Small animal vets are busy in the summer and farm vets are busy in the winter …
Feral cats enjoying the sun ….
It is coming up to the end of May so summer is almost here, you would not have thought the workload of a veterinary surgeon in the UK would be seasonal but it is, small animal vets are busy in the summer and farm vets are busy in the winter, it was ever thus. I had never much thought about much about the reasons behind this fact before but here goes. Fleas are commoner in the summer and therefore so is skin disease in the dog, fleas like warm weather, and ticks are seen more frequently as well. People go on holiday in the summer months so the number of vaccinations we carry out is much increased, most kennels insist on vaccination before an animal is admitted. Also in the long summer evening people enjoy taking their dogs for walks to the local lake or the like, once there dogs can pick up thorns, cut their pads on glass, and last but not least get bitten on the derriere by another nice doggy. All of these things may require the attention of your vet.
With the onset of warmer weather now is the time to ensure your pets enjoy the summer but stay fit and healthy as well, here are a few tips based on my own experience each year.
Cats : Cats love the sun, my own cat Zac is no exception, he loves to sunbathe, this is no problem unless he has white ears. Cats with white ears are very prone to sunburn of the ear tips. Repeated episodes of sunburn can lead to localised skin cancer which can only be treated by radical excision. The risk can be reduced by keeping your cat indoors during the day or by applying a high factor sun cream to the ears on a daily basis. It might be an idea to have us check the ear tips if you have a white eared cat if you are at the surgery anyway, say during a vaccination consult.
Dogs : During the summer it is wise to check your dog for grass awns following walks. These are like sharp little darts and get into the coat and the ears and anywhere else they can, they easily penetrate the skin. Once under the skin they can migrate for often surprising distances and cause abscesses. In the ear they can lodge near the ear drum and cause serious ear disease. Long haired dogs like spaniels are very prone to acquiring these. I have known owners make their spaniel wear a hair net during walks to avoid grass awns in the ear. This is a geographically localised problem, I never saw it in Scotland, the grass which produces the awn must thrive in Eastern England.
Rabbits : A particular problem for rabbit owners in the summer is fly strike, which is a really nasty disease. Rabbit rear ends often become damp and dirty and this attracts flies which lay their eggs there. These eggs hatch into maggots which are capable of burrowing through a rabbits skin into the underlying flesh, this is very serious and can result in death. In the summer months you should check your rabbit each day, turn it over and inspect its hind end for eggs and maggots. If you are in any doubt contact your vet at once. If your rabbit is prone to fly strike consider making a mesh with net curtain to put over the windows and open areas of its hutch to prevent flies coming in, also a suitable fly strip hung near the hutch might help.
Cars : This is a topic which is frequently covered in the press and TV, but as each summer I treat at least one case of heat stroke it is worth repeating. Never, never, never, leave a dog or any other pet in a car, even with the windows partially open for any length of time at all. Static cars are like ovens on hot days.
Enjoy the summer but look after your pets …….
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