NEUTERING
TO NEUTER OR NOT TO NEUTER, THAT IS THE QUESTION…
In the UK neutering our pet cats and dogs has become the norm. Rehoming charities and vets recommend neutering for population control and health benefits but the internet abounds with websites warning owners against neutering so once again our vet Vicky Payne tries to cut through the hype from both sides and present a balanced view…
NEUTERING CATS
We’ll start with cats as the evidence is clearly in favour of neutering cats not intended for breeding. Female cats come into season for the first time around 6months and then be in season for about 3 days every 3 weeks! Female cats become very vocal while in season and some owners even think they have been in road accidents due to their horrible calls and odd posture. Female cats will try very hard to find males while in season and due to artificial heating and lighting seasons may continue through the winter months. Cats can become pregnant on their first season, when they are still kittens themselves and can become pregnant while still feeding a litter putting an enormous strain on them. Female cats which cycle but are not bred are at risk of pyometra (womb infection) and mammary tumours.
Male cats become sexually active from around 6 months too. They are more likely to roam and fight leaving them at higher risk of road accidents, abscesses and the cat viruses FIV and FeLV. Cats Protection has data suggesting the life expectancy of a free roaming entire male cat is less than 4 years. Entire male cast develop lovely big round faces….but they also develop very pungent urine, and a tendency to spray it on any vertical surface.
Cats have been neutered at 6months for a very long time and few concerns have been raised about the effect of neutering at this age. Some charities now recommend neutering at 3-4months, but it is as yet unclear if this carries any long term risks. Both male and female cats are at higher risk of obesity after neutering, but this can be avoided by active feeding of an appropriate diet.
NEUTERING MALE DOGS
Male dog become fertile from around 6months and many owners find their cute puppy turns into a horrible teenager during his adolescence. Castration can help with some behavioural issues, but can make others worse so in most cases it is better to work through adolescence then consider neutering.
Neutering males removes the risk of testicular tumours and unwanted litters and reduces the risk of perianal tumours and perineal hernias. It increases the risk of obesity (but as with cats, this can be managed) and possibly some joint problems; though it is hard to tease out whether this is a direct effect or castration or secondary to obesity. Some uncommon cancers may be more common in castrated dogs but even doubling the risk of a really rare cancer still makes it really rare. The biggest concern is that neutering can increase the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in breeds prone to it (e.g. Irish Wolfhounds, Rottweilers)by 50-100%! Properly trained and managed entire male dogs need not become aggressive towards dogs or humans but if you live in an area with lots of entire bitches your dog may become noisy and distracted when bitches are in season.
If, after discussion with your vet, you feel neutering is the best thing for you and your male dog the next question is when to do it. Most vets offer neutering for males from 6months old, just before puberty. This has few behavioural or health affects on small and toy dogs but large, active or working dogs may be better left until they have been through puberty and their bones have stopped growing (9-18months depending on size/breed). There is some evidence that large breeds neutered before their bones are fully grown can have altered ratios of length of bone. How this affects them is unknown but it may leave them more at risk of injuries. It is common in America and Australia for puppies to be neutered at 12-16weeks. This is not common in the UK and the risks/benefits are not clear. It is important when reading internet posts about ‘early’ neutering to know if they mean 3-4months or 6-7months (pre-puberty) as the effects could be quite different.
NEUTERING FEMALE DOGS
Female dogs usually come into season for the first time between 6 and 18months and then every 6-12months. They have a bloody discharge from their vulva and will be attractive to dogs for 3-4weeks (and most fertile at around 14days). Having a bitch in season can be messy and it can be difficult to manage exercise if you have to walk in areas where dog are off the lead. After her season your bitch may suffer from a false pregnancy as she will have the same hormone changes whether mated or not (weird, huh). In most bitches this just means she gets a little soppy and her mammary glands swell but others can become very upset with painful swollen mammary glands and behavioural changes. Neutering removes the risk of unwanted pregnancies, pyometra (life threatening womb infection) and tumours of the womb and ovaries and reduces the risk of mammary tumours. As in males it increases the risk of obesity and of osteosarcoma in high risk breeds. Coat changes can be seen in long coated dogs (of either sex), but these can be managed through stripping or clipping. In most cases there are more benefits to neutering females if you don’t plan to breed, or in neutering her after her breeding career is over.
