We booked him for a full panel of bloods with our vet and this is where it all began. The symptoms of liver disease are often vague and subtle at the early stages especially. He’s initial bloods showed up some liver dysfunction that needed further investigation. He had bile acid testing done several times and it was confirmed there was most certainly some problems in this area. Over the months that followed he had lots of test run and was referred to UCD. In August he was diagnosed with a Congenital Liver Disease called Hepatic Microvascular Dysplasia.  At first, I thought this was a death sentence for him, but we learnt lots and now he has a happy and almost normal life through medical and dietary management.

 What is HMD/MVD:

The liver is responsible for lots of functions in dogs including filtering toxins, waste removal and bile production to aid digestion. The blood is carried to the liver via the portal vein which branches out into smaller and smaller vessels to be detoxified. Microvascular Dysplasia is diagnosed when these microscopic vessels are abnormal and blood is going back into circulation without being detoxified and cleaned.

Symptoms:

 They are rarely consistent and there is range of symptoms from very mild to severe and not all dogs while suffer the same ones. This condition doesn’t usually present until the dog is around age three unlike a portosystemic shunt which symptoms usually come to light when the dog is much younger and usually under one, some of the symptoms include anorexia, lethargy, salivating, vomiting, diarrhoea, hepatic encephalopathy which is an impairment of the mental state due to liver dysfunction often seen as aggression, pacing, circling, pressing head, apparent blindness and even seizures and a zombie like state. Charlie’s most obviously symptoms where lethargy and staring with occasional vomiting and diarrhoea, lack of appetite, head pressing and becoming more aggressive with other dogs. Since Charlie was only aged two his symptoms where mild but I would spend a lot of time with him and quickly notice small changes in his personality.

 Tests:

Charlie had the following tests: Basic Panel of Bloods,  Bile Acid Testing,  Ultra Sounds,  Liver Biopsy,  Blood Ammonia Testing , Vitamin B12 tests & Zinc Level Test.  It took several months to get conclusive diagnoses as many other things had to be ruled out, mainly a Portosystemic Shunt which is another form of Liver Disease.

How do we medically Manage Charlie:

The hardest thing to get our heads around was that Charlie can have no meat or fish protein and plenty of other foods are off the menu too! This is essential to his care this would result in further toxin build up and damage to his organs. He gets prescription food from the Vet made especially for dogs with Liver Disease. He can also have small amounts of cottage cheese, egg whites, goats yogurt so we have become a dab hand at making him special cakes for his training as hotdogs and cheese (which were his all time favourites) are off the menu forever!

The amount of protein he eats per day has to be measured to ensure his symptoms are kept under control. He also needs to eat numerous small meals per day to ease the work load on his liver.

He also takes several medications and supplements which include:

1. Lactulose X 3 times per day – binds ammonia in his bowel and ensure he poops frequently throughout the day

2. Long term antibiotics X 2 times per day – to decrease bacteria in his blood

3. VSL-3 – Probiotics (because he is on longterm antibiotics and this is the most suitable since it contains no manganese which dogs with liver disease don’t tolerate well)

4. Zentonil (Sam-E) – prevents more liver damage

5. Heptosupport – supports normal liver function with Milk Thistle and vitamins

6. Zinc & Vitamin E – Dogs with liver disease are often lacking in these

It sounds like a lot and at first it was difficult to get the hang of it all, but now it’s like second nature to us. Charlie is a happy dog again who enjoys long walks on the beach and doing agility training. It most certainly hasn’t been a death sentence and we are very lucky to have our beautiful dog doing very well thanks to a little bit of effort and our amazing vet who always goes to great lengths to help and support Charlie.

The vet took him in straight away. Within an hour she came back with initial blood results, he wasn’t anaemic, but was fighting something, as his white blood cell count was up. The next step was to scan his stomach and intestine. Later that day she came back to say that there was a blockage in the intestine, but she could not see a foreign body i.e. something he had swallowed. The only other alternative was a tumour. I was devastated. She had given him barium to see where the blockage was and started x-rays. Over the next 24 hours we waited to see how he would progress. He was on a drip and antibiotics to keep him hydrated and help fight whatever infection he had.

On Monday the vomiting suddenly increased from every 12 hours to every 2 hours. The vomit was a very low ph and the vet was worried about his oesophagus sustaining damage. I was becoming increasing worried. We were waiting for a place in UCD (University College Dublin – The national Vet College) because the view was still that it was a tumour. The waiting was awful. UCD offered an appointment for Wednesday.

