Dogs

The Vet
Phone 01254 53622 (fax: 01254 679233)
The VETerinary Health Centre, Daisy St.
Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5EW

VAT No. 174346162 Clients' Thanks

USA: U.S. Dermatologist Lowell Ackerman has discovered and used pictures from this website in his new book on Veterinary Dermatology book (extract)

Australia Parts of our website are now being used for teaching vet nurses on Gilles Plains Campus

JAPAN: Our Firework Phobia leaflet is now in use in Japan!!
(Download Japanese version)

Heaven for Pets

Back to <Keeping your pet healthy>

Top Priorities for a Healthy Dog
Prevent problems happening rather than wait till they happen.
Click on the underlined words for more information. Click again to shrink the list.

Pet Health Insurance - so you can give your dog the best treatment.

Start as soon as you get your pup. You'll appreciate it later.

Start before your dog has problems or they won't be covered.

Avoid cheap insurances that will only give 12 mo. cover.

Ask our nurses for help when choosing your policy.

How to get the best from your Pet Health Insurance.

30 years ago..... (David Higginson MRCVS remembers)

No one had pet insurance. To some extent no one needed it as treatments were limited. Veterinary medicine for pets was still in it's infancy. Effective drugs without side effects were rare. Anaesthetics were risky. There were few useful blood tests available. In fact the situation in pet practice was little different from James Herriot's days in the thirties. Pet insurance is vital nowadays as, without it, few owners would be able to afford proper treatment for their pets.

Quality Feeding: your dog IS what he/she eats.

Feed a top quality complete dry food.
Hill's Science Plan is excellent - Science Plan Puppy up to 9 - 15 months,
Hill's Science Plan Adult up to 7yrs old,
then Hill's J/D Reduced Calorie over 8yrs old to maintain mobility and to keep the weight down.
and here's lots more reasons:-

Gives a good coat with much less hair shedding or dandruff.

Regular, well-formed motions, with less smell and less wind.

Reduced volume of motion - toileting just once or twice a day.

Hard dry feeding helps keep the teeth clean.

Much easier to feed, easier to store.

Much more economical than canned food.

A few Don'ts.....

	Don't feed any human food.
	Don't give milk.
	Don't feed scraps or fresh meat.
	Don't give bones.
	Avoid sudden changes in diet.

30 years ago..... (David Higginson MRCVS remembers)

We rarely talked about a dog's diet. Dogs were generally fed on scraps or canned food of dubious quality. Many dogs were overweight, smelly, had irregular motions, poor coat, and awful teeth, and we accepted this as normal! We hadn't yet realised that most of these problems arose for poor quality diet. It wasn't until the late 80's and the introduction of Science Diet (as it then was called) and Eukanuba that British vets realised just how much we could improve a dog's health by quality feeding.

Vaccination throughout life against some nasty diseases

Vaccination against Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Infectious Bronchitis and Parainfluenza.
Annual booster vaccination is essential to maintain protection, and is a requirement of Pet Health Insurance.

Rabies vaccination if you have any intention of taking your dog overseas.

We now stock Rabies vaccine and advise it's use if you have any intention of taking your dog to France or Spain etc. You may also choose to vaccinate your dog to cover the risk of a Rabies outbreak in the U.K.

30 years ago..... (David Higginson MRCVS remembers)

	When I joined the practice in 1970 Distemper was rife, we saw cases several times a week, most died or had to be put to sleep because of paralysis or recurring convulsions. Hepatitis and Leptospirosis were also very common. Vaccination became the norm during the 70's and has been so effective in controlling these diseases that during the past 10 years we've not had a case of Hepatitis or Leptospirosis in the practice, and only 2 cases of Distemper. Sweden was 20 years ahead of us in vaccinating their dogs. Some years ago the uptake of vaccination of dogs in Sweden declined and, no surprise, Distemper came back with a vengeance. Vacination is vital!
	Parvovirus was a new disease in Blackburn in 1980 and arrived like a plague killing hundreds of dogs over the following few years. We still get cases regularly every spring and summer in unvaccinated dogs of all ages. We usually manage to save adult cases by intensive nursing but pups often deteriorate too quickly to be helped. Vaccination is vital.
	Infectious Bronchitis ( Kennel Cough) is a non-fatal respiratory disease of dogs that causes a severe and persistent cough. Infectious Bronchitis is common. We see cases all year round with a peak in late summer with as many cases occurring in dogs that have not been in kennels (hence the change of name). Most kennels insist on seeing an up-to-date vaccination certificate before allowing a dog to enter their boarding kennels.
	Annual Health Check-up. One additional benefit to canine health by regular vaccination has been the annual health check at the time of vaccination. Early detection of health problems which have come to light at vaccination has raised the health of our dog population enormously. How many humans get a full health examination every year of their lives!

