musingsbyromela

This post is dedicated to all the dog owners, dog owners-to-be, dog rescuers and all animal lovers. Lately I have been seeing a lot of veterinary patients suffering from parvo viral diarrhoea and every year there is an outbreak of the disease Canine parvo viral diarrhoea is caused by the canine parvo virus type 2. It is highly contagious and a deadly disease that is mostly common in puppies and in un -vaccinated dogs. The chances of survival of those dogs that have been infected with this virus is very slim How to prevent your dog from canine parvo viral diarrhoea 1. Vaccinate and deworm your dog properly Make sure that your dog is vaccinated properly against the Canine parvo virus type 2. Regular and proper deworming is important to maintain good immunity levels. Always talk to your local veterinarian about the dog's upto-date vaccination and de-wormi ng protocols 2. Keep your dog away from un vaccinated dogs There's high probability that the un vaccinated or impro...

Every month I come across pets with nerve disorders and it's heartbreaking to see them living with it. This post is dedicated to all pet lovers to minimise their pets from getting neuropathies  A Nerve disorder is the layman term to any disease or illness involving the nervous system. In medicine these are called a neuropathy (plural: neuropathies) Reasons for neuropathies  1. Congenital  2. Genetics 3. Contagious diseases - canine distemper, rabies, feline herpesvirus 4. Non contagious diseases - cognitive dysfunctions, dementia, brain or spinal trauma, systemic illness  Congenital neuropathies are uncommon while the rest of the reasons are equally common in pets Ways to avoid neuropathies in pets 1. Do not breed dogs with genetic neuropathies  Breeds such as Rottweilers are prone to genetically derived nerve disorders. Those who have been diagnosed with such conditions should not be used for breeding purposes  2. Vaccinate your pets routinely ...

What a kick-start already? Apologies for not keeping in touch with the folks for two days as I was working hard on my patients and was too tired to blog I had four critical patients right on the 1st of February; three of them were down with dog tick fever and one with viral diarrhoea Talking about tick fever in dogs, it's raising its head again these days due to the hot weather here in Sri Lanka. The ticks who were less active during the cold weather are now more active and are laying more eggs. There will be an increase in the dog tick population in the months to come as it will be more hot outside Every week from January to until now, the number of both contagious and non contagious diseases have increased due to the prevailing hot weather and all you have to do now is to protect your pets from these diseases and illnesses  Here are some important tips: 1. Vaccinate your pets on time Give space to your veterinarian to explain to you the importance of routine a...

Image 1: my dog avoiding a photo as always Every person has his or her own struggles and the dog-mom community has some added very own "battles." Photo bomber My smart dog doesn't let me take a sinlge photo with him! Not even one! All does is photo bombing. This was my most recent struggle and what crossed my mind that I had to write about The Diva My dog has to be dragged every morning for breakfast! Before having his morning meal he's the grumpiest. We have been feeding him on most mornings for many years. He doesn't eat on his own in the morning and expects us to feed him. Just when his tummy is full, he's the cutest in the family running around in the house  At the vet This doesn't apply to me and my dog anymore as my dog gets all of the vet treatment at home without any vet bill. Leaving this aside, long before I started practicing I remember taking my dog to the veterinarian atleast once a month. Finding a tuk to take him, sparing time of...

If your dog has been diagnosed by your veterinarian for gastritis, gastroduodenitis or gastric ulcers this post is for you. While your dog is under a veterinarian's treatment for these conditions here are a few home tips to consider Dietery tips 1. An early breakfast An early morning breakfast around 6 am or 7 am works wonders. The meal should not be of anything wheat. Try a heavy meal in liquid form or semi solid form To my dog who had gastric ulcers for sometime what worked best was a meal that contained of blended rice and milk/oats/cereals  2. A late dinner Many dog owners do not either give their dog the dinner (to keep the dog awake at night for guarding purposes) or give an early dinner around 5pm and then breakfast around 10 am. Would you ever survive if you were on the same routine? C'mon folks, give your dog a late dinner! It will minimize gastric burns 3. Regular meals at specific times of the day Busy schedules at homes affect the dog, I know. Th...

