Dogs

Dental disease is the most common problem treated in dogs and cats and also the area, where owners can do a lot to encourage a healthy mouth throughout an animals life.

Puppies should get used to their owners looking in their mouth and brushing their teeth. As a young pups' gums can be tender until about six months old, it is best just to rub their gums with finger-tips until they get used to their mouth being handled.

After six months of age, proper brushing can be started with either a specially shaped dog brush or finger brush (like a thimble) and dog toothpaste. Ideally, this should prevent hard tartar forming which would lead to dental problems. Other useful dental aids are:

• Dry Food: Do not soften with water so it stays chrunchy
• Dental Chews: Plenty of choice which your dog can gnaw, not gulp down
• Dental Gels: A blob is placed inside the dogs mouth to destroy the bacteria which cause calculus formation (can help in difficult-to-handle pets)

Common Dental Problems

• Retained deciduous (baby) teeth
• Badly aligned top and bottom jaws
• Halitosis (bad breath)
• Abscesses
• Broken teeth
• Tumors

We include a free dental check at six months of age as part of the puppy vaccination course and we advise a free check three months after dental treatment. Pets will have their mouths checked as part of their yearly booster vaccination visit and appointments can be made at any time if you notice a problem - they are free with one of our nurses.

If your dog does require further dental attention, most dental procedures require a general anesthetic and are carried out as day patients.

An important issue to consider is diet. There are a wide variety of diets available and they are split into either dry or wet diets. Dry diets tend to be better for dogs teeth. If you get a puppy, you may decide to keep it on the same diet that it was given by the breeder, which may be fine but it is important to ensure that this is a complete puppy diet.

Most commercially available diets are complete. If what your dog is fed is not complete, choose a new diet and slowly introduce the new diet, mixed in with the old one over a number of days. This will help avoid any digestive upsets.

Once you have chosen a diet, stick with it, as constantly changing the diet is likely to make your dog fussy. These diets are designed to be complete, therefore your dog requires no additional feeding. If you are training your dog and wish to use treats, use low calorie biscuits or some of your dogs dried food. A number of treats are available on the market, but it is important to remember that many of these are very high in calories.

Dog Obesity

Obesity in dogs is a rising epidemic and is a factor in a number of canine diseases, including osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus and some types of cancer. It is much easier to prevent your dog from becoming obese than to investigate a weight loss program.

A number of simple measures can be employed to prevent your puppy from becoming overweight or obese. Firstly, do not overfeed your dog; give only the amount recommended by the manufacturer for the animals age and weight. Do not give your dog leftovers from the dinner table or other high calorie treats and ensure that your dog receives regular exercise.

If you are worried that your dog may be overweight, please contact the practice to arrange a free weight clinic with one of our nurses to help set achievable goals and get your dog into shape.

'Dry-eye' is a common and serious condition affecting tear production and sight. Tear glands are progressively destroyed, reducing and eventually stopping tear production. The eyes become painful, undesirable changes develop and vision is gradually lost.

It is vital to diagnose this painful condition early as research shows that early treatment is most effective.

This condition affects some breeds more commonly than others, e.g. Cocker Spaniel, West Highland Terrier, King Charles Spaniel and Shih tzu. Dry-eye is not always obvious by looking; tear measurement is needed to check if your dog is affected.

To make an appointment to have your dogs tear production measured, please contact us. It is a quick and easy test with immediate results.

Fleas and flea eggs are found anywhere that dogs go. Unless you treat for fleas, at some point your dog will inevitably pick them up. One flea brought into your house will lay thousands of microscopic eggs, which go into carpets, soft furnishings, etc.

Flea eggs are very tough and can last up to two years in your home. In many cases, when you think your dog has picked up a flea from outside, it is actually from an egg that was already in your house.

What are the symptoms?

As well as getting irritation from flea bites, dogs that continue to be bitten will often develop an allergy to the flea's saliva. After an allergy has started, the affected dog gets a severe reaction to every bite. This causes hair loss, red irritated skin and severe itching. Treating your dog regularly will prevent an allergy from starting.

