Pet cloning

In my Telegraph blog today, I discuss pet cloning... click here to read it. It's a strange concept, but it's now technically possible. Do you think someone somewhere is quietly cloning humans? Click here for full post

Budgies as pets

On East Coast FM this week, I discussed keeping budgies as pets, with Declan Meehan and my own two budgies in the background.

budgies.mp3

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Cows with names produce more milk

In my latest blog posting at the Daily Telegraph, I talk about research in the UK that shows that cows produce more milk if the farmers call them by their names Are the cows responding directly to their names, or to the farmers' more genial attitude? Click here for full post

Is your pet lonely?

On TV3 today, I discussed loneliness in pets. Click here to watch it. I brought my own budgies in - Cosmic the male, and Sky the female. Cosmic used to be a single bird, but we bought Sky for him last year as a companion. Click here for full post

Fat dogs seized by RSPCA

In my Telegraph blog today, I discuss a news story in the UK where the RSPCA confiscated two dogs that had been allowed to become too fat by their owner. Click here to read it. Click here for full post

Dog fell off cliff

Kevina Malone was walking Anuk, her five month old cross bred Husky, when the pup tumbled over the edge of a cliff.Anuk is a recent arrival in the Malone household, bought as company for their eight year old cross-bred Labrador, D-von. The older dog took to the pup immediately, and the two of them have become close friends. They play together, sleep together and in particular, they enjoy exercising together. Kevina takes them out for a coastline walk most mornings, heading along Killiney Beach in the early hours, as the sun is rising.
A few weeks ago, it was a particularly clear, crisp frosty morning, ideal for dog-walking. Kevina followed her usual routine, with D-von being allowed to run freely for most of the time, while Anuk was kept on the lead, only allowed off for short stretches. The older dog always comes back when called, but the pup is just in the process of being trained to come back to her name. Kevina only allows her off in areas where she knows there is unlikely to be distractions or dangers.
After walking along the beach, Kevina and the dogs headed inland, along a track that took her over a bridge, then along a path that ran along the coastline. As she walked southwards, Kevina was aware that there was a 30 foot cliff between her path and the beach below her. There was a secure, high fence between the path and the cliff edge, so she did not feel that there was any undue risk.
One of the dogs did their “business”, and as a responsible dog-walker, Kevina stopped to pick up the poop. She allowed Anuk off the lead as she did this; there were no other walkers around, and it seemed like a safe opportunity to allow her a little freedom. Kevina took her eye off the pup for a few moments as she focussed on the poop-scooping job, and she didn’t notice that both dogs had found a gap in the fence on her left. D-von was experienced enough to stay away from the cliff edge, but Anuk was filled with the exuberance of youth. The puppy bounded through the long grass between the fence and the cliff edge, unaware of the risk. Kevina shouted her name, trying to call her back from the danger. The pup heard her, and looked back – then Kevina saw her disappear from view. She had gone straight over the cliff edge. There was a thirty foot drop, with rocks and sand below.
Kevina ran over to see what was happening, but before she could see anything, she heard a “clunk”. When she was able to peer over the edge, she could see the motionless body of her puppy at the foot of the cliffs.
It wasn’t easy reaching the pup in a hurry. Kevina ran along the cliff edge, looking for a place where she could safely descend herself. She ended up scrambling down a steep slope, and jumping the last few feet. She was bruised and sore the following day, but at the time, her only concern was to rescue her injured puppy.
When she reached Anuk, the pup was still lying motionless, but she was alive. She lay there, whimpering and shaking. There was some blood on the ground nearby. Kevina took off her jacket, wrapping it around Anuk. She zipped her in, and tied the jacket arms around the pup’s body to keep her warm and secure. The pup was howling as Kevina picked her up and carried her away, but there was no choice. Kevina knew that she had to get her to the vet as soon as possible.
She phoned her husband, who organised for a nephew who lived locally to pick her up from a nearby car park. Within twenty minutes of the accident, Kevina and Anuk had reached our veterinary clinic.
A brief examination of Anuk was enough to establish that she had been very lucky. She must have hit the ground with her right front leg held out in front of her, and the lower part of this leg had taken the brunt of the force. The leg was broken, with a small wound that was bleeding. Poor Anuk was in shock, and was badly bruised along the right side of her body, but there were no other serious injuries.
She was admitted to our clinic and given the standard post-trauma treatment. An intra-venous drip was set up, and she was given an infusion of pain relief. Later in the day, once she had recovered from the shock, a series of x-ray pictures were taken of her damaged limb. The bones of the lower part of the leg were broken, but a simple treatment would be enough to fix them. Her leg was immobilized with a splint and plenty of soft bandaging, from her elbow down to her foot. She was sent home that evening, shaken but well enough to greet Kevina enthusiastically when she came in to collect her.

