A few months ago, the Welsh Mountain Zoo sadly lost Aranya, a female spider monkey, who passed away suddenly. A post-mortem revealed she had suffered from a perforated ulcer. So when their male, Smokey, began vomiting, it understandably caused a lot of concern. We were very pleased to be involved in his care and were able to get him examined with a CT scan. Fortunately, the results showed a severe gastroenteritis rather than something more serious. With treatment, Smokey has made a strong recovery and is now back on display, doing well.

From our perspective, being able to CT scan Smokey brought many advantages.

Firstly, the procedure was very quick, which meant Smokey was only asleep for a short time — something that carries obvious benefits for his safety and recovery.

Secondly, the scan provided us with an incredibly detailed and definitive diagnosis. We were able to rule out tumours, foreign bodies, and even ulcers. This allowed us to manage Smokey medically without the need for surgery. Operations in spider monkeys are always complex, and in Smokey’s case, there was an added concern: during the COVID lockdowns, he became stressed without visitors and pulled fur from his arm, so having a healing wound could have been a real temptation for him.

Thirdly, the process caused minimal stress. Smokey was darted, anaesthetised quickly, and cared for using our ambulance’s anaesthetic facilities alongside the CT scanner. By the same afternoon, he was safely back in his pen and eating again.

Finally, it was a real privilege for our team to be part of his care. Jess Nettleton, our Head Nurse, monitored the anaesthetic, while Deputy Head Nurse Robi McAffrey led the CT scan. We believe Smokey may now be the only red-faced spider monkey in the UK, which makes us fairly confident in saying we are among the very few teams to have ever performed a CT scan on a spider monkey!

A Devastating Turn

Sam, a spirited 7-year-old cocker spaniel, was living his best life, adventuring through mountain trails and basking in the great outdoors. But everything changed when he suddenly lost the ability to stand on his front legs, experiencing unbearable pain without an obvious cause.

A Sudden Emergency

Sam was rushed to us as an emergency case, where his condition rapidly worsened. Paralysis spread to his back legs, his breathing became strained, and his discomfort was evident. The veterinary and rehabilitation team immediately initiated a thorough assessment, suspecting a neurological or spinal issue. To pinpoint the cause, Sam was rushed to our in-house CT scanner and within minutes the scan was completed and the images sent to the Radiologist for interpretation and diagnosis within 4 hours.

The Diagnosis: Spinal Compression

The CT scan revealed a severe compression on Sam’s spinal cord in his neck region. As seen on the images the material within the red circle is from a ruptured spinal disc. This has entered the spinal column, causing spinal compression which is a time-sensitive condition. The longer the pressure on the spine remains, the more damage it can cause—possibly leading to permanent paralysis. Sam’s case was urgent, and the decision was made to transfer him to Chester Gates Referral Hospital for immediate treatment.

A Critical Transfer

Transporting Sam safely was paramount. He was carefully stabilized with pain medication and securely stretchered to prevent any further spinal damage. A veterinary nurse and rehabilitation team member accompanied him in our ambulance, ensuring his condition remained stable en route.

Meanwhile, the CT images were sent ahead to Chester Gates, the quality of the images were to such a good standard and level of detail that the specialist surgical team were able to use them to formulate a precise treatment plan. This allowed them to make adjustments to the surgical approach, ensuring the most effective spinal decompression procedure. Enabling the specialist team to view these images and plan whilst we were in transit allowed Sam to go straight into surgery on arrival, reducing the time of the compression and improving Sam’s chance of recovery.

Emergency Surgery and Immediate Relief

Upon reaching Chester Gates, Sam immediately underwent the emergency spinal decompression surgery. Surgeons removed significant amounts of blood and disc material that had been pressing on his spinal cord. The operation successfully alleviated the pressure, bringing Sam much-needed relief. His breathing stabilized, his neck regained some mobility, and his pain became more manageable.

Despite the success of the procedure, post surgery Sam remained paralyzed in all four limbs and required catheterization due to loss of bladder control which is quite common for this type of spinal injury. After two days of intensive monitoring, he was stable enough to return home, with strict post-surgery care instructions emphasizing cage rest and pain management.

