In this month’s news
Parvovirus kills – preventable dog disease claiming too many lives
Pet First Aid – be prepared for pet emergencies
Your Right Pet – PDSA launches it’s new scheme to ensure you end up with the perfect pet
Greek Animal Welfare Fund – improving animal welfare in Greece for 50 years
Can cats and dogs get sunburn – protect your pets from the sun’s harmful rays
Forthcoming animal events
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300 Dogs a Month Dying From Parvovirus
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Preventable dog disease is claiming too many lives, says PDSA. Vets from the UK’s leading veterinary charity, PDSA, are warning that the deadly dog infection parvovirus is present and dangerous in Britain - with an estimated 300 new cases of the disease seen at its PetAid hospitals in one month.
Canine Parvovirus (CPV) is a highly infectious disease that can lead to death. It mainly affects younger dogs and in advanced stages, can kill nine out of ten animals.
Some dogs can survive the infection with intensive veterinary and nursing care, but with many cases proving fatal, PDSA is urging all dog owners to vaccinate their pets to prevent them from contracting the disease and risking death.
CPV makes dogs extremely ill as it affects a dog’s intestines, causing signs such as vomiting and diarrhoea. The faeces will also often contain mucus or blood. Dogs with parvovirus can also become subdued and lethargic very quickly, and go off their food. If a dog develops any of these signs, they should receive immediate veterinary attention.
The only way to provide good protection against this disease is to have your dog or puppy vaccinated and follow your vet’s advice on booster injections.
Pet First Aid
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In emergencies, the help and advice of a veterinary surgeon is essential. But in many cases, administering some First Aid can help save a life before that vital help is available.
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This short guide to First Aid is designed to provide some basic advice should your pet become injured or involved in some other form of life-threatening emergency. It is only a guide, but preparation for an emergency may be just what is needed in a crisis.
The first thing to remember is, DON’T PANIC.
Don’t give the pet patient anything to eat or drink unless the vet tells you to do so.
Prepare for emergencies: Keep the name, address and telephone number of your own vet next to the phone or on your mobile. Don’t dash along to your Vet without telephoning first.
Get a First Aid Kit
A good pet first aid kit will contain:
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Bandages - adhesive and open weave
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Cotton wool
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Swabs
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Clean pieces of sheeting
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Water wash bottle
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Tweezers
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5” flat scissors with round ends
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A rug or blanket that can be used as a stretcher for larger animals
Resuscitation (ABC)
These can be life-saving measures whilst you wait for veterinary assistance
Airway
Pull the tongue forward
Check there is nothing in the throat
Breathing
Look and listen
If the animal is not breathing, extend the neck, close the mouth and blow down the nose, using your hand as a ‘funnel’ so that you do not directly contact your pet’s nose.
Circulation
Apply regular, intermittent gentle pressure to the chest if you are sure there is no heartbeat
Check the heartbeat/pulse.
Best of all, enrol yourself on a local Pet First Aid course and receive specialist training!
Choose the right pet for your lifestyle!
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As part of their Long Live Pets campaign, PDSA has launched a fun free online tool, Your Right Pet, to help you find out which pet might be suitable for you.
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Each time you answer one of the four PETS questions, (Place, Exercise, Time and Spend) a cartoon pet will ‘morph’ and change shape, based on the answers you give.
You can find out more about the pet that the tool suggests might be right for you at the end of the survey. It provides details of the Duty of Care that all pet owners must, by law, provide for their pets, to ensure that they live a happy and healthy life
If you are thinking of bringing a pet into your life, why not try out Your Right Pet today at www.PDSA.org.uk
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Greek Animal Welfare Fund
In 1959, Mrs Eleanor Close M.A. arrived in Greece and was confronted by appalling animal suffering: sick and starving cats and dogs on the streets; emaciated dogs in hospital pounds awaiting experimentation; painfully thin and broken down horses and donkeys at the end of their working lives; brutal treatment in slaughterhouses.
To help end this suffering she founded the Greek Animal Welfare Fund (GAWF) with the objective of ‘raising funds to further humane behaviour towards animals on the mainland and islands of Greece.’
GAWF provides Greek animal protection societies with project funding, expert assistance, training and practical help, including assistance with neutering campaigns. Over the past twenty years, GAWF has provided more than a million pounds (sterling) towards animal welfare work in Greece and is currently helping around 80 animal protection groups with expertise, equipment and financial help.
It is only possible to continue this work through the generosity of supporters as GAWF receives no financial support from Greek or UK governments. If you would like to help or find out more, visit the GAWF website at www.gawf.org.uk
Do Cats and Dogs Get Sunburn?
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It is a common myth that an animal’s fur provides sufficient sunscreen to protect against the sun’s harmful rays.
Every year the Blue Cross sees cases of pets suffering from sunburn and it has seen cases of cats with skin cancer where their ears have had to be amputated.
Although not all areas are prone to sunburn, both cats and dogs can get sunburn on areas such as the belly, the tips of the ears and the end of the nose and it can be a serious condition
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The threat from sunburn is more serious in some dog and cat breeds than others. For instance, those that are short-haired or lightly coloured are more prone to sunburn as more sunlight reaches the skin.
During the warmer days when sunlight is strong, try to take some specific care for your furry friend and provide aid against sunburn:
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Provide proper shelter; UV-proof tents that will provide safe shade for dogs and cats are available from pet shops and websites
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Use a waterproof, high SPF, sunscreen formulated for babies. Baby sunscreen is safer to use than regular sunscreen since it won’t cause stomach upsets if it is licked off. Apply it to the bridge of the nose, ear tips and other more sensitive locations - just make sure it has time to dry before leaving the dog or cat unattended, and before licking occurs
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Ultraviolet blocking bodysuit or shirt. These can be purchased through most veterinarians or online stores. These bodysuits and shirts will provide assistance with blocking ultraviolet rays and preventing sunburn.
Forthcoming Events
10th – 12th July 2009
Brand New Dog Event: Just Dogs Live!
‘Just Dogs Live’ will be held at the East of England Showground and will incorporate the East of England Championship Dog Show and additional attractions, including demonstrations and competitions to ensure the event is a fantastic day out for all dog lovers, young and old.
Just Dogs Live will feature around 200 breeds of dogs, and will be a fantastic opportunity for visitors to discover more about owning a dog, including which breed is best for you, nutrition, welfare and training advice. Plus there will be plenty of trade stands so you can spoil yourself and your doggy companion with lots of treats!
Dog Listener, Jan Fennel, and her team of trainers will be on hand to give help and advice to dog owner, and there will be a number of displays, including Mullenscote Gundogs, the Siberian Husky Welfare Association, Pets as Therapy and the Hearing Dogs for the Deaf. Plus, there will be fast and furious dog agility.
11th July 2009
RSPCA Summer Fayre at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath
More information – rspcaadmin@btconnect.com
26th July 2009
RSPCA Annual Fun Day & Dog Show at Blackberry farm Animal Centre, Quainton Aylesbury. More information from BBFarm@rspca.org.uk
5th September 2009
RSPCA Dog Show at Ockwells Park, Cox Green, Maidenhead
More information from jillyp@jillyp.force9.co.uk
19th – 25th October 2009
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Freedom Food Farm Animal Week
Find out more about Freedom Food and how you can make a difference to farm animal welfare
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14th – 15th November 2009
Discover Dogs, Earls Court, London
One of the must-sees of the dog calendar. If you like dogs, you’ll love this show
Find out more from www.discoverdogs.org.uk
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