Julie Nuttall, Author at Oakhill Vets

Salmonella case report

We recently diagnosed Salmonella Dublin on a farm which was experiencing an increase in the number of sick cows, abortions, calf scour and pneumonia and calf mortality. We had been suspicious of Salmonella for some time. A bulk tank test showed moderate levels of exposure, but we had not been able to isolate the bacteria on farm to confirm it was active and determine which Salmonella species was involved.

A sick cow presented with severe diarrhoea and dehydration which despite aggressive treatment died. A faecal sample was taken from which Salmonella Dublin was isolated.

Salmonella Dublin is one of the most common cow-adapted strains of Salmonella. Several other strains may also be isolated in cattle and it is important to determine which strain is present. Cattle can become carriers of Salmonella Dublin and shed the bacteria intermittently, particularly during periods of stress such as calving. This often leads to disease being seen primarily in the calves.

Many of the control measures implemented around calving to control Johne’s disease are effective in reducing the transmission of Salmonella. Maintaining a clean hygienic calving environment is particularly important. The frequency of cleaning out and disinfecting the calving pens was increased and a new policy of removing calves from their dams as soon as possible was adopted.

The herd was vaccinated including the in-calf heifers. The primary course consists of two-doses given at a three-week interval followed by an annual booster. In addition to the improvements to calving management, vaccination greatly reduced the incidence of disease, which was quickly noticeable in the calves.

Pet Dental Health Month

As February was Pet Dental Health Month, we thought we would share some top tips for maintaining your pet’s healthy mouth

Although small, your pet’s teeth are a very important part of your pet’s overall health, and just like us, they can benefit from having good oral hygiene. It can be easy to forget about your pets’ pearly whites, but since February is Pet Dental Health Month, it’s the perfect time to look at the benefits of keeping on top of your pet’s dental care.

Why is it Important for My Pet to Have Healthy Teeth?

Good oral hygiene can help improve your pet’s overall well-being. Plaque can start to form on your pet’s teeth a couple of hours after eating. Over time, plaque can harden and turn to tartar, providing the perfect environment for bacterial growth which can lead to a variety of problems, including tooth decay. Once plaque hardens to tartar, it can only be removed via a dental procedure requiring a general anaesthetic.

Excess plaque and tartar can cause gum inflammation. Gum disease can affect the deep supportive structures of your pet’s teeth and is one of the most common disease pets suffer from today. Inflammation of the gums can also lead to infections within the mouth, these can be extremely painful for your dog often causing excessive drooling, pain when eating or playing with toys, and bad breath.

Checking your pet’s teeth daily can reduce the severity of these conditions and help bring any concerns to your vet’s attention quickly before they cause too many problems.

How Often Should I Brush My Pet’s Teeth?

We recommend that you brush your pet’s teeth 2-4 times a week, but brushing their teeth every day gives the best results. However, it is important to use the right equipment; a soft bristled brush is best, and ensure you use a special pet toothpaste (as the fluoride in human toothpaste can be toxic to pets).

If you pet is averse to you brushing their teeth, try letting them lick the toothpaste off your finger initially, then work up to running your finger over their teeth, before eventually swapping to a toothbrush.

Other ways to Maintain Healthy Teeth

It can be useful to train your pet to have their teeth brushed at a young age, as some older pets don’t like people going near their mouths. However, there are lots of other ways to maintain healthy teeth and gums:

Dental chews: Some chews can work by reducing plaque accumulation on your pets’ teeth. However, these treats can be high in calories, so it’s important to reduce your dog’s food intake accordingly and use them sparingly.
Toys: Pet-safe toys can make cleaning pets teeth enjoyable. Toys carrying the VOHC seal of approval will help to maintain a healthy mouth.
Dental diets: Some pet foods are specially designed to keep your pet’s teeth clean by scraping away plaque as they eat. The vets at Oakhill are always happy to discuss the most reliable dental diets for your pet.

Dental Needs for Different Types of Animals

This blog focuses mainly on dental care for domestic cats and dogs. If you would like to find out more about how to look after the teeth of your rabbits, guinea pigs, horses or any other furry friends, please feel free to speak with a vet at your pets next visit.

When to keep dogs on leads

Should dogs be kept on leads all the time?

Whilst it is not necessary to always keep your dogs (or other pets) on leads when out and about, it is wise to be aware of designated areas and pedestrian zones where leads may be required.