The splint will have to stay in place for a month, with weekly re-dressings. I expect that Anuk will make a full recovery, and she should soon be back to her daily walks. I also expect that it will be quite some time before Kevina allows her to run off the lead on her own.

Tips
+ Cliffs are dangerous for dogs, just as for humans
+ Young dogs are most at risk, because they have not yet learned about the danger of heights
+ Vigilance is needed when taking dogs for walks, especially if they do not yet come back consistently when called

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Burns Night query about rats

Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, was born on this day in 1759 - two hundred years ago. A query came in from a Telegraph reader.... as follows:

We always have a big celebration in our house on Burns Night (25th January). Would it be OK to include my pet rats in the festivities by giving them a wee bit of haggis and some Irn Bru for supper? From JM, Edinburgh

Interesting one... and here's my answer:

Rats are omnivores, and it’s a good idea to supplement a standard pet shop dry mix with small amounts of table scraps from time to time. Haggis – a tasty mix of offal, oatmeal, onion and spices – would be an interesting novelty for them, but you may find that, like some humans, they don’t enjoy it as much as yourself. Don’t give them any Irn Bru - carbonated drinks should never be given to rats as they cannot burp, and the build-up of gas in the stomach could be fatal.

To finish with today, here's one of Robbie Burns' best loved poems, appropriately enough about an animal:

To a Mouse

(Whilst ploughing on a November day, Burns ruined the nest of a field mouse. He ponders why the creature runs away in such terror)

Oh, tiny timorous forlorn beast,
Oh why the panic in your breast ?
You need not dart away in haste
To some corn-rick
I'd never run and chase thee,
With murdering stick.

I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Has broken nature's social union,
And justifies that ill opinion
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor earth-born companion,
And fellow mortal.

I do not doubt you have to thieve;
What then? Poor beastie you must live;
One ear of corn that's scarcely missed
Is small enough:
I'll share with you all this year's grist,
Without rebuff.

Thy wee bit housie too in ruin,
Its fragile walls the winds have strewn,
And you've nothing new to build a new one,
Of grasses green;
And bleak December winds ensuing,
Both cold and keen.

You saw the fields laid bare and waste,
And weary winter coming fast,
And cosy there beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash; the cruel ploughman crushed
Thy little cell.

Your wee bit heap of leaves and stubble,
Had cost thee many a weary nibble.
Now you're turned out for all thy trouble
Of house and home
To bear the winter's sleety drizzle,
And hoar frost cold.

But, mousie, thou art not alane,
In proving foresight may be in vain,
The best laid schemes of mice and men,
Go oft astray,
And leave us nought but grief and pain,
To rend our day.

Still thou art blessed, compared with me!
The present only touches thee,
But, oh, I backward cast my eye
On prospects drear,
And forward, though I cannot see,
I guess and fear.

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Communicating with deaf dogs

In today's Telegraph blog, I discuss deafness in pets - featuring a 4 month old terrier puppy called Snowy who has already learned sign language. Click here to read it.And here is the rest of it. Click here for full post

Pets in cold weather

This week on East Coast FM, I discuss the effect of cold weather on pets with Declan Meehan. Click on the "play" button below to listen.

coldvet.mp3

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Daily exercise - good for Presidents and good for dogs

In today's blog across at the Telegraph, I focus on the fact that Barack Obama does 45 minutes of exercise every morning. Wouldn't it be good if we all did that for ourselves, and for our dogs too!If you want to read the blog, and comment on it, click here. Click here for full post

Roaming hamsters on TV3

This week on TV3, Basil the hamster was the star. He's a stray hamster who was found behind the fridge in a house that had never kept hamsters before. Click here for the video. The family managed to catch him before their cat, and they've been keeping him in a cage ever since. They asked around the neighbours, and they even put posters up in local shops but there's been no sign of his original owner. His new family have fallen for him now, and wouldn't want to give him up even if they did find the original owner.
The main message today is:
a) hamsters are escape artists - make sure their cages are very secure and chew proof
b) it's not just dogs and cats that end up as strays!