Neutering - prevents many serious disorders
Best time for neutering a young dog is at 5 - 6 months of age. Older dogs can be neutered at any age providing the dog is healthy and not too overweight. A bitch is not normally neutered during a season or a false pregnancy.

Five good reasons to neuter your BITCH

1. Stops your bitch coming into season (on heat - bleeding from the vulva - ready to mate). Normally happens 2 - 3 times a year.
2. Prevents your bitch ever being pregnant.
3. Stops your bitch escaping to find a mate, and so reduces the risk of her being lost, stolen, or being involved in a road accident.
4. Stops male dogs gathering round your door (as they will when she is in season).
5. Eliminates the risk of many common "female" diseases.
The following are practically unknown in neutered bitches:-
False Pregnancy, Uterine Infections, Mammary Tumours, Vaginal Prolapse. Neutered females are less likely to have epilepsy or diabetes.

Five good reasons to neuter your MALE dog

1. Reduces Wandering, roaming is search of a bitch - and so reduces the risk of your dog being lost, stolen or injured in a road accident.
2. Reduces dog to dog fighting, and lessens the risk of your dog being a target for attack by a bigger stronger dog.
3. Reduces "Dominant" behaviour. Reduces aggression to people.
80% of bite injuries to people are by entire male dogs!
4. Reduces unwanted sexual behaviour - "mounting" of legs and small children, and "cocking,his leg" around the house trying to mark out his territory. Also prevents messy "dripping" from the prepuce.
5. Prevents these common "male" diseases -
Prostatic Cancer, Testicular Tumours, Anal Tumours,
Prostatic Infections & Prostatic Cysts, Perineal Hernias.
Neutered males are less likely to have diabetes or epilepsy.
Unneutered male dogs over 7 years of age have a high risk
of all the above disorders. Neutered males are healthier males.

What happens when your dog is neutered? <pictures of cat neutering>

Your dog is with us for only 6 - 7 hours.
A gentle sedative is given to reduce any anxiety followed by a general anaesthetic and the operation is completed early in the day.
A powerful pain relief medication is used to eliminate discomfort during recovery.
Your dog will be up and about by early afternoon, and is usually ready to go home soon after 3.00pm.
Dogs have remarkable powers of recovery and are usually back to normal within 3 to 4 days.

Take a close look at our anaesthetic standard.....

30 years ago..... (David Higginson MRCVS remembers)

	We never used to neuter male dogs. Well, most vets were male and didn't like the idea. It wasn't until we had enough female vets courageous enough to break the trend that we recognised just how many diseases were eliminated by neutering. We used to see the male diseases listed above on a daily basis (see Five good reasons to neuter your male dog). We still see all these disorders but virtually never in neutered males.
	We used to neuter about 40% of female dogs in the 70's. The rest all ended up with pyometra, mammary cancers, false pregnancy and hormonal disorders. Now that we neuter 95% of pet bitches all of those disorders are becoming rare. We used to have an emergency pyometra operation at least once a week, now we see only 4 or 5 a year.
	Neutering a woman would give rise to hormone problems. However, the ovaries of a bitch spend most of the year inactive so neutering a bitch simply results in maintaining this state permanently and healthily.

Flea & Tick Prevention - all year round.

Flea & Tick Prevention is Easy!

PRAC-TIC Spot-on monthly all year round
Each application is 100% effective for a full month - better than any previous product we have used.
The cost of 12 months flea and tick prevention is £66 - £86 depending on the size of your dog.

If you find a flea on your dog

and you are not using Prac-Tic then there are probably lots of flea eggs about your home already
- you'll need to:
1) Spray Indorex all around your home and vaccuum thoroughly over the next 4 weeks.
2) Start using Prac-Tic Spot-On monthly on all your dogs, and keep using it.
3) Treat all your cats with Stronghold Spot-On monthly for 3 months.
4 Worm your dogs and cats monthly with Milbemax for the next 3 months (fleas transmit tapeworms).

If you find a tick on your dog

Ideally, apply Prac-Tic and the tick will be dead in few hours and will drop off.
Then use Prac-Tic monthly all year round.
You will normally only find a tick once it has been on your dog for a few days and is full of blood.
Using Prac-Tic Spot-On routinely kills ticks before they can transmit any blood borne diseases.
You can remove ticks using a Tick Remover (available at the surgery), but you will only get the ticks you have found - in a long-coated dog there may be many others you can't see.