Fleas can also act as an intermediate host for the tapeworm. Therefore, any dog being treated for tapeworm should also receive some flea treatment.

Fleas will not live on people, but we can get bitten, leaving red marks on the skin.

Which flea product?

There are lots of flea products on the market (shampoos, powders, sprays, etc). Only products sold by vets are actually effective in stopping your dog picking up fleas and infecting your house. All flea products can be supplied over the counter without the need to see a vet but you do need to be a registered client. You can easily register online with us here.

It is very important to treat all pets in the household as the same flea species will live on both cats and dogs. Another often overlooked aspect of flea control is treatment of the environment to destroy any egg and immature fleas and hereby prevent reinfection of your dog.

There are many parasitic worms that can infect dogs, most affecting the digestive tract, but some can cause serious damage to other organs, including the lungs.

Roundworm, tapeworm, hookworm and whipworm live in your dog's intestine and may cause weight loss, sickness, diarrhoea, and a 'pot-bellied' appearance.

The dog lungworm, Angiostrongylus vasorum, has recently spread to most parts of the UK, including Ayrshire, and can be fatal if not treated. It causes breathlessness or coughing and can affect blood clotting, causing excessive bleeding.

How often to treat for worms?

For puppies, we recommend treating for roundworms every two weeks until 12 weeks old.

For pups over 12 weeks old and all adult dogs, we recommend treating for intestinal worms every three months. 

All pups and dogs which have contact with slugs and snails outdoors should be treated monthly to prevent lungworm.

How does my dog become infected with worms?

Puppies can be infected with roundworm in the womb before they are born and through their mother's milk, unless she has been wormed during the pregnancy.

Worm eggs of many types can be passed in dog faeces and survive on the ground before being swallowed by another dog to complete the worm life cycle.

Tapeworms require an intermediate host to complete their life cycle. This may be a small mammal such as a mouse, vole or rabbit, a large mammal such as a sheep or deer, or fleas. Dogs become infected when they swallow infected meat or fleas. 

Lungworm also requires an intermediate host, in this case slugs and snails. Dogs may be at risk if they swallow the slug or snail or even if they lick slime trails.

Can worms be passed on to my family?

Although it is unlikely that you or your family will catch worms from your pet, it is possible for people to be infected by roundworms or Toxocara. Roundworm eggs are passed in dog faeces and can persist in soil or sand, sometimes for years. Small children are most at risk from infection, which occurs when eggs are accidentally swallowed. The eggs then hatch into larvae which can move through body tissues causing damage, notably to the eyes. 

To prevent human infection it's important to:

• Worm your dog regularly
• Scoop your dog's poop - if done immediately there should be minimal risk, as it takes a few weeks for roundworm eggs to become infective
• Do not allow dogs to toilet in areas where children play (especially parks and sandpits)
• Ensure that all family members wash their hands thoroughly with soap after being outdoor (rub-on hand sanitisers won't do the job)
• Teach young children not to put dirty hands to their mouths or faces

Which wormer? 

There is a huge choice when it comes to worming products, however many do not treat all of the different types of worms. We recommend you choose a broad spectrum worming product that also acts against lungworm, supplied by us, so you can be assured that it will be effective. We can offer a choice of tablet, liquid, granule or spot-on products. Giving the right dose is very important, so we are happy to weigh your puppy or dog free of charge at any of our surgeries. If you are unsure, you are welcome to arrange a free nurse consultation to review your dog's parasite control needs or call or email your query to us. 

What else can I do to control worms?

In addition to regular worming, please remember the following advice:

• Scoop the poop! Please use the appropriate bins when available, otherwise take 'doggy bags' home for proper disposal
• Prevent your dog from eating it's own faeces or those of other dogs
• Don't feed your dog raw meat or allow them to scavenge carrion
• Use flea control
• Don't leave dog toys and food bowls outside, especially overnight, for slugs and snails to crawl over
• Do not allow your dog to toilet in children's play areas or on farm grazing land

Remember, prevention is better than cure. Worm regularly and clean up your dog's faeces.

Further Information

• Lungworm
• Slug and Snail Control