Rivall Articles
Jeremy's regular-ish column that appears in River village magazine.
February 2010 - The Pyjama Case Cat
Cat bites are nasty things. The range of bacteria in a cat’s mouth is supposed to be nearly as bad as that in a human’s. The big difference, however, is that a cat bite has fangs that inject infection deep into tissue. A recent article in a daily paper reported how a man lost his finger after his cat took some toast from his hand a little enthusiastically. What at the time seemed to be a pin-prick soon turned nasty. We are approaching the season when cats’ minds turn to springtime activities and male cats start to strut their stuff to set up their territories.
It was almost this time last year that a cat called Forsyte*, a well-mannered, neutered male, strode out of his house only to find himself the victim of a cat bite a few minutes later. To his owner it was a little scratch and when he was a little off his food she did not worry too much. A few days later however he was at the vets: ½ pint of fluid was drained from his back and he started a course of antibiotics. Within days the skin over the whole area had died and there was none from his shoulder blades to the base of his tail. The wound also extended half way down his sides. He had lost about 25% of his skin! The battle started to sort out the infection and heal the wound. Over the last year he has had well over a dozen anaesthetics and bit by bit the edges of the wound have come together. As I write this article he is finishing a final two weeks of confinement in a hospital kennel having had the last gaps closed. The stitches are out and all being well this is the end of the saga for him.
Forsyte’s case is extreme but bite wounds are common and cats that come in carrying a paw, or who are off colour a day after a fracas was heard in the garden, should be taken to your vet for a check up. All vets know that a client’s own cat defends his territory but other people’s cats fight!
*Names have been changed to avoid revenge-attacks…
November 2009 - Going in Gingerly...
"He's ever so hungry; but we can't keep the weight on him" says the owner of a fifteen-year-old cat. A clinical examination throws up little other than a high heart rate. I share my concern that "Ginger" may have a thyroid problem, and, later that night, Ginger's blood sample is on the back of a motor bike heading for London.
A sky-high blood result confirms Ginger has an overactive thyroid, a common condition of older cats. The symptoms are caused by a high metabolic rate making his heart beat faster and his body burn off all the food you can give him. To the owner the cat is restless, always hungry, often drinks more, and loses weight. "So what can we do?" asks a concerned owner whilst Ginger purrs away without a care in the world. There are four options. He is not, of course, in pain and some owners might feel it best to leave well alone. The disadvantages for Ginger are that his life will be shorter, his heart unable to cope with the high rate it runs at, or the other organs put under stress for the same reasons.
If we opt for treatment there are three choices. Firstly, there is a radioactive iodine treatment where he has to go to a special unit for several weeks. Secondly, there is a drug treatment where pills are given 1-2x daily to control the overactive gland and blood tests monitor it every few months. The third option is to operate to remove the affected gland. When the good Lord designed the cat he made it easy for vets; putting one thyroid gland on each side of the neck. Removing the affected gland means the unaffected remaining one can function normally and the body can return to normal with no need for pills or blood tests. Many clients worry about surgery in older pets, but if it is done before the heart is seriously damaged the chances of complications can be kept to a minimum.
So what shall we do for Ginger? Well, Ginger had surgery a few months ago and is steadily putting on weight. but each of the options above can be right for a particular cat. What is important is that we must not simply dismiss the weight loss as old age. Take your cat along to your vet and see if there are things we can do to give cats like Ginger a longer life.
August 2009 - One for the Kitty...
It is that time of year when so many teenage animals play "chicken" on the roads. It was one such evening last week when I went round a corner to be confronted by a large man with arms outstretched standing in the middle of the road around a blind bend. He was using his super-human powers to shield a bird sitting huddled on the white line. Luckily, his force-field deflected my car and I parked safely on the kerb and went over. As usual, my ever-patient wife rummaged in the back of the car for a suitable bird-catching implement. With a sigh she handed over her new Monsoon top. "Sorry, but it's such a nice day I took my Barbour out of the car..." I said as I entered the killing zone which is the blind side of a sharp bend.
"It was hit by a car in front of me and they didn't stop." I could see his wife in their car cringing every time a vehicle came round the corner. I told him to stand back and swiftly scooped up the immature kestrel in the blouse. We went to the side of the road and a quick examination revealed a nasty injury to the left wing. Although no bones were broken she would not fly for a week or two and in the wild would starve in the meantime. I told him I was a vet. He heaved a sigh of relief and you could see the weight lift off his kind shoulders. With a happy wave and several thank yous this very kind man got into his car and drove off.
Half an hour later, Kitty, as she was now called, was feeling much better and attempting to supplement her diet with any passing finger. My son complained that we should have chicks in the freezer for such occasions and my wife gave me a look of a step too far. So off down the road I went as News at Ten ended and knocked on the door of the local Methodist minister. She was relieved to see me; "at least you haven't just had a bereavement," she said. "What can I do for you?" A quick rummage in her freezer found a frozen chicken breast. More than I expected from a vegetarian minister! A few minutes later there was a ding from the microwave told is that tea was thawed for Kitty. She ate heartily with little encouragement. Well, to be fair, I shoved the food down her throat with the aid of a few veterinary tools and she soon got the idea. Birds will soon die if not fed and once a bird has been assessed it is vital to restore both its fluid and calorie intake.
