With dark nights starting to creep in and temperatures getting cooler, autumn brings with it many challenges for pets and their owners.

At this time of year, we also see the start of the fireworks season and Halloween, which can be stressful for many pets. Being aware of hazards for your pets can allow you all to continue to enjoy time outdoors and the colourful scenery that autumn creates.

Korina Stephens, RVN from pet food brand nutravet says: “Dogs can be curious animals and as the season changes, they’ll want to explore new surroundings. Many pets can also become stressed at this time of year due to the noise from fireworks, planning ahead for these particular events will help to reduce any anxiety.

“Like most seasons, pet owners should be aware of any hazards that could cause problems for your pets, such as poorly tummies if they eat something they shouldn’t. Many autumn plants are hazardous for our four-legged friends and should be avoided on walks. If you are worried about your pet’s health at this time of year, speak to your vet who is best placed to offer advice.”

nutravet share their tips for dog owners during Autumn months:

Keep up with exercise

Although the weather may be cooler, it’s tempting to spend more time indoors with our four-legged friends but it’s important to keep up with your dog’s daily walks. This will help to prevent any weight gain, as well as keeping their joints mobile and avoid stiffness. As the weather changes, you could reduce the length of their walks and support your pet’s joints with a natural supplement like nutraquin+.

Autumn plants

With seeds and leaves dropping during autumn months, some are poisonous to pets and can cause serious illness. Yew trees are poisonous and eating just a small amount can be serious. The bark, leaves, flowers and conkers of Horse Chestnut Trees are also poisonous to pets. Conkers can also become a choking hazard or cause blockages.

Acorns are also a common sight during autumn. They can be found on the ground throughout autumn months. These can cause blockages when eaten by pets.

Fleas and ticks

As we start to turn the central heating on in our homes, this makes a more comfortable environment for pesky fleas. Keeping up with your pet’s flea treatment will help to prevent any unwanted house guests at this time of year.

Ticks are also still prominent in autumn, so be sure to check your pets regularly for ticks, especially after dog walks.

Diet

If your pet is exercising less, be sure to adjust their diet to match this. Your vet will be able to offer advice on how much your pet should be eating. Keep any seasonal treats away from pets, such as Halloween chocolate as this can cause tummy upsets. For pets with sensitive tummies during this time, nutrabio is a naturally formulated probiotic paste for dogs and cats to help maintain normal digestive function.

Pumpkins

These are commonly used as decorations throughout autumn and Halloween. Although they are not poisonous, if consumed in large quantities, they could lead to your pet having a sensitive tummy. If you use candles in your pumpkins, make sure these are out of reach from your pet and can’t be knocked over.

Halloween
This time of year can prove to be stressful for pets, due to Halloween and the fireworks season. During Halloween your pet may become stressed with strangers knocking on the door for trick or treat, as they may be unsure about the scary costumes.

If you know you are going to get trick or treaters at the door, secure your pet in another room so they don’t get spooked and try to escape. Although they look cute, don’t force your pet to wear a Halloween costume if they seem anxious. If they are happy to wear one, make sure it’s not too tight, can’t be chewed and doesn’t restrict their airways in anyway.

Fireworks

Firework season can last from October to New Year and make this time of year very stressful for some pets and their owners. To help reduce stress for your pet, make your pet a den to retreat to during the fireworks and close curtains and play music to help block out the noise. Walk your dog earlier in the day before it gets dark to avoid being out when fireworks are going off and bring any outdoor pets inside. If you are worried about your pet, ask your vet about nutracalm – a natural, fast acting calming supplement for cats and dogs.

Provide shelter from the weather

If your pet spends a lot of time outside, be sure to provide a shelter for them for when the weather gets colder or if it rains. Make sure they have lots of blankets to keep them warm and comfy. As the weather gets colder bring smaller pets indoors.

Safety

As the dark nights draw in, check and up-date your pet’s microchip details in case they get lost on walks or get spooked during the fireworks or at Halloween. Up-to-date details will help to ensure your pet gets back to you as quickly as possible when found.

