs will display the symptoms
outlined in step one & then stage a brief recovery prior
to suffering a total collapse.
Do not bleed a dog this is a misguided tale.
Australian snake venom travels through the lymphatic system.
(A major part of the Immune System)
So bleeding will not assist the dog & will simply weaken
hurt & stress the dog more.
3*
Seek immediate veterinary attention.
Ring your vet & tell them you have a dog with a snake bite
coming in immediately.This will alert the vet to make
arrangements to treat your dog ahead of any other animal
in the surgery. It may also enable them to make logistics
arangements prior to your arival at the surgery.
This will ease any difficulties,such as ensuring you get
a car space close to the surgery & pull out your dogs
records for allergic reactions etc.
4*
The best solution to snake bite is antivenom & vet care.
The farther you have to travel to a vet's & the more venom
that has been injected into your dog, The worse your dog's
chances of survival become.
However you & a helper can help prolong your dog's
chances of of survival by some basic treatment,
Especially during the car trip to the vet's.
Apply a pressure bandage to a limb bite:
Do not apply a tomiquet or bandage the wound
too tightly,as the blood flow must not be impeded.
Do not wash the bite area or CUT the wound.
Apply hand pressure to a body bite.
(face & jaws are quite common areas for bites)
Keep talking to your dog & stroking it,it is good for
both you & your dog giving a feeling of calm
& reassurance.
Carry your dog at all times as letting the dog walk
will only speed up the spread of the venom.
5*
Know what your vet will do:
The vet will examine the site of the bite:
The vet will determine the stage of envenomation of your dog:
It might be necessary to take a snake detection test:
(blood or urine sample) then analysis of results:
Treatment commences,usually via intravenous fluids
& administration of the appropriate antivenom:
There may also be a need for antihistamines,
allergy reduction drugs,painkillers or sedatives:
6*
Expect recovery in 24-48 hours:
If your dog pulls through,full recovery will take
1 - 2 days,But strict rest following treatment
is recommended from 24 to 48 hours.
However recovery isn't the same as being well
& you will need to set aside time to nurse
your dog back to full healh.
**TIPS**
Aviod walking your dog in long grass:
Always be very vigilant around areas of water:
In summer look at where you place your dogs
water bowl as snakes will look for water
in times of hot weather & drought:
Keep your yard,garden,sheds & other areas around
your home clean & tidy:
When traveling with your dog always pick
a clear area to stop & walk your dog:
Remember snakes are more active in the summer months
& tend to hibernate during winter.
Early spring bites will carry more potence as the snakes
venom glands have built up during hibernation.
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** COLD PLAY **
When the mercury dives,keeping our dogs
happy,healthy & active
requires a little extra attention.
Arthritis is a common ailment that worsens
during cold weather.
Your dog may have more difficulty getting
up or down stairs or find it hard to rise
from the lying position.
Vets offer both natural remedies & medications
for athritis & gentle exercise is also recommended.
But it's most important to keep your dog warm.
Heated dog beds may also provide some comfort
of a night. If you dog is already on arthritis
medication,be aware that his or her symptoms
may wosen in the winter & the medication
may need reviewing.
Separation anxiety & boredom are two of the most
common winter health issues for dogs.
With the reduced daylight hours & cold weather
owners often walk them less & spend less time outdoors.
This decreased contact with their owner can be very
stressful for a dog.
This often then manifests as destructive behaviour.
Digging, Self-mutilation or excessive barking.
Dogs are animals of habit :
Maintaining your regular routine will go a long way
to keeping them happy.
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** HOT SPOTS **
Hot Spots in dogs can lead to serious illness.
They can be caused by allergies to the following,
CHEMICALS,
FOOD,
FLEAS,
GRASS,
& OTHER SUBSTANCES,
But fleas seem to be a primary source.
This recipe has proven effective for many dogs
suffering frrom hot spots.
3 capsules Sage,
1/4 teaspoon Epsom Salts,
2 cups of Water,
Combine all ingredients & bring to the boil.
Cool to room temperature & then strain out the
powdered Sage.
Store in a spray bottle or jar in the refrigerator
to keep fresh.
