pet advice

Preventing pet parasites – Fleas, ticks, worms in dogs, cats…..

It can be a surprise to find out your cat or dog has parasites, but it is common. All pets are affected by parasites at some point in their lives, this however can be prevented with regular parasitic treatment. In most cases, these parasites do not cause serious harm, but are often irritating and uncomfortable for your pet, getting rid of them is relatively easy by using a regular monthly treatment.

Pre and post operation protocols

Dogs, Cats & Ferrets

Please starve from 10 pm the evening before their procedure. An empty stomach is critical for a safe anaesthetic/sedation.

Water may be left down for them overnight.

Keep cats locked indoors with a litter tray the evening prior to their operation. Cats need to be kept indoors to ensure that they do not hunt or obtain food from elsewhere overnight.

Bring cats and other small animals in a secure carrier and make sure that dogs are secure on a lead to avoid them escaping.

Please allow dogs to go toilet in the morning before arriving and try not to get their coat too wet or dirty.

If your pet is likely to need any regular medication or special diet food whilst with us then please provide us with this in the morning when dropping them off with us.

Rabbits & Other Small Animals

Food should be available at all times to herbivores such as rabbits and guinea pigs. The stomach and intestines should be kept moving regularly to keep the animal healthy. Smaller animals also have a very high metabolic rate and should still have access to food.

Please bring in their normal food if possible to help encourage them to eat as soon as possible after surgery.

Avoid your pet becoming cold prior to anaesthesia, if a cold night is expected prior to their procedure day please keep indoors in the warm.

Paper bedding may be required following any surgery to prevent irritating the wound. Depending on the weather, if they dwell outside they may need to be kept indoors in the warm on the evening of their procedure.

General instructions

Drop off times for surgery are between 8.30 -10 am unless a different time has been agreed previously with a member of staff.

If your pet has been unwell or not been starved please make staff aware prior to anaesthesia.

Please be aware a consent form will need to be signed by law upon arrival by an owner (or someone acting on behalf of the owner) and must be over 18 years of age.

It is important to leave us a contact number we can reach you on at all times during the day so please inform us if your contact details have changed. This is especially important whilst your pet is under our care.

Post Operation advice

Post-operative care for your pet

Your pet has had a general anaesthetic today and may be drowsy when you get home. This is normal after a general anaesthetic. It is important that your pet is kept indoors for 48hrs to recover.

Your pet should be back to normal within 24-48 hours, but will need to be kept quiet and warm in the evening.

We will inform you if your pet has eaten whilst under our care. If not then feed small amount of bland (easily digestible) food like plain boiled chicken or white fish. Water should be available at all times.

A small area of hair may have been clipped from one or more of your pet’s leg sand /or neck, don’t worry this will soon grow back. This is to allow for the administration of the anaesthetic, and for the collection of blood samples.

Anaesthesia usually involves placing a breathing tube in the windpipe and occasionally this may cause a little irritation afterwards. You may also notice slight coughing, but this should not persist for more than a day or so. Please keep an eye on wounds or dressings. If you notice any problems such as swelling, discharge or redness of the wound, or the dressing has slipped or appears to be uncomfortable please contact the surgery for further advice.

Dressings should be kept clean and dry at all times. It is important that your dog does not interfere with any wounds or dressings. Excessive licking can slow down wound healing and introduce infection. If a collar or bodysuit has been provided then please use it as instructed.

If the vet has prescribed the following medication, please follow the instructions carefully.

Overnight Care of inpatients

Petwell House vets does not have any resident staff overnight. For cases requiring overnight supervision and care we have an arrangement with the Emergency Vet Service at North Surrey Emergency Hospital in Moseley 020 8783 2850 and VetsNow in Staines 01784 819515 where there is 24-hour veterinary and nursing care available. Patients requiring this level of treatment and care are transferred to the hospital in either of these 2 facilities.

As appropriated, they can be transferred back to Petwell House Vets , discharged home or kept in at the hospital the next day. Records are emailed to Petwell House vets on discharge of the patient.

