dog and cat

housing- dog including temperature range

• safe and protect from hazards

• toilet area separate from lving

• not left along for long periods

• enclosed innapropritate in hot weather- they struggle with thermoregulation

• avoid temp extremes

• 10-26 degrees celcius

cat housing

• safe clean and protect from hazards

• regular easy access to toilet

• litter tray

• exercise, play, climb space

• naturally cautious so need space to hide as anxiety and chronic distress can cause illness

• ideal cat bed is comfortbable, warm, private, a good lookout spot, accessible and easy to clean

characteristics of a satisfactory pet food

• complete- required nutreints

• balanced- nutrients in correct proportions

• digestible

• palatable

• safe- free of toxins

dog nutrition

• omnivores

• adapt to a well balanced and carefully formulated vegetarian or vegan diet

• should be complete and balanced to meet nuritional requirements and associated diseased

• vegetaran and vegan may need additional supplementation

• fresh clean drinking water

• age, sex, activity level and type of food they eat, their state of health and whether they have been neutered

• those that are pregnant or nursing puppies have special dietary needs

• senior, working, poor health, etc may need special diet

• a healthy adult dog should have a stable weight

• should be fed at least once a day

• do not change diet rapidly as this could cause GI upset

• do not feed shortly before or after exercise

cat nutrition

• obligate carnivores

• cannot obtain all nutrients from plant based but can digest and absorb some nutrients from plant based

• have a high protein and amino acid reuqirements

• must have taurine and preformed vitamin A in diet as they cannot synthesise themselves

• veggie diets not recommended- no guarantee that supplementation is bioavailable and not interfere with action of other nutrients

• clinical signs of deficiency can take years to manifest- taurine deficiency can take up to 2 years

• fresh clean drinking water

• usually prefer several smaller meals a day

• sudden change in diet can cause GI upset or refusal to eat

• many will not eat if placed near toilet or something they are frightened of

neonatal period and when does weaning start

• first 2 weeks of life

• totally dependent on mother

• weaning starts at around 3 weeks

• eat eliminate sleep

tranisitonal period

• 2-3/4 weeks

• rapid developmental period

• eyes and ears open

• weaning from mother onto more solid foods

• starts to assimilate info from environment, interact with littermates and move around more

socialisation period

• in cats and dog

• 7/9 weeks in cat and 14/17 weeks in dog

• cats thought to have a shorter period than dogs

• vary according to individual, breed and experiential factos

• critcal learning period

• learn how to react and shapes animal for life

adolescence

• in dog

• in cat

• 12-36 months in dogs and up to 48 months in cats

• period of intensive social exploration and learning which should contribute to resislience

dog socialisation period

• should start with the breeder

• if missed or inadequate there is an increased risk of behavioural problems

• puppies should be carefully and gradually exposed to new people, animals, places, noises and activities in a positive manner

• if the puppy displays anxiety stop the activity otherwise they are more likely to carry worry and develop ebhavioural problems

• 3-14/17 weeks of age

cat socialisation period

• kitten social play peaks between 9-14 weeks

• duration vary according to individual, breed and eperiential factors

• kittens become more independent and go to new homes

• learn by observing mother and develop social and hunting skills by playing with siblings

• require positive experience with human interaction

• recommende they are touched all ove, lifted frequenct and gently restraaind

• meeting a number of different pepole is recomened

• human handling total 30-60 mins a day recommened- multiple short sessions

• handling in presence of mother and littermates will help

• expose kittens to sights sounds tasres textures and smells

exercise dog

• varies with age breed and health

• young dogs may need to have exercise restricted during periods of rapid growth to avoid dev problems

• older dogs may need walks split into shorter more frequent

• handling and retrieving liekly need mre

• avoid exercising in extremem weather or frightening events

how long recommended no more than x hours without company

4

cat exerise

• regular play with people and toys

• can be trained for certain actitivtes

• do not have a desire to please unlike dogs so training rewards are important

• should never be punished or frightened

gundog

• intelligent

• trained to bring back or retrieve live game

• have good noses, hearing and sie

• good companions, active, need lots of exercise

• eg retreiver, italian spinone, hangarian vizsam iris setter, spaniel, weimeraner, munsterlander

hounds

• hunting by sense of smell or site

• beagle, dashund, bloodhound, rhodesian ridgeback, whippet

terrier

• originally bred for pest control above and below ground

• strong preydrive

• active

• eg bull terrierm border terrier, norfolk terrie

working group

• born to guard, guide, help and rescue

• very active

• enjiy being give a tast

• natural instinct to alert owners to anything unusual

• eg boxer, siberian husky, rottweiler

pastoral

• bred for herding and working lviestock

• resilient and enjoy being out in all weathers

• lots of eneryg

• intelligent

• eg border collie, welsh corgi, german shepard

utility

• previosuly bred for a purpose that doesnt fit into pastoral or working, may not exist