Spray or wipe on Hot Spots,Insect Bites
or any other skin abrasions as many times
a day as possible.
Should heal in about 3 or 4 days,
Should begin to see some hairr regrowth in a
little over a week.
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** CLEFT PALATE **
CLIFT PALATE is a common abnormality seen in newborn cats, dogs
& other species. One possible cause is exessive vitamin A intake during pregnancy.
Congenital cleft palate is an abnormality which is thought to occurr during
fusion of the maxillay process with the medial nasal process,
When the mesodermal fusion develops across the fused epithelial surfaces.
If the epithelial barrier does not degenerate or if the mesodermal
connecctive tissue is deficient cleft palate results.
An hereditary basis for the disease is suspected but the mechanism has not
yet been determined however any such genetic trait is thought to be
multifactorial recessive, polygenic & dominant with partial penetration.
In 1967 Wiersig & Swenson reported that 125,000 IU of vitamin A per
kilo-gram body weight given to Beagle bitches on days 17-22 of gestation
resulted in cleft palate developing in their puppies.
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for normal growth & defects in bone growth
are seen with insufficient as well as excessive dietary intake.
Vitamin A has a controlling influence over both the osteoblasts & osteoclasts
in epithelial cartilage & so there is a rational explanation as to why
excessive vitamin A intake might result in cleft palate.
In addition commercially prepared complete pet foods contain more than
sufficient available vitamin A yet breeders & owners frequently
supplement their pet's ration with vitamin supplements.
High vitamin A content is also a feature of many natural food sources
including liver & fish oils. Cod live oil is a very popular nutritional
supplement with pet owners as it contains 18000ug per 100ml
(4000IU per gram).
Some vitamin injections contain as much as 500,000IU of vitamin A per ml.
** RECOMMENDATIONS **
# Excessive dietary vitamin A intake must be avoided during pregnancy,
* Avoid unregulated multivitamin or vitamin A supplementation.
* Avoid unregulated liver intake.
* Avoid unregulated fish oil supplementation.
* Great care is needed when administering parenteral vitamin supplements
to pregnant animals.
* Feed a complete pet food formulated for pregnance without supplements.
** CONSIDER EXCESS DIETARY VITAMIN A INTAKE **
** AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR CONGENITAL CLEFT PALATE **
** WHEN IT OCCURS **
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*TRAVEL SICKNESS*
Dog travel sickness,or motion sickness,
can make even a quick trip up the road a stressful
experience fo you & your dog.
Fortunately there are things you can do to
conquer pup's nausea & make travelling a tail
wagging adventure again.
*WHAT CAUSES DOG TRAVEL SICKNESS*
Ear development, Just like car & air sickness affects
more children than adults, Dog motion sickness is more
common in puppies & adolescents than in older dogs.
This is because the ear strutures used for balance
aren't fully developed in puppies & young dogs.
Car equals blahh, Not all dogs grow out of motion
sickness. If the first few car rides of your dogs
life made him or her sick they may associate travel with
vomiting,even after their ears have fully matured.
Worried sick, Nausea may cause anxiety & this can
further aggravate the situation.
Motion sickness can create a vicious cycle.
How can I tell if my dog has travel sickness ?,
Furry faces mean dogs don't turn green like
humans when they're experiencing motion sickness.
There are some signs you can look out for,Such as:
> SLUGGISHNESS,
> LETHARGY,
> ANXIETY,
> YAWNING,
> EXCESSIVE DROOLING,
> WHINING,
> VOMITING,
*HOW CAN I TREAT MY DOG'S*
TRAVEL SICKNESS
Make the car ride as comfortable as possible for you dog,
Face front not to the side,
Make your dog face forward rather than looking out the side windows. It's not a good idea to let them ride in the front
passenger seat,because of the dangers of air bags.
Instead you could either use a specially designed dog seat
belt or let them ride in a crate.
Lowering your car windows a couple of inches while
the car is moving helps balance the air pressure
inside with the air pressure outside.
It also keeps your car cool & well ventilated.
