AUTUMN 2011

Cruciate disease: The great curse

Cruciate ligaments are one of the most Diagnosis is based on physical examination, important structures within the knee of palpation of affected joints, bones and local humans, dogs and cats. Disease of the muscles, and the performance of a ‘cranial cruciate ligaments is one of the most drawer sign’ or ‘cranial tibial thrust’ test. common causes of hind limb lameness that Suites 17-19 vets treat. Signifi cant weakening of the thigh muscles Ocean Village Shopping Centre of the affected leg(s) is a common fi nding. Kilpa Court While the condition is very common in An audible ‘clicking’ may be heard when City Beach WA 6015 dogs, it can also occur in cats, sometimes the patient walks or the stifl e is palpated secondary to trauma, and sometimes through range of motion, indicating Phone 08 9245 1977 secondary to obesity, old age and concurrent possible internal tearing. Palpation of the arthritis of the joints. In dogs there are some joint compartment may show increased Fax 08 9245 2136 vets who also believe in a genetic breed- and joint fl uid or joint capsule thickening. Email offi [email protected] sex related link. This problem is so important Web www.citybeachvet.com.au in dog health that a 2005 study in the USA Blood tests are usually normal, unless the estimated that dog owners spent US$1.32 patient has concurrent hormonal diseases, Our Vets billion treating this disease! many of which will predispose to obesity. Dr Neville Robertson The function of healthy cruciate ligaments X-rays are usually performed, and BVSc(Syd), MVS(Murd) in the knee is to stabilise the forces of the sometimes a joint fl uid sample will also Dr Alan Wade knee that might otherwise push the shinbone be needed. However, sometimes an BSc, BVMS(Murd) forwards in relation to the thighbone, and exploratory surgery via an open technique, Dr Sarah Alexander to minimise internal ‘twisting’. Along with or using an ‘arthroscope’, is the only way to BSc, BVMS(Murd) other structures of the knee, these stabilising confi rm then treat the problem. Our Nurses ligaments keep the angular canine or feline knee working in a stable fashion without pain. We have a group of talented, versatile and fully trained nurses. Our nurses Rupture of the cruciate ligament occurs love animals and are passionate about when its breaking strength is exceeded, animal care. They run the puppy classes, and there are predisposing conditions that weight clinics and help us keep your pet can decrease the breaking strength. While health and happy during their stay with a young healthy dog can tear a cruciate us. Our nurses can help you with all of during excessive twisting activity (in the ‘70s your pet’s needs. a common cause was Frisbee-catching dogs that landed awkwardly), it is increasingly Our Hours common to see this injury in other dogs that have actually become predisposed to it Monday to Friday 7.30am to 7pm secondary to other factors. Saturday 8.30am to 4 pm Sunday Closed Degenerative changes due to age and The best treatment in dogs over 15kg (and in Consultations are by appointment. disuse are thought to be implicated in many under 15kg) is surgery. The ligament We are closed on Public Holidays. many of the clinical cases. These age- cannot be ‘repaired’, but the joint can be related changes can also make dogs stabilised improving function and reducing After Hours susceptible to both knees being affected. pain. There are many procedures available, A sedentary lifestyle plus possible obesity most of which veterinarians perform in their For urgent attention after hours including in middle age is also implicated. Public Holidays please call Perth Vet own hospitals. Some procedures involve entering the joint itself, and some do not. Emergency (PVE) on 9204 0400. This Acute injury may show as sudden non-weight is a dedicated local emergency centre Specialist veterinary surgeons are offering bearing lameness of a back leg (occasionally an increasing number of options, which and they are located at 305 Selby Street with a small amount of weight taken). North, Osborne Park. Alternatively call may be of great use in very large breed Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre (MPEC) Some partial tears are hard to diagnose dogs, or in refractory cases. on 1300 652 494. early, and the initial lameness may settle with rest and medication, only to fl are Our Webpage again when arthritis sets in. These patients READERS! City Beach Veterinarians has a new may show some gradual improvement in Enter our competition and WIN! web page! Visit the site for information pain, due to thickening of the capsule, and about your pets health, us and many changes within it bringing a little stability, Details inside other interesting items. Let us know then some months later pain will worsen as what you think. Our web address is