We recently had a 9 year old female dog that was off colour and drinking a lot. She was off her food and had a dirty blood coloured discharge from her vulva. This was suspicious for a pyometra (infection of the uterus) but as the bitch had had 2 previous abdominal operations for removal of stones in the intestine, the owners were not keen to go for surgery to remove the infected uterus. We therefore put her on to a course of antibiotics to try to clear the infection.

This did not help and reluctantly the owners agreed to surgery as the animal was deteriorating. After putting intravenous fluids up to help the bitch through the anaesthetic and surgery, we started the operation. The infected uterus and one very enlarged cystic ovary were removed and before closing the skin incision, a check was made of the other internal organs.

This revealed a round, hard structure about 6cms in diameter in the stomache. This foreign body had to be removed and so a gastrotomy was performed. This "hole in the stomache" revealed a hard bouncy rubber ball that the animal had obviously swallowed at some stage. With the ball removed, the hole in the stomache was sutured closed as was the incision in the muscle and skin of the animal.

Intravenous fluid therapy was continued for 24 hours with nothing given orally to allow the stomache to start healing and the bitch is now beginning a period of recuperation.

The pyometra could have been prevented by spaying the bitch as a younger dog but the added problem of a swallowed foreign body could only have been prevented by constant vigilance of what she was picking up or playing with when out on walks or at home. This girl was a repeat offender from a point of swallowing things and seems to have continued the habit into her old age!

Hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid gland) usually affects elderly cats. The most frequently seen signs are:

               Increased appetite

               Weight loss

               Increased vocalisation

               Sometimes an increase in water intake

               Increased levels of activity

Diagnosis of this condition usually involves checking the blood pressure, heart rate and taking a small blood sample to test the thyroid levels.

If it is not treat it can lead to secondary problems including heart failure, kidney failure and loss of sight due to the increased blood pressure.

There are various treatment options for this condition which include surgical removal of the enlarged thyroid gland or long term medication. There can be problems associated with the surgery and many cases the option of medical management is preferable.  

As is sometimes the case, we had a rather sad outcome. Although the operation site settled down very well, the cat stopped eating and we discovered an enlarged lymphnode (gland) behind the jaw on the same side as the eye we removed. This enlarged very rapidly as was a sign that the tumour we removed was cancerous. The cat was again in discomfort and losing weight rapidly as it was not eating.

We decided not to operate again as the cancer was probably already spreading to other organs and so had to euthenase (put to sleep) the cat. At least we could prevent any further suffering but none the less this is never a nice decision to have to make.

A guinea pig was presented today with a massive (compared to the size of the leg) lump on its left hind leg. This had grown rather rapidly and was starting to worry the guinea pig when it moved. Although there was some question as to whether we would have enough skin left to cover the wound after the tumour was removed, the decision was made to go ahead with the operation as the alternative would have to be euthenasia.

The operation was performed and we managed to successfully close the wound. After a short stay with us, the guinea pig went home with the wound healing well.

Before                                                      After

Enucleation is an operation that involves removing an eye as a last resort when no other procedures will save the eye. We had one such operation today. A 12 year old cat was brought in a few days ago with a watery and swollen eye. The swelling was not due to pressure within the eye, but rather due to something taking up space behind the eye and pushing it forward. This could be as a result of a number od possibilities - the most likely being an abscess or a tumour. After a course of antibiotics, the swellling became worse which tended to rule out an abscess. Due to the costs involved, it was not possible for the owners to proceed with any diagnostic procedures such as an ultrasound or MRI scan as the cat was not insured.

The eye was now becoming uncomfortable as it was being pushed forward, so the decision was made to remove it. This was done and a large soft tissue mass was also removed from the eye socket. Again, histopathology was not performed due to the attendant costs, so we are not sure what type of tumour we are dealing with and whether or not it may spread to other parts of the body.

For the time being though, the cat is out of discomfort and the site of the enucleation has healed well.

