Pet of the Month Hall of Fame - Jeffery ( May 2018)

The Great Dane is an unmistakeable breed. They may be a large dog but they are often referred to as gentle giants and six year old Jeffery is no exception.
Like other large breed dogs, they are at risk of a life threatening form of bloat. 
Gastric dilatation - volvulus (GDV) is a veterinary emergency which occurs as a result of the stomach filling up with gas (a bit like a balloon), becoming increasingly distended, and the gas cannot escape (dilatation). The stomach can also twist on itself impairing blood flow (volvulus).
This is a rapidly progressive emergency as the blood vessels on the stomach's surface become stretched, reducing their ability to supply blood to the stomach wall. As the stomach twists, it cuts off the blood flow to vital blood vessels, which can lead to the stomach tissue dying. Circulation is also impaired. The animal quickly deteriorates, becoming increasingly weak and shocked. This fatal process can happen within a few hours so it is important to spot the symptoms and seek immediate veterinary attention - surgery is the only cure. 

A few weeks ago, Jeffery's owners found themselves in this very situation. It was Sunday teatime and after finishing his dinner, Jeffery went out into the garden for a wander. His owner Karen noticed that he'd been outside for a while so went to check on him. Jeffery was pacing around the garden and he looked like he wanted to be sick. He attempted to vomit, but was unable to bring anything up apart from some thick saliva secretions
(unproductive vomiting). Jeffery was restless but he had become lethargic and kept lying down - all tell-tale signs of  a GDV. Karen managed to take Jeffery indoors where he began to cry in pain and it was then that Karen noticed that Jeffery's abdomen (belly) had become swollen and distended - a classic symptom of bloat. Recognising the situation, Karen called the hospital and got in touch with the head vet Cathy who was on duty.

From the symptoms described by Jeffrey's owner, Cathy suspected that Jeffery was suffering from GDV and arranged to meet them at the hospital straight away.

Upon arrival, Cathy examined Jeffrey and confirmed the diagnosis .With the assistance of student nurse Becky, Jeffery was given pain relief and fluid via an intravenous drip.  His owners consented to the surgery and Jeffery was admitted to the hospital. His stomach was hugely distended, so to relieve the pressure, Cathy inserted a large gauge needle through his body wall and into his stomach to allow some gas to escape. Becky set up in theatre and prepared the anaesthetic equipment . Jeffery was now stabilised  enough for him to undergo the general anaesthetic required.

Once in theatre, to surgically correct the GDV,  Cathy firstly needed to very carefully 'de-rotate' the stomach back into it's normal position. Jeffery's spleen had also twisted due to the movement of his stomach, so Cathy needed to place this back into it's normal position in the abdomen. Next Cathy assessed the tissues of his stomach and spleen and luckily the blood supply and tissues looked active and healthy. The next step was to pass a stomach tube down Jeffery's oesophagus and into the stomach in order to empty it's contents and further relieve the pressure. Unfortunately this procedure was unsuccessful due to the stomach content being too thick, so Cathy was then required to carry out a procedure called a gastrotomy in which an incision is made into the stomach wall. This way, Cathy was able to remove the stomach contents. The last part of the operation was to carry out a gastropexy. This is where the stomach is attached to the inside of the body wall, so it can no longer shift and twist. Throughout the emergency operation, student nurse Becky closely  monitored Jeffery's general anaesthetic. 

Jeffery recovered very well from the general anaesthetic, and the surgery proved to be a success.

After a night in the hospital, Jeffery was looking so much happier and he had re-discovered his appetite. The nurses monitored him closely for signs of vomiting and discomfort as well as ensuring his surgical wound was clean and dry. He enjoyed having some gentle strolls around the garden and getting lots of attention from the nurses.

(Pictured with our head nurse Jazmin) .

Cathy was so pleased with Jeffery's progress that she allowed him to go home just two days after his life saving operation. Fortunately the quick thinking action of his owners meant that Jeffery was seen within an hour and an half from when his first symptoms developed - this contributed to a successful outcome. 

