Dog "scooting" along ground

The Hanley family knew that there was something strange going on with Benji. For no particular reason, he had started rubbing his rear end along the ground. He looked as if he was sitting down, and then he pulled himself along with his front legs.This was peculiar behaviour when he did it outside on the grass, and at first the Hanleys thought it might just be an odd thing that dogs do from time to time. But when Benji started to do it indoors, on the carpets, it was definitely time to take him to the vet to find out what was going on.
As I listened to the description of what was happening, I knew at once what was going on. This “rear end rubbing” is a common complaint. Many owners refer to it as “scooting” or “sledging”, and people often think that it is caused by worms. It is true that there are worms that can cause an irritation under the tail, and it does make sense to check that a recent worm dose has been given. But the most common cause of the problem is a “dog” thing that thankfully, humans don’t suffer from: anal sac disease.
Dogs, cats, and many other animals have two small anal sacs which produce a strong smelling glandular secretion. The sacs, one on the left and one on the right, are hidden beneath the skin, and they are each connected by a duct to the lower bowel, just inside the anus. Every time the animal passes a motion, the anal sac is physically squeezed out, so that their secretion is applied to the outside of the faecal pellets. The anal sac secretion smells disgusting to humans, but it carries very important messages in the animal world. The concept of “territory” is an essential part of animals’ social lives, and anal sac scent deposits are one of the ways that dogs leave a mark to let other dogs know that they have been around.
The skunk has particularly well-developed anal sacs, which they are able to control with voluntary muscles. The strong stink associated with skunks is due to their ability to turn around and drench enemies with the contents of their anal sacs.
Fortunately, dogs do not use their anal sacs in this way. Instead, the anal sacs are usually an invisible part of a dog’s anatomy that is not apparent to an owner. Occasionally, for different reasons, the anal sacs can become diseased, and the scooting behaviour is the most obvious sign that something has gone wrong.
The most common problem is simple: the anal sacs stop emptying properly, and become over-full. They are normally around the size of a raisin, but they can expand to the size of a large grape. There are different reasons whey they may not empty properly, but the most common one is that modern pet food is not bulky enough to enable the sacs to be squeezed out effectively. In the wild, dogs eat fur, skin, bones and all sorts of other non-digestible matter that passes straight through their digestive system. As a result, their faecal pellets tend to be large, with a firm consistency, and they are very effective at squeezing out the anal sacs. Pet dogs tend to eat highly processed food that creates softer, smaller faecal pellets that are not as good at emptying the anal sacs. In many dogs there is not a problem: the anal sacs still somehow empty effectively. However in some individuals, the sacs fill up with secretion, and when they become swollen, they start to be itchy. This is why dogs like Benji start to scoot along the ground. Sometimes the scooting behaviour solves the problem: some dogs are able to naturally empty their own anal sacs by doing this. But in most cases, human intervention is needed to sort things out.
Emptying over-full anal sacs is probably the most unpleasant job that I need to do as a pet vet. Latex gloves are essential. The area around the anus is squeezed firmly, and the accumulation of anal sac fluid is physically emptied onto a piece of cotton wool. The latex glove is then discarded into a sealed clinical waste bin. The smell of anal sac secretions is strong, musky and disgusting, similar to the stench of a skunk. There are occasional incidents where the secretion squirts in the wrong direction, escaping confinement within the latex glove. If this happens, it can leave a foul smell on your hands, or on your clothing, that is exceptionally difficult to remove.
In most cases, the anal sacs only need to be emptied once. Benji’s owners have been given instructions to add a teaspoonful of bran to his diet every day, and hopefully this will prevent the problem from recurring. Occasionally, dogs can suffer from repeated anal sac problems. They can become infected, and more complex treatments are needed, such as flushing under anaesthesia, with long courses of antibiotics. Rarely, the anal sacs cause such severe ongoing problems that they need to be surgically removed.
Benji did not enjoy having his anal sacs squeezed out any more than I enjoyed doing it. We are both hoping that this was a one-off incident. The Hanleys have started adding bran to his diet, and with luck, the problem has been permanently solved.
Tips:
“Sledging” or “scooting” is often a sign of anal sac problems
Affected animals usually need to have their anal sacs squeezed out by the vet
Additional fibre in the diet can prevent recurrence of anal sac problems
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Pets are good for you

Pets are good for our physical and psychological health. This audio segment, courtesy of East Coast FM, discusses the evidence.