Less food before travel,Don't give your dog a big meal
before you hit the road. Then,right before the trip
give them a small sugary treat (like jellybean)
which is known to reduce sensations of nausea.
But remember,chocolate is piosonous to dogs
so never use this as a treat.
*TIPS FOR STOPPING TRAVEL SIKNESS*
BY ASSOCIATION
If your dog equates riding in the car with stress & sickness,
You can:
> Take a break from car trips for a ouple of weeks:
> Use a different car:
> Go on short car trips to places your dog enjoys:
> Slowly building up your dog's tolerance to the car:
> Getting them used to approaching the car:
> Spend some time in the car with the engine off:
> Take trips around the block:
> Use treats to make the car a fun place:
> Give them a special toy just fo the car:
*HOW DO I TREAT MY DOG*
FOR TRAVEL SICKNESS
Your veterinarian can prescribe medication for you dog
to prevent motion sickness.
Your vet will be able to advise what's best for
your four legged friend.
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*GASTROINTESTINAL WORMS *
IN YOUR DOGS
They are dangerous & even fatal to puppies & adult dogs.
Some can also be transferred to humans,especially children .
"WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
GASTROINTESTINAL WORMS ?
"HOOKWORM "
> Are eaten or penetrate the skin of paws & legs.
> Can also be transferred to pups through mother's milk.
> Can be fatal if the infection is severe.
> Can infect humans.
"COMMON SIGNS OF HOOKWORM"
> Weight loss.
> Loss of appetite.
> Bloated stomach.
> Black diarrhoea.
> Increased thirst.
> Lethargy.
> Dermatitis.
"ROUNDWORMS"
> Become infested by ingesting,through the placenta.
> From mother's milk.
> Grow between 9-20cm long.
> Can be fatal if the infection is severe.
> Can infect humans.
"COMMON SIGNS OF ROUNDWORM"
> Coughing.
> Diarrhoea.
> Vomiting.
> Pneumonia.
> Bowel obstruction.
> Adull coat.
> Swollen stomach.
"WHIPWORMS"
>Dogs become infested by ingesting whipworm eggs.
> Grow between 4-7cm long.
> Infections in puppies can be fatal.
"COMMON SIGNS OF WHIPWORM"
> Weight loss.
> Stomach pains.
> Diarrhoea, occasionally with fresh blood.
> Pale eyelids & gums.
> dehydration.
> A dull coat.
"FLEA TAPEWORM"
> Dogs catch from swallowing infected fleas.
> May be more than 1 metre long.
> Not a major health risk.
> Can infect humans.
"COMMON SIGNS OF FLEA TAPEWORM"
> Irritation.
> Itching around the anus.
> Tapeworm segments in faeces-look like grains of rice.
"HYDATID TAPEWORMS"
> Dogs catch from swallowing infected fleas.
> May be more than 1 metre long.
> Not a major health risk.
>Can infect humans.
"COMMON SIGNS OF HYDATID TAPEWORM"
> Dogs catch from eating infected internal organs of sheep,
Cattle,kangaroos & pigs in the country.
>Grow to only 7mm long.
> Not a threat to dogs but can be life threatening to humans
due to the formation of large fluid-filled cycts in the body.
"HOW DO I CONTROL WORMS IN MY DOG"
> Minimise exposure to areas heavily contaminated with other dog's faeces.
> Remove faeces from yards & childrens play area's.
> Clean your dog's sleeping area regularly.
> Feed your dog quality food ( not intestines).
> Wash your hands after handling your pet & before eating.
> Don't let your dog lick your face.
> Use a regular de-worming treatment at 2,4,6,& 12 weeks
and then every 3 months for the rest of their life.
_______________________________________
*CANINE VIRAL ENTERITIS*
SIGNS = A losse bowel movement with quite a distinctivesmell,
Slightly grey with mucous later becoming blood stained,
Even to passing large clots of blood.
Vomiting frothy white saliva,Usually refusal of fluids,
But these promptly vomited up.
TREATMENT = Contact your vet as soon as possible as the dogs
condition can deteriorate rapidly,
He will probably give a mixture of Kaolin & Pectin.