The Road to Recovery: Rehabilitation

The road to recovery wasn’t easy, but Sam had a dedicated team working with him every step of the way. The veterinary team has been instrumental in managing Sam’s case post surgery when complications arose. The rehabilitation team was involved from the start, offering advice to Sam’s owners on how to adapt their home to better suit his needs. They also provided a personalized rehabilitation program, which included physiotherapy exercises for the family to perform at home, as well as massage and laser treatment to help reduce pain, swelling, and muscle tension. His owners have also been extremely committed throughout his treatment and working hard with him between his sessions.

As soon as Sam was able to stand, hydrotherapy became a pivotal part of his recovery. Underwater treadmill (UWTM) therapy played a crucial role in helping him regain his natural gait while minimizing stress on his body. While he initially showed delayed reflexes in his hind legs, consistent therapy yielded noticeable improvements. His left hind leg, weaker than the right, gradually regained strength with targeted exercises and weekly rehabilitation sessions.

Steady Progress

Thanks to consistent weekly rehabilitation sessions, including underwater treadmill therapy and laser treatments, Sam’s condition continued to improve. His hind limb muscle mass, which had been 3 cm smaller on his left leg, is now only 1 cm different from the right. Most importantly, Sam’s personality began to shine through once again. Though he’s not quite back to his mountain adventures, he’s slowly regaining his strength and mobility.

Now, Sam has advanced to the pool, a crucial step in restoring joint flexibility and further strengthening his hind limbs. His recovery, while ongoing, is a testament to his resilience, the unwavering support of his owners, and the dedication of his veterinary and rehabilitation team.

Looking Toward the Future

Sam’s journey from paralysis to recovery is a testament to resilience, expert veterinary & rehabilitation care, and the unwavering support of his loving family. Keep going, Sam—you’ve come so far!

As the New Year is upon us, we would like to share and end of year success story that we hope everyone will carry with them into 2025. Throughout the year, we have helped pets that have ingested something they shouldn’t have from chocolate to socks and everything in between, including a fish hook!
On a beautiful weekend morning when the sun is out, what better thing to do in North Wales than go for a long walk on the beach with your beloved dog. We all love watching our dogs running carefree… until they catch the smell of something… and the next thing we know they have picked up an offending object and swallowed it before we can get to them! Even the best trained pooches can fall victim to foreign body ingestion. This, unfortunately, is what happened to Tia and her owners when she found a fish hook and swallowed it in seconds. Luckily for her and after realising there was no way of getting the hook out safely themselves, her owners acted quickly and brought her straight to us! Tia was feeling quite sorry for herself when she arrived and was in obvious discomfort. After safely sedating her, x-rays of her head and neck were taken, revealing exactly where the culprit was! The fish hook had become lodged in her oesophagus. Specialist care was needed to remove the fish hook by endoscope, so we contacted a referral hospital that was able to take and treat Tia the very same day!

She was back home quicker than you could say “Let’s go fishing!” and has recovered superbly.
We understand that it is difficult to keep our pets safe and prevent them from eating things they shouldn’t. Even the best trained dogs can still end up eating things they shouldn’t, and we are here to help when accidents happen. The only way to ensure that we can keep our animals safe is by storing foods out of reach and by properly disposing of rubbish, especially in public places where owners take their dogs for walks. If you are concerned that something similar may happen to your pet, we are happy to advise you on different ways you can keep them safe.

There was suspicion that Rex had been playing with a stick and we thought that was how the injury was caused. We needed to explore the wound to see where it went and what damage had been done. It was a complete surprise when we found this still in the wound.

No wonder he was so uncomfortable. We suspected that Rex had landed on the stick with force and as the stick was wet and rotten it had snapped. This left us with other worries how far had the stick gone, what actual damage had it done and were there any other bits of stick present. Any little splinters could cause future problems. Thankfully after flushing the wound continuously for several minutes we able to perform a CT scan. The results were excellent and exactly what we hoped for. We were able to rule out any damage or any lingering pieces.

And in case you want to know what the specialist saw on the CT?

