The response from
our first newsletter has been fantastic, with lots of new
subscribers joining us. Due to popular request we will be starting a
“Question and Answer” section in our next issue, as well as
featuring a “Breed Personality and Do’s and Don’ts” for our feline
friends. We have accredited behaviourists in the following fields –
Canine, Feline, Equine, Avian, Bovine, Porkine, Ovine and Caprine –
as well as professional in other animal-related fields, hat are
available to answer any of your questions.
If you want to
forward this newsletter to family and friends, please do so and
should they want to subscribe, just ask them to submit ‘subscribe’
in the subject line and return it to the address below.
We would like to
thank you for your support and look forward to receiving your
comments and suggestions. Scotty Valadao (Editor)
CONTENTS
1.
Breed Personality
Information
(this
is based on the personality of the breed as well as a list of do’s
and don’ts). This
issue – The Bearded Collie
2.
What is a Lipomas – “The
Fatty Lump”?
3.
Bathing your Pet.
4.
My pet has been
poisoned
(Part
two)
5.
What the Animal
Behaviour Consultants of South Africa is all about
6.
About membership
1.
Breed Personality Information – The Bearded Collie – Do’s and
Don’t’s
(By Eileen Ashton)
Personality and
Characteristics
The Bearded Collie
(Beardie) is a fun loving, extremely affectionate family dog, who
requires a gentle, kind approach to training. Beardies are clownish,
sometimes quite independent and extremely intelligent. They are an
active breed, and require daily stimulation and attention; a lack of
this can sometimes lead to destructive behaviour, due to boredom.
They thrive on the
hustle and bustle of a busy family life, and live comfortably with
other dogs, cats and children. Regarding children, prospective
owners need to know that their long shaggy coats, means that they
can be on the receiving end of some serious coat pulling, especially
with toddlers, which should be carefully managed by parents, as this
is very unfair on the dog.
Beardies are known
to use their voices to share their emotions, this is due to the fact
that when herding in the highlands of Scotland, they often had to
work quite independently from a shepherd, and would have to use
their bark to alert him, where they were or where missing sheep
were.
Beardies are not a
maintenance free breed and their gorgeous shaggy coats require a
weekly brushing, to keep it matt free. The breed should not be
clipped, as the coat forms a protective barrier against the sun,
especially in hot climates like South Africa.
Whilst not a
natural guard dog, Beardies are known to be protective over their
family and their possessions, especially their car and their homes!
They are a breed
that need to be integrated into every aspect of family life, and
cannot be an outside dog.
2.
Lipomas – “The Fatty Lump”
(Dr.
S. Rigby BVSc (Hons)
A lipoma is a
benign cancer of fat cells. It is probably the most OVER
DIAGNOSED tumour in dogs. It seems to occur most commonly in
Dobermann Pinchers, Labrador Retrievers and Cocker Spaniels, with
middle aged, overweight female dogs being at higher risk.
Lipomas usually
occur singularly but can be multiple. They are usually soft, round
and non painful masses. Lipomas can vary dramatically is size and
location – they can occur on the skin – that we can easily see or
inside in the chest or abdomen which are much harder to diagnose.
No vet can be 100%
sure that the lump is a Lipoma without doing a F.N.A (Fine Needle
Aspirate) – this involves putting a needle into the lump and
‘sucking’ up the cells. The cells are then stained and looked at
under the microscope. There is an adage in Veterinary Science that
says: “Your fingers are NOT microscopes!” If you are worried about
the lump, make sure the vet performs a FNA. Would you be happy if
your doctor felt a lump and just said – “It is nothing to worry
about” without an ultrasound scan/Mammogram or taking a sample.
Once a diagnosis
of a Lipoma has been confirmed they can be easily cured by surgery.
The Lipoma should definitely be removed if it is ulcerated
(bleeding), affecting the way your dog walks or moves, getting
bigger or if you want it removed. Once it is removed in the ideal
world it would be good to send it to a pathologist to make sure it
is not an “Infiltrative Lipoma”> The Infiltrative lipoma is subset
of Lipomas that can be difficult to remove and can often come back.
