Pet answers: medicine, kennels… and bottoms
Don’t settle for pet theories, get pet answers! Veterinary surgeon Cees Bennett answers your animal health questions
MY FRIEND SAYS I CAN GIVE MY CAT MY OWN MEDICATIONS TO SAVE MONEY. IS SHE RIGHT IN ANY WAY?
NO! The most important thing to understand is that all animals process drugs in different ways, sometimes requiring much more and sometimes they are unable to have them entirely. For example, paracetamol is extremely poisonous to cats and even low doses can kill them. (We have recently had a case of paracetamol poisoning where the owner believed their cat was a little under the weather and thought it was OK to give some paracetamol at home. Unfortunately this cat died despite prompt treatment.) Many other drugs can be harmful and although we sometimes use human medicines in a veterinary practice we have to be careful with the dosage and be sure that all of the risks have been considered. It is also important not to use any leftover veterinary medication you may have as these can be ineffective if old or out of date – but also the underlying clinical situation may not be suitable. Most veterinary practices will be very happy to answer any questions about medications rather than see the after-effects.
I HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED TO GIVE MY DOG KENNEL COUGH VACCINE BY MY VET BUT SHE DOESN’T GO INTO KENNELS, SO IS IT WORTH IT?
Unfortunately the term ‘kennel cough’ is not a very good name. The collection of different viruses and bacteria that can cause the signs of an upper respiratory tract infection (cough, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge) can be caught by a dog anywhere, not necessarily in kennels. The pathogens can be transmitted if your dog meets other dogs when out walking or at classes, goes to places frequented by other dogs or even by meeting people who own dogs. My advice is that anyone who has a dog that meets any of the above criteria should get them vaccinated for kennel cough. The vaccine is not perfect and does not provide complete protection, but it does make it much less likely to catch kennel cough and minimises the signs if it is caught.
WHAT ARE ANAL GLANDS?! MY FRIEND SAW MY DOG DRAGGING ITS BUM ON THE FLOOR AND SAID I SHOULD GET HIM CHECKED FOR HIS ANAL GLANDS.
Not the most pleasant topic! In dogs, these glands are occasionally referred to as ‘scent glands’, because they enable the animals to mark their territory and identify other dogs. The glands can spontaneously empty, especially under times of stress, and create a very sudden unpleasant change in the odour of the dog. Dog faeces are normally firm, and the anal glands usually empty when the dog defecates. When the dog’s stools are soft they may not exert enough pressure on the glands, which then may fail to empty. This can cause discomfort as the full anal gland pushes on the anus and a dog will then drag its back end on the floor or lick around the area. Anal gland impaction results from blockage of the duct leading from the gland to the opening. The gland is usually non-painful and swollen. Anal gland infection results in pain, swelling, and sometimes abscessation and fever. Anal gland fluid is normally yellow to tan in colour and watery in consistency. Impacted anal gland material is usually brown or grey and thick. The presence of blood or pus indicates infection. Sorry if anyone was eating while reading this!
Do you have a pet or animal health question? Send it to us at . Cees will endeavour to answer all questions, whether published or not!
Cees Bennett BVetMed MRCVS Veterinary surgeon and Joint Venture Partner at Peterborough Vets4Pets 231-233 St Paul’s Road Peterborough PE1 3RL Tel: 01733 890777 & Bretton Vets4Pets Inside Pets at Home Unit 2 The Bretton Centre Peterborough, PE3 8DN Tel: 01733 261094