Unfortunately fireworks are already being set off and terrorising many dogs and cats. If your animal suffers from this phobia there are many things you can do to reduce the problem.

• Close curtains in all rooms as soon as it gets dark or you hear fireworks.
• Put on background noise e.g. TV or radio
• Provide a secure hide away for the animal ideally in a position away from windows and doors
• DO NOT physically comfort your dog e.g. hugging etc when it is showing signs of stress as this inadvertently reinforces the stressful behaviour.
• Try and carry on with normal activities in the house.
• Plug in a pheromone diffuser (D.A.P for dogs, Feliway for cats) in the room which contains the secure area.
• There are some very effective herbal remedies available which can be used long term over the "firework season".

If you have any other queries or would like any of these products please contact us. 

There have been increasing reports of myxomatosis in domestic and wild rabbits throughout the UK. There is a very efficient vaccine available against this terrible disease and it should be given at least annually or in areas of high risk, every 6 months. This disease is transmitted by biting insects such as fleas and mosquitoes, so does not require direct contact with an infected animal. The high rainfall this summer seems to have resulted in increased numbers of the vectors (biting insects) and this is reported to be the reason for the increase in prevalence of the disease.

Symptoms to watch out for are

•  Swollen eyes
• localised swellings around the head, face, ears, lips, anus and genitalia.
• Severe swellings can lead to blindness and distortion 
• Bacterial respiratory infection often complicates the disease resulting in a fatal pneumonia.

   A rabbit with Myxomatosis

There is also a vaccination available against Hemorrhagic Viral Diarrhoea - another viral disease that effects rabbits.

Yesterday, a 5 year old Labrador bitch came in to the surgery after having been vomiting for a few days at home. Examination of the mucous membranes (the gums and areas under the eyelids) revealed a yellowish tinge. This is an indication of "jaundice" and generally reflects some underlying liver related disease. Blood tests confirmed that the liver had in fact been quite badly damaged and the resultant build up of waste products in the animal's body were having a detrimental effect.

We started treatment immediately including intravenous fluids and by today she was greatly improved and has started eating well again and is no longer vomiting. Although treatment will need to continue for a week or more, she seems to be on the road to recovery.

Below is an example of a jaundice dog

Symptoms to watch out for in your own pets are

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Increase drinking and urination
• Lethargic
• Jaundice
• Reduced appetite
• Weight loss

If you are worried about any of the above it is important to take your pet to the vet as these symptoms can also be related to other medical conditions.

A female Staffordshire bull terrier was brought in today with a yellow discharge from the vulva. Other symptoms included increased temperature, lethargic and increased thirst. The dog had been on heat (in season) about six weeks previously. These signs are typical of a uterine infection (pyometra) which has started to discharge through an open cervix. If left this infection would poison the dog's entire system (septicaemia). We therefore made the decision to operate and remove the uterus (womb). Prior to doing this we took a blood sample to check the dog's various organ systems and set up intravenous fluids (a drip) to help the dog during the anaesthetic and to flush out any toxins. After the operation the dog was given pain killers and put on a course of antibiotics to ensure that any infection was eradicated.

The uterus full of pus known as a pyometra.

To prevent this it is important to spay (removing ovaries and uterus) your dog as soon as possible. The earliest this can be done is at 6 months of age. It is a myth that the dog should have it's first season before operating. Spaying your dog as early as possible will also reduce the chance of mammary tumours, remove the chance of ovarian cancer, prevent unwanted pregnancy and prevent seasons.  

A condition seen frequently in certain breeds of dog is a luxating patella. This occurs when the knee cap slips sideways out of the groove that it is supposed to slide up and down in. This could be due to the leg being out of alignment in the vertical plane, the groove not being deep enough to hold the knee cap in place or the ligament on one side or the other being too loose to maintain tension on the knee cap. One or more of these factors may play a role in each individual dog with the problem.