By morning we peeped in the box to see a bright bird. We fed her again and then drove her to a wildlife hospital for rehabilitation. We were sad to leave her but we were miles from home and her excellent progress meant that I can see no reason why she cannot be released back into the wild near where she was found. A week or two will tell.
There were several steps in the saving of this life. An act of kindness from a passer-by. A lucky injury. A quiet, warm place to recover. The provision of life-saving fluids and calories when she could not look after herself. And a fantastically well-organised RSPCA rehabilitation unit that could give her a relaxing place to recover before releasing her where she was found into an environment she would know. Each step was vital. Always feel free if you are the person in the car that sees the incident to phone for guidance and help. It could just save a life.
June 2009 - Batteries not included
They are a very distinct group, chicken owners. Not the ones you see talking to Jamie Oliver about how many chickens you can get in a barn. I was talking to one of those commercial poultry farmers last week. Of 4000 laying hens that had come to the end of their working life, and were about to be loaded for the final journey to the great hay barn in the sky, 1000 were taken to become backyard poultry. "Where on earth do they go?" I asked, incredulously. "You'd be amazed," came the reply with a wry smile. "A cat carrier of chickens on the back seat is the closest most of those four-by-fours get to the country." Many of these hens will find themselves living in brand new coops or in very expensive and trendy Eggloos.
Egg production means a degree of self-sufficiency. It also means food can be free from chemicals and food is produced from animals that can live a normal, healthy life. There is also the fact that these chickens, cast aside from commercial production, can be given a happy, healthy life. So the owners are a very distinct and indeed a very diverse group. For some, the house rabbit has been pushed aside and replaced by Henrietta Hen.
It's now four years since one of our clients brought the backyard poultry book and the first four hens tentatively explored this strange thing called grass. The shabby, timid creatures took a long time to deliver an egg but they were firm pets within a day. Skin parasites, worm infestations, respiratory diseases and enteritis all took their toll on the graph produced by the husband. While his wife baked with the eggs and named the growing population of hens after different types of cake (Ginger, Madeira, Lemon and Eccles!), their little girl became a wizard at handling and cleaning them. Meanwhile he carefully calculated the benefits in eggs versus the cost of vet bills and food. A few weeks ago they broke even! But the pleasure they have given all the family and the education in life and death to their child has been immeasurable (their words, not mine).
If you are thinking of joining the rush to have hens, do read up first and talk to your vet about your particular circumstances. But most of all, remember a pet chicken is for life and not for Christmas!
February 2009 - Beavering away for wildlife
It’s wet, cold and miserable at Wildwood near Canterbury but at least the animals here can’t complain too much. For they, unlike many animals in zoos, are living in the country where they are designed to live. Wildwood only has species that live, or have lived, on British soil. There are no animals from Africa shivering and no animals from Iceland sweating in a British winter. Not only does it make their husbandry much easier but it also means that the park can be at the forefront of British conservation work. This work is both education and conservation.
This park is the main portal through which beavers are returning to Britain with the support of Kent Wildlife Trust. Almost ten years ago the first animals went out onto Marshes near Sandwich and started doing what Beavers do. More recently new family groups are moving out there as we now know the land can support them as well as it did in the middle ages. Walking over the wetland one is struck by the sharp edged straight dykes that they have cut between streams. Their skills match the most accomplished navvies and it is only the felled saplings that show the diet of these ground-workers is not Cornish pasties and tea. At Burnham House we have been involved all the way along developing disease screening programmes to avoid introducing foreign diseases with the animals. We have also overseen their six months in quarantine when they first return to the UK.
How far should we go in re-introducing species that have become extinct on our shores? The first concern with any re-introduction programme is to find a suitable habitat. It could be argued that wolves should be released but free- ranging carnivores would pose problems for farmers and change the number of people prepared to go for a walk in the country – bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase “going out for Sunday lunch”. Already the Canterbury park have contributed to the release of many friendlier animals like watervoles and dormice. And they are actively involved with many more species.
The balance of wildlife in our country is starting to be managed nationwide, giving all of us the chance to come across lots of animals as we wander through our land. The animals that migrate to other countries like songbirds are much harder to help. It is a tribute to so many groups like wildwood that nature is truly returning to our doorstep.
Find out about the beavers of Wildwood on their website here. Countryfile has been following their progress - you can watch recent episodes on the BBC iPlayer here, or catch up on more of their conservation work (including our vet Iain working with the beavers and scottish wildcats) on YouTube here.
October 2008 - BBC Scandal - are we encouraging the wrong type at the top?
As I write the breaking news is of an incident reflecting the very poorest standards in a national institution. The good news, of course, is that the BBC are accountable and have lots of regulations in place that mean the people at the top can suspend or sack those that have fallen below the standards expected of them. And – as they say - no animals were hurt in the making of this programme. The Corporation wants to do a good job and is the envy of the world in terms of its quality of output.