There is a poorly defined region of hypo attenuation and focal swelling within the root of the tongue on midline (Figure 1, red arrowheads). Numerous small gas foci are present within the tongue and geniohyoid/mylohyoid muscles with subjective enlargement and presumed contrast enhancement of rostral aspect of the layer. There is fluid accumulation in the le retropharyngeal space and overlying subcutaneous space (Figure 2, green arrowheads). Rostrally, numerous small gas foci are seen between the le aspect of the tongue and digastricus muscle (Figure 3, yellow arrowheads)

Doppler heart tests for £99

Cheshire – Sunday 21st July

Very kindly subsidised by the National Whippet Association Sarah Pirie Heart Fund.

Contact the Breed Health Coordinator Jo Whitehead joclarewhitehead@yahoo.co.uk to book or message the Whippet Breed Council Facebook Page.

Original source – Whippet Breed Council

Whippet cardiology update – May 2024

In late April 2024, a meeting with the UK Kennel Club Health Team, Veterinary Cardiology Society cardiologist (Hannah Stephenson), and UK Whippet Breed Health Co-Ordinator (BHC – Jo Whitehead) was held. We would therefore like to provide an up-to-date cardiology summary for the breed and make recommendations clear.

Heart testing data for Whippets in the UK has now been collected for more than 15 years. Around 2000 auscultation test certificates have been collated. Approximately 25% of these certificates record that the dog tested had an audible murmur. The cause of the murmur (be it innocent or due to a heart problem) can only be determined if the dog goes on to have an echocardiogram/doppler. Most of those with a recorded murmur have either never had an ECG, or their results have not been sent to the BHC.

The breed continues to advise that all breeding stock are heart tested by auscultation before breeding and further encourages that if a murmur is detected, a Doppler scan is conducted. Low-grade murmurs should not be ignored.

Pulmonic Stenosis (PS).

Jo Whitehead is to gather data on known PS cases and will be forwarding details to Hannah Stephenson. There appears to potentially be a genetic predisposition in Whippets from some bloodlines. It was suggested that the possibility of developing a genetic test for this condition is explored. If geneticists and the cardiology board believe this to be feasible, it will involve collecting DNA from known PS-affected Whippets and their relatives.

This would be a significant breakthrough for the breed.

Any dog with Pulmonic Stenosis (however mild) should not be bred. Although mild PS is unlikely to have significant effects on that dog’s own longevity, it could easily pass on PS to its offspring, in a much more severe form. A dog that has been operated on for PS and can now technically be ‘cleared’ on auscultation should never be bred from.

Mitral Valve Disease (MVD).

MVD has been more often seen in older Whippets with little effect on longevity and doesn’t usually progress significantly.

Young dogs diagnosed with MVD or significant MV regurgitation should not be bred from.

Suggestions made that the breed encourage testing in dogs aged 8+ so that the progression and prevalence of MVD can be understood.

Summary

• Auscultation test before breeding.

• Doppler test before breeding if a murmur is detected on auscultation.

• Regular re-tests throughout the life of the dog

• Encourage testing of dogs aged 8+

• BHC will be approaching people to discuss follow-up results and also participation in the development of a genetic test for PS

• The Breed Council website will keep an up-to-date list of dogs tested clear by auscultation/doppler confirmed innocent murmurs.

Within the previous two-year period (should go live within the next couple of months).

• With the support of the Sarah Pirie Heart Fund (NWA) and the newly formed Breed Health Fund – money will be available to

Previously our head nurse was Abigail.  As well as being the head nurse she was the lead at our CT scanner. As the CT scanner has got busier Abigail has decided to concentrate on that and has stepped down as the head nurse. We are looking for a motivated nurse with a strong team ethic to take on this role. The nurses we have now are very passionate about inpatient care and client education so you would be expected to encourage this. Salary and rota are negotiable. For more information or if you have questions you can contact Abigail at info@mochdrevets.co.uk or if you would like to send your CV or express interest the closing date is July 1^st 2024.

Job Description

To provide the highest standards of care and welfare for in-house and outpatient animals in Mochdre Vets in accordance with Mochdre Vets protocols and practice.