Coming across many dog patients who turn  immobile or even less mobile due to various reasons makes anyone's heart break. Their life could be miserable. So are the lives of their owners.  This article is dedicated to such pets and their pet owners to know that the dog's quality of life won't be that bad as you think it would  Taking care of immobile dogs is not an easy task. While you follow your veterinarian recommendations consider the following tips as well for your pet's betterment  1. Resting Certain health conditions need resting to recover. If your vet has recommended complete resting, it means 100% rest. Not 99%. Cage or prepare a boundry around your dog where the length is a little more than the dog's length and the breadth of the cage being a little bit more than the dog's height, basically the space being only enough for the dog to sit, sleep and turn around. Until when, is the next question. Until your veterinarian recommends. Certain diseases need l...

Love at first sight it was. Picked up by my mother because of his cute innocent look when he was a little boy of about 3 months, laying down in the car park of a private hospital premises. It's all about "My Dog", my precious old dog who will turn 14 this year. He has been my cutest patient of all time Image 1: the very first photo of Spot back in October 2008 A half of my life in years has been spent with him. Now, you can guess my age 🤣. We grew up together. I was a teenager and my dog "Spot" was a young chap. He grew up faster, obviously. With time as a child I was silently observing his behaviour, his moods, preferences,  how he fell ill and how he was treated. Later in the years I became a veterinarian and started treating my own patients. "Memories bring back memories," they say. A lot of times I have had my dog's psychological and pathological changes behind my mind to treat my patients. I will share some real cases below: ...

Adopting a correct method of bathing your dog is essential to the health of your pet. Incorrect bathing leads to ear infections which may later get complicated into nervous disorders. Unlike in humans, the ear canal the dog is placed at a right angle not allowing the passage of water out of the ear once gone in. This could cause ear infections which later affects the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Consequences of improper bathing: ear infections in the external/ middle/ inner ear that would lead to reduced/ loss of appetite, fever vestibule syndrome scratching of ears The proper way of bathing a dog: Restrain the dog at first. so that you have control of your dog. Insert two big cotton-wool  plugs into the ear (not too in) to close the ear canal. It's better to use a basin and a bowl for bathing rather than a water hose. Using the bowl pour water onto the body of your dog avoiding the head. You may wash the head with your wet hands without...

Your Dog's Vaccinations There are three must-give annual vaccinations for your dog, namely the Parvo, DHL and the ARV. Initial vaccination of your pup should start at 6 weeks of age and by 16 weeks of age it is recommended that the entire course of vaccines are over, given the pet is healthy. Parvo vaccination is against the contagious ParvoViral Disease with the most common symptoms of reduced appetite, vomitting and bloody diarrhoea The DHL vaccination is against three contagious diseases; Canine Distemper Virus, Infectious Canine Hepatitis Virus and Leptospirosis The ARV vaccination is to protect your dog from the Rabies Virus. It's not only a protection to your dog but all human beings Therefore make sure that you get your dog vaccinated annually on time!

Want to improve your dog's looks? here we have some routine grooming jobs for you! FIVE TIPS TO MAKE YOUR DOG LOOK NICE 1. Eyes: check for any discharges, watering or reddening and for corneal opacity. Clean the eye discharges found around the eyes with a clean piece of cotton dipped in lukewarm water. 2. Ears: lift the ear flaps and check for the presence of ear wax, unpleasant odor, purulent discharges and whether there are any  ticks or fleas. Clean the external ear with a specially formulated canine ear cleaner. Apply recommended parasiticides if there are ticks or fleas. 3. Nails: if your dog gets a sufficient amount of walking the nails will automatically ware off. If not, the nails should be trimmed at least every three months under the supervision of a veterinarian. 4. Teeth: use a canine toothpaste and a toothbrush for this purpose. Brushing is important especially in toy breeds that tend to lose teeth at an early age. 5. Coat: need to be hand-stripped or b...