05 pwpetsgoodforyou3.mp3

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The importance of neutering pets

Fiona is a vet nurse, and when she heard that I was writing about Spayweek, which highlights the importance of having pets spayed and neutered, she suggested that I should talk about castration. She feels that there are too many myths about neutering male dogs, and her little dog Olly is a good example of a contented, healthy, neutered male dog. Olly has always been a “big dog in a small body”. He was a very masculine dog from early puppyhood, and whenever he met other dogs, he would try to assert his dominance over them. At times it was comical, with a tiny Pekingese puppy squaring up to a big Labrador, but there was a serious side to it too. Even a small dog’s teeth can cause injury. Olly’s masculinity was causing embarrassing problems socially as well. He tried to “hump” anything that was “humpable”, from cushions to the lower legs of visitors. By the time Olly was five months old, Fiona could see that his maleness was making life complicated. Castration seemed the obvious answer.
Fiona’s husband, Mark, didn’t like the idea of the operation at first, with concerns that it might change Olly’s personality. But when Fiona explained the advantages of castration, he was more than happy for it to be done. And since the operation, it has been very clear to him that Olly is exactly the same dog as he was, with the only difference being his improved behaviour.
Apart from the effect on male behaviour, there are several other health benefits from castration. Testicular cancer is the second most common tumour in the male dog, and obviously this is prevented by castration. Early neutering also prevents disease of the prostate gland, which affects 95% of unneutered dogs affected by 9 years of age. And there are other tumours that are prevented completely by castration.
Many people worry that a castrated male dog will become a fat, lazy lump, but it is important to realise that this is not necessarily the case. Dogs only become fat and lazy if they are over-fed and under-exercised. Fiona took steps to ensure that this would not happen with Olly. As soon as he had been castrated, she reduced his daily ration of food by 10%, and she has always taken him for twice daily walks. Olly is only a small dog, and he is easy to exercise. If he goes twice around the block, he has taken as many steps as a bigger dog going on a five mile run! Fiona has found it very easy to keep Olly at his optimal weight.
Fiona is convinced that castration should be the “natural choice” for all male dogs, and the beneficial effects for the individual dog are not the only reason. Ireland has a huge problem with the over-production of puppies, resulting in thousands of unwanted dogs ending up in Ireland’s dog pounds. Obviously female dogs are the source of these unwanted puppies, but equally obviously, male dogs have a very significant part to play in the reproduction process. If more male dogs were castrated, there would be fewer unwanted puppies born in the first place.
This coming week is known as “Spayweek” , which is an awareness campaign, highlighting the importance of having pets spayed and neutered. Perhaps the week should really be called “Spay and Castration Week”, because it is equally important for males as it is for females.
Spayweek was set up in response to the appalling stray dog destruction figures in Ireland. The most recent figures from the Department of the Environment show that 14, 598 unwanted dogs were destroyed in Irish dog pounds in 2006, representing a daily destruction rate of 40 healthy dogs for every single day of the year. This statistic draws attention to Ireland internationally like an unwanted beacon. On a per capita basis, Ireland kills more than twenty times more stray dogs than our nearest neighbours in the United Kingdom.
The stray dogs are killed by lethal injection at the local authority dog pounds across the country, and because it happens behind closed doors, many people are not aware that it is going on.
The unwanted animals live short, miserable lives before ending their lives in overcrowded dog pounds. It is obvious that it would be far better if they had never been born at all. The aim of Spayweek is to persuade people to get their pets spayed and neutered so that in the future, these unwanted dogs will not be born in the first place.
Spayweek has been boosted in the past three years by the arrival in Ireland by international dog welfare charity Dogs Trust, which runs a nationwide subsidised neutering scheme. Dog owners on means-tested social welfare benefits can have their pets spayed or neutered for a nominal fee of €20, dramatically cheaper than the normal cost of €150 - €250. There are also other discount neuter schemes across the country, run by charities such as the DSPCA and the Blue Cross. Lack of funds is no longer an excuse when it comes to having your pet neutered, whether you have a female to be spayed, or a dog like Ollie to be castrated.
Tips:
Ireland has appalling bad stray dog destruction statistics, with forty dogs being killed every day
Castrating male dogs is as important as spaying females
For more information, visit www.spayweekireland.ie or call the Dogs Trust Neutering Hotline on 1890 946336
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Poisoned pets

