Nelspruit is well known for its extremely hot and humid summers. If you are feeling hot and dehydrated today, imagine how it must feel with an extra layer of fur! Since dogs are not as efficient at releasing heat as we are, it’s important to keep your pets cool and hydrated. Heatstroke in pets is a very serious condition and can escalate in a matter of minutes.
Did you know that certain dogs, like flat-faced/ brachycephalic dogs (Pugs, Bulldogs, Boxers etc), older and overweight dogs are more prone to heatstroke? Even dogs who enjoy constant exercise and playtime such as Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds and Border Collies should be closely monitored for symptoms of heatstroke, especially on hot days.
Knowing how to treat a pet experiencing heatstroke or overheating may be vital to saving your pet’s life. Luckily, it’s not difficult to spot signs of overheating in pets.
Warning signs and common symptoms of heat exhaustion or heatstroke in your pet
Excessive panting or difficulty breathing
Increased heart rate
Dehydration (dry nose, visible tiredness, excessive panting and sunken eyes, if you lift a bit of skin at the back of the neck and it stays up like a tent)
Excessive drooling and thick saliva
Fever (anything over 39.2°C)
Bright red, grey, purple or bluish gums
Lack of urine
Disorientated and dizzy
Vomiting & Diarrhoea (possibly with blood)
Seizures & Unconsciousness
Any signs of heatstroke must be treated as an absolute emergency and the dog must go to the vet immediately
Treatment of dehydration and heatstroke
Move the dog into the shade
Pour small amounts of room temperature or cool water onto their body (never ice-cold water)
Do not cover him with damp or soaked towels as this will prevent the heat from escaping
Apply cold water or ice packs only under the armpits and groin
Help them to drink small amounts of room temperature water
Once breathing settles, get your pet to the vet urgently
Stroking the ears (from the base to the tip) can help to calm your dog down.
Even if your dog appears to have recovered, it is essential to go straight to a vet.
Prevention and tips to keep your pet cool
Provide plenty of shade outside
Allow them access to a pool or create a small dog pond for them
Hose them down with a gentle spray of water from a hosepipe
Gently wipe down your cat with a wet towel
Keep the windows open and use a fan/air conditioner indoors
Use ice bricks under their beds to keep it cool
Freeze their chew toys as a cool toy for them to play with
Refrigerate or freeze their wet food as a frosty treat or freeze pieces of food such as chicken in a cube of water as an ice cube treat
Some dogs even enjoy licking and chewing on a regular water ice block or chicken or beef broth ice blocks.
Don’t encourage play or exercise your pets during hot weather (keep it to early mornings or late evenings)
Consider trimming your pet’s fur if it’s long or thick
Did you know your pet is not immune to mosquito bites?
Mosquito bites on dogs
Mosquito bites are not only annoying but can cause serious allergic reactions and infections, as well as the added risk of transmitting serious diseases.
Allergic reactionsand infections
Your dog could suffer an allergic reaction to mosquito bites. You might see your dog suddenly licking, chewing or scratching himself. Mosquito bites can cause swelling, redness and hives in a dog. A single mosquito bite can cause enough itch and irritation to result in excessive scratching or chewing at the skin. Although such an allergy often remains a local skin irritation, it could also, in severe cases, lead to a skin infection.
Symptoms of Mosquito Bite Allergies in Dogs
The allergic reaction to mosquito bites can range from mild to critical.
Mild reactions
Bumps
Obsessive Licking
Pawing at the face
Localized swelling
Vocalizations
Moderate reactions
Chewing of feet
Fever
Hives
Lethargy
Loss of appetite
Pronounced localized swelling
Rash on the face or paws
Swelling of the face
Critical reaction (anaphylactic shock)
Cold limbs
Coma
Difficulty breathing
Elevated heart rate
Excessive drooling
Low blood pressure
Pale gums
Seizures
Sudden diarrhoea
Sudden vomiting
If your pet’s symptoms progress from mild to moderate, contact your veterinarian and take your dog to the nearest veterinarian or emergency animal clinic right away. In some cases, symptoms of insect allergy can move from moderate to lethal in less than five minutes.
Diseases transmitted by mosquitos
There have been reports of dogs contracting the West Nile virus through mosquito bites. The symptoms are generally confined to a light fever and lethargy.
Horses are more susceptible to illness from West Nile virus and, though most horses recover from the virus, it can be deadly in some cases. The virus invades horses’ central nervous systems and may cause inflammation of the brain.
Symptoms of West Nile Virus in horses may include a general loss of appetite and depression. The following are also possible symptoms of infection in horses:
Fever
Weakness or paralysis of hind limbs
Impaired vision
General weakness
Head pressing
Aimless wandering
Convulsions/seizures
Inability to swallow
Walking in circles
Hyperexcitability
Coma
Fortunately, there is a West Nile virus vaccine for horses, so talk to your vet about getting your horse immunized.