To organise the daily running of appointments, the clinic diary, operations and clinics, staff training as necessary and to carry out administrative duties as detailed below to ensure the smooth running of the practice.

Be a confident leader and capable of managing and guiding a team of nursing staff, as well as your own workload. You will currently be responsible for a team of 8.

To allocate duties on a daily basis for all nursing staff and ensure they have the correct training for that area. Ensuring the rota is fully staffed, booking locums where needed and ensuring ll shifts are filled including the out of hours and weekends rotas.

Assist the veterinary surgeons with surgery and clinics for inpatients and outpatient animals and carry out clinical nursing duties as required.

Ensure good communications between all departments.

To allocate areas of responsibility to all nurses and ensure this is carried out fully and all records are kept up to date.

To ensure all new nursing staff members receive a full induction and successful completion of the induction handbook in a timely fashion.

Have regular meetings with the Head Veterinary Surgeon and practice manager and then feedback to the nursing team and vice versa.

Learning and Development –promote cpd, book lunch and learns of interest to the team and encourage areas of interest whilst ensuring own knowledge and skills are kept up to date and CPD requirements are fulfilled. Inform your line manager of any gaps in knowledge and identify training needed and make provisions to address them.

Liase with reps consider new product information and suitable swaps when found. Swaps to be done for financial benefit and all new products to be reported to all staff

Regularly review the efficiency and effectiveness of the clinic with the Practice Manager and Senior Veterinary Surgeon, adhere to Standard Operating Procedures and Risk

Assessments for all clinical areas

To produce information for social media regarding costs of treatment, cases of interest etc.

To ensure good stock control and rotation is implemented.

Implement the ISFM standards across the practice.

Health and Safety

To be responsible for own health and safety and that of others in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1975.

Ensure compliance with any instruction relating to Health and Safety. This is not an exhaustive list of tasks and the post holder may be asked to undertake any other reasonable duties in connection with their post.

Demonstrating an excellent work protocol in all nursing duties including high level of hygiene and the ability to recognise and undertake relevant actions with regards to infection control

Ensuring all equipment across the practice is appropriately maintained and serviced , report and summarise critical incidents as part of Practice Clinical Governance Policy whilst being fully aware of all Health & Safety issues .

Arrange equipment replacements where applicable and regularly train staff on correct usage and storage to minimise damage.

Adhere to confidentiality relating to all aspect of the business including complying with and assisting with all requirements relating to GDPR compliance.

In Summary

Other qualities – Ability to make decisions that benefit the whole team not individuals

Approximately 85% of the role will be clinical duties, to allow 15% for admin that may come with that role) including a full share of the on-call rota

Hours: open to discussion .Flexibility is expected with these shifts to cover for staff absence or to provide shift specific training for staff. Attendance to the staff meetings even if it falls outside of your regular rota

Salary Fully negotiable with incentives and long term target achievement reward

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a long-term condition where the cartilage in the affected joint deteriorates, leading to pain and lameness. This can be especially debilitating for dogs. Stem cell therapy is a novel and cutting-edge treatment that is showing increasing effectiveness in combating osteoarthritis.

What are stem cells?

Stem cell therapy is relatively new in both veterinary and human medicine. However, its use for treating osteoarthritis (OA) is more advanced, especially in cats and dogs, where arthritis is very common. It is estimated that 20% of dogs suffer from OA, and globally, tens of thousands of dogs have been treated with stem cells. In successful cases, the stem cells are injected into the joints, alleviating pain and allowing pets to walk without lameness.

How do stem cells work?

The process involves taking a small fat sample from your pet under general anaesthesia, from which stem cells are isolated and cultured into millions of cells. These cultured stem cells are then returned to your vet for injection into the arthritic joints. Additionally, some cells are stored frozen for future use, ensuring they are always available if needed.

Stem cells offer natural anti-inflammatory pain relief for your dog, with noticeable effects within a week to 10 days after injection. These benefits include improved mobility, reduced stiffness, and pain-free movement. The relief typically lasts for a few months and can last for up to a year, after which a follow-up injection may be necessary. Following stem cell treatment, dogs can often live pain-free with reduced or even no medication for an extended period of their lives.