We are all so pleased to see that Jeffery has recovered so well and is a much happier boy!

For being so brave and for his gorgeous nature, Jeffery is a much deserved pet of the month!

The causes of GDV are not clearly known but there are several factors that appear to increase an individual's risk of developing the condition. Whilst any breed of dog and even cats can develop GDV, it is most commonly seen in large/giant breeds of dog which are deep chested. Nervous, anxious dogs under stress may be more prone to developing it, as are animals that eat a large meal  or drink a large amount of water in one go. Eating rapidly may also contribute to the animal gulping in air. Exercising just before or after a meal is another possible factor. 

In order to minimize the risk of developing GDV it is suggested that dogs should be fed frequent smaller portions of food rather than one large meal. Don't allow your dog to heavily drink in one go, especially after a meal - instead offer smaller amounts often. Strenuous exercise and excitement such as play should be avoided before and after eating.

Most importantly, be aware of the signs of a GDV - panting, discomfort, restless, pacing, lethary, drooling, unproductive attempts to vomit ( retching and only bringing up white froth ), crying and a distended abdomen ( belly ) -  bloated, full appearance.
Remember, pets don't read the text books - symptoms can vary and not all symptoms will be seen. If in any doubt, do seek immediate veterinary advice.

Disclaimer:

      The contents of the Arden House Animal Hospital website are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your Veterinary Surgeon with any questions you may have regarding your animal’s medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. 

Pet of the month - Hall of Fame, Clovie (March 2018)

Clovie was brought in by his owners after they spotted that he’d been sick and had brought up a small piece of plastic and a small amount of thread. Vet Karolina examined Clovie and found his vital signs to be normal. He was a little quiet but bright, so initially Karolina gave him some medication to settle his stomach and allowed him to go home so that  Clovie’s owners could watched him closely for any further symptoms. Clovie was sick again so the next step was to admit him to the hospital for further tests.

Karolina placed him onto a drip and took an x-ray of his abdomen. The x-ray did not detect an obvious foreign body, however some foreign bodies are not visible on x-ray and the vet looks for changes in the gas pattern within the digestive tract. Clovie was constipated so Karolina gave him an enema which helped him to pass faeces. To Karolina's surprise, his faeces was a dark blue colour! Clovie's owners thought that the plastic might have been from a pen, and with the evidence of blue faeces, this was credible. Karolina felt his abdomen again and although it was not painful, there was one suspicious area, possibly as a result of swollen intestinal lymph nodes due to inflammation. Although Clovie was bright and he’d not been sick again,Karolina could not rule out the possibility that he’d eaten  something else that he shouldn’t have. Clovie remained in hospital on supportive treatment and the following morning vet Louise continued his care and assessed him.

Despite Clovie remaining bright, Louise was also concerned that his abdomen felt slightly abnormal. There was a risk that Clovie had eaten more thread and after a discussion with Clovie’s owners it was agreed that Clovie should have an operation called an exploratory laparotomy to allow Louise to look for a foreign body. Clovie was placed under a general anaesthetic and the nurses prepared him for theatre. Once in theatre Louise could feel something in Clovie’s stomach and she could also see that part of his small intestine was bunched up. This is a sign consistent with a linear foreign body. This term describes long, thin objects such as string, wool, thread and tinsel.

Firstly Louise carried out a procedure called a gastrotomy which involved making an incision into Clovie’s stomach. This revealed a wad of plastic and some thread. Louise removed the plastic and then assessed the thread, she could see that the thread was extending out of the stomach and into the small intestine. One end of a linear foreign body will tend to lodge itself somewhere in the gastro - intestinal tract, commonly around the base of the tongue or in the bottom of the stomach as in Clovie’s case. Even though part of the thread was stuck in his stomach, the normal movement of the small intestine had continued to move the rest of the thread onwards through them. The trouble here is, the intestines keep moving but the thread does not. This causes the intestine to plicate or ‘bunch up’ on itself. This is a particularly dangerous situation as the blood supply to the area can deteriorate causing the tissue to die. In some cases the linear foreign body can tear through the tissue of the intestine, leaking its contents into the abdominal cavity, resulting in a severe infection called peritonitis.