This audio segment, recorded with East Coast FM, discusses some of the issues involved when a pet is accidentally poisoned.

Poisoned pets.mp3

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Tear stains on a white dog's face

Katie-Jane is the daughter of Paul Goldin, the well known hypnotherapist who passed away earlier this year. Katie-Jane is based in her father’s clinic, working in hypnotherapy to help people overcome their fears and phobias.... . When she chose a new puppy, she deliberately chose Kayhla as the most unthreatening dog that she could find. Some people have a phobia about dogs, and a small, white, fluffy creature like Kayhla can form a useful part of a treatment programme.
When Katie-Jane brought Kayhla in to me for her vaccinations, the puppy had reddish-brown stains in the corner of each eye. Katie-Jane wondered what was causing these stains, and whether she could do anything to clear them up.
I explained that the brown marks were simply tears that were over-flowing from her eyes, and spilling down her face. Tears contain natural pigments, and when they are in continual contact with white fur, the red/brown colour develops. This can look unsightly, and owners are often very keen to find a way of solving the problem.
Tears should not normally spill down the face. Instead, they should flow through a natural drainage system that starts with two small holes at the inner corner of each eye. These holes lead to tubes known as “naso-lacrimal ducts”, also known as “tear ducts”. These carry the tears directly from the eyes to the inside of the nose. The tears then drain to the outside through the nose, which is one of the reasons why the tip of a dog’s nose is continually wet.
If the tear ducts are blocked for any reason, the result is exactly the same as if any plumbing system is blocked. The tears that are produced in the eye back up and overflow, like a sink overflowing. The overflow nearly always happens at the inner corner of each eye.

Vets are able to assess the efficacy of the tear ducts by placing a drop of green dye into each eye. In a normal dog, the dye passes with the tears through the tear ducts, and within a few minutes, the tip of the nose changes to a bright green colour. When I put the dye into Kayhla’s eyes, there was no colour change at the tip of her nose, and the green colour could be seen spilling out around the inner corners of her eyes, following the course of the brown tear stains.
The tear ducts can become blocked for different reasons. Bacterial infections of the eye, such as conjunctivitis, can cause the accumulation of thick secretions that can block the ducts. In these cases, a course of antibiotic eye ointment can be enough to clear the blockage and solve the problem. In other cases, it is necessary to physically flush the tear ducts out, using a syringe and a fine catheter. This is like a miniature version of the high pressure hoses that drain-clearing companies use to fix blocked plumbing.
In Kayhla’s case, the blocked tear ducts had a different cause that was more difficult to fix. She is a short-nosed breed of dog, deliberately bred over many generations to have a much flatter face than her wild dog ancestors. This is very obvious if you compare her appearance to other breeds such as Collies or German Shepherds. The shortening of the nose has had one unfortunate side effect: her tear ducts have become narrowed, twisted, and prone to blockage. It is very, very common for short nosed breeds of dogs to have tear ducts that are completely blocked from birth. It can be impossible to restore normal tear drainage, and over-spill of tears is almost normal in some breeds. The problem is not confined to the dog world – short-nosed cat breeds like Persians are also prone to blocked tear ducts with the resulting over-flow of tears.
When tear-spilling cannot be stopped, there are some steps that can be taken to limit the staining effect of the continual presence of tears on the fur of the face. You can buy commercial tear stain removing wipes on-line or in pet shops, or you can try a home made version.
I normally recommend the use of mildly salty water (1 teaspoonful of salt in a pint of boiled water) as the safest solution to clean anything, including eyes. An alternative answer which many owners use for their pets is a very weak boric acid solution (1 teaspoon boric acid powder dissolved in 1 litre warm distilled water).
A tissue or cotton-wool ball is dampened in this solution, and used to clean around the eyes once or twice daily.
On rare occasions, the continual moisture due to the tears can start to cause sore areas of skin on the face. For these cases, a course of oral tetracycline (an antibiotic) is sometimes prescribed. It is not the antibiotic effect of this drug that can help, but rather the fact that it has the effect of making fluids more “watery”. This allows liquids to pass through smaller places more easily, which can enhance the flow of tears through narrow tear ducts.
Katie-Jane has started to clean Kayhla’s face using cotton balls moistened in mildly salty water. This has become part of the daily routine, and already, the tear stains are less obvious.
Tips
It is very common for tears to spill down the face in short-nosed breeds
In animals with white fur, this often causes unsightly brown stains
Daily cleaning of the face is usually the easiest way of managing the problem
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Protect your rabbits!

