Diarrhoea in dogs and cats is a nightmare for every pet owner who experiences it – you wake up one morning to find stinky effluent dribbled and splattered across the floor. And often, just as it is being cleaned up, your pet has a repeat episode!

A pet having diarrhoea is an unpleasant experience for pet and owner alike. It can cause severe illness in dogs and cats of all ages, but does more severely affect very young puppies and kittens, and older animals. Very young as well as senior pets with diarrhoea are at risk of dehydration because they have fewer fluid reserves and slower fluid intake. Their immature or weakened immunity, respectively, also offers less resistance to the bacteria and viruses causing the diarrhoea. However, in pets of any age, it’s important to address the problem promptly to help mitigate the consequences of this silent and smelly killer. 

I’ve just realised my pet is not in my house or yard. I think they are missing – what should I do?!

Pets can go missing for many reasons: jumping out of the car when you’re making a pitstop, running after other dogs while at the dog park, escaping the yard during a thunderstorm, or even an indoor cat finding herself outside, feeling disoriented and hiding somewhere nearby. It’s a terrifying experience to realise that the dog or cat you assumed was at home… is nowhere to be found. 

Whether your pet has had emergency surgery (after a medical emergency, or injury in a fight or accident) or an elective procedure (like a spay or neuter), they will need time to return to relative normal after being under anaesthesia and for their wounds to heal. It’s imperative to support their healing process in an optimal way. The vet will monitor your pet for a short time after the operation, but the post-operative care at home is your responsibility – to manage your pet’s recovery and healing to ensure they are healthy and thriving once again.

I wish I could prevent my pets from getting sick – both for their health and for my budget. Is there a way to prevent pet illnesses?

Many pet owners will only contact the vet when their dog or cat has a health emergency; when their pets get sick enough to warrant treatment from a veterinary professional. Whether these vet visits are for injuries or emergency treatment for an illness, veterinary care is often seen as the very last resort. These emergency visits may also come with a hefty bill because the pet owners are inclined to wait to see if their pet will get better on their own. Unfortunately, the pet’s health deteriorates and the more advanced the illness gets, the more intensive (and expensive) the treatment becomes to cure them. 

"My dog has a runny nose and really bad diarrhoea. They seem feverish, won’t eat and are coughing and wheezing."

When a dog shows signs of eye and nasal discharge, lack of appetite, weight loss, fever, diarrhoea, cough or wheezing/trouble breathing, and neurological problems like muscle twitches and a lack of coordination, the prognosis is usually poor. This is the reality of distemper – a highly contagious viral disease that affects mostly unvaccinated dogs and puppies that are not yet fully vaccinated. The recent distemper outbreaks in Gauteng and the Overstrand area (Hermanus and surrounds) have put the spotlight back on this terrible canine disease. 

The vet’s role is to ensure the health and wellbeing of their patients; to heal their wounds and treat their illnesses. Therefore, it can be challenging to be confronted by diseases or conditions that are not often seen in cats, requiring differential diagnosis and the solving of complex puzzles in order to treat their patients – especially felines. 

Every day, veterinarians are confronted with diagnostic challenges in the form of dogs with symptoms and no way to tell them where it hurts. There are some diseases and illnesses that vets see often, like ear infections, hip dysplasia, allergic reactions, dental disease and hot spots. But then there are some rare diseases that seldom make it to every vet’s examination table.

Ear infections in dogs and cats

You may notice a foul odour emanating from your dog or cat’s ears, or maybe the pinnae (ear flaps) are red and warm, or you can see a dark discharge (or pus) or inflamed ear canal. However, it would be your pet’s behaviour that alerted you to the potential problem to begin with: persistent scratching, head-shaking, pawing at their ears and/or vocalising while rubbing their ears. They may flinch when being touched on the head or even avoid your touch altogether. 

Most dogs will sit on their rump and have a scratch behind their ears or relieve an itch on the trunk of their body. They will then stand up, shake off, and continue on with their day. A dog with atopic dermatitis will spend the majority of their waking hours scratching themselves, nibbling on their paws, licking their skin, and/or rubbing their face.

South Africa has the perfect temperate climate to keep dogs and cats safely comfortable during all seasons. However, in some parts of the country, it can get very cold in winter and very hot in summer. During weather extremes, we need to be aware of pets’ wellbeing: are they warm enough or cool enough? How do they keep themselves warm or cool themselves down, and what can we do to ensure they are not freezing or overheating?