On occasion we will keep patients at our premises overnight, for example admitting the night before for routine surgery the next day. Patients kept in overnight are kept in secure cages, provided with bedding, heat pads, litter trays and water. Food can be available if appropriate to individual cases.

Inpatients are checked at 8 pm as we leave the building in the evening and again at 8am the next morning when the staff arrives.

Firework Phobias

As once again autumn arrives with the inevitable firework displays, now is the time to think ahead for your pets so that they are not traumatized by events. Fireworks may be fun for us humans but they can be terrifying for our furry friends. Many pets endure much misery during Bonfire night and the festive season beyond but it doesn’t need to be that way. There are many ways in which we can help our pets, follow our tips below to minimize their stress. Preparation is important if dogs are to get through fireworks with the minimum of fear and stress!

Make a Den

-Make sure your dog or cat has a safe place they can access and hide in when they feel they need to. This may be the place that your dog naturally goes to when frightened and it can be modified to make it a suitable den.

If they don’t have a place they already use, chose a place that is naturally quiet and preferably located towards the centre of the house with no or minimal windows

A dog cage can be left in a quiet place and covered with blankets to convert it into a den where your pet can feel secure, put blankets into the den for burrowing and include a jumper of your own with your scent on for reassurance.

Don’t lock your dog in but make it somewhere he likes to go, give him treats each time he goes in there, maybe a new toy, anything that will provide a distraction.

The hiding place should be available at all times and it is vital to ensure that doors are fixed so that your dog cannot be accidentally shut inside or out of the area. •Ideally prepare the den 2 weeks in advance so your dog can become acclimatized to it.

Bowls of food and water should be in the den; some dogs like chews when they are anxious so make sure you have a good supply.

Minimise Noise

Close windows and curtains so that the flash of the fireworks cannot be seen.

Moderately loud rhythmic music with a good beat is an effective way to mask the firework noises

Walk dogs during daylight hours when there is less likely to be fireworks going off. Make sure you keep your dog on a lead at all times in case he is suddenly frightened by an unexpected firework. Keep garden gates and fences secure.

Keep them Calm

Feed a large stodgy carbohydrate rich meal in the late afternoon on the day you know there is going to be a display. Pasta, mashed potato or well cooked rice are ideal and will help to make your dog feel calm and sleepy.

Try to ignore your pet’s behaviour. Leave them alone unless they are likely to harm themselves. Too much reassuring can make their anxiety worse.

Never punish your pet when he is scared as this can make things worse in the long run. Try to ignore the fireworks yourself, try to appear happy and unconcerned. It can help if you play a game with another pet in the household because the frightened one may be tempted to join in.

Keep cats in at night and remember to provide extra litter trays if they are used to going out.

Make sure your pet is micro chipped in case of escape, and that your contact details are up to date.

Don’t forget small pets that live outside, partly cover cages with blankets so that one area is soundproofed and provide lots of extra bedding so your pet has something to burrow into.

Treatments/Products that can help

Adaptil (for dogs)/Feliway (for cats) pheromone diffusers –they plug in and disperse calming chemicals into the environment, ideally plug in at least 2 weeks before the event. Place close to their den for best effectsand leave it on for the whole of firework season. Scientifically proven to help.

KalmAid and Calmex are natural products designed to help anxious pets. They contain an amino acid, which affects the production of serotonin, which has a calming and relaxingeffect. They also contain another amino acid providing a calming effect, and thiamine, which can help with nervous disorders. Available over-the-counter in liquid, tablet or gel form.

Zylkene is a natural product derived from milk proteins that has been proven to help your cat or dog cope in times of stress and adapt to change. Can be used for short periods or continuously if needed. Zylkene comes in capsule formulation and can be bought over-the-counter.

Thunder shirts are tight body wraps available for nervous dogs and can help make your dog feel more relaxed.

Prescription medication can be dispensed by a veterinary surgeon for extreme cases. Please book an appointment to see a vet if you think you may need medication for your pet.

Lung worm

What is lungworm?