Flea Prevention - Why?

	FLEA ALLERGY - Over 50% of skin disorders in dogs and cats are caused by allergy to flea bites. Flea allergic dermatitis is common, we see new cases every day. Pets can only become allergic to fleas after being bitten regularly. Prevent fleas and you will dramatically reduce the risk of your pet having nasty skin diseases later in life.
	FLEA BITES - Fleas cause skin irritation in dogs & cats, and unpleasant bites in humans especially once they are established in the house. Flea bites on owner - picture
	FLEAS CAUSE ANAEMIA - Flea suck blood. They take much more blood than they need and pass large amounts of flea dirt in the dog's coat. This drops off the dog onto the floor and feeds the tiny larvae that have hatched out in the carpet. Older dogs, pups and kittens are most at risk from anaemia.
	FLEAS TRANSMIT PARASITES - Tapeworms are transmitted by fleas.
	ONE FLEA CAN PRODUCE 1000 FLEAS IN 4 WEEKS!!
	NOBODY WANTS FLEAS AROUND THE HOUSE!!

Flea Prevention - What NOT to use - Products that fail!!

	Cheap imitation spot-ons that just don't work.
	Flea Powders, Flea Shampoos and most Flea Collars.
	Herbal Flea Treatments.
	Many Flea sprays on general sale are inefficient.
	Flea Combs don't help at all!
	Bathing your dog just gives you clean fleas!

30 years ago..... (David Higginson MRCVS remembers)

Fleas were very common (and still are!). Treatments were fairly ineffective. Actually we didn't understand the fleas' life cycle properly until it was thoroughly researched in the early 90's. We used all the preparations listed above in the DON'T USE section. We had nothing else. Then in the mid 70's Nuvan Top, an organophosphorus spray, was produced and worked quite well, but it was poisonous, smelt awful and drove pets, especially cats, to distraction when it was applied (weekly)! We knew nothing of flea allergies and thought that scabby cats and dogs had vitamin deficiency. We didn't realise till a decade later just how severe a flea allergy reaction can be, i.e. just one flea can cause a severe dermatitis if the pet is allergic to flea saliva.
Ticks were not common and not associated with disease transmission in dogs. In the last 10 years they have become much more common and active for longer (March to October, longer if the winter is mild).
Ticks are now carrying some nasty diseases that never used to be found in the UK.

Routine Worming - protects dogs and children

Milbemax tablets every 3 months - treats all known worms.

Pups should be wormed with Milbemax at 2 wks, 4 wks, 6wks, 8wks, 12 wks and 16wks then every 3 months throughout life.

Worming - What NOT to use

Many old-fashioned wormers still on general sale are ineffective or have side effects. Some cheap tapeworm tablets still use dichlorvos which can cause convulsions and vomiting.

About Roundworms:

Roundworms produce thousands of tiny eggs which are passed in the faeces and lie dormant on the ground. These eggs are transmitted directly to other dogs and cats as they sniff and lick around. They even re-infect the host dog directly as he licks his own rear end. Roundworms will often be vomited up by pups and kittens but in adult dogs and cats there may be no clues to indicate that roundworms are present. They will still be there draining the body's resources and triggering allergies.

Risk to children. Roundworm eggs can remain active on the ground (grass, beaches, play areas) for a long time. They can then be transmitted via a child's hand to the mouth. Once ingested they develop into larvae that can migrate inside the child's body. If they end up in the eye they can damage eyesight. Regular worming is vital for all dogs especially those in regular contact with children.

About Tapeworms:

Some tapeworms are transmitted by fleas. The dog, irritated by the flea, grooms itself and eats the flea. In the bowel the flea is digested releasing the tapeworm to develop in the gut.

Other tapeworms are transmitted by eating uncooked meat, scavenging or hunting. Adult tapeworms develop in the gut. Tapeworm segments are passed in the dog's faeces and are eaten by birds and mice. The tapeworms form cysts in the muscles of these small animals and remain dormant until the flesh is eaten by a dog or cat. The cysts then develops into tapeworms in the gut. Tapeworm segments like tiny slugs or dried up grains of rice may be seen near the anus, or lengths of tapeworm may be "washed out" by diarrhoea.

