THE ABC OF GUNDOG HEALTH
Vicky is a keen shooter and qualified vet
m?Shooter, Evolution House, 2-6 Easthampstead
Road, Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 2EG,
email [email protected] or submit
questions on our website:
http://www.sportingshooter.co.uk/ask-the-expertsGUNDOG VET with Vicky Payne
Vicky runs first
aid courses for groups.
Email vicky@
holisticvetsussex.co.uk
for further details.SKIN INFECTIONS
Skin infections are a common reason for dogs
to be brought to the vets. Symptoms can range
from mild itching or dry skin through to severe
itching with hair loss, open sores and an
unpleasant smell.
I often see superficial skin infections in young
dogs when they start working. The less protected
skin of the belly and inner legs can be scratched
on brambles or softened in wet conditions,
allowing bacteria to get under the skin. Typically,
this leads to white or yellow blisters under the skin
the following day. Sometimes, dogs can be very
sore if a large area is affected so I now use an
antibacterial foam shampoo on my young dogs
when they come back from working. The older
dogs are less affected, either because their skin is
tougher or they have built up more immunity.
In the summer, skin infections are usually seen
secondary to an allergy or parasite infestation.
Using a prescription parasite control
product is recommended and your vet
may prescribe medicated shampoo.
Antibiotics are reserved for the
most serious cases. Recurrent
skin infections suggest an allergicproblem and the underlying cause will need to be
addressed through medication, hydrolysed diets
or desensitisation injections.
If your kennelled dogs develop skin infections,
check that bedding is dry and clean and changed
regularly. Use disinfectants at the recommended
dilutions and don’t return dogs to cleaned kennels
until they are dry as contact with these products
can cause severe skin irritation.SNAKE BITES
Snake bites are a concern for dogs from spring
through to autumn in areas where there are
adders. Cool mornings and evenings are the
riskiest times as adders may be out basking on
paths at these times trying to get warm and will
move more sluggishly. Avoid bites by keeping
your dog close when walking in adder hotspots
and don’t let them investigate the bracken.
If your dog is bitten, call your vet for advice and
reduce the spread of the venom by
bandaging (if the bite is to a leg) and
carrying your dog back to the car.
Bites to the head and neck, or close
to veins and arteries, are most
serious, but death is uncommon.Most dogs recover after symptomatic treatment
for pain, tissue damage and infection.STIFLE JOINT
At a lecture I attended on how dogs move, the
stifle was described as ‘a badly designed joint’,
and it certainly causes a lot of problems for our
gundogs. Most people will know of a dog that has
damaged its cranial cruciate ligament. This is one
of a pair of ligaments that stabilise the forwards
and backwards motion of the stifle joint. In
humans, cruciate ligament damage is normally
due to acute trauma, such as a skiing accident,
but in dogs there is thought to be a genetic
weakness in some dogs, which leads to
degeneration before eventual rupture.
Several operations are available to stabilise the
joint, and some dogs will improve with rest. For a
chance at returning to work and delaying arthritis,
surgical options should be considered. We also
see an increasing number of cases of luxating
patellas where the kneecap slips out of its groove.
Cockers and flat-coats seem to be at higher risk.
Mild cases may not need treatment, but others
will require surgery. Breeding dogs can be
checked for luxating patella before mating. Skin infections, snake bites and stifle joints are on the agenda
this month
The risk of an
adder bite is highest
on cool mornings and
evenings during the
spring and summer.S IS FOR...
PICTURE:
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