Feline. All the latest news from your XLVets Practice... CASE STUDY. behaviour Understanding cats behavioural needs NEWSLETTER SMALL ANIMAL

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1 WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE WINTER 2014 SMALL ANIMAL NEWSLETTER All the latest news from your XLVets Practice... VET FEATURE! CASE STUDY An XLVet member practice tells us about an interesting patient they have seen and treated! Feline behaviour Understanding cats behavioural needs

2 In this edition of Small Talk... The Winter months are now upon us! Jess Glover from Penbode Vets provides top tips on keeping your rabbit warm this winter. Vicki Harrington from Hook Norton gives advice on feline behaviour and there is also an article on treating and preventing ear disease. Rebekah Dudek BVetMed MRCVS EU Veterinary Advisor, Norbrook Laboratories Ear disease is possibly more common than you may think, with it being estimated that up to 20% of our pets are affected by it at some point. Dogs and cats can have ear problems for many different reasons, with some being more predisposed compared with others, meaning it is not always simple to determine the exact underlying cause. There are many symptoms of ear disease, but the most common are: Scratching or rubbing at ears Unpleasant odour Discharge within the ear canals Redness and swelling of the areas surrounding the ear Shaking of the head Haematoma (Blood blister) of external ear No matter what the symptoms are, it is important to remember most ear disease is accompanied by discomfort and pain so treatment should be sought as soon as possible. To diagnose ear problems, veterinarians use a variety of means including visualising the canal via an otoscope - looking for any foreign bodies or parasites, the discharge present, potentially sampling any debris and also, importantly, ensuring the ear drum is intact before any treatment is initiated. Occasionally, full examination under sedation or general anaesthesia may be necessary. Treatment of ear disease can take many forms, inclusive of foreign body removal, treatment of any underlying allergies, injection or tablet forms of antibiotics and pain relief, as well as local medicated ear drop therapy. It is always important to follow the treatment plan as directed by the vet thoroughly, as recurrence can easily happen if a small amount of the inciting cause is left behind. The key to healthy ears and helping to prevent ear disease developing is keeping them clean. Check your animal s ears weekly to ensure no more than a normal amount of wax build-up is present. If your dog swims a lot, has drooping ears or much hair growth which covers the canal entrance, regular cleaning once or twice per week with a gentle cleanser may also be necessary.

3 TOP TIPS Jess Glover, Veterinary Nurse, Penbode Veterinary Group Keeping your rabbit this winter We all dread those cold winter months and there's nothing better than warming ourselves by the fire. We must however, spare a thought for our much loved rabbits and guinea pigs housed in hutches outside. In the wild, they would be able to burrow away under ground out of the draughts and winter weather but unfortunately are unable to do so when kept as pets. We must therefore, give them a helping hand! Relocating a hutch to either inside the house itself or outbuilding such as garage could be the first step. Many people however, do not have the luxury of the extra space and even outbuildings such as garages can get very cold as the weather worsens. There are a few extra things that we can do to keep them comfortable. Providing extra bedding can make a big difference. Using a commercial 'hutch hugger' or even just some tarpaulin secured over the top so the rabbits can still see out but keeps the wind and rain away. Providing extra insulation in the form of duvets or blankets between the hutch and the hutch hugger or tarpaulin. Ensuring that the hutch is raised off the cold ground. Wrapping water bottles in bubble wrap or newspaper to help prevent water from freezing inside. Allowing vegetables to warm to at least room temperature before giving and even heating slightly for that added warmth. Care must be taken to ensure that they are not so hot as to cause scalding. Securing extra fencing or 'wind breaks' around the hutch area. Check on the rabbit at least 3 times a day to ensure that the bedding is kept clean and dry. If the hutch is large, a cardboard box filled with hay can provide a cosier area to sleep in. Snugglesafes can be used to provide extra heating in the bedding area. Water bottles should not be used due to the tendency for rabbits to chew through these! Keeping rabbits housed together can be the easiest way to keep them warm. Not only will they snuggle up to share body heat but they will also keep each other entertained at times when they cannot go outside to play.

