It’s a Dogs LifeGood health for your Working Companion

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Supporting your success

•Diet

•Parasites – Worms

•Parasites – Fleas

•Poisonings

•Arthritis and Injuries

•Other Diseases

DietLessons learnt from 30 years in Vet PracticeSome Observations:

•Dogs can eat anything !

From fillet steak to cow manure and get some nutritional benefit

The skinny, pale and rough coated kelpie is usually eating mainly cheap dog biscuits. It usually has plenty of energy.

Feeding fatty food does not make a dog fat!

Once a dog is fat, putting it on a diet won’t take it’s weight off

Food does not need to be fresh to be healthy.

Bones are Good

Parasites: Worms

Worms

Why?

Which Worms?

Sheep Measles

Hydatid

Flea tapeworm

Roundworms

Worming Programmes

• Pups and dogs less than a year.

• Make sure you have a program to worm your dogs.

• Ideal Program versus an achievable program.

Fleas

Fleas

• Are always a problem• Just about all products kill ADULT fleas effectively• Ineffective control relates not to ineffectiveness of the product but

to:• How long that product continues to kill fleas after it’s application• The frequency that the product is applied• The proper application of the product

•And• The number of flea eggs that have build up in the environment over the

preceding 6 months or so.

If you have itchy flea ridden dogs in December no matter what the treatment it will still take a few months to get reasonable control.

Flea Control: Practical Tips

• Treat all dogs and also cats at the same time

• Accept that fleas are going to be a problem and treat early.

• Treat before your dogs are obviously itchy

• Treat in later winter and spring regardless of whether you see fleas

• If your dog scratches assume it will be a flea and treat it as soon as possible.

Stick-fast Fleas

Same advice as for fleas

i.e. The most important thing is to treat early

• And also remember • 1. that stick fast fleas only lay eggs at night• 2. flea larvae require deep soil to develop further so

having concrete under the chooks perch goes a long way to reducing flea numbers.

• 3. Having ducks in the same pen is a recipe for flea disaster.

Poisonings

Mice killers

eg Ratsak Talon Bromakil Tomcat ???

Conditions of poisoning:

Can eat just 1 portion of these baits to be fatal

Rarely from eating affected mice

Often from your dog going with you to a neighbours farm

Symptoms:

Initially signs may be vague and may seem mild:

eg:• Lethargic or lazy• Mild Cough• Mild Lameness

Mice Bait Poison continued

So if you see any unusual symptoms in your dog

• ALWAYS CHECK GUM COLOUR

• Gums should always be a soft pink colour

• If the gums are pale don’t delay: get to the vet asap.

• Consider taking another unaffected dog. (for a blood transfusion)

Other Poisonnings

• 1080 and strychnine

• Organo-phosphates

• Paraquat/Diquat

• Cannabis

• ?Others such as chocolate, onions, garlic

Arthritis

Arthritis

Arthritis• Common in middle aged heavy farm dogs• Joints mainly involved:• Carpus and elbows

• Aggravated by jumping off ute tray-backs a 20 times a day

• Hips in heavy or large frame dogs.Aggravated by jumping onto ute trays a 20 times a day

Medications.

Pain Relief: Never panadol for medium or long term use

Newer drugs very effective

Joint cartilage lubrication and repair:

Pentosan polysulphate

Injuries

Injuries

• Broken legs• Most (I’d say 70%+ are from dogs that fall off back of utes)

• Torn anterior cruciate ligaments• (I’d say 25% are from dogs that fall of back of utes)

• Torn hock ligaments.• Invariably leg caught in weld mesh fence on jumping or in caught

in the step of tractor or header cab• Hip Dislocations

• Some are from “fell of the back of the ute” others hit by car/ram or caught in fence.

• What is lesson here?• ?????????????????????????????? Tie your bloody dog on!

Other Diseases

Rabies Distribution 2013

Thank youVisit agric.wa.gov.au

Supporting your success