 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Vet and partner
Michelle
Silvera BVMS MRCVS If you would like extra information on any of the subjects please contact the practice. |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Ticks Ticks are generally found in rural areas. They lie and wait in vegetation, and attach to dogs or cats as they brush past. Once attached to the animal, they pierce a hole in the skin and feed on blood. This can cause local irritation, and in young animals, a severe infestation may cause anaemia. The highest risk associated with ticks are the diseases they can transmit. (Lyme disease in the UK and Ireland) Diseases such as Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis, can be transmitted via ticks in foreign countries, therefore regular tick treatment for pets travelling abroad is important. |
 |
||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
| What
can I do if my pet is affected? Regularly examine and groom your pet. Ticks can be removed safely using a tick remover - it is not advisable to pull the tick off, as this can result in the mouth/head part of the tick remaining embedded in the skin, which can then cause further problems. Tick removers are available at any of our surgeries, or an appointment can be made for the vet to remove the tick from your pet. Preventative treatment is available, which can repel or prevent the tick from attaching in the first place, or will kill any attached ticks. This comes in the form of spot-on treatments, which need to be re-applied every 4 weeks or a fitted collar lasting for up to 8 months. |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Protect
your Pets against Lungworm Lungworm (Angiostrongylus Vasorum) or French Heart Worm as it is also called, is a parasite that infects dogs and foxes. The adult lives in the heart and its surrounding blood vessels, particularly those supplying the lungs. Lungworm is carried by slugs and snails, which can be ingested by pets. Infected dogs can become quite unwell with a variety of clinical signs and also play a part in the lifecycle and spread of the disease. Regular wormers do not treat or prevent lungworm. However it is easily treated and prevented by application of a specific spot-on, which you can buy from your Vet. The parasite and hence the disease, is becoming quite prevalent in this area and we have had several confirmed cases, with many more suspected. |
 |
||||||||||||||||||
| Case
History "Jude", a 4-year-old working Labrador was brought into Cameron and Greig with a sudden onset pneumonic chest and high temperature. She was very unwell and was hospitalised immediately. Jude was given antibiotics along with anti-inflammatory treatment and improved quite rapidly, although she developed a chronic cough over the following week. Jude was
later admitted for endoscopy and radiography, which confirmed the presence
of lungworm (Angiostrongylus Vasorum). Worms were seen in her windpipe
and she was given the specific spot-on treatment. Jude has since made
a full recovery, and returned to work before the end of the shooting season. |
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