So please remember
– It may look like a fatty lump, feel like a fatty lump – but make
sure it is a fatty lump and not another cancer e.g. Mast Cell Tumour.
If you have any
concerns about your pet’s health your veterinarian is your first
port of call!
2.
Bathing Your Pet by
Helen Zulch
How often you
should bath your pet will depend on your pet’s lifestyle – those
that sleep on the furniture, as well as those that have specific
skin conditions may need to be bathed more often than those that
don’t, for example. It is always a good idea to discuss with your
vet how often you should bath your pet, as well as what shampoo you
should use. Also remember that your dog or cat’s skin is very
different from human skin, so it is important to use a shampoo
specially designed for animals and never a human shampoo.
The major
differences between human and animal skin are the following:
·
The pH of human
skin is acidic at around 5.5 whilst dog and cat skin has a pH of
around 7.5, or almost neutral. A shampoo formulated for the skin of
your pet will be formulated at this pH so that it is not irritant.
·
Human skin’s
superficial layer is about 3-5 times THICKER than that of a dog and
thus may be less susceptible to damage, infection and irritation.
·
The human
epidermis regenerates itself in about 28 days as opposed to about 20
days in the dog.
·
Human hair grows
continuously, whilst dog and cat hair grows in a cyclical manner
with the old hairs being pushed out of the hair follicle by the new
hairs, hence the shedding we see.
·
Human skin has
sweat glands that your dog’s and cat’s skin does not have.
Bathing not only
removes debris, dirt and dead hair and controls strong odours, some
shampoos will in fact aid in keeping the skin hydrated and improving
coat quality. These shampoos should leave the coat shiny and soft
and aid in maintaining its health.
Pets should be
bathed in lukewarm water at a time of the day that will allow them
time to dry after their bath. Wet your pet thoroughly, right down to
the skin, with the warm water and then rub the shampoo into the
coat, all over but being careful not to get it in their eyes and
ears. Once they have been washed all over, it is important to
thoroughly rinse the shampoo out of their coats using more clean,
warm water. You can gently wipe around their faces with a sponge or
some dampened cotton-wool if you need to.
After the bath,
towel them dry as much as you can and then allow them to dry on
their own. Try to keep them away from sandy areas in the garden
whilst they are drying or else they may roll and end up almost as
dirty as before!
If you are using
an insecticidal shampoo or a dip, be sure to follow the instructions
very very carefully and NEVER use it on any pet that is not listed
on the label, many insecticides are poisonous for cats or tiny
puppies.
It is always a
good idea to get kittens and puppies used to being bathed from when
they are young as they are then less likely to get upset when they
are older. Always make these experiences pleasant for puppies and
kittens, giving them treats whilst you are busy washing them as well
as afterwards.
4.My pet has been poisoned! – Part Two
(by Dr. Elrien Scheepers – courtesy of Pet’s health)
Pet
poisoning happens so quickly and unexpectedly in most instances.
Knowledge is power, though … it helps to keep your pet family safe
and out of harm’s way. Read part two of our series on substances
that are poisonous to your pets.
Antifreeze - Dead Tasty … especially for Cats!
Antifreeze contains 95% ethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol is also
found in home photographic developing solutions. It kills animals by
causing irreversible kidney
damage, and has the
highest fatality rate of all common poisonings. Cats are
normally very fussy and discriminating eaters, but this is the one
toxin that they will take in readily! Drinking 5 ml (a teaspoon) of
antifreeze will kill a cat; drinking about 7 ml per kg body weight
will kill a dog.
What are the Symptoms?
Within an hour
of ingestion, animals will appear
drunk and show a
disorientated gait. They might
vomit and drink more water. Dogs will then appear normal
again, while cats will stay listless.
Within a day their hearts
will be affected. After three
days they go into
kidney failure. They will urinate too much and then stop
urinating, begin vomiting, and eventually slip into a
coma and die. Dogs are
usually taken to the vet at this late stage, unless owners actually
see the animal drinking antifreeze.
