How hard can this be I thought, after I’d been kindly asked to judge the best photo of the Copthorne Vets National Pet Month Photo Competition. Very hard is the answer! Not wanting to sound like a talent show panelist it is tricky when you genuinely have to pick between 15 superb entries. Studying and deliberating over all 15 photos, the sense that came through on all of them was loyalty, closely followed by fun. It’s a great thing to grow up with or share time with a pet, whether it’s a walk with a dog or a cuddle with a cat, pets give so much back to their owners.

And the delight is there for all to see on the faces of both parties!

1st Place: Moss and Hope. Although if I were in this situation, I’d be sneezing my head off (allergic to cats!), I don’t know if it’s possible for an image to illustrate one’s contentment whilst asleep any better; but Moss the cat, snuggled up to Baby Hope is about as close to the mark as you can get! This photo is particularly adorable but I also love the sense of loyalty, protection and companionship that it portrays between child and pet.

2nd Place: Brewster and Dan. I have many similar memories to this myself. I grew up with my dog and we shared the best adventures, always having fun and getting up to mischief together. More than once or twice we were both regulated to ‘the naughty corner’ and Dan and Brewster look like they’ve been up to no good here! They’re obviously the best of buddies though and I’m sure they’ll have plenty of adventures together growing up!

JOINT 3rd Place: I know it’s a cliché for a judge to say ‘this is a really hard decision’ but it’s true! I simply could not decide between Jack and Neil and Morgan and her sheepdogs. So you both just had to have a place in my top 3. I love the scenery in Jack’s shot – the best of walking companions in the best of walking environments. And Morgan’s obvious skill and effort put into not just her training of her wonderful Sheepdogs, but at producing this collection of photos, was certainly worthy of a top 3 spot. Well done!

Judge’s Special: Bean and Sullivan; sounds like a ‘firm’ of lawyers but I can assure you, from what I can see in their photo, they are simply ‘firm’ friends. I love the tenderness and gentle nature of Bean, reaching out for the ball, and to know that these two will be great friends for a long time, is a happy thought. A lovely photo.

Ben Waddams

Wildlife Artist and
Natural History Journalist

www.waddams.webs.com

Thanks again for all your wonderful entries which can be viewed on our facebook page. And thank you to Ben for judging the competition.

By microchipping your pet you are making sure that if they go missing you have the best chance of being reunited with them again quickly. Unlike a collar which may fall off, a microchip is a permanent means of identification. The tiny microchip carrying a unique identity code is implanted under your pets skin using a specially designed syringe. Your contact details and a description of your pet are then recorded on a secure database which is accessible 24 hours a day. When your pet is found a scanner is used to detect the microchip. The unique identity code is checked against the database and the registered owner can be contacted. 

For peace of mind contact the surgery and book your pets appointment today.

'I Smell Freedom!'

Considering that false pregnancy is part of a female dog’s normal physiology, it’s not really right to refer to it as a condition at all, but then judging from the symptoms many bitches experience during this state, one can certainly understand owners’ concerns when they encounter it.

The symptoms typically come to light a couple of months after the end of a season; not surprisingly that would also be the time puppies would be due to be born were the bitch truly pregnant. Sometimes there is obvious milk production, but even when not evident, beads or even jets of milk can usually be encouraged from the teats by gentle massage.

But often the most concerning symptoms are the behavioural ones; affected individuals become withdrawn and depressed, they frequently lose interest in food and exercise, and sometimes exhibit changes in temperament. The symptom I find most fascinating of all is the apparent nesting behaviour.

A client came to me last week with her bitch that had started eagerly digging up her bedding, even tearing it into shreds, as well as just spending more time than usual lying in it.

She had gathered towels from radiators and dragged those into her bed, and to cap it all, had adopted one of the owner’s slippers and taken that to her bed to nurse.

One can see clearly the impact that the hormonal changes were having on that poor little dog’s brain – persuading her to behave as if not only pregnant and anticipating motherhood, but also going through the motions of caring for a surrogate litter of puppies.

Although the symptoms diminish naturally along with the hormonal levels without the need for treatment, on discussion with owners we sometimes elect to treat the condition anyway – both to terminate milk production, and to minimise the behavioural effects.

Bitches often start to show marked false pregnancy signs at a relatively early age, and after every season. Unless plans for true pregnancy are uppermost in people’s minds, the decision to bring an end to hormonal cycling by spaying can come as a welcome relief both for owners and their troubled pets.

Natalie

Two of our student veterinary nurses, Natalie and Sarah, have successfully passed their first veterinary nursing theory exams and are well on the way to becoming qualified veterinary nurses.

Sarah

But there’s no time to rest, along with working full time, completing a portfolio evidencing practical skills and attending college one day a week, revision has already started for their next exams in June!

Congratulations again and good luck for your exams in June!