The larvae of the lungworm parasite are carried by slugs and snails. Infection can result when dogs purposefully or accidentally eat these common garden pests when rummaging through undergrowth, eating grass, drinking from puddles or pick them up from their toys. Even contact with the slime can cause an infection, a food bowl or ball that has come into contact with an infected slug or snail could be a potential source of the larvae. Foxes can become infected with lungworm and frogs can also carry the larvae, presenting a risk to dogs.

Lungworm was previously a disease infrequently seen in the UK. However, over the last several years veterinarians are increasingly seeing cases in the London area, probably due to increasing slug and snail numbers and urbanisation of foxes. These factors make Lungworm a year round rather than a seasonal threat. Lungworm can be a fatal disease as it causes severe damage to lungs and bleeding disorders. By the time symptoms are noted, the disease has usually progressed quite far.

Due to the increasing frequency of lungworm cases in London we currently recommend that all dogs receive a spot-on product or an easy-to-give chew, once a month for the prevention of Lungworm infection.

Please contact us at Petwell House Vets for more information on this.

Vaccination

We currently use Canigen DHPPi and Canigen L4 as our vaccinations for dogs and puppies.

We vaccinate dogs against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza and Leptospirosis.

For puppies 2 doses are needed to be administered to achieve immunity, the first of which is given at 8 weeks old, the second dose needs to be given 4 weeks after, if you miss the second dose, your puppy may not have immunity to these preventable diseases.

For adult dogs a yearly booster is needed, this can be given a few months after a full year, although after these few months we recommend your dog have a restart on their vaccinations and undergo the same 2 doses puppies receive.

If you are unsure about how up to date your dog is with their vaccinations, please feel free to call us and we can advise you.

Kennel Cough Vaccine –

You can also get your dog vaccinated against kennel cough, this is a yearly nasal (nose) vaccination. Most kennels require dogs to have had a kennel cough vaccine prior to boarding, this is usually is 2 weeks before the boarding, but you should ask your kennel what they require.

Parasite control

For us to prescribe any prescription strength anti-parasitics, we must have seen your animal in the last year and have an up to date weight, this is a legal requirement.

We have many products that help protect your dog against parasites, and they are used primarily for different age groups

Nexgard Spectra –

This is our main product, it is a monthly all in one tablet that is palatable. It prevents fleas, ticks, lungworm, heartworm, demodex mites, sarcoptes mites, roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, and eyeworm, however nexgard spectra does not protect against tapeworm, so we recommend a Droncit tablet every 3 months.

Nexgard spectra is available in weight catagories, so make sure we have an up to date weight as to effectively treat your pet.

Advocate/Prinocate –

If tableting your dog is too difficult, there are other available products such as Advocate, a spot on pipette. Advocate protects against the same things as Nexgard Spectra and does not protect against tapeworm and a Droncit tablet is recommended. Advocate is a monthly treatment.

Panacur –

This is a wormer that we use in puppies that are under 12 weeks, or below a certain weight, it is usually dispensed as a paste, but it can come in liquid and granule form if that is easier for you. This can be used to worm pregnant dogs.

Droncit –

A tablet that is used to treat against tapeworm, we recommend it being used along side out nexgard spectra or advocate treatment. It is to be used every 3 months.

Frontline spray –

If your very young puppy is suffering from a flea infestation we can use frontline spray, this can be done as early as 2 days old.

Microchipping

Since 2016, it has been a legal requirement that all dogs be chipped and registered by 8 weeks old.

When an animal has been chipped, we enter the microchip number on to your patient record. We then register the chip online.

To register the chip, we must have your email address or mobile number and make sure your address is up to date.
you will then receive an email or text and need to activate the account.

Neutering

We can neuter from 6 months old, though for bigger dogs it can be as late as 1 year old, for female dogs that have had a season, they will need to wait at least 3 months before we can neuter them.

There are a few things that you may like to consider before getting your dog neutered

Neutering before a first season decreases the chance of mammary cancer, unwanted pregnancies, hassle of the season. However, there is a slight increased chance of urinary incontinence later in life. So, it may be better to consider waiting until after a season, especially in larger breeds.

