Out & About Summer 2021

PET TALK

Out&About lifestyle

Top ten hot weather safety tips for dogs 1. Limit time outdoors – if you think it’s too warm outdoors then so will your pooch

much-needed protection 6. Just like us, pets need protec- tion from the sun and UV rays with sunscreen 7. Make sure you have a bowl and tepid water to hand so they can drink on the go 8. Choose pet-friendly activities during hot weather – it’s great to play catch with humans and dogs, but make sure it’s in a shady area

9. Provide a cool and relaxing pet-friendly home environment – keep the cool air circulating around the house and maybe place bowls of water in various rooms, so there is always some to hand 10. Last and by no means least NEVER leave your pets in the car. When it’s hot outside, it’s even hotter in a vehicle, even if the windows are slightly open. Don’t do it

2. Plan walks in late morning or early evening – not during the hottest part of the day 3. Make use of the shade 4. Provide cool pet care acces- sories – cool vests are an option

5. Protect your pup’s paws – paving can get very hot, paw pad wax can provide

Unfortunately, all rabbits, indoor or out- door, are at risk of infectious diseases. Here’s a reminder about the diseases we vaccinate rabbits against. Myxomatosis: a serious and wide- spread viral disease of both wild and domestic rabbits that is typically fatal once contracted. It is one of the top eight causes of death in UK pet rabbits. Myxomatosis has a mortality rate of up to 100 per cent and is transmitted by biting insects (eg mosquitos and fleas) but can also be spread rabbit to rabbit via ocular and nasal secretions. Symptoms include: Swelling around the eyes, nose, mouth and genitals; ocular and nasal discharge; lethargy; anorexia; breathing difficulties. In its classic form, it is a highly distress- ing disease which cannot be successful- ly treated. However, vaccination is very effective at reducing the risk of disease. Rabbit Haemorrhagic disease: a highly infectious and widespread disease caused by a calicivirus and often result- ing in swift and sudden death. Until recently, this disease was caused by ‘classic’ strains of RHD virus (RHDV-1) and effective vaccines were available. In 2010, a new pathogenic variant RHD2 was reported to be caus- ing severe disease in Europe, against which the classic strain vaccines were much less effective. This variant has since spread throughout Europe and is causing disease in both wild and pet rabbits. RHD is transmitted through close Reasons to vaccinate your rabbit

contact and biting insects, such as mosquitos and fleas. The virus is able to survive anywhere infectious rabbits have been and can last in the envi- ronment, like the hutch, enclosure or family house, for months. The virus causes problems with blood clotting and results in bleeding within many organs. Often there are no ob- vious symptoms before sudden death occurs. Very young rabbits that are less than six weeks old are naturally resist- ant to the disease. The new strain – RHD2 – is less ag-

gressive, infecting fewer rabbits and has a lower mortality rate and slower time of onset. Rabbits with RHD2 become ill over several days rather than acute sudden death. It can affect rabbits less than 10 weeks old. Vaccination is imperative in the control of these infectious diseases and we recommend all rabbit owners should ensure their bunnies are fully vaccinat- ed. Lucy Mapplebeck Donnington Grove Vets

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O&A SUMMER 2021