Protecting your pets from Mosquitos
Stay inside (and keep your pets with you) around sunrise and sunset when mosquitoes are often most active.
Avoid swamps, lakes and other areas infested with mosquitoes.
When spending time outdoors with your dog, avoid wearing floral scents as these attract mosquitoes.
Install window and door screens to prevent mosquitoes access to your home. Repair any holes in screens.
Certain plants (like Basil, Lemongrass, Chrysanthemums, Mint, Rosemary, Lavender, Catnip) around your garden can keep the mosquitoes at bay.
Eliminate standing water around your home where mosquitoes can breed.
Never use human insect repellent on your pets – Pets’ grooming habits can cause them to ingest this repellant which can be toxic. Never use products specifically designed for dogs on cats, or for cats on dogs. Speak to your vet today about a suitable product for your pet to safely repel insects.
Keep your horse stabled around dawn and dusk.
Use fly sheets, masks and leg wraps as well as equine-approved mosquito repellants on your horses.
Avoid lighting incandescent lamps inside the stall area at night because they attract mosquitoes. Burning an incandescent lamp away from the stalls may help draw mosquitoes away.
Place fans in stalls. Mosquitoes are somewhat repelled by air movement.
Links to natural homemade DIY mosquito repellants for your pets:
Dogs are very curious creatures, and in the summer, unfortunately, that means they will be investigating all the creatures of the world with their noses and paws – the two prime targets of insect stings.
A sting on your dog’s sensitive nose is extremely painful. Some dogs may even get stung on the tongue or inside their mouth or throat if they try to bite or catch an insect. These stings can be dangerous – the subsequent swelling can close your dog’s throat and block his airway.
Multiple stings are dangerous. Most of the time, an insect sting is just painful and irritating for your dog. Getting stung several times, or stung inside the mouth or throat, is dangerous and requires a trip to the veterinarian.
Bee and wasp stings are poisons. The two most common types of stinging insects are bees and wasps. It’s not the small puncture wound that causes the sting’s pain, but the small amount of poison that is injected.
A bee’s stinger is barbed and designed to lodge in the skin, killing the bee when the stinger detaches from the body
Wasp stingers are not barbed but are more painful, and if provoked these insects can sting multiple times
WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF A STING
1. Remove the stinger as quickly as possible
A simple sting should be bothersome only temporarily. In most cases, there will be mild swelling and tenderness where the dog or cat was stung, usually on the face or paws. If it is swollen and a little puffy, it is a localized reaction to the sting.
If a stinger is still present, try to remove it by scraping it with a fingernail or a rigid piece of cardboard or credit card. Do not try to remove the stinger with your fingers, tweezers or forceps, because this may cause the venom sac to rupture and force more venom out of the stinger.
2. Watch for severe allergic reactionsor anaphylactic shock
A severe reaction can be caused by a large number of stings or by an allergic reaction. Signs of a reaction include:
General weakness
Difficulty breathing
A large amount of swelling extending away from the sting site
Starts vomiting within 5-10 minutes
Gums turn pale
If your dog is having a severe reaction, you need to take the dog to a vet immediately.
Depending on your dog’s condition, your pet may need to be hospitalized and the veterinarian may administer medications such as antihistamines, steroids and epinephrine as well as intravenous fluids and oxygen.
3. Administer a remedy for the pain
Wrap ice, an icepack or a pack of frozen vegetables in a towel and apply it to the wound to reduce swelling and pain. You can also run a washcloth under some cool tap water and then wrap it around or press it onto the site of the sting.
Contact your veterinarian who will advise you what over-the-counter medicine can be administered, as well as the correct dosage based on your pet’s weight.
“It’s very important to consult a doctor before giving your pets any kind of medicine, especially medicine intended for humans.“
4. Monitor your dogafterwards
Observe your dog closely after the sting incident to ensure an allergic reaction doesn’t develop and the swelling does not increase or spread. If several days pass and the swelling doesn’t go down, notify your veterinarian.
The lush bushveld of the Lowveld in Mpumalanga combined with its warm, humid climate make this region the ideal habitat for snakes. Finding these slithery creatures in home gardens in the area is standard and although this may make us feel that we truly are close to the wonders of nature, it unfortunately also poses a threat to our domestic animals, especially dogs.
The danger to our pets
when it comes to snakes isn’t only related to snake bites. Throughout the year
local veterinarians are inundated with emergency calls and visits from pet
owners whose furry family members have been spat in the eye by the Mozambique
Spitting Cobra.
These species of snakes
can eject their venom up to about two meters
and remarkably enough know exactly how to aim for the eyes. In fact, there is
evidence that if a spitting snake spits at you while you are moving from side
to side, it will predictively spit ahead of you so that the venom gets into
your eyes at the right time. Although this is an amazing fact of nature, it
isn’t so great if you are a nosy and determined dog that’s determined to take
on these fearless reptiles.
