Month: October 2024

Blue-tongue is an insect-borne disease of ruminants – sheep, cattle, goats etc. It is a virus (BTV) spread by the culicoides midge. Originating in warmer climes, over the early part of the 21st century it is working its way up to the countries of Northern Europe. Several cases have been identified in Britain over the past twenty years, and it is a notifiable disease. This means that, when diagnosed, the Department of Agriculture should be notified.

The symptoms of infection with BTV include fever, salivation, facial swelling and tongue swelling. The tongue can appear “blue” with swelling, but although this gives the name of the disease, only a minority of affected animals will have this symptom. There is usually nasal discharge, and affected animals will make a “snoring” noise. Crusting of the nose is also apparent. Some animals develop foot lesions, and become lame. Infected animals can lose weight. The disease affects sheep more than cattle. Most of the time cattle who are infected are asymptomatic.

The spread of the disease relies on the vector – the midge. So infection patterns usually subside in the winter when cold temperatures kill the midge, but rise with warmer weather. One theory for the spread of the disease northwards is that we are having warmer, wetter winters. We no longer have heavy frosts that kill the vector. At present, the most likely route for BTV spread in Northern Ireland is the import of an infected animal. It is for this reason that imported animals are subject to strict certification and health checks prior to travel.

Treatment of BTV infection is symptomatic, and even with treatment, sadly some animals die. At present there is no licensed vaccination for BTV permitted for general use in Northern Ireland. If you suspect a case of BTV, contact your vet, or local Divisional Veterinary Office for advice.

Further information is available from DAERA: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/bluetongue

So finally May is here – and summer has begun! Our ancestors celebrated this month as the feast of Bealtaine. This feast traditionally begins on May 1st – May day. Various activities are associated with this day – from washing your face in the dew to maintain a youthful complexion, to various animal-related practices. It is the animals of course that we are interested in. May was the time to drive the cattle to summer pasture – perhaps on higher ground. The more clement weather meant that they could survive outside. One local tradition was to herd the cattle between two bonfires. This was designed to drive off disease which could spread as various herds mixed. It was even customary to take a lit branch from the bonfire to light the fire in your home. This would confer protection to your household too.

Horse owners look forward to the summer weather. After enduring the dark winter months mucking out and conditioning their horses, they are finally read for the summer competitions. Now, in the 21st century, we too have to protect our animals from disease. These days we tend not to light bonfires but vaccinate our animals. This is important, as disease tends to spread where animals come and meet – like at horse shows, pony club camp or competitions. It is important that you consult with your vet to ensure that your horse is fully vaccinated prior to going to these events. Many events have strict rules about which vaccines they require, and also insist upon evidence of vaccination in the form of a passport or vaccination card.

The two main diseases we vaccinate horses against are influenza and tetanus. There have been widespread media reports of fatal cases of influenza in horses in England in the spring. To vaccinate for these diseases usually requires a starter course of repeat injections followed by regular boosters. The time interval depends on the product used, but your vet can advise you. It is normal to rest your horse for a day following vaccination to allow time to recover. The vet will then record the date and place of vaccination in your horse’s passport. NB it is a legal requirement that your horse has a passport for recording vaccinations and medical treatment in.

Prevention is better than cure. The vaccines that we use are very good at protecting your horse from disease so you can go out and enjoy yourself. No vaccination is 100% effective, but vaccination is still essential where groups of horses mix. The key is to get yourself organised early and contact your vet to book a vaccination well in advance of travelling to any show or camp. If you need more information please give us a ring on 02844614225.

The sun is (almost) out in Lecale, and lots of you will be blowing the cobwebs off your barbecue in the hope of lighting it for one or two evenings this summer. Barbecues are very popular in this part of the world, in spite of the climate. It’s as if just lighting one will raise the ambient temperature on your patio by a few degrees. However, barbecues are very tempting not only to ourselves, but also our four legged friends. They are not without their dangers.

First off, the obvious one – burns. Barbecues are hot, and meat is often cooked on them. This could prove irresistible to a hungry Labrador. They are not used to this meat emporium in the back garden, and could get curious. So be aware and keep your dog away while the barbie is hot.

Bones and skewers. At the end of the meal, there are often discarded bones and skewers. Contrary to popular culture, bones can be difficult for dogs to eat. They can splinter and damage the oesophagus and stomach, particularly if your dog isn’t used to them. The same goes for skewers – the dog can be attracted to them by their contents and not realise that they are sharp.

Corn-on-the-cob may seem benign to us, but believe it or not can be lethal to dogs if it gets stuck in their stomach or gut. We have had to surgically remove many corn-on-the-cob leftovers from dogs. The same goes for tinfoil that has been used to wrap meat up. In addition, many of the ingredients used in barbecue entertaining can be toxic to dogs; e.g. garlic, onions, alcohol and chocolate.