Fortunately for Clovie it had not reached this stage and although his small intestine was inflamed, it looked healthy. The next stage of the operation was for Louise to remove the thread. In order to safely do this, Louise needed to make three separate incisions along the small intestine (enterotomies). She then carefully followed the thread along, cutting it before gently removing it through each incision. Upon completion of the operation Clovie recovered well from the anaesthetic and the next day was feeling much better. He was asking for cuddles, of course we happily obliged! To encourage him to eat, the nurses’ hand fed him and he was soon tucking into the food by himself. Clovie has recovered very well and we are so pleased to see him back home and of course, the centre of attention.

The plastic and thread that Clovie had eaten!

Clovie the day after his life saving operation.

Clovie's owners discovered that the thread had come from his favourite thing to play with, a cat Santa hat. Part of the thread had become exposed and unfortunately unravelled.  Cats don’t often intentionally mean to swallow thread, it gets caught on the rough barbs called papillae on their tongue and they can’t spit it out. They may try to use a paw to get it out but if this isn’t successful they end up swallowing it.

The plastic was identified as the inner coating of a felt tip pen!

Thank you to Clovie's owners for allowing us to share his story. They sent us in these super photos with this lovely message;

'Thank you for picking our Clovie to be Pet of the month. As you know he was a poor little boy but thanks to all of you we have got our baby back to his lively happy self, and we are so very grateful. '

 Many thanks,

Elena and Glyn.

                        

  

  Disclaimer  

The contents of the Arden House Animal Hospital website are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your Veterinary Surgeon with any questions you may have regarding your animal’s medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website

Rabbit awareness Month!

 Calling all rabbit owners! 

We are supporting rabbit awareness week by offering a whole month of free rabbit checks with a vet between Saturday 2nd June - Saturday 30th June.

Please call and book an appointment! 

This year's campaign is focusing on 'moving away from muesli' -  encouraging rabbit owners to move away from feeding their rabbits muesli style rabbit food and change their rabbits' diets to a healthy hay-based one. Across the UK many rabbits are being fed a muesli-style mix as part of their daily diet. Because rabbit muesli contains a mix of high-sugar flakes and grains, it can encourage selective feeding. This can lead to health problems. 


                  

                                           

So what's the problem with muesli?

The different flakes, seeds and grains in muesli make it seem like a balanced food but it encourages rabbits to be picky with what they eat. This is known as selective feeding - where rabbits eat the sugary bits and pieces and leave the less tasty pellets behind.

Selective feeding can lead to your rabbit developing serious health problems:

🐰 Teeth problems -  Rabbit's teeth grow all the time. Without proper feeding hay to wear to wear them down, rabbits can develop dental disease.

🐰 Obesity - Selective feeding can increase your rabbit's weight, which can cause all sorts of health problems.

🐰 Tummy trouble - Fibre helps keep a rabbit's gut moving. Not eating enough fibre can lead to serious illnesses like gut stasis and bloat.

🐰 Dirty bottoms - Uneaten caecotrophs ( sticky droppings) can stick to a rabbit's fur, leading to flystrike.

How can you help?

If your rabbit has a muesli-based diet, you should slowly change their food to high - quality rabbit nuggets.

You should transition their diet slowly over a four week period, as depicted in the visual guide below. Make sure that you don't overfeed with nuggets and increase the overall portion size over this period and make sure your rabbits have access to unlimited high - quality feeding hay.

Please call us, we'd be happy to advise you on your rabbits dietary needs.

Disclaimer: The contents of the Arden House Animal Hospital website are for informational purposes only.

