Spring Has Sprung
Spring Has Sprung
Kennel Cough
Since the last school holidays the most recent kennel cough outbreak has been unfortunately rumbling along. Kennel Cough or infectious tracheitis causes a hoarse goose honk like cough often followed by a retch with white or yellowish foam produced. Owners of affected dogs can help control the outbreak by seeing their vet and isolating until a week after symptoms resolve.
Doggy Happiness
Catalyst on the ABC has run a two part series dedicated to doggy happiness. Check it out on ABC Iview here.
Ticks
If you live or walk your dog anywhere near the water or lakes or have a bushy backyard or property you would have to be stark raving bonkers mad not to have started your tick prevention by now. Don’t be fooled by sales staff recommending new collars or older spot-on type products. Ring any vet on the south or north coast and I guarantee they will recommend either Bravecto or Nexgard. These game changing oral tick and flea preventatives are safe, effective and long lasting. Dogs need to older than 8 weeks and weigh more than 2kg. Do not use in pregnant or dogs with a history of seizures. They should be given with a normal meal (ie don’t choose this day to change diets or give other medication) and rest afterwards.
A few clients have mentioned Facebook sites that claim that these new compounds are “killing dogs”. Rather than writing it off as “internet hysteria”, I kept an open mind and did an extensive check including the FDA (freedom of information reports) and vet based information networks (VIN is worldwide) and the only major side effect vets have noted (remember we would see the dogs if they became ill afterwards) are occasional vomiting and temporary lethargy. I found one vet who posted a case of idiosyncratic liver failure very close to dosing which, though extremely sad, needs to be viewed in context to the possibility of another underlying cause and the over 13 million doses given. FYI, Google Scholar is a far better (re)search engine than Google or Facebook, and if any owners do notice an adverse reaction, please contact your vet so that we can report it.
