Benalla Veterinary Clinic
16 Church Street
Benalla, VIC, 3672
admin@benallavetclinic.com.au
www.benallavetclinic.com.au
Phone: 03 5762 2788

NEWSFEED

Blue-green algae(Cyanobacteria)

There are currently quite a few Victorian waterways affected with toxic algal blooms, including some in our area – Broken Creek and nine Mile Creek.

Blue green-algae can be very dangerous to all species of animals, including humans. Although not all blue-green algae are toxic, some produce toxins that damage livers and kidneys as well as neurotoxins. Without having the algae tested it is impossible to determine if it is dangerous just by looking at it and water can look yellow, brown, red, blue or green, or have no visible colour.  Boiling the affected water will not make it fit for use.

Toxic algae has a severe effect on pets & livestock, with only a few mouthfuls of water being enough to cause death. Do not let pets and animals swim in or drink water in affected areas. Do not allow dogs to eat the organs of fish or ducks from affected areas. If you suspect your pet has been exposed to blue-green algae, contact your veterinarian immediately for emergency treatment.

You can download the FREE First Aid for Pets Australia app for handy information on what to do in case of an emergency and a list of the common clinical signs of toxicity.

For more information regarding affected water ways visit www.emergency.vic.gov.au/bluegreenalgae. 

This month, our newsletter is focusing on hormonal problems in animals.  For all our horse owners, we are able to offer for a short time a FREE ACTH blood test for any horse who has had laminitis and/or a long, shaggy coat through spring and summer.(until tests are used up). This test will detect Equine Cushings Disease which is a treatable condition. For more information, see the last article in this newsletter. 

Free ACTH blood test available for horses with shaggy coats and or laminitis (while stocks last)

Blue green algae

Get our app today!

Over 16 months ago, the 7 year old Lab/Kelpie dog Ajax visited the clinic because he was sneezing and producing mucous continually from his left nostril.  Otherwise he was his normal happy self. However two weeks after a course of antibiotics and a nasal flush had failed to stop the mucous flow, Dr Steph Miechel suggested some head X-rays which revealed evidence of severe nasal congestion on the left nostril most likely due to nasal cancer, a common cause of these signs in dogs.

The best option for Ajax was to operate and remove the offending growth immediately.  Ajax had his major surgery in mid-November 2014.  Dr Miechel performed a dorsal rhinotomy using an electric bone saw.  On examination, the entire left nasal cavity was composed of abnormal, grey, flimsy tissue instead of the pink cartilages of healthy turbinates.  He had to remove the entire left nasal bone together with the entire left cartilage structures (turbinates) and associated soft tissues including the nasal septum and front part of the adjacent sinus.  Radical surgery is the solution to a good outcome with these cases and Ajax has proved to be a real survivor.

He made a rapid recovery at home after only two days in hospital on intravenous fluids and medications post-surgery.  He continued to make strange nasal sounds for a few months after the surgery and had nasal discharge from both nostrils, but this cleared up quickly with more antibiotics.  Cosmetically, he is still a good looking lad too!

 Ajax is still his happy self now 16 months later and reportedly makes occasional strange nasal sounds, due to the fact that he has an empty left nasal cavity!  However there has been no sign of the cancer regrowing to this day which is fantastic.  In these nasal cancer cases, chemotherapy in dogs has not proved useful and luckily radical surgical intervention is very well tolerated by our canine friends.

An endocrine disease is a fancy medical term used to describe a disease caused by a hormonal imbalance. These diseases are pretty common and can unfortunately affect your pet’s quality of llife.

Endocrine diseases can even be life threatening if they are not diagnosed and treated correctly (diabetes and Addison's disease are good examples).

Endocrine diseases can develop because 1) a gland is not functioning properly or 2) the control of the gland is faulty.

When too much hormone is produced, the disease is referred to as a hyper disease. Tumours and abnormal tissue growth commonly cause an overproduction of hormone.

A hypo disease occurs when too little hormone is produced. Endocrine glands that are destroyed, removed, or simply stop working cause these diseases.

The following changes may be an early indication of an endocrine problem:

• Changes in appetite and thirst
• Changes in weight
• Changes in coat and skin
• Changes in behaviour

Diagnosis of the cause of the endocrine disease is absolutely essential if treatment is to be successful. Sometimes diagnosis and treatment can be costly and not all endocrine diseases behave as we predict they will, so communication between vet and owner is very important. Management of these disease may involve multiple vet visits and blood tests until the disease is under control. 

If you notice any of the mentioned changes above, phone us to arrange a check up for your pet. Early intervention is very helpful when it come to the treatment of endocrine disease.

Molly the Cairn Terrier visited late one afternoon. She had been ‘off colour’ for a few days. Molly usually had an excellent appetite but over the past few weeks she had lost a lot of weight. 

On examination, Molly was dehydrated and had lost 20% of her body weight over three months. A blood test revealed her blood sugar levels were very high and a diagnosis of diabetes was made.

A quick urine test also showed that there was glucose in her urine and unfortunately confirmed the presence of ketones, a potentially life threatening condition that can occur when the body can no longer cope with the disease. 