The BBC highlighted the plight of many dog breeds recently in an excellent programme that had people talking about a subject close to the hearts of all companion animal Vets. Namely, the lack of care taken by some dog breeders when they seek to alter their particular breed. The programme highlighted both the common use of breeding closely related animals and the high frequency of diseases that occur in particular breeds. Essentially there are two groups of defects that animals suffer from as a result of poor breeding. Firstly, there are the problems that occur because an animal is being made to appear in a particular way. Examples include dental alignment problems in shelties because they are bred to have long noses and breathing problems in bulldogs because they are bred to have short noses. Secondly, there are the invisible problems that occur quite commonly almost as a byproduct of changing the visible features of the animal. That is to say, the genetic makeup of the hidden features of the animal change unobserved until they are seen to have lead to a genetic disease that then has got hold of the breed. Think how many offspring a Crufts champion and his close male relatives can sire in a few years! Examples are really common but include heart disease in Newfoundlands or brain disease in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Many of these defects shorten lifespan and many cause pain to those animals affected.
The fundamental problem is that anyone can buy a boy dog and a girl dog and make puppies. Some people do it to make money by selling the pups and so their care in breeding has to be a worry. After all they have not sat any exam or complied with any professional body standards. You would have to do this if you made toasters let alone living things! Other people do it for the success in the show ring. Perhaps I am wrong, but this implies taking the animal closer to the breed standards. In other words, they wish to change the animal’s appearance in their lifetime of three score years and ten. Evolution of an animal takes thousands of years; so it is hardly surprising that when this process is accelerated things go wrong. Look at some of the wonderful eighteenth and nineteenth century pictures of people with their dogs. Two hundred years later the dogs have changed dramatically but the people look the same.
The Kennel Club is the organisation that records breeding dog pedigrees in Britain. It has set up some schemes to monitor hereditary diseases, perhaps most notably the hip dysplasia scheme for breeds like German Shepherd Dogs and the eye scheme for Collies. Both were established with the encouragement and help of the British Veterinary Association. Unlike the BBC staff, however, there are no strict rules to stop people misbehaving and the avoidable problems of breeds are mushrooming.
PS Last year I was judging a pet show. One competitor swaggered passed me with dog in tow. She got short shrift from me as the dog had bad teeth because the jaw was the wrong length. Afterwards she stormed over very annoyed not to have been placed and waving her 1st rosette from the pedigree part of the show. I pointed out the fault and was told most firmly that all members of the breed were supposed to be like that! Oh well....
February 2008 - Diabetes - not just a human disease
Diabetes seems to be becoming more frequent, not just in people, but in animals too. It is hard to know whether clients are more aware or if there genuinely is an increase in cases. Certainly in my practice we are increasingly presented with dogs showing the tell-tale signs, such as excessive drinking, weight loss, a voracious appetite and sometimes the sudden loss of sight due to diabetic cataracts. A simple urine test will often increase our suspicions and confirmation by blood samples will signal that treatment needs to be instigated. In cats and dogs this usually means monitoring water intake as well as daily urine sample collection. And the insulin that corrects this condition is given by injection into the scruff of the neck once or twice daily.
The name of the disease was developed by doctors from both classical languages. Firstly from the Greek word diabetes implying excessive production of urine, and the latin word for honey (mellitus). It is indeed the "honey" or, more accurately, glucose, that we test for in urine with test strips. In days of old doctors tasted the urine for sweetness and Indian tribes checked to see if ants were attracted to it!
Getting the urine samples is often the hardest part of the process. It may sound easy but I have had clients who have put the cat in the car and driven it to the surgery to get a sample. Although the first time the destination is sincere, subsequently they discovered that the cat would produce a sample at the St Margaret's junction and they could return home clutching their vital sample! There also seem to be a disproportionate number of female pets with diabetes and, as refined ladies, they are most indignant at their owner's rapid approach with a bowl. It is also an unwritten rule that most of their owners will have bad backs. Owners soon use a reward system and talk their pets into co-operating. If you feel your pet is showing signs drop a sample in, but remember, even the best-washed jam jar can lead to an unnecessary worry and an even more unneccesary bill for blood tests!
November 2007 - Institutionalised racism in Dover business?
It should come as no surprise to readers to discover that there is rampant racism in scientific establishments. The recent comments by prominent scientist Dr James Watson, who made his name by discovering the double helix that holds our genetic code, have caused outrage because they highlight differences he sees that are based on our genes. They were badly-put comments but they made me think about our conduct towards the patients we see.
In a way I have to admit to a degree of "racism" when my patients enter the room. It's not just that a bird might escape out of an open window and a large labrador couldn't make the windowsill, let alone the gap! A ginger cat is more likely to purr at me while a tortoiseshell one is likely to be frightened. It goes much further. It does not take a Veterinary Surgeon to realise that a dachshund is likely to get a bad back or a flat-faced Persian cat is likely to get breathing problems. The incidence of many diseases is often linked to the breed of animal presented. Noisy breathing in a Yorkshire terrier may well be an airway obstruction caused by a deformity in the windpipe whilst a similar problem in a labrador could be a form of throat paralysis. Of course, as a Vet this helps direct me to what I should consider first when seeing a new case. But why do these problems occur?
