During a warm summer this time of year should be trouble free for those tortoises commonly kept as pets in the UK such as Hermann's, spur-thighed, Afgan/steppe, leopard and African spur-thighed however problems can still occur when the environment, housing or diet are not correct.

Environment

The most successful husbandry is to try and mimic as closely as possible conditions found in the wild. Sub-optimal conditions will lead to impaired healing and immune system, decreased feeding and reproductive activity, eventually leading to illness. Correct temperature is essential with a daytime gradient from 20-32oC and a night temperature of 15-16oC. Additional heating must be provided if the temperature is likely to fall below this or for sick animals. A basking hot spot must be provided using a heat lamp. Ultraviolet light is essential and fluorescent UV strips or bulbs should be positioned no more than 12 inches above the floor level. Failure to provide this and a vitamin D/Calcium supplement will lead to metabolic bone disease. Humidity is important: permanently damp conditions will lead to shell rot. The bedding should be deep enough for the tortoise to burrow as this enables them to conserve water and control their temperature. A loam and play sand mixture is ideal depending on the species.

Housing

Outdoor enclosures work well where space allows, particularly within a greenhouse. Paved areas help to conserve heat and edible plants can be grown to encourage natural grazing. An indoor UV light source is still essential. Access to an outdoor area allows natural sunlight which is far superior as a UV source: care would have to be taken regarding predators or escape via burrowing. If outdoor accommodation cannot be provided a table top terrarium can be constructed. These provide better ventilation than a vivarium and can be filled with loam/soil, plants etc to provide an interesting environment.

Skin Cancer in Dogs

Fact: skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in dogs Fact: two thirds of skin cancers in dogs are benignFact: it is impossible to diagnose the type of tumour just by looking at it and it is often necessary to take a biopsy and send it to a special laboratory to get a diagnosis. This is very important as it enables us to assess the future course and outcome of the disease and plan further treatment if necessary.

Listed below are some common tumours and some general remarks about them. However, cancer behaves in many different ways and almost all types are possible in any age or breed of dog. Many of them require surgical excision which may or may not be curative.

Benign tumours:

1) Perinanal adenoma: multiple masses around the anus which may ulcerate/bleed and occur in older entire male dogs. Treatment involves castration & surgery to remove the masses. 2) Lipoma: single or multiple masses occurring anywhere on the body which are common in fatter, older dogs. They are usually simple to remove and their significance depends on their location. 3) Sebaceous hyperplasia/adenoma: small 'warty' type masses anywhere on the body which may ulcerate and bleed but are

easy to remove if small.4) Histiocytoma: usually single, fast growing hairless masses which commonly occur in young dogs and may ulcerate. They often disappear of their own accord but may need removing if they cause problems.5) Basal Cell tumour: hairless, dome-shaped masses which grow slowly and occur in middle-age dogs. They can usually be removed.

Malignant tumours:

1) Mast Cell Tumours: one of the most common forms of skin cancer in dogs, and the second most common malignancy. Their behaviour is highly variable depending on their grade. They can mimic many other skin lesions and can increase and decrease in size. If they are found to be aggressive then they require radical surgery to remove them and the surrounding skin. They may recur and/or metastasize (spread) to other body organs. Treatment may require radiotherapy or chemotherapy


if adequate surgical removal is not possible.2) Soft tissue sarcomas: tumours of connective tissue such as fat which, like mast cell tumours, have a variable behaviour depending on their grade. They may also require aggressive treatment if surgical excision is inadequate. 3) Melanoma: usually deeply pigmented, dome-shaped lesions which occur in the pigmented skin of older dogs. 4) Squamous Cell Carcinoma: they occur much less commonly in dogs than in cats. They often look pink, raw and rough. They most commonly occur on the nose, nail bed, scrotum, legs or anus. It is often possible to remove them surgically, although this may mean amputation of a toe if it is affecting a nail bed.

Penny Yates

Have you ever thought that you would love to take your pet on holiday with you? This is indeed possible if your pet has its own 'passport'! The process of getting your pet its own passport involves a series of steps, and it is best to think about starting this around 8-9 months prior to travelling with your pet. Once your pet has the appropriate documentation, it can travel with relative ease throughout a lot of Europe. There are some countries that have slightly different requirements, but we can always help you determine these.

The first step to getting a passport is making sure your pet is microchipped. This is a rice-grain sized chip that is injected under the skin of the neck. When your pet travels, this is like its very own set of individual fingerprints, as no other animal will have the same microchip number. The next step is vaccination against rabies.

This is needed as Great Britain is rabies free, but some other countries are not. A blood test is required 3-4 weeks after vaccination, to make sure your pet has the appropriate antibodies to protect it against rabies. Once we have received the rabies blood test results, we can then complete your pet's passport! To keep your pet's passport up to date, a rabies booster is needed every two years.