30 years ago..... (David Higginson MRCVS remembers)

Barely a day would go by without a dog passing worms in the consulting room. Thin wormy puppies, scrawny mongrels and scavenging terriers all produced their worm specimens after rectal examination. It was always easy to add to my collection of bottled worm species! These days such heavy worm infestation do not occur in dogs that are wormed regularly with Milbemax. Unwormed dogs may show no signs of worms but if they become ill for some other reason they will deteriorate more quickly because of the debilitating effects of worms.
25 years ago we'd never heard of dermatitis and bowel inflammation caused by allergies to worms , and the risk of roundworms to children was not understood.

Regular Dental Care - keeps the mouth in good condition

How the teeth gather tartar (Periodontal disease)

Plaque begins to form on the teeth from birth. By 3 years of age most dogs have signs of the plaque changing to hard brown calcified tartar. This can be seen along the edge of the gum line. This tartar harbours bacteria which causes the edge of the gum to become inflamed and red. More tartar forms and under-runs the inflamed gum eventually forming pockets deep into the tooth socket resulting in loosening of the tooth. A bad smell on the breath may be the first sign of dental disease as dogs tend not to show pain in the mouth until the situation is well advanced. In the same way a person may have quite severe dental pain but you wouldn't know unless they told you. Your dog can't tell you. See "Dental Problems of Dogs & Cats" for photos of the various stages of dental disease.

How to reduce dental problems

	Feed a good quality complete dry food. If possible use Hill t/d as part of the diet (t/d actively removes plaque).
	Encourage chewing of Nylabone or Kong chew toys.
	If your dog is very co-operative you may be successful at using a doggy toothpaste twice daily. It works well but is not easy to do well.

Regular dental check-up with our nurse or vet.

A 3 monthly check-up with one of our veterinary nurses will allow you to spot trouble early and take action. Most dogs are fine till about 3 years of age. As soon as tartar becomes visible the teeth should be de-scaled and polished.

Annual Dental De-scale and Polish from 3 years of age.

	Your dog's "Day at the Dentist". First of all, don't worry - dental treatment at the Veterinary Health Centre is a very routine procedure. We will do all we can to make it easy for you and your dog. We begin with a relaxing sedative, followed by a gentle anaesthetic using propofol and isoflurane (the best anaesthetics available). The patient relaxes peacefully and in about 10 minutes is asleep in light anaesthesia. A analgesic is given to prevent any discomfort on recovery. A pulse oximeter is used to monitor pulse rate and oxygen levels in the blood. Then we sort out any dental problems. We remove all hardened tartar, and polish the enamel to reduce plaque formation in the future. We do all we can to preserve the teeth, but any loose, or decayed teeth will be removed. Antibiotics to clear infection will be used as necessary. Older dogs or those with kidney problems or active infection may need fluid therapy (I/V) during the procedure. It doesn't take very long. We need your dog at the surgery for just a few hours. Admission 8.30am - 9.00am, discharge 3.00pm - 5.30pm. (see also Our Anaesthetic Standard).
	Routine Blood Test. is recommended before every anaesthetic to check for any hidden problems . Our in-house laboratory gives us the results within the hour.
	If you would like to stay with your dog while the anaesthetic is given, or during recovery you are most welcome. Please tell the receptionist you would like to stay with your dog as you fix your dog's dental appointment. There is a charge for this service. You might even enjoy the Rolf Harris Experience!
	Other minor medical problems such as cysts, warts, small growths etc. can be dealt with at the same time (ask for an estimate).

30 years ago..... (David Higginson MRCVS remembers)

Dental care was non-existent. Most dogs had awful smelly mouths by the time they were 5 or 6 yrs old. No-one expected a older dog to have a pleasant mouth! Unlike nowadays anaesthetics were quite risky for older dogs so dental care consisted of waiting till there were lots of bad teeth then extracting 15 or 20 teeth at one go. Not surprisingly many dogs did well once all that infection had been removed! We now know that with regular dental de-scale and polishing we can maintain a healthy mouth throughout life for most dogs.

Watch the weight - overweight dogs have loads of problems

Overweight dogs are very likely to end up with:

arthritis, stiffness, torn ligaments, spinal disorders, heart disease, breathing problems, bowel disorders, anal gland problems, skin disease, or tumours.

The benefits of slimming:

As your dog loses weight he/she will become more alert and active, and look younger and happier. You will be glad you helped him lose weight, and he will reward you by living a longer healthy life. Oh, and the cost of his medical care will be less too!!

