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• Common diseases of dogs, cats and rabbits
  • Myxomatosis
  • Dental disease in rabbits
  • Flystrike in rabbits
  • Sore hocks in rabbits
  • 'Conjunctivitis' in rabbits (dacryocystitis)
  • Arthritis
  • Kennel cough
  • Abscesses, cats
  • FeLV
  • FIV
  • Anal gland disease
  • Flea allergy dermatitis
  • Hyperthyroidism in cats
  • Diarhoea
  • Feline stomatitis
  • Feline cystitis
  • Diabetes
  • Heart failure, dogs
  • Kidney disease in cats
• Poisons
  • Benzodiazepines (valium)
  • Cannabis
  • Chocolate and cocoa
  • Contraceptive pill/HRT tablets
  • Daffodil
  • Ethylene glycol
  • Grapes and raisins
  • Ibuprofen
  • Loperamide
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Paracetamol
  • Rodent bait
  • Xylitol (Perfect Sweet)
• Parasites
  • Fleas
  • Ticks
  • Roundworms
  • Tapeworms
  • Lungworm in dogs
  • Fox mange
• Travelling abroad
  • Pet Passport
  • Risks
• Behind the scenes
  • Leaving your pet with us
  • Dental treatment
  • Neutering
  • Xrays and ultrasound
  • Investigating disease
• Positive health
  • Teeth
  • Weight control
  • Vaccinations
  • Diet
  • Neutering
  • Exercise
  • Nails
• Medications
  • Clavaseptin
  • Felimazole
  • Fortekor
  • Prednisilone
  • Metacam
  • Rimadyl
  • Vetmedin
  • Vetoryl
  • Vidalta
  • Vivitonin
• Giving medication
  • Giving tablets
  • Giving liquids
  • Using spot-ons
  • Bathing your pet
  • Using ear medication
  • Using eye medication

• This section provides information on a number of subjects. It should be realised that it is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice.

Ticks.

General. A big problem around the Ferndown area. The commenest type seen is the ixodid tick which also feeds on cattle, sheep, deer, foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs and just about anything else with blood - including you!
Life cycle. The life cycle takes several months. The tick you generally see is an engorged adult female. These will eventually drop off and lay hundreds of eggs in rough vegetation. The eggs hatch into larvae or seed ticks which will feed for several days on similar animals to the adult. After it has fed it drops off and moults into the next stage. After a further period of feeding it will moult into an adult and start the cycle all over again.
The problem. The main tick seasons are Spring and Autumn In Dkorset we see ticks attached to pets every month of the year. Ticks often produce irritaion, skin inflammation and can transmit disease such as Lymes disease in this country or Babesia in mainland Europe. And I suppose most people find them pretty gross too!
What to do. There are a number of tick products available which will kill ticks. Be warned though, that not all are equally effective and even those that are, may take 24-48hours to kill the attached tick. We can advise you on the best current options. For those of you who find ticks attached the best option I have found is the Tom O'Hook remover which is available from us. Back

Fleas.

General. Itchy skin? think fleas. This by far and away the commonest skin complaint we see. Although worst in the warmer months we see it all year round. The commenest flea seen is the cat flea although it by no means restricts itself to cats or even animals!
Life cycle. Adult fleas spend their life on the animal laying eggs (about 30 per day) which drop to the floor. The larvae that hatch out look like tiny maggots. They move into dark crevices where they feed off debris especially flea faeces. After about a week they spin little cocoons. Inside the coccon they are safe from most attempts to kill them. They pupate to an adult flea over about 10 days. There they wait until a suitable host passes by and out they spring to take thier first meal of blood. Adult fleas only represent 5% of the flea population in a home.
The problem. Fleas cause irritaion from thier bites and movements both to your pet and you! Some animals are allergic to thier bites and develop severe skin disease out of all proportion to the number of fleas present. This is why one animal in a home may occasionally scratch while its companion is half bald with weeping sores. Fleas also transmit the cat and dog tapeworm, dipylidium and, in rabbits myxomatosis.
What to do. We advise year round flea treatment especially if you have an animal who has flea allergy or any other skin disease that could be made worse. Treat all animals in the house and, if you have a current problem, treat the house as well. Contact us for our current recommendations for flea products. Not all flea treatments and equal! Take care some dog products can be fatal if given to cats!
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Roundworms.