How is this diagnosed?
Diagnosis is made by the presence of abnormal blood tests indicating
kidney failure. By the time the dog presents with severe symptoms,
the blood levels of ethylene glycol will be normal, so this will not
help with the diagnosis.
Can it be treated?
Yes,
if treatment starts early enough. Ethanol will usually be
administered intravenously. This blocks the function one of the
enzymes responsible for initiating the formation of the toxic
substances in the liver. If given early enough, this will cause the
ethylene glycol to be excreted by the body without it changing into
toxic substances. The rest of the treatment will be supportive,
including fluid therapy.
Sadly, treatment by your veterinarian will rarely be successful
unless it is started within the first eight hours after ingestion of
the antifreeze. It is thus vital
that that this type of poisoning be prevented! Store
antifreeze out of reach of your pets, preferably in a locked
cupboard, and never empty your car radiator where your pets can lick
up the fluid. Also make sure that your car radiator is not leaking
fluid.
Kill
the pain, kill the cat …
When
well – meaning owners notice that their pet is a bit feverish or
off-colour, some give a painkilling tablet with the best of
intentions. A better approach would be to take your unwell pet to
the vet. Self-medicating and waiting too long have worsened the
outcome for many a pet. Cats are especially sensitive to human
painkillers, as they have less of the liver enzymes required to
change these drugs into safe substances. This means that the drugs
will circulate in their blood longer, and produce toxic effects far
easier than would be the case in dogs. The only safe principle is
that owners should never give human drugs to cats and dogs. In fact
no human medication should be given to pets unless your vet
instructs you to do so.
Paracetamol … not for pets!
The body changes paracetamol (also called acetaminophen and found in
Panado® and Tylenol®) to a toxic substance that is normally safely
excreted in the urine. If too much paracetamol is taken in, the
overload of this substance causes oxidative damage to haemoglobin in
the blood. This will lower the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen.
This will cause death in cats, and it may occur within 18 to 36
hours after ingestion.
What
are the Symptoms?
Cats will have difficulty
breathing,
and
swollen faces.
Their
mucous membranes will be chocolate brown
instead of pink; their urine may also turn chocolate brown in
colour. They will then go into a coma and die. As little as 10 mg/kg
of paracetamol can be toxic, and 50 – 100 mg/kg can kill a cat. This
implies that one or two tablets of paracetamol given to a cat will
be lethal!
The same process can also happen in dogs, but the toxic substance
more commonly affects their livers and causes
liver
failure.
Dogs will lose weight, their
mucous membranes will turn yellow
and they will eventually die. This can happen within five days if
the dose was high.
Can
it be Treated?
Yes, treatment will consist of giving oxygen, fluid therapy and
drugs to hasten the excretion of the toxic metabolite formed in the
liver and to de-activate the paracetamol, and to combat the damage
to red blood cells. If treatment is initiated quickly enough, pets
may be normal again within 48 hours. In dogs liver - supportive
therapy will be given.
The
agony of aspirin
Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid (found in Disprin®) will cause
lethargy, vomiting and gastric ulcers. A 300mg tablet once a day for
a few days will kill a cat. Cats that are given less over a longer
period of time will become anaemic due to bone marrow suppression
and oxidative damage to red blood cells. They will also get liver
damage. There is no specific antidote for aspirin toxicity, so
treatment will be supportive.
This
Anti-inflammatory is Anti-cats and dogs
Ibuprofen (found in Brufen® and Nurofen®) can also cause gastric
ulceration in cats and dogs. This will occur at dosages of 100mg/kg
in dogs and at 50 mg/kg in cats, and gastric ulcers will form within
twelve hours to four days after ingestion. It may also cause kidney
failure at higher dosages. The effects on the stomach and kidney
occur because ibuprofen stops the formation of certain substances
called prostaglandins, that protect the lining of the stomach wall
against acid production and maintains adequate blood flow in the
kidney. Treatment will again be according to the symptoms the pet is
showing, since there is no specific antidote.