If you decide that neutering is the best option for your bitch when should you have it done? As with males many practices offer neutering at 6months, just before puberty. Again this is most suitable for small and toy breeds, but may be the best option for any bitch if her owners don’t have the facilities to cope with a bitch in season. The traditional time for neutering bitches is 3months after her first season when she will be physically and mentally more mature. Neutering before 2years of age causes the greatest reduction in mammary tumour removal risk. If bitches are kept entire for showing or breeding it is advisable to consider neutering at 7-8years old; the mammary tumour risk won’t be reduced but pyometra is increasingly common in bitches of this age and can be life threatening. As with males, a few vets offer neutering at 12-16weeks so when doing research make sure you understand what is meant in the article by ‘early’ neutering.
SO, TO NEUTER OR NOT?
The decision to neuter should be an individual one and the recommendations will vary with every dog and owner combination. Some vets can seem ‘gung-ho’ in their approach, booking pets in as soon as they have completed their vaccination course, but if you have concerns about neutering your vet will be happy to discuss them.
MIRACLE CANCER CURES!
MIRACLE CANCER CURES!
If you’ve been following the Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care blog for a while you’re probably not expecting a post which is actually about a miracle cancer cure, but with cancer a common cause of early death for our pets it’s not surprising that many owners are searching for miracles…or that there are regular articles claiming to have found them. Today we look at three ‘miracle’ cures and try to find what hope they really offer.
GREEN TEA CURES LYMPHOMA IN DOGS!
There are several good studies showing that artificially induced cancers in mice can be inhibited by the use of extracts of green tea but often the doses and preparations used are not easy to transfer to larger animals such as dogs or people. Recently a paper has been doing the rounds which seems to offer a lifeline to the many dogs diagnoses with lymphoma each year. The basic gist is that a really sick, 7 year old Labrador cross showed dramatic improvement with treatment including green tea and was still alive and happy nearly a year later. Brilliant…so let’s put the kettle on! Or, not.
This paper is limited in it’s usefulness as it’s a single case study. It’s impossible to know what would have happened if the dog had not received the green tea as part of it’s chemotherapy protocol. Lymphoma is not a single entity in dogs; there are types which will kill most patients in a couple of weeks not matter what treatment is tried, others where the dogs would be expected to live for nearly two years with no treatment at all and some where life expectancy can be improved with chemotherapy. It is important to note that green tea was used alongside conventional drugs in this paper and though it may have worked synergistically it’s hard to see that the tea alone could have improved the dog so dramatically. Then we get to the tea itself! This is not the stuff you buy in the supermarket…the tea used was selected for high levels of green tea catechins and brewed in a very specific way to ensure these were not lost or damaged.
So, this paper offers some hope but a lot more research would be needed including randomised, blinded trials with large numbers of dogs before we could claim this to be a miracle.
CV247
This combination of vitamins, minerals and aspirin was designed by a vet to treat cancers. There are a number of papers showing that it can delay the return of cancer after surgery in mice and dogs as well as an increase in wellbeing, and now there is some evidence that it can kill cancer cells from human trials on breast and bowel cancer too. Studies of prostate cancer patient using CV247 did not show huge increases in life expectancy but patients did feel better in most cases.
CV247 is certainly not a miracle cure, and the aspirin content limits it’s usefulness in some dogs and particularly in cats but it offers a relatively safe and cheap therapy, especially for preventing the return of solid cancers which can be removed.
A spanner has fallen into the CV247 works however…the company which has taken over it’s production has tripled the wholesale cost of the product, despite it’s fairly cheap ingredients and increasing demand. While it remains cheap in terms of human cancer therapies the cost is rapidly becoming prohibitive for the animal patients it was originally designed for.
