111
Summer 2013
Escarpment Magazine
It is thought that the moist, warm environment locked in by a wet hair coat
encourages bacterial flora to flourish resulting in a severe skin infection.
Common breeds affected include Golden Retrievers and their crosses, and
those with longer, thicker hair coats. Treatment involves clipping the area
to encourage airflow and drying of the skin and placing the pet on antibi-
otics to clear the infection. Topical steroidal creams and sometimes a short
course of systemic steroids are often needed. Some pets will immensely
benefit from having their hair coat clipped short in the summer months to
prevent hotspots. Drying your pet with a towel in those hard to dry places
will also help prevent hotspots from developing.
Swimmer’s tail, also known as limber tail, rudder tail or cold tail, is a condi-
tion that results in an acute flare-up of intense tail pain. Pets may be hesitant
to sit down, have swelling at the base of the tail and will have a tail that
seems to just hang with no tone or ability to wag. Just touching the tail can
result in an extreme pain response. It is thought that swimmer’s tail is caused
by an intense day of activity where the tail muscles have been actively en-
gaged and is most often associated with swimming. Swimmer’s tail is com-
mon in Labrador Retrievers. Other tail injuries such as tail avulsion or tail
bone fractures can also look similar to swimmer’s tail so it is best to have
your pet assessed by a veterinarian to make sure that there is not something
more serious going on. Treatment usually involves a few days of rest and a
prescription of anti-inflammatories. Never, never, never give your pet an
over-the-counter anti-inflammatory without consulting with your veterinarian
as many that are safe in humans can be deadly in our pets.
The incidence of tick infestations in our region seem to be on the rise. Hot
spots in Ontario for heavy tick infestations have always been Point Pelee,
Rondeau, Long Point and Turkey Point along Lake Erie, Prince Edward
Country and the 1000 islands, but we are also seeing more here as well.
Female ticks attach to our pets to feed. At first they are very tiny and hard
to see but as the female feeds, her body engorges with blood and can be
more easily detected on our pets. There are many wild animals, such as
deer and mice that are vectors for ticks. There are also some species of
tick that harbour the organism that causes Lyme disease which can affect
both humans and dogs. Tick paralysis is also a neurological disease seen
in dogs resulting in severe nerve dysfunction. Ticks can attach anywhere,
but they are often detected around the head and ears. Ticks should be re-
moved intact, mouthparts and all, and is best accomplished with small-
tipped tweezers grasped close to the skin where the tick has buried its
mouth in the skin. Using a magnifying lens to look closely at the tick (if this
doesn’t gross you out!) to make sure all of the mouthparts are there after
removal is a good idea as leaving in parts of the tick in the skin can cause
irritation. There are some veterinary prescribed topical products that are
aimed at controlling ticks and a very effective tick collar that you can get
from your veterinarian. I usually recommend screening for Lyme disease
if your pet has had a history of having ticks and Lyme vaccination may be
considered if you live in an area endemic for Lyme disease.
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things to be watching for...
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Marylyn Joel (705) 445-9755
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