• eg french bulldog, akita, poodle

toy

• bred as small compnions

• friendly and socialble

• once a status symbol

• eg pomeranian, pug, bolognese

what are all pedigree cats registered with

governing council of the cat fancy

GCCF

main groups reognised by GCCF

• persian

• semi longhair

• british

• foreign

• burmese

• oritental

• siamese

shorthair

• stocky body

• thick, medium tail

• short fine and dense coat

• broad head

• short face

• eg british shorthair, manx

foreign/ oritental

• light build, long lean body

• ears large, pointed and upright

• almond shape eyes

• head long and pointed

• tail long, thin, pointed

longhair/semi longhair

• long, soft fluffy coat

• marked ruff extending between fore legs

• short nose and wide muzzle

• head large and round

• ears wide srt, small

• tail short and bushy

• short stocky leg

skeletal abnormalities in cats

• folded ears- naturally occuring gene also causes skeletal abnormalities producing stiffness of the limbs and tail which increase with age

• cats with foreshortened limbs. this is a naturally occurring genetic mutation (chondrodysplasia) which cases musculoskletal issues and can affect mobility, breathing and heart function. should ot be bred to continue this mutation

when should dogs and cars be microchipped by

• dogs 8 weeks

• cat 20 weeks

recommended time indoors before letting cat out

2/3-6 weeks

dog vaccinations

• canine distemper

• canine adenovirus/ infectious canine hepatitis

• canine parvovirus

• leptospirosis

• canine parainfulenza

• canine infectious respiratory disease (kennel cough)

• rabies

cat vaccinations

• feline infectious enteritis/ feline panleucopaenua (feline parvovirus)

• feline rhinotracheitis (feline herpesvirus)

• feline leukaemia virus

• chlamydophila felis

• brodetella bronchiseptica

• rabies

serological testing

• available for CDV CPV CAV and FPV in practice

• rapid reponse in 20-30 min

• presence of serum antibody provides evidence of active humoral immune response likely indicating protection from disease

• however absence of detectable antibody does not reliable predict suceptibility to infection and disease as cellular and innate immunuty are not evaulated in antibody detection testing

endo and ectoparasite prevention

Roundworm (nematodes)

• Toxocara spp. Tapeworm (cestodes)

• Dipylidium

• Echinococcus

• Taenia sp. Lungworm

• Aelurostrongylus abstrusus

• Angiostrongylus vasorum Hookworms Ascarids Whipworms Fleas

• Ctenocephalides felis Ticks Mites#

endoparasites

• roundworm and tapeworm both live in guts- dont usually cause serious problems in adult dogs or cats but can have detrimental impact in young patients

• lungworm is a growing problem- very serious

• toxocara spp prevalence posing risk to human esp immunocomromised

• risk from non endemic parasites imported on dogs and cats

how do cats get endoparasites

• kittens catch worms from mothers milk

• adult cats catch worms from hunting and eating rats/mice/birds, eating soil/animal faeces, fleas (which carry tapeworm)

how do dogs get endoparasite (3x)

Roundworm- Many puppies catch roundworm in the uterus (so are born with them), or through their mother’s milk. Adult dogs can catch round worm by eating soil, faeces, raw meat, animal carcasses, or by licking contaminated objects

Tapeworm- Dogs most commonly become infected with tapeworm by eating fleas (usually during grooming), so flea control is an important part of preventing these worms. They can also catch them by eating raw meat, rats and mice, or the carcasses of other animals such as sheep.

