Can You Help?

Today we've given our blog over to one of our local RSPCA inspectors, who does great work locally, helping look after the welfare of animals in the Merthyr Tydfil area. I'll leave it up to Gemma to explain what she wants to talk to you about. I hope you can help her out.
Rachel

My name is Gemma Cooper and I am an RSPCA Inspector, covering Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Mountain Ash. As an RSPCA inspector I am part of the front line team who work to prevent cruelty, promote kindness and alleviate suffering to animals.
 
We have made huge strides in animal welfare over the years but there is still work to do. As part of my role, everyday I witness first hand, acts of neglect, cruelty and violence towards animals. the RSPCA needs to raise more and more money rach year in order to continue responding to animals in need. 
 
As such, I am volunterring to take on a a challenege of a life time and climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the RSPCA. Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa, standing at a massive 19,341ft.
 
I am hoping to raise £4,000 in order to continue helping to save the lives of animals in our local area.
 
The RSPCA is not funded by the Government. Every penny spent by the RSPCA has been donated by people like you.
 
Last year I attended a house where the Spinger Spaniel had been hit by a car 3 months previous, breaking and dislocating his leg. His owners hadn't taken him to a vet, simply putting it down to, "A bit of a limp". I have no doubt that Fudge would have lived the rest of his life with a broken leg if it hadn't have been for the RSPCA. Fudge's operation to have his leg amputated was paid for by people like you. I have now adopted Fudge and he has been helping me train for the mammoth challenege ahead. 
 
If you are in a position to donate a couple of pounds, please visit my just giving page
 
http://www.justgiving.com/gemma-cooper1
 
 
Thank you
 
Gemma and Fudge

How Does Your Dog Smell?

We're all used to guide dogs and the fantastic work they do, helping blind people in many aspects of everyday life. We treat a number of guide dogs and puppies in training at the surgery and they're always a pleasure to deal with. However there are far more working dogs than just guide dogs and assistance dogs can help in a variety of different ways.

Medical alert dogs can be used to monitor people with diabetes and warn when they are about to suffer a hypoglycaemic attack (a time when their blood sugar drops to levels which are potentially dangerous).  Low blood sugar produces a distinctive smell, which these dogs are trained to detect and react to. They can then summon help, or fetch vital supplies for their owners. More information about these dogs can be found here.

Interestingly a number of pet owners have noted that their pets, which have never been trained to do so,  will behave differently when the owners are having a hypoglycaemic attack. In some cases, the owners were asleep and the animals have actually woken them up!

Dogs may be able to detect problems in people with Addisons Disease; a serious condition which can cause collapse, fits and severe pain in sufferers. Cardiff University are currently involved in research into exactly what these dogs are smelling.

It seems that dogs can also be trained to detect certain types of cancer, so jokes about a 'lab' test aren't wide of the mark! There is research going on about this at the moment, but more details can be found here.

Sniffer dogs have been used for years to detect drugs, explosives and chemicals, but they're now being used to sniff out bed bugs as well. It's amazing what a dog's nose can find! Perhaps one day soon all doctors' surgeries will have a dog in the corner of the waiting room to tell the doctor what's wrong with you.

New Inventions/ Discoveries in Veterinary Science

We always like to keep up to date here at Ash Veterinary Surgery, so I was very interested when one of our American colleagues sent us an article about recent developments. I think sometimes we use this technology so often that we take it in our stride. It's interesting to step back and look at what has happened recently. In this age of bionic pets, what else can be done?

I thought you might be interested to see it too. The article can be found
here.

Some of these procedures are only performed or required in America though, so don't be surprised if you haven't come across all of them

Don't Feed Your Dog Bones

"Nick, nack padywack,
Give a dog a bone"
Goes the nursery rhyme, but like many other old wives tales, this is outdated and just plain wrong.