I also answered a few texts from viewers - a lame dog that had a cracked pad, a cat losing hair from its tail tip, a young dog that probably had kennel cough, a dog that was licking its paws after walks, and finally, someone asking if neutering would change their dog's personality (the answer, by the way, is NO!)

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Cats, rats, hens and greyhounds

In my Telegraph column this week, I answer a range of readers' queries - as always, it can be challenging to find the right answers, expressed within the allotted word number! Click here to read it. It would be easy to write a full page for many of the problems, but the level of detail wouldn't be of interest to the average reader... Click here for full post

Are pedigree dogs stupid as well as unhealthy?

In my Telegraph blog today, I look at Swedish research which suggests that pedigree dogs may not be as smart as their cross-bred cousins. Click here to read it. The pedigree breeders' world is being given a tough time just now.... Click here for full post

Dogs going to the movies

When Emma Halpin, aged 11, won a ticket to a movie premiere, her five month old Cavalier King Charles Max was also invited along.When Emma won tickets to an Irish movie premiere, they were tickets with a difference. The movie was Disney’s new animal-themed “Beverley Hills Chihuahua”, and the tickets made it clear that pet dogs were as welcome to the screening as their owners. The movie is about a pampered Chihuahua living in Beverley Hills (voiced by Drew Barrymore) who gets lost on the streets of Mexico. The organisers had clearly decided that this was an opportunity to bring the pampered dogs of Dublin out for the night.
Emma went along with her mother and a couple of friends, and they were fortunate enough to have seats in the VIP section of the cinema at Dundrum Shopping Centre. There were leather seats, and plenty of leg room, so there was more than enough space for little Max to sit on Emma’s lap and enjoy the screening.
As Emma looked around her, she realised that almost everyone in the VIP section had a dog with them. Twink was there, with her two daughters Naomi and Chloe, and their two dogs Rosie Kinnity and Jilly. Many of the VIP dogs were dressed up, typically in pink frilly outfits, in keeping with the over-the-top spoilt dog theme of the movie.
As Emma looked down from the VIP section into the main movie seating area, she could see that around half of those at the premiere had bought their dogs with them. The invitations had requested that dogs should be small enough to be carried, so there weren’t any German Shepherds or Golden Retrievers. But there were plenty of Chihuahuas, Cavaliers, Poodles, Bichons Frise, Shih Tzus, and Yorkshire Terriers, as well as a scattering of cross-bred mutts. The evening was like a lesson in recognising small dog breeds. The range of outfits worn by the dogs was equally diverse, with tuxedos and ball gowns, as well as coats covered in sparkling bling. There was even fancy dress, with one dog dressed as an angel with wings. Some owners had come along in matching outfits, with the polka dots on their own dresses and handbags matching the dots on their dog’s coat. There are now shops in Dublin (like www.mollys.ie in Dun Laoghaire) that specialise in outfits for animals, so there was no excuse for dogs to attend the premiere without due attention to their wardrobe.
During the movie screening, the dogs sat on their owners’ laps, and they behaved themselves remarkably well. In the darkness, Emma couldn’t see what other dogs were doing but Max certainly seemed to enjoy watching the movie. When the actor dogs barked during the film, Max sat up, cocked his head to the side, and looked even more intently at the screen. In the same way as bursts of laughter could be heard amongst the humans in the audience, there were occasional bouts of barking across the cinema from time to time, when a particular scene grabbed the dogs’ attention. Of course dogs wouldn’t be following the narrative, but they certainly seemed to understand that the movie was entertainment, and they looked as if they were being successfully entertained.