Rabbits have featured in Lucy’s life for as long as she can remember. She was given her first pet rabbits, Flopsy and Mopsy, when she was only three years old, and since then she has had a continual succession of rabbits in her home. She can remember all of their names and personalities......
When Lucy moved into her own home two years ago, one of the first things that she did was to acquire her own brood of pet rabbits. Her boyfriend Jack was more of a dog and cat person, and was not keen at first, but when she took him to the pet shop and he held his first young rabbit, he was an immediate convert. They now have five rabbits: the three in the photograph, plus Slash and Blue. They are all young females, less than two years old. They share the house with Lucy and Jack, and they are clean creatures, sharing a large litter tray which is changed regularly.
Lucy has had all of her rabbits neutered, and she has seen for herself that this operation makes her rabbits more docile and friendly. She keeps herself up-to-date with the latest advice on rabbit care, making sure that her rabbits have the healthiest lifestyle she can provide.
During the summer months, she likes to let the rabbits out into the garden every morning, so that they are able to enjoy more exercise and grazing on the lawn. The rabbits enjoy the extra freedom, and in the evening, they are usually easy to bring back inside: Lucy opens the back door, calls “go home”, and they all come hopping back inside. At first, she worried about possible hazards such as neighbourhood cats, but she soon realised that the rabbits are able to look after themselves. They are muscular, powerful creatures, and they also know when to summon help. If they feel anxious for any reason, they thump the ground with their hind legs. Lucy can easily hear this sound from inside the house, and she comes out to make sure that there is nothing undue happening. So far she has been summoned because of cats sitting on the back wall, dogs sniffing at the side gate and even a helicopter hovering overhead.
Lucy is worried about one hazard that her rabbits would not be able to run away from: viral infections. She has heard that vaccines are available, and she wondered what she should be doing for her pets. They don’t mix with any other rabbits, but could they still pick up an infection? Should she get them vaccinated?
There are two serious viral infections affecting rabbits in the UK and Ireland, and they both cause deadly diseases in rabbits.
The first disease is well known: myxomatosis. This disease decimated the wild rabbit population when it first arrived in Europe fifty years ago, and it is still around today. It causes swellings around the head and body of the rabbit, and affected rabbits eventually go blind and die. Treatment is usually futile, and animals suffer greatly during the course of the disease.
Myxomatosis is spread by insect bites (such as fleas and mosquitoes), as well as by direct contact between rabbits. Rabbits that spend time outside in the summer are particularly at risk, especially if wild rabbits visit the garden. Lucy’s garden is fully walled in, so wild rabbits have no access, but she has seen mosquitoes around, especially at the peak of the summer, so her rabbits are definitely at risk. A vaccine against myxomatosis is the safest way to make sure that her rabbits will be protected.
The second common viral disease to affect rabbits is called Viral Haemorrhagic Disease, abbreviated to VHD. This is a new disease, only arriving in Ireland during the past fifteen years. It is a swift and efficient killer. Almost all rabbits who catch VHD die within a day or two. The virus causes massive internal bleeding, but it acts so rapidly that sometimes there is no outward sign of disease at all. Owners just find their rabbits dead in their cage. VHD is increasingly common, and it can sweep through a colony of rabbits. I have seen situations where families have lost three or four pet rabbits in less than a week because of VHD.
VHD is spread by direct contact between rabbits, but more worryingly, the virus can also be carried some distance by other methods. It can be brought in on hands or clothes e.g. after visiting a rabbit in someone else’s home. The virus can be carried on people’s shoes after walking in a local meadow. It can be transported by birds or insects flying into a garden. The virus is very difficult to kill, and there are even reports of it being blown into an area on the wind. It is impossible to guarantee that any rabbit can be kept clear of exposure to the VHD virus. A vaccine against VHD has recently become available, and this is definitely the safest option, especially when a colony of rabbits is involved.
Lucy has five rabbits, and she has decided to get them all vaccinated against both viral diseases. Unfortunately, the two vaccines cannot be given at the same time, and so two visits to the vet will be needed.
Lucy’s oldest rabbit so far lived to be eight years of age: with luck (and vaccinations) her current family of rabbits will also be with her until they reach ripe old age.
Tips
Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorhhagic Disease are two deadly viral diseases that can affect pet rabbits
Rabbits are less vulnerable if they are kept indoors
Vaccination is recommended for all rabbits, but especially those that spend time outside