Lungworm -Dogs get lungworm by ingesting infected snails, slugs or frogs. This can be through grooming or on toys etc.

endoparasite prevention in kittens and cat

• worming treatment must be suitable for age and weight

• first treatment at 3 weeks of age then fortnightly until 16 weeks old

• after 16 weeks follow suitable prevention plan dependent on individual cat

• usially 3-6 months but may need more regular treatment if they hunt a lot

• tablet, spot on, treatment, pasres, liquid

endoparasite prevention in puppies and dog

• must besuitable for age and weight

• as a eneral rule first treatment -3 weeks of age and repeated every 2 weeks until 16 weeks old dependent on rpoducts given

• adult dogs will come into contact with worms so regular worming essential to stop problems developing for dogs and to minimise environmental contamination for other dogs and human risk

• repeat doses usually given every 1-3 months

• lugnworm prevejtion may also be needed

human health concerns

• toxocara canis (roundworm) has a potential zoonotic risk to humans

• eggs are passed in faeces of affected animals

• eggs can remain in soil or sand for many years

• accidentally igested or come into contact with eyes

• most do not become ill but in some ases they can travel to liver, heart brain or eyes

• young children most at risk

prevention of toxocariasis in humans

• keep worming tratments up to date

• pick up faeces and dispose responsibly

• wash hands with soap and water

• wear gloves when gardening

• wash veg

• do not let animals defecate in play areas

• teach children

what should clients be asked when making and endo and ecto parasite plan

• lifestyle

• prev infections

• travel history and plans

• location

• age

• general health

• owner circumstances

• compliance measures

what is the five point plan for responsible use of parasiticides for cats and dogs

1. work with clients to prevent and check for parasites

2. understand the potential risks to animals, humans, and the environment

3. take a risk based approach to prescribing

4. ensure appropriate care

5. record and monitor use

measures to prevent periodontal disease

• get the patient used to having teeth and oral cavity checked as a puppy or kitten

• make the experience of home dental care/prophylaxis a positive experience for the animals

• discuss oral healthcare with owners from the first appointment and regularly at check up appointments

dental care

• daily brushing only removed plaque, not calculus. it does not remove the need for anesthetised exams, radiographs, and therapy, same as in human dental care

• dental diets and chews can help control tartar and plaque by mechanical abrasion and or chemical means.

• chewing on bones, stones, and inappropriate toys which can damage the tooth should be avoided/discouraged

anaeshesia free dental procedures

• home scalers freely available

• may be able to effectively remove plaque but risk of causing further damage is high

• unlikely to acheive same result, especially below gumline which is uncomfortable

• as scalers remove plaque from teeth they cause tiny microscopic grooves in the tooth enaml which can provide ideal spots for bacteria to attach to

• therefore teeth must also be polished

• any movement of the pets head can cause the procedures to harm the structures and tissues in the oral cavity

• pets also will miss out on the full dental examination

• rcvs considers it not the best interest in the health and welfare

• specially performing sub gingival scaling and extraction can only be performed by a vet (Acts of Veterinary Surgery)

• owners have responsibility under the animal welfare act if they perform anaesthesia free pocedures

dietary management

• discrepancy between what owners and vets think

• client education

• encourage maintenance of healthy bodyweight or recruit onto weight loss plan- make an achievable and sustainable plan, and regular check ins

• consider communication style

raw feeding

• meat, bones, offal

• tend to be higher in fat, lower carb, highly digestible

• but not all foods are equal as they vary in ingredients, energy, nutritional profile

• no evidence that they provide health benefits over commericial or balanced homemade cooked

• some may show GI problems eg diarrhoea or pancreatitis

• can be a health risk for pet and owner- eg ecoli, salmonella, yersinia, campylobater, listeria monocytogenes, mycobacterium bovis

• pets fed on raw diets may be a risk factor for othe rpatients

• compromised immune system people in household at risks

• some bacteria in raw food can be antibiotic resistant

• freezing, dehydration or freeze drying does not kill all bacteria

neutering and when

• prevents unwanted litters

• prevents disease later in life eg pyometra, testicular tumours, mammary tumours, prostate conditions

• cats are usually neutered from 4 months old but can be neutered from 6 weeks old (>800g)

• dogs usually from 6 months but influenced by breed, size (larger usually later) season (can be done before first season, if they have a season you need to wait aorund 3 onths to prevent ongoing hormonal problems), behaviour, weight, other health conditions, risk of urinary incontinence.