At the end of the movie, people gathered in the foyer, socialising with their dogs. They were looking at the various dog outfits, admiring each other’s pets, and taking photos of each other. There was even a clutch of press photographers, snapping away with flash cameras, as would be expected at a movie premiere.
As Emma left the event, she walked through Dundrum Shopping Centre with Max in her arms. The mood of the movie followed her as she went. Shoppers stopped to stare and point as the group of well-dressed dogs and owners made their way back to the car parks.
Max enjoyed his day out at the movies, but it’s probably a one-off occasion. In Ireland, there’s a clear line that separates humans from dogs at most events. Guide dogs are allowed almost anywhere, but pet dogs are usually frowned upon when people are socialising. “Health and safety” reasons are usually cited, and “no insurance” is another common line.
I know pubs where dogs used to be brought in as “arm candy”, but they’ve been banned over the years. Many shops now have signs saying “No Dogs”. Even if dogs are not explicitly banned, you get the feeling that they would not be made welcome if an owner tried to include them. Part of the lack of dog-friendliness probably goes back to the traditional Irish view of dogs as farm animals, whose place is in the yard. This old-fashioned attitude may have been compounded by occasional unfortunate incidents. It’s true that if an uncontrolled dog ever bites another customer, there could be unfortunate consequences for the proprietors of the premises.
Such problems are not insurmountable – in other countries, such as France, small dogs are welcome wherever humans gather socially. It’s common to see dogs in restaurants, sitting on their owners’ knees, enjoying small portions of the evening’s menu. I’ve seen cats with their owners in special animal carriages on trains in Finland. And in the United Kingdom, there are directories and websites dedicated to providing information about pet friendly premises.
If the enthusiasm and interest shown by onlookers at the movie premiere are anything to go by, the Irish attitude to dogs in public places could be changing. Look out for the dogs in the audience at the next movie featuring animals.

Tips
+ Dogs can enjoy movies, just like humans
+ Small dogs can fit in well with human gatherings
+ Many public premises in Ireland don’t allow dogs, for various reasons
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The science behind “Marley and Me”

In my Telegraph blog today, I discuss the recent research in Japan that has demonstrated physical proof of the changes that happen when owners have a close bond with their pets. Click here to read it. I've always been fascinated by the hidden depths of the human:companion animal bond, and it's great to see scientists finally beginning to unravel it. Click here for full post

Elderly pets - on the radio

This week, I discuss the subject of elderly pets with Declan Meehan - click on the play button below to listen.

elderlypets.mp3

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More on the Kennel Club, Crufts and the BBC

In my latest post to my Telegraph blog, I discuss the latest changes made by the Kennel Club towards breeding healther pedigree dogs. Click here to read it. The Kennel Club have made it clear that they intend to introduce changes to breeding standards in a phased way, and the latest announcements are definitely more progress in the right direction. Click here for full post

Problems of elderly dogs on TV3

This morning on Ireland AM, I brought Sophie along. She's a lovely Golden retriever who has just passed her 16th birthday, making her over a hundred in "dog years". Click here to see the video. Sophie has slowed down in many ways, with arthritis being the main physical problem (she is on daily tablets to help her with this). She also has some behavioural changes - the equivalent of "doggy Alzheimer's", which has been increasingly recognised as being a problem in elderly pets.
So-called "cognitive behaviour" means aspects such as knowing the layout of a home, remembering people, places and activities, and house training. It's common in older dogs to see changes in the ability to remember these things.
The signs that owners often notice include house-training problems, memory loss, disorientation, confusion, staring at walls, wandering aimlessly, getting stuck in corners, sleep disturbances (waking at the wrong time, sleeping unusually deeply or pacing the home in the early hours), restlessness, barking, separation anxiety, panting, drooling, obsessive licking, etc. These signs start off as minor changes and deterioration takes place gradually. Owners often do not become aware of the changes until they are quite advanced.
These changes are very, very common in older dogs, as part of the "normal" aging process. One study at the University of California School of Veterinary Medicine looked at 69 dogs: 32% of the 11-year old dogs were affected by this syndrome and 100% of the dogs 16 years of age older were affected at some level.
The high frequency with which the syndrome is seen in older dogs does not make the it healthy or "normal". Some studies have shown that dogs affected by this syndrome show deposition of amyloid (a protein) in their brains in patterns very similar to the amyloid plaques found in the brains of human Alzheimer’s patients. This type of cognitive dysfunction is often associated with the depletion of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, again suggesting that there is a physical reason for the changes.
Various treatments are possible, including drugs and dietary modifications, but the main issue here does seem to be "advancing age", and we all know that there's nothing fundamental that can be done to prevent this.
Dog owners should be sure to get their elderly pets checked by their own veterinarians - perhaps twice a year once they go over thirteen years of age. Cognitive dysfunction is a challenge, but there are ways of dealing with challenges. Often small changes to lifestyles and to the dog's environment can make the last lap of the race of life more enjoyable.

