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If your dog has had any illnesses or ailments, you can tell us about them at any time without having to complete the rest of the questionnaire. Simply login to your dog's profile by visiting www.dogslife.ac.uk and click on the link underneath your dog's graph.
Do you know what to do in a pet emergency?
Cunning canines: does your dog steal food when they think you are not looking?
Mast cell tumours
Prize winners!
Do you know what to do in a pet emergency?
If your pet suddenly becomes unwell or sustains a severe injury, it is worth thinking about what you would do, and what to be prepared for, so you can act quickly if the worst happens.
Firstly, it is always a good idea to save your vet’s contact number in your phone so that you do not need to spend time looking for it in an emergency. It is also worthwhile asking your vet about arrangements for emergency care out of hours so that you know what to expect if you call outwith the usual consulting times (often when calling your vet's normal contact number out of hours there will be a message providing contact details for an emergency situation). If you are away, be sure to pass on the relevant veterinary contact details (such as the phone number, address so that they know where to go, and how treatment is paid for) to the person taking care of your pet in your absence, and ensure that they have a means of contacting you at all times in case the worst happens and a difficult decision needs to be made.
It helps to think about how you would get your pet to the vets in an emergency, and how you would keep them safe while travelling. If you do not have your own car, or if you cannot drive, then keep in mind someone who may be able to give you a lift, or take note of a pet-friendly taxi firm or pet ambulance’s number. If you have a large dog, you may need someone to help you lift them in order to get them into a vehicle to take to the vets. If possible, keep your pet’s collar on with identification and contact details attached, and take their lead or harness with you.
It is also useful to consider the costs of emergency care (for example, transport to the vets, vet fees etc.) and how you will pay for it. If you don’t already have pet insurance, you may wish to think about getting it. Be aware of any limits to your insurance policy and excesses that apply. Some veterinary surgeries may request you to pay for your pet's care and claim the money back from your insurance company.
Lastly, it is a good idea to keep your pet’s vaccination and medical records (and any other documentation such as insurance details) where you can get to them quickly so that they are easy to pick up and take with you in an emergency, especially if you are going to an emergency centre (as opposed to your vet’s practice) as they may not have access to your dog’s records immediately. The vets will need to know about any current medication your pet is receiving, and any health issues they may have. Also keep your pet’s medication and a first aid kit to hand so that you have the relevant supplies for your pet in the event of an emergency.
A little preparation for an emergency situation can help to reduce the stress should it occur, although we sincerely hope it never does.
For more information on pet emergency care, please click on the following link: http://www.vets-now.com/pet-owners/pet-care-advice/are-you-prepared-for-a-pet-emergency/#.VCRx4tLptF0.twitter.
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Cunning canines: does your dog steal food when they think you are not looking?
Many of us will have had food stolen and eaten by our dogs when our back is turned, or even right in front of our eyes! Various studies have been set up to find out the conditions in which dogs are more likely to steal food.
One study tested how dogs reacted to different light levels. A darkened room with an infrared camera recording the experiment was set up, and dogs wore a reflective collar to that they could be seen. Before the experiment was carried out, dogs were trained not to take food that was on the ground for one minute.
The test involved food being put on the ground of the darkened room and the dog being told not to take it. The person in the darkened room with the dog sat on the floor and looked at the wall during the two minutes of the experiment. The lighting in the room was adjusted in four ways: 1) both the person in the room and the food were in the light, 2) both the person in the room and the food were in the dark, 3) only the food was in the light, and 4) only the person was in the light. Dogs took part in all four different light conditions, four times.
The study found that dogs were much more likely to eat the food when the room was dark. When the food was in the dark, dogs took it more quickly than if it was in the light, and the person in the room being in the light or dark not did not have any effect.
Another study tested what would happen when the person left the room. In almost all cases, the dogs took the food when no one was there, and they took it in more haste when the food was in the light.
These experiments show that while dogs are more likely to steal food when they think no one is looking, a person being there does not always stop them from stealing the food. It may be that dogs understand that if they can see the food, so can a person in the same room, so they would rather steal food if it is in the dark. So keep an eye on your dog if you have left any food out as they may tuck in if they think you can’t see it….and keep the lights on!
For more information on this study and others like it, please click here.
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Mast cell tumours
Mast cell tumours are one of the most common tumours of skin in dogs. Mast cells are part of the immune system, and although they develop in the bone marrow they are normally found in the connective tissues. Mast cells contain histamine, and are involved in some types of allergic reactions (where the chemical histamine is released by the cells in response to an allergen; hence we sometimes take antihistamines to prevent these types of reaction, like hay fever).
Mast cell tumours can have a tremendously variable appearance in dogs; anything from a wart-like nodule to an ulcerating skin mass. Usually they are singular, but in a small number of cases there can be multiple masses. Very occasionally the cells can be highly malignant and spread to multiple tissues around the body.
Diagnosis is usually straightforward as the cells have a very characteristic appearance, so simply removing some of the cells from the lump with a needle (called a “fine needle aspirate”) and looking at them under a microscope can be sufficient to identify the tumour. Surgical removal of the tumour is required to grade its severity (and thus to provide a prognosis), as well as to confirm whether the tumour has been fully removed or not by the surgery.
Surgical removal is usually the treatment of choice for most mast cell tumours, although additional treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy may also be beneficial if complete removal is not possible because of the size or location of the tumour. Lower grade tumours have a good prognosis if they are completely removed, as around a quarter of lower grade tumours which are incompletely removed may recur. Mast cell tumours found at certain sights, such as the gastrointestinal tract, the muzzle or paw, or those which have spread to the lymphatic system have a poorer prognosis. Dogs that have multiple tumours do not have a worse prognosis than dogs which have solitary tumours.
A few studies have suggested that Labrador Retrievers are predisposed to these tumours, although the overall prevalence of the tumour has not been accurately estimated. Whilst these tumours can occur at any age, the average age of dogs at the time of diagnosis is about eight years. A number of mast cell tumours have been reported in dogs taking part in Dogslife, and we are hoping to sequence the genetic code of both the tumour and dogs with this disease to try and understand why they occur in the near future as part of the Labradome project.
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Prize winners!
Congratulations to December’s prize winners! The following Dogslife members have each won £10 of Pets at Home vouchers: Mr M from Glasgow, Mrs C from Lincolnshire, Mr R from Suffolk, Mrs C from Hampshire, Mrs S from East Sussex, Mrs B from Glasgow, Mrs M from Cumbria, Mrs W from Northumberland, Ms W from Lancashire, and Mrs A from West Yorkshire. We hope you enjoy spending the vouchers on your pet.
If you haven’t won a prize this time, don’t worry! By keeping your dog’s record up to date, you will automatically be entered into the next prize draw in March.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support the Dogslife project. We would like to wish everyone a very happy New Year and all the best for 2015!
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