Category: SMALL

Christmas is a time of overindulgence for us humans, but some of our favourite festive foods can be dangerous to our pets. It’s easy to get swept up in all the festive excitement and treat your pets to a bite of stuffing or a nibble of your mince pie – but resist those big puppy eyes at all costs!

Avoid an expensive emergency trip to the vet this Christmas by keeping your cats and dogs away from these dangerous foods.

• Chocolate – it’s one of the most well-known no-no food for dogs, but did you know chocolate is just as dangerous for cats too?
• Christmas pudding and mince pies – anything containing dried vine fruits including currants, sultanas and raisins needs to be avoided.
• Leeks, onions, shallots and chives – most food belonging to the allium plant family is poisonous to cats and dogs.
• Artificial sweeteners – xylitol is found in lots of things, including sweets, baked goods and peanut butter.
• Bones – cooked bones are likely to splinter off and can lodge themselves in the oesophagus or cause tissue damage inside the mouth or throat. Cooked or raw bones can cause a blockage in the intestines, which can be fatal without surgery to remove.
• Alcohol – all alcohol can be harmful to pets, so please keep out of reach.
• Nuts – peanuts have been reported to have adverse effects in some pets and macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs.

If you think your pet has ingested any of the above, please contact us immediately.

The key to keeping pets safe over Christmas is prevention. But even after all precautions are put in place, Christmas can be a busy and chaotic time, with large quantities of food and presents left unattended.

Curious pets, particularly dogs, may investigate and eat gifts (including edible or inedible ones) left under the tree, food in the kitchen or chew on plants decorating the house.

It’s essential to know what to do if you suspect that your pet has been poisoned, or if generally unwell.

• If your pet is showing any signs of poisoning, bring them to see us (or Vets Now Preston out of hours) immediately.
• Do not try to make your pet vomit and never give them salt water (it can be lethal).
• If you are unsure if a visit to your vet is necessary, call us or the Animal PoisonLine (01202 509 000, charges apply) for advice.

On 1^st September our regulatory body, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) introduced new guidance on prescribing prescription-only medicines.

The new guidance requires that a physical examination of your pet must be performed every time any antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals and antiparasiticides are prescribed.

The guidance is an important step towards ensuring responsible antimicrobial use and reduces the veterinary impact on the wider issues of global antibiotic resistance and decline in insect populations.

How will this affect you?
Your pet will need to come in for an in-person consultation and examination every time:

• That we need to prescribe antibiotics – whether in tablet form or in topicals (such as ear and eye preparations).
• We/you decide to change from one flea/worm/tick product to another or have not been seen within the last 12 months.

We are unable to dispense the above medications based on urine/faecal testing alone.

For long term prescription medication that is not an antimicrobial/antiparasitic, our usual policy of requiring an examination every 3 months continues to apply.

The consultations will be charged at our usual fees.

You can read the full guidance from the RCVS on their website.

Mites are very small parasites that will often only be seen with magnification or a microscope. They live within or on the skin and often cause intense irritation, such that the signs an affected pet will show are usually the result of self-damage through scratching and biting.

Five types of mites are common in pets:

• Sarcoptes – This is the mange mite (‘fox mange’, ‘scabies’), which is relatively common in dogs, but rare in cats. It causes severe irritation, is highly contagious and may also pass to humans!
• Ear Mites – The ear mite, otodectes, lives on the skin that lines the long ear canal of dogs and cats. It is very common in puppies and kittens and causes very itchy ears that will produce a lot of thick brown waxy discharge.
• Cheyletiella – Often referred to as ‘walking dandruff’ this mite, which can also affect humans, produces an itchy, scurfy skin mainly on the body of dogs.
• Harvest Mites – As its name suggests, is common in late summer and often found on the head and legs of dogs and cats after walking through long grass. It is distinctly recognisable as clusters of bright orange mites.
• Demodex – these unusual mites are found within the hair follicles and sebaceous (skin) glands. They are not contagious and tend to cause disease when the immune system of the animal is suppressed.

Treatment

The diagnosis of mite infestations can sometimes be difficult and treatment protocols will vary according to the type of mite. It is very important that if your pet shows any increase in scratching or itchiness is brought to the attention of your vet, especially if there are also signs of skin or hair damage.

A new law was introduced on 13th March that makes microchipping pet cats and keeping contact details up to date compulsory for all owners. The new microchipping rules give owners until 10 June 2024 to microchip their cat, making it easier for pet cats to be returned home safely if lost or stolen.