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An unusual hamster

I saw a very unusual hamster recently.


Hammy had been showing three main signs of illness. Firstly, she was drinking a lot. Hammy used to drink one-third of a bottle every day, but more recently, the water bottle had been drained empty by the time her owner returned from college in the evening. Secondly, Hammy’s abdomen seemed to have become very swollen. The third sign of illness was probably the most worrying. Hammy had stopped eating, and was rapidly losing weight. The bones of her skeleton could be felt if you patted her back. Hammy's owner was keen to do everything possible for her, so she was admitted to our clinic for investigations, just as a dog or a cat would be in the same circumstances.
Hammy was sedated, and a series of x-ray pictures was taken. Now, I am sure that it is not easy for most folk to see what is happening in these x-rays, but let me show you.

First, do you see how her abdomen looks almost spherical. Both in the top view (taken with Hammy lying on her side) and in the lower view (when she was lying on her back), you can see that she does not have the normal tapered, oval shape of a hamster.

Secondly, you may also notice that it is not easy to see much detail inside the spherical abdomen. It all looks a bit murky, with a lot of white/greyness, and some black blotchy bits. Normally you should be able to see distinct shapes, and a vet is able to point out specific structures, such as the stomach, the kidneys or whatever. The murkiness told me that there was lots of fluid in her abdomen, and this was "greying out" everything else.



So what could be causing the fluid? If Hammy had been a human, she would have gone on to have ultrasound examinations, blood tests, and perhaps MRI scans. These would be possible, but they would definitely be beyond a typical hamster budget. Instead, we decided to go straight to the root of the problem - an exploratory operation to find out what was wrong inside her.

So little Hammy was anaesthetised and prepared for surgery, just like any other patient. When I opened up her abdomen, fluid gushed out (sorry, squeamish blog-readers) , and I could immediately see the cause of the problem. She had a large (for a hamster) tumour on one of the lobes of her liver. I was able to dissect out the affected lobe, and you can see it there, on the right. I closed Hammy's abdomen, and she made an excellent smooth recovery, even tucking into her supper on the same evening.
I sent off a sample to the laboratory for analysis, and five days later, the laboratory report arrived. It was good news. The tumour had been a benign mass, called a "biliary adenoma". This was unlikely to spread or to recur. Hammy came in for her final check that same day, and I was delighted with her progress. Her wound was healing perfectly, she was eating well and her thirst had returned to normal. Hammy had been cured, and she could now return to her typical hamster life.

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Bee sting!