If you are walking your dog early in the morning or late at night be sure to wear reflective clothing. You could also use a reflective collar and coat for your dog, just in case they get lost.

Senior pets

Keep an eye on older pets who feel the cold more than their younger counterparts. Add more blankets to their bedding to help keep them warm and cosy and to support senior joints.

For more tips and advice visit www.nutravet.co.uk

A hungry hound from Glasgow has undergone life-saving surgery to remove 4ft of his intestines – all because he swallowed an item of food that many people eat on a regular basis.

Food based emergencies are frequently seen by vets, whether it’s food that is toxic to dogs, dogs eating too much of a food or dogs eating things they thought were food but weren’t. Regularly human food often finds itself in to the stomachs of our dogs and in most cases it’s no cause for alarm, but sometimes dogs eat things that can prove fatal to them.

Eating a corn-on-the-cob is not a good idea if you’re a dog.

Rhodesian Ridgeback crossbreed, Sam (7), had an emergency operation to remove around half of his small intestine after PDSA vets discovered the corn husk was causing it to rot away.

PDSA Senior Vet, Susie Hermit, from the vet charity’s Glasgow Shamrock Street Pet Hospital, said it was one of the most severe cases she had ever seen:

“We found that the corn on the cob husk was causing a major blockage in Sam’s small intestine, restricting the blood supply.

“Unfortunately, some of the damage was irreversible and we had to remove around half of his intestine, which had begun to die off and rot. Sam was very lucky to survive. He was at high risk of developing potentially-fatal blood poisoning and the operation to remove such a large section of his intestines was incredibly risky.”

Sam’s owner, Lorraine Graham (43), from Tollcross, was petrified at the thought of losing her beloved pet.

She said: “We first noticed something was wrong was when Sam started being sick. and it gradually got worse until he was being sick every 20 minutes.

“I couldn’t believe it when PDSA x-rayed him and told us what was causing the blockage. We hadn’t been eating corn on the cob so he must have picked it up while outside,” she said.

“He was so weak and lethargic that I knew he was facing the fight of his life. Thankfully he pulled through and I can’t thank PDSA enough for saving him.”

“We’re extra careful with him now but I’m really happy that he’s made such a good recovery. He’s back to his old self again and is eating normally which is great.”

PDSA vets are issuing a warning to pet owners ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend, as many people may be planning barbecues.

Corn on the cob was one of the most common items removed from pets last year with 28 cases treated by PDSA. Other strange items swallowed by pets include bones (51 cases) and kebab sticks (7).

Thanks to funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, PDSA is educating pet owners about the phenomenon of pets eating strange objects – known as ‘pica’ – and how to keep their animals’ safe.

Susie added: “Pets like to use their mouth to investigate objects as well as to eat. Puppies and younger pets will often swallow an item by mistake, even though they had only meant to investigate it.

“Something like corn on the cob might seem harmless enough but if an object moves along the digestive system, as it did with Sam, it can cause a tear or life-threatening blockage.

“If you have pets at home, try to keep anything dangerous or easy to swallow out of paws’ reach. Only let them play with suitable pet toys and try to supervise them to avoid any accidents. If you do suspect your pet has swallowed something you should contact your vet for advice immediately.”

BBQ safety tips

Skip the scraps: Eating barbecue scraps can upset your pet’s stomach. Undercooked, unfamiliar or fatty food can cause vomiting and diarrhoea
Bit it: Throw away any leftover food and rubbish into a lidded dustbin. At PDSA our vets often see pet who have eaten corn on the cob cores. These can cause a serious blockage and need removing by surgery
Keep fuel well out of reach: Lighter fluid can prove fatal if ingested as it contains hydrocarbons, which are derived from crude oil
Keep pets well away from flames and glowing embers: With all that fur around, your four-legged friends could get severe burns. So make sure they steer clear
Slap on the suncream: Pets can suffer from sunburn and heatstroke just like us. So give your pets some suncream, shade and plenty of water. For white fur or damaged skin, special pet suncreams are available from pet shops
Think when you drink: Keep glasses and drinks out of reach of thirsty pets. Alcohol can be particularly hazardous for pets. Use plastic cups as glass bottles, mugs and tea cups can easily smash into splinters to pierce paw

A Border Collie from Leicester has cheated death thanks to PDSA vets who battled against the odds to save her from a deadly condition.

