Category: Dog Advice

Vet charity PDSA is warning that nearly 4 million dogs and cats are at risk of flea infestations this summer after shock findings show a huge increase in the number of animals left exposed to their harmful effects.

The charity’s latest PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report showed a decline since 2014 of 900,000 cats and dogs** receiving preventive medication to protect them from the blood-sucking parasites.

Meanwhile, milder winters and widespread central heating have provided the perfect conditions for the UK flea population to increase in recent years. But they’re not just an inconvenience, in very young pets a flea infestation can even be deadly.

“A flea infestation can cause intense suffering for a pet. Their skin will become itchy and inflamed, and some pets will scratch so much that their skin becomes sore and infected. For some, such as young kittens and puppies it can be incredibly serious,” said PDSA vet Rebecca Ashman.

“High infestations of fleas can cause a condition called flea anaemia. This is where the parasites have drained so much blood that they leave the animal desperately weak. In younger and smaller pets this can quickly become life threatening.”

PDSA is highlighting the issue after two kittens from a litter in Birmingham tragically died from flea anaemia.

Rebecca Thorne, Senior Vet at PDSA’s Aston Pet Hospital, explained that the litter was brought in with severe flea-bite anaemia last month.

She said: “Two kittens were brought into the hospital by their owner after a third had sadly passed away.

“The smaller kitten, called Rosie, had very pale gums, was collapsed and cold. The other kitten, Logan, was livelier but they were both covered in fleas.

“We gave both kittens intensive care. We fought as hard as we could but sadly we weren’t able to save Rosie. However, we were able to save Logan and thankfully he has gone on to make a full recovery.”

The kittens’ owner, Charlotte Bennett, said she had used over-the-counter products to treat her cats but they didn’t seem to be effective.

She said: “The treatment didn’t work and the kittens began to deteriorate. I’m devastated by what has happened and want to warn others about how dangerous fleas can be.”

In a separate case, PDSA vets in Bristol saved a kitten which had collapsed after developing flea anaemia. The kitten was nursed back to health while its littermates also received treatment to rid them of the parasites.

Vet Rebecca Ashman said it was important for owners to carry out a regular flea treatment regime as recommended by their vet.

She said: “It’s worrying that there’s been such an increase in the number of pets that have never received flea treatments. Even if your pets don’t go outside, flea eggs and larvae can still be brought into the home on clothing and shoes. Flea infestations can cause terrible suffering, so regular flea prevention really is an essential part of taking care of your pet.

“Thanks to funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery we’re educating more pet owners about the importance of regular treatment and will be dispensing 200,000 flea treatments to pets this year.”

PDSA’s top tips for foiling fleas:

• Treat regularly – frequent treatments are needed to keep on top of any fleas that may be trying to set up home in your pet’s fur. Check the label or ask your vet if you’re not sure how often to do this as it’s important to use treatments correctly.
• Choose the right product – ask your vet which product would be best for your pet. Some products may not be as effective as others.  If you have more than one pet, make sure the product is suitable for each pet and follow the instructions to the letter.  Never use a dog-specific flea treatment on a cat, as these can contain a higher dosage that could cause fatal poisoning.
• Treat all your pets – fleas can jump straight from one species to another, so it’s important to treat all the pets in your house regularly at the same time.
• Treat the environment too – wash your pet’s bedding and any blankets they use at the highest temperature possible as often as you can, and vacuum areas where they frequently lie. Flea eggs and larvae can live in soft furnishings, and as some products only deal with adult fleas it’s important to break the cycle.
• Treat for other parasites – fleas can lead to other problems such as tapeworm, so a regular worming program is also important.

Did you know?

• Fleas thrive in a warm environment, which is why flea cases increase during the summer months, and in the late autumn when the central heating is first switched on.
• Fleas can jump 20cm high, 4ft long and will jump around 10,000 times when looking for a dog or cat host.
• Fleas can feed for up to three hours from one site, and can eat up to 140% of their own body weight in blood.
• Eggs, larvae and pupae can also be carried into and around the house on the soles of our shoes

Over 500,000 dog bites occur every year in Canada. In fact, the Humane Society of Canada estimates that someone suffers a dog bite every 60 seconds in this country.

Preventing dog bites is all about education. Stacey Huneke is a Registered Veterinary Technician in Ontario, and she says supervision is imperative if parents want to protect their children from being bitten by a dog.

“Dogs and children must be supervised by alert adults,” Huneke explains. “Any interaction, depending on the age of the child, should only be done together with an adult and only if the dog is comfortable.”

Huneke adds that the whole family should learn how to read dog body language so they will know when a dog is uncomfortable or stressed.

“Adults should intervene if dogs are acting stressed,” she says. “Dogs should always have a child-free area to go.”