On Monday evening I spoke with the vet and I expressed my concern again that he was prone to scavenging and was there any way it could be a foreign body that he ingested. The next morning, after another xray I got a call at 9.30am, there seemed to be something foreign in the stomach. His stomach was almost empty after all the vomiting so it was easier to see and view the x-ray. We agreed that she would perform an Endoscope to have a look inside the stomach. The results were inconclusive, but there was something green there. So the next step was a laparoscopy to a look inside the stomach. I agreed and hung up the phone. I waited and waited for the phone call and prayed that it was a foreign body and not a tumour. But then, what if his stomach or intestine were perforated? What if he had septicaemia? What was the green stuff? My mind was racing.

Finally the phone rang, the vet had taken a small piece of what looked like rubber, which could have been the curved part of a ball out of his intestine. Luckily the intestine was not perforated and she was able to work it out through his intestine and exit it from his anus. She also had a look inside his stomach where she found smaller pieces of the rubber and quite an amount of hair all congealed in a single greeny mass. I racked my brain wondering what it could be. We don’t give our dogs free access to balls. He hadn’t destroyed any toys that I was aware of lately, and the only toys the dogs have free access to are the red Kongs and some similar toys from premier. Certainly none of these toys had ever been destructible. He would stay in overnight for observation. They would start him on water in the morning and introduce bland food later in the day. He progressed extremely well and I was told I could collect him that evening. I couldn’t wait to see him and give him a cuddle, I was also looking forward to forensically examining the offending article.

The moment I saw it I knew exactly what it was, the end off a puppy Kong bone, a blue one. We don’t have any in the house for our own dogs as they are all adults. However, last Halloween we were minding a client’s dog. They brought her crate and bed set up and carried it into the house. Inside the bedding was the puppy Kong bone, which I didn’t see until I noticed Homer chewing on it. He had taken it out of her bed and had chewed a piece off it. Obviously I took it from him immediately. I watched him for a few days afterwards and when there were no problems I thought nothing more of it. It was, after all pretty soft and I thought he had probably chewed it up enough so it would pass, or so I thought. That was 2 months ago. I never would have dreamed that it could sit in his stomach for so long before he could become ill from it. Because it was rubber, it didn’t show up on the x-ray, making diagnosis almost impossible. In addition based on the x-rays and comparing it to the vague shadows the vet assures me it was still in his stomach on Monday evening and sometime between then and the next morning it moved into the small intestine.

Thankfully he is home now after 5 harrowing days of worry. He is doing well and happy in himself. He’s on 6 meals a day and will be for about a week or so. I have always been very conscious and careful about the dogs ingesting foreign objects so only leave them with toys I know and trust. I never buy cheap toys that are destructible and any new toys are given under supervision. But it just goes to show that even when you’re ultra careful you can still get caught out. What have I learned? To always check bedding that arrives with a client’s dog. But most importantly, not to assume that problems will present within hours or days of ingestion and bring the dog to the vet straight away even if there are no symptoms.

1. Contact your vet for a full physical. This will rule out any pain or condition that could be causing the aggression.
2. Contact us so as we can assess your dog and devise an appropriate behaviour modification plan

Common Medical Causes of Aggression:- Hypothyroidism
- Hypoglycemia
- Brian Inflamation
- Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS)
- Hydrocephalus – most common in short-nosed breeds [brachycephalics].
- Encephalitis (bacterial or viral)
- Head trauma
- Brain tumor
- Epilepsy
- Brain Seizures

Other Causes Include:
- Inner ear pain, infection in the ear
- Mouth, gum or teeth pain
- Joint Pain caused by arthritis
- Ingrowing Nails
- Stomach Pain cause by intestinal parasites
- Anal Glan Pain, infection of the anal glands
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Allergies
- Injury
- Back Pain or Strain

Be sure to get your dog a full physical at least once a year and discuss any behavioural, appetite, general mood and overall health changes your dog may be experiencing.

If you are unsure contact

Anicare Veterinary Practises www.anicare.ie
OR
Cara Veterinary Practise www.caravetgroup.com

Dog groomers vary from those who have attended a week long course and can just barely wash and blow dry to those who understand each dogs requirements both mentally and their coat needs including how to handle their canine clients with due care and attention.

The Dog Training Ireland Dogs are Groomed at Doggie Dazzlers

Doggie Dazzlers
All visits include:
Nail clipping, eye & ear hygiene, bathing, drying, de-matting & checks for parasites & skin conditions.
Clipping & trimming if required
Phone Maria for an appointment:
086 2690 612

Located in: Abbey Park, Killester, Dublin 5
(just off Killester Avenue, near the Malahide Road)

And remember if your groomer has a 10 week waiting list there could be a very good reason for that!