INTERNET MAGIC PILLS
It would be wrong to mention brand names but there are several ‘miracle’ herbal cancer cures being sold on the internet. Most contain a large number of ingredients all of which have some scientific or historical literature to support their use in cancer. None have been tested as a complete product in a randomised, controlled way though some have glowing case studies and testimonials (with the same limitations as the green tea case).
At Four Seasons we are always wary of herbal medicines that don’t come from our trusted suppliers as there have been many cases of substitution, adulteration and otherwise poor quality herbs being sold. We also think that a scattergun approach of giving small amounts of a large number of herbs will be less effective than preparing an individualised herbal tonic using herbs with evidence relevant to that particular patient.
MIRACLE CANCER CURES? SADLY, NO.
So far we’ve yet to find a magic cure for cancer, but we’ll keep looking. And in the meantime we have many ways of treating and supporting pets with cancer to ensure they live with the disease with a good quality of life for as long as possible.
ENJOYING AUTUMN
HOLISTIC HEALTH FOR AUTUMN
The nights are longer, the leaves are turning…are you getting down and snuggling up on the sofa with your pets? DON’T! Get out there are enjoy Autumn!
AUTUMNAL EXERCISE!
Most dogs LOVE Autumn….leaves to play with, cooler weather to run around and damp ground that really holds the smells of all those foraging beasties. Do take care though to ensure old or thin coated dogs are protected from really cold or wet weather using a comfy coat. Check out piles of leaves for hidden dangers before you and the dog pile into them and do some recall training to ensure your dog doesn’t go off in pursuit of wildlife or gamebirds.
Cats may not be so convinced to leave the fireside but tempt them outside for a run about with an interactive toy – try some feathers on a string.
Rabbits and guinea pigs will be ok outside for now but remember guinea pigs are from a hotter climate than rabbits so may need bringing into the house or a shed earlier. Neither like rain much so ensure their runs have shelter.
AUTUMNAL EATING!
Raw fed dogs may start to appreciate root vegetables in their food. These contain more sugars and starches which we all seem to crave in the winter. Avoid them in dogs prone to weight gain, wet skin conditions and lipomas. Try to prevent your dog tucking into fungi on walks as they may be toxic.
As cats are often less active in winter adjust their feeding to prevent obesity. And maybe introduce active feeding to get them moving more.
Check any leaves and fruits falling into rabbit or guinea pig runs are not toxic and provide scatter feeding and hay in the run when grass growth slows. Keep checking bottoms for flystrike on mild days.
AUTUMN M.O.T?
The colder weather can trigger health problems in any animal. Your pet may show increased stiffness with arthritis or a cough on cold mornings if there is an underlying lung condition. It’s a good idea to get any minor changes checked out by your vet as early diagnosis increases the treatment options, both holistic and conventional.
AUTUMN T.L.C!
The longer evenings are great for spending a bit of extra time on grooming and trick training. Grooming is especially important as burrs can get caught in the coats of longhaired dogs and cats and can cause painful sores. Training your pet (whatever type!) a new trick will help the evenings fly by and improve your bond and as studies have shown health benefits from the pet-owner bond you may even be helping to stave off winter coughs and colds!
HOLIDAY
It’s been a busy Summer so we’re having a week off!
For urgent health issues contact your primary care vet.
Back to normal on 23rd!
GOOD GARLIC!
GARLIC IS GREAT!
Garlic is one of our favourite herbs, in fact it’s a whole medicine cupboard all by itself!
Garlic contains volatile oils and sulphurous compounds (which give it it’s pungent smell) as well as vitamins and flavonoids (anti-oxidants).
These active compounds have many effects including antimicrobial, antithrombotic (stop blood clots), expectorant, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic (reduce fat in the blood), hypotensive (reduce blood pressure), anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic and spermatogenic (increase sperm production).
Garlic has been used extensively in both human and animal medicine around the world. It is even written that the Romans would prepare huge vats of garlic and water to douse the wounds of their soldiers returning from battle! (And of course it wards off vampires…)
ISN’T GARLIC TOXIC TO DOGS AND CATS?
All the onion family are to some extent toxic to dogs and cats but garlic can be used in moderation. Take extra care if using garlic for cats as they are more sensitive than dogs.
