Your+Dog++May+2019

Answers

DOG

68 Your Dog May 2019

HEALTH

Spot the rot

BEHAVIOUR

Let sleeping dogs...

The title behaviourist is not

legally protected, so it is

important to i nd somebody

credible and suitably

experienced, such as a certii ed

clinical animal behaviourist

registered with the Association

for the Study of Animal

Behaviour or the

Animal Behaviour and

Training Council.

DID YOU KNOW?

HEALTH

A persistent

problem

Q

I would like to know how unusual

it is for middle ear infections to

reoccur. My German Shepherd

Dog, Taryn, had her ear washed out, the

ear drum removed, and a long course of

antibiotics and ear drops, but recently

the ear is bothering her again. I think we

will have to have a CT scan, but I’m not

sure what the next steps will be.

Your Dog reader, on Facebook.

Vicky says: Infections in the

middle ear can be very diffi cult

to treat. It will be important for

your vet to determine how far

the infection goes, and what the cause is.

Infection can spread from the middle ear to

the inner ear, which controls balance, but

also down the eustachian tubes. Advanced

imaging, such as a CT scan, can be useful in

planning how to treat a persistent problem.

Most cases can be cured with the correct

antibiotics given over two to four months,

but some may require surgery to remove

the ear canal and part of the middle ear (an

operation known as a TECA-BO — total ear

canal ablation and bulla osteotomy).

Q

I am concerned about Alabama rot.

There seem to be cases reported in

the news almost weekly. As far as I’m

aware, there have been no reported cases in

the area of Essex in which I live. Is there any

connection to soil type and Alabama rot, for

example more or fewer cases in areas of chalk or clay, or acid or neutral soils?

Stephen Matthews, Essex.

Vicky says: Despite the high profi le of Alabama rot on social media, this

disease remains incredibly rare, with just 46 confi rmed cases in 2018 and

just over 160 since 2012. Correctly called cutaneous and renal glomerular

vasculopathy, the cause of the illness remains unknown, but it results in

anaemia, ulceration of the skin (especially on the face and extremities), and acute kidney

damage. Most aff ected dogs die, although some have survived after suff ering mild

symptoms, or receiving advanced care such as kidney dialysis. So far, no connection to

soil type has been made. Current theories under investigation include a water-living

bacteria called Aeromonas hydrophila, which causes a similar problem in fi sh. Try not

to worry too much; even in areas with clusters of cases, thousands of dogs remain

unaff ected with only a few getting ill. Washing mud off after walks might help, and it will

make spotting lesions early easier.

An update on the research into Alabama

rot, which featured in our January issue.

Kate says: Something has clearly

happened that Tess has associated

with her bed, so she no longer wants

to have anything to do with it. You may

never fi nd out what it was, but the fi rst thing to

do is make sure there is no underlying pain that

might be causing or contributing to it, or any

illness. Although Tess appears to be very healthy,

she might have knocked herself on that day, and

now simply, and sensibly, doesn’t want to risk

doing that again.

It’s worth checking the fl ooring too, as Tess

might have slipped on wooden or laminate

fl ooring and you might fi nd that simply placing

a rug down to give her better grip might give her

the confi dence to sleep in your room again.

You could start to feed her in your room so

that she learns it is a really good place to be;

scatter feeding and allowing her to sniff out

treats or kibble will reward her for exploring and

staying in your room for longer periods.

You could also try having play and training

sessions in there, for extra tasty treats.

Then, after a period of building up a nice, new

association with your room, you could try simply

settling down in there yourself and teaching her

to settle, but without any pressure; if she doesn’t

want to yet, then that’s fi ne. It might take time.

Give her a long-lasting chew to enjoy on

a blanket, or a rubber toy stuff ed with food she

can gnaw and nibble at; this will help her

learn that spending time

here, and on

the blanket, is

a good thing. If

Tess doesn’t seem

to be improving,

seek help from

an accredited

behaviourist.

Q

Our nine-year-old Westie X Cairn, Tess, has always slept in her bed beside me. If we

don’t go to bed at 10pm, she sits and stares at me!

One night recently, however, she suddenly shot out of bed and wouldn’t get back

in. Ever since, she hasn’t slept in her bed. I bought her a new one, but she won’t try it. I’ve put

her usual bed in dif erent places, but she now sleeps either on the landing or on the stairs.

She is perfectly healthy, extremely intelligent, and not of her food.

Mrs Barton, Northamptonshire.

Unexpected noises can upset

your dog’s sleeping patterns.