In some calculations, breed-related diseases are said to account for over a quarter of problems encountered by pets. This means that if all the dogs and cats we saw were crossbreeds we would see vastly less congenital or hereditary disease. To put this in perspective we, as a practice would probably manage with one less vet! The way we open our eyes to these problems and recognise them could be said to make our care "racist", but of course it can be argued that the people who breed these pets in some cases are averting their eyes and not paying these problems enough attention, and hence not eliminating them. Perhaps this is a rare situation where accepting the fact that our prejudices are based on the genetics of the animals would give the opportunity for the faults to be bred out.
July 2007 - Didn't light up but did inhale...
It's all change in pubs, restaurants and public places. Our elected government has taken a huge step for a healthier Britain. The doctors say that passive smoking is dangerous - and as a Vet I agree. Having only ever seen 4-5 cases of lung cancer in dogs I have to say that two were pub dogs and a third lived with a smoker. That's a pretty weighty statistic. But what of canine bronchitis?
Well, I was almost responsible for a divorce when I suggested passive smoking might have contributed to a Jack Russell's cough. And when the husband was consigned to the back porch we managed to stop medication. The same can't be said for a close friend's parrot. This bird developed a cough eerily similar to its owner but it was refractory to treatment. Unfortunately the owner's cough was equally hard to treat and he succumbed to lung cancer over three years.
So what change should we expect to see in our pet population? Well, sadly, I fear the worst. Will pets now face more smoke in their owners' cars on the way to the pub? Will sports fans stay at home with a four-pack and a pack of twenty? And will I see smoking-related diseases in a population of animals trapped in a smoky atmosphere? Time will tell.
And the parrot? A mimic, of course, that to this day repeats that terrible cough.
February 2007 - Fat is not funny
The landmark prosecution by the RSPCA of the owners of "Rusty" the labrador retriever that was said to be twice its correct body weight has prompted a lot of discussion both in the media and in the consulting room. Were they cruel or kind? Suddenly people seem to be waking up to the idea that a stuffed pet is not a happy pet. They are listening to the fact that obesity may shorten your pet's life and increase it's chances of heart disease, arthritis and cancer.
Tackling the weight-challenged pet is never easy. The first benchmark is to look at the owner - yes, pets do take after their owners in this way too! Although, of course, it is not the pet that is able to use a can opener, open the fridge, or order a takeaway pizza. And it is the owner's preconceptions rather than those of their portly pooch that need to be burst if we are to get it on a steady weight regime. Nearly every fat pet who visits our clinic has an owner who tells me he does not eat a lot, is a fussy eater or only eats once a day. Essentially we find it hard to remember that Pudding* the dachshund is actually smaller than us, however big the dog inside may think he is! Let's say Pudding is 10kg and his owner is 80kg. In general terms, the owner needs to eat eight times as much as the dog does. So the first image I try to give a client is the pile of food the dog gets, times eight (including the chews in the mornings, biscuits at lunchtime, etc). Particularly for small dogs I feel quite nauseous at the thought of this groaning table of morsels from chicken breast to lightly cooked liver!
The next misconception is that the advice on the side of the packet or tin is accurate for every pet. We all know that some of us gain weight on a lettuce leaf and other lucky people can hit the cakes with impunity. It is of course equally true for our pets. By now the client is defensive and Pudding is considering a savage attack of the trousers to silence the vet but as a trained professional I know my duty. The next two cardinal defences from the owner are that they are feeding no more than five years ago and that he will lose weight when the weather improves and walks are longer (global warming cures obesity??) Animals need different amounts of food at different stages of their life. With regard to real exercise the average pet does this off the lead and so as he ages or gains weight he simply zigzags past the owner less and less and gradually reduces the mileage he does. Unless you invest in a pet treadmill you are unlikely to significantly reduce your pet's weight through exercise.
By now there is a queue in the waiting room and we move to the last two defences. "Are you sure it's not his/her hormones - he/she was OK until you neutered him/her?" Neutering will reduce a pet's food requirement by as much as 10% but surely you simply feed a little less? You would of course feed a great dane more than a yorkie and if your dog has been made 'energy efficient' through neutering you should simply put less fuel in the tank! "I know you are right but my other half is the problem." Time to plan another appointment when all three are free! Pudding mutters something about a second opinion as he waddles out and casually lifts a leg on passing the doorframe.
It's not going to be easy - and Pudding knows it. But with modern diet foods you certainly do not have to be cruel to be kind. And once the pounds are off all three will know how kind we have been.
*names have been changed!
February 2005 - The transport terminal
It only takes a short journey nowadays to experience traffic-calming measures or to pass the emergency services at a road accident. Road safety is, quite rightly, a huge concern. Laudably, the number of people killed or seriously injured on the road in 2003 was 6% lower than in 2002. If only this picture were reflected in the death toll of our wildlife.
If you drove 10,000 miles in 2001 you would have passed approximately 105 wildlife casualties. By 2003 this figure had risen to 150. Unfortunately this reflects our increased use of the roads and not a boom in species like the hedgehog or badger. Occasionally there are tales of badger underpasses or signs warning of ducks or frogs crossing but our wildlife are mainly out there on their own; inevitably outrun or caught in the headlights.
