behaviour Archives - Life on Four Legs

09/09 |

Is your dog or cat behaving strangely? Could it have a paralysis tick?

As a Vet in Sydney tick paralysis is always on my radar, increasingly so as the weather heats up. Just this week one of my clients found a tick on their dog – so they are most certainly about!

Ticks come in a number of varieties and many pose no harm to pets. One that is dangerous though is Ixodes holocyclus (Paralysis ticks to you and me). These are commonly found along the eastern coast of Australia, thriving in hot and humid conditions. They are most common between September and April, but let’s be honest, it’s hardly ever actually cold in Sydney meaning Paralysis ticks can strike all year round.

What do they look like?

Paralysis ticks can range from tiny (1-2mm) to quite big (1cm or more) depending on the age of the tick and how much blood they have ingested! Small and blue-grey in colour, they can look like warts (or even nipples!!) until you examine them closely.

Picture from www.virbac.com.au.

What are the signs of tick paralysis?

Paralysis ticks contain a toxin that can be fatal to dogs and cats. It is a progressive disease, which can be fatal, but happily an anti-toxin does exist. The prognosis is much better when we catch them early, so it is crucial to be alert to symptoms.

Signs to look for include:

Change in voice, a different bark or miaow
Coughing, regurgitating, salivating or vomiting
Wobbliness in the back legs this will progress to the front legs as the toxin starts to take hold.
Increased effort when breathing
Excessive lethargy, lying down and not wanting to walk, jump etc

What should I do?

Use a tick prevention product. A number of brands are available including oral tablets (monthly or every three months), spot on treatments (applied every two weeks), sprays or collars. Please always check suitability of the product you pick – some dog products are toxic to cats!
Check daily – Even if you are using tick prevention, you should be checking your pets all over daily – twice a day if you are in a high risk area! If your pet is unhappy being handled in certain places, contact Dr Julie for some top tips on making them more comfortable!
If you have a long-haired dog or cat, consider clipping to make searching for ticks easier! (and also for them to cool down in the summer!)
Although cute – try finding a 0.5cm paralysis tick in Henry’s tail! Impossible!!!!

I think my dog or cat has a paralysis tick – what should I do?

If you ever find a tick on your dog or cat, I always recommend getting it checked by your Vet as soon as possible for it to be identified, treated as needed and also to check there are no more that you have missed. If your regular vet is closed, find an out-of-hours clinic.

Do not let your pet drink or eat anything until you arrive and they have been checked by a vet and on the way try to prevent them becoming stressed or over excited. Keep them calm and cool 🙂

Dr Julie is a Veterinarian and runs Life on Four Legs – a Veterinary Behaviour house call service, based in Sydney, NSW.

10/07 |

Did they just eat that?? – Dealing with a poo eating pooch!

Unthinkable to humans, coprophagia (that’s eating poo if you don’t speak vet!) is actually more common in dogs than most people realise. For some dogs it’s their own poo that is too tempting to turn down, for others it’s the poo of another dog, cat or different animal altogether (horse, rabbit, possum… the list goes on) that floats their boat.

Although common in dogs, coprophagia is extremely rare in cats

Why on earth would your dog eat poo?

There are a variety of reasons dogs can choose to eat poop:

Medical: such as a problem with their digestion, or an issue making them have an increased appetite.
Poor diet: dogs fed a diet lacking in certain nutrients or fibre may look to get their nutrition elsewhere.
Exploration: lacking prehensile fingers/thumbs, puppies have to explore their environment with their mouths! Popping poop in their mouth is likely part of this normal exploration.
Cleanliness: bitches will eat their puppies poop to keep the den clean. There may be a subset of dogs who eat poop as a behaviour learned from mum.
‘To destroy the evidence’: if puppies have been punished for pooping before (e.g. indoors) they may learn to eat it so as to avoid the consequences, or the behaviour encouraged after their faces have been rubbed in it after an accident in the house.
Unintended rewards: acting horrified, or chasing your puppy/dog may actually reward it and make the whole thing fun. Let’s do that again!
Scavenging: Maybe that possum poo is more delicious than we realise?!

So what should you do?

As always, especially if the problem has just started in an adult dog, it is worth having your pet examined by your veterinarian to ensure there is nothing physically wrong. They will discuss your pet’s diet to identify any nutrient deficiencies and confirm there is enough fibre present. Blood, stool and urine sampling may also be performed.

Once medical and diet issues have been ruled out we can assume the issue is a behavioural one.

Step one is to prevent free access to poo! Make sure your garden is spotlessly a poo free zone and keep an eye on them in the park. For the first few weeks keeping them on a lead in the park is likely to set you up for success.

