Kennel Cough

Kennel Cough is a respiratory disease that’s highly contagious. You may also hear this disease be referred to as canine infectious tracheobronchitis.

The name ‘kennel’ cough can be misleading – in fact your dog doesn’t have to go in kennels to catch the disease.

Dogs can spread the disease through contaminated surfaces, shared food/water bowls, water droplets in the air, coughing and sneezing and direct contact with another dog.

Some owners choose to vaccinate their dogs against Kennel Cough even if they don’t go into kennels, as all dogs are at risk of contracting the disease.

What is kennel cough?

Kennel cough is caused by several infectious agents, which irritate the trachea (windpipe) and cause a nasty cough. Kennel cough is very contagious as is spread in the air, from infected dogs or the environment (where the kennel cough germs can be contained within water droplets). Spread is more likely when multiple dogs gather in the same air space, such as kennels or shows.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms develop in 3-14 days and include:

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A forceful cough that has a honking sound to it.
Loss of appetite.
Runny nose.
Sneezing/snorting
Retching/gagging
Fever – although this is rare.
Lethargy (seeming tired)

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In most cases the dog will only have a cough and recover within a few weeks. However, in very young, old or immuno-compromised animals it can be more serious, and in rare cases can cause secondary pneumonia.

Infection can be spread for up to 2-4 weeks after the symptoms have resolved so we advise to keep them separated from other dogs during this time.

What is the treatment?

Non steroidal anti-inflammatories can be prescribed to reduce fever and inflammation
Antibiotics are only needed in occasional severe cases.
Other treatments are sometimes used, such as medicines to reduce the mucus production, or even honey licked off a spoon to soothe the cough.

How can you prevent kennel cough?

Kennel cough vaccinations are available as an intranasal (into the nose) or oral (into the mouth) vaccination. The nasal vaccination can be given at the same time as your dogs yearly booster. The oral vaccine needs to be given on its own 2-4 weeks before your dog can attend.

Most reputable kennels or day care centres will request the kennel cough vaccination. The oral vaccine needs to be given on its own.

No vaccine is 100% although a vaccinated dog is less likely to catch kennel cough, and if they do are likely to have milder symptoms and a quicker recovery than an unvaccinated dog. As a live vaccine, the Kennel Cough vaccine can cause a mild cough for a few days after vaccination.

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.

Pippa – Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Pippa, a beautiful Cockerpoo, was diagnosed at 4 months of age with a serious congenital heart defect known as Patent Ductus Arteriosus (or PDA for short) after a heart murmur, that was picked up during her initial vaccination appointment, failed to disappear.

A PDA is caused by a blood vessel that connects the body’s major artery (aorta) to the main vessel that supplies the lungs (pulmonary artery) failing to close after birth as it should normally do. This can lead to poor growth, damage to the lungs, heart failure and ultimately death with 50% of cases not even seeing their 1st birthday.

Pippa’s diagnosis was made at our Conway Drive branch by vet, Giles Lambert, performing an ultrasound scan of her heart which showed the PDA and the abnormal blood flow that it was causing. The scan also revealed that her heart was already becoming enlarged because of the PDA, a worrying sign that heart failure would develop if left for too long.

Fortunately for Pippa she was able to be referred to specialists at Liverpool University’s Small Animal Teaching Hospital. A month after her diagnosis she underwent an operation to place a small device into the PDA (via a catheter in one of her back legs) to stop blood flowing through it.

Pippa PDA Angiogram

The procedure has been a complete success so far and Pippa can hopefully now look forward to a completely normal and lengthy life!

Thank you to Pippa’s owners for letting us share her story.

The importance of regular health checks for your dog

Owning a dog is great fun and immensely rewarding, but they’re also a big responsibility.

Although you get to know and understand different aspects of their behaviour and their day-to-day routines, it isn’t always obvious to know if your dog is ill, it’s even harder to spot any potential dog health problems.

Most people don’t take their dogs to the vets unless there’s an emergency or obvious signs of illness, however a regular health check may detect issues earlier.

A health check up usually includes 10-points that include:

10 point health check dog preston vets oakhill veterinary centre

If any abnormalities or issues are found, the vet will discuss them with you and a plan for further investigation can be discussed.