degenerative arthritis sets in. • Claw Wars www.citybeachvet.com.au Patients with both knees affected may have • Pregnancy diagnosis in dogs and cats a shifting lameness, trouble rising or stiff appearance. Occasionally it will initially be • Sea hare toxicity thought that they have a spinal problem. inside 9. I am a breed of guinea pig with a ‘bad hair day’. My coat has whorls Who am I ? of hair. Claw Wars! 1. I am a small parrot, native to 10. I am a large, docile breed of Australia. Males and females are horse. I was traditionally used as a Clawing in cats is a natural, colour coded – the male having a blue draft horse to pull heavy loads but am instinctual behaviour that helps pigmentation across his beak, the female often now seen representing a brewery remove old claw sheaths and acts brown. I come in many fancy varieties in competitions and displays. as a marking behaviour. As many making me a popular showing bird. frustrated cat owners will testify, these natural behaviours are all 2. I am descended from Scottish well and good until they involve herding dogs. I starred in a television systematic destruction of your series and several movies in which I furniture! showed an uncanny understanding of the English language! There are several options that owners can adopt. Firstly, provide 3. I am a small rodent and a popular a highly desirable alternative to the children’s pet. I am an unusual breed sofa in the form of a scratching post. as I do not have a tail. Scratching posts can be anything 4. I am a breed of dog with from a wooden log to carpeted characteristic wrinkles and folds of constructions. They can be made loose skin. It is thought I may have Answers: more appealing by using dangling originated from Tibet or the Northern toys and catnip – and praising and 1. Budgerigar; 2. Rough Collie; provinces of China 2 000 years ago. stroking the cat when they use the 3. Manx mouse; 4. Shar-Pei; post. Cats often scratch on waking 5. Persian; 6. Schnauzer; so the scratching post should be 7. Turkish Van; 8. Dachshund; placed close to the sleeping area. 9. Abyssinian; 10. Clydesdale. If owners can catch their cat in the act of destroying the furniture, then they should employ some deterrent. Competition for Shouting, hand claps and water spray bottles can all be effective in our readers! stopping the behaviour. Double- sided sticky tape or contact (applied 5. I am a breed of cat characterised Be in the running to with the sticky side outwards) can be by long fur and a shortened nose WIN a $50 shopping placed onto the furniture to decrease giving my face a slightly squashed-in voucher its appeal. appearance. 1) Just answer the following question: 6. I am a German breed of dog that Which article did you like best in this comes in three different sizes – giant, issue of Your Vet? standard and miniature. I can come ...... in a variety of colours but the most ...... popular coat colour is a mix of black 2) Tick the box next to your preferred and grey called salt and pepper. I voucher below: usually have a beard and eyebrows. Coles Myer Ltd 7. I am a breed of cat that is said to Target Australia Ltd originate from the Lake Van region in K Mart Australia Ltd Turkey. I am a lively, active cat that Angus & Robertson Book Stores can have some ‘unfeline’ attributes JB Hi Fi such as an attraction to water and, in 3) Post with your name and address some, the ability to retrieve like a dog. on the back of the envelope to: I have a very soft coat that is mainly There are products available that can white apart from coloured points on Your Vet Voucher Competition be glued to the cat’s claws and act as my head and tail. Unit 5/1 Almondbury Road a small protective sheath over each Mt Lawley WA 6050 claw. These can be quite effective but 8. I am a short legged, German breed Must be received by latest post marked do rely on a compliant cat, as they of dog. I was originally bred to flush 1 April 2011 to be in the running. have to be replaced regularly. animals such as badgers and rabbits The winner of the competition in Your Vet’s from their burrows. My coat can be Summer edition was L. Allerdyce. If the above fails, then consider re- smooth haired, long haired or wire upholstering the sofa – but use a haired. I have a long body that can THAT’S IT! smooth, tightly woven fabric, as this predispose me to back problems. GOOD LUCK! will be less appealing to your cat!  