Shelby is a 7 year old Bischon Frise. In late 2016 she was brought to the Animal Hospital very off form and with a high temperature.
We routinely see cases like this and usually an antibiotic and an anti inflammatory rectifies the problem.

This was not the case for Shelby however………..

Several weeks later all Shelby’s lymph nodes were swollen and she had lost a lot of weight. This is a very worrying sign and and rings a lot of alarm bells. Despite weeks of treatment and further tests here in the Animal Hospital Shelby continued to deteriorate.
Eventually we sent her to the Referral Hospital in UCD, After many investigations Shelby was diagnosed with a problem with her immune system.

She was put on immunosuppressive treament along with other meds. Gradually over the coming months she slowly returned to her old self.

At a check up several days ago she was in fab form. She continues to receive daily meds and will probably do so for life…….

In December 2016 Bobby started drinking and urinating a lot. He also started eating much more food. Blood tests were taken over several weeks and confirmed that Bobby is a diabetic.
Diabetes in dogs is very common, although definitely more common in the female !! The most common clinical signs are excess drinking and urnation. It is really easy to rule it out by a simple in-house blood test.
Bobby is now getting insulin injections morning and evening and in great form – as you can see from todays picture of him.

TIP – if you have a diabetic dog be aware they can get LOW blood sugar when receiving insulin. Weakness and lethargy is usually the main signs. A couple of spoons of honey by mouth will usually sort the problem

Does your pet have bad breath?

This isn’t just unpleasant for you – it can be unhealthy for them. Up to 80% of dogs and 70% of cats that do not receive proper dental care, may show signs of dental disease by the age of 3.

Signs include

• Bad breath
• Red gums
• Problems eating/ picking up toys
• Excess salivation
• tooth decay/ tooth loss
• Pawing at the month

To avoid your pet having to have a dental at the vets, which involves a full general anesthetic please read out tips

• Take advantage of food, treats and toys – look for specially formulated foods and treats for dental care. Chewing is a national way to remove tartar from the teeth. 
• Check your pets mouth weekly for any of the signs of dental disease.
• Brush your pets teeth – at least once or twice weekly. This should be park of your dogs routine. Only use specific animal toothpaste and never human paste.
• Ideally start young, get your pet used to it before they are 6 months old.

A) From September 1st 2015, all pups MUST be microchipped, registered and certified. This must be done either by the time they are 12 weeks old or before they leave the property on which they were born. In fact, it is illegal to sell, supply, buy or take ownership of a pup that does NOT have a certificate of microchip.

B) All of the above applies to ALL dogs from March 31st 2016.

As an owner you must ensure that all the details on the database are always correct and up to date. If changes occur, the database must be informed of these, eg address, contact number etc. These changes are then recorded on your new certificate.

Many of you will have dogs that were microchipped before the start of these regulations and may be asking yourselves what happens now? For a start, they do not need to be microchipped again, but you must assure:

• that your dogs details are stored on an approved database.
• the details are correct
• a new certificate is issued by the database.

The main reasons for these changes are to reduce Ireland’s stray dog population and to try to eliminate puppy farming.

Foe more information, or to answer any of your questions, please contact one of the team at The Animal Hospital on 01-4515930 or email us at vet@animalhospital.ie

Please note these regulations do not apply to cats.

Pets become overweight when they eat more calories than they are using up. If your animal companion is plump, think food intake being the problem rather than lack of exercise.

Food type and quality is so important. A lap dog with little exercise does not need a high energy content active food. Feed only as per food guidelines and do not allow ad lib feeding.

Humans are one of the main cause of obesity in pets, in my opinion. Rarely is it a disease process (like cushings disease or hypothyroidism). Treats from the owner are a major contributing factor. They should be reduced to a minimum or cut then out completely if you want your pet to lose weight.

Breed disposition – This is definitely a factor. Labradors and golden retrievers, in my experience, are more prone to becoming overweight.

Spaying and neutering – Male and female hormones drops after pets are spayed or neutered. As a result, energy needs decrease, so do not feed the same amount as intact dogs.

Problems caused by obesity – In the Animal Hospital, we find that obese animals are more prone to ;

• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Damage to joints, bones and ligaments
• Heart disease and increased blood pressure
• Various health disorders and breathing problems
• And most importantly a decreased quality and length of life.

The Animal Hospital would like to nominate Bruno as our Slimmer role model for July 2015 . Slimmer of the month Bruno, is a 7 year old male Boxer. He was diagnosed with arthritis of the spine last year. At that point he was 48kg. He was placed on a weight reduction program and with the help of his dedicated owner, he weighed in this week at just over 40kg. He achieved this by cutting out treats and reducing his calorie intake. Impressive! Bruno is now more fit and active  and his quality of life has greatly improved and he no longer needs pain meds…….

Before weight loss at 47kg

After weight loss at 40kg

Well done Bruno!!! July Slimmer of the month!