There are currently over 9 million pet cats in England, with as many as a quarter of them (2.3 million) unchipped. The new rules mean cats must be implanted with a microchip before they reach the age of 20 weeks and their contact details stored and kept up to date in a pet microchipping database.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said “Cats and kittens are treasured members of the family, and it can be devastating for owners when they are lost or stolen.

“Legislating for compulsory microchipping of cats will give comfort to families by increasing the likelihood that lost or stray pets can be reunited with their owners.”

All owners must have their cat microchipped by 10 June 2024 and owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted or may face a fine of up to £500.

The introduction of compulsory cat microchipping was a manifesto commitment and an Action Plan for Animal Welfare pledge, following a Government call for evidence and consultation on the issue in which 99% of respondents expressed support for the measure.

Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said “I am pleased that we are progressing with our requirement for all cats to be microchipped.

“Microchipping is by far the most effective and quickest way of identifying lost pets. As we’ve seen with dog microchipping, those who are microchipped are more than twice as likely to be reunited with their owner.

“By getting their cat microchipped, owners can increase the likelihood that they will be reunited with their beloved pet in the event of it going missing.”

The process of microchipping involves the insertion of a chip, generally around the size of a grain of rice, under the skin of a pet. The microchip has a unique serial number that the keeper needs to register on a database. When an animal is found, the microchip can be read with a scanner and the registered keeper identified on a database. No matter how far from home they are found, or how long they have been missing, if a cat has a microchip there is a good chance that a lost cat will be swiftly returned home and reunited with their owner.

It will not be compulsory for free living cats that live with little or no human interaction or dependency, such as farm, feral or community cats.

Owners with cats that are already microchipped should ensure their details are up to date.

The commitment to microchipping is part of a wider Government effort to build on their existing world-leading standards. Since publishing the Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021 the UK has brought in new laws to recognise animals sentience, introduced tougher penalties for animal cruelty offences and brought forward a ban on glue traps.

There are several benefits to neutering your rabbits, both from a behavioural and a health point of view. We strongly recommend that all rabbits that are not intended for breeding should be neutered.

Neutering a female rabbit (Doe) is called ‘spaying’ and involves removing the ovaries and womb, whereas neutering a male rabbit (Buck) is called ‘castration’ and involves removing the testicles. Most female rabbits can be neutered from around five months old, but giant breeds take longer to mature, so may be as late as eight months. Male rabbits can be neutered as early as ten weeks.

Rabbits can get pregnant at around three months old, so males and females must be kept separate from this age (ideally a bit before), until after they have been neutered. Females are sterile immediately following the procedure.

Male rabbits can remain fertile for up to six weeks after they have been castrated, so must be kept separate from any un-neutered females in this time.

Reasons to have your rabbit neutered

If you neuter your rabbits, you not only prevent the risk of unwanted litters, but you also reduce the risk of some tumours in females and may reduce territorial aggression and undesired sexual behaviours in both sexes. Here are some of the main benefits:

• Pregnancy – The most obvious risk of being unneutered is pregnancy, and most rabbits can get pregnant at around three months old, even if they are related!
• Illness – By neutering your rabbits you decrease/eliminate the risk of certain cancers, for example uterine and testicular cancer. Sadly, female rabbits are very likely to develop uterine (womb) cancers relatively early in life. They can also develop womb infections, or other cancers such as mammary (breast tissue) cancer.
• Fighting – Rabbits are sociable animals so should always be kept in friendly pairs or groups – the ideal pairing is usually a neutered male and neutered female. Neutering reduces the likelihood of fighting in both male and female rabbits and also means they are less likely to show aggression towards you too.
• Urine spraying – neutered rabbits are less likely to spray urine to mark their territory.
• Better house training – neutered rabbits are much less likely to exhibit marking behaviours, making it much easier for them to live happily indoors.

What does neutering involve?

Neutering is a surgical procedure, involving a general anaesthetic. Your rabbit will come into the surgery in the morning, stay for the day to have the operation, and in most cases will be reunited with you the same day. Although all surgical procedures come with some risk, neutering is one of the most common procedures undertaken by our vets, and the techniques are very safe.

In males the testicles are removed – this is the main source of the hormone testosterone, so levels of this hormone fall after the surgery. In females the ovaries and the womb (uterus) are removed as standard – this means that your rabbit will no longer be able to fall pregnant.