Diabetes in pets is similar to type 1 diabetes in people and generally needs administration of insulin once or twice daily to control the condition. The body fails to produce enough insulin to help move sugar from the blood stream into the cells for energy.

The four main signs include:

1. Increased appetite
2. Weight loss
3. Increased thirst
4. Increased urination

Molly needed intensive care. She was placed on an intravenous drip and insulin therapy was commenced. Thankfully she responded well and started to improve overnight.

Treatment of diabetes is life long and involves regular blood tests and monitoring. Some patients do not respond as we would expect and further investigation into other diseases sometimes needs to be considered.

If you notice any changes to your pet’s daily habits such as a change in appetite or thirst, it’s a good idea to arrange a check up with us as soon as possible.

Addison’s disease (or hypoadrenocorticism) is a sneaky endocrine disease that can be confusing as it often mimics other conditions. The disease is results in a reduction in corticosteroid and mineralocorticoid secretion from the adrenal gland.

Deficient production of both these hormones can produce a wide range of often vague symptoms including:

• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Dehydration and weakness
• Lethargy
• Shaking
• Weight loss and lack of appetite

Patients will often present in an acute crisis and need critical care to save their life. 

After they are stabilised, treatment involves daily medication as well as regular blood tests to ensure electrolyte levels are kept in check. Some animals will need additional medication during more stressful times (such as car trips). There is also an injection available that can be given every 25-28 days and many dogs respond very well to this.

Addison's disease is a perfect example of why regular check ups with us are important.

If you notice any changes in your pet (as subtle as you may think they are), it's always a good idea to mention them to us. Routine blood tests may be all that is needed to detect a disease and treatment can start to improve your pet’s quality of life. 

Have you ever wondered what happens when we take blood from your pet?

Most blood samples are taken from the jugular vein in the neck. This vein is large enough to provide a good sample and allows us to collect the blood as quickly as possible. This is important as blood will start to clot if it is not collected quickly enough and this can affect the results.

Most pets are also more relaxed when blood is taken from their jugular however, if necessary, a smaller sample can be taken from a vein in the leg.

Once the blood has been collected we place pressure over the vein for a minute or so to prevent any bruising. This can sometimes be hard in wriggly patients!

The blood is placed into tubes appropriate for required tests. Some tests can be run on machines we have in house but there are certain tests that require more extensive machinery and so the blood sample is sent to an external laboratory.

Blood tests can give us a wealth of information about your pet's health. For example, we can work out if your pet is dehydrated, has underlying kidney disease or liver changes and we can get lots of information about your pet's red and white blood cells. All of this helps diagnose any underlying health problems and will improve the level of care we can provide to your pet.

If you have any questions about your pet's blood tests we are always happy to help.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a very common disease of equine animals, especially ponies. It can have dire consequences if not properly managed including chronic obesity and laminitis. Obese ponies are at severe risk of hyperlipaemia or ‘fatty blood’ which can cause death.

Ponies and small horses evolved to survive in very harsh conditions where rich feed was sparsely available. To survive they became small, needing less feed, and their endocrine (hormone) system developed an inability to adequately process sugar-rich diets. Nowadays horses are kept domesticated, often where ample feed is available - which has led to the emergence of EMS.

Horses, not used to such a rich diet, are prone to persistently high levels high levels of insulin in their blood. Insulin is the hormone responsible for lowering blood glucose to the normal level, and ponies can become resistant to the effects of their own insulin. Similar in some ways to type 2 diabetes in humans, insulin resistance causes fat to be laid down excessively and harms the health of the lamina in the hoof. 

Signs of EMS include:

• easy weight gain
• cresty neck
• abnormal fatty deposits
• chronic laminitis

EMS is often suspected based on these symptoms, but the diagnosis can be confirmed by blood tests. The condition can be successfully managed by controlling a pony's diet and encouraging exercise. At risk or affected ponies must be fed a diet low in simple carbohydrates including grain, concentrate feeds and often access to pasture must be restricted. This is what is termed a low GI (glycaemic index) diet. Medications can be prescribed to aid management in severe cases, and any signs of laminitis should also be addressed.

Call us today to chat with our experienced veterinarians about how to best manage the health of your pony or horse.

Equine Cushing's Disease

Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), which is also commonly referred to as Equine Cushing’s Disease, is a common hormonal dysfunction in horses.  PPID causes the horse’s pituitary gland to produce an excess of hormones.  These hormones are responsible for regulating a large variety of bodily functions.  They normally exist in a fine balance, but in PPID horses, that balance is upset -which could cause your horse or pony to have a wide range of subtle clinical signs: 

• Having an abnormal hair coat that doesn’t shed, or the hair is dull or coarse (hypertrichosis)
• Abnormal fat deposits around the eyes or base of the tail
• Loss of muscle mass
• Laminitis
• Excessive drinking and urinating
• Lethargy
• Poor performance

Make sure to watch out for subtle signs of PPID!  This autumn (while stock lasts) we are able to offer FREE ACTH testing for your horse which will confirm the presence of this disease. Call us to make an appointment if you suspect a problem.  Please note - travel and consultation fees as per normal.