Jessie is a typical puppy – full of energy and curiosity. She is at the stage of life where she is learning all the time, and last week, she had a lesson that she won’t forget for a long time.... It was mid-afternoon on one of the first sunny days that we have had this year. Jessie was relaxing in the back garden by herself, enjoying lying in the sunshine. Her ears pricked up when she heard a buzzing noise, and when she found the source of the buzz, she became even more interested. It was a small black and yellow object hovering in the air in front of her. Jessie had never seen a bee before, and in her innocence, it looked like a wonderful new toy.
As she watched, the bee flew to the ground, landing on the patio just in front of her, continuing to buzz. Jessie patted it with one of her front paws, and it buzzed even louder. The dog started to jump around the buzzing bee, barking at it, and batting it with her feet. The bee crawled around in front of her.
Jessie was enjoying this new game, and she became more and more excited. She became bolder, and having learned that no harm came to her when she touched the bee with her front feet, she decided to go a stage further. She grabbed the tiny bee with her mouth, as if it was a ball or one of her toys. It was at this moment that she learned the important lesson about small black and yellow flying insects: the bee stung her on the inside of her upper lip.
She yelped in pain, and dropped the dying insect onto the ground, backing away from it. Poor Jessie could not understand what had just happened, but her upper lip was now sore, and she was not a happy pup. She slunk over to her favourite spot on the patio, and lay down again. She had had enough playing for the afternoon.
Fintan’s daughter Emma had heard Jessie yelp from upstairs, but when she looked out of the window, she couldn’t see anything wrong with the dog. It was only when Fintan came back himself, half an hour later, that the consequences of the bee sting were obvious.


Jessie seemed much quieter than normal, and the right-hand side of her upper lip was swollen, as if it had been pumped up like a balloon. At first Fintan thought that she might have just bumped her mouth while playing with a toy, and perhaps the swelling would soon begin to go down. But as he watched her, the swelling seemed to be spreading. Soon her entire muzzle was puffed up, so that she was beginning to look like some type of bloodhound. The swelling seemed to be extending backwards, with her cheeks beginning to look different. Fintan made a decision: it was time to take Jessie to the vet.
A short while later, Jessie was on my consulting table, and I was carefully examining her mouth. The swelling was a typical allergic reaction to an insect bite, and when I examined the inside of her upper lip, I found the telltale tiny red pinprick mark. She had definitely been stung by a bee.
Allergic reactions are unpredictable. Sometimes the swelling comes up quickly, then vanishes equally quickly. On other occasions, the swelling continues to spread, eventually involving other parts of the body. The worry is that the swelling may spread to include the area of the throat. If Jessie’s breathing passages began to be obstructed by the swelling, the situation could become very complicated. In the past, I have had to carry out an emergency tracheostomy on an animal with swelling around the larynx, caused by a severe infection. I have never seen a situation deteriorate to this extent following a bee sting, but it is not a risk that I’d like to take.
The simple antidote to this type of allergic reaction is a rapid-acting injection of steroids. Jessie did not seem to notice as I gave her the injection. Her swollen muzzle must have been quite uncomfortable, and she was having a traumatic afternoon. The small needle from the vet was relatively minor in comparison with the other consequences of that buzzing insect.
The drug acted rapidly, and within a few hours, Jessie’s face had returned to normal. Fintan wondered if there was any other action he could have taken. I explained that if the incident is seen at the time, it can be worth using first aid measures to lessen the impact of a sting. It is important to discover whether a bee or a wasp has done the damage. Bee stings are acidic, and so the area needs to be bathed with a solution of bicarbonate of soda, to neutralize the acidity. Wasp stings, on the other hand, are alkali, and so they should be bathed in vinegar, which is a weak acidic solution. This treatment should ease any discomfort, but even then, the swelling can still occur.
There is one piece of good news: Jessie has learned an important lesson about buzzing yellow and black insects, and she is very unlikely to play with bees or wasps in the future.
Tips
It is common for young pets to be stung by bees and wasps at this time of year
If a sting is seen to happen, first aid can sometimes help
If a pet’s face begins to swell, urgent veterinary care is needed Click here for full post

A swan story

Bray, the small town in Ireland that is my home, has its own resident flock of swans - around fifty of them live in the local harbour, and they are a popular draw to visitors.
They are normally a healthy group, but accidents and illnesses do happen from time to time.....

