With the warmer weather approaching, many dog owners will be taking the opportunity to make the most of the sunshine. Although being outside in nature with an animal companion is always an enjoyable pass time, there are factors that owners should be aware of in order to keep their animals safe. This issue of Companion Animal contains a host of information which is relevant to veterinarians and owners.
Parasites are an ongoing problem in companion animals. Dog owners should check their pets thoroughly for ticks, especially after adventuring in long grass. Ticks can attach themselves anywhere on the body, so particular attention should be paid to tricky-to-reach areas such as between the toes. Anastasia Diakou highlights the changing parasitic landscape with regards to the importation of parasites resulting from increased pet travel (page 50). Climate change also has an effect on parasite levels, as the warming climate makes previously inhospitable areas much more habitable for non-endemic parasites (Abdullah et al, 2019).
New legislation is coming into play in June which states that pet cats must have a microchip. For cats which are allowed outside, this is particularly relevant – especially as the weather gets better, they may search for shade and shelter in sheds, garages and the like. Being able to contact a cat's owner via the information saved on a microchip will speed up the process of reuniting a pet with their human family. Microchipping in pet dogs has been a legal requirement since 2016, and research by the Battersea Dogs & Cats home has found that 66% fewer strays were handled across Great Britain from February 2016 to May 2021 (Battersea, 2024). This is thought to be at least partly because more dogs have been reunited with their owners, using the information on their microchip.
Hip dysplasia is a common problem seen by veterinarians, which can affect a dog's welfare as it can cause inflammation, pain and microfractures (Mann, 2019). Rebecca Hood and Rob Pettitt discuss potential treatments for this condition (page 72), from both a medical and surgical standpoint. Frequently, the best option for dogs with hip dysplasia is a total hip replacement (Allaith et al, 2023), though in some cases, prophylactic procedures can be considered (Smith et al, 2017).
If there is anything you would like to see more of in Companion Animal, I would love to hear your comments. Please feel free to email me at gillian.davies@markallengroup. com – I look forward to hearing from you!