Becoming the owner of a dog is a serious undertaking that needs long-term dedication. The average canine life-span is 12 years, during which time the dog must be fed, bathed, exercised, groomed and given veterinary attention when necessary. The owner should also consider how the dog is to be treated when the owner is away from home for more than a matter of hours. Here are some tips to consider when adopting or buying a dog. Whole - hearted willingness: First and foremost, it is important to be willing to rare a dog whole heartedly with the consent of the rest of the family members; likewise the choice of the breed   Do not merely depend on face value: Check out the other abilities of the dog so as to meet your requirements of raring a dog. If you want a large breed dog or one that needs exercise make sure that you have the required space for exercise as well as that you have the physical strength to control the dog. Puppy health check: Be certain that the puppy of your...

With many years of experience in keeping a pooch as your pet I do see a plenty of benefits! Of course you gotta dump the litter properly and brush the dog daily but what you get from it is far more than that! 1. Companion A dog is man's best friend. From the pre-historic   era dogs were the companions of   human beings. 2. Guardian Dogs sense when there's something fishy. They could protect you by barking when a robber arrives at your door-step 3. Stress-reliever Definitely a dog is a shoulder to cry on. They are secret keepers and could tolerate our mood-swings. They improve your mental health, reduces blood pressure and lower your heart rate 4. Could be trained They are one of the wisest animals in the universe and therefore could be trained to abide by the orders given. From bringing the newspaper to you from the gate to finding narcotics, dogs are trained in numerous ways at present  5. Keeps you fit     ...

Food intolerance Food intolerance is a non-immunologic, abnormal physiologic response to a food or food additive (Ettinger 6 th ed). Food intolerance is similar to food allergy except that it can occur with the first exposure to a food or food additive, because non immunologic additives are involved. Another cause of food intolerance is pharmacologic reactions to substances found in food. Vasoactive or biogenic amines such as histamine cause clinical signs when present in excessive amounts in food. The exact mechanism of food intolerance has not been depicted in dogs. Intolerance to solid food commonly occur secondary to rapid food changes. Loss of gastric mucosal enzyme activity contributes to vomiting and associated enteritis. Inadequate gastric enzymes are another factor contributing to vomiting subsequent to rapid food changes. More time is required for gastric enzyme activity to get adapted to changes in food carbohydrate and protein sources. Sudden ...

If you're new to raring a pooch or if you're keen on knowing how to treat your dog well, you've got there! First of all you need to be a dog lover to keep your dog in good condition. THE SHOTS! As soon as you either adopt or buy a dog, do give the shots of anti-rabies, parvo and DHL vaccines to the dog if it hasn't been already given. Vaccination schedule for dogs in Sri Lanka that is effective at present: Generally the first vaccine for a newly born pup is given at the age of 06 weeks.  If the dam of the pup is known to be immunized, the first parvo vaccine is given at six weeks of age followed by the ani-rabies (ARV) and the DHL separately after two weeks each. Boosters of the the three vaccines will be given again every two weeks time If the dam of the pup is not known to be immunized, the firstARV vaccine is given at six weeks of age followed by the parvo and the DHL separately after two weeks each. Boosters of the the three vaccines will be...

Background Bone fractures are one of the most common clinical conditions encountered in animals in Sri Lanka. There are two ways of fracture healing namely, primary healing and secondary healing. Primary bone healing involves intra-membraneous ossification while secondary bone healing involves endochondral ossification. Fracture healing involves a complex and sequential set of events to restore the bone , in which stem cells play a crucial role. (Aiyer, no date) . Bone defects present a therapeutic challenge to both the surgeon as well as to the patient. When not treated properly, patients can have long-lasting symptoms such as non-unions, pseudoarthrosis and large bone defects. Such patients are left untreated due to the absence of further facilities to enhance bone growth and fracture healing. Tissue engineering with stem cell auto grafts have proven to be the gold standard for fracture healing and therefore is used by surgeons to treat bone defects and large-bone fractures. B...