Fun Furry Facts for Pregnancy Diagnosis The Autumn Years – What to Expect as in dogs and cats Pocket Pets Your Pet Ages Pregnancy diagnosis in dogs and cats Did you know? was traditionally achieved via palpating Ageing is thought to be a genetically the abdomen, however there are other predetermined event that is also • Guinea pigs have only three toes on diagnostic techniques that can give vets infl uenced by environmental factors. For their hind feet and four toes on the more information about the pregnancy, example, large breed dogs age quicker front feet. which can sometimes be of great than small breed dogs and lean dogs importance to owners/breeders. generally live longer than fat dogs. This • A female guinea pig can come enormous variation in the longevity of back on heat and be fertile within various breeds of cats and dogs makes it 2 hours of giving birth – hence it diffi cult to establish when old age begins, is best to separate the male and but any dog over eight years and any cat female prior to the birth! over ten years can be considered a senior. • Guinea pigs (like humans) must eat The ageing process is continuous, food that contains Vitamin C – other irreversible and affects multiple organ animals are able to synthesise their systems. Elderly animals have reduced own vitamin C. Without enough activity levels and have limb weaknesses vitamin C in their diet, guinea pigs and degenerative joint disease. They will develop scurvy. X-rays can be used around day 45, cannot regulate their body temperature because once the foetal bones have well and thus can easily get too hot or • Guinea pigs and rabbits produce started to mineralise they will be visible too cold. Senility occurs in some and two types of faeces – one firm pellet on a radiograph. However, while an can manifest in many ways – from a that you clean out of their cage and x-ray will often give an accurate count, loss of learned behaviours such as toilet another softer stool that is eaten early death of foeti will not always training to behavioural changes such directly from the anus. Ingestion show on x-ray, although advanced as irritability, clinginess or a need for of this softer stool or caecotroph decomposition of foeti may well do frequent naps. is thought to aid in the absorption so. By then, however, the bitch (female of certain essential dietary amino dog) or queen (female cat) may be quite acids and vitamins. unwell herself, often dangerously so. An experienced ultrasound operator can detect a pregnancy in the queen (female cat) at about 16 days after mating by locating a ‘foetal pole’, but some changes can be detected even sooner. In dogs, approximately 20 days after mating, a tiny ‘blob’ indicating pregnancy might be visible, with heartbeats being visualised as early as 22 days, and foetal movement as early as 31 days. Old animals can have greasy, smelly, dull coats. Hairs start to lose pigment, By 30 days of pregnancy, pregnancy • A guinea pig pregnancy lasts around which will show as whitening around diagnosis in the dog is a fairly simple 63 days and results in 1 to 5 babies. the muzzle, eyes and feet. They may procedure, even for those veterinarians have a decreased ability to smell and who do not do huge volumes of • A mouse pregnancy lasts 21 days taste – these senses are important reproductive work. and can result in anything from 3 appetite stimulants. Vision and hearing to 18 babies. Determining the numbers of foeti ultra- loss can result in elderly pets being • The average mouse only lives for 18 sonographically is possible, but if early easily startled and disorientated. months to 2 years. estimations are made, disappointment Senior pets also experience an might occur if resorption of foeti occurs increased incidence of dental disease • Rats and mice with pink eyes have after ultrasound assessment of litter size. and reduced effi ciency of digestion resulting in fl atulence and constipation. very poor vision compared to their Remember that not all veterinary darker eyed mates. practices have an ultrasound machine – The good news is that although these it is a highly expensive and specialised • The front teeth, or incisors, of rats conditions can’t be cured many can piece of equipment, and not all vets use contain iron pigments which make be helped. Regular senior pet checks them for pregnancy diagnosis, based on them a yellow-orange colour. by your vet can help identify specifi c personal experience and preference. problems. Early detection allows the • Rabbit teeth can grown 1.5mm – However, it is worth discussing this instigation of diets and medications 3mm in a week. option as a way of tracking your bitch to help slow down the progression of or queen’s pregnancy! a condition. E m e rg e n cy! Assistance Dogs Practice Update