In nervous males, it is recommended to wait before neutering, as the drop in testosterone post surgery can make the behaviour problems worse or can make them fear aggressive. In these cases, it is a good idea to chemical castrate initially and see what effects castration will have.

Chemical castration is an implant (Suprelorin) that sits between the shoulder blades. It comes in 2 different strengths lasting 6 or 12 months. It is good if owners wish to see the response to castration prior to surgery, as it is reversible.

The change in hormones, decreases the pet’s metabolism and often increases their appetite, we recommend that you consider neutered diets, which are designed to limit calorie intake while making your pet feel fuller for longer. This is often easier than cutting back on the size of your pets meals, as this leads them to beg for food.

Grooming

We recommend you see a groomer’s, as they are better trained for grooming of your pets then we are, however if your dog has matted fur that would require a sedation to sort out, we are happy to help!

Vaccination

We are currently using the LeucoFeligen vaccine for out kittens and cats. For kittens 2 doses are needed to be administered to achieve immunity, the first which is given at 8 weeks old, the second dose is given 3-4 weeks afterwards. If you miss the second dose, your kitten may not have immunity to these preventable diseases.

We vaccinate cats against flu, enteritis and leukaemia.

A week after their second vaccination, your kitten will be able to go outside and explore the world, though we recommend you keep your kitten in until after they have been neutered.

For an adult cat, a yearly booster is needed, this can be given a few months after a full year, although after those few months we recommend that you get your cats vaccinations restarted as if they were a kitten.

If you cat is solely an indoor cat, you may choose to have them only vaccinated against flu and enteritis, although we still recommend you get them covered against leukaemia just in case they ever make it outside of your home.

If you are unsure about how up to date your cat is with their vaccinations, please feel free to give us a call and we can advise you.

Parasite control

For us to prescribe any prescription strength anti parasitics, we must have seen your animal in the last year and have an up to date weight, this is a legal requirement.

Advocate/prinocate

Advocate is a spot on pipette product that treats against fleas, heartworm, lice, mites, roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and eyeworm. It is a monthly treatment for kittens over 1kg, it however does not protect against tapeworm and an additional tablet of droncit will be needed every 3 months.

Bravecto Plus

If for any reason you or your cat does not get on with advocate/prinocate we have another product called bravecto plus, it prevents fleas, ticks, ear mites, roundworms and hookworms. it is a treatment that is needed every 3 months. It however does not protect against tapeworm and a droncit tablet will be needed every 3 months.

Program Injection

A program injection is another form of treatment for fleas in cats, it does not directly kill fleas but prevents they from breeding, it is to be given every 6 months.

Worming in cats

Panacur

This is a wormer that we use in kittens that are under 12 weeks, or below a certain weight, it is usually dispensed as a paste, but it can come in liquid and granule form if that is easier for you.

Droncit

A tablet that is used to treat against tapeworm, we recommend it being used along side broadline or advocate treatment. It is to be used every 3 months.

If you find that tableting your cat is too difficult we have a product called profender that is a spot on product that can be used every 3 months.

Microchipping

It is not a legal requirement to microchip your cat like it is for dogs, though we highly recommend it, as microchipping aids in returning your lost pet to you,

When an animal has been chipped, we enter the microchip number on to your patient record. We then register the chip online.

To register the chip, we must have your email address or mobile number and make sure your address is up to date.
you will then receive an email or text and need to activate the account.

Neutering

we can neuter from as early as 5 months old for both male and female cats.

Things you may want to consider before neutering –

Getting your cat neutered reduces the chances of complications such as pyometra and certain cancers.

The change in hormones, decreases the pet’s metabolism but often increases their appetite, we recommend that you consider neutered diets, which are designed to limit calorie intake while making your pet feel fuller for longer. This is often easier than cutting back on the size of your pets meals, as this leads them to beg for food.

Grooming

We recommend you see a groomer’s, as they are better trained for grooming of your pets then we are, however if your cat has matted fur that would require a sedation to sort out, we are happy to help!