4 Small Talk Special Feature Feline behaviour by Vicki Harrington RVN DipCABT (QCF Level 4), Hook Norton Veterinary Group When thinking of getting a cat, owners often consider them to be less demanding than a dog. In some respects this is true but the difficulties arise when misunderstandings occur with regards to their cat s behavioural needs. Unlike the dog the cat has retained a significant amount of their wild ancestors behaviours. They have learnt to tolerate and even enjoy human interactions but they still need to be able to perform normal wild cat behaviour patterns to remain happy and healthy. The vast majority of cat behaviour problems occur due to stress; whether that be due to circumstances beyond the owner s control or due to a lack of understanding regarding a cat s normal behaviours and needs and in some cases the assumption that they should be treated in a similar manner to a dog. Urination, spraying, grooming, scratching, hunting and nocturnal behaviours are all normal cat behaviours. The problems occur when these behaviours are shown in less desirable situations e.g. when the owners are trying to sleep, in places within the home or in excessive amounts, and over-grooming (which in some cases can result in self-mutilation!). There are often a number of factors that can contribute to these problems. One of the most common cat behaviour problems is spraying or urination within the home. These can often be as a result of stress. They can occur due to feeling threatened outdoors by the neighbourhood 'bully', living in a home with multiple cats, decorating or building work and in some cases something as simple as a new piece of furniture or another cat getting into the house. These are just a few things that can result in your cat becoming stressed. The stress of illness can be a common trigger for behavioural problems, emphasising the importance of a physical check up from your vet before consulting a qualified companion animal behaviourist. It is also worth knowing that stress itself can cause a number of medical problems including urinary infections which in turn, can cause spraying or urination within the home. Aggression can be caused by many situations and unlike a typical dog, cats have a 'shorter fuse' and are more reactive. Misunderstandings with regards to how we interact with our cats can cause seemingly unprovoked attacks on owners. For instance, research has shown that cats prefer to initiate interaction with their owners rather than being approached for attention (unlike most dogs who will give and take human interaction at any given opportunity!). Playing with your cat in an inappropriate manner as a kitten can also result in aggression problems. It may seem funny when the cat is young to play with them using your hands and feet to provoke a chase/pounce sequence, but later on when the cat gets bigger the results of this can become distressing for most owners. The important thing to remember is that there are a number of measures you can take to help resolve cat behavioural problems and in some cases the solution can be simple, providing they are tackled sooner rather than later.

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6 Barney s dice with death! by Lucy Rivett BVSc, MRCVS,GPcert (DI) Summerhills Veterinary Centre Barney is a six year old Labrador. Last winter he was running through some undergrowth at high speed when his owners heard him cry out. When they found him, he was impaled on a thin rusty metal spike. The spike had entered his body between his forelimbs and could just be felt under the skin on the left hand side of his back. His owners quickly transported him to the practice, taking care not to move the spike. When Barney arrived at the veterinary surgery he was having problems breathing as the spike had allowed air to enter his chest cavity and it was compressing his lungs. He immediately had two chest drains put in (to help remove this air) and he was also given pain relief and put onto a drip. Then x-rays were taken to assess the path of the spike through his body. The x-rays showed that although the spike was passing through his lungs it had narrowly missed his heart. Penetrating objects like this spike should never just be pulled out as they can be stopping internal bleeding, which can restart as they re removed. In addition this spike had a hook at its tip which meant it was very likely to lacerate the tissues around it if it was pulled. Barney was given a general anaesthetic and had a surgical procedure called a thoractomy where his chest cavity was opened up. This enabled us to see exactly what damage the spike had done and plan for its safe removal. When this type of surgery is performed, air enters the chest and surrounds the lungs causing them to collapse, and so he had to be ventilated throughout his anaesthetic by our nursing team. The spike had skewered one of his lung lobes, which due to the level of trauma meant it had to be removed, but amazingly hadn t injured anything else. The hook of the spike was cut off and then it was carefully pulled out of Barney s chest. The entrance and exit wound were stitched up, as was the surgical wound. For 24 hours after his surgery Barney had intensive nursing care. His chest drains were checked every hour and any remaining air around his lungs was removed. His pain level was closely monitored and he received a combination of pain killers to keep him comfortable. In addition he was given antibiotics and a tetanus antitoxin. Two days after his surgery Barney went home. He continued to recover well and has never looked back.

7 Can your kitten eyes help find the missing word? Find the words listed below in the grid with the exception of one, but which one? P B Z M T A Y I R H T P I C S O A L N Z B T M E C E E F B O F J T A C R A Y L R I D D P R S O L C B V U F O W M E U E I E G O D Which one is missing!!! Fill in your answer below CAT DOG LEAD PRACTICE RABBIT TOYS WOLF PARROT One of these great prizes... MISSING WORD: Please tick your preferred competition prize: Dog Toy Cat Toy Rabbit or Guinea Pig Toy Name Address The closing date for entries is December 15th 2014 Send your completed entry to: Small Talk Competition No.10 Laura Harmer, Pride Veterinary Centre, Riverside Road, Derby DE24 8HX Telephone Number Prizes kindly supplied by NVS Ltd XLVets Practice Name Postcode I do not wish to receive further information from XLVets I would like to receive further information from XLVets by