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Welcome to the latest issue of BVS e-News. In this Issue
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The arrival of autumn heralds not just our Autumn newsletter, but also the time for our annual equine dental special which we run every May. We encourage all horse owners to get their horses teeth checked annually in order to maintain good health and body weight. It is easier to maintain weight than to reverse weight loss, and poor teeth are a common cause of weight loss, especially in combination with cold weather. It is also nicer to do teeth in paddocks during beautiful May days than on our charming winter ones! Book your visit early to take advantage of this special as places fill quickly. The cost per horse is $54(normally $69). We rarely need to sedate horses for this procedure but sedation will cost extra if required to do the job properly. Take advantage of our shared travel days to your area to further reduce costs. Potential Poisons for your Pet: Part 1 
Lily Intoxication in Cats The toxic substance in the plant has not yet been identified but works by inducing renal (kidney) failure. Cats seem to be uniquely susceptible to this effect, possibly due to differences in their metabolism compared to other domestic animals. The first signs of toxicity, usually observed within a couple of hours of ingestion, will be vomiting, depression and a loss of appetite. After about 12 hours the cat may seem to improve and appear relatively normal, if a little depressed. Invariably however within 24-72 hours signs of acute renal failure will develop - drinking large volumes of water and/or becoming extremely dehydrated. At this point if left untreated the cat will die within 3-7 days. There is no specific test that can diagnose lily intoxication. A vet will base a diagnosis on blood and urine tests that confirm renal failure and a history of exposure to the flower. Treatment is very intensive and involves hospitalistion and intravenous fluid therapy - essentially supporting the kidneys until they can recover and begin to function again. Unfortunately treatment will not always be successful, especially in severe cases. The best way to protect your cat from the devastating effects of this flower is not to have it in the home or, at the very least, not allow your cat access to the room where the flowers are kept. To remove all potential risk it would also be advisable not to have the flowers growing in the garden.
Equine Metabolic Syndrome by Perin Vale 
Have you ever wondered why some horses are more prone to founder than others? There is an explanation and it's not just that they enjoy a good feed more than the horse in the next paddock. Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is an endocrine and metabolic disorder that we most commonly see in obese horses and ponies. The condition is a concern, not just because of the obvious impacts of increased weight, but because these horses are much more likely to founder. Horses with EMS have high blood levels of insulin and glucose, a similar situation to people with Type 2 diabetes. While founder is a relatively common disease, it is extremely debilitating for the horse and every year we see a few horses whose pain levels can no longer be controlled and they need to be euthanased. As you might guess, EMS is more common in ponies, but it can occur in any breed. Affected horses are generally middle aged (10-20 years) and many are identified by their owners as "easy keepers" - they tend to maintain weight even in the presence of minimal additional feed. Horses can have generalised obesity, or local regions of fat, with a "cresty" appearance caused by large fat deposits in the region under the mane. Veterinarians most often see these horses when they have a bout of founder associated with additional feed, either in the form of growing pasture or additional concentrates. An important distinction for the veterinarian to make is whether the horse has EMS or Equine Cushings Disease. Horses with Cushings can look similar to those with EMS but the treatment for the two conditions is quite different. Horses with Cushings disease may or may not be obese, however they usually do have long wavy coats which are not shed normally, fat pads above the eyes and they may suffer from sweating at inappropriate times. They can also have chronic issues with founder and thus look much like EMS horses. Cushings disease can be detected using two blood tests taken about 20 hours apart and if diagnosed an oral medication called "Pergolide" can help reverse most of the symptoms. Pergolide has only recently become available and is fairly reasonable in price, unlike previous options. While there is no definitive test for EMS, blood tests that check glucose, insulin and cortisol levels can be of assistance in diagnosis and monitoring. EMS horses will often receive treatment for their founder - generally restricted access to feed, a soft environment for sore feet, a "Founderguard" feed additive and sometimes pain relief medication. Most of the work in treating this disease however will be required of the owner. Managing the obesity is the key principle, with horses encouraged to exercise and be on a simple diet of hay plus a vitamin and mineral supplement. An easy rule of thumb to determine the correct amount of hay is that they should receive a weight of hay that is equal to 1.5% of their body weight, i.e a 500kg horse gets 7.5kg of hay per day. We encourage owners to weigh out the hay to ensure they are feeding the correct amount. The hay selected should be low in soluble carbohydrates, so lucerne is the normal recommendation, despite it's high overall energy content. To further reduce the soluble carbohydrates hay can be soaked in water for 20-60 minutes before being fed. Exercise programmes can be commenced when lameness from founder has resolved, with activities such as being walked on the lead, lunged or ridden being most appropriate. In most cases, once obesity has been addressed, insulin sensitivity will increase thus lowering the risk of future episodes of founder. Once EMS horses are on the road to recovery, owners need to be vigilant about the condition of the pasture. Repeat episodes of founder can be prevented by restricting pasture access when conditions are most conducive to an episode of pasture associated laminitis. Pastures pose the most risk when they are turning green and growing quickly (spring or after summer rain), when they first begin drying out at the beginning of a summer drought and when they are storing sugars prior to winter dormancy (mid-late autumn). Whenever you find you have to mow the lawn frequently you should start thinking about horses which have a tendency to founder - and get them into the "Jenny Craig" paddock.