How to slim your dog:

1. Make up your mind to do it!
2. Feed a true low-calorie diet, Hills r/d is the most effective.
- "Light" diets do not reduce weight
3. Feed nothing but the low calorie diet!
4. Bring you dog for a weight check every 2 weeks with one of our nurses.
5. Cut out all tit-bits. Find out who "cheats" in your house and bring them with you to your pets next weight check.
6. After slimming - STAY ON r/d diet long term to stop weight rising again.

Underweight dogs.

Dogs can be underweight for many reasons: digestion failure, diabetes, liver problems, hormone problems, tumours etc. Underweight dogs should be examined by the vet and investigated with blood tests etc.

30 years ago..... (David Higginson MRCVS remembers)

Many dogs were so obese they couldn't stand up for more than a few moments. I can remember removing fatty tumours bigger than the dog, and obese dogs with heart problems we could do nothing for. These dogs were not happy! We dealt with the results of obesity but we didn’t do much to prevent it. Now we weigh all our patients regularly and take action if weight seems to be rising. We have walk-on scales, a range of effective diets and trained nurses to run our Pet Slimmers sessions. Dogs live longer, happier and healthier lives as a result.

Identichip - electronic identification for if your dog is lost.

Permanent electronic identification is easy.

A grain of rice sized transponder (Identichip) is inserted under the skin over the shoulders and remains in position for life. If you dog is lost and ends up at a veterinary practice, a rescue centre or at a police station then the Identichip will be used to find out the name and phone number of the owner.

Travel Abroad.

Your dog will need an Identichip before Rabies vaccination.

Proof of Ownership.

If ever a dispute about a pet's ownership arose then the Identichip would confirm who the true owner was.

Collar and Name Tag

is still recommended in addition to Identichip.
Include on the tag your vet's phone number 01254 53622 so that if your dog is lost or injured locally it can be dealt with by your own vet.

30 years ago..... (David Higginson MRCVS remembers)

No fancy electronics then! Maybe we didn't need them so much as families and dogs didn't move about so much. Now that dogs travel all over the country, even overseas, and families re-locate around the country more than ever before, permanent identification is a very sensible idea.

Sort out behaviour problems early for a happy dog and a happy family.

If your dog has any of the following problems - talk to us.

Nervous, disobedient, aggressive or unhappy.
Pulls on the lead, objects to tablets or ear drops, resists grooming.
Afraid of fireworks or other noises or objects.
Oversexed, destructive hyperactive or goes frantic in the car.
Territorial, excessive barking, won't let visitors in, or out!
Might not accept a new baby or a visiting toddler.

How we deal with pet behaviour problems

Arrange a routine appointment with our vet behaviourist David Higginson for an initial assessment to discuss the problem and treatment options. Simple cases will be dealt with in routine consultations. For more complex cases you will be given a "Life Story" questionnaires to complete and a Full Behaviour Consultation (approx. 1 hr.) will be arranged at your convenience.
Your Dog's Life Story. This will ask you to write down in detail everything that worries you about your dog's behaviour. It will ask you about your dog's daily routines, likes and dislikes, games, treats, habits, friends and enemies. We also need to know about yourself and your family, and how you (humans) relate to your dog. Return your completed Life Story to the surgery and our vet will contact you soon afterwards to fix the Full Behaviour Appointment.
Full Behaviour Appointment
If possible bring the whole family to that appointment. The vet will go through your dog's lifestyle, and will want to ask you lots of questions about your relationship with your dog.
Once a diagnosis has been made, the vet will tell you whether treatment is likely to succeed, and will instruct you on how to begin correcting the problem. Any necessary equipment or medication will be supplied. A review appointment is usually arranged for two weeks later.

30 years ago..... (David Higginson MRCVS remembers)

25 years ago the whole concept of dogs experiencing emotions, anxieties and distress was just not considered. Many vets still don't quite accept it! In the mid 80's I was inspired to learn about pet behaviour correction as I tried to find ways of correcting aggressive or nervous biting dogs that were brought to me for euthanasia by loving owners at their wits end. I studied the new methods of Dr Roger Mugford, Ian Dunbar and John Fisher and found that we could indeed change the way a dog thinks and feels, and in many cases could correct the emotional problem at the root of the mis-behaviour. I soon discovered that the stressed dog with heart failure was much more likely to improve if I also dealt with his emotional problems. The older rank-conscious dog with arthritis would not improve until we taught him to "chill out" and let someone else take over as leader. I have continued to study pet behaviour therapy as a special interest over the past 15 years and consider the emotional state of a pet to be a vital factor in success or failure of any medical treatment.