Chronic overdose of garlic can cause problems with the blood including anaemia. Because it may reduce blood clotting garlic should be stopped before any planned surgery.
SAFE DOSES OF GARLIC
We feel that half to one clove of garlic (about 3-4g fresh garlic) is safe for a 20-25kg dog and about 0.5g for an average cat. We recommend giving it on 5 days out of 7.
We feel that the benefits of using fresh garlic far outweigh the aroma as processing and drying the garlic can lead the loss of volatile oils.
GROOMING FOR HEALTH
GROOMING IS ESSENTIAL TO HEALTH
Grooming your pet isn’t just about making them look nice; it’s a vital part of keeping them fit and healthy. How often you groom your pet will depend on it’s coat type but every pet should have a thorough grooming session at least once a week. Daily grooming will be required for long coated pets. Less grooming may be required (or possible) for small pets such as hamsters and gerbils but they should still be handled and checked over regularly.
BENEFITS OF GROOMING
Grooming you pet can be a great bonding experience and also provides an opportunity for you to thoroughly check your pet over.
While grooming you will notice any skin changes, lump and bumps; you will feel whether your pet is getting fat or thin; you will be able to remove thorns and grass seeds before they become a problem. It will really help you know what is normal so you can seek help early when things are not normal.
Grooming removes dirt and dead skin cells from the coat. It also stimulates the circulation in the skin and spreads oils along the hair shaft which can improve the condition of the skin and coat.
Regular brushing helps the skin maintain a healthy bacterial population which reduces the risk of infection, and keeps your pet smelling sweet!
Grooming produces relaxing chemicals in the brains of both dogs and their owners (and probably other pets too) so it’s time you both should really enjoy!
BASIC GROOMING
Check the nails aren’t too long or cracked; trim if necessary.
Check between the pads of cats and dogs for balled up fur, especially if the weather has been hot (tar can melt into the fur) or cold (ice can ball up the fur) and for grass seeds in summer.
Check that the genital area is clean, dry and not smelly (especially rabbits- check daily!).
Use a comb to remove any knots, tangles and seeds from your pet’s coat. Support the skin so you don’t hurt your pet. If the knots go right to the skin either consult a groomer or slide a comb between the skin and the knot before attempting to cut the hair off.
The type of brush used on the body will vary with coat type. Zoom Groom and Furminator brushes are great while pets are moulting while a bristle brush is good for stimulating the circulation and adding a shine.
A damp cloth wiped over the fur brings out the shine on most coats and removes any scurf.
Check and clean the teeth of dogs (and maybe cats!) with a pet toothpaste. If there is lots of scale, pus or bleeding consult your vet.
Some dogs and cats benefit from regular ear cleaning too but ask your vet about the best products to use for this.
If your dog has a lot of coat consider getting it stripped or trimmed; but take advice from the groomer on the most suitable way to deal with the coat and be aware that the coat won’t be as weatherproof if clipped.
Bathing is sometimes required but should be kept to a minimum in a healthy pet as it can strip the oils from the coat.
WHO IS TREATING YOUR PET?
BEFORE SEEKING ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR YOUR PET READ THIS!
Anyone can treat humans, as long as they don’t lie about their qualifications or make untrue claims….so, if you want to try and cure your illness with Holy Water or crystals we’re not going to stop you.
BUT…the same is not true for your pets. As pets can not speak (in a conventional way anyway!) and can’t give consent for treatment the law tries to protect them by restricting the diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases to qualified Veterinary Surgeons who are members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (they have MRCVS after their name). This ensures people diagnosing and treating animals are properly trained to do so and sets out rigorous standards for daily practice and continuing training.
So, when you pet is unwell your first port of call should always be your vet.
BUT MY VET WANTS TO USE ANTIBIOTICS AND OTHER DRUGS AND I WANT A MORE NATURAL APPROACH
Just ask! In most cases conventional diagnostic techniques ranging from palpation and listening with a stethoscope right up to blood tests and x-rays may be needed to reach a diagnosis. But once you have a diagnosis, or at least a few possible diagnoses, you can discuss a whole range of treatment options with your vet. Whilst drugs may be the treatment you primary care vet is most familiar with they will be able to refer you to a vet trained in complementary therapies or to a paraprofessional such as a hydrotherapist, physio or massage therapist.
