It's Summer Time
Dr Jules Wilson MRCVS of the Maunu Rd branch of the Northland Veterinary Group HAS THIS SAY...
Yes I know there is still lots of rain about, but soon the sun will be out every day frying everything it can lay its eyes on!
So, yet again, let’s get the SUNSMART message out there to all those pale cats & dogs. Pets with light coat colour (especially white) are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of the sun (just like blond or redheaded people).
Please discourage your dog or cat from spending long periods sunbathing. Don’t forget that burn time is often only 10 minutes. It has been shown that glass reduces the strength of the sun by about 20% BUT clear perspex/plastic can reduce the sun strength by up to 50%. This tells us it is safer for our pets to sunbathe on the lounge carpet i.e. behind glass windows.
Even better is for them to sunbathe behind a clear plastic screen. The fierce NZ sun not only burns the skin but also causes radiation damage to the skin and also the eye lenses. This radiation damage often results in aggressive skin cancers (often on ear tips and noses) and also the formation of cataracts in the eye lenses and so blindness.
The use of hypoallergenic, Factor30 sun block on the ears & noses of white faced cats and dogs is a good thing. You can also apply it to the almost hairless tummies of some dogs who sunbathe lying on their backs! Unfortunately cats often lick & groom sun block off themselves and so another system must be considered.
The use of NON TOXIC permanent black marker pen to blackout the ears of white faced cats is thought to dramatically reduce the sun damage to their ears. Blacking out the white skin immediately around the cats nose may be possible but may also be met with some resistance...
What a good time to remind ourselves and the kids to Slip, Slop, Slap & Wrap to reduce the incidence of skin cancer and cataracts in kiwis...
While discussing the strength of the NZ sun it is a good time to remind you NOT TO LEAVE YOUR DOG IN THE CAR ON A WARM DAY. Even cars in the shade can quickly heat up to lethal temperatures.
Every year the SPCA and local vets have to deal with the results of thoughtless owners leaving dogs in parked cars. They are effectively putting their pet into an oven and leaving them to bake to death. In the middle ages heretics were burned at the stake; being left in a hot car must be very similar and certainly not deserved.
Please do not do it and if you find a baking dog call the SPCA and the police at once in order to have them quickly released from their metal death box!
Have a happy festive season, remember NOT to give your pets cooked bones or cocktail sticks (!) from the barbeque and no chocolate thank you, (send all your spare chocolate to Jules The Vet c/o the SPCA, Rewarewa Rd, Whangarei, who will safely neutralise its potentially toxic/lethal effects on small pets!)
If you are putting your pets into cattery or kennels make sure that their vaccinations are up to date, especially the dog infectious bronchitis (used to be called kennel cough).
Good vaccination cover is also very important if you are taking your pet out to the beach as they will meet new & nasty bugs against which they have no immunity. Think before you beach!
Issue 4
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