Holly was given just a 10 per cent chance of survival when vets diagnosed her with one of the worst cases of septic peritonitis they have ever seen. Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum – the thin membrane that lines the abdominal cavity.

In Holly’s case it had developed into infected fluid filling her whole abdominal cavity, covering her vital organs.

The 18-month-old dog underwent three lifesaving operations and spent a week in intensive care at the vet charity’s pet hospital in Braunstone, Leicester.

Her owners, Alan and Jude, from Belgrave, said they were preparing themselves for the worst after PDSA vets gave them a dire prognosis.

Alan said: “Holly had been off her food and just didn’t seem herself. Initially we thought she might have worms or something but then her stomach became swollen and we began worrying it could be more serious.

“We took her to PDSA who examined her and ran some tests which confirmed that she had a very serious infection. They warned us that her chances weren’t good and we had to prepare ourselves for the worst. We were absolutely devastated.”

But following difficult operations which involved draining infected fluid from Holly’s abdomen, and treatment with intravenous antibiotics, she began to rally and showed major improvement over the next few days.

PDSA Senior Vet, Elly Hopkins, said: “Holly’s case was one of the worst cases of peritonitis we’ve ever seen at Leicester Pet Hospital.

“Miraculously, and against the odds, Holly has survived. But sadly many pets don’t survive this condition. Holly was lucky that she’s young and healthy, and it’s great that she’s gone on to make a full recovery.

Alan said the family were hugely grateful to PDSA for the treatment Holly received:

“I honestly don’t know what we would have done without PDSA, they have been amazing.

“Her treatment would have cost over £1,000, which we would never have been able to afford. We can’t thank them enough for saving Holly, it really is a miracle.”

Alan and Jude’s son Tim, was so moved by what happened he launched a fundraising challenge to give up alcohol to raise money for PDSA.

He has already raised over £200 and is being joined in the challenge by Judy and his sister Victoria. To sponsor Tim please visit https://www.justgiving.com/Tim-Gray4

On a Sunday evening in July 2009, I was using my computer and my 5 year old Samoyed Bundy came in shaking his head (he had left my room approximately 15 mins earlier). I thought he was bringing me the ball because he wanted to play. He was also pawing at his mouth, so I thought he must have something stuck in his mouth. I had a look but couldn’t see anything. I knew something was seriously wrong so I jumped in the car and raced to the nearest 24 hour vet as fast as I could with Bundy in the back, still acting strangely with his head.

Luckily, the roads were empty and there was no one waiting at the vet. As we were led into the examination room, Bundy collapsed on the floor and was trembling all over. I then had to go back to the waiting room while they attended to him in the back. After a wait, I was led to the back where Bundy was in a cage and flailing about uncontrollably, which was very distressing for both him and me. I understand the vet gave him a shot of pentobarbital to knock him out. After another wait, I eventually went home but, obviously, I couldn’t sleep.

The next day, when I visited him, he was lying on a bed with lots of tubes and machines attached. He was unconscious but his paws and face were still twitching. It was tearing me apart to see him like that but I stayed for a few hours and held his paw, because I didn’t think he was going to make it. I don’t think the vets were very optimistic either because he was developing asperatic pneumonia.

I visited him every day and stayed for a few hours but I realised that the nurses have other animals to look after and duties to perform so I didn’t want to get in their way by staying longer. The vets and nurses that treated him gave him the best of care and I’m very grateful.

