Bruton Vets - Caring for your pet

Caring for your pet

As pet owners we have a responsibility to take care of our animals, their lives are in our hands. In the wild a weak or ill animal does it's best to hide its condition to avoid being a predators meal - so often it can be hard to tell if your pet is sick or in pain, unless you know them well and check them regularly.

We advise all pet owners to have pet insurance. For a small monthly sum Pet insurance gives peace of mind that you can afford professional and sometimes costly veterinary help for your pet should it be needed.

Why not spread the cost of routine veterinary care by joining our Pet Health Club.

Diet

We can advise you on what, how much and when best to feed your pets to keep them fit and healthy. Many pets have very individual needs. Puppies and kittens for example have very specific dietary requirements to help them grow into healthy adults (see information here). We offer a FREE Weight & Nutrition Clinic for your pets.

Grooming

Regular grooming provides an opportunity to look closely at your pet, to check the condition of their skin and fur, their nails, their ears and teeth. It is also essential for many animals. Neglecting simple grooming procedures can cause distress and discomfort for your pet, and sometimes result in the need for surgery. For long haired animals whose coats have become unmanageable and matted, we provide a grooming service here at the surgery. Very matted fur can be painful, pulling on the skin, and if neglected can restrict natural movement. When you are looking to purchase a pet, remember that long haired animals need more time and attention to keep their coats from matting.

Checking ears

Animals with long, floppy ears have more susceptible to ear problems. Check your pet's ears frequently as they may need treatment. Symptoms of ear problems are shaking the head, and scratching at the ears. There can be an odour and a discharge from the ear, or redness of the ear flap or entrance to the ear canal. Check also for ear mites. Do not try and clean your pet's ears other than around the entrance to the ear. Trying to clean further inside the ear may cause damage and pain, the ear canal lining tissue is very delicate. Never use use cotton buds as you risk damaging the eardrum. If a foreign body has made its way into the ear canal do not try to get it out yourself as this may cause damage and push it further in. Contact us as anaesthesia may be needed to remove the object.

Checking nails

Regular walking on a hard surface like pavements will help keep your dogs nails short. Check for long dew claws, if your dog still has them. Trimming black coloured claws yourself with dog nail trimmers can be tricky as the 'quick' cannot be seen. If the 'quick' (nerve and blood vessel) of the nail is accidentally cut, the nail will bleed and be very sore. Outdoor and active cats will not require their nails clipping, but older or inactive cats may need some attention on a regular basis to keep them comfortable. We are happy to check and clip nails at our free Vet Nurse Clinic. A small charge is made if clipping is required.

Checking teeth

The signs of dental disease can be subtle so many pet owners fail to notice the increasing discomfort and pain that their pet suffers. It is important to realise that the bacteria associated with dental disease can also cause other serious health problems. We invite all our pet owners to bring their pet to our FREE Dental Care Clinic for regular check ups

Signs of dental disease in your pet can include

• Bad breath
• Bleeding and inflamed gums
• Build-up of yellow or brown tartar on the teeth
• Difficulty chewing food
• Loss of interest in food
• Pawing at the mouth or drooling
• Tooth loss
• Subdued behavior
• Not wanting to be touched on the head

Begin brushing puppies' and kittens' teeth on a regular basis so they learn to accept this as part of their daily care. We are happy to provide you with an appropriate toothbrush and paste and show you how to do this. However, there are other ways to help your pet too.

Diet is an important factor in keeping teeth and gums healthy. Animals fed on mainly soft, moist, processed food are most at risk. Gums need to be massaged and cleaned daily, or plaque and tartar builds up on the teeth leading to gingivitis and peridontal disease. Smaller breed dogs and older animals can be be more susceptible to dental disease. Watch for signs of difficulty in chewing, or in eating hard food. Sometimes the pain may be such that they will not want to eat at all and become subdued. We may suggest you switch to a specially formulated prescription diet to improve your pet's oral hygiene.

Rabbits and rodents For some animals, such as rabbits, foods that need a lot of chewing (like hay and carrots) are needed in addition to pellets to keep their teeth trimmed and short. If neglected, these teeth can become overgrown and curl, causing pain and distress, difficulty eating and absesses. Rabbits are very good at hiding their pain as in the wild, weak animals are targeted by predators. We will need to trim overgrown teeth for you as a surgical procedure.

Bathing

If you bathe your dog, use a shampoo for dogs and don't let your pet become chilled afterwards. We do not usually recommend bathing a puppy younger than 10 to 12 weeks unless absolutely necessary (especially if one of the smaller breeds). Cats very rarely need bathing. If absolutely necessary it is kinder not to immerse the cat in water, but bathe gently in very shallow water. Use a shampoo designed for cats as some dog shampoos may be irritating. Towel dry the cat completely and gently comb out the fur.

Checking for fleas

Check your pet regularly for fleas. Adult fleas jump onto your pet, biting them to feed on their blood, so you may notice your pet scratching more than usual. You may see a flea, or small specks of black flea droppings, or tiny white flea eggs if you part the hair. Fleas can seriously undermine the health of your pet, create severe skin reactions and pass on tapeworms. We can advise you on the best flea control treatments for your particular pet. There are specific products for each type of animal as they have different types of fleas. Read more about fleas and flea prevention here.