There may well be a new behaviour shown by badgers. In the 1980s naturalists noticed that hedgehogs had learned to run from cars, having previously relied on curling in to a ball. Checking through our records, we have noted that until a couple of years ago we saw lots of concussed badgers. This was largely due to them turning to face the car as they would a predator. Not a very sound strategy, but with a skull as tough as a badger they sometimes lived to tell the tale. In recent times these cases are few and far between; so perhaps this species is learning a new strategy: run!
There has been another area where the number of casualties seems to be rising. Overhead unsightly power cables are a thing of the past on most railways - instead, there is a live rail at mammal level. Numerous animals die daily on such tracks, whereas the channel tunnel high-speed rail link has a very low casualty rate thanks to overhead power. There is, of course, a third terrestrial means of travel: on water. Sadly, as I write, a common porpoise is at the surgery with major injuries having been hit by a propeller. Another reminder that our modes of transport are dangerous and we should take care for the creatures that share our routes.
March 2003 - A bracing approach
Miffy is only a young rabbit, but she could find her own way to the surgery. She developed a dental problem known in the bunny world as "malocclusion" about two years ago. Her front teeth stopped meeting and she grew tusks out of the front of her lower jaw. Of more concern was that the upper incisors grew inwards and stopped her eating. They therefore had to be regularly cut on a trip to the vets! All was well when she went six weeks between visits but before long it was every ten days. The problem, of course, is that rabbit teeth continually grow, and these were out of control. Many people suggest we could remove them - this is not easy as they have long curved roots going deep into the skull. So what could we do? Of course both I and the owner felt she was having a much disrupted life and something had to be done to keep her happy and eating for longer periods.
With some trepidation I approached a local dentist and a dental technician, and a plan was hatched to use a dental brace to, hopefully, slowly ease the teeth back into line, or at least provide a surface for the teeth to wear against. The next week we made a rubber mould of Miffy's teeth. Anyone who has ever had an impression taken of their teeth will understand why she had a sedative! But when the acrylic brace was fitted a couple of weeks later, all went better than we could have hoped. The first brace has kept the teeth trim for several months apart from a little shaping. And, most importantly, she could eat well. Time will tell if we get the teeth in line. And, of course, time will tell whether any complications will occur.
This, of course, was a bit of a radical approach. It is not written in any of the textbooks. But with the owner's informed consent, as they say in the medical legal world, we went ahead. Where would you or I stand with the NHS? We now not only have a litigious society, but we also have standard treatment protocols and budgets. How can today's doctors and consultants push back the frontiers when constrained by old knowledge? And how soon wil it be before the Vets' equivalent of the BMA tells us to keep our heads down?
(Bunny bulletin... Miffy says (with a lisp) that her new brace is great. It's even made with the resin usually reserved for private patients (naturally). She says make sure that if your bunny has a wet chin from dribbling, take him to your Vet for a dental check-up)
June 2003 - No dogs in the playground
Bit by bit my dog's world is shrinking. I do not blame the councils, particularly as each morning I run my dog on a dog-friendly field only to see 95% of pet owners arrive with the intention of letting their dogs defaecate on the ground. They may pick most of it up (no further detail - it may be dinner time), but I still would not like to slide across that patch of grass a few hours later in a football match! My dog arrives empty and enjoys a really good run, watched by our baby.
It's amazing how many people enquired when we were going to get rid of the dog once my wife's pregnancy was apparent. She (the dog) is apparently potentially a source of several diseases and a possible physical threat as "she may turn". Both these issues we took extremely seriously, but we considered them as risks to minimise, not to eliminate - after all, Milly was in the family first.
Worms are one risk but regular treatment from your Vet is not expensive. Please explain why you are worming your pet and we can tell you what to use and how often - start during pregnancy. Simple hygiene deals with most other problems, but if your dog picks up a serious infection it could be serious for your child (and you too). On such very rare occasions talk to your vet (we cannot always remember who has young children), who may advise you to pass on details to your doctor for guidance.
The arrival of a child in the house is very strange for the dog. Take simple steps to avoid the pet being pushed out: for instance, the baby seat in the car could end up in the dog's seat! If this is going to happen, get the dog used to its new place, perhaps behind the dog guard, several months before the baby arrives. Try to predict (cue ironic laughter) how the routine will change. Our dog now has a different place for her garden toilet! If baby will be born at home, ensure the dog does not associate an upset Mum with the new arrival - a short holiday with friends will suffice. The return from hospital also needs care. Mum and baby came home to the dog's house and she was made a great fuss of. After a swift two halves of the beautiful game on the drive, baby and dog were given formal introductions and now baby's regular position is in goal with Mum. Of course, no-one wants to share their house with a stranger, but now that baby smells of home and not hospitals, he is allowed to stay. In fact, he has now started to make some smells that I swear the dog is envious of. It takes superhuman effort (SuperMum, actually) to keep the dog's routine going and soon the family is remoulded. And Milly adds Head of Baby Security to her job description.
Some readers (non-dog owners) will say why bother? Well, there are a thousand reasons we have not mentioned. Psychologists acknowledge the benefits pets bring to children. They help them develop, help them form relationships and, perhaps the most important of all, they help them love the animals and the world around them. A few wormers is a small price to pay.