Today we corrected a luxating patella in a tiny Japanese Chin dog. In this case, the alignment was still fairly good but the groove was very shallow and one of the ligaments to the side had stretched. The surgical correction involved moving the knee cap out of the groove and then cutting a section of bone and cartilage out of the groove to deepen it. The knee cap was then replaced in the groove and the side ligament tightened to hold everything in place more securely.

Despite being a very sensitive little dog, he was quite happy on the leg post surgically and we look forward to a complete recovery and a massive reduction in the chance of arthritis in the knee when the dog gets older. Unfortunately the other back leg has the same problem and will have to be operated on in a few months once this leg is fully recovered.

Malasezia yeasts are commonly found in the hair coat of dogs- often with no symptoms of disease at all. In some instances if other allergic or bacterial skin diseases occur, malasezia can become an opportunistic invader. Malasezia can also be frequently found in ear infections. Dogs with this problem typically have itchy, smelly, waxy ears. Diagnosis is confirmed by taking a swab from the discharge, stained and examined under the microscope.

Treatment involves drops in the ears and weekly baths- this treatment is usually very successful.

Under the microscope the yeasts look like this:

ear infected with malasezia

Demodex mites are parasites that can cause hair loss and secondary hair follicle problems in dogs- particularly puppies. We have recently had a case of demodex in a Doberman which appeared to cleared but then reoccurred after two months. This is quite commonly seen with demodex cases as it can be quite difficult to eradicate all stages (egg, larvae and adults) from the animal and its surroundings. A relatively new spot on formulation is the most effective treatment at present and it needs to be applied monthly for 4-6 months. Even after this treatment relapses can still occur. Secondary bacterial infection in the hair follicles are common and also need treatment.

Below are some pictures taken from the microscope of these parasites.

Demodex Adult

Demodex Egg

And now for something completely different....

We recently had an anorexic veiled chameleon brought in to us. Despite not eating for a few days, her belly was very large and she had stopped moving about her vivarium. Xrays showed many eggs almost filling the coelom (the cavity in reptiles which replaces the thorax and abdomen in mammals).

The eggs can be seen as the lighter (whiter) oval shaped structures on the xray. This chameleon also showed evidence of a long term calcium deficiency - see separate article- and partly due to this, the eggs had not formed correctly and she was unable to pass them. The only chance was to surgically remove the eggs.

Although we do not routinely operate on reptiles at this surgery, the owner requested that we attempt the operation to give the chameleon a chance at survival. After much research and communication with experts in this field, we decided to proceed with the operation. Once anaesthetized, the chameleon was laid on its back and prepared for surgery. The picture below shows the large number of eggs being removed from the coelom. The chameleon's head is towards the top right of the picture under the sterile drape.

Once the eggs were removed, we stitched the muscles and skin together again and woke her up. Within a short time back in a warm environment, she was awake and beginning to move around again. The following day she was already starting to feed again. The following pictures taken before and immediately after surgery show how bloated the eggs had made her appear- no wonder she was so umcomfortable! You may notice the darker colouration immediately after surgery - this is an indication of the stress the chameleon's body has undergone during the surgical procedure. This very quickly returned to the normal lighter colour when she was fully awake.

                 BEFORE                                                    AFTER

The Chameleon came in today which is 3 days after surgery. She is doing very well- moving around, climbing and eating. Will keep you updated!

The chameleon that came in egg-bound (see article 5th March) was found to be deficient in calcium. This is a fairly common problem in captive chameleons and it can be quite difficult to ensure the correct ratios of calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D and UV light. These factors can all play a role in the amount of calcium a chameleon takes in and then absorbs in a way that it can use effectively. The end result of a deficiency is that bones do not grow correctly (often curved instead of straight) and eggs cannot form the correct shell structure and then cannot be laid.

The xray below shows the very thin cortex (outer part of the bones) and how the bones have curved in this chameleon.

Note the curved bone and thin cortex                 The bones are straighter and the cortex thicker

                 CALCIUM DEFICIENT                                                  NORMAL