Checking for internal parasites

Worming is an important part of looking after your pet's health - and your own. A normal healthy cat or dog may not show any signs of worm infection because the eggs they pass in their stools are generally too small to see, but these can cause a general poor level of health and importantly may spread to humans, especially young children. You may sometimes see small worms' eggs sticking to the fur around your pet's rectum. A roundworm infection in young animals can cause a noticeable swollen stomach but little overall weight gain and stunted growth. It can also cause vomiting and diarrhoea, bad breath, a poor, dull coat and coughing. In severe, untreated cases roundworm can be fatal. Routine worming is important. The most effective way of treating your pet is with a prescription only wormer from your vet. Read more about worming here.

Caring for your pet in winter

Winter is the time when many of us start to feel aches and pains and our pets are the same. Look out for any limps or difficulties getting up after rest, these are signs that your pet may have some joint stiffness, often made worse by cold or damp weather. Remember that whilst many dogs love playing in the snow, slim and fine coated breeds find it much harder to conserve body heat and would benefit from a dog coat. Also be aware of hazards such as frozen ponds and lakes. Watch out for anti freeze (as used in cars) as some people use it in their garden ponds, it is a very palatable poison to animals.

Winter can be a very difficult time for animals that live outside, especially pet rabbits and guinea pigs. Ensure that their hutches are warm and dry and in a sheltered position, or in severe weather bring them inside. Even if it's cold and you'd prefer to stay inside your warm house, please make the effort to visit them every day to give them fresh food and water and check their water bottle is not frozen.

Caring for your pet in summer

Never leave your pet in the car on warm days. The temperature inside a car can rise very quickly to dangerous levels, even on milder days. Pets can succumb to heatstroke very easily and must be treated very quickly to give them the best chance of survival. If you can not immediately get your pet to us, move it to a shaded area. Place a cool wet towel around its neck. Wring out the towel and re wet it every few minutes as you cool the animal. Use a hose or pour water over the animal's body and bring your pet to us urgently.

Travelling with your pet

Planning and preparation are necessary when traveling with family pets. First of all consider whether your pet is comfortable when travelling. Some animals, like some people, prefer familiar surroundings. A car-sick animal can make a trip miserable. Ill or physically impaired animals may not have the strength to travel. Pets are safest fitted with their own pet harness or in a travel crate.

Wherever you are staying, find out in advance if the pet is welcome. Consider taking a crate for use in hotel rooms or the homes of friends or relatives who are not comfortable with your pet loose. Take some familiar things to make your pet feel at home, like their blanket, food dish and toys.

A few general tips apply if your pet is to travel abroad by car or plane. Be sure your pet is properly identified with a microchip. Before undertaking any trip, consult us to be sure that all required vaccinations are up-to-date and your pet is healthy. Remember it can take eight months to get your pet a Pet Passport to travel abroad.

Helping to prevent accidents

Be careful around the home. Keep potentially dangerous objects like pins, needles, string, razor blades, or fish hooks away from curious pets. Make sure cages are safe and any toys or play equipment are not a hazard. Keep poisonous products and materials far from your pet's reach, as you would with a child. Usually poisoning is accidental. Family pets (and all animals) risk all kinds of poisoning - many poisonous materials are used around the home every day - pesticides, weed killers, slug pellets, rat poison, lawn sprays, fertilisers, paints, household cleaners... even some plants are poisonous.

To help prevent your dog from being involved in a traffic accident, always keep your pet on a lead near roads. Don't allow your dog to roam the streets. Check boundary fences for escape routes and make people aware of not leaving gates and doors open.

Recognising illness in your pet

Ensuring your pet's daily well-being requires regular care and attention. Sometimes it can be difficult to know if your pet is unwell or in pain, they cannot tell you and are very good at hiding their symptoms. To help you recognise illness in your pet, here are a wide range of symptoms that could indicate a more serious underlying health problem. We recommend that if your pet shows any of the following signs, you contact us:

> Difficulty breathing, bad breath

> Difficulty or inability to walk or stand properly

> Disorientation, lethargy or weakness

> Pale gums

> Uncontrolled vomiting or diarrhoea

> Difficult, unproductive retching

> Straining to urinate, blood in urine

> Loss of appetite, marked weight loss or gain, excessive water consumption

> Abnormal lumps

> Abnormal discharges from the nose, eyes, or other body openings

> Persistant coughing, sneezing

> Painful, red or swollen eye(s)

> Loss of hair, a ragged or dull coat, open sores

Pet first aid kit

It is always a good idea to have a pet first aid kit in the house. We have put one together to include everything that we feel might be necessary for minor emergencies. See contents here. Why not buy one from the surgery on your next visit. Please remember, however, to always seek our veterinary care for your pets' emergencies as soon as possible.

Other pet care topics may be covered under FAQ