General.The commonest roundworm of dogs and cats is toxacara. This is of public health importance and is the reason regular worming is needed even if you do not see any evidence of worms. Roundworm eggs are invisible to the naked eye! If you are lucky/unlucky to see an adult worm it looks like pale thin spaghetti.
Life cycle. Adult worms live in the intestinal tract of dogs and cats were they lay thousands of eggs which pass out in the faeces. These eggs remain infective for up to 2 years. They are spread widely by wind, rain, animal and human traffic. Ingested eggs hatch out and may migrate through the lungs back to the gut to continue the cycle. They may also migrate to other body tissues and remain dormant. In pregnant bitches and queens these dormant larva migrate into the young via the milk and in bitches into the pups before they are born. This is the reason that worming of young animals is of such importance.
The problem. The commonest problems seen are in puppies and kittens with a general failure to thrive and with heavy burdens, death. Signs are rarely seen in adult animals but remember they are a source of eggs. When ingested by people (especially children ) the wanderings of the worms can cause various syndromes including liver disease and sight impairment. They have also been linked to an increased risk of allergic disease and epilepsy in people.
What to do. Regular worming will keep any problems at bay.
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Lungworm in dogs.

General. Angiostrongylus vasorum is the roundworm parasite that causes lungworm or French heartworm infection in the dog. It is thought to be increasing in incidence in many areas including Dorset. As with other roundworm infections, adult worms are not visible in the faeces and infection may go un-noticed in the early stages.
Life cycle. Angiostrongylus requires molluscs (slugs or snails) to complete its life cycle. Eggs laid by the adult worms are passed into the gut where they hatch out into larvae. These larvae are passed in the faeces and then infect slugs and snails. The worm undergoes further developement in the mollusc. Once the mollusc is eaten by a dog the larvae penetrate through the gut wall and migrate to the blood vessels in the lung. Here they mature and start laying eggs to complete the cycle.
The problem. As Angiostrongylus affects the lungs it comes as no surprise that it can cause breathing difficulties, coughing, reduced exercise tolerance, weakness and collapse. Lung disease can be severe enough to cause death. In addition to effects in the lung Angiostrongylus can also cause bleeding problems. These can be seen as ease of bruising, excessive bleeding from minor wounds, nose bleeds and abdominal(stomach) enlargement due to internal bleeding. Severe bleeding can occur in the absence of any breathing problems. Bleeding can lead to death.
What to do Most dogs affected are young so we advise monthly worming with a product such as milbemax which is effective against Angiostrongylus.
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Tapeworms.

General.Tapeworms live in the gut of dogs and cats like roundworms and you may see the tell tale signs of 'rice grains' around thier bottom.
Life cycle. The adult worm lives in the gut with its head firmly imbedded in the gut wall. From this head a long string of segments grow. The oldest ones furthest from the head break off and it is these you may see wriggling around your pets bottom. They contain the eggs. The eggs have to be eaten by certain intermediaries dependent on the particular type of tapeworm. This may be a rabbit, rodent, sheep or, in the case of the commenest, a flea! In this host they develope into a stage that is infective for the dog and cat again. The dog or cat then eats the rodent or flea and the cycle starts again.
The problem. Heavy infestations may cause ill health but most infections only result in irritation around the bottom. They are not transmissible to people.
What to do. Regular worming will keep any problems at bay.
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Fox mange (sarcoptes, scabies).

General Fox mange is caused by a microscopic mite called sarcoptes. As the name suggests it is seen in foxes as well as dogs. It rarely affects cats. The Ferndown area has a high density of foxes which in turn have a high incidence of mange. This puts your dog at risk.
Life cycle The adult mites mate on the suface of the skin after which the male soon dies. The female burrows into the superficial layers of the skin feeding off tissue fluid that seeps into the burrow. In there she lays eggs which hatch out into larva. The larva feed in the tunnels and moult into nymphs and into then adults that return to the skin surface to repeat the cycle. Mange mites are very contagious and usually spread by direct animal to animal contact. We frequently see cases in which no obvious direct contact with an infected animal was seen.
The problem Sarcoptes or fox mange is an intensely itchy condition resulting in an animal that has difficulty resting and is constantly scratching. In the initial stages there may be little to see but as the condition progresses we see hair loss, papules (small bumps), inflammed skin and self inflected scratches to the skin. The initial areas to be affected are often the ears, elbows and hocks. eventually it will affect the whole animal. Although scabies in people is caused by sarcoptes mites there is a species difference and the fox mite does not survive well in people. If you are affected then treating your dog usually resolves the problem. Diagnosing fox mange can be difficult as the reactions are out of proportion to the number of mites on the animal. Taking a scraping of the skin's surface may reveal mites under the microscope confirming the diagnosis. As the scraping may fail to find mites, even though present, if the suspicion is high then treatment may be give without confirmation
What to do. We have very effective treatments for fox mange in the form of specific spot on treatments eg Stronghold. These will be dispensed if infection is confirmed or if there is a high index of suspicion. There is sometimes an initial worsening of the skin disease as the mites die.
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