National Pet Month is an annual event that aims to promote responsible pet ownership, make people aware of the mutual benefits of living with pets, increase public awareness of the role of pet care specialists and raise awareness of the value of working and assistance companion animals.

When Copthorne Vets saw this years slogan ‘Your Pets and You: A Winning Team’ we decided to launch a photographic competition via our facebook page. Entrants are encouraged to post a photograph of themselves with their pet, that best fits the theme for this years National Pet Month.

Emma Clare

One person who would have no problems with entering the competition would be Copthorne Vets very own Veterinary Nursing Manager Emma Clare. Emma has an astonishing 22 pets of her own, from dogs and cats to giant land snails, so she would certainly not be short of a pet or two for a photograph! Unfortunately for Emma employees of Copthorne Vets are not permitted to enter the competition.

Entries for the competition will be accepted throughout National Pet Month from midnight on the 6^th April until midnight on the 7^th May. There will be prizes for first, second and third place so get snapping and follow the simple instructions below to enter your photo into the competition.

1. Take a photo of you and your pet that fits the title ‘You and your pets: a winning team’

2. Send us your photo and contact details via a private Facebook message

3. Alternatively you can send your photo via email to hello@copthorne-vets.co.uk

4. Your photo will then be added to the Competition Gallery on our facebook page

Good Luck!

For any further information contact us on 01743 360614

Aimed at dogs and cats over 8 years old, a free 30 minute appointment with an experienced qualified Veterinary Nurse will provide peace of mind, identify potential issues and propose solutions. The initial appointment includes a full examination and completion of a lifestyle questionnaire for the pet that will develop a profile of the animals overall health and a ‘stay healthy’ plan for the future.

In addition, and if required, a more in depth Senior Pet Health Screen is offered at a discounted price that includes blood and urine tests, a blood pressure measurement and an ophthalmic examination.

Richard Morris, Partner, said;

“We see a lot of older pets with conditions that could have been treated if they had been spotted earlier. Our senior pet clinic provides a free general check up with the added benefit of a more in depth screening if necessary”

“The chance for a professional nurse or vet to talk to an owner can often reveal underlying health issues that we can address in a single appointment. We hope anyone who has an older pet that has not been to the vets for a while will take advantage of the clinic so that both pet and owner can continue to enjoy each others company for many years to come.”

Owners wishing to take advantage of the scheme should give us a call and make an appointment.

01743 360614

For further information follow the link below

Senior Pet Clinics

Then came the retelling of favourite stories, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before someone brought up the story of my most embarrassing experience ever. It is a veterinary story, though it happened before I left school to train as a vet. In my spare time I would often go and watch what went on at a local practice – just being in the veterinary environment spurred me on in my studies – and after a while I was entrusted to play a small role in practice life.

On one warm, sunny afternoon the vet asked me to assist him in taking a blood sample from an elderly whippet, who by all accounts was becoming weak and frail and somewhat arthritic. The patient was placed onto the consulting room table but before he could undertake the procedure, the vet had to leave the room for a moment, and as he left, he casually requested that I “just hold the dog for a second”.

Being the keen young student, and eager to impress, I thought it would be good just to get everything ready for the blood sampling. The dog was sitting happily on the table, and I knew where everything was kept, so I turned away to get ready the syringe, needle and blood tubes. Just then the vet returned, and as the consulting room door opened, the geriatric whippet saw its chance to escape.

Forgetting it was supposed to be frail and arthritic, it leapt from the table and through the open door, quickly pursued by an embarrassed seventeen year old. Now it just so happened, perhaps because it was a warm day, that every other door in the building was open, and the little dog shot through the waiting room and reception area straight out into the car park and onto the main street.

Now at that age I was not a bad sprinter, and I managed to keep the dog in my sights as he charged down the road, and I abandoned all sense of personal safety as I dodged the traffic. I remember it being school collection time, with lots of amused children and parents “cheering me on”!

To my dismay, as the chase continued, the gap between the dog and myself became wider. Eventually, on the edge of a housing estate, I lost him altogether and conceded defeat. Dejectedly, and rather out of breath, I returned to the practice, rehearsing my lines of explanation and apology. To my surprise, as I walked in through the door, the vet appeared not cross but highly amused.

Apparently the dog had run all the way home, been greeted in the garden by his bemused owners, and was returned by them for its blood test, all before I had managed to retrace my own steps to the surgery. And there he was, sitting in a kennel with a plaster on his leg, and a smug, satisfied look on his face.

Martin Hall is a partner at Copthorne Vets in Shrewsbury (www.shrewsburyvets.com)

While most people are familiar with diabetes and its symptoms, I expect fewer have heard of Cushing’s disease. Whereas diabetes is caused by a lack of functional insulin produced from the pancreas, Cushing’s is associated with an overproduction of cortisol from the adrenal glands.