Another instance requiring lead control, especially important to Oakhill as we have a farm vet team, are areas where livestock are present – on farms, in the countryside or on a local ramble through the fields. An NSA (National Sheep Association) survey showed that there was a 67% increase of people witnessing an dog attack on sheep during COVID. (https://www.nationalsheep.org.uk/for-the-public/culture/sheep-worrying/survey-results/)

As stated in the survey, ‘more than half of all respondents had experienced abuse or intimidation when personally asking dog owners to put their pet on a lead.’

Land managed or owned by farmers will have footpaths clearly signposted and most will also have signs showing where livestock may be free roaming. Being aware of these signs means we can both allow our pets to enjoy their walks and protect other animals.

Your Cat’s Dental Health

The ideal way to care for cat’s teeth is to brush them, this needs to be done with pet toothpaste as cats cannot have fluoride which is in human toothpaste. Cat toothpaste is normally meat or fish flavoured so is generally well tolerated, to brush cats’ teeth you can either use a small headed toothbrush or a finger toothbrush. Here is a quick step by step guide on how to do it:

Put a small amount of toothpaste on your finger and let your cat lick it to get used to the taste. If you cat doesn’t want to lick it off your finger, put a small amount on their nose and let them lick it off.
Before brushing your cats teeth get your cat used to being held and you opening their mouth, this can either be done on your own or with a little help.
Once your cat is used to you handling them around their head/mouth slowly and gently open you cats mouth, you can then slowy start to use the toothbrush, this should be done in small circular motions starting at the back of the mouth. This should be done for around 30-40 seconds.
Remember to praise your cat as you are doing this to help keep them relaxed.

If tooth brushing isn’t an option for your cat, there are other products that can help with dental care:

Food- you can buy specially designed to help reduce Tatar build up, these are dry food.
Chlorhexidine washes- these are mouth washes that can be put along the gum line, this helps with bacteria build which contributes to plaque.
Food supplements- these can be added to food/water which again helps with the reduction of Tatar build up.
Gels- These are again put along the gumline.

Understanding how your pet’s shape could indicate weight problems

The shape of your pet can indicate whether your pet is overweight, underweight or of an ideal weight. Many people will look at their cat and dog and think they’re healthy, but don’t realise that their weight or shape isn’t correct.

Understanding your pet’s shape and monitoring it over time will help you keep your pet’s weight in check. Sudden weight gain and weight loss can also indicate health problems, therefore if they’re not overeating and have no cause for the changes in weight, you’ll be able to pick up on this quickly and discuss it with your vet.

Checking your dog’s shape

The shape of your dog will indicate if they are over weight, the steps below can help you determine this.

You should be able to see and feel the outline of your dog’s ribs without excess fat covering.
You should be able to see and feel your dog’s waist and it should be clearly visible when viewed from above.
Your dog’s belly should be tucked up when viewed from the side.

If your dog does not pass these checks, or if you’re in any doubt please contact your practice. We will be able to provide a health check, advice and nutritional guidance to help your dog shift any extra weight.

oakhill weight

Checking your cat’s shape

The shape of your cat will indicate if they are over weight, the steps below can help you determine this.

You should be able to see and feel your cat’s ribs, spine and hipbones.
Your cat’s waist should be clearly visible when viewed from above.
Your cats belly shouldn’t be sagging underneath, there should only be a small amount of belly fat.

If your cat doesn’t pass these checks speak to your practice. We will be able to provide a health check, advice and nutritional guidance to help your cat shift any extra weight.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

Christmas dangers for cats

If you’d rather avoid an emergency trip to the vets this Christmas, beware of these Christmas dangers for cats:

Christmas dangers for dogs

If you’d rather avoid an emergency trip to the vets this Christmas, beware of these Christmas dangers for dogs:

Avian influenza (bird flu)

New housing measures to protect poultry and captive birds from avian influenza across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will come into force from 00:01 on Monday 29th November.

This means that it will be a legal requirement for all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread and to eradicate the disease.

More information available at:

GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bird-flu-latest-situation-avian-influenza-prevention-zone-declared-across-great-britain

GOV.SCOT: https://www.gov.scot/news/new-housing-measures-to-protect-poultry-and-captive-birds-against-avian-flu-1/

GOV.WALES: https://gov.wales/new-housing-measures-protect-poultry-and-captive-birds-against-avian-flu-0

DAERA-NI.GOV.UK: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/news/avian-influenza-housing-order-come-force-0

Microchips in Pets

In May 2021, under the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, it was announced that the government are considering enforcement of microchipping in pet cats. We’ve prepared answers to some frequently asked questions about microchips.