You may be wondering, so if all this is so easy, why do I need to start 8-9 months before I travel? The reason is that after a successful blood test, you must wait 6 months before being allowed back into the UK. To protect against other parasitic diseases that are not present in Great Britain, worming with an approved tick and tapeworm treatment is required 24-48 hours prior to travelling back into the UK. This will most likely require a trip to a vet when you are overseas.

Some of the diseases that we protect against include Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Leishmaniasis and Heartworm. These are transmitted by ticks, flies and mosquitoes, therefore treatment with appropriate parasiticide treatment will help prevent these diseases. If you think that your pet is the type to enjoy travelling, why

not visit us at the clinic, to discuss whether you think the Pet Passport scheme is the thing for you and your pet!

If you would like further information, please feel free to contact us, or alternatively, the web addresses listed below are part of the DEFRA website and are extremely helpful.

www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/procedures/ owners.htm

www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm

Fiona Giblin

Pet Smile Month

Free Nurse check, free goody bag and 10% off dental treatments and products - Now there's something to smile about!

Imagine how your teeth would look if you didn't clean them every day or visit the dentist. The same is true for our pets. It is estimated that 85% of pets over three years old need some dental treatment. Looking after your pet's teeth is an important part of preventive health care, whether it is a cat or dog, rabbit or rodent. Dirty teeth may smell and look bad, but the damage that you don't see is much worse…….

The gum tissue has an extensive blood supply. When periodontal infection starts, bacteria can travel into your pet's blood stream and this can eventually lead to heart, liver, kidney, bone and joint disease, including organ failure. Besides this a bad tooth hurts just as much as in people, only our pet's are often braver, showing no sign of pain until severe dental disease is present!

What is dental disease & how does it start?

As your pet eats, food particles will naturally accumulate on and between tooth surfaces. Bacteria in the mouth digest these particles to form plaque, which is the sticky yellow / brown film seen on the teeth. As this infection spreads, dental disease starts.

What is tartar, gingivitis & periodontal disease?

As enough plaque builds up, the bacteria cause infection of the gums known as GINGIVITIS; this is often seen as a red line along the teeth. If enough time passes, plaque hardens to form TARTAR, which in a way holds the infection to the tooth surface and helps push bacteria and debris under the gum line. PERIODONTAL DISEASE is deeper infection of the teeth and tooth roots, which ultimately results in the loss of the infected teeth.

Dental treatment

Treatment for most pets involves scaling the plaque and tartar from the teeth even below the gum line. Teeth are then polished to smooth the surfaces and help prevent future damage. If the teeth are badly damaged or gum roots exposed, extractions may need to be performed. Antibiotics may also be dispensed to help rid your pet of existing infection. Dental work is always carried out under a general anaesthetic so your pet will feel no pain.

Dental disease CAN be prevented ~ Book a FREE appointment with one of our nurses for helpful, friendly advice on caring for your pet's teeth.

Jo-anne Nielson & Sue Atkinson

Diet

All these common pet species are herbivorous and require a high fibre, low protein diet with a Ca:P ratio greater than 1.5:1. Salad type diets are inadequate and edible weeds and wild flowers are more appropriate. Commonly available weeds include:

Dandelion leaves and flowers.
Clover leaves stems and flowers.
Greater and ribwort plantain leaves.
Sow thistle leaves and flowers.
White and red dead nettle.
Honeysuckle flowers only.
Vetches leaves, stems and flowers.
Bindweeds leaves and flowers.
Alfalfa leaves.

The larger African species should have access to grazing or good quality timothy hay. The diet should be supplemented every two to three days with a balanced Ca/vit.D supplement and calcium carbonate can be sprinkled on the food. All tortoises should be bathed at least once a week in shallow warm water to encourage drinking and to pass urine and faeces. Fresh water must be provided at all times.

Further information can be found at

www.tortoisetrust.org

Adrian Budd

Enjoy Bonfire Night With Your Pets

While November 5th celebrations can be very enjoyable for us humans it is unusual for our pets to share our enthusiasm for the event. With their acute sense of hearing they can become terrified by the sudden noises, sensations and flashes associated with fireworks. Luckily owners and people working with animals have become more aware of the situation in recent years and there are a few simple steps which can be undertaken to make your pet feel more secure:

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Neither punish nor overly try to re-assure your dog when they are scared, this will only re-inforce the behaviour. Act calmly and ignore the noises yourself; if you usually watch TV then have this on at a normal level as a distraction.

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Keep your pet within a safe environment so that they cannot escape if frightened.