Going through your Primary Care Vet ensures that your dog is only treated by well trained, qualified and regulated practitioners and that they are aware of any medicines or illnesses which may affect their choice of treatment. It also ensures your vet knows what treatments your pet is receiving as some herbs can interfere with drugs used in emergencies or increase the risk of complications such as bleeding during surgery. No complementary practitioner should treat your pet without referral from your Primary Care Vet!
I VISIT A HOLISTIC PRACTITIONER MYSELF. HE’S SUGGESTED SOME TABLETS FOR MY DOG. THAT’S OK ISN’T IT?
Not really. herbs may have different effects in animals than they do in people. Cats are particularly sensitive to those containing salicylates or essential oils. Different dose rates are also required for pets compared to people. Added to this your practitioner hasn’t seen the pet and is not trained in diagnosing ill health in animals! By using an over the counter treatment for the wrong condition you may be delaying getting a proper diagnosis while the condition gets worse.
It is always better to see a vet trained in complementary therapies and holistic diagnosis to ensure a) the condition is correctly diagnosed and b) the correct treatment at a safe and effective dose is prescribed. If there is no suitable vet local to you it may be possible for your vet to work with a human trained practitioner or to obtain telephone advice from a holistic vet.
VACCINATIONS ARE KILLING YOUR DOG! OR ARE THEY?
ARE ANNUAL VACCINATIONS KILLING YOUR DOG?! Probably not….
Following another week of fairly hysterical posts in the doggy social media our Holistic Vet Vicky Payne presents a more balanced view of the risks and benefits of vaccinating your dog…
YOU ONLY NEED TO JAB EVERY 3YEARS, ANNUAL VACCINATION IS A RIP OFF, AND DEADLY! Not the whole truth…
There is evidence that for many dogs the Distemper, parvo and hepatitis part will last for at least three years IF the dog receives at least two puppy… vaccinations and a booster a year later. Some drug companies have proven over 95% efficacy in laboratory dogs at 3years and are licensed for such use. They can’t get a licence for further duration if only 90 or 80% are protected BUT you could check your own dogs’ level of cover by blood titre testing after the three years (and annually thereafter). A bench side kit has recently become available which should reduce the cost of DHP titre testing to around £30. Parvovirus remains a common illness in unvaccinated dogs, especially puppies and can kill. Distemper is much less common but a handful of cases occur each year, especially if the dog has had contact with Irish dogs where the disease is more common. The incidence of hepatitis caused by adenovirus is hard to gauge as most dogs with liver problems won’t be specifically tested due to costs.
LEPTOSPIROSIS; A CORE DISEASE IN THE UK
Leptospirosis is not found in some areas of the world but is found widely in the UK and Europe. This vaccine differs from the others in that laboratory testing shows a short duration of immunity, as such all vaccines are licensed to be repeated after 1year and a double re-start course will be required if it’s been more than 18months since vaccination. Titre testing is not available to show protection from leptospirosis. There are around 250 confirmed cases of leptospirosis in dogs in the UK each year. Many more are suspected but a diagnosis is not confirmed due to the cost to the owner of testing. In addition leptospirosis could be implicated in many chronic liver and kidney cases, infertility and sudden death. Leptospirosis is particularly concerning as it is a zoonotic disease which can have carriers meaning a healthy looking dog could be shedding the bacteria into the environment and then it could cause illness in humans. Human illness ranges from ‘flu like symptoms to liver and kidney problems and death. Lepto is common in the environment in the UK as it is spread via the urine of rodents, wildlife and farm animals either directly or via contaminated food or water. (One company has just launched a new lepto vac which will cover 85% of the current important strains as opposed to the 35% in most vaccines. Lepto strains have changed over time, possibly due to vaccination of dogs and farm animals) and 10years of work has gone into this new vaccine. It will require all dogs to have two boosters for lepto, but it is the company with the safest jabs!)