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Sleeping dogs, mother cats, prescription charges

This week's Telegraph postbag included a mixture of queries - you can read my answers if you click here. I always seem to get an interesting mix of problems - sometimes there can be too many of the perrenials (cats piddling in the house and dogs barking too much) - but every week I seem to be able to glean at least three questions that provoke some interesting angles. Click here for full post

Is pig the new chicken?

In this morning's Telegraph blog, I confess that my New Year's Resolution to give up eating bacon has lapsed. My conclusion for the moment is: intensively reared pig meat bad, free-range pig meat - OK, as long as they are humanely slaughtered.... Anyway, click here to read the blog and any comments from Telegraph readers. Click here for full post

Weight loss due to kidney disease

Miriam Dowling's cat Jake, who is almost fourteen years old, had always been a big cat, and when he started to lose weight, Miriam knew that there must be something amiss.Jake is a big animal, at around twice the weight of a typical moggie. He is not fat; he has a large frame, and he is very well-muscled. When he started to lose weight recently, it was a clear sign that there was something wrong with him.
Jake has always disliked coming to the vet. He sits at the back of his carrier refusing to come out, and it’s usually necessary to turn it upside down to force him to emerge. He then crouches on the consulting table glaring angrily at the vet, hissing and spitting if anyone dares to touch him. Any handling needs to be done very carefully, because he is quick to lash out with his front claws. And when he is finally returned to his carrier at the end of the consultation, the cage door needs to be closed using an object like a pencil. Jake always likes to have the final word – letting out a loud “pah” noise, and lashing out with his claws at the hand that is closing the door.
As he has grown older, Jake has needed to have his nails regularly clipped, and the only way that this has been possible has been with sedation. While he is sedated, I always take the opportunity to carry out any other minor procedures that may need done. I check his teeth, listen to his heart, and put him on the weighing scales.
It was during one of these routine visits a few months ago that his weight loss was noticed. He had lost ten per cent of his weight, the equivalent of a ten stone person dropping to nine stone. When I questioned Miriam, she mentioned that he had started to drink more water. While he was sedated on that day, I took the opportunity to take a blood sample, which was sent off to the laboratory for full analysis.
The results of the tests were not surprising: Jake was suffering from kidney disease. This is one of the most common illnesses to affect older cats, and it’s usually referred to as “chronic renal failure”. Many vets prefer to use the less severe term of “chronic renal insufficiency”, because the word “failure” suggests that the kidneys have stopped working completely. In fact, cats with kidney disease are still often able to live for many years with the condition.

There are many possible underlying causes of kidney disease, but most cases are probably best described as simple “wear and tear”. The kidneys carry out the function of extracting waste from the blood stream. Most waste products are produced from the breakdown of protein in the diet. Since cats tend to enjoy a high protein diet compared to other species, their kidneys have a high workload. It’s not surprising that they tend to wear out as cats grow older. Jake’s blood tests suggested that a bacterial infection was aggravating his kidney problem, but it was unlikely to be the main cause.
Blood tests are the simplest way to make the initial diagnosis, but urine samples also provide useful information about what’s going on. It’s not easy collecting urine samples from uncooperative cats, but there are some tricks of the trade. When Jake was sedated, I was able to slip a long, fine needle through the underside of his belly into his bladder, and collect a sample directly from his bladder. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of a bacterial infection, and Jake was started onto a course of antibiotics.
There is only one full “cure” for Jake’s type of kidney disease: a full-scale kidney transplant. This is commonly done in North America, but rarely in Europe. Most cases are treated instead using a combination of drugs and special diets.
It’s also possible to give more intensive treatment, such as injections of high doses of fluids to flush out the kidneys. This approach does not suit every cat, and it would be impossible with Jake. There’s no way that he’d sit still while given a large injection on a regular basis.
Kidney disease is a complex subject, but because it is a common problem, there are many helpful resources available for owners. There is an excellent website at www.felinecrf.com which gives plenty of detail about the different treatment options.
Jake’s treatment plan is heavily influenced by his own attitude. His dislike of vets means that fluid therapy is not an option. His refusal to take tablets means that daily medicines are also out. Instead, he is simply being given a specially formulated diet designed for cats with kidney disease. The lifespan of a cat with kidney disease can be doubled by feeding a high-quality, low-protein diet that produces fewer protein waste products than standard cat food.
At his most recent check, Jake was doing well. He is enjoying his special diet, he has stopped losing weight, and his thirst has returned to normal. He remains as grumpy as ever during his visits to the vet, but I have even grown fond of this aspect of his personality. Jake wouldn’t be Jake without his powerful attitude.