He remained unconscious for 3 or 4 days which, I’m told, is not usual but not unheard of either. The vets there treated him with a cocktail of drugs to try to control his twitching. They recommended sending him to a specialist centre so, after about 5 days, I drove him in the back of my car. He was still unconscious so a vet nurse sat with him, assisting with the oxygen.

The vets at the specialist centre ran a multitude of generalised tests including MRI and spinal taps but the results were inconclusive. After a day or so, he started to come around, semi conscious, but still twitching. The next day I visited, he was finally awake and when he saw me he started to whine with all the energy his weak body could muster, he could barely move but he still wanted to lick me and it became very emotional for both of us. Within a week, he got more responsive and stronger every day and was then allowed home.

As Bundy is 5 years old, epileptic fits were a possibility but I’m told that they do not last for 3+ days and the MRI brain scan had ruled out a brain tumour.

The vets that treated him thought it was likely he had come into contact with a toxin that acted on his nervous system. I wracked my brains as to what that could be as I wanted answers. The day of the episode, we went for a walk (on lead) at about 5 pm then he was shut inside the house and had his food about 6pm. There was no access to the garden and there are no chemicals around the house.

The previous day, I had put a new tick collar on him and noticed a very strong smell coming from it. I assumed that this must be the cause of Bundy’s condition somehow so I didn’t put another back on him.

When he was back home, I was feeding him brand new packets of his usual dry dog food that he likes and has had for years but, before the first episode, I had bought a different brand of food just for a change and added this to his usual food in a container, one that he had never had before (not sure if I can say the brand name, for legal reasons, but possibly the biggest and most popular brand in the world and the name is something to do with a dog’s heritage). Anyway, after a few weeks of feeding him brand new usual food strait out of the packet, I went back to adding some of his previous food on top. Within that week, he had a serious case of diahorreoa but I thought that could just be down to the drugs he was on.

A few days later (coincidentally, again on a Sunday night and about 2 hours later in the evening than the first episode), I noticed Bundy looking at me strangely and his legs were shaking. I immediately knew what was wrong and I drove him down to the specialist centre where he was again in intensive care for a week or so.

He came home very weak but, today, over six months later he is fit and healthy apart from his legs sometimes shaking when he stands. Obviously, there appears to be some residual nerve damage.

The vets at the specialist centre ran more tests the second time but still nothing was remarkable.

The four different vets that treated him between the two veterinary clinics and both episodes suspected intoxication by organophosphates, metaldehyde, (slug bait) or mycotoxins.

It was after this second occurrence that I realised that this new brand of dog food was the only common factor in both these cases. Perhaps it was contaminated?

I contacted the company that makes the dog food and arranged for an approximate 1kg sample to be sent off (but unfortunately I didn’t have the bag and batch code). The sample I sent did have small amounts of Bundy’s usual dog food mixed in (other brand). I sent it like this because this new food was added on top of his old food in a container and I wanted to know if they would even notice or just throw it away but, surprisingly, they did notice. I think, because of this, they did not run any tests.

A guy qualified in veterinary science, and who works for the dog food company, dealing with complaints of this nature, sent me a letter saying he had contacted my vet and discussed the causes of ‘tremorgens’ (a group of mycotoxins). These have been associated with Blue cheese, walnuts and compost as well as others and it was unlikely that their product was responsible.

Fortunately, Bundy has not been fed or been near those stated substances.

When I leave the house Bundy stays inside and he is always walked on a lead, he only goes into the garden if I go into the garden and the last time I saw a slug was about 10 years ago so he has very little chance of ever coming across something I don’t know about.

After a few weeks, I contacted the company’s vet again for the results of the test. I understand the tests didn’t show up anything abnormal. I wasn’t surprised at the company’s response because no company is ever going to test their own product and say something is wrong with it. He suggested that it was just one of those unexplained things, which I would have believed for the first episode but it is too coincidental for the second.

I got a bit annoyed with this guy because the way he dismissed my reasoning seemed arrogant.