Every couple of weeks we see a dog who is having problems because they have eaten bones. Some of them have stolen a chicken, or something they shouldn't out on a walk, but unfortunately many of them have been fed bones by otherwise caring owners.

Dogs like bones. Their history and evolution as scavengers, means that they have adapted to eat many things and this includes bones. However they also like chocolate and we all know that can be harmful to them. Just because they like bones doesn't mean that they should be fed them. This applies to any sort of bone, including specially cooked bones, as chips can be easily broken off when the dog chews.

Bones can cause a variety of problems, including constipation, but most seriously large pieces of bone can cause blockages. As you can see from this X ray, this bone has stuck in the dog's oesophagus, require a serious operation to remove it.

A number of dogs and cats die and have to be put to sleep every year because of the damage bones cause, so we have a simple message for you. Please don't feed your dog (or cat) bones.

Sweetener Can Poison Animals

A common artificial sweetener, used in many human food products has been linked with an increasing number of poisonings in dogs. The sweetener Xylitol is used as an artificial sugar in many sweets and biscuits and cake, but is also found in chewing gum, dental hygiene products and medicines.

If eaten by dogs, Xylitol causes a sudden release of insulin, which can lead to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), intestinal bleeding and liver failure. Signs of low blood sugar can include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, trembling or even fits. Immediately veterinary attention should be sought if your pet show any of these signs.

It is thought that cats and ferrets could be vulnerable to poisoning by the substance. However as cats do not taste "sweet" in the way we do, they are less likely to seek it out, although they might be attracted to dairy products such as ice cream which could contain it.

We would advise all our clients to be careful what sort of human food their pets have access to. Do not feed your dog any human food containing Xylitol, and of course avoid other toxins such as grapes, raisins and chocolate. Poisonings often occur because dogs raid unexpected sources of food; beware breath freshening gum, or that emergency bar of chocolate which lives in your handbag.

Rabbits and Guinea Pigs

We've seen a lot of rabbits and guinea pigs at the surgery in the last few weeks. They make fantastic, friendly pets for both adults and children and with many of them living in the house, they can be a real part of the family.

It's best not to mix rabbits and guinea pigs together. They're both friendly creatures and are best to be kept with company, but rabbits can often bully guinea pigs, so stick to rabbits or guinea pigs in one hunch.

It's important for both of them that they have plenty of fibre in their diet. Many of the rabbits and guinea pigs we see have dental problems and these are often preventable with the right diet. Their main diet should be good quality, dust free hay, with a small amount of a complete food, such as Burgess Excel rabbit or guinea pig pellets. They should also have fresh vegetable daily, such as cabbage, kale, winter greens, cauliflower leaves. A full list can be found at here. This is a fantastic website for general information on rabbits and their care.

Guinea pigs have a dietary requirement for Vitamin C, so it is especially important that they have fresh fruit and vegetables and in some cases need a vitamin supplement.

Rabbits should be vaccinated annually against myxomatosis and Viral Haemorraghic disease, even if they are indoor rabbits as diseases can be spread by biting insects. There are currently no vaccinations available or necessary for guinea pigs.

Male and female rabbits or guinea pigs can be kept together, but it is necessary to neuter (spay or castrate) them, to prevent unwanted babies. We recommend neutering all pets to prevent health problems.

Veterinary care for both rabbits and guinea pigs is advancing year on year, allowing vast improvements in their treatment. Modern, up to date veterinary care can be lengthy and expensive, so we would advise all rabbit and guinea pig owners to consider insurance. Companies offering suitable policies include Pet Plan and Exotics Direct.

Giacomo Goes to School

Giacomo and I recently visited the playgroup at Gurnos School, Ystradgynlais to talk to the children about pet owning and veterinary care.

The children enjoyed using a stethoscope; looking at X rays, including dogs, cats and tortoises and using a scanner to find a microchip in both a teddy bear and later in Giacomo.

He was real star, allowing himself to be stroked by all the class and giving them a chance to get some hands on experience with pets.