Tips:
+ Weight loss and an increased thirst are often caused by kidney disease
+ Blood and urine tests are needed to make the diagnosis
+ A special diet is one of the most important parts of a treatment plan
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Alcohol and violence..... and dogs

In my Telegraph blog today, I discuss a recent case in the UK where a man forced his dog to drink alcohol, then beat it up.Fortunately, the law caught up with the man, and he was punished appropriately. Go here to read more about it. Click here for full post

Picking up dog poops

On East Coast FM this week, we discussed the subject of poopscooping - that unpleasant but necessary part of dog ownership. Click on the play button below to listen.

poopscoop.mp3

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Rabies - an ongoing worldwide threat

In today's Telegraph blog, I discuss the recent case of rabies in an animal welfare worker from Belfast I witnessed rabies in dogs myself, when working in Swaziland in the 1980's - it's a terrible disease for both animals and humans. Read my Telegraph blog entry if you want to know more about rabies. Click here for full post

New Year's Resolutions for fat pets

Today on TV3 I brought in Daisy,a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who is 2 yrs, 9 mths old. Click here to see the video. Daisy weighed 8.5kg in August 2007, but by last month she had reached 13kg. She has been put onto a special diet, and she's having a measured amount of food every day, as well as regular exercise. Her target weight is 10kg initially, and that may be reviewed downwards a bit once it is reached.
Tips for assessing a dog's weight
a) you should be able to feel the bones of the spine
b) you should be able to feel outline of the ribs on side of the chest
c) a dog should have a "waist" if look down at their body from above
Tips for Losing weight
a) Give a measured amount of food every day
b) Exercise twice daily, 20 - 30 minutes
c) NO tit-bits at all
d) Regular weigh-ins
e) Get help at vet clinic if not making progress Click here for full post

Another swan saga

My post to my Telegraph blog today was about a sick swan that came my way over the Christmas period. Click here to read all about it. Our vet clinic an become busy with sick swans at this time of year, and hunger is often a large part of the problem. So if you have some spare bread and greens, why not nip down to Bray Harbour to share it with the needy? Click here for full post