Walking you pet on a lead will help you have control over their poop eating ways for the first few weeks of training

Next, begin asking your dog to come to you and sit after they have done their business for a special food treat. You could try keeping a diary or your pet’s poop habits – as many dogs are creatures of habit. This will prevent you having to go out with them to the garden every time they go!

You could also try putting something horrible tasting on the poo (such as hot sauce, or one of the commercially available products…) However these have notoriously poor success rates. After all the dog is already eating poo…. How much worse can it get?!!!

Finally make sure your pet’s behavioural needs are being met in other ways. What about trying a puzzle feeder or a Kong? Make sure they are getting enough play and walk time and you could try doing some positive reinforcement training or some nose work to add some more entertainment to their lives.

If you have any questions about a poop eating pooch, or any other behaviour questions, please contact Dr Julie

14/01 |

Oops they did it again….

Problem pee-ers are all too common in the feline world and living with one can be frustrating to say the least! Anyone who has ever lived with a cat who is weeing in the house can vouch for how stressful it can be!

Cats can decide to toilet outside the tray for a number of reasons. Often it requires a behavioural consultation to figure out why they are not toileting where they are meant to. However, in the mean time there are a number of great tips that can help make the litter boxes appealing as possible to your furry friend.

For some cats sofas become their chosen toilets!

Litter box top tips!!!

1.Most (not all) cats prefer uncovered Lots of them feel anxious in the enclosed box with only one escape hole.

2. Most cats would choose a tray 1.5x the length of the cat; trays that are too small prevent their normal urinating routines.

3. Cats are fussy, so the tray should be CLEAN at all times! Urine and faeces should be removed asap (ideally as soon as it has been done). Wash the tray with hot water at last once a week and avoid chemicals that can be aversive (at best) or even toxic.

4. Avoid litter liners. Although they make our lives easier, they often catch on a cat’s claws which can put then off entering the tray!

5. Make sure the tray is away from the cat’s food and water and in a quiet location…. Nobody likes to pee with people watching!

6. Give your cat an option of cat litter and avoid changing the litter type if possible. Some cats have a real preference as to what they pee on.

7. Make sure there are enough trays in multi cat house holds, as a general rule of thumb AT LEAST one tray per cat and a spare in different locations of the house.

Is weeing in the house always a behaviour problem?

Not all inappropriate toileting is behavioural, always make sure you get a vet to check your cat if it starts weeing in the house outside it’s tray. Urinary tract infections, stones, cystitis and other medical issues can often show up as seemingly behavioural issues.

If your vet has checked out your cat, you have tried all the litter box top tips and your cat is continuing to wee in the house, then feel free to contact Dr Julie @ Life on Four Legs (or any other veterinary behaviourist). Often the sooner we can have an appointment the easier these problems are to sort!

photo courtesy of www.petmd.com

02/12 |

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas……

So Christmas is nearly upon us (scarily again!) – this time of year can be full of festive cheer for our furry friends, but please remember to look out for their health at this time.

Christmas can be fun for your furry friends (although I am not sure Brioche agrees!)

Around Christmas time there are lots of things that can keep us vets busy, many of which can easily be avoided, so for top tips on things to avoid this festive season to keep your pet safe read on…

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Tick Paralysis

These horrible ticks are grey in colour and are common on Sydney’s Lower North Shore and Northern Beaches as well as the South Coast. Remember to always use tick prevention in your pets no matter where they are in Sydney (as they can appear in places you least expect).

Paralysis tick prevention should be used summer long

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

Chocolate toxicity

Remember, as delicious as it is to us,chocolate is toxic to dogs. Please contact you vet if your pampered pooch grabs any of the holiday stash to check if they have eaten a dangerous dose!

Dark chocolate is the biggest threat, but any chocolate can cause a problem if enough is eaten! (Picture www.cadbury.com.au)

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Heat stoke

Remember our furry friends as temperatures soar in Sydney around Christmas. Always provide them with shade, fresh water and never leave dogs unattended in hot cars.

Avoid walking your dog in the heat of the day, instead opt for evening strolls like Loulou and Dr Julie!

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Macadamia nut poisoning

When planning your festive fare remember macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs and can cause muscle weakness, vomiting and lethargy. Please contact your vet if any nuts are eaten by your dog.

As yummy as they are, macadamia nuts can cause trouble for our furry friends. (photo – www.nuts.com.au)

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me..

Gastrointestinal surgery!

Remember to keep cooked bones, Christmas decorations and presents away from both dogs and cats. If eaten, these strange objects can get stuck in the windpipe, food tube and anywhere in between the mouth and the bottom in our pets, often needing surgery to be retrieved.