Many years ago, I flew a sick swan across to the London Swan Sanctuary for specialist treatment. A photograph was taken, of the swan sitting in my lap as we headed off in the London-bound aeroplane. It was a bizarre, almost surreal image, and it made the front page of the national newspapers. Ever since, I have been known as a "swan vet", and my clinic is often the first port of call if a local swan needs veterinary help.



This poor bird (pictured above) must have tried to eat some bait that had become dislodged from a fisherman's line. The hook had somehow become impaled on the side of the bird's face. It looked shocking, but in fact it was easily fixed. The swan was anaesthetised using rapid knock-down gas, and when he was asleep, it was very easy to cut off the barbed end of the hook. After this, the hook slid out very smoothly.
When the swan woke up five minutes later, he was as good as new, and he was immediately returned to join his friends back down in the harbour.You can see that it was a big enough hook, but the swan was remarkably unfazed by its presence! Click here for full post

A dog with a sore eye

Sasha is a Hungarian Vizla, a rare enough breed in Ireland, and she is a lovely good-natured dog. A few days ago, her owner noticed that her left eye was watering more than normal...... He did the sensible thing, bathing it with a cool tea bag twice daily, and monitoring it closely. The following day, the eye was still watering, and now it was half closed. Sasha kept trying to rub her head along the ground, and it was obviously very itchy. She was brought up to see me, and I examined her carefully.
Eyes are a particular challenge to vets in general practice. The eye is a delicate structure with a very important function, and although most common problems are easy to treat, there are some conditions that require rapid, specialised treatment. Such cases need to be referred to a vet with a special interest in ophthalmology, and sometimes this needs to be done instantly. There are some eye problems that require the correct treatment to be given within hours. Unnecessary delay can lead to the eye being permanently damaged.
I carried out a routine physical examination of Sasha's eye, using an ophthalmoscope, which is basically a specialised magnifying glass with a built-in light source. I could see that the eye itself was perfectly healthy. Her problem was a simple one: conjunctivitis.
I did one extra test: I placed a drop of a dye called "fluorescin" into her eye. This picks up any scratches or imperfections in the surface of the eyeball. The dye adheres to the tiny ulcers that can be associated with conjunctivitis. In Sasha's case, the test was clear, with no scratches or ulcers. She had a simple conjunctivitis, probably started off by running through a bush or undergrowth, and then complicated by a bacterial infection. She was given a course of antibacterial eyedrops, and I expect her to make a full recovery. Click here for full post

Showing pedigree cats

Lia is originally from Moscow. She has been in Ireland since 2002, working as an interpreter for a computer software company. She had Siamese cats in Russia, where the breeding and showing of pedigree cats is very popular.....
When Lia decided to buy her own pedigree cats, she chose the Bengal breed. She liked their active, intelligent attitude, and their leopard-like coat markings. Lia wanted something that was a bit “different”, and the Bengal cat is definitely new and unusual. The breed has been created by cat enthusiasts by cross-breeding pet cats with the wild Asian Leopard Cat. The first Bengal Cat was registered with the International Cat Association (TICA) in 1983, but there has been reluctance by some pedigree cat associations to accept the breed. Some traditional cat breeding associations refuse to accept wild/domestic hybrid cats, as a matter of principle.
Bengal cats are pricey enough, with pet kittens costing between €800 and €1500, depending on the show quality of the individuals. In Ireland, even now, there are less than half a dozen breeders of Bengal cats. A female cat may only have between one and five kittens in a litter, and breeding is not always as straightforward as you might imagine. Stud tom cats can be difficult to find, and cat breeders need to put a great deal of time and energy into the project to achieve success.
Lia bought her cats in the United Kingdom. She initially had plans for breeding, and she bought a male cat as well as two females. After producing several litters successfully, she decided to rehome the male cat to a friend in Moscow, where Bengals are also very popular. She has kept the two females in her own home, but they have both been neutered, and they are now just kept as pet cats and for showing, rather than for breeding.
Lia discovered the world of showing pedigree cats around three years ago, and since then, she has regularly attended cat shows. She is a serious aileurophile ( the technical term for “somebody who likes cats”). She enjoys spending time around cats, and she enjoys socialising with other people who love cats. Cat shows provide her with an opportunity to do both of these activities.
Lia has two Bengal cats, Chloe, and her housemate Sheries. Chloe has performed exceptionally well in the show ring, and she is now a champion. Chloe enjoys being the centre of attention, and she seems to be a natural “show cat”. Sheries is a more nervous individual, and she did not seem to enjoy the stress of the showing world. Lia has retired her as a show cat, and she is now just a pet. The two cats live as normal indoor house pets with Lia. They enjoy each other’s company, playing together and sleeping beside each other on Lia’s bed.