Mystery lameness

Anna Poznanska-Citko's dog Bruder, a two year old collie cross dog developed a mystery lameness.
Bruder is a “rescue dog” – Anna found him at Collon Animal Sanctuary (www.collonanimalsanctuary.com) as a young adult. He has turned out to be a gentle, good-natured and loyal individual, and he has one over-riding passion: exercise. His collie ancestry means that he has an inborn desire to run for long distances. His forebears would have spent their lives herding sheep across hillsides and fields. Some collie-type dogs end up having behavioural difficulties, such as digging holes in the garden, or barking continually, and this is often because they are not given enough opportunity to burn up energy with exercise. Bruder is a dog with model behaviour, and it’s partly because Anna has recognised his need for plenty of physically demanding activity. She takes him for a walk for at least an hour every day, with plenty of off-lead running. Anna lives close to the Wicklow mountains, and so there’s plenty of free space for Bruder to stretch his legs.
Bruder normally has a graceful, even running motion as he charges up and down hillsides. It was very obvious when he developed a lameness of his left foreleg. He started to run in an awkward, jerky way. At first, Anna thought that he must have just sprained a joint, because as she puts it herself, Bruder is prone to being “a little crazy”. Anna took the same action that she would take if she had a mildly sprained ankle herself. She just rested him, stopping all walks for a few days. In many cases of lameness, this is enough to fix the problem. Rest allows damaged tissue to be repaired by the natural healing processes of the body. Often there’s no need for any medication or other intervention.
When Bruder continued to limp despite taking no exercise for a week, Anna knew that it was time to take him to the vet. On that first visit, it was obvious that he was lame on his left leg. He was not holding it up, but when he walked, he was not putting his full weight on the limb. Bruder was given the usual “lameness examination”, which means checking his sore leg from the tips of his toes all the way up to his shoulder. Each part of the leg is physically inspected and gently squeezed. Every joint, including the wrist, the elbow and the shoulder, is carefully manipulated. In nearly all cases, this examination allows the focus of discomfort in a leg to be located. Once the painful part of the limb can be identified, appropriate action can then be taken.
Bruder had a disappointing response to the lameness examination: he showed no sign of pain at all, even though every inch of his leg was carefully squeezed and twisted. He continued to sit on the consulting table, utterly relaxed and unbothered about having his leg examined. He was lame, but it was impossible to define the precise location of his lameness. Some dogs are very stoical, having a very high pain threshold, and at first, it seemed that Bruder was one of these “tough” dogs. Perhaps he was feeling some discomfort, but just refusing to show us. At this stage, he was given a simple course of pain relief and more rest. Often this is enough to cure a mild lameness, regardless of the cause.
When Bruder was still limping another week later, it was time for the next stage. He was admitted for a series of x-ray pictures, to obtain detailed views of the structure of his leg. There are some bone and joint diseases which show a characteristic pattern on x-rays., but Bruder’s x-rays were unrewarding – everything looked completely normal. Bruder’s lameness remained a mystery. He was given some more pain relief while we considered the next option.
At this stage, Bruder himself gave us an extra clue. He suddenly started to lick the underside of his left foot repeatedly, something that he’d never done before. Anna lifted up his foot to have a look, and she noticed a tiny irregular area in one of his pads. She brought him back to show me what she had found. There was a very small, hard, object protruding by the tiniest amount from the underside of his foot. I squeezed the pad around the object, and it began to poke out a little more. I then took a pair of forceps, grasped the object and pulled. To our astonishment, I drew out a splinter of glass, measuring half a centimeter long.

It was very obvious that this had been the cause of his lameness from the start. The splinter had disappeared deep into the tissue of his foot, and it must have only caused discomfort when pushed in a certain direction. When his foot was squeezed during our previous examinations, there had been no pain, and most glass splinters don’t show up on x-rays.
Bruder’s lameness was completely cured once the splinter was removed, and he’s resumed his graceful runs through the Wicklow hills.

Tips:
+ If lameness doesn’t resolve with simple rest, x-rays are important to rule out + serious problems
+ It’s always worth checking a lame dog’s feet, but problems like splinters are rare
+ Sometimes the source of the problem can be hard to find
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Obese rabbits and more

I'm going to start posting a weekly link to my question and answer column in the London Daily Telegraph. Click here to read this week's collection of queries. This week featured obese rabbits, cats with odd habits, and territorial dogs.
Interestingly, a reader sent me an email about cats and olive, which I've copied below:
I was interested to read about the reaction of cats Loulou and Oddie to an olive-wood bowl. A few years ago I bought a small olive-wood chopping board (just the size for slicing a lemon for G&Ts), but before I could use it, it was found and claimed by our cat, George. He licked and rolled on it, and hugged it like a catnip toy. He does the same to olives, licking and rolling all over them until he finally loses interest and leaves them, like squashed hairy beetle, on the floor.
The replacement board almost had the same fate as the first, but I was able to rescue it before George, in a frenzy of excitement, was able to rip it from it's bag.
It would be interesting to know what it is about olives that is so interesting to cats, and whether it is only cats that find catnip attractive that are similarly drawn to the scent of olive-wood.
Regards
PC Click here for full post

2009 Predictions from a veterinary blogger

Click here to read my Telegraph blog with predictions for what may happen in the animal world in 2009 Click here for full post