Health checks every 6 months are great for your dog as the vet can detect subtle changes in your dog’s overall health. This is especially important for older dogs as these checks play a huge part in the ‘prevention is better than cure’ approach. As part of our 365 Care Plan, dogs and cats get a 10 point health check with a vet every 6 months included.

Oakhill Veterinary Centre puts an emphasis on preventative health care and our 365 Care Plan for dogs and cats was designed with this in mind.

To find out more about the 365 Care Plan click here. If you’d like to book your dog in for a health check, then please contact us.

Do you have a brachycephalic dog?

Brachycephalic dog breeds are increasing in popularity, but one thing most new owners don’t realise is that they can be quite a challenge to care for.

What is brachycephalia?

Brachycephalia means ‘shortened head’ and refers to the dogs flat and wide skull shape. The appearance of the head appears as though the skull has been severely compressed from front to back, they will also appear flat faced with short noses.

Ownership of brachycephalic dog breeds have increased by 3104% since 2007 according to Kennel Club Figures, the rise could be a result of more celebrities being pictured with these dog breeds, resulting in a dog ‘trend’.

Popular breeds that are classed as brachycephalic include:

Boxers
Bulldogs
Boston Terriers
Pugs
Shih Tzus
Chihuahuas
Chow Chows
Pekingese
Lhasa Apso
Bull Mastiffs
English Toy Spaniels

(Please note, not all breeds affected are listed above)

The reason that these breeds may be more challenging to care for is due to the number of health conditions they can possess.

Although these flat-faced dogs are cute, their short noses can also cause breathing problems. These dogs often suffer from snoring and snorting, and although these may seem harmless, it could be an indicator that their airway is becoming partially obstructed, and this can become worse over time.

These dogs have been bred mainly for their looks, but the flat-face look is a result of a smaller upper jaw, in which the tissues inside are bigger than the jaw can allow. The airway problems that result from this overcrowding are collectively known as ‘brachycephalic airway syndrome’.

Brachycephalic airway syndrome

This syndrome refers to a particular set of upper airway abnormalities that affects these particular dog breeds. This syndrome is also called brachycephalic respiratory syndrome, brachycephalic syndrome or congenital obstructive upper airway disease.

The upper airway abnormalities that occur in this syndrome include:

Stenotic nares
Elongated soft palate
Hypoplastic trachea
Everted laryngeal saccules

A dog with brachycephalic syndrome may be affected with a combination of one or more of these abnormalities.

Signs & symptoms

Not all brachycephalic dogs will have all these symptoms, but if your dog is presenting more than one symptom, it’s important to get them seen by the vet as soon as possible. The following signs and symptoms you should keep an eye out for are:

Dyspnea (breathing difficulty)
Noisy/labored breathing
Stridor (high pitched wheezing)
Continued open-mouth breathing
Extending of head and neck to keep airway open,
Sitting up or keeping chin in an elevated position when sleeping
Sleeping with toy between teeth to keep mouth open to compensate for nasal obstruction
Cyanosis (blue/purple discoloration of the skin or gums)
Sleep apnea
Stress and heat intolerance.
Snoring/gagging/choking/regurgitation/vomiting
Collapse

If your dog does any of the above, and you’ve come to think of it as ‘normal’, it’s still worth visiting your vet to check their health. Symptoms generally progress with age and typically become more severe as they age.

What other problems do brachycephalic dogs have?

Eyes and Eyelids: Brachycephalic dogs’ eyes tend to protrude out of their skull a bit more than other dogs. Sometimes it’s difficult for eyelids to close over their eyes (even while sleeping), this can lead to a lack of lubrication over the cornea and can also cause corneal ulceration.

Teeth: Brachycephalic dogs have the same number of teeth as other dogs, but less space to fit them all, which can lead to periodontal disease.

Treatment

Usually your dog will not require active treatment unless it shows signs of clinical problems. pug laboured breathing

Treatment will vary depending on the type, cause and severity of the problem(s). Surgery, such as shortening an elongated palate or widening the nostrils, can prevent some breathing problems. Your vet will monitor the dog’s breathing, pulse, heart rate, temperature and other factors when surgery is performed.

How can I help my dog?

You can help your brachycephalic dog by protecting it from warm, humid weather and keeping its weight in check as obesity can worsen respiratory problem.

It’s important you schedule check-ups for your pet, this will not only monitor their overall health, but also offer you advice on diet and exercise, to give you peace of mind and to also keep your canine happy.