A combination of Tri Bristrin can be very handy & although
not affecting the virus can help ward off cross infections.
It is essential to keep up fluids with a mixture of glucodin,
salt & a small pinch of soda Bi-carb.
Small pups should be given 1-2mls hourly, Do not give milk or fats.
When first feeding again after all vomiting has stopped
use dry biscuit,Uneeda, Sao etc with Vegemite.
Once detected this can be cured quickly but a pup can be happy
& active one minute but really flat an hour later.
Nurse on a heated pad or hot water bottle as they do become shocked.
Taken from the 1980 Club Monitor
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*OUR DOGS & THE AUSTRALIAN SUMMER*
With summer in Australia just around the corner we must
take great care of our four legged companions.
Every summer dogs die from heat stroke & the blame
is in almost every case human thoughtlessness.
These horrific deaths could have been avoided if those
responsible had just taken a little more care of their dogs.
*WHAT IS HEAT STROKE*
It is when the body cannot lose heat as fast as it is produced.
As a result the body temperature rises to an abnormal extent
& a very hight body temperature around 100f (43.3c)
cannot be tolerated for more than a few minutes.
The cells that compriss the body tissues work only within certain
temperature limits & if these limits are exceeded the cells
are damaged = sometimes permanently.
Every animal produces heat just by living & they all have an
efficient method of disposing of surplus heat when necessary.
A lot of dog behaviour is related to their need to lose or retain
heat, In cold weather he curls up so that the minimum
surface area is exposed while in hot weather he stretches
out so that as much surface as possible is available to
radiate heat.He choses a cold stone floor in summer
so that heat may be contacted away & in winter a rug or
carpet to avoid loss of heat. Blood supply to the skin varies
to control temperature this can be very obvious in human's.
But because dogs have coats (& pigmented skins in some breeds)
These changes are not visible in most dogs.
But they do occur. Human's sweat to lose heat, In the dog
sweating hardly occurs & the major heat loss is from panting.
This works in two awys, Cool air is breathed in & hot air out.
There is also the effect of cooling by evaporation of the water
in the expired air. Evaporation will happen best in a dry
atmosphere, So high humidity & high temperatures provide
the worst conditions. What are the effects of this ? Simply that if
the outside temperature is over 90f (33.3c) heat loss becomes
difficult & body temperature start's to rise.
The dog pants more & more to try to lose heat.
Even the muscular activity to produce panting creates more heat.
If the outside temperature is in the 100f region heat cannot be lost
& a temperature crisis is imminent & so no dog is safe.
Dogs in parked cars suffer most but even those in a car stuck
in traffic can heat up to a dangerous degree, Even fully open
windows willnot always keep the temperature down in the car.
Heat stroke can also occure in concrete floored runs & even
sometimes in a very hot house.
*WHAT SHOULD I DO FOR MY DOG*
*WITH HEAT STROKE*
In a few words = cool him quickly.
A grossly overheated dog that feels very hot to the touch
& is in near state of callapse needs his temperature brought
down within seconds.
First aid is as important as getting him to a vet.
Cold water by the bucket full or from a hose,
Douse him in a bath of cold water, Worry about chills later.
It's possible to treat a living dog for a chill but unless his
temperature is reduced quickly a dog with heat stroke will die.
After first aid veterinary treatment is essential as the dog
will be in shock & the blood constitients deranged.
If you take him by car leave him wet & keep all the windows
open the air on the wet coat will help cooling & it is
cooling that we are looking for.
Do not believe that it is safe to leave any dog in a parked car
in hot weather even if all the windows are open,
If it's too hot, Leave him at home at least he'll be there
to greet you when you return home.
To illustrate overheating let me mention two
observations of a Boxer that died from heat stroke
pulled out from a hot car on a hot summers day.
The body temperature (one hour after death)
Was over 110f (43.3c) off the ordinary clinical
Thermometer.
During the postmortem it was not possible to hold a gloved
hand inside the abdomen of the dog,
It was just too hot to bear.
***THAT DOG WAS COOKED ALIVE***
From the april 1980 Monitor (by J Alcock)
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