Ageing gracefully

Thanks to advances in veterinary medicine over the last few decades, the average life expectancy of a cat has nearly doubled. It’s brilliant news; we get double the time with our beloved felines, which means double the purrs and double the love. The same is essentially true for dogs (although the size of breed has more of an impact), but here I'll use cats as the example as I've known more elderly cats.

 
Living longer sadly also means they can suffer from a larger range of age-related conditions. While some of these conditions can be managed and the effects of others offset, it’s important to keep an eye out for any changes in your ageing cat’s behaviour.
 
The first and most important thing you can do is take them for regular veterinary checks. Just as with your own doctor, be frank about your cat’s behaviour. They’re relying on you for important clues about your cat’s health.

• Are they eating more or less?
• Drinking more?
• o they urinate more often?
• Groom them regularly and pay particular attention to their coat condition.
• Are they stiff when they get up from a nap?
• Or do they seem to forget where they are and yowl?

They’re all things worth mentioning.

As cats age they simply don’t process food as effectively as they used to. It can lead to gradual but consistent weight loss and leave them looking skinny. There are specific higher-calorie foods for senior cats, so ask your vet. If your older cat starts drinking more it can be a down to a range of conditions which again can be treated with special foods. These foods have added vitamins and minerals and can help correct specific nutritional balances. But an increasing thirst can be a symptom of other more major problems - so tell their vet.

Poor coat condition can be symptom of under-nourishment or because they’re losing interest in grooming. You can give them a boost with supplements such as Omega 3 & 6 or Evening Primrose. Adding these nutrients to their food can help to keep coats looking glossy and minimise the need to groom.

A wide range of supplements are also available to help repair, maintain and loosen stiff joints. They come in tablet, capsule and liquid form so no matter how fussy they are you should be able to find a delivery method that will help their ageing bones. My cat Macy begs (quite literally upright with front paws flopped down)  for a Seraquin tablet as a morning treat!

Senility or loss of cognitive function is increasingly common in our ageing cat population. It usually shows up as confusion or a sudden departure from a lifetime’s routine (such as missing the litter tray). Again, supplements specifically designed to boost or support brain function in older cats can really help – Senilife, for example. Also just be patient with them, it is not their fault.

The best advice of all is to enjoy the developments in their personality as they age. Treasure your time with them and never forget their glory days when they could leap up a fence panel in a single bound!

Talking of ageing gracefully allows me to gratuitously post a picture of our cat Fudge. She made it to the grand old age of 22. A lovely girl, she was a little wobbly on her pins in the last few months but was still mobile - even if she did occasionally forget where she was! This is her on the day of her 21st birthday.

10 Important Points On Pets & Parasites

Or how to take action against sea of troubles (well, fleas & worms if not the 14th century Danish court) and by opposing end them!

1. Nearly every puppy and kitten has worms. You're not a poor pet parent, it just happens! These are passed to them from their Mother before and after they are born. Sometimes worms can slow an infant animals growth and, in severe cases, can also cause illness. All puppies and kittens need frequent worming in the first few months of life.
2. As many as 1 in 3 puppies and kittens may have a parasite, such as fleas, living on their skin when they go to their new home. Small numbers of parasites on a mother can cause bigger problems in their offspring. So be ready for them.
3. The common dog worm Toxocara can cause disease in humans, especially children. The problem arises from coming into contact with dog faeces contaminated with worm eggs. This can be totally prevented with regular worming. Think of it as an extra incentive to keep up a constant and comprehensive worming regime. We've got a full range of dog wormers and cat wormers that can help.
4. Cats and dogs that hunt and eat mice and rabbits are at risk from tapeworm. Your pet can also catch worms from its fleas - a double-whammy! This is because the flea is host to the Tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum.
5. Fleas and ticks live freely in the environment. This makes then hard to find until it's too late and an infestation has been established. Prevention is often better than cure - but is a constant and never ending battle.
6. Fleas and ticks need a blood meal to breed. A flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day after feeding. The best chance to target them with products to kill them is while they are on your pet, either with treatments given orally or applied to the skin (to see our range of flea treatments click here for cats and here for dogs). You will also need to treat the house with anti-parasitic spray to fully break the flea life-cycle.
7.  Fleas and ticks love heat and humidity. Wet, warm summers and mild winters are perfect conditions for them to breed. And, when it gets cold outside, we turn on the heating and create perfect conditions for fleas to breed inside. Some areas in the UK are worse than others for ticks, which can carry disease, but usually the more rural the area the greater the risk.
8. Your pet does not need to go outside to be exposed to fleas! The hitchhiker flea can come home to your pet with you from outside your home, especially if you meet other pets with fleas.
9. Fleas are the most common cause of skin disease in pets. Pets with allergies often react to the flea's saliva when it bites, resulting in red itchy spots which rapidly get worse as the pet scratches.
10. People frequently react to flea bites. Although we won't play host to the parasite for long, some people may develop uncomfortable red wheals and spots if exposed to their pet's fleas.