A
Dog’s Life … A Rat’s Death.
There are different rat poisons available, including strychnine,
zinc phosphide, bromethalin and Vit D3 –containing
baits. The most common rat poisons used, however, are the
anticoagulant variety.
Depending on whether the anti-coagulant rat poison ingested is an
older entity or a newer one, animals may show clinical signs of
poisoning around anything from a day later to four days later.
How
do these rat poisons work?
They interfere with the clotting of blood by depleting vitamin K,
which is necessary in order for blood to clot.
What
are the symptoms of poisoning?
The amount of poison ingested will determine whether it will have a
lethal effect. After ingestion a big enough dose to cause toxicity,
clinical signs such as
weakness
and
paleness
may occur within one to four days. Signs of external
bleeding such as bleeding from gums, blood in urine and faces,
nosebleeds and bleeding from small wounds
may or may not be present. Dogs usually
bleed
internally
into body cavities such as the chest. This will cause
difficult breathing and coughing.
Bleeding into the lung tissue in the chest is the most common cause
for sudden deaths. Animals may also go into shock due to loss of
blood.
Secondary poisoning (due to dogs eating poisoned rats) may or may
not occur, depending on which poison the rat ingested.
As there are other diseases such as inherited bleeding disorders and
blood platelet diseases that can also cause similar clinical signs
and coagulation diseases, your veterinarian will do a few blood
tests to try and determine the cause of the bleeding.
What
is the treatment?
Treatment of poisoned dogs will depend on the severity of the
clinical signs. All dogs will receive Vit K1, as it is a
very effective antidote, and restores the depleted Vit K levels in
blood. It has to be given for as long as the anticoagulant is
present in the body, and this may mean treatment for up to four
weeks. It is preferably not injected into veins, but it is rather
given in tablet form, as absorption is better in this form. The body
takes at least 12 hours to make new clotting factors once Vit K1
has been supplied. Until this occurs, your veterinarian will support
any critically ill dog by giving blood transfusions or removing
excess blood impairing breathing from the thoracic cavity.
If you see your dog ingesting rat poison bait, vomiting may be
induced in a safe responsible way. Alternatively your vet will be
able to determine within two days whether blood-clotting factors
have been depleted by doing blood-clotting tests. (The blood will
appear normal for the first two days, as there is a small reserve of
clotting factors present that will only be depleted in two days
time.) If these clotting factors are abnormal at this stage,
treatment with Vit K1 should be instituted.
Kill
the fleas, kill the pet?
One of the most common reasons for poisoning by means of flea and
tick control products is that the products are not used exactly as
prescribed on the label.Malicious poisonings have also been on the
increase in certain areas of the country, by means of the
agricultural carbamate pesticide aldicarb or Temik®. It may be
identified by small black granules in vomit or found in a piece of
meat in the garden. Sadly not much can be done to prevent this
happening to your pet.
Most pesticides have a toxic effect on the nervous system and the
gastro-intestinal tract. Pyrethrins (permethrin), pyrethroids,
organophosphates, carbamates and amitraz may cause poisonings. They
may have different mechanisms of action, but cause similar signs of
nervous stimulation such as muscle twitches,seizures or even death.
Young puppies chewing and swallowing flea collars may also be
poisoned. Cats that are continuously exposed to garden pesticides
being sprayed may develop chronic poisonings, which may only
manifest as weakness.
Tick and flea products containing organophosphate (such as
chlopyriphos) or carbamate (such as aldicarb) compounds inhibit the
enzyme responsible for breaking down a neurotransmitter found in the
brain and at nerve endpoints. This means that there is an
over-stimulation of these points due to too much neurotransmitter,
with resulting excessive nervous stimulation.
What
are the symptoms?
Animals may present with excessive salivation, vomiting, diarrhoea,
have difficulty breathing, weakness and muscle tremors, changes in
heart rate and pupil size and even seizures. Treatment will be
according to general principles of toxicosis management, (See Pet’s
Health Summer 2004 issue) With good supportive and nursing care,
many patients will recover within a few days. Some patients may
however die due to uncontrollable slowing down of the heart and
constriction of the small airways in the lungs that impairs
breathing.