REACTIONS
As far as reactions go all vaccines are not the same. The brand used at our associated practices (Companion care Eastbourne and Goudhurst Vets) has a better safety profile due to differences in manufacture than some other brands but all are very safe. You will hear a lot about horrific reactions and deaths but that’s because they are horrific for that owner….there are no ‘my dog had his jabs and was fine’ Facebook groups because we don’t tend to talk about stuff that goes as planned! But these types of reactions are extremely rare, and certainly rarer than disease in unvaccinated dogs. Common reactions include transient pain or swelling at the injection site (which is common to all injections not just vaccines) and being off colour for 24hours. A common misconception is that lots of dogs get other illnesses shortly after vaccination but this was not found to be true in the POOCH survey. http://
Not all unvaccinated dogs get ill, but they become more at risk the fewer dogs are vaccinated. If most dogs are vaccinated the disease is unlikely to spread to unvaccinated dogs but the more unvaccinated dogs there are the quicker it will spread. They call it herd immunity. In addition the more we vaccinate dogs the less risk there is of them re-vaccinating naturally so the more reliant they are on the vaccines.
The longer term stuff; cancers, autoimmune problems…well, I think vaccines have a role BUT so do wormers, flea treatments, a variety of medications, processed pet food, pollution, inbreeding…you get the picture! I am not aware of any good quality study showing a causal link between dog vaccinations and any long term canine health concern. There are however several studies showing that genetic problems and inbreeding may be altering dogs’ likelihood of developing immune problems.
For us at Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care the only ‘alternative’ to following an annual Lepto/ tri annual DHP strategy is to titre test. Homeopathic nosodes have been shown not to provide protection and in fact are not recommended by some of the leading homeopathic vets in this country or by the two human homeopathic bodies.
So…in conclusion, if you are concerned about vaccines, talk to your vet. If they aren’t on a three year DHP/annual Lepto vaccine or do not offer titre testing ask them why not! Or book an appointment to talk to us! Most vets are now embracing the idea of an Annual Health Check at which they can discuss all manner of health issues and decide which vaccination strategy to use rather than just sticking jabs in regardless of need.
If your dogs have health concerns or history that make you concerned over vaccination just ask! Far from being evil the best drug companies are very helpful and often have data, which though not strong enough to be published or to make a data sheet claim, can help you and your vet make the best decision for your dog.
DENTAL DILEMMA
NATURAL DENTAL CARE FOR DOGS
In recent years many owners have realised that by giving their dogs bones to chew they can reduce the amount of plaque and tartar that build up without resorting to tooth brushing.
Chewing on bones also satisfies the dogs natural urge to chew meaning less damage to furniture and shoes and less begging behaviour compared to dogs that quickly gulp down a bowl of kibble.
For dogs that get upset stomachs on bones we have suggested plastic chew toys such as Nylabones or Stag bars made from deer antler and loved by many dogs.
DENTAL CHEW DANGER
HowEver all is not well… some high profile Veterinary Dentists have written in the Veterinary Press about the large number of dogs they are seeing with broken teeth from chewing on bones, stag bars and hard plastic toys and they are calling on owners to only use dental chews or to brush teeth.
SAFE NATURAL DENTAL CARE FOR DOGS
At Four Seasons we see more benefits to using bones for your dog than risks BUT you must take care to choose the right type and size of bone or antler chew for your dog.
We only recommend raw bones, never cooked bones which are harder leading to a higher risk of splintering or tooth fractures. We do not recommend the weight bearing bones (legs bones) as these are of a similar density to teeth, again increasing the risk of fractures. We do recommend necks, spines, ribs, shoulders and pelvic bones as well as chicken and rabbit carcass. These bones have a thin outer cortex which can easily be chomped through by your dog.
If using stag bars or dental toys choose ones of an appropriate size for your dog. Don’t choose over large ones hoping they will last longer.
Always supervise your dog when chewing on bones, toys or stag bars.
Tooth fracture will always remain a risk, but we see more broken teeth from car accidents and chewing or catching stones than from bones and more dental disease caused by thick layers of plaque and tartar then broken teeth!
Chew safe!