November 2002 - The final frontier?
It's been a sad few days for me at work. I have had to gently ease several old friends into the next life. But that is not where our involvement ends. It is often very hard to maintain one's composure to help a grieving client when the animal on the table is one that has been a personal friend for many years. It is not only the grieving process that we have to help. We must help with the practicalities of body disposal, and the enormity of this task may vary from a budgerigar to a horse.
We are all very much individuals when it comes to deciding what we want to be done after we, or our loved ones, pass away. I personally want to go into the incinerator to the theme tune from "The Great Escape". Others could not bear anything but burial. So what are the options available?
Most pets still find their final resting-place in the garden. Under European law, pet bodies are classed as "clinical waste" and should be disposed of correctly by a licensed premises. Burial, however, is still allowed in Britain due to a British government dictat. A few years ago I buried a dog in a garden only to see the same address appear by another client's details later that year. A few questions revealed the new house owners planned a wildlife pond in the exact place I knew had a sleeping resident. As pet lovers they were happy to change their plans and let sleeping dogs lie. Nowadays, many people worry about this problem of leaving a pet behind, or may have no garden. Pet cemeteries are one answer and many now exist (our nearest is in Thanet).
The other alternative is cremation. At present the pet crematoria in Britain are licensed and regulated by the Environment Agency. Our local one in east Kent is the Pets Country Crematorium at Shepherdswell. Like most, they offer a small seated area for owners to say their farewells and then the pet is concealed behind curtains and carried into the cremator. But what to do with the ashes? Many ashes end up residing on a bookcase or in a large urn beneath a plant, or scattered at a favourite spot on the hills. Others are set into a special picture frame with the pet's photo before them.
Of course, we all feel differently about such things. But it is our final duty to our pet, to be performed in what we feel is the right way. And it is my job as a Vet to help with this final service.
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve it through not dying" - Woody Allen
August 2002 - Please be assured...
A few years ago my car was broken into. A number of items were stolen including a Barbour jacket, a rechargeable electric razor and 18 shirts (don't ask). I submitted a claim to the insurance company expecting a query on the shirts; not a bit of it - they refused to pay out on the razor! Insurance does not always give us the cover we want and I was annoyed to have paid my premium for many years only to have a claim rejected. People often recount problems with their pet cover and over the years patterns and pitfalls have emerged.
One useful fact to remember is that for every pound paid for pet insurance, the amount paid out by the companies is higher than for car or house insurance. It may seem like you are getting a bad deal but you are not! Within the industry there are different qualities of cover and as any Yorkshireman knows, "you don't get owt for nowt!" The main component is Veterinary Fees and there are several important clauses to be aware of:
- Cover for life. We all get sick when we are very young or very old. Make sure the company does not decline insurance when your pet reaches a certain ago - this is different from the maximum age at which a company will take on a new animal.
- Time from diagnosis that a condition is covered for. Some companies do this for life and others for a year. Others until the renewal date. Clearly this is not a problem for a broken leg, but for a heart murmur the diagnosis could be made at 7 year old but the pet may not require treatment until it is 11.
- Exclusion of hereditary or congenital problems. Most pedigree breeds have faults that are common in the breed and therefore by definition inherited, leading to some common problems not being insured by some companies.
- Dentistry. Some companies provide excellent cover; others exclude it totally.
- Physiotherapy and complementary medicine. Again, companies vary in attitudes towards physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, etc.
- Diets. Some insurance companies will pay for a dog to have bladder stones removed surgically but not contribute towards a special diet to dissolve them without an operation.
Exclusions added to policies may be very specific or very broad.
I, of course, am a Vet and not an insurance expert. But my staff and I know which claims progress smoothly. Unlike an insurance broker we are not paid for selling policies and only display leaflets from companies that we feel are reliable. A client came to me recently because she had lost her job and, very sensibly, wanted to insure her dog with her redundancy money. She took the form and posted it straight away. Unfortunately, the dog was hit by a car the same night and needed major orthopaedic surgery on a broken leg. The insurance company paid out because the time on the Post Office stamp was before the time on the police incident log! Now that is good insurance.
As pet lovers we all owe a big thank you to the pet insurance industry. Without them many of the facilities now commonplace in general practices or at referral centres would not have been available. There have always been clients that will provide the best for their pet but due to insurance more people can now afford to do this. The result is that Vets can do their best more often and hence invest in the equipment to do it! The overall result is a better standard of care for both the insured and uninsured pet.
We all choose whether we care for a pet. If we do, we must repay that pet's loyalty and trust by providing for its care. So go on, open a savings account (a kitty for kitty), take out a good insurance policy, or look your pet in theye and promise to pay the bill without blaming the Vet!
Seen on the wall of a Norfolk Vet's consulting room in cross-stitch surrounded by animals: "It's not MY fault they are ill..."
February 2002 - The dawn chorus
It's not just people that nest-build! In modern gardens and towns there are fewer and fewer natural nest sites for birds. We have carefully removed the dense hedges and throw away dead wood. Many of us already provide bird tables and keep them stocked during the winter months. This helps the bird population survive the cold weather but we really need to go further and invest in some avian sheltered housing.