A munch on cooked bones or Christmas decorations can land your pet in hospital – so keep them away! (photo www.petclinicsd.com)

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Raisin or grape toxicity

Raisins are almost ubiquitous in our Christmas dinners and grapes often make a guest appearance on cheese boards. Remember that both raisins and grapes in any quantity (even one or two) can cause kidney failure – so keep the mince pies and Christmas pud away from your furry friends!!!

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Poinsettia toxicity

Poinsettia are those beautiful red Christmas plants that often adorn our tables at Christmas. Pretty as they are did you know that eating them can result in vomiting and diarrhoea? And the sap is very irritant to animals skin. So keep them separate from your family pet.

Other plants to look out for include pine needles, lilies, holly and mistletoe to name a few.

Poinsettia and other plants can be toxic to pets if eaten. (Picture www.lowes.com)

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Anxiety

Being a behaviour vet I am acutely aware of the strains we put on our pets at Christmas time. Expecting them to happily accept rowdy parties and long days alone in the house. Always allow your pet somewhere to take themselves away from scary situations and be mindful what effect your plans can have on your dog or cat.

Holiday time can be terrifying for our furry friends with people coming and going and lots of new things to experience.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Electrocution

Christmas lights are often just too irresistible for cats and dogs alike. Always keep wires away from sharp teeth as chewing cables can cause both electrical burns and electrocution.

Christmas lights may look pretty but if chewed can be fatal to our furry friends. (picture www.legalsigns.co.uk)

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Pancreatitis

Eating fatty foods in dogs has been directly linked to the development of pancreatitis – an inflammation of the pancreas causing vomiting, lethargy and abdominal pain. So please refrain from spoiling your pet too much with human food over the holiday season.

Dr Julie’s Christmas ham might be delicious to us, but if too much is consumed pancreatitis might be the result in at risk dogs.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Firework and noise phobia

Please be mindful of fireworks around this holiday season. Provide your pet somewhere safe to hide and comfort them if this helps. If your pet’s anxiety around noises is severe please contact your veterinarian to discuss drug options that may help.

Fireworks may be pretty to us, but they can strike fear into our furry friends 🙁 (picture www.youtube.com)

And finally on the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Batteries…

Batteries are used in many new toys that will be bought around this time. Please keep them away from pets as ingestion can cause burns to the gastrointestinal tract and can be fatal 🙁

Batteries cause more of an issue if chewed on the way down. However ingestion can be fatal so please contact a veterinarian asap if you believe you pet has eaten one. (pic www.boutonveterinaryhospital.com)

So now you know what to look forward to please enjoy a happy healthy festive period with your furry friends 🙂

Dr Julie is a veterinarian and behaviourist and works in Sydney

27/10 |

Helping dogs and cats that just can’t stand having a mani-pedi.

Why do they hate it?

This week I have had am influx of pets that just can’t stand having their nails clipped. For some pets it’s mainly the restraint that they hate, for others it’s the noise of the clippers and some just can’t stand having their feet touched. Dogs and cats feet contain large numbers of touch sensitive receptors and so are much more sensitive to being held than either yours or mine.

No matter what the cause of the anxiety around having nails clipped, animals that don’t allow it to be done are a cause of stress for themselves, vets, nurses, groomers and their owners! They can develop medical issues associated with nails growing into their feet and often the problem worsens each time we try and overpower them to allow clipping.

So what can we do?

To try and reverse the stress and anxiety related with nail clipping we need to teach them that having their nails cut is actually fun thing 🙂 To do this we pair nail cutting with a tasty treat repeatedly (a technique called desensitising and counter conditioning). This technique is demonstrated wonderfully by Sophia Yin in the video below:

http://drsophiayin.com/videos/entry/training_a_dog_to_enjoy_toenail_trims

Dr Sophia Yin was a huge inspiration to Dr Julie and sadly passed away earlier this month. She will be sadly missed by the profession but her memory and techniques will live on.

And cats….?

Exactly the same technique can be employed with cats. Some canned food, tuna, Vegemite or peanut butter smeared on a spoon is a good option for them to lick while you practice holding their feet.

Here is Woollahra Vet Hospital’s practice cat Silver loving his nail clip:

What about puppies and kittens?

Now for the prevention part! It is very important when you get a new puppy that you get them used to you handling them everywhere – opening up their mouth, looking in and handling their ears, and handling their feet. You can practice holding them and clipping small pieces from their toenails as soon as you get them!

If you are having problems with a furry friend misbehaving for their mani pedi and would like some advice on what to do next then please contact Dr Julie at Life on Four Legs.