Is it safe?

Yes, the stem cells are isolated from the same dog, making the procedure safe and eliminating the risk of rejection or adverse reactions. However, there may be risks associated with the injection process itself, and pet owners should discuss these potential risks with their veterinary surgeon.

If you want to know more about stem cell please visit The Veterinary Tissue Bank

Testimonial from Brody’s mum and dad …

Brody is now 2 days post stem cell injections and he is happy and his usual cheeky self! He’s just having short lead walks to help the stem cells settle and do their job.

Brody was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and elbow dysplasia at 8 months old. At the time we were told it was so severe that if we did nothing, he’d be lucky to get to 6 years old. Last month we celebrated his 11th birthday! He’s been having stem cell therapy for about 5 years and it’s been truly life changing for him. It gives him the ability to be active again and enjoy life pain free.

We want to say a massive thanks to everyone at Mochdre Vets for looking after him so well and for being able to carry on this amazing treatment for him.

Debbie, Phil & Brody

Pre-Visit Checklist for Owners

Before your vet visit, make sure to gather the following:

• List of Questions: Prepare any questions or concerns you have about your pet’s health or behavior.
• List of Medications: Bring along a list of any medications your pet is currently taking.
• Muzzle (if needed): Consider muzzle training if your pet may require a muzzle during the visit. Guide to muzzle training.
• Short Lead: Use a short lead instead of a retractable one for better control.
• Blanket or Familiar Item: Bring a blanket or something familiar that your pet often uses or lays on.
• Food or Treats: If applicable, bring your pet’s favorite treats or food.
• Photos or Videos: Provide any photos or videos of your pet displaying symptoms, if available.

How to Prepare for the Visit:

• Stay Calm: Remember, your pet can pick up on your feelings too, so try to remain calm to help keep them at ease.
• Safe Transportation: Ensure your pet is safely transported to the vet and is accustomed to the mode of transportation.
• Stay in the Car if Preferred: If your pet is more comfortable waiting in the car, please notify us upon arrival. We’ll come out to you when ready, reducing stress, especially in busy waiting rooms. This also helps maintain a calm environment for other pets if your dog tends to vocalize.
• Handling Preparation: Handling plays a significant role in examining your pet, so please get your pet used to being handled in areas such as paws, tail, ears, face, and body. Guide on handling your dog.

In a literal sense it means Abnormal development

Dys – abnormal, impaired, difficult,

Plasia – from Greek plasis a moulding or formation, from plassein to mould

But what does to a pet? sadly it can men a lifetime of pain and difficulty with normal movement.

With our CT scanner we have been lucky enough to actually see a four view picture and explain exactly how this condition becomes a problem. We were asked to CT scan a 5 year old labrador that had suddenly gone lame.

These are the pictures and explanation oooo fancy but what does it actually mean. Well Sadly it means that the dog in this case has an elbow that works as a mortar and pestle as the fragments rub in the joint. The word incongruity means the normal joint does not sit in the correct location and as the CT defines in this case is moderately out of place. Therefore as you can imagine this is a disease process that will progress.

The bad news is that well as elbows animals can get dysplaias in many areas but also most predominantly the hips. Factors such as excessive growth rate, types of exercise, improper weight, and unbalanced nutrition can magnify this genetic predisposition. Although there are some good breeders that check the disease state of hips and elbows and how likely it is to be passed on to future offspring it is not compulsory and therefore in buying a puppy you may not know how bad its joints are going to be as the disease process manifests as they get older and bigger

The good news For the dog in the scan we sought advice from specialists. In some case surgery is an option but was though not to be the best case here. The great news was that all advice given were things Mochdre Vets could offer. The best news though was that we implemented the advice and we had reports of an amazing response with the odg being able to return to exericse and enjoy his life.

This is the advice from the specialists

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: It would be important to prevent Milo from getting overweight as this would put more pressure and cause more inflammation on his abnormal joints. It he was already overweight, then I would recommend he loses weight.