There is an art to showing cats that many amateurs would not appreciate. The cats need to be in tip-top physical condition on the day of the show. Lia starts her preparation a full ten days before the event by giving Chloe a full all-over shampoo. This has to be done such a long time before the show, because the bathing makes a Bengal’s fur become frizzy and fluffy, and it takes over week for it to regain its normal sleek, shiny appearance.
Two days before the show, Lia has to spend some time pampering Chloe. She brushes her, clips her nails, and gently cleans her eyes and ears.
The day of the show usually means an early start. Cat shows take place across Ireland, so Lia may have to travel to Limerick, Cork, or Northern Ireland, which could mean starting out as early as 5.00am. Chloe travels in a large pet carrier, on the rear seat of the car. She is a good traveller, curling up and sleeping for most of the journey.
When Lia reaches the show, a bank of cages has been set up in advance by the organisers. One of these has been allocated to Chloe, but Lia needs to provide blankets and other bedding, as well as a water bowl. Before Chloe can be transferred from her travel cage to the show hall, she needs to be checked over thoroughly by the vet on duty. Only healthy cats are allowed to be entered into cat shows. The gathering of hundreds of cats under one roof has the potential for the rapid spread of diseases such as viral cat flu. The careful screening of all entrants on the morning of the show means that this risk is kept to a minimum.
Once Chloe has been checked in, Lia makes sure that she settles into her show cage, but she then needs to leave her on her own. Judging is carried out in the absence of owners for most shows. This is the time when cat owners socialize, gathering in nearby cafeterias for refreshments and chat. Two or three hours later, the judging is complete, and the top cats have been chosen. Lia, with the other cat owners, returns to the show hall, eager to see which cats have had winning rosettes pinned to their cages. Later in the day, the list of the small number of overall winners is announced. Prizes are given out – usually silver cups, and food supplies from commercial sponsors. There are no financial rewards – cat showing is definitely done for fun, not for profit.

Tips
If you like cats, then you will enjoy cat shows Click here for full post

My first audio podcast

East Coast FM Morning Show 2008.mp3

Click on the title above or the 'play' button to hear my first audio podcast. As part of my blog, I plan to post short audio segments, recorded as part of East Coast Radio's morning show.
For the past fifteen years, I have been the Resident Vet on my local radio station in Bray, East Coast FM. I call into the studio once a week, and do a short interview with the Morning Show host, Declan Meehan.
We cover all sorts of pet-related topics - from common questions like "why do dogs eat grass?" to topical subjects (the new strict animal welfare laws in Switzerland) to anything at all that grabs our attention.
We are hoping to customise some of our radio talks for this blog, so please watch this space, and we'd love to hear your comments. Click here for full post

The first post to the blog

My name is Pete Wedderburn, and I'm a companion animal veterinary surgeon. This blog is new, and who knows where it is going.......
I am based in Bray, County Wicklow, a small town just south of Dublin in Ireland. I'm from Scotland originally, but I married an Irish girl, and we have been living here since 1991. We now have two children, and we live with a menagerie of pets, including dogs, cats, hens, ducks, guinea pigs, rats, a rabbit and a few other oddities.
I am one of those "born-to-be-a-vet" people - it was my ambition since I was old enough to think about such things. From the age of five years up, I only ever wanted to be a vet. Well, I have been a vet for over twenty years now, and I still love it. It is a fascinating job, with every day bringing new challenges involving interesting new animals and owners.
This blog is intended to be an occasional record of some of the cases that I see, and some of the things that I get up to, during my typical working week. Click here for full post