It is
vitally important to lock away poisonous substances. Never to use
products registered for cats on dogs and vice versa, to follow
instructions on the label strictly and to ask your veterinarian for
advice when choosing these products.
Death
by chocolate
Chocolate contain theobromine and caffeine, two methylxanthine
compounds that have toxic effects. As caffeine is present in a low
concentration, it is mainly the theobromine that is the toxic
compound. Dogs take in chocolate far more readily than cats. The
different theobromine levels in different types of chocolate
products vary, with the highest levels in dry cocoa powder, cocoa
beans and unsweetened baking chocolate. Dark chocolate contains more
theobromine than milk chocolate. White chocolate has the lowest
levels of theobromine. About 60 g/kg of milk chocolate could be
potentially lethal to a dog, while less than 6 g/kg of baking
chocolate could be lethal. A 10 kg dog eating 18 pieces of an
assorted box of chocolates, including filled candies and nuts, will
develop serous clinical signs of chocolate intoxication!
What
are the symptoms?
Dogs will usually show clinical signs within 4 to 12 hours after
eating the chocolates. Initially they will be
drinking a lot, vomit and have diarrhoea.
Next they will show
tremors,
seizures
and
irregular heartbeats
that will progress to
blue
mucous membranes,
overheating
and
coma.
They will die because of heart arrhythmias and breathing that is
impaired.
Is
there treatment available?
Yes, treatment by your vet will be supportive and according to
according to general principles of managing a poisoning. These signs
may persist for up to three days, as theobromine stays in the body
that long. Most animals will recover fully if treated
appropriately.
5.About the Animal Behaviour Consultants of South Africa.
The Animal
Behaviour Consultants™© of Southern Africa aims to promote
well-being and harmony between pet and owner.
The ABC aims to
continue on-going studies and education in human/animal
relationships and to promote and regulate the profession of animal
behaviour consultants™©.
History of the ABC
The ABC was
founded in February 1994 out of the need to give southern African
behaviourists a professional governing body. Membership is open to
the public, as well as animal behaviour consultants™©. Owners of
companion animals can consult ABC accredited practitioners with
confidence, as they adhere to a code of ethics.
Accredited Consultants
All of our
accredited members undergo a rigorous application procedure prior to
receiving their species specific accreditation. The accreditation
criteria are stringent and extensive, thereby ensuring the highest
levels of knowledge, professionalism and integrity. View a complete
listing of all accredited consultants on our website at
www.animal-behaviour.org.za
Code Of Ethics
ABC accredited
animal behaviour consultants™© resolve at all times to:
Provide a professional and, confidential service to the owners of
companion animals.
Analyse the behaviour problem thoroughly.
Treat
the animal in liaison with the referring veterinarian.
Offer
appropriate advice and therapy for the animal and owner.
Treat
the animal and owner with understanding and compassion.
Deal
honestly, and fairly, with the public.
Avoid
any action that would discredit the ABC.
Liaise with all aspects of the animal industry and promote awareness
of animal behaviour.
Take
every opportunity to participate in continuing education.
Keep
abreast of all new developments in the science of Ethology.
6.Membership
Membership of the
ABC is open to all. There are three categories of membership:-
o
Normal Membership
– R75 per year with a R75 once off joining fee.
o
Accredited
Membership
– On application. Please contact our Accreditation Secretary, Karen
Gray-Kilfoil
o
Group Membership
– Animal organisations are invited to join the ABC on a group
membership basis.
Why should I become a member?
If you join as a
normal member, you will have access to the bimonthly newsletters
aimed at professionals, taking your knowledge of your pet even
further, while still, if you wish, receive this newsletter. You will
receive invitations to seminars and workshops and qualify for
reduced rates at all ABC workshops. In addition you will be eligible
to take part in the competitions featuring in the newsletter.