Barbecue food is not noted for being low-calorie. The high fat content of the food can also have unpleasant side effects in dogs. A high fat diet can stimulate inflammation of the pancreas – pancreatitis in some breeds. This is a painful abdominal condition that can cause your dog to lose appetite and become depressed. It can be serious and is best diagnosed by a blood test at your vet. Hospitalisation may be necessary.

So, to sum up – have fun at your barbecue, but be aware of the risks to your pets. Dispose of all waste sensibly and remove temptation. Prevention is better than cure!

This week we will continue to look at imaging in veterinary medicine. We have covered ultrasound, CT scanning and MRI scans. Most readers are familiar with the older imaging technology – x-ray imaging, which has been around for about a century and is available in most veterinary practices. But now we will turn to the interpretation of the images generated by these various modalities. There are some really exciting changes afoot in this specialism. Traditionally, the images of your pet were taken via x-ray, ultrasound, CT or MRI and then reviewed by a qualified person – the vet. The veterinary surgeon spent years training at university, then years in practice to acquire the experience to interpret these images. Then they would combine that interpretation with other information about your pet – history, clinical signs etc, to arrive at a diagnosis. In the past few years though computers have started to be used in the interpretation of these images, in the form of artificial intelligence (AI).

Artificial intelligence means using computers to perform tasks which mimic human intelligence. In the case of interpreting images, we are referring to “computer vision”. The use of a computer to process images in a manner similar to the way people view objects and apply reasoning to them to interpret what they see. The computer will perform a sort of “pattern recognition” to the images. It will assess data points on an image, and compare them with a large reference library of “normal” and “abnormal” images. In the case of veterinary images, the computer will assess whether an image is normal or showing signs of a disease process. This is similar to the way in which vets already assess images – we have an idea of what a healthy animal looks like on an x-ray, and we compare our idea of the healthy animal with what the x-ray is showing us. If there is a difference to our own “reference library”, then we flag it up as perhaps showing signs of disease.

I’m sure the reader can appreciate the advantages of using computers in pattern recognition. Modern computer power, combined with the internet, means that a simple PC or phone can access millions of anonymised medical images to use as a reference library when investigating a disease process. That will be infinitely more x-ray images than even the most experienced medical practitioner could hope to assess in their entire working lifetime. Furthermore, the more images reviewed by the AI, the “smarter” it gets. The system will learn, through human instruction, what data points are correlated with a “correct” diagnosis. Another advantage is speed – the computer can read many more images than a human can in the same time period. So the aim of AI in veterinary imaging is to provide quick, accurate, and potentially cheaper diagnoses.

So, will AI replace human intelligence in veterinary medicine? No, not yet, and not for a long time. At the moment, AI is a useful additional tool in aiding diagnosis. AI can be an aid in decision making, providing probabilities of results, rather than exact findings. It is like having an additional clinician offering their opinion on the interpretation of images. At the end of the day, there is a clinician combining case history, test results and examination findings to form a diagnosis and treatment plan. We, at Downe Vets, have been using AI as an aid to our diagnosis of conditions for the past year. We have found it to be a useful tool in getting the right diagnosis for your pet, and thus improving patient care. It will certainly have a place at the cutting edge of clinical practice.

Arthritis is inflammation of any joint. We are familiar with this disease in people, and dogs, but did you know it is common in cats too? In fact, by the age of 6 years, around 60% of cats have arthritis. And by the age of years, over 90% of cats suffer from arthritis. Arthritis causes pain, reduced activity and results in a poor quality of life for cats that suffer with it. Cats are also stoic animals (named after the stoic school of philosophy which famously encourages putting up with hardship without complaint – a famous practitioner was the ancient Roman politician “Cato” (pun intended)). This means it can be hard to tell from observing your cat if they suffer from arthritis.

There are some clues that cats develop arthritis as they get older. They may move less, preferring to sit in one place. They can be reluctant to jump to places they used to like to get a good view. They may stop grooming, particularly their back. All of these symptoms are sometimes put down to “old age”, but are in fact signs of disease. To confirm a diagnosis your vet can perform a clinical examination which frequently includes an x-ray.

So what can you do for your cat to improve their quality of life? You can make modifications around your home to make moving around easier. E.g. some cat stairs to help them climb up to their favourite chair. Perhaps a cat hammock hanging from the radiator. There are also veterinary options. There are good daily painkillers for your cat that your vet can prescribe. Following on from our last article, there is also a monoclonal antibody therapy on the market which can help mitigate the symptoms of arthritis. This is an injection which can be given by your vet.

So, if your cat has slowed down, it may not be old age, it may be arthritis. Book an appointment with your vet to get a checkup. It might be the purrfect present for your feline friend.