Birds all have their own requirements. A simple open-fronted box will attract robins and song-thrushes. The same box tucked deeper into vegetation will be an ideal residence for a wren. The traditional boxes with a round hole in the front attract tits. The whole should be big enough for a two-shilling piece (25mm) for a blue tit or a half-crown (32mm) for great tits. A slightly bigger hole (45mm) is ideal for starlings which we are told are also now in decline. It is such a shame that there are now so few songbirds to take part in the dawn chorus of spring. I was fascinated to hear that the RSPB now supply terraced bird housing - presumably their teenagers leave home before they start playing loud music and slamming doors! If you are going to site a box in your garden please consider where they will be quiet and safe from predation. Cat owners can help by instigating a curfew in spring - remember that most fledglings are caught at dawn or dusk.
Just about now the swallows, swifts and martins will be stocking up on insects in the heat of a southern hemisphere summer and getting ready to fly north. Each year they return to old nest sites, but some can be encouraged to new areas. Specialist nest boxes are available that can be fixed under eaves or inside buildings. Like all boxes they should be positioned as early as possible to let them weather a little as birds are put off by the new smell.
PS - A client came in last year protesting that their dog had a huge flea infestation despite using a flea product regularly (and very expensive it was too, she pointed out!). She duly presented me with a flea. A trip to the microscope identified it not as a mammal flea but as a bird flea. We worked out that she had opened a bedroom window below a house martin nest and vigorously washed down the window and paintwork as all good people do in spring. The vibration had convinced the dormant fleas to hatch as they thought the martins had returned from Africa! Very irritating for dog and owner, but no doubt a relief for the house martins when they did arrive back.
December 1998 - A bitter pill - medicines in the media
Recently the press and television have been awash with drug exposes. It seems that the popularity of Vets In Practice and Animal Hospital is leading to a surge in quasi-veterinary reporting. The wealth of veterinary drug information being thrust into the public domain is rather akin to publishing randomly collated sentences from the works of Shakespeare. Whilst each part may be accurate (ideally), the sum of the parts will not tell the true story. If veterinary medicine could be so easily abridged it would not be among the most challenging and highly qualified professions.
It is therefore very distressing that animals are being denied proper treatment because owners are being convinced the judgement of the vet is wrong by a ratings-driven media. I have no sympathy for people who choose to ignore medical advice or reject medications. That is their decision. It is not, however, for that decision to be imposed on the animal, and for that animal to be denied necessary treatment. Already all veterinary medicines are stringently tested and monitored. Consider the lowly flea! A biodegradeable, environmentally friendly little chap. Some might say harmless compared with the "toxic chemicals" vets might wish to use to kill them. Every year, however, we see kittens die because owners fail to stop the fleas sucking them dry. Of course every chemical is potentially dangerous. Even water can be dangerous, as the Titanic found out!
So what has made me so angry? In the last few weeks numerous clients have expressed their decision not to have their pet "boosted" because of the programme on TV stating that animals die of disease after vaccination. There was no scientifically cound evidence to support it. But the "facts" presented emotively meant that the watching public accepted the danger, despite a few seconds from a vet saying there was no significant risk in vaccination. Having dealt with the suffering and carnage wrought by outbreaks of canine distemper and parvovirus, and cat enteritis, in this area over the past five years I, like all vets and veterinary nurses, have no doubt about vaccinating my own pets. There will be schoolchildren in homes where this is read who may remember me explaining to them that "we have a very badly-equipped practice because, unlike Dr Who, we have not got a Tardis." We cannot go back in time and vaccinate animals that are presented with the disease!
So, next time you read an animal scare, spare a thought for your pet and ask the person who knows the answers: "what would you do if it was your pet?"
July 1998 - Sharks and piranhas
There are certain words which we instantly associate with bad things, and others which are neutral or create a good feeling. Imagine a moonlit night floating in the water off the Florida Keys. "Shark" comes the call from the beach, and withing seconds you are standing on the sand, out of breath, and looking back at the water. The object of your terror could have been a harmless dogfish, or a vegetarian basking shark, but you wouldn't generally hang around to find out.
"Cancer" is probably one of the worst words I can use in the consulting room. But like "shark" it can be associated with anything - from a wart to a highly malignant growth. "Malignant" too is hard to define, as it truly means "causing evil or acting against authority". Consider a large tennis ball-sized skin tumour by the navel or a Great Dane. If it is not capable of spreading to the vital organs we might term it benign, but if the same mass were on a Dachshund, and rubbing on the ground, it would inevitably become excoriated and infected, transforming it into a serious problem. If you are confronted, therefore, with this terrible word "cancer", try and objectively discuss the implications. Within my consultations the tumour must be described to the client in terms of its likely origin, its probability of spreading to other organs, or its likelihood of spreading into adjoining tissues. Some tumours may also affect the whole body's metabolism (such as growths of the thyroid), or cause pain or discomfort (such as bone tumours).