The content is not intended to be treated as a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your veterinary surgeon with any questions you may have regarding your animal's medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Oliver: Pet of the month - Hall of fame ( Feb 2018)

The owners of Oliver, a gorgeous 10 year old Hungarian Vizsla, contacted us after they noticed that he was drinking more than usual and urinating more too.

We asked them to collect a urine sample from Oliver and to book an appointment to see a vet. A urine test can help to provide information on the health of the kidneys and urinary tract as well as checking for the presence of glucose that can indicate underlying Diabetes Mellitus (sugar Diabetes). Oliver’s urine was tested and the findings were unremarkable apart from it being slightly lower in concentration (more dilute).

There can be many causes of polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyuria (production of large volumes of urine), so the next step was to carry out some further tests on Oliver to discover the cause of his symptoms.

Oliver was examined by vet Cathy who then collected a blood sample so that she could evaluate his organ function and electrolyte status. The results showed that his liver enzymes were elevated, of which there can be many causes. The next step was for Oliver to come in for the day to have an ultrasound scan of his abdomen and to have a specific blood test called a bile acid stimulation test; this tests how well the liver is functioning. Oliver was such a well behaved boy and lay very still to allow Cathy to perform the scan.

Cathy looked at the structure, size and health of his liver which showed some age related changes. She also scanned his spleen, kidneys and bladder, the result of which was normal. Oliver had not had any breakfast as he needed to be fasted for the first part of his blood test, so he was quite happy when the nurses gave him brunch, as the second part of the blood sample needed to be collected two hours after food. 
Cathy received the results of Oliver’s bile acid stimulation blood test; it showed that his liver was working properly and she concluded that his symptoms were not the result of liver disease. 

With kidney and liver disease ruled out, Cathy was suspicious that Oliver's excessive thirst and urination might be the result of a rare condition called Diabetes Insipidus (water diabetes).There is no specific test for this, so other conditions had to be excluded before starting treatment. 
A common hormonal disease called Cushing’s can also cause symptoms like Oliver’s, so this firstly needed to be ruled out (or ruled in). Cathy arranged for him to come in to the hospital for multiple blood samples. Again Oliver was a model patient, allowing the nurses to take his blood without any fuss. The results showed that Oliver did not have Cushing’s disease.

Cathy prescribed some antibiotics for Oliver so that she could also rule out a kidney infection (pyelonephritis) Oliver wasn’t showing clinical signs of a kidney infection other than frequent thirst and urination, and a urine test was negative for bacterial growth, but in some cases the condition can be ‘hidden’. Oliver's symptoms did not improve with the antibiotics so lastly Cathy asked Oliver's owners to collect a series of urine samples from him over a day so that she could test how well he was concentrating his urine; a test called specific gravity. This can be variable in pets, but Cathy could see from the results that Oliver's urine was dilute. It was now appropriate for Oliver to trial some medication to treat Diabetes Insipidus.
Diabetes Insipidus is a condition where the body fails to maintain water balance. It is a rare disorder and not to be confused with Diabetes Mellitus  which is caused by a deficiency of the hormone insulin. Diabetes Insipidus is caused by an insufficient production of a hormone called anti-diurectic hormone ( ADH)  that regulates the body's ability to absorb water from the kidneys. Generally the condition is considered to be idiopathic in nature, which means that what exactly causes this disorder is not known with certainty.

Oliver is now being treated with the drug Desmopressin that mimics the action of ADH. They are in the form of drops that are applied to his eyes. His thirst and excessive urination have decreased and the concentration of his urine over a three day period  is now at an adequate level. Cathy is very pleased with Oliver's response to the medication and will next see him in a month to repeat the urine test. Oliver's owners are continuing to  monitor his drinking and urination at home, ensuring that he has access to fresh water at all times.

For his gentle nature and patience with having blood samples taken, Oliver is a much deserved pet of the month!  💙