Hope you're not feeling too itchy!
Pet Drugs Online

The flies the limit!

The sun may have started shining (well for an hour or two, last Tuesday) and for horse owners this means dry stables and great riding, but it does however mean that it is peak fly season.

As the weather warms up so flies and midges start to become a real issue. These are not only annoying for horses; but they can cause very real problems. Biting flies, horse flies, feeding midges, you name it; horses are being nibbled by it.

Apart from being obvious nuisances, flies carry diseases and trigger allergic responses through their secretions. Biting flies pierce the skin and transmit toxins, sending the immune system into overdrive. One debilitating condition, Sweet Itch, is caused by the saliva of the Culicoides midge. In some horses, the protein components present in midge saliva trigger the over-production of histamine, resulting in inflamed and itchy skin that is easily broken.

Even more unpleasantly, flies tend to congregate around the horse’s eyes, nose and mouth which causes near enough constant aggravation. These areas are particularly sensitive and next to impossible to scratch. If flies are not kept away, their secretions can cause irritation and inflammation of the skin and are capable of contaminating feed.

How can I help?

Preventing flies is extremely difficult once horses are put out to graze over the summer months, there are some steps you can take to reduce their impact.

• Repellents may be effective. Products we stock include Cooper’s Fly Repellent, Deosect and Summer Fly Cream. Citronella oil can also be used to help reduce flies, along with natural remedies such as lemongrass, peppermint and eucalyptus oils.
• Fly rugs also provide excellent barrier protection against flies and midges. These include ones that include hoods which are particularly useful as they cover key vulnerable areas such as the neck, head and ears.
• Screening and Fans – stables and tack rooms can be screened to help stop flies. For instance this could include the use of mesh or sticky paper across stable doors and the use of fans pointing down to provide good air circulation.
• Don’t leave your horse grazing outside during peak periods – flies and midges are most active at dusk and dawn and keeping horses in at this time can help to minimise their effect.

But most importantly keep an eye for fly and midge problems, and if you think they're getting your horse down take action.

Now here at Pet Drugs Online we really do like summer. Even if the first few posts are about the hassles and dangers of sunny days and hot weather. Just be careful out there. And take a coat. Maybe an umbrella...

Managing the fussiest eater ever - your cat!

I'm NOT eating that!

Cats can be picky eaters, so making sure that they get a good and nourishing diet can be a real challenge. Firstly, acknowledge that your cat is a meat eater. Some people, with the very best of intentions, feed their cats meat-free meals. But cats need taurine in their diet and the only way they can get it is by eating meat.

Secondly, understand that when it comes to pet foods you get what you pay for. Some cheaper  options vary wildly in the range of nutrients and minerals they contain – even between different batches of the same brand. This makes it difficult to ensure your cat is getting all their necessary nutrients and to accurately measure their calorie intake.


If your cat is fit and healthy, then your primary choice is wet or dry food. Well, I say ‘choice’ but it’s not really a choice that cat owners get to make; as our feline masters usually express a clear preference! There's no point arguing. Just bear in mind that with dry food cats will need access to plentiful supply of fresh water. I can personally recommend the Drinkwell Water Fountain - Molly our Bombay is huge fan. It might look a bit gimmicky, but it keeps circulating water and cats seem to love the trickle effect.


Like the human population, cats are also getting fatter and it’s mostly down to portion control. If you feed your cat biscuits or kibbles, it’s important to stick to the recommended daily amounts on the side of the bag. A quick way is to measure and mark up a small cup so you know how much to give them per meal. It won’t look a lot, and your cat may/will complain, continuously but it’s the only way to keep them trim.


With wet food, again note how much your cat should have each day. It probably won’t tally with the size of the tin/sachet but remember; overfeeding is not a kindness. Nor is it cheap.


If your cat suffers from any long-term conditions, the right nutrition can help. Specific prescription foods are available for all kinds of conditions, from joint stiffness, renal problems and sensitive stomachs to brain ageing. Your vet can recommend the best foods to support your cat’s condition. Once they’ve pointed you in the right direction you can buy the full range from Pet Drugs Online and get it delivered to your door. And remember - although they’re termed ‘prescription diets’ you don’t actually need a prescription to buy them.


To give a quick real life set of examples of how targeted foods can help - we've got a 17 year old Bombay on Renal (wet and dry), a 5kg+ cat on obesity (dry) and some semi-feral young 'uns on Calm (dry but mixed with regular wet food). One helps medically, one helps with the waistline and the other means we don't get our fingers gnawed. As much!