DogStarDaily.com is a free website for dog lovers — a daily magazine with news, blogs and articles about dog behavior; a comprehensive digital dog training textbook, with everything you need to know about raising or training your puppy or dog and especially, how to prevent or fix most common behavior problems; plus a place to share photos and videos of your favorite canine companions. We so strongly believe that puppy husbandry and training information is so important that it should be freely available to all, with the hope that dogs (and their humans) will be happier and healthier because of it. dogstardaily.com is growing everyday, with new content and features added on a regular basis.

About two weks ago our beautiful chocolate lab died, we are still devastated as he was only three years old. This should never have happened. He was just like a bear and the collar we had on him was a choke chain which was easy to remove and put on whenever the need required. Our dogs spend their time sleeping lazily outside on the deck and spend most of their time there, they are never tied. We went out for two hours recently and left the dogs in their usual spot telling them to mind the house. When we got back our lab was dead, it took quiet a few minutes to register what had happened we were just in complete shock. His choke chain loop had gone down through the small gap in the deck boards and he panicked and kept pulling the collar and gradually strangled himself. I beg anyone who uses these chains or any collar with a loop and chain not to leave them on the dog. This was a horrific death and one the children and I will never forget.
Rest in peace ‘Banjo’ we miss you terribly.

I would be delighted if you would post this topic anywhere that would make people aware of how dangerous these are it was such an horrible thing to happen. I noticed these chains are sold in a lot of hardwear sections of the big diy stores, no warnings or how to use them.

What can you do?
1. NEVER ever use a choke chain.
2. Always use a Safety collar when your dog is left alone unsupervised or crated. You can put a tag onto your safety collar so as if the tag gets stuck the collar will release. Safety collars will clip open if needed leaving the dogs neck free.
3. Explain the dangers of these collars to store owners when you see them being sold in their shop. Feel free to print this out and hand it to shop owners. They are responsible if they sell these.

SAFETY COLLAR (We have these in stock)
Click here to see how they work: www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/collars/keepsafe/description

Rest in Peace Banjo.

Old or infirm dogs need extra heat and comfort especially those suffering from Arthritis. The cold and damp can cause a lot of pain and discomfort.

Denise Cox, owner of Molly her 15 year old yellow labrador recently bought a Morphy Richards washable fleece electric underblanket (the one for humans). This provides the warmth and comfort that Dolly needs all for €49.99. The blanket has various heat settings and it is safe.

This also works well with young puppies needing extra heat and comfort.

Great Idea!

Honey my 8 year old Tibetan Terrier was diagnosed with arthritis in her hips last November. I had noticed a slight change in her gait, she wasn’t running around as much on walks and had gained a little bit of weight. So I brought her to have her checked. My husband thought I was mad, as these were very slight changes in her behaviour and she was still happy to jump in and out of the jeep and on us if we decided we wanted a cuddle But there it was on the xray, deterioration and calcification in her hips, her right one in particular. So since then she has been on metacam every day with her dinner. Which I have to say has helped her tremendously, but her gait is still out. Over the last few months the metacam didn’t seem to be as effective. I was also concerned about the long terms effects of being on metacam, so I decided to look at alternatives.

Acupuncture was suggested so I decided to try it out for her. She had her third appointment yesterday. Mary the vet in Anicare is a very caring person and handles her wonderfully. I have seen an improvement in Honey over the last 2 weeks, but it’s still early days. She tends to be a little stiff after each appointment so I take it easy with her on walks the day of and the next day. But overall she definitely seems to be happier in herself, has more movement in the hips and is looser in that area.

I am sure you are wondering what the cost is for this, well, it’s actually covered by Pet Plan, so if you’re dog is insured you can claim. I would highly recommend it for any dog that has arthritis.

I will keep you posted as she goes on through her appointments, she has 1 more next week and then we will spread them out some more.

If your dog has arthritis, the biggest problem is that of weight gain, carrying additional weight places un-necessary strain on the joints. Honey started at 12.8kg, and her target weight is 11.5kg, we have managed to get her down to 12.3kg in the last 3 weeks, so that is a great achievement.

When I collected the girls I noticed their spay wounds were so clean and I could not see any stitches. It was as if nothing had been done.

10 days later I called to ask about getting their stitches removed to be advised that there is no removal as the technique folds the skin in on itself and there are only internal stitches.

This is great news because the dogs did not have to wear a big buster collar around their necks, neither was bothered by the wound or tried to eat at the stitches since there were none and both girls seemed very comfortable and back to themselves again in no time (the evening after I collected them)

This makes SPAYING far easier for dog and owner.

For more information contact Anicare Veterinary Info@anicare.ie

Photos to follow