! Sea hare toxicity Most of us know about Guide Dogs Complete Health and the wonderful work they do A unique and unusual problem has City Beach Veterinarians is committed to emerged on the coast of Western Australia, for humanity. We know that these making it easy for you to look after all of and coast dwelling pet owners or holiday magnifi cent animals bring so much your pet’s needs. makers in the east should also take heed! joy and independence to people who Our Complete Health packages provide might otherwise be denied it. But how all of your pet’s routine preventive health Sea Hares (in WA these are aplysia gigantea), many of us know about the important care. You do not need to remember when are large marine molluscs that have been work of Assistance Dogs Australia? your pet is due for any products as we mail identifi ed as having caused toxic reactions them to you monthly! in dogs that have licked or ingested them. Each Complete Health package includes In the east, the species aplysia extroadinaria · Monthly Flea Control occurs, but no documented poisonings · Heartworm Prevention have been confi rmed yet. Sea hares spawn · Intestinal worming medication in shallow water in the warmer months, and · Annual vaccinations dead/dying hares end up on the beach. It is By taking out a Complete Health package during these episodes that most reported you will save 5% off the price you would canine poisonings have occurred. normal pay for the products and services listed above. The affected dog exhibits signs that look There are extra rewards for being a Complete remarkably similar to dogs that have Health member. These include ingested snail pellets, with initial twitching · $20 discount off every primary consultation and tremors, progressing to full convulsions, · Unlimited free nail clipping overheating, and if untreated, death. This charity is involved in the training · Pet food discount vouchers of labradors and golden retrievers to · Microchipping discount (transferable) Treatments include anaesthesia, lavage help people suffering from physical · For dogs there are 4 free hydrobaths of the stomach and the administration disabilities. The tasks they perform which include blow drying. of an enema. Administration of charcoal include opening doors, picking up Complete Health means peace of mind. products via stomach tube, and aggressive items, and even pressing road-crossing fl uid therapy is also ideal. Anticonvulsants buttons. The dogs ultimately give have also been used as has a drug called their owner more confi dence and Puppy Preschool methocarbamol. independence, and help relieve some Just like humans it is best to start training of the loneliness and isolation that young! We run regular puppy classes that disabled people sometimes experience. are great fun and informative. Your pup will learn to socialise with other pups, enjoy One of the goals of Assistance Dogs visiting us and you will start to learn the Australia is to eventually place up to basics of training. 100 dogs per year! This is a great start to your pup’s life and helps cement a long lasting relationship If the thought of helping this valuable between you and your pet. Ask one of our service appeals to you, there are ways nurses for more information. you can help. You can sponsor a puppy Vet Profi les: fi nancially, for about the cost of a cup of coffee a day! You could enrol to Dr Neville Robertson A similar ‘outbreak’ has also occurred in ‘puppy raise’ a pup for up to 18 months Neville graduated from Sydney University NZ, but in this case the dogs had ingested in your home. All of its major expenses in 1985. He moved to WA a year later to nudibranch are covered, and you have the pleasure take up a position as an Intern in Veterinary a sea slug called a , and Anaesthesia at Murdoch University. Nev has also exhibited different signs that were of time with the dog, and the brilliant feeling of knowing you are helping completed a Masters Degree in Veterinary discovered to be due to a ‘tetrodotoxin’, Science at Murdoch University. Neville causing completely different symptoms. someone in the future. However, to represents the AVA on the Vet Nurses National qualify for puppy raising, you cannot Industry Advisory Group. At the time of writing, it is uncertain what be working full time and your children the actual toxin is within the Sea Hare, but need to be school age or older. If you Dr Alan Wade one thing is certain, it would be prudent like the idea of helping, but can’t commit to discourage your dog from sniffi ng/ to puppy raising, you could become a Alan graduated from Murdoch University in puppy sitter or a puppy socialiser. 1988. Alan worked extensively in the United licking or chewing on anything found on Kingdom before returning to Australia 9 years a beach in WA between the south and the ago. He has worked in many large practices midwest, especially if it looks like a piece Assistance Dogs Australia have centres and gained significant experience dealing of liver! Eastern states pet owners should across Australia, so if supporting a with complicated cases over the years. also be beware. These intoxications are wonderful charity based on the power possibly so rare that no association has yet of the human-animal bond appeals to been made in the East – but they may still you, why not give them a call, and see be occurring or may occur in the future. how you could help.