What is a microchip?

A microchip is a small computer chip, approximately the size of a grain of rice, that is placed under the pet’s skin, usually between their shoulder blades. The microchip contains a unique number that a vet, dog warden or rescue centre can use to search the national databases for the owner’s details.

How is a microchip implanted?

The vet, nurse or suitably qualified person will pinch the scruff (loose skin between the shoulder blades) and then use a specialised needle to implant the microchip under the skin. The procedure takes a couple of seconds, and although it can feel a little uncomfortable, most animals quickly forget about the experience and there is no long lasting pain or discomfort. It is important that we do not stroke around this area for around 24 hours, whilst the skin heals, to reduce the risk of dislodging the microchip.

How long do microchips work for?

Microchips typically last for a pet’s lifetime. In rare cases, microchips can ‘fail’, and stop working. This is why vets routinely check the microchips of pets under our care; if a microchip fails we implant a new one, with no need to remove the defective chip.

Should I microchip my pet?

Under current legislation, pet dogs over 8 weeks old must be microchipped, so by law all dog owners must ensure their pets are microchipped. This law doesn’t yet apply to cats, but, as mentioned above, this is likely to become a legal requirement in the near future. Importantly, microchips are the best way to ensure that if a pet becomes lost, we are able to contact you as soon as possible to renuite them with you. In cats, if the cat is involved in an accident away from home, being able to contact the owners as soon as possible is important to discuss treatment plans. In addition, sadly pet theft has increased in recent times, and there are many cases of stolen pets being reunited through their microchips.

My pet is already microchipped, do I need to do anything?

Over a pet’s lifetime, it is important to update the database with changes of address and phone numbers. To update the details, you can contact Pet Trac, one of the largest microchip databases (https://www.pettrac.co.uk/). If your pet’s microchip is not registered with this database, they will advise you which database to contact.

As always, please get in touch if you have any questions.

Preventing gastric ulcers

Squamous ulceration and glandular ulceration are considered separate disease entities and whilst the risk factors for squamous ulceration are well publicised, further research is required for glandular ulcerative disease. By knowing the risk factors for ulcerative disease, we can endeavour to develop prevention strategies. In some horses, it is impossible to ascertain the trigger factor but ongoing care with diet, management and reduction in stress are of paramount importance regardless.

1. Diet

As we will have previously discussed, access to fibre, little and often, is very important for the prevention of gastric ulceration. Horses should have access to grazing, ideally with companions, and whilst stabled, receive access to hay/haylage. Many people interpret this as a licence to over feed horses and this is certainly not the case. In those horses that are overweight, the recommended quantity of hay should be divided out over a 24-hour period, ideally as 4-6 feeds and not given as one feed only. Hay may be soaked and double netted to slow ingestion speed.

If feeding bucket feeds, select low starch/sugar feeds. A number of suitable feeds are available and we are more than happy to discuss this with you on an individual basis.

Corn oil has varying scientific evidence and as such goes ‘in and out’ of fashion but may reduce gastric acidity. But remember, corn oil is calorific so may not be suitable if your horse is carrying too much weight as it will result in further weight gain.

2. Water restriction & over supplementation with electrolytes

Are also considered risk factors for the development of ulceration. Ad lib water should be provided at all times and if using electrolytes, these should be used judiciously and added to feed.

3. Intense Exercise

Intense exercise is another risk factor for squamous ulceration. As exercise intensity increases, so does the incidence of squamous ulceration. Remember to feed a handful of hay/alfalfa 15 minutes before work to increase the fibrous matt in your horse’s stomach and in turn, reduce acid splash.

4. Stress

Stress is inevitably a contributing factor to gastric ulceration. Horses are herd animals and as such should have companions and freedom to display natural behaviors including access to turn out alongside their companions.

Stable enrichment should be considered for periods your horse is stabled- stable mirrors, treat balls etc. A number of commercial calmers are also available with varying degrees of success in individual patients.

5. Supplements

Lack conclusive scientific evidence but a couple of new products have been released as of late. It is too early to comment on our experiences just yet but watch this space!