He said that because they hadn’t had any other complaints, there was obviously nothing wrong with the batch and he also said that was the end of the matter and there was nothing else they would do.

Not being content with this dismissal or his arrogant and patronising attitude, I contacted a more senior person at the company and spoke to a technical director and arranged for another sample to be tested (I only had a handful left). He said it would be sent to Singapore, would take about 6 weeks and would cost a bit of money.

While I was waiting for these tests to be performed, I decided to conduct my own research into probable causes (something I should have done earlier) and discovered a few scientific papers freely available on the internet about Mycotoxins affecting dogs.

Roughly speaking, Mycotoxins are a group of toxins that form as a result of mould on numerous organic sources and can be deadly and cause a number of different conditions to both humans and animals. They can be found in both cereals and dry dog food, a fact which was omitted from the letter I was sent.

Either the veterinary guy dealing with my complaint has limited knowledge of these potential killers (for someone in his position, this seems very remiss) or he was fully aware of the potential problems but decided to keep quiet so as not to open a can of worms.

I did provide an email link to all of the papers (listed below) but it would appear that neither of the people I have been in contact with has read them, as they have subsequently provided no comment.

A number of the cases reported in the papers show clinical symptoms which are nearly identical to Bundy’s condition and, when biological samples from the dogs were analysed, Roquefortine and Penitrem A were detected and suspected as the probable cause.

A few weeks later, I received in the post the results of the sample testing (it had been sent to a lab in Victoria, not Singapore). Only four tests were performed: two types of mycotoxin, namely Aflatoxin B1 and Patulin, and also lead and permethrin.

I consider this test to be irrelevant and inconclusive due to the fact the very small sample size was statistically insignificant and they failed to test for any of the mycotoxins that are linked to tremors in dogs.(apparently there are over 30 known)

The dog food company’s sole defence was based around the fact that they apparently hadn’t received complaints of a similar nature and that their quality control is of a very high standard, and perhaps it was the other brand of dog food that caused it?

Addressing this statement, my research has indicated that detection and confirmation of mycotoxin poisoning has been grossly under diagnosed and, as far as I am aware, the specialist centre that treated Bundy did not test for this possibility. (I’m not even sure there is a commercial laboratory in Australia that tests for most of the different types).

In my case, it was only after the second episode that I realised that this brand of dog food was the only common factor that was likely to be responsible and it is possible that many dogs that have a single episode of unexplained acute toxicoses unfortunately die or have to be euthanized due to excessive trauma, poor prognosis and/or lack of financial resources so a confirmed diagnosis and connection to the dog food is not made and hence it is not reported back to the company.

While I’m confident that their quality control is of a high standard, it is unlikely that it is one hundred percent reliable and variations in the materials and process can be expected in any product.

After doing further research I discovered a Uni in the USA (Iowa State) that specialises in veterinary medicine and also test for the two mycotoxins I’m interested in, namely Roquefortine and Penitrem A.

I spoke to a Professor of toxicology from the department and he believed that mycotoxins are not well understood and not commercially tested for because of lack of demand. I provided him with bundy’s Vet case notes and his story and he confirmed that it did indeed fit with mycotoxin poisoning.

I sent a 1kg sample of Bundy’s original food to be tested at my own expense, the test came back negative so I can be fairly confident that it wasn’t the other brand to blame which I believed was the case anyway because of the timing. THIS IS WHAT THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE TESTED FOR!

This whole incident has caused me a great deal of stress, and some days I couldn’t eat or sleep properly.

I feel that the company didn’t take my claims seriously and underestimated two important factors:

1. When I think I am right, I don’t give in.
2. I won’t let anyone hurt my dog and get away with it.

I spent most of my college fund on Bundy’s vet bills and, as he means everything in the world to me, I will do whatever it takes to protect and look after him.