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Exercise and feed you dog at dusk so that they are more likely to feel sleepy before any noises start.

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Close all curtains so that light or flashes cannot be seen; if necessary provide a den where you feel your pet may be able to escape to and feel secure within the house.

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Use favourite toys or particularly enticing chews to divert your dogs' attention during the evening. Squeaky or noisy toys can work well as a diversion.

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Do not use old or previously prescribed medications to sedate your pet even if it becomes distressed.

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Don't leave your animals home alone if they are not used to firework noise.

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Do not physically restrain them if they start to panic indoors.

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Bring rabbits and guinea pigs indoors. If you have to leave hutches outside make sure they are well insulated to try to decrease both the noise and light sensations.

In recent years there has been a big increase in the use of pheromone sprays or plug-in diffusers to help your pet remain calm. These are devices which emit chemicals into the environment similar to pheromones familiar to either dogs or cats earlier in their life and can be very effective but need to be used in anticipation of the event: Your vet will be able to give you clear advice on their use. Try to anticipate the risk by checking out the dates and time of local displays and continue to be aware of the risk in the week following November 5th. If you are anticipating setting off fireworks yourself please, please be considerate of those living locally who may have pets so that they have time to look after them!

Lastly be aware that other species need consideration. Horses can often be panicked in the same situations and may need extra care and attention by stabling or closing stable doors. Bonfires can be fatal for wildlife which often crawl in to sleep so build them as late as possible to decrease the risk and disturb them prior to lighting to allow any animals a chance to escape.

Adrian Budd



A Word Of Warning to Cat Owners

This year has been a bumper year for fleas. According to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, it has also been a bumper year for poisonings in cats caused by incorrect use of certain flea treatments containing the chemical permethrin.

Having recently dealt with a cat with permethrin toxicity out of hours myself I felt duty bound to mention it here. The most common cause of permethrin poisoning, and also the cause in the cat I mentioned, is due to dog flea spot-ons being accidentally applied to cats. Some cats however are highly sensitive to the chemical even at low doses, and may be affected simply by coming into contact with a dog that has been recently treated. Unfortunately, such products are readily available in supermarkets and some pet shops. The signs of poisoning are quite severe and distressing; cats will salivate a lot, and will have muscle tremors or spasms that may in severe cases lead to seizures. This muscle activity causes the cat's body temperature to shoot up, i.e. they become hyperthermic.

This in itself can become life-threatening. The worst cases are those that have received very large quantities of the chemical, or those where treatment has been delayed. I urge cat owners to take great care when using flea treatments on cats, and to always read the packaging carefully. Please do not use dog flea treatments on cats. I highly recommend using a flea treatment purchased from your veterinary practice as we do not use permethrin containing products for dogs or cats, and we can give you expert advice on the best products and intervals for flea treatment.

If you suspect you may have applied a permethrin containing product to your cat or it has any of the afore-mentioned signs of poisoning, please seek immediate advice from your vet. Prompt treatment has the best outcome.

Emily Doughton

Donating Blood

Whilst the need for blood transfusions in animals is thankfully rare, they are often the difference between life and death when blood levels have become dangerously low. Donating human blood is commonplace and many people will have had experience of donating or even know someone who has received blood. Doctors have easy access to blood and blood products through the National Blood Transfusion Service. The launch of several new services has allowed vets to now have access to blood in a similar way.

Previously animal donations have relied on vets, nurses and other members of staff volunteering their pets. This is fine during weekdays when everyone is awake and at the practice, but as is the way with these things our needs often occur at night or the weekend when finding people able to help can be difficult. We also have generous offers from clients offering to help with their pets, but the same problem of donors being in the right place at the right time still occurs. Two new nationwide systems have been design to help overcome these problems and pool resources.

The Animal Blood Register has set up to allow vets access to any donor registered in the area. Owners can register their cat or dog online at: www.animalbloodregister.com , giving details of their pet and how they can be contacted. Qualified vets register their practice and then have access to the entire database of donors so they can find a suitable one in their area. This is extremely useful as it allows vets to use donors who are not their clients, and so they are more likely to be able to contact a suitable donor.

Pet Blood Bank UK is a charity which has set up to provide blood and blood products to the veterinary profession. They organise visits to veterinary practices and collect blood from volunteer animals in a similar way to human donations. The donated blood is then taken to their laboratory in Loughborough where it is processed. Some is kept as whole blood and some is separated to provide products such as red blood cells or plasma. In certain situations poorly animals may not need whole blood and one of the blood products may be enough to help make them better. Vets can then purchase these products, many of which can be stored at practices to be used in emergencies. Old Pound Vets are hoping to host a blood drive in the near future.

David Hough