MUSWELL HILL

What is Osteoarthritis?

• Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of chronic pain in dogs, and is also the most common form of arthritis – a painful disease which affects your dogs’ joints.

• Arthritis occurs when the protective layers of cartilage that cushion the joints begin to deteriorate causing inflammation and pain.

• Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease and the effects tend to worsen with age.

What are the Common Signs of Osteoarthritis?

Dogs with osteoarthritis tend to display the following clinical signs:

• Limping

• Stiffness after exercise

• Exercise intolerance

• Difficulty rising, sitting or climbing stairs

• Changes in general behaviour

• Loss of appetite

How is Osteoarthritis Diagnosed?

If your veterinary surgeon feels that your dog is displaying any of the common clinical signs, they may recommend carrying out some x-rays, along with a thorough clinical examination. X-rays will involve a general anaesthetic and a stay in the hospital for the...

Here are 3 tips that may help you, your family and your dog all have a happy and safe celebration this Easter.

1) Easter Eggsplination 

Chocolate is toxic to dogs and the increase in chocolate available at this time of year means even more care should be taken to prevent your dog consuming it! It is important to educate your children not to feed your dog chocolate. In addition, curious canines will sniff out the remnants of chocolate in foil wrapping due to their fantastic sense of smell. Explaining this to your children will help keep chocolate and empty packets out of reach!

TIP: If you are hosting an Easter Egg hunt this year – make sure the dog doesn’t join in! Ensure you know where each egg is hidden and make sure they are all recovered… by your children, not the dog! If your dog wants to play too, why not get the kids to set up a dog treat hunt?

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs include:

• Dehydration or excessive thirst

• Diarrhoea

• Drooling

• High temperature and b...

At the end of 2016 the Cats Protection were looking for a veterinary centre in North London to provide them with veterinary care, neuterings and surgeries.  At the Arc we were already providing charity care for the dog charity All Dogs Matter. This is work we find very fulfilling, so much so that we decided to provide the same service for the Cats Protection. 

Cats Protection is now considered the UK’s largest feline welfare charity and helps over 200,000 cats and kittens every year through their national network of over 250 volunteer-run branches and 32 adoption centres. 

With fireworks season coming up we thought it'd be a good idea to write a post about how best to manage pets with fireowrk phobias.

Bonfire Night is a very traditional and welcome celebration for most of us as we enter the colder winter months. There is nothing better than watching the fireworks whilst sipping some warm mulled wine! However, for many of our pets, the weeks either side of November 5th are a time of terror.

Furthermore, fireworks are now part of the festivities for many of us over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Noise phobia is a problem for many dogs, and also to a lesser degree in cats. It is not fully understood why certain pets become fearful of noises such as fireworks and thunderstorms. Signs may include hiding, vocalising, shaking, pacing, dilated pupils and inappropriate urination. The good news is that our pets needn’t suffer unduly with a fear of loud noises. It is important for owners to understand that punishment increases anxiety levels, and comf...

Ticks found on 33% of UK Dogs

Most of you will have woken up today to have read and heard lots of publicity regarding Ticks. This is because Bristol University have just published the long awaited findings of their Big Tick Project.

Arc Vets actively participated in the study by submitting ticks found on some of the dogs under our care to Bristol, as well as logging the details of where and when they were found.

Their results show that in both urban and rural areas about a third of dogs are carrying ticks.  This is a much higher figure than most of us expected and is a big concern because ticks spread nasty viral & bacterial infections, in particular Lyme disease, to both pets and humans.

Advice from Dr Will @ Arc Vets

Our advice to our clients is this: continue using Advocate every month but also add in a Bravecto tablet every 3 months.

Advocate still covers the majority of parasites in the UK; roundworm, fleas, mites, lungworm & lice.  Bravecto is a tablet that is very effective against ti...

Keyhole surgery, otherwise known as laparoscopic surgery, is a form of minimally invasive surgery and is considered by many to be the gold standard for neutering female dogs and male dogs with undescended testicles (see our cryptorchidism blog post).