Once identified, a tumour, depending on its nature, may require treatment. Often this is done before it is causing any real problems to the pet. It is vital for successful treatment to get ahead of the tumour by destroying it surgically or controlling it medically. Please be bold and seek advice from your vet immediately if you find a growth. Most of the time they will be able to put your mind at rest. Other times prompt action may save a pet's life that could have been lost through delay. Remember that asking the vet's advice is not putting your pet through surgery, and learning the truth about the benefits and disadvantages of treatment is equipping you with the facts you need in order to make the right decision for your animal.
Tumours are most frequently removed surgically, although both cautery (burning) and cryosurgery (freezing) are sometimes appropriate. Tissue removed during surgery, or prior to the procedure as biopsies, are often submitted for analysis to a professional pathology laboratory. The data they provide will usually reveal details about the nature of the growth, and whether it has spread into neighbouring or distant tissues. Many times a report of complete removal of a "benign" tumour will put a client's mind at rest, although the dogs and cats rarely seem concerned! On other occasions, follow-up treatment to try and eliminate secondary growths may be appropriate. Other taboo words appear: "chemotherapy" and, less commonly, "radiotherapy". Both are associated with side effects in our minds, but, like the shark, there are loads of different sorts and I rarely see side effects from these sorts of treatments. Perhaps this is because there are no psychological stresses on the patient and the dose rates are often kept lower than might ben necessary for a human with a much longer life span.
It would take several textbooks to try and explain the current rationales behind cancer diagnosis and treatment, but please take away with you the message that for you and your pet, prompt, early assessment by the medical profession is one of the most vital tools available in successful cancer management.
May 1998 - The cat crept in...
Cats are an everyday part of urban life even for the non-pet owner. Their natural behaviour may cause problems. That is absolutely not to say that I'm not a cat lover; on the contrary, I respect their independent, knowing lifestyle and their considered affection for the people they choose to share a house with. It is, however, inevitable that at the surgery we get calls from people seeking advice about what they regard as feline anti-social behaviour.
Unlike a dog, a cat does not simply walk around the owner's back garden and patiently wait to go out on supervised walks! Cats' territories are large and span whole rows of town housing. It is a feline choice as to where the toilet will be. Hunting, too, can be a widespread activity including both wild birds and pond fish and causing panic in birdkeepers' aviaries. For other cat owners a new arrival in the area will cause fights as it tries to hone out a territory from that of the neighbouring cats. Cat bites are painful and usually require veterinary attention. They can also spread viral disease such as the potentially fatal feline leukaemia virus.
So, how can the responsible cat owner try and keep harmony in the area between the cats, the people and the wildlife? Firstly, neuter your cat, to keep the population down and also dramatically reduce the territory it will defend. Secondly, vaccinate it annually to keep the incidence of viral diseases low (some parts of Dover are rife with feline leukaemia due to infected cats passing the disease to unvaccinated ones, etc). Thirdly, instigate a curfew at dusk and dawn as most birds are caught at this time of day when their vision is poor. And finally, provide toiletry facilities in your own garden to save your neighbours' borders!
Just one last thought. We all protest at caging chickens in small areas, or confining pigs. Spare a thought for the overpopulated feline who has an abnormally tiny territory because so many houses have several cats. Perhaps we should limit the number we keep?
February 1998 - The pet of your dreams
A recent survey in the USA asked the simple question "are you happy with your pet?" An alarming two-thirds replied "no." While we can argue that in this country the acquisition of a pet is made with more forethought, I am frequently confronted by "mistakes" in the surgery.
It is actually very rare for me to be consulted before an animal is bought. Mostly, I am shown proudly a pup of kitten for vaccination that has already been bonded into the family for some time. Most vets would really appreicate the chance to speak to a prospective pet owner about the choice of species, or the choice of breed, or the sex of the pet, or the hereditary faults to be aware of when faced with the appealing eyes! After all, we are about to take a dog or cat into the family that will be there for perhaps fifteen years. Remember a vet will give you impartial advice considering your circumstances (even if I do like Border Collies).
It is not just a choice between a dog and a cat. The "small furry" pets are extremely popular. They are not only children's pets and should never be dismissed as uninteresting cage-dwellers. Hamsters are ideal pets for working people, coming to life at dusk as work often finishes. A house-rabbit can be toilet-trained and quite content to be alone for quite long periods of the day (but watch those electrics!). Birds, too, can bring life to a quiet house. Canaries are very underrated.
"Designer pets have feelings too" would make a great bumper sticker. Amphibians, reptiles, birds of prey and parrots all too often get bought for the wrong reasons. Their lives are frequently short and unfulfilled due to neglect, or simply due to ignorance of their requirements. As a vet with an interest in exotics I frequently struggle to encounter the correct living conditions provided for animals placed on my consulting room table. A good example is the Box Tortoise. Large numbers were imported to make up for the dearth of Mediterranean tortoises. The happy purchaser could easily take his pet home and put it on the lawn with some vegetables. Unfortunately, the box tortoise likes swampy, damp conditions and is a meat-eater! The outdoor temperatures in the UK are also not high enough for them to flourish.
"One of the family" is to be the slogan for this year's National Pet Week. Remember that they are the only members you choose; so make a careful choice!