So how can we identify when a dog is stressed?

“Dogs often show body language asking you to leave them alone before they bite,” explains Huneke. “If you hear them growling you’ve already missed dozens of cues that your dog is uncomfortable.”

When a dog wants to be left alone, they may exhibit one or more of these cues:

Tail between legs
White of eyes showing
Yawning, licking or chewing
Ears are back and down
Mouth/lips closed tight
Curved back

Let’s look at a couple of examples of dogs that are showing signs of being uncomfortable.

“Many dogs show several cues at once,” Huneke says. “Not only does this dog have its tail between its legs, it is also showing the white of its eye, has a curved back, mouth is closed, ears are back and down…and just has an overall appearance of stress. This dog is nervous.”

“This picture terrifies me,” Huneke admits. “This dog is clearly saying I’m seriously thinking of biting you. White of the eye is showing, the dog is glaring at the child, lips are tight, the dog is leaning away and the ears are back and down. I can almost hear the growl right through the photo.”

Another technique to keep children safe is the ‘Be a Tree’ method from Doggone Safe. It is commonly taught to children in schools. It teaches children (and usually teachers) what to do if a loose dog is coming toward them, or is acting too frisky and making them nervous.

“Do not run,” insists Huneke, who has led dozens of ‘Be a Tree’ presentations at schools across Ontario. “The first step in the ‘Be a Tree’ method is to plant your roots (your feet). Then fold in your branches (your hands), so dogs don’t have anything wiggling and interesting to grab. Then stand very still like a tree while staring at your roots and counting in your head or singing a song.”

Huneke always reminds students that trees are boring: the dog will sniff you and leave.

If you would like to arrange a ‘Be a Tree’ presentation for your child’s classroom, visit Doggone Safe’s Find a Presenter page. If you would like to learn more about dog body language and behaviour in general, the best thing to do is contact your veterinary health care team and speak to a Veterinarian or Registered Veterinary Technician with experience in behaviour.

The RSPCA is encouraging parents to teach their children how to behave – and more importantly, how not to behave – around dogs.

As Dog Bite Prevention Week (12 – 19 June) nears, the oldest and largest animal welfare organisation is urging parents to spend some time educating children on the best way to approach a dog, and how to act around dogs.

RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr Samantha Gaines said: “As a mother and dog owner myself, it’s clear that children and dogs can be really great friends. Dogs can also help children develop kindness, understanding and respect for living things. Having a dog as a friend can improve a child’s social skills with people and caring for a pet can encourage responsibility.

“But, just as parents teach their children how to act around traffic and how to safely cross the road, it’s also their responsibility to show youngsters how to behave when they’re around their own or other dogs – either in public places, or in private homes and gardens.”

This is particularly important as the summer holidays approach and as the weather improves, meaning children and dogs are more likely to be sharing outside spaces and are likely to come into contact with each other.

According to data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre, the age group with the highest number of hospital admissions for dog bites was children aged under nine*. And hospital bite statistics also show that young children are more likely to be bitten by a family dog rather than one they don’t know.

As well as dog owners ensuring their pets are trained and socialised properly, it is also important for children to understand dog behaviour and how to interact with them safely.

In 2014, the RSPCA partnered up with vet and animal behaviourist Dr Sophia Yin to develop a series of educational material to teach children how they should and shouldn’t interact with dogs, and with certified clinical animal behaviourist Julie Bedford to produce a leaflet for parents highlighting different behaviours dogs use depending on how they feel.

Giving this advice to children and vital information to parents should help avoid situations where children could get bitten by dogs..

Children and Dog Safety: Six Golden Rules

The RSPCA has six golden rules for keeping kids safe and dogs happy:

Never leave your child alone in a room with a dog, even your own dog.

Teach kids not to approach dogs if they are eating or have food; if they have a toy or something else they really like; if they are sleeping or on their bed; or are sick, sleeping, in pain or tired.

Remind your child to be kind, gentle and polite to their pets.

Teach your child to play nicely with their dog, by encouraging them to teach fun tricks like paw, play dead and roll over.

Always supervise your child when they are with a dog, and look for signs that the dog might be feeling uncomfortable such as yawning, lip licking or avoiding eye contact.

Teach children not to approach an unfamiliar dog or one which you, as parents, don’t know to be friendly towards children.

“We also recommend providing your dog with a cosy spot in a quiet room where they can retreat to if they need or want their own space,” Dr Gaines adds. “It’s good to teach your children to leave the dog alone when he/she is in this area.

“It’s also a nice idea for children to strengthen their bond with the family dog by playing fun and safe games such as hiding treats in the garden for the dog to find, playing fetch, and trying simple training.”