But here’s the thing: both conditions tend to produce very similar symptoms, and even very similar changes on routine blood biochemistry, and what’s more, it’s not uncommon for the two conditions to occur simultaneously in dogs, which makes diagnosis and treatment very tricky indeed.

Both conditions are frequently associated with increased appetite, increased thirst and urine output, lethargy and weight loss, although in HAC there is often a pot-bellied appearance which makes the muscle wastage less obvious. Skin and coat changes are more common in HAC, while DM can be associated with ocular changes such as cataract.

While it is certainly more common for either condition to occur in isolation, it is not uncommon for them to occur together, and then typically what is observed is a diabetic dog that just doesn’t appear to get better on conventional insulin treatment.

Untreated diabetics have very high blood sugar levels – the sugar can’t get into cells where it’s needed as an energy source. Giving insulin aids the passage of sugar into the body’s tissues, and the blood level returns to normal. However, cortisol, produced in excess by patients with HAC, works to keep blood sugar levels high in spite of insulin therapy, hence giving the appearance that the insulin is not working.

In fact, as insulin doses increase, some diabetic symptoms do improve: some sugar is getting into the cells, so there is improved activity and some weight gain, but the high blood sugar continues to spill over into the urine, driving an excessive thirst and urine output, and making monitoring of the DM much more tricky.

Diagnosis of HAC is also more tricky when the patient is already diabetic, and we are reluctant to treat HAC without a clear diagnosis. Furthermore when treatment for HAC is initiated, the effect on diabetic stabilisation is extremely variable, so there is an increased need for monitoring; and yet one of the most helpful tests for monitoring diabetics – assay of fructosamine – is also unreliable in patients with concurrent DM and HAC!

So there we are – and the purpose of this article? Perhaps just to illustrate that diagnosing and managing illness is not always as straightforward as you might think.

Martin Hall is a partner at Copthorne Vets in Shrewsbury (www.shrewsburyvets.com)

Susan with owner Mr D. Thomas and the winning team Bryn, Susie and Seren

Susan is a familiar face at local dog shows where she competes with her own dog Rosie, a Standard Poodle, who has had several successes and also competed at Crufts, alongside handling and showing dogs for other owners.

At Crufts this year Susan was handling Susie, a stunning Welsh Springer Spaniel owned by Mr D. Thomas, competing in the Gamekeeper section of the event.

The pair worked well together and not only received fourth place in the AV (Any Variety) Gundog Retired Gamekeeper class but went on to be part of the winning team in the BASC (British Association of Shooting and Conservation) Regional Gamekeeper Team class with team mates Dylan Thomas handling Bryn and Gwyneth Thomas handling Seren.

Congratulations to owner Mr D. Thomas, Susan and her team mates, and most importantly the wonderful dogs!

When presented with an off-colour pet, a full physical examination is carried out which may or may not reveal the cause of the pet animal’s malaise. Some cases are easy to attribute to a particular finding such as a cat bite, a bad tooth, or a painful back; other observations may clearly suggest a further line of investigation, such as pale or jaundiced mucous membranes, increased depth of respiration or pain within the abdomen.

But sometimes the only abnormal discovery is a raised body temperature, and while this can certainly be significant in producing malaise, the cause of the rise in temperature is often not clear. When I had a fever last week, I was able to communicate to others exactly how I was feeling, and it didn’t really matter what the cause was – the fact that my wife and children had been similarly poorly before me made it easy to assume – probably correctly – that some non-specified virus was attacking us in turn.

When we see high temperatures in dogs and cats we are not confronted usually with animals complaining of aching joints and muscles, head ache, cyclical sweating and shivering, or any of the other symptoms we clearly recognise when we ourselves have a fever. Rather they tend to be off their food, withdrawn, unresponsive, and lethargic. But just because they don’t communicate those other symptoms, are we right in assuming they don’t experience them? I think not.

The issue of headache, for example, has always fascinated me: I’ve never yet had an owner bring their pet to see me stating that they think he or she has a headache, nor have I ever seen a dog or cat clutching their head in the way we do when we have a headache. But do dogs and cats get headaches? They surely must do; so too the whole spectrum of subjective symptoms that we associate with febrile illness.

I must say that there is nothing like experiencing pain or illness yourself to make you extra sympathetic towards your own patients, so for the next few weeks, until I’ve forgotten all about this latest dose of man-flu, I shall be trying to get under the skin of those patients I see with a fever of unclear cause, and making sure that the treatment they have covers all possible symptoms that they may be experiencing.

Just a reminder though, not to give any product containing paracetamol to cats; it’s extremely toxic to that species. We have much safer alternatives that we can use to manage pain and high temperature in felines.

Martin Hall is a partner at Copthorne Vets in Shrewsbury (www.shrewsburyvets.com)