ANALGESICS: Prescription of NSAIDs for at least 3-4 weeks initially would be recommended. You could add other drugs, such as gabapentin, paracetamol (pardale), amantadine or amitriptyline to see if he responds. Galliprant, which has a different mechanism of action than NSAIDs could be tried to see if it is effective, although generally this is not as effective as NSAIDs. Librela could also be beneficial for long-term management of OA.

NUTRACEUTICALS: I would recommend Milo is prescribed joint supplements containing omega 3 fatty acids as they have been reported to clinically help dogs with osteoarthritis. The use of cannabinoids could also be helpful in the management of chronic pain, although I do not have experience with this therapy.

EXERCISE MODIFICATION: Milo´s joints are not normal and the osteoarthritis will progress with time. Although exercise is beneficial for the correct nutrition and movement of the joints, high impact activities, such as jumping, running or playing with other dogs, are detrimental to degenerated joints. I would recommend he is kept active, but mostly with low impact activities, such as walking on the lead and on soft/padded surfaces. We generally start with 5 minute slow walks on the lead, 2 – 3 times a day, for 2 weeks. Then, and provided he is improving, the length of his walks could be progressively increased by 5 minutes every 2 weeks. The length of the walks would need to be adjusted to his tolerance and decreased if he becomes stiff.

PHYSIOTHERAPY: Leo would benefit from physiotherapy and hydrotherapy performed by a certified physiotherapist to improve his clinical signs. Laser therapy and acupuncture have also shown positive effects on osteoarthritic and painful joints so it would be worth trying to see if he responds. Hydrotherapy is a very helpful therapy to try to build up the atrophied muscles, maintain/improve joint range of motion, relax the musculature, etc. while not supporting 100% of the weight through the joints. This may also help him do some exercise and be less depressed. We just need to find what works for Leo. Regenerative medicine with intraarticular injections of platelet rich plasma or stem cell therapy could also be considered. Unfortunately although the use of MSC is a promising therapy for OA, results from different studies are contradicting. Generally evidence would say dogs may improve with the IA administration of MSC and/or PRP, but in very degenerated joints, this beneficial effect may not be that evident. Other IA injections could be tried, such as arthramid vet. I generally leave IA injection of steroids as a last resort, as this would improve the clinical signs but could also cause more joint degeneration.

From 1st September 2023 the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS, regulatory body for the veterinary profession in the UK) is introducing new guidance on prescribing prescription-only medicines. The full guidance can be found here

Our previous policy was everything needs a repeat medication check every 6 months and 12 months for anti parasitics subject to veterinary discretion.

The new guidance requires that a physical examination of the pet has to be performed every time any antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals and antiparasiticides are prescribed. This includes topical preparations such as ear and eye drops, and all prescription flea, worm and tick products

The guidance is an important step towards ensuring responsible antimicrobial use and reducing the veterinary impact on the wider issues of global antibiotic resistance and decline of insect populations.

What this means in practice is that your pet will need to come in for an in-person consultation every time:

• we need to prescribe medication for an ear infection (as most contain antibiotics)
• we need to prescribe antibiotics for any skin problem, even if it’s a chronic problem
• we/you decide to change from one flea/worm/tick product to another
• we suspect a urinary tract infection (remote/online consultation and urine analysis/culture are no longer sufficient)
• we suspect a gastrointestinal infection (remote/online consultation and faecal analysis/culture are no longer sufficient)

Where possible we will try and provide you enough medication to cure the problem but unfortunately there are no guarantees.

In the example of ear problems if it looks like a chronic problem or a diagnosed problem we either prescribe a separate bottle for each ear if it is a bilateral problem.

We also can no longer prescribe prescription deworming products on the basis of a laboratory report alone, we will need to see the pet for a consultation and physical examination first. For long term prescription medication that is not an antimicrobial/antiparasitic, our usual policy of requiring an examination every 6 months (or every 3 months in some less stable or more serious cases) continues to apply. The consultations are charged at our usual fee of £13, for just a repeat meds check (if you have new problems or need to change medication the charge maybe more.

As well as having to embrace all these changes it means we will have to offer more appointments which we are already struggling to do. We have therefore had to take the decision that all missed appointments will be charged for and when booking a CT scan or an operation you a deposit will be required.