We use a special dye (fluorescein) to determine the extent of the damage caused by the venom to the eye’s cornea. The green in the photo shows the damaged part of the eye.
Venom in the eyes is extremely painful.
In fact, some have related the feeling to that of rubbing the eyes with a
mixture of sand and petrol. So, when your dog suffers this fate it’s essential
that you treat it immediately, and correctly.
As soon as it happens, or you realise it has happened, it is vital that
you follow the three-step plan:
Step 1 – Flush the animal’s
eye with clean water. Rinse the eye completely and repeat 5 minutes later. This
needs to be done even if there is no evidence of damage to the eye (watery or
closed eye).
Step 2 – Take the animal to
the vet as soon as possible. If it is during office hours, it is advisable to
take the animal to your local vet immediately. If the incident happens after
hours follow Step 1 and call your vet for advice.
Step 3 – On examination, the
vet will examine the eye. They use a special dye call fluorescein to stain the
cornea. This stain helps to determine the damage to the cornea that might be
invisible to the naked eye. Specific treatment will be implemented based on the
severity and extent of corneal damage. Please be aware, pets lose their
eyesight if not treated with the right medication. One of the many reasons why
a vet can’t dispense medication over the counter for these injuries.
Do you live in a highly-populated snake area? Or would you like to be prepared in case your pet does suffer the fate of getting spat in the eye? We have a special Kryon Eye Wash bottle that can be bought at our clinic or online – this makes flushing the eye a lot easier and doesn’t burn the eye at all!
It is of vital importance to ensure your cat & dog vaccinations are up to date. Vaccinations protect against viral and bacterial diseases.
Any pet, whether indoors or outdoors, are at risk of getting infected. It is much more costly to treat your pet for a serious illness, that could have been prevented if your pet was vaccinated. See the vaccination guideline for South Africe below.
Basic vaccination programme for dogs
Antigen
Initial puppy vaccination
Initial adult vaccination
Re-vaccination recommendation
CPV, CDV, and CAV-2
Core
6 weeks
9 weeks
12 weeks
Thereafter veterinarians may suggest to vaccinate again at 16 weeks and perform serological testing to confirm protective titres thereafter
Two doses 3 weeks apart
Booster at 6 months of age to 1 year of age and thereafter every third year (use of vaccines with a licensed DOI of three years is encouraged)
Rabies
Core
12 weeks
4 months of age to 12 months of age
Single dose
Every 3 years (use of vaccines that have a three-year duration of immunity claim on the manufacturer’s data sheet is encouraged). When pet is likely to travel, recommendation should be annually.
Parainfluenza
Non-core but highly recommended
6 weeks
9 weeks
12 weeks
Thereafter veterinarians may suggest to vaccinate again at 16 weeks and perform serological testing to confirm protective titres thereafter
Two doses 3 weeks apart
Revaccination (booster) at
either 6 months or 1 year of
age, then annually for all pets at risk
Bordetella bronchiseptica
Non-core but highly recommended
As per data sheet from manufacturer
Two doses 3 weeks apart if booster is required or single intranasal dose
Annually for all pets at risk
Leptospirosis
Non core
Initial dose at 8 weeks of
age or older. A second
dose is given 3 weeks
later
Two doses 3 weeks apart
Annually for all pets at risk. Local relevance remains questionable and further research is required. Travel regulations may require vaccination against Leptospirosis.
Canine corona virus
Not recommended
Basic vaccination programme for cats
Antigen
Initial kitten vaccination
Initial adult vaccination
Revaccination recommendation
FPV, FHV-1, FCV
Core
6 weeks
9 weeks
12 weeks
Thereafter veterinarians may suggest to vaccinate again at 16 weeks and perform serological testing to confirm protective titres thereafter
Two doses 3 weeks apart
Booster at 6 months of age to 1 year of age and thereafter every year in cats with high risk and every third year in cats with low risk with owner informed consent
Rabies
Core
12 weeks and again at 4 months of age to 12 months of age
Single dose
Every 1-3 years depending on whether the cat is likely to travel or not
Feline Leukaemia Virus
Non-core but highly recommended in young cats
8-9 weeks of age with a second dose
administered 3 weeks later
Two doses 3 weeks apart
Revaccination (booster) at 6 months to 1 year of age, then annually for cats with sustained risk
Bordetella bronchiseptica
Non-core
Administer a single dose intranasal as early as 4 weeks of age.
Administer a single dose intranasal.
Annual booster is indicated for cats with sustained risk
Chlamydia felis
Non-core
Initial dose at 8 weeks of age or older. A second dose is given 3 weeks later