I am convinced that this brand is responsible and I want them to reimburse my vet bills and make it up to Bundy somehow but I realise that posting this statement and contacting the media in other ways will effectively put an end to any chances of financial restitution. However, I will take some comfort in the hope that this might provide an explanation and quicker diagnosis to future apparent toxic poisonings.

I also feel I have been very fair and patient with the company in question and gave them every opportunity to do the right thing but, at every stage, they have seemed intent on absolving themselves from any responsibility. I can only conclude that from the irrelevant sample tests that either the company is grossly incompetent or they deliberately tried to mislead me.

If my dog had died as a result of this, I would probably be standing outside the company’s headquarters with a placard saying that their food was responsible for poisoning my dog.

My advice would be that, if your dog exhibits any acute tremors or seizure symptoms, like Bundy had, then get the vet to check for Mycotoxins (though this might be difficult in some countries) and to keep the dog food bags for future evidence if need be.

As Bundy is a Samoyed and they are not common here, perhaps he could be more genetically pre-disposed to toxins that other breeds?

If anyone has had a similar experience or can offer a different explanation, I would welcome a response.

UPDATE: 12th Feb. 2010

I decided to contact consumer affairs and they passed me onto the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (P.F.I.A .A) and spoke to the executive manager. I provided him with Bundy’s history and my concerns and he contacted the company and said he was satisfied with their response.

It was only after I explored their website that I read their Statement of Purpose

#1 “To promote the prepared pet food industry in general and the interests of the members of the association.”

So this guy had a conflict of interest to do anything about it as I understand the association is funded by its members.

A few days later I contacted the company again and put a few questions to the guy I spoke to many times before (manager, veterinary services).

I asked him, how many people have to complain about a product before they admit responsibility.

Unsurprisingly he failed to specifically answer. He just reiterated what he said many times before, that no one else has complained of this problem so it is not their responsibility. Imagine if you went to the doctor with an ailment and they said, “Well no one else has complained of this so nothing I can do.”

I also asked why he failed to test for Tremorgenic Mycotoxins in the samples I provided. His response was that they only had a small sample and they wanted to test for as wide range as possible? (a wide range of the toxins that don’t cause tremors?)

When I pointed out that I had spoken to and expert and had the other brand properly tested for tremorgenic mycotoxins he didn’t want to know and said it was irrelevant and rudely concluded our conversation.

Thanks to other forum members I can see that in other countries they have had serious problems with contamination of their dog food products with salmonella and melamine. Anyone would have to be crazy to feed their dog this companies products.

To me it is obvious that the dog food is responsible and the company has done nothing to prove otherwise.

Craig W. 2009.

References;

Bennett, J.W, & Klich, M. (2003) Mycotoxins. Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC164220/

Bough, M, (2006) Toxicology Brief: “Tremorgenic Mycotoxicosis in Dogs”. Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://www.compendiumvet.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=F0E2AE6B0B7E437588DFCF8A9FCA8CAC&nm=CE+Programs&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=60963CBCF74D4156BBFCA2595B06714C&AudID=43A035C1ADDF4F5F823E087E3BEE4975

Eriksen et al, (2009) Poisoning of dogs with tremorgenic Penicillium toxins. Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13693780903225821

Hocking, A.D, Holds, K, Tobin, N.F, (1988) Intoxication by tremorgenic mycotoxin (penitrem A) in a dog. Viewed 19th December 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3401148?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=10

Lowes, N.R, Smith, R.A, Beck, B.E (1992) Roquefortine in the stomach contents of dogs suspected of strychnine poisoning in Alberta. Viewed 19th December 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1481371/pdf/canvetj00057-0057.pdf

Schell, M.M, (2000), Tremorgenic mycotoxin intoxication. Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://www2.aspca.org/site/DocServer/toxbrief_0400.pdf?docID=113

Virginia Maryland Veterinary Notes (2005), Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/engagement/ext/pub/VetNotes_115.pdf

Walter,S.L, (2002), Acute penitrem A and roquefortine poisoning in a dog. Viewed 19th Dec 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC339273/?referer=www.clickfind.com.au