Whilst all surgical procedures can be uncomfortable, recovery from neutering is usually very rapid. In most cases rabbits are on their feet within a few hours of the procedure and will be given pain-relief drugs for the procedure itself, and throughout recovery. Some rabbits may be subdued for a day or so and may appear drowsy or a little wobbly that evening, but most rabbits are back to their normal selves within a few days.

If you are booking your rabbit in to be neutered by one of our experienced vets, then you will be given full pre and post-operation care instructions.

Despite being the third most popular pet in the UK, rabbits are amongst the most misunderstood. They are curious, highly intelligent, social, and fun animals, making caring for them great fun and very rewarding. With the best care they can enjoy full and enriched lives, living as long as dogs and cats.

But rabbits have complex needs and it’s essential they have enough room to exercise, display normal rabbit behaviour and eat the right diet to stay healthy and happy.

Sadly, though too many live out their days confined to a hutch, unable to display the behaviours they would show in the wild. Often this is simply due to the lack of knowledge of new rabbit owners, with the level of advice given to in pet shops, at best, inadequate and at worst, non-existent.

How to keep happy rabbits

Happy rabbits have a lot of energy: they enjoy running around and playing. They’re also very social creatures, so spending time with their family members – human and rabbit – is essential to their well-being. Ideally, they should:

• Have a companion – rabbits are happiest when they are half of a bonded pair. If your rabbit is living alone, they could get lonely and bored. To be kept with others, rabbits must be neutered – castrated or spayed (recommend regardless).
• Have the right housing – rabbits need the space to be able to hop, stretch out fully, stand up on their hind legs and run around, so a hutch alone is not enough. Give them an environment to display their natural behaviours.
• Eat well – their digestive systems are complex and delicately balanced. Feed them unlimited good quality hay, along with fresh vegetables and quality pellets.
• Get mental and physical stimulation – rabbits benefit from a rotating collection of toys. They are also incredibly curious little things, so give them puzzles and things to investigate to help stave off boredom.
• Be neutered and vaccinated – take them to the vet for annual vaccinations, regular check-ups and if you have any concerns.

Home, Sweet Home

A rabbit’s environment has a direct impact on its health and happiness, with daily exercise vital to their mental and physical health. The big question you need to ask yourself is where will they live – indoors or outside? Both can work well providing the space they have is safe and most importantly big enough for then to display their natural energetic behaviours.

Unfortunately, many commercially produced hutches are simply not big enough for the rabbits they are housing, and lack of advice at the buying stage leaves new owners unaware. A good hutch should be:

• At least 6 ft wide x 2 ft deep x 2 ft high.
• Dry and free from mildew on the inside.
• Draught-free.
• Watertight.
• Sheltered at the front from direct sunlight or wind exposure.

As rabbits need at least several (ideally eight) hours of exercise a day a predator-proof run will need to be attached to the hutch. This should be:

• At least 4 ft wide x 8 ft long x 3 ft high.
• Made from sturdy mesh.
• Be on firm standing to prevent rabbits burrowing out or predators burrowing in.
• Provide shade and things to do.
• Have good air flow and light.

How often to clean out your rabbit will depend on how messy your rabbit is, but as a rule, we would advise cleaning out damp toilet areas every day and doing a full clean out at least once a week. Using litter trays with a wood-based cat litter under wood shavings is ideal as they are easy to empty, protect the hutch floor from the abrasive action of the urine and they train the rabbit to use the tray which increases hutch hygiene.

6 signs your rabbit is stressed or unhappy

Sometimes, it can be difficult to know what our rabbits are thinking. As prey animals, the way they behave is different to other common pets and changes to their body language can be subtle. If you know what to look for, it can help you to recognise if they are stressed or unhappy and help get them back to their usual self:

1. Loss of appetite
2. Lethargy
3. Hiding
4. Overgrooming
5. Aggression
6. Obsessive biting

A change in your rabbit’s behaviour can indicate many things e.g. living conditions, loneliness, environment or sickness, but luckily most of these things can easily be rectified with a few simple changes. It’s important to speak to your vet if you notice any unexplainable changes in your rabbits’ behaviour, so they can check if there’s any medical reasons for it.

Think carefully before you jump into buying a rabbit

Rabbits can be affectionate and quickly ingratiate themselves into your home life. Happy bunnies will hop, dance and binky their way into your hearts. But rabbits are not usually:

• Good pets for young children.
• Pleased to be picked up or petted.
• Able to live in small spaces.
• Happy living alone.
• Easy to look after.

Rabbits have complex needs and it’s important to make sure your rabbits have enough room to exercise, display normal rabbit behaviour and eat the right diet to keep healthy.