The Unwell Alpaca by Jack Laing 
There is nothing more frustrating than being confronted with an animal disorder that we can neither diagnose or fix. Physical and laboratory tests come back normal or with non-specific abnormalities, and conventional treatment modalities do not appear to have any discernible effect. New World camelids are well known for presenting such illnesses - loss of appetite, weight loss, and not much else. Being a prey species they are good at hiding disease and may appear unwell only shortly before they appear dead! Monitoring body weight is the best defence against insidious disease. Loss of 5% of body weight is a sign for heightened surveillance, whilst losses > 10% should trigger thorough evaluation. Common causes include decreased food intake(behavioral, management, disease, dysphagia), inadequate nutrition (dietry deficits), increased energy requirements (weather, growth, lactation, pregnancy, trauma, disease, parasitism), metabolic disruptions, protein loss (malabsorption/maldigestion), cachexic influences (tumours and chronic inflammation). Obviously if a diagnosis can be made then a specific treatment plan can be initiated. Herd economics dictates that often a treatment plan must be formulated on a presumptive or shotgun diagnosis. Parasitism and chronic infection are common causes and can be treated easily with wormers and antibiotics. Nutritional support and anti-ulcer mediacations are often useful. Liver disease often occurs, but can sometimes be secondary to other causes - vitamin B complex is useful. This practice has been involved with a large alpaca caseload for 14 years now and sick alpacas remain a big challenge. Unfortunately conundrums can be as regular as conclusions. If only they could talk! Pet of the Month by Michael McCormack 
A small stuffed Snoopy toy would seem like a perfectly harmless object, however in the jaws of a curious, bouncy dog (who should know better), Snoopy can have some disastrous consequences. Meet Diego. He is a 4 year old Alaskan Malamute who has recently had a lucky escape. Diego has always had a terrific appetite and loves to chew and play with toys. He was presented to Bungendore Veterinary Surgery one weekend after his owner had arrived home to find he had been vomiting and was not interested in food. After being examined it was suspected he may have been suffering from a bout of gastritis and he was sent home with appropriate medication and the proviso that if he did not start to improve he may need more intensive treatment and diagnostic testing. Unfortunately this wasn't the end of Diego's ordeal and over the next 48 hours he continued to vomit, becoming weaker and weaker. Blood tests run at this point were suggestive of an inflammed pancreas which can be a cause of acute onset vomiting in dogs. X-Rays were also taken which revealed his intestines were very dilated and full of gas. Abdominal examination at that point revealed a large mass in the abdomen. We strongly suspected that Diego had swallowed something and it had moved out of his stomach and lodged in his intestines. Diego would require surgery to save his life. Foreign objects that remain in the stomach may cause vomiting but an animal can remain relatively well until the object moves into the intestine, where an obstruction can have serious consequences. Obstructions in the intestine not only inhibit the passage of food and water but can badly damage the intestinal wall leading to blood poisoning, perforation and ultimately death. At surgery the offending object was located and removed and identified as a Snoopy soft toy that Diego had been seen to swallow 3 weeks earlier! Snoopy was quickly shown the inside of the nearest bin. Luckily there was minimal damage to the intestinal wall and removal of a section of the intestine was not required. Diego recovered well from surgery and within 24 hours was eating and drinking well with no more vomiting. He went home with a collar to stop him licking his wounds and a stern word regarding the need to change his eating habits. Many gastrointestinal obstructions sadly do not have as happy an outcome as Diego's case. Anything from toys to stockings, wine corks, corn cobs, tennis and rubber balls - just to name a few - can cause obstructions. It is however suprising how many of these objects can pass through without causing a problem, especially if they are partially chewed. So' if you ever see your animals consuming a non-digestible item - don't panic, call your veterinarian for advice and keep it in mind if your pet becomes sick up to a few weeks after the event. Perin has recently attended a weekend seminar at the University of Sydney as part of her Distance Education course in Oncology. This is a twelve month, mostly correspondence course that is run by the Post Graduate Foundation in Veterinary Science. Naomi and Kara have commenced the second year of their Veterinary Nursing Certificate. This involves attending classes two nights a week as well as many and varied assignments and examinations to keep them busy. In February Jaimee started a Medical Science degree at the University of Canberra. She is planning to do this part time so we are lucky that we've managed to keep her at the clinic 4 days a week. Ultimately her goal is to change over to a Veterinary Science degree. Michael has recently moved to the Bungendore area and is now happily unpacking large numbers of boxes that have finally arrived from the U.K He recently aquired a young dog from the ARF as a companion for his dog Hogie who came back with him from England. He has also adopted 7 ex-battery hens and is enjoying watching them explore their new surroundings and grow their feathers again! Suzie is in the midst of her trip to India and has been keeping us updated with regular emails. The shock of her initial arrival in Kolkota seems to have subsided and she has been trekking the mountains even managing to get involved with helping to treat a leopard at a local Sikkim zoo that needed a caesarian Janine and her daughter Jess have been enjoying getting out and about with the horses again now that the Equine Influenza outbreak has subsided. They had a trip to Werribee in March when everyone got used to being out in public again and last week Jess competed in the CDI-Y in Sydney. She placed fifth in the Prix St George. 
Scientific Professional Cat Litter Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease is a condition that can affect all ages and breeds of cats. It is commonly associated with the formation of crystals (and sometimes stones) in the urinary tract and potentially blockage of the urethra and bladder if it is not detected early. The condition can usually be successfully managed through dietary modification and regular checking of the urine. One of the things we monitor when checking the cat's urine is the pH, as the more alkaline the urine the more likely it is that crystals may begin to form. The newly developed Scientific Cat Litter is designed to allow the pH of the urine to be monitored at home and allow early detection of any recurrence of the condition. The litter will change to darker shades of pink as the pH rises. Early detection of recurrence allows early treatment and prevention of the complications associated with this painful condition. Please call the surgery if you would be interested in some more information on this product. |
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