FOLLOWING on from last month, I thought I would chat about a few more problems seen by Dunedin Vets over the summer months.

Warmer weather always brings its challenges and this strange year has been no different. We have dealt with stings, bites and allergic reactions.

The berry bug season is in full swing now, there are numerous jellyfish around our coasts and don’t forget the adders in the hills.

The countryside and coast of East Lothian are spectacular and picturesque but please be aware of potential dangers to you and your pets.

Berry bugs

Also known as harvest mites. These parasites are very common in East Lothian in August and September at harvest time.

They are actually a plant parasite, so they do not live on animals but they cause severe allergic reactions. They are just visible to the naked eye as small orange-coloured spots; my eyesight is not as good as it used to be so I often need some younger staff members to identify them!

They are often found in clumps, which makes them more obvious and can occur anywhere on the body but often between the toes, round the ears and along the abdomen are places where they are frequently found. These can affect any species.

Some cats have such severe allergies to berry bugs that we advise keeping the cat indoors during active period. Prevention of contact with the berry bugs is the only way to stop the signs of allergy, not always an easy thing to do.

Treatment by washing and a particular antiparasitic spray can help remove them from your pet. Some animals require treatment for the allergic reaction and the itching they cause.

Kennel cough

Wherever dogs meet, they are at risk of catching kennel cough. This may be out on walks, at training classes or in boarding kennels.

Kennel cough is a highly infectious cough caused by both a bacterium and virus acting together, resulting in a severe whooping-like cough and breathlessness. There is also likely to be a sore throat, fever and loss of appetite.

Some dogs may have mild symptoms but some may cough for weeks and some develop further complications such as pneumonia.

Remember the severe signs can be prevented by an annual vaccination given by intranasal drops. Contact your vet at least two weeks before your dog goes to kennels to have the kennel cough vaccination and put your mind at ease.

Kennel cough vaccine is a live vaccine so has a potential risk to immunocompromised humans. During lockdown, vets were asked not to administer the vaccine in view of it increasing the overall respiratory virus challenge in the environment. We are now able to administer it once more but be aware of the slight but potential risk.

Adder bites

Although not common, at Dunedin Vets we see about one case per year.

When there is warmer weather, adders are more abundant and enjoy sunning themselves on rocks.

There are quite a number of adders in the Lammermuir Hills. You may not even realise your dog has been bitten. They usually inadvertently step on the snake in the heather.

There may be a yelp or no obvious reaction. Soon afterwards, the dog may be lame or quiet with a painful swelling around the bite. Two small puncture wounds may be seen.

Your dog requires urgent veterinary attention. The toxin in the adder bite causes damage to blood vessels and causes skin to die. It travels around the body and causes kidney failure too.

Your veterinary surgeon will be able to give supportive care. If possible, antivenom can be given but this is only kept at specialist centres such as The Royal Dick Veterinary School. Even with this, most cases are fatal.

The last case we dealt with survived with supportive treatment as the antivenom was unavailable.

Please take care on your walks in the hills.

Vomiting and diarrhoea

Although obviously not just a summer time problem, cases of digestive upsets are fairly common in warm weather. Food lying can become infected and sometimes produce toxins, all of which can result in gastro-intestinal problems.

This is more of a problem for dogs, as they tend to be less fussy in what they eat, rather than cats, who tend to be more fastidious.

Just like humans with tummy upsets, a period of fasting and sips of water at frequent intervals are often enough to sort out the problem. If your pet is lethargic and the vomiting or diarrhoea persists for over 24 hours, it is prudent to contact your vet. Your dog may require injections to stop them vomiting, or tablets or medicine to settle the diarrhoea, or a special diet may be prescribed.

If, however, your pet is dehydrated and the vomiting or diarrhoea severe, they may well be admitted to the veterinary surgery for intravenous fluid therapy (putting your dog on a drip).

Your dog can then be rehydrated and appropriate medications administered by veterinary and nursing staff.

There are more specific causes of vomiting and diarrhoea which we see in the summer months. One is caused by dogs eating seaweed.

Dried seaweed can swell in the stomach, causing gastrointestinal problems, but can also cause an obstruction, necessitating surgical removal. We have had a few of these cases at Dunedin Vets in the last few months.

Stagnant water can be a source of algae and a bloom of blue-green algae can cause severe stomach cramps, fitting and death within a short period of ingestion. This requires emergency veterinary attention and even then may be ultimately fatal.

I mentioned last month about potential sunburn problems.

During lockdown and Covid-19 restrictions, I have seen some interesting cases.

I was told that one of my regular clients, Gayle Wylie, who rescues Border collies, had an appointment to see me with her latest addition at our Tranent surgery.

Arthur turned out to be a white, merle Border collie with bilateral wall eyes. He was blind, deaf and hardly able to make a sound. The Who and Pinball Wizard immediately sprung to my mind.

I spent the consultation rolling around on the floor with Arthur. Three of his senses were non-existent but his nose worked overtime, sniffing the air constantly, twitching like a demented rabbit.

His sense of touch was incredible. He would sit, lie down and roll over depending where he was touched. I have never encountered anything so amazing.

He had very little pigment in his skin, so I discussed using sun block to prevent sunburn and avoiding bright sunlight.

Gayle then produced what looked like swimming goggles and announced these were ‘doggles’. What a lovely answer to sunburn.

Stay safe, everyone.