What are the advantages?

Clinical studies have shown that keyhole surgery for spaying of female dogs and neutering of male dogs with undescended testicles has increased benefits when compared to traditional (open) surgery;

• Reduced amount of pain after the operation. The surgical wounds are much   smaller with keyhole surgery: 0.5 to 1 cm compared to 6 to 15 cm.

• Your pet will return to her normal level of exercise sooner. Normally she must rest for 10-14 days, but after laparoscopic surgery only a few days of rest is required on average.  

• A significantly reduced risk of complications. Such as bleeding from the surgical site; this is due to the surgeon having much better visualisation of the ovaries and using advanced e...

When it comes to weight gain, dogs aren’t too dissimilar from their human masters. Just like us, it’s easy for dogs to put on a few extra pounds if they consume too many calories and aren’t getting enough exercise, particularly as they get older. The thing is, you might be overfeeding your dog without even realising it. In fact, a PDSA animal welfare report published last year found that an estimated 1 in 3 dogs in the UK was obese or overweight.*

So where are we going wrong?

When feeding our dogs human food, our minds jump quickly to whether or not the food is harmful or appropriate. Most owners, for example, know not to feed their dogs chocolate or chicken bones for fear of making them unwell or causing them to choke. But how much thought do we give to the amount we feed our canine companions? Many of us don’t think twice about throwing our dog the odd leftover from the dinner table. For some families, it’s a normal habit and the dog comes to expect a few morsels once the dinner plates...

What is microchipping?

Did you know that 8.5 million families in the UK have at least one dog?*

Dogs aren’t just pets; they’re family members. Losing a dog can be akin to losing a relative or loved one, so it is becoming increasingly common that owners are looking to take additional steps to prevent such losses.

A microchip is a tiny electronic chip, no larger than a grain of rice, which is implanted harmlessly beneath a dog’s skin. Each microchip is programmed with a unique 15 digit number which will be revealed when scanned by a microchip reader.

If an animal professional (such as a vet) is presented with a lost pet they will routinely scan for a microchip. If one is detected, they simply contact the microchip database the pet is registered on and reveal the keeper’s details so the pet can be returned home.

The implant procedure is pain-free, inexpensive, and generally, won’t cause any more discomfort to your dog than a standard vaccination.

Simply put, it’s a swift and effective way o...

Following the recent news that four separate suspected cases of dogs infected with the tick-borne disease Babesiosis have been identified in Essex, experts are warning of the increased risk from foreign ticks being brought over to the UK.

What is Babesiosis?

Babesiosis is a disease of cattle and other livestock, transmitted by the bite of ticks. It affects the red blood cells and causes the passing of red or blackish urine.

Why is there an increase?

According to a new study* up to half (49%) of pet owners admit their pet could have been bitten by a tick when in another country and more than two thirds (70%) of owners are worried about their pet picking up a parasite or disease when abroad.

Since the UK Government updated the Pet Travel Scheme in 2014, growing numbers of dog owners are choosing to take their pets on holiday with them to European destinations, increasing the risk of a number of tick-borne diseases being brought back to the UK.

With the introduction of the Pet Travel Schem...

 Our pets love summer just as much as we do! It’s the best time of year to be out and about and enjoying all that the season has to offer. However, warm weather and the summer season can be dangerous for our pets. With summer well and truly on the way we have put together some tips to keep your pets safe during this time.

Dehydration and Heat Stroke

Dehydration and heat stroke are very real threats when the hot days of summer are upon us. Our pets should always have fresh, clean water available, all year round.

Some breeds of cats and dogs are more prone to heat stroke due to their thick coats or if they are overweight.  Some symptoms to watch out for include:

• Excess lethargy

• Decreased urination

• Sunken eyes

• Refusal to eat

If your pet does become dehydrated you can cool them down by spraying a hose over their body or getting a wet towel.  If you become worried about their symptoms take them to your vet.

Cars

Leaving your friend in the car for any period of time can be...